Trailer Park After Dark FAQs
Everything people ask us before they come underground — hours, parking, the themed trailers, booth minimums, happy hour, private events and the house rules. Pick a topic below to jump straight to it, or scroll through the lot.
Quick facts: 835 Fifth Ave, Lower Level, San Diego, CA 92101 · 21 and over · No cover to walk in · (619) 889-2312
Visiting Trailer Park After Dark
The basics — what this place is, where it is, when it is open, and whether you need a reservation to walk in.
What is Trailer Park After Dark?
Trailer Park After Dark is an underground bar in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, themed around the grit and glitter of 1960s to 1980s trailer park life. Below street level you will find full-size vintage trailers you can actually drink inside, shopping cart bar stools, wheelbarrow chairs, a white picket fence, and a wall-to-wall collection of thrift store decor.
We serve American comfort food, cold beer, and specialty cocktails with names your mother would not approve of. More on the story is on our about page, and there are plenty of pictures in the photo gallery.
Where is Trailer Park After Dark located?
We are at 835 Fifth Avenue, Lower Level, San Diego, CA 92101, in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter downtown. The address sits on Fifth Avenue between E Street and F Street, on the east side of the street, inside the historic Louis Bank of Commerce building.
The bar is below street level. Look for the entrance at street level and head downstairs. Full directions and a map are on our location page.
What are your hours?
Tuesday and Wednesday: 8:00PM to 12:30AM
Thursday: 5:00PM to 12:30AM
Friday and Saturday: 5:00PM to 2:00AM
Sunday and Monday: Closed
Do I need a reservation?
No. Walk-ins are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is no charge to walk in the door.
You only need a reservation if you want a private themed trailer or a reserved booth for your group. Those can be booked online through our trailer and booth booking page.
Is there a cover charge?
There is no cover charge to walk in. Trailer and booth reservations have a $1 non-refundable booking fee plus a food and beverage minimum, both listed on the trailer and booth booking page.
What makes Trailer Park After Dark different from other bars in the Gaslamp Quarter?
Most Gaslamp bars are at street level and look like each other. We are underground, fully themed, and built as an actual indoor trailer park — three era-themed trailers you can book, booths with their own TVs, giant Connect Four, beer pong, retro game consoles, and keg urinals in the men's room.
Yelp named us the #3 Most Outrageous Restaurant in America for 2026, out of every restaurant and bar in the country — read the story here.
Downtown Parking Validation
Park at the Horton Plaza parking structure to receive $12 for three hours parking with validation. Show your ticket to your server upon completion of your meal.
Getting Here, Parking and Accessibility
How to find the entrance, where to park in the Gaslamp Quarter, and what to know before you arrive.
How do I find the entrance?
The entrance is at 835 Fifth Avenue at street level, and the bar itself is on the lower level. Walk in at street level and take the stairs down. If you have walked past the historic twin-towered Louis Bank of Commerce building, you are in the right block — we are between E Street and F Street.
Where can I park near Trailer Park After Dark?
There is metered street parking throughout the Gaslamp Quarter and several paid garages and surface lots within a few blocks of Fifth Avenue. Street parking gets tight on Friday and Saturday nights, so a garage is usually the faster option after 7PM.
Directions and contact details are on our location page.
Can I take the trolley or public transit?
Yes. The Gaslamp Quarter Trolley station serves the Green and Silver Lines near Harbor Drive, and the Fifth Avenue station serves the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines on C Street between Fifth and Sixth. Both are a short walk to 835 Fifth Avenue.
Is rideshare drop-off easy?
Yes. Fifth Avenue is a standard rideshare corridor in the Gaslamp Quarter. Set your drop-off to 835 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101. On busy nights parts of Fifth Avenue are closed to cars, in which case your driver will drop you a block away on E Street or F Street.
Is Trailer Park After Dark wheelchair accessible?
The bar is located below street level. Before you visit, please call us at (619) 889-2312 so we can walk you through the access route and make sure we can accommodate you properly. We would rather give you an accurate answer on the phone than have you arrive to a surprise.
Our accessibility statement covers how we handle accessibility on the website itself.
Booking a Themed Trailer
Three full-size vintage trailers, each themed to a different decade, bookable as a private space for your group.
What are the trailers?
We have three real, full-size vintage trailers parked inside the bar, each decked out to a different era. You book one as a private space for your group for the length of your reservation.
The 60s Trailer is mid-century kitsch from floor to ceiling. The 70s Trailer is the big one — wood paneling, Dixie Cup china cabinets, the full 1970s treatment. The 80s Trailer is neon, nostalgia and zero subtlety.
How many people fit in each trailer?
60s Trailer: 6 to 10 people
70s Trailer: 10 to 25 people
80s Trailer: 6 to 12 people
Booths: 5 to 8 people
What does it cost to book a trailer?
Each space carries a food and beverage minimum, which goes toward what your group actually eats and drinks:
60s Trailer: $300 minimum
70s Trailer: $550 minimum
80s Trailer: $300 minimum
Booths: $200 minimum
All minimums are plus gratuity and tax. The booking fee itself is only $1 and is non-refundable — the minimum is what your group spends on food and drinks, not an extra charge on top. If your group does not reach the minimum, the difference is added to the final bill. Reserve on the trailer and booth booking page.
How long do I get with a trailer or booth booking?
Each reservation runs one hour and 45 minutes.
What time slots are available?
Reservations are typically offered at 5:00PM, 7:00PM, 9:00PM and 11:00PM, subject to availability. Live availability for your date is shown on the trailer and booth booking page.
How do I book a trailer or booth?
Book directly on our trailer and booth booking page. Pick your date and time, choose your space, and confirm the reservation. A valid credit or debit card is required at the time of booking, and the booking fee is $1.
What happens if I need to cancel or change my reservation?
Cancelling or changing a reservation with less than 72 hours' notice results in a $50 charge to the card on file. That charge is non-refundable and cannot be credited toward a future reservation. Full details are in our booking terms and conditions.
Is gratuity included?
A 20 percent gratuity is automatically added to the final bill for all trailer and booth reservations. Full details are in the booking terms and conditions.
Booking a Booth
A smaller, lower-minimum reserved option for groups that do not need a whole trailer.
What is a booth booking?
A booth is a reserved table for your group with its own seating and its own TV, out on the main floor rather than inside a private trailer. It is the lower-commitment option when you want a guaranteed spot without a full trailer minimum. See the booths page for photos and current details.
How many people fit in a booth?
Booths seat 5 to 8 people.
What is the booth minimum?
Booths carry a $200 food and beverage minimum, plus gratuity and tax. That amount goes toward whatever your group orders, so it is not money you lose. The booking fee is a separate $1, charged when you reserve, and it is non-refundable.
Should I book a booth or a trailer?
Book a booth if your group is 5 to 8 people and you mainly want a guaranteed seat with good sightlines. Book a trailer if you have 6 or more and you want a private themed space that is yours for the reservation — birthdays, bachelorette parties and anything where the group wants its own room. Both are on the trailer and booth booking page.
Food and Drinks
Unapologetic American comfort food, cold beer and cocktails with names we cannot print in a meta description.
What kind of food do you serve?
American comfort food, done properly. Kitchen Sink Tots, Messy Tots, Salty Balls, Nacho Libre, Border Wall Tacos, Truck Stop Frito Pie, the Double Wide Burger, the Cluck'ed Up Chicken Sandwich, Sloppy Joe Dirt, The Big Dog half-pound hot dog, and a nightly TV Dinner Special.
The full food and drink menu has every item and current pricing.
What are your kitchen hours?
The kitchen runs Thursday through Saturday, 5:00PM to 10:00PM. Tuesday and Wednesday run a limited menu — call (619) 889-2312 to check what is available that night.
What is the TV Dinner Special?
Our nightly TV Dinner Special is $20 and comes on a sectioned cafeteria tray: your choice of Mom the Meatloaf or Finger Licken' Fried Chicken, with mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed veggies, a dessert brownie and a jello shot. A limited number are available each night and there are no substitutions.
Do you have vegetarian options?
Yes, though the menu leans meat-heavy. Don't Talk Mac (three cheese mac and cheese), Grilled Cheese Sticks, Hot Tots, Salty Balls soft pretzel balls and the tomato soup are all vegetarian as served. Ask your server before ordering if you need something modified.
What do you have on tap and what cocktails do you make?
Rotating San Diego craft beer on tap — AleSmith, Coronado, Karl Strauss, Mother Earth, Second Chance, Society and Stone have all been on our lines, alongside domestics.
Cocktails include the Redneck Margarita, Tijuana Taint Tickler, Romantic Explosion topped with Pop Rocks, Put Some South In YO'Mouth, and No Karen, You Can't Speak to the Manager. Current lists and prices are on the full food and drink menu.
Do you have desserts?
Yes. Build Your Own Campfire S'mores serves four and comes with a tabletop fire pit at your table. There is also the Cotton Candy Ball, Granny Dentures (red apple slices with peanut butter and marshmallows) and an ice cream sandwich made with rice crispy treats.
Happy Hour
Thursday through Saturday, 5PM to 8PM — including Saturday, which most Gaslamp bars skip.
When is happy hour?
Happy hour runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5:00PM to 8:00PM.
Do you have happy hour on Saturday?
Yes. Most bars in the Gaslamp Quarter drop happy hour on Saturday. We run ours Saturday from 5:00PM to 8:00PM, same as Thursday and Friday.
What is on the happy hour menu?
Wells $6
Craft beer $8
Specialty cocktails $10
Twisted and Salty $9
Beer and Burger combo $19
Grilled Cheese Sticks $7
Hot Tots $8
Piggy Sticks $10
The full list is on our happy hour page.
Is there happy hour on Tuesday or Wednesday?
No. Happy hour is Thursday through Saturday only. Tuesday and Wednesday we open at 8:00PM.
Private Events and Full Buyouts
From a single private trailer up to a 300-person buyout of the entire underground bar.
Do you host private events?
Yes. We host bachelorette and bachelor parties, birthdays, corporate parties, team events, holiday parties and full venue buyouts. Details and the enquiry form are on our private events page.
How many people can you hold?
Full buyout: up to 300 guests
70s Trailer: 10 to 25
80s Trailer: 6 to 12
60s Trailer: 6 to 10
Booths: 5 to 8, with 3 available
What is included with a private event?
Private trailers for exclusive group experiences, custom cocktails built for your event, lounge-style seating, AV capability for music, slideshows or presentations, and party games to keep the night moving.
Do you offer catering?
Catering menu items are available for parties of 20 or more guests. Please enquire in advance so we can make arrangements — use the form on the private events page or call (619) 889-2312.
How do I request a private event?
Fill out the enquiry form on our private events page with your date, time, guest count and occasion, or call (619) 889-2312 directly. For groups of 25 or more, calling is usually faster.
Birthdays, Bachelorettes and Big Groups
What to book when the whole point is the group.
Do you host bachelorette and bachelor parties?
Yes, and they are one of the most common bookings we take. Most groups book a private themed trailer so the party has its own room, its own decor and its own photo backdrop. Start on the private events page.
What is the best option for a birthday?
For 6 to 12 guests, the 60s Trailer or the 80s Trailer. For 10 to 25, the 70s Trailer. For 5 to 8 who just want a guaranteed table, a booth. All four are bookable on the trailer and booth booking page.
What if my group is bigger than 25?
Call us at (619) 889-2312. Groups over 25 are handled directly rather than through the online booking system, and a full buyout holds up to 300 guests.
Do you host corporate and team events?
Yes. Holiday parties, team socials and corporate happy hours all work here, and we have AV for presentations and slideshows if you need to make it semi-official before it stops being official. Details are on the private events page.
Are there games?
Plenty. Beer pong, giant Connect Four, giant Jenga, retro game consoles on vintage TVs, a photo booth, and tabletop s'mores kits you can order to your table.
ID, Dress Code and House Rules
The short list of rules, so nothing catches you out at the door or on the bill.
Is there an age requirement?
Trailer Park After Dark is 21 and over. Valid ID is required at the door. Guests under 21 are permitted before 10:00PM only.
What ID do you accept?
A valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID. Bring it even if you have been here before — the door checks everyone.
Is there a dress code?
Come as you are — cut your jeans into shorts, bust out the Oakleys, this is a no-pretense zone. That said, we do maintain a dress code: baggy pants and attire associated with gang or motorcycle club affiliation are not permitted. The full policy is in our booking terms and conditions.
How does the bill work for a reservation?
A 20 percent gratuity is automatically added to the final bill. The total is settled at the end of your reservation unless prior arrangements have been made. You can split payment across multiple credit or debit cards, but we are not able to do separate checks.
How long will you hold my reservation if I am late?
Reservations are held for a maximum of 20 minutes past the booked start time. After that the space may be released.
What time is last call?
The bar closes at 12:30AM Tuesday through Thursday and at 2:00AM on Friday and Saturday, with last call shortly before close. We are closed Sunday and Monday.
Still have a question?
If your question is not answered above, call us at (619) 889-2312 or send a message through the contact form on our location page. For groups of 25 or more, or a full buyout of the bar, the private events page is the fastest route.