Sometimes you just want a cold beer. In a dark bar. With some loud music.
And that's why you're reading this list. A list of the best dive bars — the most laid back, cozy, diveiest in the nation — that are among the selections in our inaugural USA TODAY Bars of the Year list.
More:The best bars in America in 2024: See USA TODAY's 27 favorite spots
Selected by our network of food writers across the nation – from The Arizona Republic to Florida Today – the list represent the destination co*cktail bar meecas, the coziest wine bars and the beachiest beach bars.
But for lovers of dive bars, we've created a special sublist here.
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Here they are, the USA TODAY Dive Bars of the Year.
L Street Tavern | Boston, Massachusetts
Details: 658 E. Eighth St.; 617-752-4947, lsttavernsouthie.com
Twenty-seven years ago, an Irish pub on the corner of L and East Eighth streets in South Boston gained worldwide fame. Scouts chose L Street Tavern for scenes in what would become an Academy Award-winning movie, “Good Will Hunting,” starring Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Minnie Driver. The same high-top table where one of the most hilarious scenes was filmed remains, covered with movie photos and historic Oscar night memorabilia. Tourists from around the world visit, said co-owner Mark Medico. Seven wide-screen televisions line the wood-paneled walls for Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots fans to watch games while drinking L Street’s most popular drink: Guinness in a 20-ounce glass. — Joanna K. Tzouvelis, Wicked Local
Read a full review of the L Street Tavern.
Intracoastal Club | Houma, Louisiana
Details: 8448 E. Main St.; 985-746-5028, intracoastal-club.edan.io
In the sinking bayou city of Houma, the Intracoastal Club hosts experimental bands from around the world. Hurricane Ida in 2021 left its mark on the bar’s exterior, and repairs still aren't finished. But patrons who step inside won't notice, as they are transported to a psychedelic space of disco balls and paper jellyfish. On the walls, local artists’ works hang alongside old magazine clippings and portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Keith Richards, Blondie, James Brown and Dracula. The drinks are simple, but the shows, ranging from drag and performance artists to bands of all genre, are not. Bands that have performed here include Quintron and Miss puss*cat, Paisley Fields, Louis Michot, Daikaiju, and Jeff "J.D." Pinkus. — Colin Campo, Houma Courier
Read a full review of the Intracoastal Club.
Tierney's Tavern | Montclair, New Jersey
Details: 136 Valley Road; tierneystavern.com
Vintage wooden architecture and secret-menu burgers are the name of the game at Montclair’s 90-year-old community center. Locals – from college kids to boomers – have gathered in the classic Irish bar for generations, often accompanied by family (and, sometimes, celebrities). At one point, “The Sopranos” filmed an episode in the nostalgic space, and at another time, William H. Macy and Emma Roberts enjoyed a drink among its twinkling green lights and hanging sports jerseys. The intrigue of the Hollywood elite, despite the tavern’s unassuming digs, comes as no surprise, though, in a place that has established itself as North Jersey’s “Cheers,” but with better food. — Kara VanDooijeweert, The Record and northjersey.com
Read a full review of Tierney's Tavern.
Edna's | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Details: 5137 Classen Circle; 405-840-3339, ednasokc.com
For 35 years, patrons haveadornedthe walls and ceilings of Edna's with dollar bills. At this point, there are few spots remaining without colorfully decorated bills stapled to them. But when namesake Edna Scott opened her bar in 1989, there was no indication it would become so beloved or the origin point of a co*cktail combining Coors Light, orange juice and amaretto – The Lunchbox – that many have tried to mimic. The bar was once the location of a Keith Urban music video, and Jimmy Fallon and Questlove were even served Lunchboxes by an Oklahoma chef on “The Tonight Show.” Still owned by Scott's family, offering up a tasty bar menu and having served more than 2 million Lunchboxes, Edna's remains a cornerstone of Oklahoma City's bar scene. — JaNae Williams, The Oklahoman
Read a full review of Edna's.
Preservation Pub |Knoxville, Tennessee
Details:28 Market Square; 865-524-2224, scruffycity.com/preservation-pub
There are two kinds of “Pubby Buddies.” There’s the signature $5 menu item at Preservation Pub — a shot of whiskey and a PBR — and then there are the friends you make while dancing to jam band music in the smoke-filled first floor and while sharing drinks from the rooftop “shot shack” trailer (or the magic beer tree). Owner Scott West, whose career is back on track after a money laundering conviction, considers the divey Preservation Pub and its nightly live music to be the “heart of the heart” – that is, the pulse that makes Knoxville’s Market Square pedestrian plaza come alive as one of the most-visited parts of the Scruffy City. — Ryan Wilusz, Knox News
Read a full review of Preservation Pub.
Sahara Lounge | Austin, Texas
Details: 1413 Webberville Road; 512-927-0700, saharalounge.com
Sahara Lounge sits at the eastern edge of Austin and at the heart of a community that still represents Austin at its best: funky, soulful, eclectic and diverse. The ramshackle bar owned by musicians Eileen Bristol and her son, Topaz McGarrigle, sometimes feels like it might fall down when regular Africa Night or Body Rock ATX parties pump at full throttle. Bartenders quench the thirst of clubgoers with cold Sahara Slants, the house’s namesake co*cktail made with the Ghanaian spirit akpeteshie. Looking for a beer without the bass drop? Before the show, you can soak in the space’s musical history, documented with old concert posters, or head to a table out back, where the conversation flows like the Quan Yin fountain honoring the Bodhisattva of Compassion. — Matthew Odam, Austin American-Statesman
Read a full review of Sahara Lounge.
