Comic-Con Week at Stout

A Proper Pint During Comic-Con — No Badge Required

Every July, 130,000 people descend on downtown San Diego and discover that the line for a mediocre beer can be forty minutes long. Here's the local move: Stout Public House, downtown's neighborhood Irish pub and hockey bar since 2007, sits at 1125 Sixth Avenue — about a mile up from the Convention Center, a few blocks past the Gaslamp crowds. Close enough to walk, far enough to hear yourself talk. Proper Guinness, 75+ whiskeys, a real kitchen, and a barstool with your name on it. Call us at (619) 702-7933.

We're not doing a themed pop-up. There's no activation, no wristband, no QR code. That's the point — and cosplay is, of course, always welcome at the bar.

Comic-Con 2026 runs July 22–26

Preview Night is Wednesday, July 22; the main convention runs Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26 at the San Diego Convention Center. Whether you have a badge for all four days or you're here for the free stuff downtown, at some point you will need a quiet pint and food that isn't a convention-floor pretzel. That's us.

One block from House of Blues

House of Blues San Diego (1055 Fifth Ave) is literally around the corner — about a two-minute walk. Doing a con-week show there? Get a real meal with us before doors, or a nightcap after. This year that includes the Transformers: The Movie 40th-anniversary concert on Thursday, July 23 — and more Comic-Con shows tend to pop up on their calendar, so check sandiego.houseofblues.com for what's on while you're in town.

Getting here (leave the car alone)

Trolley: the Fifth Avenue station (C Street between Fifth & Sixth) is half a block from our door, served by the Blue and Orange lines. From the con, hop on at the Convention Center or Gaslamp Quarter stations and you're a few minutes away.

Walking: straight up Fifth or Sixth Avenue from the Convention Center — about a mile, 15–20 minutes, and you'll pass most of the Gaslamp offsites on the way.

Driving: we won't stop you, but know that downtown meters run about $2.50/hour (enforced Mon–Sat 8am–6pm, until 8pm in the Gaslamp Hospitality Zone) and the city has used $10/hour special-event pricing during big downtown weeks. If you must: there's a garage directly across the street from us, and the 707 Broadway garage (entrance on Eighth Ave) is two blocks away, open 24 hours.

Staying downtown? You're closer than you think

If your hotel is anywhere in the Gaslamp–Broadway cluster, we're the closest proper pub to your room key:

• Alma San Diego (1047 Fifth Ave) — one block. Two minutes, door to Guinness.
• Courtyard San Diego Downtown (530 Broadway) — about two blocks.
• The Westin Gaslamp Quarter (910 Broadway Circle) — about three blocks.
• The US Grant (326 Broadway) — about four blocks.
• The Bristol (1055 First Ave) — about five blocks.

Staying deeper in the Gaslamp or by the ballpark — the Sofia, Margaritaville, Hotel Indigo, the Pendry, the Marriott Gaslamp, the Hilton Gaslamp, or the Omni? You're a straight 10–15 minute walk up Fifth or Sixth. Even from the bayfront towers it's one street the whole way.

Doing the free offsites? We're on your route

No badge, no problem — Comic-Con's best free stuff happens outside the hall, and we're an easy stop between rounds:

• Interactive Zone at Petco Park (July 23–26, 10am–5pm; til 4pm Sunday) — free activations next to the ballpark, which is only about a 10-minute walk from our door.
• Sonic's Chaos Hunt (Saturday, July 25, 10am–4pm) — a free scavenger hunt through the Gaslamp, blocks from us.
• Adult Swim on the Green & the Splatoon x BRISK activation at the bayfront (July 23–26) — do the waterfront, then walk up Fifth and recover with a pint and a Reuben.

Know before you go

• Kitchen serves until 9pm — Irish and American pub fare: the Reuben, chicken pot pie, Guinness stew, fish & chips. See the lunch and dinner menus.
• We're 21+ after 9pm — bringing the family in cosplay? Come for dinner, everyone's welcome before 9.
• Outdoor seating, free Wi-Fi, and the bar runs late. More questions — parking, reservations, groups — are answered on our FAQ page.

Make a nerd day of it downtown

Our neighbors at Bards & Cards (936 Fifth Ave) run downtown's tabletop game shop — Magic, Lorcana, Pokémon, board games, and open play tables all con week. Their downtown Comic-Con guide and free nerd-crawl map cover everything within walking distance — comics, arcades, collectibles. Game up the street, pint around the corner: that's a day well spent.

Updated for Comic-Con 2026 (July 22–26). We keep this page current every year — same pub, same pour, since 2007.