Established in 1940 on El Cajon Boulevard, Chico Club is La Mesa's longest-running dive bar, named according to local lore after Chico Marx of the Marx Brothers, who was said to be a friend of the original owner. The interior mixes bamboo accents and surfboard wall mounts with a pool table, jukebox, and shuffleboard setup that feeds the same neighborhood-bar energy found at Hooleys Public House on the La Mesa pub circuit. Karaoke runs three nights per week with live bands rotating through most Saturday evenings, and the bar stocks a wine selection that regulars cite as unexpectedly deep for a dive-bar format. San Diego Historic Neon has recognized the venue for the restoration and upkeep of its original neon marquee, a mid-century sign that anchors the El Cajon Boulevard streetscape alongside late-night taqueria traffic heading to City Tacos and other neighborhood quick-serve counters. The food program is limited to jumbo all-beef kosher hot dogs served on sesame-seed buns, a single-item kitchen that keeps the operational focus on the full-bar draft and cocktail program.