Last Chance to Get Rid of Strip Club in Bonita

Susan Heavilin
Nov 7, 2025
3 min read

Four years ago in November 2021, gunfire erupted outside La Luz Ultra Lounge at 4AM, and two people were injured and hospitalized.

It relaunched as Caribe Restaurant & Bar sometime in that four-year period.

It hasn't gotten any better, with plenty of undesirable activity taking place in the parking lot late at night.

There was another burglary three weeks ago, on October 19th at 10:18PM on the 5100 block of Bonita Road.

Click on image to enlarge

Now they've applied for "new ownership" to Roots and Rhythm LLC. But it's just another re-launch because La Luz, Caribe and Roots & Rhythm are all on the same FaceBook page.

Click on image to enlarge

It's like those roofing companies that mess up your roof and then startup with a new company name. You can't get them to fix your botched roof because that first company is "out of business".

It's the same deal going on here, the name changes but the crime remains.

You'll notice that the application is for a "General Eating Place". That would be the daytime restaurant. It opens up at 11AM and is rated 3.9 stars. Most of the reviews are good and people appreciate having food from their homeland: Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and others.

Click on image to enlarge

At night it becomes "Club Caribe", a 2-star nightclub, and stays open until 2AM. I couldn't find any information as to the hour it changes from restaurant to nightclub. But it's definitely a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" scenario . . . quiet restaurant in the daytime and nefarious club at night with shady attendees.

Click on images to enlarge

I never knew what was taking place on Friday and Saturday nights in our community. Until one night when I was enjoying a pizza at San Giorgio's, the music started up next door.

Then a guy came out the back door. I was sitting with my friend's cute little dog. The guy thought the dog was adorable and starting petting him. After that, every week that he worked and I was having pizza, he would make a beeline over to me.

Caribe back door | Click on image to enlarge

He told me he was a stripper at Club Caribe and how the owners moved him from club to club. He went to get his costume on and returned as a "doctor." A guy opened the back door and told him that he was on next and asked if he had his moves down. He proceeded to tell me about his moves.

They reopened the back door and called him in. He entered and closed the door. I heard the DJ yell on the mic "Is there a doctor in the house?" three times and then the strip music began.

"San Diego’s Hottest Nights For 23 years Caribe Nightclub has been South Bay’s best kept hidden secret! Caribe is Latino owned, and operated."—Caribe Nightclub FaceBook

The people walking around—when the Club is open—are a show all of their own . . . not your everyday Bonita resident.

I've seen three drug deals go down on the sidewalk there when the Club is in session. I've never witnessed it happening when the Club is closed.

Click on images to enlarge

I was just told about the posted application and the deadline to respond is TODAY. If you think that Bonita is better off without a nightclub/stripclub, call the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) San Diego District Office at

858-300-6855

Click on image to enlarge

A friend said that it used to be a really nice steakhouse years ago and has steadily gone downhill.

A nice steakhouse in Bonita or any other unique restaurant would be a bonus.

Nothing against the Roots and Rhythm applicant if it's a nice restaurant. I just would like to ditch the Club and the crime and negative energy it brings. Roots and Rhythm sounds more like a club than a restaurant.