The Che Cafe Collective

Close this place now.
Terrible décor unless you hate America. People who go here should be ashamed of themselves. We need to tell immigration police to hang out here.

This is an awesome place to see punk shows!

Please do not ever close this place. This is where people get to express themselves fully without drugs or violence, instead through music and coming together. $ 7 shows. Different bands. A place of awesomeness.

Left wing toilet! Wouldn’t spend a dime in this roach infested, health hazard. Vermin are everywhere.

We went there on a lark while in SD and what a dismal place. Unsafe food practices, bare wires showing near food/​drink areas, and a general idea that the people are somehow entitled to do this because they are «special» in their own eyes. Lots of socialist propaganda, lots of giving of other people’s food and money going on.
Glad we left quickly. The lines were long, the food was basically leaves, sticks and twigs.
I’ll take a burger any day over this monstrosity!

This place is great! This place needs to stay at UCSD, shame on some of the people there trying to defund it. Anyways yes the acoustics are somewhat crappy. The energy here is amazing. I remember when one of the singers from Get Back Loretta was dancing with us in front of the crowd. I haven’t really seen anything else here. But I suggest you come here before this place gets defunded. I hope that doesn’t happen. Keep up the good fight, Café Che! Also I don’t even remember ever seeing coffee here, but whatever.

You like dives that serve no beer, but have great bands that are flying under the radar before they break into stardom? Then you’ll like The Che Café. I’ve seen so many bands here for many years now at great prices within the small intimate Che Café. Just know what you’re getting yourself in to and don’t complain about the fact that they don’t serve beer or that they’re are «too many (all and any age) hipsters.» Just about everyone that goes to the shows there are really nice and fun. Give it a chance if you’re not the type that NEEDS a lot for little.
I love the Che!

This is a great venue. Located in La Jolla inside UCSD, it’s a small «cabin in the woods» type building with a courtyard/​hang out/​smoke area, surrounded by beautiful old Eucalyptus trees. The surrounding campus of UCSD is one of the prettiest campuses I have been to and is really pretty peaceful. The last time I was there parking was completely free, but I read a review saying that they now charge for parking? I should hope not, and know not to trust most that I read online these days. Anyway, the back cuts out into a dark and mysterious semi-​paved trail that isn’t very long at all and quickly leads near the highway, but it almost feels like you’re about to venture into a forest because of the tall overhanging eucalyptus.
It is an all ages, predominantly punk music venue, so you just might find a lot of underage and punk music fans coming to the shows. If this makes you cross your arms and scoff at the notion of kids of all ages having fun, getting occasionally rowdy, and enjoying their life away from home at a concert, then don’t let your own grumpiness and ignorance that be the basis upon which you rate a music venue. If you want a sophisticated, structured, 21+ bar and grill with some casual music, there are plenty of those around, but don’t condemn the Che for being exactly what it sets out to be: a small, all ages, friendly, punk venue and vegan café. As much as I love punk music, I would hope that they stay inviting to other rock-​n-​roll, experimental, psychedelic, etc. genre groups to play shows, as I know they have in the past. I hope that it doesn’t evolve into a hardcore-​only type of scene, because it seems like when I was growing up the shows were much more varied and often strayed from that of strictly punk. That would be my only criticism.

Awesome place, I came here for a movie night a while back. If it’s summer, this place will literally feel like you’re inside the sun. People are cool and it’s always a good time.

the best thing about the che café besides the shows and awesome volunteers are all the dorks who gave this place a negative review on Unilocal!
do u even diy bro?

Punks not dead… or maybe it is idk, but Che Café never got that memo. You can’t get anymore DIY than this place.
Just went there for the first time to see Ceremony and i kid you not it was insane. Such a great venue for a punk/​hardcore band. People be acting like its a jungle gym by climbing up and dangling from the beams.
Most of the time I could care less for their line ups but every once in a while I’d be down to go see a band I like.

I have worked very close to this site or see it often and shake my head, with sort of a snicker. Been in the kitchen one time years ago and I would not put my dogs food in there or let it eat off the tables. Oh yes, was not Che a communist too? This place would be better in another country.

The few times that some actually good bands come to play this place I am always bummed. It means I’ll have to drive out to UCSD, pay for parking, deal with a bunch of teens that think they are cool for being vegan anarchists, and then go into the Che Café and smell the mélange of aromas –old couch, b.o., cigarettes, possibly a hint of cat urine?– that only make me think of some crazy old hoarder lady’s house.
Oh, a quick tip: If you order tickets online for will-​call, the kids working the door will have no idea what you are talking about and will just let you in. They run a tight ship here, as would be expected. I’m not sure why inefficiency seems to be synonymous with anti-​establishment.
Why two stars? I don’t know. There is some small part of my heart that is still glad that they are a venue that puts on punk shows even if they do it as crappily as possible.
p. s. i HATE the cigarette smoking. most of the outdoor area is unbearable and it also wafts into the venue itself.

No non-​vegan anything allowed in the kitchen, but children (could not have been older than 14) are permitted to smoke cigarettes in my outdoor fresh air zone. Hmm… so supporting one of the worst companies/​industries in the known universe is fine with ya’ll? If you want to go the anti-​corpo route, you have be fully committed. Allowing cigarette smoking is not full-​committal. Think of what the writers from those Berkeley zines would do if they found out!
I didn’t realize all ages would mean middle school kids would be at the show. Apparently, some turd thought Che Café would make a good babysitter. I had to watch the weird middle school mating rituals all night — there was no escaping it. Disgusting.
I do think the couches pose a significant health risk. Based on the smell alone.
The stage is either not elevated at all, or only elevated like 6 inches. So, if you aren’t a giant or aren’t in the front row, you won’t be able to see anything.
It’s cool a place like this exists, but there is definitely room for improvement.

I have the biggest soft spot for the Che.
During my high school years I grew up here. Like clockwork, every weekend, Friday and Saturday, making my way down to the Che around 9 to see good local and not so local bands. Sometimes I wouldn’t even know who was playing, but wanted to get out of the house, so we’d pack the car full of punk kids along the way and head out.
This place is not your typical venue, and that is what I love about it. It is exactly what you would think of when you think that punk kids are running it. There is a vegan snack counter, a magazine rack filled with old zines, an outside patio for merch tables and hangouts, and a small stage that is only elevated about 2 feet from the floor.
The bands here are in your face and one with the crowd. If you are worried about getting your makeup messed up, or the smell of sweaty kids running around in a circle pit, this place is not for you.

historically represents. Had some of the greatest times of my life back here in 2001 – 2004. I returned in 2010, and was bummer to find it overrun by druggie hipsters.
5-​stars none-​the-​less!
Yay for vegan and DIY.

Been here a few times to watch some good bands, not necessarily good shows though. Never a good experience.
I’ve watched shows that were indoor (although I was technically standing in the bathroom hall trying to watch the band since the venue is the size of a skittle), and others outdoors (since, like I said, this place is small and stinky– I really didn’t have to add ‘stinky’, but this place sucks).
Sometimes when I drunkenly walk towards Che at night, I feel like I’m in a murder scene of a scary movie. Place can give me heebie geebies since its exiled into a forest (or what seems to be.) and away from all humanity. I know… I’m going overboard with this one.
You seriously would have never guessed you were on a prestigious (in terms of CA colleges, that is) campus if you were standing next to the Che Café. I’m sorry, but this place is dirt. Really? Really. It’s almost like UCSD’s way of saying, «Pshyeah, we’ve got hipsters and ‘cool’ people among the sea of Asian techies and nerds».
Interesting crowd… very, interesting. It’s like Chop Suey, but people… Or, wait! Better yet! It’s like a shmorgishborg of people… yes.
This «café» is honestly just a run down shack with bathrooms created for midget use only. I’m 5’2, and even I thought the toilets were short. With the toilets they currently have, they could’ve saved a whole lot of mula if they’d dug a hole in the ground instead…
…the venue cries in pain for a new paint job– I feel it’s pain… oh, yes I do…
PS.
You’re probably wondering why I gave 2 stars with my negative rant on this little shack. One star for the effort of trying to promote good music on a university campus. Another star for allowing me to come faded, so I could visually smooth out Che’s ugly features.

Sometimes good bands.
Always good price
NEVER GOOD CROWD.
(ill say with the exception of a few folk punk shows ive gone to here)
The place is!! ALWAYS! full of egotistical, still-livin-off-mommy’s-tit, know it all college kids. That gets really annoying. A lot of the bands they book tend to be incredibly preachy, and the kids who go to these shows, while trying to be Counter-​Culture or whatever, just eat up anything their favorite band tells them to do.
I’ve been pelted with apples for not being a vegan, i’ve had a few kids try and fight me without letting me know first because i ‘hit them’ while i was hardcore dancing. like bro its a fucking show, it wasn’t intentional. I’ve also had the band 108 stop playing so they could argue with me over whether or not being a vegan makes you compassionate.
When i saw Have Heart play their final tour show here, the place was awesome. People were hangin from the rafters and shit, but also i wound up getting into a fight and breaking up 3 others.
And its all these little tiny vegan kids starting the most fights… They have no muscles but insist on always starting a fight with the biggest crowd of older dudes… ridiculous.

Che Café, you make me feel 16 again.
this place is like someone’s abandoned house that got its carpet ripped out, trashed, and tagged by teenagers.
Once in awhile this place gets good shows (saw Citizen Fish here).
you can hang from the overhead beams and no one really cares.
you can spit on the floors, go outside for a smoke, drink in the wooded areas… it’s a flashback to my high school days.
covers usually cheap for shows, i think they have veggie food, and drinks. meh.

Oh hai hipsters!
The venue is full of colorful murals depicting Che, Cesar Chavez and other activists. It looks like a measly little shack and doesn’t fit in with the image of UCSD at all.
My friend and I felt so ethnic there… we decided to emphasize it by posing with peace signs… asian to the max!
A girl came up to us and asked us if we knew where the cocaine was. She had knotted green hair… and looked like the blue haired Kate Winslet from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Although this girl looked reallyyyyy cracked out though.
I figured some people we talked to earlier had told her we were from USD and she assumed we had the money for blow.
I almost wanted to elbow this tall girl and guy in the face for being stupid drunk stoners and bumping the hell into my friend and I as they made out… I especially wanted to punch that amazon when she groped me from behind.
My friend was pretty pissed and kept pushing back. I did learn one thing… don’t mess with my friend because that skinny Chinese boy will cut you.
At one point during The Crocodile’s set, someone started a mosh pit. Seriously? I am all for revivals but I honestly think mosh pits should stay in the 90’s…along with overalls. I only mention overalls because I saw a full grown man wearing them here.
I just want to thank the random girls in the bathroom who offered me red wine they had stashed in their purse. I was always told never to drink out of a strangers’ flask again after I did it at a party, but I was never told anything about a wine bottle… so I figured I was in the clear: P
The sound sucked but I got to listen to a couple of cool bands for $ 7…so this place is aight.