Best Dive Bars in America
What makes a dive bar great?
Most will agree that it’s cheap drinks, dim lighting, well-worn pool tables and an assortment of colorful characters. One thing's for sure, the best dive bars in the U.S. are places where you grab a barstool, chat with the locals and find out the inside scoop on what a city has to offer.
Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon—Austin, TX
In the heart of the rapidly growing captail city of Austin, The Little Longhorn Saloon—known locally as Ginny's—is a throwback of sorts. It's a classic honky-tonk where the beer is cold and cheap, and great live bands play every weekend and most weekdays. Plus, you can waste all the time you want playing pool, dominoes or Ginny's famous version of bingo, which takes place every Sunday.
Blue Moon Tavern—Seattle, WA
The one-time haunt of counterculture literati like poets Theodore Roethke and Richard Hugo, the Blue Moon Tavern is one of the oldest bars in Seattle's University District. Located a mile from the University of Washington campus (because it was required by law not to be any closer), the bar remains a great place to get a stiff drink among an eclectic assortment of students and locals.
Double Down Saloon—Las Vegas, NV
In a city that serves cocktails and beer anywhere you look, it takes a lot to stand out. The Double Down Saloon does so by being basically the opposite of Las Vegas glamour. It's a place where grimy punk bands thrash away in the corner while the sign above the pool table advises you to "Shut up and drink." The drink specials are definitely worth mentioning, but a lot of them have names that aren't suitable for print, so you'll just have to see for yourself.
Johnny's Bar—New York City, NY
At some point the "Johnny's" apparently fell off the blue and red neon sign outside this West Village neighborhood mainstay, so now it's just "Bar," which tells you pretty much all you need to know about it. Inside Johnny's Bar you'll find brick walls, vinyl floors, happy hours that start at noon and drink prices that—by New York City standards—are practically free.
The El Bar—Philadelphia, PA
As its name suggests, the El Bar is nestled underneath the tracks of Philadelphia's elevated train line, which adds a charming, ear-splitting rumble to the ambiance every 30 seconds or so. But with dirt-cheap beer and a lived-in feel that's been going strong since 1965, who can complain? Be sure to order the Kensington Happy Meal, which consists of a PBR, two hot dogs, a bag of chips and a toy.
Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge—New Orleans, LA
On an unassuming street in New Orleans, in an unassuming building that looks like little more than a weather-beaten shack, you'll find what might just be the best dive bar in the U.S. It's Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge, a tiny room lit by red Christmas lights year-round. Drinks are cheap, the bar is open every day of the year—including Christmas—and if you don't behave yourself, you'll have to deal with Jake, the bar's resident ornery cat.
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