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If walls could talk, dive bars would surely have the best stories to tell.
Unlike trendy cocktail bars that specialize in fancy drinks, you go to dive bars for what Derek Brown, veteran mixologist and Washington, D.C.-based hospitality expert, calls “time, grime and dime” — how long it’s been there, how dirty it is and how cheap it is.
“You go because the bartenders are a little salty, but that feels more genuine, there are always the same regulars, and you’re certain you’re going to find an interesting conversation,” Brown told Fox News Digital.
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His favorite is Irv’s Basement Bar in Pasadena, Maryland. Located inside 102-year-old World War II veteran Irv Koch’s house, Brown said it is likely the only licensed house bar in the country. “You knock on the door if it’s not open and Irv or his daughter will let you in,” Brown recalled. “It’s a one-of-a-kind.”
In a recent list of the best dive bars in each U.S. state, food and drink website Tasting Table described dive bars as “unapologetically unpretentious.” Its ranking was based on reviews, social media buzz and local coverage, and considered atmosphere, reputation, history, affordability and longevity.
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From the Alaskan coast to New Orleans, many are more than 100 years old, and others are just as known for overcoming tribulations as they are for pouring libations. White Water Tavern in Little Rock, Arkansas, for example, has survived three fires yet still hosts everything from weddings to funerals. Here are some of the most iconic among them.
1. Harbor Inn Cafe — Cleveland, Ohio
Harbor Inn Cafe is one of the oldest on Tasting Table’s list, having opened in 1895 as a hub for sailors and dockworkers. Back then, sailors from around the world would bring six-packs from home, drink a few and leave the rest behind to be resold, giving the bar a list of over 180 different beers, according to Cleveland Magazine. Today, it offers around 100 options.
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2. Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge — New Orleans, Louisiana
The windowless Snake and Jake’s, which is little more than a shack strung with Christmas lights, is so dark that George Clooney once visited, but nobody noticed until he was leaving, according to Bucket List Bars. Anthony Bourdain filmed an episode of Travel Channel’s “The Layover” at the iconic spot, which closes at 7 a.m.
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3. The Salty Dawg Saloon — Homer, Alaska
Located in a cabin at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula in scenic Kachemak Bay, the Salty Dawg was built in 1897 and has served as a post office, railroad station, grocery store and coal mining office, according to the saloon’s website. It reopened as a bar in 1957, two years before Alaska became a state.
4. Saloon No. 10 — Deadwood, South Dakota
Wild Bill Hickok — a Civil War army scout and lawman credited with bringing order to the frontier West, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica — was shot dead while playing poker at Saloon No. 10 in 1876.
The bar still has the chair Hickok was sitting in when he was killed, and today it reportedly boasts the largest whiskey collection in the state as well as the only single-deck blackjack in town.
5. Santa’s Pub — Nashville, Tennessee
This holiday-themed bar is located in a double-wide trailer that was part of an old construction site. The family-owned spot reopens on Oct. 19 following beloved owner Elmer Denzel Irwin’s death in September. Even celebrities including Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran mourned him on social media, The Tennessean reported. Customers praise Santa’s on Yelp for its cheap drinks and lively karaoke.
6. Hudson House — Beach Haven, New Jersey
Tucked away in North Beach Haven on Long Beach Island, this no-frills, cash-only hangout may not have a website, but it still draws crowds for $3 beers, a 1950s shuffleboard table, darts, pinball, pool and a vintage jukebox that keeps the good times rolling.
7. Dave’s Fox Head Tavern — Iowa City, Iowa
Founded in 1934, Fox Head Tavern is one of Iowa City’s oldest bars and reportedly served writers Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson. According to reviews, it has only four beers on tap, “one of the weirdest, most excellent bar jukeboxes in [the] city” and is never too crowded.
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8. Tiki-Ti — Los Angeles, California
Arguably one of the best dive bars in the Golden State, the 20-seat Tiki-Ti was founded in 1961 by Filipino immigrant Ray Buhen and is known for its intimate atmosphere, classic rum cocktails and kitschy decor. Buhen died in 1999 and the bar is now run by his son and grandson.
One of its most famous drinks, Ray’s Mistake, was created in 1968 when Buhen accidentally mixed the wrong syrups. It’s now on special every Wednesday until 9 p.m., when his son holds a weekly toast to him, according to Discover Los Angeles.
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