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.
Alaska | Ernie’s Old Time Saloon, in Sitka |
Alabama | Marty’s P.M., in Birmingham |
Arkansas | Emma Avenue Bar and Tap, in Springdale |
Arizona | Sundowner Bar & Grill, West Sedona |
California | Torrance Brew Yard, in Torrance |
Colorado | Dive Inn, in Denver |
Connecticut | Gryphon’s Pub, in New Haven |
DC | Red Derby |
Deleware | Murph’s Irish Pub, in Wilmington |
Florida | Doc’s Oyster Bar, in Valparaiso |
Georgia | Joystick Gamebar, in Atlanta |
Hawaii | Suzie Wong’s Hideaway, Honolulu |
Iowa | High Life Lounge, in Des Moines |
Idaho | Lakers Inn, in Coeur d’Alene |
Illinois | Bernice’s Tavern, in Chicago |
Indiana | Ralph’s Great Divide, in Indianapolis |
Kansas | Kirby’s Beer Store, in Wichita |
Kentucky | Larry’s, in Covington |
Louisiana | Pete’s Out In The Cold, in New Orleans |
Massachusetts | Biddy Early’s, in Boston |
Maryland | Mount Royal Tavern, in Baltimore |
Maine | Maps Bar, in Portland |
Michigan | Bumbo’s, Hamtramck |
Minnesota | Casper’s and Runyon’s Nook, in Saint Paul |
Missouri | Small Change, in St. Louis |
Mississippi | The Mermaid Dive Bar, in Biloxi |
Montana | The Rhino, in Missoula |
North Carolina | Westerwood Tavern, in Greensboro |
North Dakota | Blue Rider, in Minot |
Nebraska | Homy Inn, in Omaha |
New Hampshire | Perkins Pier Clam Shack & Bar, in Hampton |
New Jersey | The Straphanger, in Hackensack |
New Mexico | The Matador, in Santa Fe |
Nevada | Genoa Bar, in Genoa |
New York | Duff’s Brooklyn, in Brooklyn |
Ohio | Teschner’s Tavern, in Richfield |
Oklahoma | The Soundpony, in Tulsa |
Oregon | Cliff’s PDX, in Portland |
Pennsylvania | Corvette Grille and Bar, in Annville |
Rhode Island | Grad Center Bar, in Providence |
South Carolina | Duck Dive Bar And Grill, in North Myrtle Beach |
South Dakota | Wagon Wheel Bar and Grill, in Interior |
Tennessee | Robert’s Western World, in Nashville |
Texas | Skylark Lounge, in Austin |
Utah | Shooting Star Saloon, in Huntsville |
Virginia | GWARbar, in Richmond |
Vermont | Charlie-O’s, in Montpelier |
Washington | Bait Shop, in Seattle |
Wisconsin | Koz’s Mini Bowl, in Milwaukee |
West Virginia | Crockett’s Lodge, in Morgantown |
Wyoming | Buckhorn 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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