Best Dive Bars

[XLCenterFan]

Millenials killed dive bars. These sniffling snobs only want the West Hartford center type atmosphere.

 

[Ewekon]

Back in the 90's there was a place called Eli's in Fairfield near Bridgeport. A total scalitohole, but I had a lot of fun there. Sea Grape in Fairfield was also so disgusting back in the 90's that I would have been shocked if it got mopped once a month, but brought in a lot of local hotties giving it way too high a female/male ratio to really qualify as a dive bar.

Tuxedo Junction was the strangest club I have ever been to. Every time I have been there was a blast, and also almost ended up with my crew in a brawl.

You should have seen the Sea Grape when it was the Nautilus late 70s into 80s. Bar floor was crooked and the swill would flow downhill and get an inch deep against the wall. Smell of urine and non working toilets. Those were the days!

Black Duck still going strong in Westport. Ultimate is Matty's Corner in Black Rock. Defines dive.

Out of state, old stomping grounds Chanticleer pub in Ithaca, NY. It was old in 1980. Still there as is Rhine House.

 

[Son of Robert]

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.

 

[ju6381]

You should have seen the Sea Grape when it was the Nautilus late 70s into 80s. Bar floor was crooked and the swill would flow downhill and get an inch deep against the wall. Smell of urine and non working toilets. Those were the days!

Black Duck still going strong in Westport. Ultimate is Matty's Corner in Black Rock. Defines dive.

Out of state, old stomping grounds Chanticleer pub in Ithaca, NY. It was old in 1980. Still there as is Rhine House.

Matty's is great!!

 

[Vancat]

3 J's in Bolton. Place of my first beer in a bar. Maybe 1970 - I was 15. They didn't care, is it still open?

Sure is!

 

[mauconnfan]

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.

Red Dog Middlefield good call. First time I went in there end of a work day they made me take my tie off and staple it to the ceiling above the bar before being served. Right down the road in Middlefield in Lake Beseck was/is Rovers Lodge another dive bar of excellence.

 

[UConnDad]

Place in Ansonia, I think it’s JRB’s, has a tiled bar rail/trough that runs the length of the bar. Water would run from one end and the factory workers would pee while sitting at the bar. The pipe is now capped off but it still exists.

 

[VKong]

Phil Hughes, The Bravest, Reifs, International Bar NYC
Nina’s - Gouverneur, NY
Maple on the Lake - East Berne, NY
Club Deuce - Miami (used to be im sure its been properly sanitized by now)
Mo Club - Missoula, MT
Excelsior Pub & Palais Royale - Albany, NY
VFW - Chatham, MA
Kellys Grill - Middleburgh, NY
Glass Bar - Schoharie, NY
Walkers - Greensboro (likely sanitized now)


Sadly Franks Living Room and the Griffin in Albany, NY are gone

Phil Hughes is my jam - used to spend way too much time there. I would also add Biddy's Pub in that neighborhood!

 

[Son of Robert]

Red Dog Middlefield good call. First time I went in there end of a work day they made me take my tie off and staple it to the ceiling above the bar before being served. Right down the road in Middlefield in Lake Beseck was/is Rovers Lodge another dive bar of excellence.

You don't get that kind of service just anywhere; love the attitude. I can so picture that scene.

 

[HuskyHawk]

To be fair, Ted’s was certainly a dive bar in the 80’s now that I think about it. So it’s my favorite.

 

[FatHank]

You should have seen the Sea Grape when it was the Nautilus late 70s into 80s. Bar floor was crooked and the swill would flow downhill and get an inch deep against the wall. Smell of urine and non working toilets. Those were the days!

Black Duck still going strong in Westport. Ultimate is Matty's Corner in Black Rock. Defines dive.

Out of state, old stomping grounds Chanticleer pub in Ithaca, NY. It was old in 1980. Still there as is Rhine House.

The Gripper! A friend of mine lived in a house on the beach at the end of that street there. Good times at that spot.

 

[dvegas]

If you ever find yourself in Bend, Oregon (my UConn roommate now resides there), the D & D is a classic. Only place in that beer obsessed town you can get a stiff liquor drink.

 

[Ewekon]

L & L Tavern Lakeview, Chicago. John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer used to hang out there.

Love that place. Lakeview has become quasi trendy these days. So many great dives in Chicago.

Wrigleyville is full of them. Anyplace west of the loop with an Old Style sign out front is a definite. Wicker Park.

4 Farthings in near north.

But I will add 2 that do not technically qualify for particular reasons.

1) The Red Head on Ontario. Piano Bar with truly the best pour of a "single" of any of the hundreds of establishments I have walked into and stumbled out of. Noted as the cougar of all cougar bars. If you are male, semi attractive in your 30s and on expense account .... Just have "protection". Single cocktails an easy 3 finger pour and the pianists are unstumpable. Very old school and just trashy enough where you may need a shower afterwards, whomever you do (or don't) leave with.

2) Gibson's Steak House. No way this qualifies as a dive. Pricey and good steak and ur in Chicago good. The dive angle?

Options traders, lawyers and visiting expense accounted and the very young, very attractive PROfessional women who wish to serve them.

PS. Original Billy Goat is more dive than not. Especially late and the 10 oz. drafts are classic.

World class drinking city. Different than New Orleans. Maybe the best. A little Boston, Whitestone Queens and San Fran dock worker/Stevedore good drinking all together.

Should there be a post on great cities and the dives in which you've imbibed?

Hmmm.

 

[dvegas]

Ms. Mae's a.k.a. The Club in New Orleans deserves its own thread

 

[McLovin]

The Codmother in DC

 

[ClifSpliffy]

As a 22 year old on the boneyard, it seems like everyone is lost with the times. I would like to see some real suggestions, I know you guys can do better.

'A dive is just a laid-back bar, no pretense." When I asked for his definition of a tavern, he grinned and said, "Pretty much the same thing, I guess." -Thrillist.
it's the Horseshoe Tavern. that 'cafe' stuff is just hokey.
About — THE HORSESHOE (horseshoecafesouthport.com)
and speaking of hokey, look what the new name of june's in killingworth now is:
'Thirsty Gull: A New England Sourced Gastro Pub' great caesars ghost! whattsa 'gastro pub?'
Location (junesoutback.com)
and, the Driftwood is now Scottish Dave's Pub
'So, goodbye, Driftwood, legendary bar of ill repute, and hello, Scottish Dave’s Pub: pubfare, Celtic music, and would ye care for some haggis, laddie?' No. haggis blows.
Goodbye Driftwood, here comes Scottish Dave's Pub (nhregister.com)
even the Country Tavern, ('the C T' to the cognoscenti), slapped on that 'cafe' label.
at least this 'historic tavern' can legit call itself a cafe, cuz they spent the big bucks to include that word in neon long ago.

the east shore is under invasion. we're doomed, but some of us are fighting back. iffn you serve to me a burger with kale instead of iceberg, im gonna deck ya, and yell 'it's a tavern! where's the dang ketchup?'
oops, i forgot Cappy's in Newport. some may call it 'Cappy's Hillside Cafe,' but it's not. it's Cappy's! period. if you make a new pal, and they say let's go to Cappy's Hillside Cafe, like any good newport fisherman, you should toss that one back over the gunwales.

 

[UConnfan4ever]

Come visit and judge for yourself. If you leave bar at night and walk through vomit and see some left behind underwear, it's a good start.

back in the day that was a typical Saturday night at my house

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Trolley Pub On Main in Willimantic.

Greatttttttt spot

 

[krinklecut]

Whitey's & Sligo in Boston
Elmyr, Euclid Avenue Yacht Club & Claremont Lounge in Atlanta

Lol the clermont. If you know, you know.

 

[CTBasketball]

Durty Nelly’s in Boston - not a fan of carpet inside bars, man does it smell like .

 

[superjohn]

Ms. Mae's a.k.a. The Club in New Orleans deserves its own thread

I've started the day off there planning to restaurant/bar hop around the city and I ended up staying the whole time. Awesome place, I even remember the bartender's name (Shelly) good dude.

 

[BlueDogs]

The Boot, New Orleans, LA

 

[BigEastCT]

Old Town- Old Wethersfield

 

[MexicoHusky]

Duffy's in Fargo. Very strong drinks. And less legitimate homeless drunk's than the other two dive bars in the downtown area (The Bismarck and The Empire)

 

[MexicoHusky]

We should establish what a dive bar is. I don't think Ted's qualifies. It's a college bar. That seems like something different to me.