America’s best dive bars defined by time, grime and cheap drinks
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If walls could talk, bars would definitely have the best stories to tell.
Unlike popular cocktail bars that specialize in fancy drinks, you go to dive bars for what veteran mixologist and Washington, D.C.-based hospitality expert Derek Brown calls “time, dirt, and dimes”: how long it’s been there, how dirty it is, and how cheap it is.
“You go because the bartenders are a little salty, but it feels more intimate, it’s always the same regulars and you’re sure to find interesting conversation,” Brown told Fox News Digital.
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His favorite place is Irv’s Basement Bar in Pasadena, Maryland. Located inside the home of 102-year-old World War II veteran Irv Koch, it is likely the only licensed home bar in the country, Brown said. “If it wasn’t open, you knocked on the door and Irv or his daughter would let you in,” Brown recalled. “This is one of a kind.”
Saloon No. 10 in South Dakota keeps the spirit of the Wild West alive. (Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader/USA TODAY NETWORK)
In a recently published list best dive bars Food and drink website Tasting Table in every U.S. state described dive bars as “unapologetically unpretentious.” Its ranking was based on reviews, social media coverage and local news, and took into account atmosphere, reputation, history, affordability and longevity.
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From coastal Alaska to New Orleans, many people are over 100 years old, and others are known as much for overcoming adversity as for their drinking. White Water Tavern in Little Rock, Arkansas, for example, has survived three fires but still hosts everything from weddings to funerals. Here are some of the most iconic among them.
The ceiling of Salty Dawg Lounge is covered in dollar bills. (Tara Bahrampour/Washington Post)
1. Harbor Inn Cafe – Cleveland, Ohio
Harbor Inn Cafe is one of the oldest cafes on the Tasting Table list, having opened in 1895 as a center for sailors and dock workers. Back then, sailors from around the world would bring a six-pack from home, drink a few and leave the rest behind to be resold, and supply the bar with a list of more than 180 different beers. Cleveland Magazine. Today it offers nearly 100 options.
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2. Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge – New Orleans, Louisiana
Little more than a shack surrounded by Christmas lights, the windowless Snake and Jake’s is so dark that George Clooney once visited, but no one noticed until he left. To-Do List Bars. Anthony Bourdain filmed an episode of Travel Channel’s “The Layover” at the iconic spot, which will close at 7 a.m.
The Salty Dawg Saloon in Homer, Alaska, was built in 1897. (Tara Bahrampour/Washington Post)
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3. Salty Dawg Saloon – Homer, Alaska
Located in a cabin on scenic Kachemak Bay at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula, Salty Dawg was built in 1897 and served as a post office, train station, grocery store and coal mining office, according to the hall’s website. It reopened as a bar in 1957, two years before Alaska became a state.
4. Hall No. 10 — Deadwood, South Dakota
Iconic Hall No. 10 is located in the heart of historic Deadwood, South Dakota. (Samantha Laurey/Argus Leader/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Wild Bill Hickok – A Civil War army scout and lawman known for bringing order to the Western frontier, according to Encyclopedia Britannica – He was shot and killed while playing poker in No. 10 Saloon in 1876.
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The bar still has the chair Hickok was sitting in when he was killed, and today reportedly houses the largest whiskey collection in the state, as well as the single-deck blackjack in the city.
5. Santa’s Bar — Nashville, Tennessee
This holiday-themed bar is located in a double-wide trailer that is part of a former construction site. The family-owned venue reopens Oct. 19 following the death of beloved owner Elmer Denzel Irwin in September. Even celebrities like Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran mourned his death on social media. The Tennesseean reported. On Yelp, customers praise Santa’s for its cheap drinks and live karaoke.
Nashville’s cheerful watering hole, Santa’s Pub, is housed in a double-wide trailer. (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for American Media)
6. Hudson House — Beach Paradise, New Jersey
Located in North Beach Haven on Long Beach Island, this no-frills, cash-only venue may not have a website, but it still draws crowds for $3 beers, a 1950s shuffleboard, darts, pinball, pool and a vintage jukebox to keep the good times rolling.
7. Dave’s Fox Head Tavern — Iowa City, Iowa
Founded in 1934, Fox Head Tavern is one of Iowa City’s oldest bars and reportedly served authors Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson. According to reviews, there are only four beers on tap; “one of the weirdest, most wonderful bar jukeboxes in the world” [the] city” and is never too crowded.
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Dave’s Fox Head Tavern offers drinks, a pool and a jukebox. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen/USA TODAY NETWORK)
8. Tiki-Ti – Los Angeles, California
Arguably one of the Golden State’s best dive bars, the 20-seat Tiki-Ti was founded in 1961 by Filipino immigrant Ray Buhen and is known for its friendly atmosphere, classic rum cocktails, and kitsch decor. Buhen died in 1999 and the bar is now run by his son and grandson.
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One of his most famous drinks, Ray’s Mistake, was created in 1968 when Buhen accidentally mixed the wrong syrups. It is now celebrated privately every Wednesday until 9 p.m., when his son makes his weekly toast to her. Discover Los Angeles.
