Canes Bar & Grill   

Using "party" as a verb is so '87, but it still seems to fit this Mission Bay boardwalk hotspot. 'Canes (short for "Hurricanes") may have a "what if Jimmy Buffett threw a party and no one ever went home" feel, but the live music goes way beyond cabana rock. The tunes are pure cutting-edge and often big-name acts (Tommy Lee, Linkin Park, Jim Rose Circus) mix with dance music/cover bands and competent DJs. The dance floor is adequately sized, the drinks are named after catastrophic weather events (consider yourself warned) and the crowd is almost always about the love. Be sure to check the club calendar for frequent under-21 events, too. There's no real dress code here, just common sense and decency. 'Canes is remarkably clique-free, with a patron demographic largely dictated by the musical act or event at hand. Smart folks come early for dinner at the "grill" part of 'Canes Bar and Grill. The food is quite good and is best enjoyed from the rooftop patio.