19 perfect dive bars

by Gadling Staff on

We need dive bars more than we care to admit. They are the counterweight to a world overflowing with upscale lounges and designer “mixologist” cocktails, a way to keep it simple, hang out with friends old and new and tip back our favorite beverage. Gadling is a big fan of dive bars too. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 19 of our favorites. Where’s your favorite dive bar? Leave us a tip in the comments.

Crystal Cafe – Raton, New Mexico
The most remarkable thing about Crystal Cafe is the light up dance floor. That and the decor make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time, and that a disco maniac in a polyester suit will walk through the door at any moment. The bar is entirely retro, but not because they’re trying — the owners just haven’t changed anything since when the small town its located in was more happening.

Norma’s (a.k.a. the Domino Club) – St. Croix, USVI
Norma’s is famous for two reasons: beer drinking pigs and a local brew called Mama Wanna. Animal rights concerns resulted in the pigs getting switched to non-alcoholic beer, but the patrons aren’t so restricted. Mama Wanna is some kind of wonderful spiced rum drink, and the local proprietress of this island hut tucked away in the jungle hasn’t even been tempted to sell the recipe yet. It packs quite a kick, so the locals use Elephant beer as a chaser.

Madam’s Organ Blues Bar – Washington, DC

With a slogan like, “Where the beautiful people go to get ugly,” how could you not love Madam’s Organ Blues Bar? Despite the popularity this bar enjoys, they haven’t managed to clean it up too much. There’s live music most nights, and more old couches upstairs than a used furniture store. After the bar closes, the local tradition is to grab a giant slice of pizza from one of the nearby all-night sliceries.Salty Dawg Saloon – Homer, Alaska
The buoys strung up on the outside of Salty Dawg Saloon, found inside a plain log and thatch cabin, hardly scream party time, but the partiers on the inside sure as heck do. The walls have thousands of dollar bills stapled to them, each one uniquely decorated by the patron who posted it. In true Alaska dive style, the floors are covered in sawdust. If you’re feeling frisky, you could even order a Salty Dog. The bar isn’t named for the drink, but they do serve them.

Neptune’s Net – Malibu, California
Despite this bar’s location in upscale Malibu, Neptune’s Net is a bit of a dive. You’ve got to fight (sometimes literally) for a table, it’s crowded with bikers, and the restrooms are of the portable variety. But it’s got some amazing fried seafood and beers a plenty. Plus, the outside tables have gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean.

Crossroads Bar & Grill – South Royalton, Vermont
It’s dark, it’s dank, and it’s darling. Crossroads is the perfect dive bar where you could wile away a night, or an entire winter, given the local weather patterns. Set in the small and idyllic town of South Royalton, this bar is a meeting place for long time locals and cerebral students from the nearby Vermont Law School. There’s even a collection of offensive bumper stickers posted behind the bar, if you forget your reading material.

Gentleman Jim’s – Gaithersburg, Maryland
It’s not often you get a dive bar with two floors of drinking, but they’ve managed to make it happen in this industrial complex tavern. Upstairs is a small, windowless bar with a bit of a Cheers feel, since the variety of the patrons tends to be limited. Downstairs is the restaurant area with a service bar open to the public. What makes this place worth mentioning is the pizza — square, with sweet tomato sauce and a swiss cheese blend. Try it on a Monday or Tuesday for half price, and the happy hours are competitive as well.

The Alley Cantina – Taos, New Mexico
If it weren’t for the local crowd, a ratty old games collection, and $2.50 margaritas every day from 5 to 7, the Alley Cantina might not have even qualified as a dive. But thanks to the shuffleboard, crooked pool table, and some old french game where you’ve got to flick checkers around with your thumb, this is the perfect place to hang out and have a beer, or five. They’ve even got food, if you’re into fried.

The Broken Spoke – Austin, Texas
The Broken Spoke has become legendary, perhaps regrettably to its loyal local clientele. It’s claim to fame is its long affair with country music, with legends like Willie Nelson having made regular appearances through the years. It’s got a country dance hall vibe, and they even offer blue plate special lunches to stick with the theme. Not a bad place to have a couple beers and get rowdy.

Norton Rats – Cusco, Peru
You might not guess that you could find a biker bar in a South American town at an elevation of 11,000 feet but, lo and behold, you can. There is simply no explanation for Norton Rats other than divine providence. They offer a wide selection of beer, and a view of the main plaza in Cusco from the narrow balconies. Flags from a hundred countries are nailed to the ceiling, giving you something to look at when your drinks get to you early due to the altitude. Even if the place has a bit of a divey vibe, its a welcome respite for travelers who have made it this far into the wild.

— The above was written by Writing Kimberly, Seed contributor.

Malachy’s – New York, New York
Malachy’s might be the most miserable place on Earth. Horrendous lighting, depressed staff, despondent clientele and a perfect Guinness every time. The fat, juicy 1/2 lb. burger is real good too. Somehow, the cook has been spared.

Nolan’s – Long Beach, New York
A free standing shack made of old cedar, Nolan’s looks like even the faintest ocean breeze will knock it over. Trashed motocycles and cars litter the adjacent lot. Every lifer in the place is crusty and pissed off. Coldest bottle of Bud ever served. Step out into the sun, across the street and stumble to the beach.

The Goat Hill Tavern – Costa Mesa, California
The Goat Hill Tavern, an out-of-the-way hole in Los Angeles Southern California, might be the region’s greatest anti-attraction. Hundreds of tap beers, cramped quarters, stale smoke and that God awful dive bar smell. Top it all off with the wannabe screenwriter next to you stirring his vodka with his finger while plotting his next “murder the movie exec” thriller at one in the afternoon. Lights, Camera, Misery!

PJ’s Pub – Baltimore, Maryland
Is PJ’s Pub the best daytime watering hole in history? Homemade Bloody Mary’s and baskets spicy Old Bay dusted steamed shrimp at noon chase away any hangover. Hours pass effortlessly until the Johns Hopkins engineering geeks and Lacrosse studs start to file in for their nightly revelry. Guys, if you’re lucky, maybe a girl will even show up.

Mission Hill Saloon – San Francisco, California
 Mission Hill is the “Cheers” of dive bars. Dark, dingy and depressingly plain – but the misery stops there. Ice, ice cold beers served by good people. Excellent jukebox and locals that have no problem making you feel like a local.

The Cat’s Eye Pub – Baltimore, Maryland
Ah, the Cat’s Eye Pub. You can’t move, you can’t breathe. Old salts stare you down and threaten with daggers. Old cougars troll for new meat. Killer blues bands play way too loud, right in your ear. The lost leg of a dead sea captain hangs above the men’s urinal. Fun!

The Bronx Bar – Detroit, Michigan
The Bronx Bar is in the “happening” part of town, whatever that means. Great tunes, cold beers. Ultimately, it just looks real cool and divey from the outside. Pure American depression. Rejoice!

Catacombs Bar – Boulder, Colorado
Catacombs Bar is huge hole in the ground – literally. On a weeknight, it feels like “Land of the Lost.” Spacious and desolate, an alcoholic paleontologist’s dream. Tunes echo from the juke, drinks are served by pretentious, cruncher wannabes who are too cool for school. “Is there anybody out there?”

McSorley’s – New York, New York
 Step down off street level and into history at McSorley’s. The oldest operating saloon in New York. Dingy, quiet – reverent even. Don’t go for the music, the TV, the pool table. Go there to drink, lament and repent. That’s what you do in a dive bar.

— The above was written by Drew Moss, Seed contributor.

Related:
* The 24 greatest cities in the world for drinking beer
* 15 more great cities for drinking beer
* The 20 greatest cities in the world for foodies
* The 25 greatest cities in the world for drinking wine

Don’t Park in Austin: a long-winded travel tale with a moral at the end

by Andrew Evans on


I try so hard to love Austin, really, but Austin doesn’t make it easy.

Yeah, I had so much fun there, what a cool city, it’s not like the rest of Texas, blah, blah, blah. Doesn’t matter. In life, bad memories so quickly suffocate the good ones, like a python squeezing the life out of some innocent Bambi lookalike. Bambi’s not what we remember–we remember the python . . .

When Gadling decided to hold our annual get-together deep in the heart of Texas, I was elated. For one, I’m Texan, born and bred. I planned on flying to Houston, spending some time with family, then heading up to Austin for a weekend of blogger decadence. I drove my parents’ car up and made it all the way to tiny Bastrop, Texas when my vehicle overheated (it’s darn hot in Texas). A mechanic in town said he would fix the car but that it would take the whole weekend. Luckily, this tiny Texas town had an Enterprise Rental with one last remaining rental car which allowed me to be back on the road to Austin within the hour.

Our first day in Austin was super fun as I met all the legendary magicians behind this fabulous website that you know and love. On Saturday night, the fun-loving Gadling crew went out for dinner and settled on Ironworks BBQ, which claims to be “Real Texas Barbecue.” I parked in their parking lot which had a sign that read “For Ironworks customers ONLY”, which we all were. We spent about two hours at the restaurant and probably around $300 on food collectively. Afterwords, we hit one of the nearby clubs. When I came back to the get the car (around midnight), the parking lot was empty. Apparently, once the restaurant closes, they tow. (Really? That’s how you treat your out-of-town guests?)
Now, what in the world could possibly be worse than getting your car towed? Getting towed by J&J Towing–that’s what. Apparently even weird cool hipster Austin has its share of sheisters and they all work for J&J Towing. Thanks to the internet, I discovered that J&J Towing actually has a long and strong reputation for illegal tows for which they’ve been successfully sued in several courts of law in Texas. They’ve even earned a single brave star on Yelp with the best review being “These People Need Jesus”.

I concur. These people do need Jesus, but a simple conscious would also suffice. At 1 AM, I called them up to retrieve my car. Not only were they rather rude and unhelpful, all they told me that there was, “No way you’re getting your car back this weekend.” Since I was driving a rental car, the towing company requires a notarized affidavit from my rental car company stating that the car was in fact in my name at the time of getting towed. This is a new state-wide law in Texas, according to Justin, the man I was speaking with (Justin refused to give me his last name for fear that I would send some Texas-style justice in his direction and perhaps he was right).

Realizing I was now legally liable but legally powerless, I turned to Enterprise Rental for help. I called their Roadside Assistance number, waited through 10 minutes of hold advertising and then was told by a bored employee that there was nothing she could do. And then (I kid you not) . . she hung up on me (Gasp!). Now a little angry, I then called the Customer Service line, held for another ten minutes and was told again that there was nothing they could do for me. When I asked, “That’s the best you can offer me?”, she hung up on me, too. No she didn’t!

I fell asleep angry and powerless at 3 AM, then woke up at 6:30 AM and contacted the Enterprise Rental at the Austin airport (the closest office that was open on a Sunday). I then took a cab out to the airport, handed over my first rental keys and convinced them to give me a new car for the duration of my rental. They agreed that getting a notarized affidavit on a Sunday in Texas was impossible but that it was now their problem and that this kind of thing happens “all the time.” Yes,you heard it from Enterprise: rental cars in Austin get towed all the time and are never successfully recovered by their renters.

By 11 AM on Sunday, I was situated with my third car in two days and left the final throes of Gadling’s fun-filled weekend for another day of work just north of the city. The next day, Monday, I returned my second rental car to the office in Bastrop where I discovered that my first rental car had still not been recovered. I was charged $280.00 for the towing and impound but promised that there would be no further related expenses. Enterprise confessed that they too were having a very difficult time retrieving the car from J&J Towing and that it might take days more, if not the rest of the week.

In retrospect, seeing as I had purchased full insurance on the rental car, I should have just reported the car stolen, which is actually kind of what happened. If you park in the parking lot of the establishment at which you are eating and when you come back you find the car is gone, then your car was stolen.

Now there’s a Texas way to deal with this situation and there’s the nicer way. Since, I’m a nice guy, I’m sticking to words. Frankly though, y’all disappointed me! City of Austin–you fail. Ironworks BBQ? You fail, too. And Enterprise Rental? You get a D minus (have fun getting your car back). As for J&J towing, I leave you to your own heavy stack of karma. I imagine when you eventually do get served, it’ll look something like No Country for Old Men and the final scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The travel moral of the story is don’t park your rental car in downtown Austin, ever. Better yet, just skip Austin and head straight to the Hill Country. They can’t tow you out there and if they try, you’re legally allowed to shoot them. The other moral of the story is that the state of Texas has a bunch of cockamamie laws regarding rental cars, so watch out!

The final moral of the story is: Don’t Mess With Gadling! Just like you don’t mess with Texas, you don’t mess with a bunch of travel writers. We may be limp-wristed computer nerds with passports, but these days, the keyboard is mightier than the tow truck.

*The real casualty in all of this was Mike Barish’s Hello Kitty piñata, who at this very moment is still sitting locked up in the scuzzy backlot of J&J towing and enduring who knows what kind of hellish torments.

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk 012: Trains, planes, & mergers! Behind the scenes at Southwest Airlines, Gowalla & Gadling in Austin + a brand new GIVEAWAY!!

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 12 – Click above to watch video after the jump
Well, we’ve been bouncing around the country this week and have got a great show to prove it! From Dallas, Texas to Austin, Texas and finally Portland, Oregon – we’ll take you behind the scenes at Love Field Airport and the operational headquarters of Southwest Airlines!

In the news this week: United & Continental’s big merger, a new train makes tracks in a forbidden country, we look into the biggest World Expo in history, and find out why your toothpaste may once again be safe while traveling through Europe.

We get the inside scoop on Austin-based tech startup Gowalla, and catch up with Gadling crew for a day out on the town. Last but not least, we’re GIVING AWAY TWO FREE TICKETS on Virgin America!! Watch to the end to find out how to enter!!

Tune in next week for our full Portland, Oregon special!

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Links
Get the official scoop on the United/Continental merger.
U.S State Department’s guidelines for visiting North Korea.
Must Watch!! The Vice Guide to North Korea. An in-depth look at DPRK guided tours.
Going to the World Expo 2010? Download and print this form and read these instructions.
More Shanghai World Expo 2010 photos!

Contest:
We’re giving away two free tickets on Virgin America!

To enter, join our Facebook group and send us an email, telling us 1) where you would go 2) what you would do there 3) who you would take.

At the end of May, one lucky winner will be randomly selected from our inbox. So, get your friends to submit to increase your chances!!


Hosts: Stephen Greenwood, Aaron Murphy-Crews, Drew Mylrea
Special Guest: Jonathan Carroll, Jeremy Kressman.


Produced, Edited, and Directed by: Stephen Greenwood, Aaron Murphy-Crews, Drew Mylrea

Update **The current video has been revised from it’s original version at the request of Southwest airlines. We were given a sneak peak at the TSA’s baggage screening room and filmed bags being opened, which presented privacy concerns. That footage, as well as a mention of Southwest’s mechanical practices – has been removed.



Music by:
“Hraka”
Finn Riggins
myspace.com/finnriggins



All other music used in partnership with nonstopmusic.com

Austin & Piñatas: Why it Pays to Wander

by Mike Barish on

The Gadling team was in Austin, TX last weekend for our annual meet-up. I was the first to arrive in town and decided to take a walk to a taquería that a friend had recommended. It was located in East Austin, a predominantly Mexican neighborhood tucked away on the other side of I-35 from 6th Street and the clubs and restaurants that keep Austin hopping into the morning hours. East Austin is a sleepier part of town filled with one-story houses on small plots of land and authentic Mexican restaurants and cantinas. It’s the part of town where you don’t encounter as many people walking along the streets, but the ones that you do nod, say hello and make you feel welcome in the neighborhood. It’s also home to a Ruth’s Piñata Land, a store that ended up being the highlight of my Austin weekend.

%Gallery-92280%Why, in a weekend filled with amazing Mexican food, mouthwatering barbecue and a street fair bigger than some carnivals, would I remember a piñata more than anything else? Well, it’s not the piñata in and of itself. It’s what it represents. It was happenstance that I found that shop. It was because I was acting on a recommendation from a friend, chose to walk rather than take a cab on a hot Spring day and meandered down that street because of the timing of the street lights. It was an unplanned trip to a business that most tourists and travelers would walk by without much of a thought. For me, it became a story and a running joke over the weekend.

I stopped into Ruth’s Piñata Land purely for giggles but left with so much more. I had hysterical photos (see gallery), a good story and, yes, a piñata (of the Hello Kitty variety).

As the rest of the Gadling crew arrived in Austin, we began to engage in more traditional activities in the busier parts of Austin. We dined on 6th Street, shopped in SoCo and checked out the Capitol Building. But something kept drawing me to East Austin. Some of us took a field trip back there for another fantastic breakfast at Joe’s Bakery (which we highly recommend) and a quick shopping experience at Mustang Jewelry & Pawn. Not your typical tourist fare, but an experience that we all enjoyed thoroughly.

So, is my point that you should all go to piñata stores and pawn shops? Not exactly. All I’m saying is that you should keep your eyes and minds open. If you see something quirky, interesting or just plain weird, take a closer look. You never know what you’ll find if you wander around with no agenda, no schedule and no preconceived notions. We should all find our own piñata shop in whatever form it takes.

Note: Sadly, I left the Hello Kitty piñata in the back Andrew Evans’ rental car…which was towed…and never recovered due to time restraints. We hope that she found a good home in the impound lot.

Austin, Texas: How to buy your first pair of cowboy boots

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s something romantic about cowboy boots that’s inexplicable. They’re unique, mysterious, and, on the right pair of legs, they are downright sexy.

The legends surrounding cowboys and the American West are as rich and colorful as the boots themselves. From Hollywood legends like Roy Rogers and John Wayne, to stories of Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp, cowboy legends linger in our minds and there’s no escaping the western attraction when you land in Austin, Texas.

I was headed down to Austin to meet other members of the Gadling team for our annual weekend meet-up, but I secretly had another mission in mind: buying my first pair of cowboy boots.

Earlier in the day, I met up with Gadling’s Heather Poole and her family for some boot perusing. Taking a lesson from her husband I knew these boots would be an investment, so I had to absolutely love them. Now with Catherine Bodry and Leigh Caldwell by my side, I gallivanted around Austin in search the perfect pair of cowboy boots. I stopped in a few stores to take some boots for a test ride and learned there’s more to buying cowboy boots than meets the eye. I’m no foreigner to buying shoes, but cowboy boot shopping is an entirely other breed. Before you buy, consider these tips:

1. Size does matter.
Cowboy boots do not fit like regular shoes, so before you start looking around at shapes and colors, measure your foot. A good cowboy boot will fit as if it’s made for your feet. While the leather will stretch a little bit, the fit you feel when you first put on the boot is about as real as it gets. Remember: cowboy boots are expensive so if you’re going to spend the money, be sure the fit is perfect.

2. Identify your shape.
Boot toes come in all different cuts and sizes. Before you start grabbing boots off the shelves take a look at your toes. Are you comfortable wearing pointed-toe shoes? Or do you prefer a round toe with some give across the bridge of your foot? Choose a boot toe shape for comfort first, and style second.

3. Determining your height.
Cowboy boots are generally made with a heel both for men and women. Most boots have a heel between three-quarters of an inch and one and three-quarters an inch. Go with what’s most comfortable. Cowboy boots are meant to take you from day into night, so stick with what feels best and don’t push the heel height. Unlike other boots, the statement isn’t in the heel of this shoe.

4. Now comes the fun part – finding your boot.
Now that you’ve assessed your size and narrowed down your heel height, it’s time to find a pair of boots that suits your style, or as Ryan from Allens Boots would say, find a pair of boots that talks to you. Allow me to explain…


I stood bewildered at the all the sizes, shapes and colors in front of me. It’s no secret I have a shoe fetish, but walking into Allens Boots on South Congress Street in Austin was like entering a cowboy graveyard – boots made for legends were piled up high on the walls.

We walked down the aisles ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the various styles and colors. The dynamics ranged from plain brown and black boots to boots with skull embellishments and rhinestone crosses.

There were purple boots, pink boots, Texas A&M boots, boots with spurs, boots with tassels, boots for kids, and boots with bells.

Some boots were multi-colored while other boots were two-toned. Some boots had pointed toes, others were square-toed and round-toed. There were tall boots, short boots, ankle boots, booties and mid-calf boots. The boots ranged in price from around $200 to upwards of $800, and those were just the boots I grabbed to try on. Just as I fell into the boot-shaped chair ready to give up on my boot buying endeavors, he appeared. Hellooooo, cowboy.

Ryan stood about 6’5″ tall, had feathered blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and, we guessed, was somewhere between 25- and 30-years-old. He walked with a swagger – or maybe it’s a saunter – and finished his sentences with “yes ma’am” and “my pleasure.” He politely asked me if I needed some help.

“I have no idea where to start or what to do,” I confessed. Ryan simply replied, “Just take a walk through and let the boots talk to you.”

I stood staring at him for a moment, wondering if he was serious. He smiled, nodded and walked off, which I suppose was my cue to do the same and seek out the boots that speak.

5. Finding the right fit.
Trying on your cowboy boots is equally as important as the boot’s size and style. There’s a process every veteran cowboy knows and here’s how it’s done:

* Roll up your pant to just below the knee.
* Each boot comes with ‘tabs’ as part of the leather. Hook your index fingers into the leather tabs on each side so you’re pulling the boot up and over your foot.
* Your foot should slide easily in the boot and should not bind. The leg should be loose and comfortable and you should be able to wiggle your toes. As you start walking, your heel should slide up a little.

I grabbed about half a dozen pairs of boots to try on. A few whispered, I think one boot winked at me, but none of them really “spoke” to me. In hopes they talked once they were on my feet, I tried each pair on and walked them up and down the aisles, stealing glances in mirrors along the way.

I grabbed one last pair of boots – a red pair that kept tugging at me – and when I put them on they talked, no screamed, “I’M YOURS!” Ryan was right – the right pair will speak to you, and when they do you’ll know it. My boots were perfect – fire engine red and stitched perfectly with white and gold designs. The heel is stacked about one-and-one-half inches and the top of the boot comes just to my calf – perfect enough to wear with jeans or a dress. They make a statement, for sure, but it’s a statement I’m proud to make. My fire engine red cowboy boots were made for walking!

I modeled the various boots for the girls and we all agreed, the red ones were THE pair. They were comfortable, the perfect size, the perfect height and I could pair them with just about everything in my closet. The best part? They were the right price. Authentic cowboy boots aren’t cheap, but they’ll last a lifetime. Go in with a budget and don’t waiver – you’ll find the right pair that fits your feet and your bank account.

As for Ryan? I showed him my fire-engine red Lucchese-brand boots, and he nodded and said, “Those are some serious boots but I think you can handle them. Every girl should own a pair of red boots at one point in her life.”

I couldn’t agree more.