2629 Best Bars in USA

At this upscale bar and restaurant with a bowling alley, winter rates start at $150 per hour not including shoes.

This dark wood-paneled bar is a much cooler version of your parents’ basement from the ’70s. There’s live country music most nights, including a bluegrass jam every Monday. And when there isn’t a live band, the jukebox keeps the honky-tonk mood alive. It’s worth the trek north of East Nashville for a round of darts, a game of pool, and a few classic cocktails.

Renowned local chef Renee Erickson opened an enchanting nautical-themed speakeasy inside the Amazon spheres. The immersive decor adds to the swanky feel. Aside from the luxurious setting, guests are drawn by the fancy and creative cocktails using ingredients such as fig-infused grappa. The short but sexy food menu includes a high-end version of the cream cheese-garnished Seattle dog and a caviar service.

Be sure to sit at the bar in this Main Street joint and chat up the local bartenders, who serve up opinions on town politics and advice on where to eat, as well as delicious cocktails made from whiskey and gin distilled on-site. Bands liven up Main Street on weekends and throughout the summer, bringing in tourists and plenty of local flavor. The food truck on the patio serves the best fish-and-chips in town.

Hidden away inside the Ritz-Carlton hotel, in what was once the Georgetown Incinerator, this modern bar is a breath of fresh air in the neighborhood's rather monotone scene. There's an extensive wine and cocktail selection behind the black granite bar and a hip, well-dressed set of patrons in front of it. When the weather's nice, head out to the multilevel brick patio and sit by the fireplace.

Both the name and the scale of this one might be familiar to those who visit topless clubs in their home towns. Déjà Vu is part of a national chain, and the single-stage club is small compared to its increasingly grandiose competitors. But this branch reopened in early 2025 after a downtime for some sprucing up. It also stays competitive by charging a lower cover charge than the splashier clubs and is arguably within walking distance of the Strip—at least from the Fashion Show mall. The place is absolutely packed on Tuesday, when all drinks are $2.

From the palm-studded rooftop deck (heated in winter, breezy in summer) to the ground-floor lounge and down to the basement venue where DJs and rock bands hold court, the multifaceted Delancey, at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge, is a versatile spot for thirsty lounge lizards.

This legendary après-ski tavern has a real fondness for ski history, displaying early photos of local ski areas, old signs and placards, and odd bits of lift equipment. Enjoy watching games on TV in the sports-bar area and noshing on comforting pub fare.

A rare dive bar amid Lincoln Park's tonier establishments, Delilah's is dark and a bit grungy. But the bar has a friendly, unpretentious vibe and a standout whiskey selection (more than 800 types are on offer). DJs spin punk, metal, and rockabilly.

When you combine an amazing whiskey list and tons of great craft beers with a dark, intimate space that plays great music like punk, rockabilly, alt-country and other outsider tunes, you get Delilah's. One of the coolest bars in Chicago for over three decades, Delilah's is a destination whether you want a rare pour of a hard-to-find bourbon, a game of pool, or just a cheap shot and a beer (because you can get one of each for just a few bucks every day).

This unpretentious, cozy bar on a quiet corner attracts old-timers and young professionals with modest drinks and affordable comfort food like tacos, paella, and sandwiches. The quesadillas are worth the wait for a table. Yellowing posters, dim lights, and a ’60s soundtrack add to the quirky, retro vibe (did we mention it's covered in Elvis memorabilia?). The wine list features a couple of reds, whites, and sparklers.

You can't miss the place with its big blue facade, and once inside, you'll be embraced by the congenial atmosphere and amazed by the beer menu offerings. There are about a half-dozen to a dozen original brews on offer, from wheats to West Coast IPAs. Fun fact: the workers who run this brewery and pub also own it.

Part wine bar and café, part travel agency, the Departure Lounge brings together a global variety of wine, coffee, cheese, chocolates, and pastries while offering guests a chance to explore various regions of the world. The low-key vibe allows wine enthusiasts to enjoy weekly seminars on wine regions around the world while sampling appropriate examples, and armchair travelers can use the many large touch screens to check out potential getaways through an interactive experience.

A former theater on the uphill end of Franklin Street now houses a spacious, high-ceilinged brewpub with an interesting selection of well-produced beverages, including an Alaska Beer Award–winning IPA, a black lager, and a house cider, along with several types of hard seltzer. Stop in on a Wednesday for pizza night, or choose from a selection of snacks and sandwiches, including vegetarian options.

Awash in flocked wallpaper and lace, the Diamond Belle Saloon is dominated by a gilt-and-mahogany bar. With its prime location—on the ground floor of the historic Strater Hotel—plus live ragtime piano music and servers dressed in period costumes, the Diamond Belle can really pack them in. Try the Brazilian mint martini; if you're hungry, order the much-hailed Diamond burger. Ask for the "secret menu."

Inside the shell of an art deco--inspired edifice that once housed a labor union is one of the newest and most comfortably elegant bars in D.C., the corner spot of the Marriott Marquis. Deeper inside the hotel, you’ll find a bustling lobby bar and a large, noisy sports bar with 48 beers on tap. But The Dignitary attracts a more refined crowd with its focus on more than 50 types of bourbons and ryes poured by a crew of bartenders as experienced as they are friendly. This Dignitary also features an outdoor patio in the warmer months.

This tiny hip hop space has cozy red walls and an all-around good vibe. The music usually gets going by 10 in the evening, and can span the decades. Come on Sunday night if you're looking for a more relaxed atmosphere. The small food menu is priced well.

Seattleites dress up to see nationally known jazz artists at Dimitriou's. The cabaret-style theater, where intimate tables for two surround the stage, runs shows nightly. Those with reservations for cocktails or dinner, served during the first set, receive priority seating.

Its outside walls decorated with famous Franks throughout history (Frankenstein's monster, FDR, Sinatra, Zappa, etc.), Dirty Frank's is a Philadelphia classic. A glorious mixture of students, artists, journalists, and resident characters crowds around the horseshoe-shaped bar and engages in friendly, beer-soaked mayhem. Cash only.

Despite the generic name, this is far from a traditional dive bar. Yes, there’s a long list of domestic microbrews and imports on draft, along with whiskeys and other spirits, and there are TVs playing sports. But this dive bar features an extensive and inventive menu with daily mussels specials, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, and even poutine, the stick-to-your-ribs dish from Québec (fries topped with gravy and cheese curds). The kitchen is open late and the bar even later—until 4 am daily.

At this intimate supper club, an integral part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, you can enjoy jazz, dinner, and drinks along with stellar views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park. The food is hearty and Southern-inflected (catfish po'boy, gumbo), but the top-notch music provides the main attraction. There are two sets; the late-night sessions are ideal for after-dinner nightcaps of classic drinks with new twists. Tickets start at $20, and there is a $21 minimum food and beverage order per person, per set.

The music changes nightly at the venerable DNA Lounge, with Monday Night burlesque and gothic-synthpop shows, themed weekend dance parties, and a wide range of music styles each evening. With two stages and multiple dance floors on two levels (plus a restaurant and several bars), the festivities are rarely uncomfortably crowded and always huge amounts of fun.

A tiny space belies big flavor at this classy cocktail bar that serves up custom drinks like the Bourbon & Clyde, melding Woodford and Old Forester with fernet, pistachio, and green chartreuse. The fancy amalgams are complemented by charcuterie and caviar, in an elegant, dimly lit room framed by wood and leather.

This appropriately named brewpub serves house beers and global comfort food and features a spacious covered patio overlooking a duck-filled pond, with live music from Thursday through Sunday. The menu includes customizable burgers, Hill Country sausages, and plenty of beer-friendly snack plates, like giant pretzels, fried green tomatoes, and hot artichoke dip.

If the Dogpatch neighborhood had a town hall, this friendly, ultra-relaxed watering hole would be it. With its dark wood interior and dim lighting, it truly does feel like an old-time San Francisco saloon — because it is one of the few remaining saloons that dates back to the 1910s. Drinks are unfussy but nicely shaken or stirred, and the draft beer list is perfectly acceptable for hanging out with your dog and friends while watching a Niners game.

A constant stream of DJs rolls through the Dolphin every month, with something for everyone, from throwback nights featuring only vinyl to house music or soul. The drinks are dive bar standards: beer, simple cocktails, and plenty of them.

From the same owner of the well-loved Twelve Mile Limit bar in Mid-City, The Domino offers a similarly refined dive atmosphere, with checker-board table tops, board games to borrow, a generous happy hour, and wide horseshoe bar. Picnic tables out front let you people-watch on St. Claude while sipping your wine spritzer, and there are occasional food pop ups.