Legendary Dive Bars Across The US That Should Be On Your Bucket List

Dive bars have a special place in their regulars' hearts. While there is no standard definition, some common characteristics are expected. These aren't trendy joints chasing TikTok followers, and you probably won't find a mixologist in an apron working the bar. The building is often weathered, and even the oldest person in the room can't remember when it looked different. Although it might be shabby and run-down, you won't find a bartender with unsanitary habits. In fact, it's common for the owner to be the person pouring drinks, and the place is an extension of their personality. A good dive feels like hanging out in your cool friend's garage, and you can find at least one in nearly every city. By nature, a dive bar prefers anonymity, but the places featured here are worth a spot on your bucket list. What they lack in frills, they compensate for in character.

In an area better known for glitzy beachfront nightclubs, Mac's Club Deuce has been steadfastly resisting change at its South Beach location since 1926. Miami's oldest bar offers a dark haven where you'd expect to find Crockett and Tubbs strong-arming a two-bit gangster at the bar, like they did in the Season 5 finale of "Miami Vice." The neon over the bar is a remnant from that episode, and one of the last updates to the bar's decor. In 1962, Mac Klein walked in for a drink to celebrate the birth of his daughter and ended up buying the place. He ran the place until 2016, when he passed away shortly after celebrating his 101st birthday in the bar. He told the Miami New Times that what attracted him were the customers. "They were basically working people," he said. "This bar reminded most of them of their hometown bar." That working-class personality remains a welcome respite from the busy tourist area. 

https://www.macsclubdeuce.com/

(305) 531-6200

222 14th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Dixon, Montana, population 270, isn't where you'd expect to find a legendary dive bar. But this watering hole has been flirting with fame since the early '70s, when three poets stopped in after a day of ice fishing. A few rounds in, they each decided to write a poem about the place, and all three were published in the same issue of "The New Yorker." More recently, country singer Shaboozey recorded a video on location. Bartender Doug Reum admitted that he didn't know who the singer was when he showed up, but after making a cameo in the video, he says new visitors have shown up wanting a picture with him. Dixon Bar welcomes them with the charm Richard Hugo referenced in the opening stanza of his poem: "Home. Home. I knew it entering."

125 A St, Sčilíp, MT 59831

1970s-era Austin was a weird place. Long-haired pot-smoking cowboys like Willie Nelson, Ray Benson, and Doug Sahm moved to town, and hippies and rednecks started cavorting under the same roof. In 1972, Bob Ogden bought an old train depot, converted it to a bar, and hired Donn Adelman to play the piano. Donn owns the joint now, and he still plays the piano there every Friday night. A lot of the regulars have been coming for 50+ years, but there's a new crowd as well. Dua Lipa dropped in before her 2024 set at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and Donn gifted her a burnt orange Longhorns jersey that she wore on the festival stage. Donn's Depot is a portal to an era of Austin that's hard to find in the modern city. "We're not trying to keep Austin weird," Donn says on the website. "We're trying to keep Austin Austin."

https://donnsdepot.com/

(512) 478-0336

1600 W 5th St, Austin, TX 78703

Rainbo Club has everything you could ask for in a legendary dive bar: a long (and sketchy) history, rock star regulars, and bartenders who spent more than 40 years behind the bar. It's operated under its current name since 1985, but before that, the building was a jazz club, a speakeasy, a burlesque stage, and probably more. Longtime bartender Ken Ellis, who worked at the bar from the week it opened until he retired in 2021, told Eater he joined the team because, "I just liked the room. ... It was kind of dangerous coming over here. Every night we'd have someone's car getting broken into." Many of the original regulars were artists and musicians, including Liz Phair, who took the photo for her 1993 debut album "Exile in Guyville" in the bar's photo booth. "The only bad thing about the Rainbo was a flip side of the best thing: It was always the same crowd," she told Eater.

(773) 489-5999

1150 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Central Saloon's long history, which dates to 1892, is enough to earn its status as an iconic dive bar, but that's not why it's legendary. That designation was earned by the role it played in the rise of grunge rock in the late '80s and early '90s, when Seattle was the center of the musical universe. The 199-capacity venue hosted bands including Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney. Nirvana played here just prior to signing with Sub Pop. Mother Love Bone performed its final show at Central Saloon before the tragic death of lead singer Andy Wood led them to recruit Eddie Vedder and reform as Pearl Jam. While the iconic bar attracts flannel-wearing music fans, it remains a popular draw for locals as well. "The Central is not only an iconic spot in Seattle, it's also my favorite local bar," one reviewer wrote on Yelp. Come for the history, but enjoy the present.

https://centralsaloon.com/

(206) 622-0209

207 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104

Tiki-Ti has the rare distinction of being both a dive bar and a tiki bar. It's been serving customers since the early '60s and is still run by the same family. When the original owner, who was a bartender at the long-gone Don the Beachcomber in the 1930s, passed away, his son and grandson started running the joint. It's a beloved institution with nearly perfect customer ratings on Google (4.7), Yelp (4.4), and TripAdvisor (4.7). In fact, this place is special enough that customers are willing to ignore a cardinal rule of dive bars and stand in line to get into the quirky, dime-sized tiki dive. Word to the wise: Order the Blood and Sand to watch a mechanical bull dance across the bar. 

https://www.tiki-ti.com/

(323) 669-9381

4427 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90027

New Orleans is famous for its bars and nightlife, but far away from the tourist haunts in the French Quarter, you will find the neighborhood dive bar Snake and Jake's. It's not much to look at, but that's part of the charm. "Quintessential dive bar," one local guide wrote in his five-star Google review. "When I say that, I mean that this is the most 'diviest' dive bar that I have ever walked into in my entire life." Anthony Bourdain filmed an episode of "The Layover" here and likely needed his quirky hangover cure in the morning. Rumor has it George Clooney visited one night, but it was too dark for anyone to notice. The current owner has been running the bar since the '90s, and he bought it from somebody, but the rest of the history is blurry. The joint shuns any glitzy cocktail culture, but it does have a signature drink, The Possum Drop, named for the possum that fell through the roof and landed on a patron one night.

https://snakeandjakes.com/

(504) 861-2802

7612 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118

There are some old dives, but it's tough to find one older than the Shooting Star Saloon. It's been in business since 1879, making it the longest continuously operating bar in the state. The way the story is told, the owner kept serving miners and ranchers during Prohibition, and when he was arrested, his wife took over. The exterior resembles a pioneer trading post, which was the original business when the building was constructed in 1850, but inside, it's pure dive bar motif. The ceiling is plastered with dollar bills, a pool table dominates the center of the room, music comes from the 45s in the old jukebox, and the bathroom is plastered with stickers and graffiti. Bring an appetite because customers rave about the Star Burger, which is two patties sandwiched around a Polish sausage. 

https://shooting-star-saloon.goto-where.com/

(801) 745-2002

7350 E 200 S, Huntsville, UT 84317

Ask 10 New Yorkers where to find the best pizza in the city and you'll get a list of 10 pies to try. Same goes for dive bars. In this metropolis of skyscrapers and subterranean trains, it seems there is at least one neighborhood watering hole on every block. But ask enough New Yorkers and one name that will keep coming up is Duff's Brooklyn, which Yelp ranked the best dive in the city in 2022. Brooklyn Magazine asked owner Jimmy Duff about the inspiration for his Williamsburg bar, and his answer was simple. "[W]hat did I enjoy most? Drinking, and heavy metal music," he said. Duff's Brooklyn is a shrine to his two favorite vices, and the iconic bar should be a bucket list stop for lovers of either.

https://duffsbrooklyn.com/

(718) 599-2092

168 Marcy Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Charleston is known for its quaint Southern charm and succulent South Carolina barbecue, but it's also home to one of the nation's most iconic dive bars. Recovery Room has the dive bar essentials: pool tables, a jukebox, and happy hour specials — but its real claim to fame is spending a decade as the top seller of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans in the world, and they did this before it was trendy. Owner Chris DiMattia explained to Vinepair that he started drinking Pabst when he was in college because it was dirt cheap. There is a full menu, but you won't need to think twice when ordering food from this dive bar. "This place is great," one customer wrote in their Yelp review. "The perfect dive bar. Nice people, cold beer, sports on TV, and no frills." 

https://recovery-room-tavern.res-menu.com/

(843) 727-0999

685 King St, Charleston, SC 29403

Atomic Liquors opened in 1952 and has the impressive distinction of being the first free-standing bar in Las Vegas. (The previous bars were all in casinos.) Its off the Strip location attracted celebrities including Barbra Streisand, The Smothers Brothers, and Clint Eastwood. In its early days, customers would sit on the roof and watch the mushroom clouds from nuclear test explosions in the desert, hence the name. Vegas has changed over the past 73 years, but Atomic Liquors is a throwback to the old days and welcomes a new generation of patrons to its Fremont Street location. "Loveeeee this place!" a local raved in her Yelp review. "Great drinks and great food!" The classic bar remains a throwback to old Vegas and an inviting alternative to the Strip. 

https://atomic.vegas/

(702) 982-3000

917 E Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101

Owner Pete Siahamis likes to tell people the PS Lounge is a ladies' bar, and every woman who walks in gets a single rose and a free shot to punctuate the point. This cash-only joint has been serving patrons in the Mile High City since 1981, and not much has changed in the past 44 years. If you don't believe us, ask the Houston Oilers helmet on the wall. "The PS Lounge is the bar that all true bars should be modeled after," Ricardo Baca wrote in The Denver Post. But The Post is not the only local rag to sing its praises. Westword named it the best dive bar on a couple of occasions and once awarded it best spot for free shots and a rose for the ladies. Shooting a game of pool and listening to the classic jukebox at this unassuming institution should be on your bucket list.

https://facebook.com/psloungedenver

(303) 320-1200

3416 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206

Sultana Bar is world famous, or at least that's what the marquee under the rusted neon out front says. At a minimum, it's well known to the generations of road trippers who have enjoyed a cold one at the unassuming bar on Route 66, but it's not a typical roadside attraction. The saloon opened in 1912, 14 years before The Mother Road snaked through town, and like a legendary dive bar should, it has a seedy backstory. There are tunnels underneath the bar that are said to have been used for opium smuggling, then for hiding liquor during Prohibition. The historic bar continues to welcome locals and visitors alike with good times and reasonably priced drinks. It's a must-stop for intrepid road trippers and those following a barbecue pilgrimage along the historic Route 66.

https://sultana-bar.res-menu.com/

(928) 635-2021

301 Historic Rte 66, Williams, AZ 86046

Some dive bars are renowned for the curated selection in the jukebox, the famous clientele who used to frequent the joint, or the perfect greasy burger. Earnestine and Hazel's has all that, but what really separates it from the pack is the loyalty of its longtime regulars, and we mean longtime. The building has been around for more than 100 years. It was originally a pharmacy, but when the pharmacist made a fortune from inventing a hair tonic and Coppertone sunscreen, he gave the place to a couple of hairdressers (Earnestine and Hazel) who worked upstairs. They turned it into a café that was frequented by a who's who of musicians, including B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles. The top floor became an infamous brothel, and the spirits of the women who worked upstairs are said to still roam the building. It's regarded as one of the most haunted bars in the United States, so stop by to marvel at the room that welcomed musical legends, sample its famous Soul Burger, and maybe share a beer with a ghost.

https://earnestineandhazels.com

(901) 523-9754

531 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103

Smith's Union Bar, or Smitty's as the locals prefer to call it, has been open in Honolulu's Chinatown neighborhood since 1934 and is the oldest officially operating bar on the island. It originally catered to Navy sailors stationed at nearby Pearl Harbor and maintains its nautical theme with Navy pictures and cartoons on the walls, which were designed to resemble a submarine by arching inward over the narrow bar. A relatively recent addition was installed during the COVID-19 pandemic to pay homage to longtime patron Lauren Bruner, one of the last sailors to escape the USS Arizona. Although he passed away in 2019, the bar wanted to show there was always a seat reserved for him. If you are looking for an excuse to visit the tropical paradise, drinking a $3 beer at Bruner's table and chatting up the local crowd is a good one.

https://facebook.com/SmithsUnionBarHawaii

(808) 538-9145

19 N Hotel St, Honolulu, HI 96817

Happy Lounge is known for booze, billiards, and darts, aka the dive bar basics. It's not the oldest bar in San Francisco, it doesn't lead the world in PBR sales, and there aren't stories about rock stars who used to hang out there. What Happy Lounge has going for it is near-universal love from its customers. There is a single one-star review for the bar on Yelp, and it was written in 2010, making it as old as it is untrustworthy. Customers rave about the owner, Patty, and the community feeling of the place. "It's like the 'Cheers' bar," a five-star Yelp review wrote, "where everyone knows your name, unless you're new. Then we won't know your name until you tell us." 

https://facebook.com/happyloungesf

(415) 668-2323

3745 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118

A visit to Key West should already be on any dive bar enthusiast's bucket list. Duval Street is the main thoroughfare and has at least 43 bars along its 1.25-mile stretch, allowing for a booze-fueled bar hop from the Gulf of Mexico (renamed the Gulf of America in 2025 by U.S. President Donald Trump) to the Atlantic Ocean. One of the bars is Sloppy Joe's, a historic joint with close ties to Ernest Hemingway. It officially opened on December 5, 1933, the day Prohibition was repealed. Prior to that, the owner, Joe Russell, was running a speakeasy and serving as a fishing guide to the famed author. He originally named the bar The Blind Pig, then moved on to The Silver Slipper before settling on Sloppy Joe's at Hemingway's suggestion. The bar belongs on a bucket list for lovers of literature and historic bars. Don't forget to marvel at the 125-pound marlin hanging on the wall, which Hemingway caught.

https://sloppyjoes.com/

(305) 294-5717

201 Duval St, Key West, FL 33040

Dive bars are local institutions, so we scoured local media sources to find the ones they call the best in each city. We also read hundreds of customer reviews and consistently positive ratings on Yelp, Google, and Tripadvisor were a prerequisite for consideration. From this large pool, we looked for bars with unique characteristics that make them worth a visit from an out-of-towner. History played a significant factor, and many of the bars featured weathered the lean days of Prohibition. Others were stomping grounds for notable personalities or cultural touchstones in the community. There are many more bars that could have been included, but each of these legendary joints earned its spot as a must-visit destination.