Sometimes, what you’re craving is a beautifully made cocktail. The kind in a chilled glass with a block of ice and an herb garnish. But that time is not now. Today, what you’re craving is a cheap tallboy of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a room so dimly lit you can’t see the decades of spilled drinks slicked across the floor. (You can feel it, though.) What you want is a dive bar.
There are many boxes to check when it comes to qualifying as a good dive bar. Cheap drinks are a must. You’ll also need a space with a lot of character (think historic to the point of almost grimy) as well as a lot of characters — people who have a story to tell and who will oftentimes tell you twice.
As you can imagine, the U.S. has hundreds upon hundreds of dive bars. You may even have a favorite or two that you frequent. But which of the many neon-lit, jukebox-filled, peanut shell-covered bars is the best in the country? We’ve combed through Tripadvisor reviews from barflies across the country to determine the very best of the best.
If you’re ready to throw a few back at the best dive bars in the U.S., here are 30 of them, ranked.
