2629 Best Bars in USA

The bar in the Agave restaurant located within the Eldorado Hotel is stylish and contemporary, making it just as much of a hit with locals and nonguests as with those staying on the property. Smart decor and happy hour deals combined with the late-night bar-food menu—from snacks to burgers—are among Agave's key assets.

A sleek, smart, and dimly lit cocktail bar, Agency of Record is an ad-agency-theme drinking spot. The seriously retro late-'50s/early-'60s vibe of the place will give you a yen for sipping a classic cocktail like a dirty martini or a grasshopper, as DJs spin vintage tunes and the kitchen cooks up sliders, Japanese-style fried chicken, and charred carrots. 

In addition to the expansive floor filled with all kinds of gambling options (e.g., slot machines, table games, a poker room), the casino/resort also has multiple places to wet your whistle, shake your (fingers-crossed) moneymaker, and see DJs or local acts. The Show, the resort's prized theater where none of the 2,101 seats are more than 125 feet from the stage, also books a full calendar of concerts by household names like Dolly Parton and Sting, as well as fashion shows and sporting events like boxing matches.

Folks come by boat and car to this supercasual bar and restaurant overlooking the marina for beer and oysters. Thanks to nightly live music, young, energetic crowds pack the dance floor.

Asian fusion meets chic nightlife at this lively restaurant and cocktail lounge on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street in the heart of Gaslamp. Good for business travelers or date nights, the large dining room transforms into a nightclub-style atmosphere after 10 pm, complete with DJs, dancing, and drinks.

This local haunt is every inch a neighborhood bar, one that serves fast, cheap, and strong drinks; is inclusive of all people; and engages the local community through fun and unapologetically outrageous events like Craftaoke, Gaymer Night, and queer disco nights.

The 2,000-seat Alabama Theatre has a regular variety show of singing and dancing ($40–$54) with a patriotic closing; the theater also hosts guest music and comedy artists during the year and a holiday-themed show

Housed in a vintage former movie theater, this music venue specializes in indie and alternative acts, many with national followings. The adjacent Lamp pub offers microbrews, pizza, and pub fare, too.

Dinner and a movie has never been easier at this one-stop shop for flicks, food, and fun. Purchase tickets online and select your own, specific, comfy seat, which, incidentally, reclines and has a back warmer in it. Settle in and order a soda, milk shake, or cocktail, a bottomless bowl of real buttered popcorn, and myriad other snacks and meals. The roster of films changes by the day but includes new releases, classics and cult classics, animated films, and some obscure selections only playing at the Alamo.

The company's tasty, award-winning beers—including Alaskan Amber, Icy Bay IPA, White, and Freeride Pale Ale—are brewed and bottled in Juneau. This is no designer brewery—it's in Juneau's industrial area (5 miles from downtown), and there's no upscale café-bar attached—but in the friendly tasting room visitors can choose from more than 20 varieties of Alaskan beer, including hard-to-find "rough drafts," and food trucks encourage lingering. A retail shop downtown sells Alaskan-branded clothing and other items.

A sign frequently placed outside this historic bar reads: "Have an Alaskan with an Alaskan at the Alaskan," referring to the locally made beer, the clientele, and the bar itself. And it's true that this triple convergence can be found here any night of the week—the bar always has at least one type of Alaskan Brewing Company beer on tap, and the crowd is primarily local, even in summer. On the ground floor of the Alaskan Hotel, this is Juneau's most historically authentic watering hole, with flocked-velvet walls, antique chandeliers, and vintage frontier-brothel decor. Just keep in mind that in recent years the vintage charm has begun to look decidedly worn out, but it's still worth visiting just the same.

Fans of IPAs, saisons, stouts, you name it (even kombucha) will find their brew of choice on the lengthy list of draft beverages at this cornerstone of St. Petersburg's exploding exploding craft beer scene. Live music is also regularly on tap, and although there's some seating inside, the action tends to happen out in the courtyard, where there are plenty of tables and space for listeners to gather when there's a band playing. Although the place is a late-night draw, kids and dogs are welcome, and you can grab food from one of several nearby restaurants to accompany your brew.

This dark-wood, low-lit space has a certain swagger that's at once charming and classy. It serves full meals but is also a good choice for cocktails and small plates—the polenta fries, Scotch eggs, and seasonal salads are all winners.

Billed as the oldest continually operating dinner theater in the United States, the Alhambra offers mostly musicals such as Singing' in the Rain, Jersey Boys, or the family-friendly Beauty and the Beast. It's dark on Monday.

The taps at the pub of this local brewery flow with 20 or so beers (including several stouts) that you can enjoy inside an industrial-style space with an open-truss ceiling, on a deck just outside, or in an adjacent beer garden. The food's decent, with the mustache-shaped pretzel (best with beer mustard and beer cheese) the most popular app and a pizza or Wagyu cheeseburger the best choice for something more filling.

Well-dressed locals head to this hard-to-find wood-paneled bar to sip double martinis while taking in peekaboo views of Elliott Bay or studying the scripts, handbills, and movie posters that line the walls. The lower level is more crowded and casual. Stop by for a drink or a meal (the pizza is great), and stay to listen and dance to live music. Happy hour—daily from 11:30 am to 6 pm—is quiet and a good respite from the Market.

Who knew you could have an alibi almost all night long in Las Vegas? This cocktail lounge offers just that—it's open until 3 am Fridays and Saturdays, 2 am other nights. Offering bottle service and DJ entertainment Thursday through Sunday, as well as a creative cocktail list, Alibi is perhaps best suited to those who want a VIP-style experience without waiting in a long line or shelling out extravagant prices.

Allegory, an acclaimed Washington, D.C. speakeasy, is the first bar that blends art, literature, social justice, craft cocktails, and hospitality. You arrive at the bar through a secret passage of the Eaton DC's bar library. There you will find expertly concocted cocktails with a side of history centered on social justice. Usually, a DJ is spinning lively music.

This hybrid family fun center/date night/sports bar/bowling alley in DeVargas Center truly has something for everyone. Both food and bar service are available throughout the facility, whether you're knocking down pins on the 12-lane bowling alley, cracking some bocce balls on one of two indoor courts, or chalking up your cue stick at one of the various pool tables. A couple of shuffleboard tables and some arcade games round out the experience. It's a great option for families taking a break from sightseeing or a little indoor fun on a rainy day, but it's also a lot of fun at night when things really get hopping.

This lounge-theater combo has become one of the centerpieces of the local indie, avant-garde, drag, and burlesque scenes. Channeling 1930s Berlin, the lounge has a black-and-red color scheme and frayed-at-the-edges Art Deco aesthetic. Musicians, burlesque dancers, clowns, artists, and jacks-of-all-trades take to the stage here most nights of the week for adults-only entertainment. Meanwhile, in the back of the house, the 100-seat AllWays Theatre hosts weekend plays and other performances.

Grab a seat in either the industrial indoor taproom or the outdoor beer garden where dogs are welcome (and have their own menu). With more than a dozen beers on draft—including the Hop Lei IPA, Froot Loops, and Aloha Blonde—as well as wine, cocktails, and mocktails, you're likely to find something to your taste. For food, there's pizza and other standard pub fare plus a brunch menu. Get cocktails and more upscale offerings in the upstairs HI Brau Room, which has its own speakeasy-style entrance. A newer Aloha Beer location is in Waikiki.

Location is everything at this sophisticated lounge on the roof of the 22-floor San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter. The views of the Downtown skyline and Petco Park will give you a natural high. Come early on baseball game days to catch the action from above.

Housed in an historic Beaux Arts building that dates from 1916, this craft brewery lures locals and visitors alike with a full bar and 20 craft beers on tap, decent gastropub menu, beer garden, and shaded sidewalk patio. The company also has a brewery, bistro, and wine bar in Carmel Plaza in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

In the tasting room at the Amalga Distillery, you can sample small-batch gin (up to two drinks per visit) while seated next to the brass and copper still in which the gin was made. If your timing is right, single-malt whiskey will also be on offer. A magnet for locals, the well-designed space includes high ceilings and huge windows perfect for people-watching.

A slice of modern French life, this cozy and romantic wine bar is an ideal spot for oenophiles, with a list strong in French selections. Vintage-theater seating is available up front—perfect for mingling with strangers. The prices are reasonable, the pours handsome. Sit at the red-lacquer bar to learn about wine and pick up a French phrase or two.

This old-school watering hole is where the locals go for easy camaraderie and cheap drinks. Built in 1913, the handsome, fortress-like brick building is the birthplace of the "Mighty Eighth" Air Force, and the decor pays homage to those who've served. Pick up a friendly game of pool, or listen to wild stories on the smokers' balcony.

The AmeriStar Casino St. Charles is one of the city's popular riverboat casinos.