I’ll add this: On a dive bar hunt, when I go in a place the first thing I look at is what’s on tap. A real dive never has anything but national brands like Budweiser and/or Coors and maybe a blue collar-priced regional beer like Iron City or Straubs.
If I see anything from Sam Adams on up through frou-frou microbrews I turn around and leave. They’re just playing at being a dive bar.
My favorite bar has an interesting dynamic of people:
7am - 11am: This is when the old Vietnam vets like to come in. They love to talk your ear off about stories you’ve heard a hundred times before. They always have a trite old joke to tell. And they talk unbelievably nasty. They flirt with the bartender who is probably young enough to be their granddaughter. Some of the nick names that get passed around these guys are: Sargent, colonel and pilot.
11am - 3pm: Functioning alcoholics stop in at various times of the day to slam a few during their lunch break.
5pm - 8pm: Blue collar works mostly. Good decent level headed folks come in to knock back a few and gossip about the day’s events.
10pm til close: Whoo boy. This is when the freaks come in. The coked up drugged up drunken characters. Often smoking pot out in the parking lot like the shit’s legal. I know folks tend to look down on these people but I get along with them just fine. And I Have had countless good times with these people. I’ve also have had countless hook ups from the ladies in this crowd. Which has been both a good and bad thing.
I love my dive bar. When ever I’m feeling lonely or gregarious I can head up there and hang out with a familiar face. I never know what familiar faces will be there when I go. But I do know when I get there, I’ll know most of the people there. I love that.
More than I can remember, but Rudy’s in the Hell’s Kitchen section of NYC is my favorite.
Back in the mid to late 80’s, there was a bar here in town called Wizzard’s. I loved that place! Typical tony dancefloor, Christmas lights strung around the walls & ceiling. Everyone that worked there knew all us regulars by name. The house band was called Lil’ Rock and they were actually pretty damned good; they played a little bit of everything- country, rock, blues.
I was there a couple times a week after work. Had more fun there than any other bar I have ever been to.
Wizzard’s burned to the ground in 1994. There is a small apartment complex built where it used to be.
Oh man I love dive bars and I seek them out everywhere I go. Houston is rife with them although there used to be more as we have no zoning.
My local is Big Star, 2$ Lone Star and 16oz PBR, 4$ Jack, Jim and Jager every day. Roller Derby Girls, Banditos, Fixed Gear Hipsters, Musicians, Corporate Types, Oil and Gas Pros, Local IBEW… Juke Box as varied as Hank Williams, Iggy Pop and Sly and the Family Stone. Love it. Forgot to mention the fire pits, take a wild guess about what I am doing tonight
Some other great Houston dives
Warren’s in downtown, shot of Jameson neat… 4 fingers ouch 7$ IIRC also the most incredible mix of folks
Lola’s in the Montrose trouble but in a good way, you will be drunk and probably will get your car towed but you won’t mind till the next day
Notsuoh if you can find it and they let you in, drinks until sunup or later…sometimes. Fire hazard, health hazard, multi story fall hazard. Don’t say I didn’t warn you
Some bye gones… Emo’s/Some Live Punk Rock and a Pool, the most vile pool ever eventually filled in
Mary’s Gay/Drag Leather bar, never went in, not my thing. But what a show, dancing on the roof, Men forcibly having their unders removed(house rules), hedonism in plain sight. The place had walls but it spilled into the street on Westheimer close to Montrose very public.
The Axiom, Live punk rock palace. Rats as big as cats, meth head sound guy, 18in hole on stage left covered in a carpet, yes I fell in it “don’t stand there”. Saw Scratch Acid, Hickoids, Seven Seconds, Gwar, Loco Gringos and many more. Og bless JR
Anyhoo love the dive bars
Capt
Sorry for the terrible punctuation, my coffee has not kicked in
Capt
You can get away with it but it’s not a good first impression. Don’t just walk right in, set yourself down. Any dive bar worth it’s salt is like Sunday dinner at Grandpa’s house and everyone knows whose chair belongs to whom. Have a look around first and take a humble seat.
New visitor to small town Iowa dive bar: Open door, all eyes turn to meet you. Walk to your table or booth with people swiveling in their chairs to watch. Sit down. Watch heads come together in soft speech as the locals try to figure out who you are. All done? Get up and walk to door to leave with all eyes on you. Leave and shut door. Hear the volume level rise.
Most excitement they’ll have all day. And by the end of your first day in town everyone will know who you are, where you come from and what you’re doing there.