You don’t have to be down on your luck or completely broke to appreciate a good dive bar.
Whether you’re drawn in by the dirt cheap beer, greasy eats, eclectic clientele, or jukebox jams, every city has a dive bar for you.
The trick to finding the right one is to weed out the seamy cesspools from the best kept secrets.
No matter the city, you can find a cheap drink without the mainstream bar scene. Every town has them; you just have get in with the locals to find out how to distinguish the dilapidated dumps from the treasure troves.
This post originally appeared at Party Earth.
Los Angeles: White Horse Inn Cocktail Lounge
If you want a truly great dive experience in the City of Angels, head on over to Hollywood hangout, White Horse Inn Cocktail Lounge, one of the best dive bars in LA.
It’s located in a Super 8 Motel, so you know its reeking with class. Vicky, the bar owner is also a regular, who will regale you with all of the sordid stories in her repertoire. With two authentic 70s couches, a pool table, and all-you-can-eat pretzels, popcorn, and microwave hot dogs, it’s an easy place to have one too many.
White Horse Inn Cocktail Lounge
1532 North Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
San Francisco: Li Po Cocktail Lounge
One of the most iconic San Francisco neighborhoods is Chinatown, which houses a real dive treasure, Li Po Cocktail Lounge.
Raved about by famous chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, this throw back to opium dens of yore serves up some of the strongest Chinese Mai Tais and Ng Ka Py, Chinese whiskey.
With a full-blown Buddha shrine, and other kitschy décor, it’s definitely a fun place to have a few drinks and collect some strange stories along the way.
Li Po Cocktail Lounge
916 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94108
Chicago: Marie's Riptide Lounge
It goes without saying that dive bars are best appreciated once already inebriated, and Marie’s Riptide Lounge is no exception.
With karaoke, a jukebox, cheap drinks, loud music, and dirty floors, it’s the perfect place to make out with someone you shouldn’t. When you just want to get rowdy in the worst possible way, Marie’s is definitely your Chicago go-to bar.
Marie’s Riptide Lounge
1745 West Armitage Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
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