Allie


Monday, March 4

spotting a good dive bar

Dive bars have a special place in my heart, always there for me when I need them, never judging me for my consumption habits and in return, I never judge them for their sketchiness; I only embrace it. With AJ in town this past weekend, we spent a lot of time frolicking around eating and drinking our way through San Francisco. Of course our weekend wouldn't be complete without more than a few visits to some of my favorite bars around town.

lauren, me and aj at the silver peso

You may find yourself asking, "what's so great about a dive bar?" In which case, here are six ways to spot a good dive bar (in no particular order). 

6. The crowd: Dive bars have an interesting following. From hipsters to gangsters and everything in between, people of all ages can enjoy the warmth and hospitality that are often associated with a dive bar.

5. The drinks: Dive bars generally have a pretty great beer list, or at least a few random gems on tap. I've never been disappointed and there has never been a lack of drinks at a dive bar.

4. The vinyl booths: My favorite dive bar in San Diego has the most offensive, red and vinyl hole-y booths and that's one of the reasons I loved it so much! Character.

3. The entertainment: Usually filled with a variety of tunes I've never heard of, you can always find something good on the juke box at a dive bar. If I'm really lucky, I'll know too many of the songs thus monopolizing the juke box for at least an hour. In addition, there are always games at a good dive bar. Pool, shuffleboard, random board games and maybe even skeeball.

2. The dress code: From pajamas or sweats with no makeup to sloppily stumbling in in heels, the dress code at a dive bar is always questionable yet flexible and can be anything you want it to be.

1. The atmosphere: You don't have to feel awkward about dancing and you don't have to avoid creeps (because everyone is a creep, including you!) If you're going to a dive bar, you aren't trying to impress anyone and your night almost always ends up being a spontaneous success.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I love a great dive bar too!
www.shannonheartsblog.com

Allison said...

I LOVE THE PESO!

Emily said...

love this list. haha i agree with number 6! i think the main bar decision maker for me is definitely the crowd. and the bar crowds are pretty diverse in dallas.

Jorie said...

oh, dive bars. they just romance us with those cheap, obscure drinks, nonexistent dress code and slightly questionable bartenders!

jorie

Lily said...

I love dive bars not only for the music (moody blues, yes please!) but also for the people watching. I guess that's the anthropologist in me but wacky bars are usually full of very unique characters!