Best Dive Bars

[Deepster]

So happy for them. I love Elmer’s place.

I haven't been there in 20 years, but back in the day they'd hand out free slices at 11 pm. A young Deepster was there enough to have an internal clock in my head and when the alarm went off at 10:55, I dropped whatever I was doing to go get in line. If you got close enough to the front there was a shot of eating Slice 1 and getting back in line for Slice 2.

 

[Bliss]

Have you ever been to a small-town Missouri tavern/saloon?

 

[dennismenace]

Old Timers Cafe in Southington. In the early 70's a band/dance joint but went downhill with a more "excitable" crowd in it's later years. Once saw someone get his face smashed with a Bud bottle. Parking lot anything could happen. There was an atmosphere of adventure.

 

[87Xfer]

Old Timers Cafe in Southington. In the early 70's a band/dance joint but went downhill with a more "excitable" crowd in it's later years. Once saw someone get his face smashed with a Bud bottle. Parking lot anything could happen. There was an atmosphere of adventure.

Sounds like Huskies on some nights in its early days. Saw a few different people get worked over inside and outside there.

 

[superjohn]

So happy for them. I love Elmer’s place.

My buddy worked the door there with all his meatball Central friends, the couple of times I went there were fights.

 

[alexd]

My buddy worked the door there with all his meatball Central friends, the couple of times I went there were fights.

Worked the door? I thought they always let anyone in. No ID required.

 

[Austin316]

My buddy worked the door there with all his meatball Central friends, the couple of times I went there were fights.

Fighting? At a bar? I don’t believe you

Ive been there quite a bit, not recently though. Thankfully, I never saw a fight break out when I went.

 

[JonnyRI]

How about the Roadhouse in New London (closed sometime in last 20 years, was on Bank Street near Oasis). A few people mentioned Dutch’s Tavern as a dive bar but I remember 20 years ago that going to Dutch’s was a classy night out when we decided to skip Roadhouse.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

How about the Roadhouse in New London (closed sometime in last 20 years, was on Bank Street near Oasis). A few people mentioned Dutch’s Tavern as a dive bar but I remember 20 years ago that going to Dutch’s was a classy night out when we decided to skip Roadhouse.

Ernie's on Bank was another longtime dive. Cops would often peek in looking for people of interest.

 

[crazyUCfan23]

Two that aren't here anymore. Spanky's in Marlborough CT, and the Red Dog in Middletown, CT, and hundreds more, I have loved you one and all.

How long did Spanky's exist? I grew up in Marlborough and lived there for the first 22 years of my life. (im 27 now and have lived in fairfield county for the last five years)

 

[HuskyHawk]

I feel like a thread on Dive Bars would be more interesting if we could actually go to them.

 

[FatHank]

I feel like a thread on Dive Bars would be more interesting if we could actually go to them.

You can. At least you can by me. But, you take your life into your own hands at that time. Some places I went into before COVID I knew I was risking it, now I really know I would get what I deserve if I did go in.

 

[superjohn]

arlene’s grocery

Probably one of the first bars I ever went to at around 17 to see my brothers friend perform, got hammered.

 

[Son of Robert]

How long did Spanky's exist? I grew up in Marlborough and lived there for the first 22 years of my life. (im 27 now and have lived in fairfield county for the last five years)

Spanky's was in that now defunct/falling down mall just past the entrance to RT 2 West, along with Bradford's Restaurant/Luncheonette/Diner which had a reasonable following as all those places tend to have. Spanky's was up in the 2nd building, huge parking lot. It has had many different owners and names. Way back in the 80's it was called Players Pub, then I don't know. I was going there strong from 92-2000 as my Life went awry for a while. I stopped after that, the owner lost the bar around the same time, drugs and money, and then for awhile it was called Carelli's.

First place I was really a regular, mostly during the day, the place was crazy fun, several local drug dealers frequented the place, they had pool leagues and dart leagues, some good-looking bartenders at times, the crowd was a strong drinking mix of 26 to 60, mostly men I would say 70%-30%. The place was rowdy and fun, and kind of lawless. I really enjoyed my time there, just got too crazy myself.

 

[crazyUCfan23]

Spanky's was in that now defunct/falling down mall just past the entrance to RT 2 West, along with Bradford's Restaurant/Luncheonette/Diner which had a reasonable following as all those places tend to have. Spanky's was up in the 2nd building, huge parking lot. It has had many different owners and names. Way back in the 80's it was called Players Pub, then I don't know. I was going there strong from 92-2000 as my Life went awry for a while. I stopped after that, the owner lost the bar around the same time, drugs and money, and then for awhile it was called Carelli's.

First place I was really a regular, mostly during the day, the place was crazy fun, several local drug dealers frequented the place, they had pool leagues and dart leagues, some good-looking bartenders at times, the crowd was a strong drinking mix of 26 to 60, mostly men I would say 70%-30%. The place was rowdy and fun, and kind of lawless. I really enjoyed my time there, just got too crazy myself.

Very interesting! I know where you're talking about and cant imagine there being a var there lol I remember when the gathering was there.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Is the microbrewery the new dive bar?

 

[8893]

A few people mentioned Dutch’s Tavern as a dive bar but I remember 20 years ago that going to Dutch’s was a classy night out when we decided to skip Roadhouse.

I love the Dutch Tavern, but I wouldn't call it either a dive bar or a classy night out. It's a classic neighborhood tavern, with a basic menu (solid, simple, fresh burgers, soup of the day, a couple sandwiches and hot dogs), good Guinness on tap, a great pinball machine and a dedicated clientele that likes to watch soccer and UConn men's and women's basketball games with the volume up (and frequently no food service during games so they can focus).

Classic building, too: the only half-block in downtown New London that was not burned by Benedict Arnold and his men during the Revolutionary War. Eugene O'Neill used to hang out and write there in the early 1900s. Great room.

 

[storrsroars]

Is the microbrewery the new dive bar?

Oh hell no. Rule #1 of a dive bar is you can tie one on cheaply.

 

[FatHank]

Spanky's was in that now defunct/falling down mall just past the entrance to RT 2 West, along with Bradford's Restaurant/Luncheonette/Diner which had a reasonable following as all those places tend to have. Spanky's was up in the 2nd building, huge parking lot. It has had many different owners and names. Way back in the 80's it was called Players Pub, then I don't know. I was going there strong from 92-2000 as my Life went awry for a while. I stopped after that, the owner lost the bar around the same time, drugs and money, and then for awhile it was called Carelli's.

First place I was really a regular, mostly during the day, the place was crazy fun, several local drug dealers frequented the place, they had pool leagues and dart leagues, some good-looking bartenders at times, the crowd was a strong drinking mix of 26 to 60, mostly men I would say 70%-30%. The place was rowdy and fun, and kind of lawless. I really enjoyed my time there, just got too crazy myself.

This place sounds like fun, lol.

 

[FatHank]

If I have not mentioned it before: Recreation (Rec) Room in Charleston, SC. They were number two in the nation selling 12oz.cans of PBR. $1.25 cans at happy hour. Don't think you did something wrong, like me, when the bartender whips out a wooden cane from behind the bar and uses it to reach glasses at the corner of the bar too far to reach. Jukebox, foos, dancefloor, youngins to scraggly locals, basketball, and pool. And above all ice cold beer.

 

[JonnyRI]

My point on Dutch’s was less that it was super nice but more that my friends and I at the time (late teens and early twenties with no money) had a pretty low bar (no pun intended) at the time, if you couldn’t get a pitcher of something for less than $10 it was usually off the list.

I love the Dutch Tavern, but I wouldn't call it either a dive bar or a classy night out. It's a classic neighborhood tavern, with a basic menu (solid, simple, fresh burgers, soup of the day, a couple sandwiches and hot dogs), good Guinness on tap, a great pinball machine and a dedicated clientele that likes to watch soccer and UConn men's and women's basketball games with the volume up (and frequently no food service during games so they can focus).

Classic building, too: the only half-block in downtown New London that was not burned by Benedict Arnold and his men during the Revolutionary War. Eugene O'Neill used to hang out and write there in the early 1900s. Great room.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

My point on Dutch’s was less that it was super nice but more that my friends and I at the time (late teens and early twenties with no money) had a pretty low bar (no pun intended) at the time, if you couldn’t get a pitcher of something for less than $10 it was usually off the list.
[/QUOTE.

The Birdseye on Jefferson Ave. They use to pour 10 cent drafts into the classic diner water glasses.

 

[Son of Robert]

Very interesting! I know where you're talking about and cant imagine there being a var there lol I remember when the gathering was there.

The Gathering was Bradford's or whatever.

 

[Ant3411]

Burn's Tavern, Stamford
Ernie's, Darien
Bruce Park Grill, Greenwich
Unfortunately, there are none left in Norwalk that I can safely walk into :-(

Just ripped a couple beers at Burn’s Tavern while waiting to get a haircut next door. Dive bar to the max! Enjoyable.

 

[CTBasketball]

Bobbys Place in New Britain.