Best Dive Bar in Every State

The unique feature at this no-frills beach dive in a Gulf Coast town just across the bay from Florida, is a weathered 25-foot-long shuffleboard table, said to be half a century old. Beer is the usual tipple here, though simple mixed drinks are available.

Live music, free popcorn, pool table, cheap drinks….It’s easy to see why this Anchorage institution has a loyal local clientele and appeals to any visitors savvy enough to find it.

The illuminated head of retired Bud Light mascot Spuds MacKenzie looks out over the bar above a cooler filled with “Important Beers” at this Tucson standby, praised by Yelp reviewers for its “sharp, funny bartenders,” “great prices on drinks,” and “small patio for smoking with a TV.” “What a dump!” wrote another Yelper, adding, “I mean that in a good way.”

Yelp comments include “Worse bar I’ve ever been to,” “[D]on’t think you’ll leave without a layer of grease on your clothes,” and “[Y]ou get hassled at the door, insulted by the staff, and hustled by the low rent meth head[s]…who camp out on the only two…pool tables.” In other words, it’s the perfect dive bar. And on the plus side, other Yelpers say things like “Fantastic place,” “a delicious burger and staff,” and “This is as real as it gets.”

A cash-only Mission District punk bar, Zeitgeist is famous for its Bloody Marys and its outdoor seating area. Aficionados might question whether a true dive would have 64 beers on tap, as this one does – but some patrons find the staff to be rude and mean, which helps restore the place’s divey credentials.