High Seas Bar is slated to open on El Cajon Boulevard, taking over the longtime home of Cricket's Pub, a neighborhood dive that has served the community since 1957. According to a recently filed California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control transfer application, the existing Type 48 on-sale general public premises license tied to the property is moving to a newly formed entity, High Seas Bar LLC.
The new ownership entity lists Tara Jene Reis as member and manager, along with Daniel Carradine Reis as member. The Reis family confirmed they purchased Cricket's and plan to officially take over operations in mid-March 2026. The bar will close briefly for renovations before reopening as High Seas Bar. An exact debut date has not yet been announced.
Cricket's Pub has been a fixture in Normal Heights for generations. Operating under its current license since May 2001, the bar built a reputation as a true neighborhood dive, featuring neon beer signs against green walls, autographed NFL jerseys, a pool table that dominates the narrow room, and just enough space left for a dart board and a tight cluster of regulars. A sign near the door famously lists the maximum occupancy at either 48 or 49, depending on which one you read. Another warns against spitting gum on the well-worn carpet. A third advertises $1 Jell-O shots.
Listings describe the bar’s specialties simply: “Great drinks, great food, darts, pool and good people.” The longtime owner, Frank Burton, has been a familiar presence behind the bar, with customers describing him as a Marine veteran and a down-to-earth fixture of the community.
The property itself sits along a busy stretch of El Cajon Boulevard and shares a building with Venice Pizza House, creating a built-in mix of dining and nightlife under one roof. That dynamic is expected to continue under the new concept.
While full details about High Seas Bar’s interior updates, menu changes, or drink program have not yet been released, ownership has indicated the space will remain neighborhood-focused. The pending Type 48 license would allow High Seas to operate as a traditional bar serving beer, wine, and spirits without a food service requirement.
For Normal Heights residents, the shift represents the end of an era but not the end of a bar at the corner. Instead, it signals a generational transition at one of the neighborhood’s oldest nightlife addresses.
High Seas Bar is expected to open mid-March at 3339 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego's Normal Heights.
Originally published on February 20, 2026. Information first reported by Joey Reams of WhatNow.
