The best dive bar in every state, according to Yelp

(NEXSTAR) – Making your way in the world today takes everything you got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot.

Wouldn’t you like to get away? To a dive bar? For a few hours?

Dive bars, unlike fancier cocktail bars or speakeasies, have a certain inexplicable charm. Is it the dim lighting? The scent of stale beer in the air? The near-constant din of someone playing “Buck Hunter” or “Golden Tee” arcade games in the back corner?

Could be. Or it could simply be the welcoming, down-to-earth, no-frills vibe that almost all dive bars seem to share. Dive bars, after all, aren’t usually concerned with exclusivity, or staying on top of the latest trends. And the very best dive bars can quickly become your favorite neighborhood hangouts or after-work haunts.

With that in mind, the analysts at Yelp have delved into their databases to help determine the top-rated dive bars in each state based on the volume, and ratings, from user-generated reviews.

One important note: Dive bars, as defined by Yelp, are “typically well-worn bars that offer an inexpensive, simple selection of drinks and are often considered ‘hole-in-the-walls,’” a spokesperson for Yelp tells Nexstar. The operators of these establishments can self-identify themselves as “dive bars” on their own Yelp accounts — at which point Yelp’s moderators will conduct a review to ensure the bar meets their criteria — or Yelp’s own users can submit suggestions to the moderators, if they feel a specific bar should be recategorized as a dive.

Without further ado, the top dive bar in each state — as determined by Yelp’s community of reviewers — can be found below.

AlaskaErnie’s Old Time Saloon, in Sitka
AlabamaMarty’s P.M., in Birmingham
ArkansasEmma Avenue Bar and Tap, in Springdale
ArizonaSundowner Bar & Grill, West Sedona
CaliforniaTorrance Brew Yard, in Torrance
ColoradoDive Inn, in Denver
ConnecticutGryphon’s Pub, in New Haven
DCRed Derby
DelewareMurph’s Irish Pub, in Wilmington
FloridaDoc’s Oyster Bar, in Valparaiso
GeorgiaJoystick Gamebar, in Atlanta
HawaiiSuzie Wong’s Hideaway, Honolulu
IowaHigh Life Lounge, in Des Moines
IdahoLakers Inn, in Coeur d’Alene
IllinoisBernice’s Tavern, in Chicago
IndianaRalph’s Great Divide, in Indianapolis
KansasKirby’s Beer Store, in Wichita
KentuckyLarry’s, in Covington
LouisianaPete’s Out In The Cold, in New Orleans
MassachusettsBiddy Early’s, in Boston
MarylandMount Royal Tavern, in Baltimore
MaineMaps Bar, in Portland
MichiganBumbo’s, Hamtramck
MinnesotaCasper’s and Runyon’s Nook, in Saint Paul
MissouriSmall Change, in St. Louis
MississippiThe Mermaid Dive Bar, in Biloxi
MontanaThe Rhino, in Missoula
North CarolinaWesterwood Tavern, in Greensboro
North DakotaBlue Rider, in Minot
NebraskaHomy Inn, in Omaha
New HampshirePerkins Pier Clam Shack & Bar, in Hampton
New JerseyThe Straphanger, in Hackensack
New MexicoThe Matador, in Santa Fe
NevadaGenoa Bar, in Genoa
New YorkDuff’s Brooklyn, in Brooklyn
OhioTeschner’s Tavern, in Richfield
OklahomaThe Soundpony, in Tulsa
OregonCliff’s PDX, in Portland
PennsylvaniaCorvette Grille and Bar, in Annville
Rhode IslandGrad Center Bar, in Providence
South CarolinaDuck Dive Bar And Grill, in North Myrtle Beach
South DakotaWagon Wheel Bar and Grill, in Interior
TennesseeRobert’s Western World, in Nashville
TexasSkylark Lounge, in Austin
UtahShooting Star Saloon, in Huntsville
VirginiaGWARbar, in Richmond
VermontCharlie-O’s, in Montpelier
WashingtonBait Shop, in Seattle
WisconsinKoz’s Mini Bowl, in Milwaukee
West VirginiaCrockett’s Lodge, in Morgantown
WyomingBuckhorn Bar & Parlor, in Laramie

More information on each bar (but not necessarily the operational status of their “Buck Hunter” or “Golden Tee” arcade games) can be found on Yelp.

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