OT: Best Dive Bars in CT | The Boneyard

OT: Best Dive Bars in CT

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uconnphil2016

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I love going to dive bars--a couple of my favorites are All Star's in Manchester (Spencer St) and Free Spirit in Vernon. What's the diviest dive bar you guys have ever been to?
 

whaler11

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You want diviest or best dive bars? The Old Towne in Wethersfield is the best dive bar. Blarney's in Willimantic is gold too. Digger McDuff's in Cromwell is terrible in a great way.

Weeds in Hamden or Piggy's in Hartford would meet the diviest criteria.
 

CTMike

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Another vote for Old Towne in Wethersfield... Top notch dive.

Drove by All-Stars a couple weeks ago and it appears to be closed.
 
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Widow Browns in Danbury. Some of the best bar food I've ever had.
 
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Only time I went to Free Spirit a 3 fingered bouncer asked for a cover for a band that didn't exist.

All Stars is so grimy but can be so much fun. Randomly get awesome drafts. Always some eye candy behind the bar. Always some hilarious characters.

Love the Hungry Tiger in Manchester. Tavern House Grille in Tolland is pretty fun too. Only been to Three Js in Bolton is sweet too.
 

FfldCntyFan

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You want diviest or best dive bars? The Old Towne in Wethersfield is the best dive bar. Blarney's in Willimantic is gold too. Digger McDuff's in Cromwell is terrible in a great way.

Weeds in Hamden or Piggy's in Hartford would meet the diviest criteria.
Is Piggy's still around? Haven't been there since '87 or '88. Had a buddy who was temporarily relocated to Hartford and he stumbled upon that place (and the Spigot). The few times we visited him we had to make an obligatory stop at each (and for the record each qualified as serious dive bars).
 

8893

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I doesn't qualify since Vazzy's bought it, but the Windmill in Stratford was my favorite.

Is the Bach Door in Chaplin still around? That might be it for me.
 

whaler11

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Is Piggy's still around? Haven't been there since '87 or '88. Had a buddy who was temporarily relocated to Hartford and he stumbled upon that place (and the Spigot). The few times we visited him we had to make an obligatory stop at each (and for the record each qualified as serious dive bars).

Piggy's is still open. It's completely surrounded by parking lots now - but it still gets busy late nights on weekends. I have heard the owner wants to sell to Aetna.

The Spigot is still open too - I guess it's a dive but there are way worse places within walking distance like the Cypruss Arms.
 

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Adding Golden Star in Bridgeport and the Federal in Hartford.
 

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Spigot is actually pretty popular with UCONN law West Hartford MBA students. Probably out of proximity and irony more than anything else.
Spent a lot of time there in law school. Not a dive. Not even close.
 

whaler11

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I refused to go to the Spigot for a decade over a West Hartford softball league feud. I had to relent when I had a gf who lived within walking distance and they had the MLB package and I'd watch the west coast games.

The bar I played for was the old Peter Pan which became Duffy's - and I think the VFW is in there now. The Peter Pan and Duffy's were way worse than the Spigot.
 

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Piggy's is still open. It's completely surrounded by parking lots now - but it still gets busy late nights on weekends. I have heard the owner wants to sell to Aetna.

The Spigot is still open too - I guess it's a dive but there are way worse places within walking distance like the Cypruss Arms.
Cypress Arms and Peter Pan cafe have been gone for years now.

For me, the old.Central Cafe in.Plainville, Blue Plate also. Spent some time in high school drinking quarter drafts of PBR at Sportsmans Cafe in Bristol.
 

whaler11

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Cypress Arms and Peter Pan cafe have been gone for years now.

For me, the old.Central Cafe in.Plainville, Blue Plate also. Spent some time in high school drinking quarter drafts of PBR at Sportsmans Cafe in Bristol.

Bristol has no shortage of dumps. Is it still Bleachers next to the gym?

The bar at the bowling alley had a random basketball hoop?

I've lived in like 15 towns in Connecticut - Bristol was by far the worst.
 

whaler11

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Cypress Arms and Peter Pan cafe have been gone for years now.

For me, the old.Central Cafe in.Plainville, Blue Plate also. Spent some time in high school drinking quarter drafts of PBR at Sportsmans Cafe in Bristol.

It was actually the Beacon on Capital I was thinking of near the Spigot. Last time I drove by it was still open.
 

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Bristol has no shortage of dumps. Is it still Bleachers next to the gym?

The bar at the bowling alley had a random basketball hoop?

I've lived in like 15 towns in Connecticut - Bristol was by far the worst.
I remember that bowling alley bar, it was actually like a.nightclub with a bowling alley attached. I've lived in W Hartford for the last 23 years so not up to date on the Bristol dives. West Hartford has none of the old dive bars anymore, everybody drinks at restaurants.
 
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Has anyone actually been to Olde Rockville Tavern? Growing up in Vernon that place was a bit of mythical figure but I don't know anyone who has actually been there. The Trolley in Willimantic is great. Used to work with a niece of the guy who owns it. A lot of fun times after work there.
 

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I wasn't of age to find out what was going on inside - but Mr. Lucky's in Southington looked pretty darn dumpy from my bike.
 

uconnphil2016

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Only time I went to Free Spirit a 3 fingered bouncer asked for a cover for a band that didn't exist.

All Stars is so grimy but can be so much fun. Randomly get awesome drafts. Always some eye candy behind the bar. Always some hilarious characters.

Love the Hungry Tiger in Manchester. Tavern House Grille in Tolland is pretty fun too. Only been to Three Js in Bolton is sweet too.

The first thing I saw when I walked into Free Spirit was a 300 lb dude with a short sleeve button down shirt, totally unbuttoned, dancing with two equally large women and making out with both of them.
 
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The first thing I saw when I walked into Free Spirit was a 300 lb dude with a short sleeve button down shirt, totally unbuttoned, dancing with two equally large women and making out with both of them.
Any place within motorized scooter distance of a trailer park is gonna be interesting. Funny that you can see Wood N Tap from the parking lot practically.
I also will remember the Free Spirit as the place where my friend dropped his phone in the urinal and peed on it.
 
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