2610 Best Bars in USA

Originally opened in 1944 but recently reimagined under new ownership, Melrose Billiard Parlor is a classic dive where you can play pool, ping-pong, darts, and shuffleboard in a subterranean lair. A ban on indoor smoking may have changed the ambience a bit, but it has certainly improved the "atmosphere." Patrons fuel up for indoor sports on draft beer, a full bar, and pizza slices.

A pioneering beer bar in this part of town, Memphis offers more than 18 diverse beers on tap, plus 2 in casks; they're equally liked for their food, inventive gastropub grub with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Their adjacent beer garden, featuring a stationary food truck and a projection screen for games and movies, is a favorite in the warmer months.

Perched atop the stylish Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel, this rooftop bar and restaurant offers classic craft cocktails and sweeping 19th-floor views of the city. The outdoor terrace, complete with firepits, a "lawn," and comfy seating, is the place to be when weather is nice.

Tripling as a health-food restaurant with sublime tofu fettuccine, a fringe theater, and a rock club in a downtown neighborhood, the Mercury Cafe specializes in acoustic sets, progressive, and newer wave music. Weekly swing dance lessons upstairs and poetry readings in a side room add to the appeal. The eatery also prides itself on its self-reliance on solar and wind energy and neighborhood tree and urban garden programs.

You have to squeeze past the sardine-packed hipsters in the front bar to reach the stage, but it's worth it. Not only does this top-quality venue specialize in cool bands on the indie scene, but it was also where the late, great Jeff Buckley used to stop by to do spontaneous solo shows. Other big-name musicians follow in his footsteps with occasional pop-up shows of their own.

If you head to the Mermaid, know the vibe is a little provincial, but you can hear good live music (folk, blues, rock, jazz) Thursday through Saturday. Cover charges range from $10 to $15.

Head to the Silverton's frontier-themed, salt-of-the-earth casino (or its sensational, museum-like hunting-fishing Bass Pro Shops), where it's well worth stopping by for a drink and taking a long look at the gigantic, sharks 'n' all aquarium. The aquarium holds 117,000 gallons of salt water and is home to more than 4,000 fish and as many as eight mermaids at a time (yes, really). There's live music spanning a variety of genres on Friday and Saturday, with no cover.

The original location of one of the state's fastest-growing craft breweries—there are two additional locations in Seattle—this friendly taproom in Woodinville's Warehouse District is a fun stop whether you're ready to sip something other than vino or you're just seeking out some outstanding craft beer, from silky coconut porters to refreshing Belgian-style wit beers. The owners partner as much as possible with other BIPOC- and women-owned businesses throughout Metro Seattle. Note that it closes at 8:30 at the latest.  

Nearly everyone who passes through Chicago plays at Metro at some point, from the best local bands to international superstars looking for an intimate club show experience (including bands like Metallica and Foo Fighters). It's among the best places in town to see live music, whether you're packed in on the main floor or above the fray in the balcony. In the basement is Smart Bar, a late-night dance club that starts hopping after midnight.

Brought to you by the people who run Smalls (just across 7th Avenue from here), Mezzrow is a low-key, subterranean jazz club with a loyal following. Several acts perform nightly, and it's a good idea to make a reservation (see the website) to ensure entry.

This cutting-edge performing arts venue, spread over four floors, can accommodate about 5,000 people. Acts have included everyone from Guster to the Black Crowes to Kevin Hart. Its unique triangle shape (due to its footprint) makes for great acoustics and sightlines---no seat is more than 110 feet from the stage. Depending on the act, the seats on the first floor can be removed to create a dance area.

Recently purchased by the longtime head brewer who has been the force behind Middleton's craft beer, this dog-friendly brewery is a perfect place to chill on the patio, rooftop deck, or indoors. The beer flights are a great way to taste a variety of beers, and they go really well with tacos from one of the food trucks. In addition to live music, there are community-driven events like Fly-Tying Night and disc golf on the course on-site.

presents local and regional acoustic musicians nightly at its Oyster Bar lounge. The Oyster Shooter—raw oysters served in a shot glass with vodka and cocktail sauce and washed down with beer—supposedly originated here. The upstairs piano bar is open on Friday and Saturday nights.

An evening reservation at this diminutive cocktail club, hidden in plain sight in the midst of Sixth Street, is an absolute must for craft cocktail lovers. Originally a massage parlor busted for running an in-house escort service, the club perpetuates a secretive air of mystique with Prohibition-era decor and a speakeasy entrance. (Guests must press the buzzer marked "Harry Craddock" under the "Midnight Cowboy Modeling Oriental Massage" sign to gain entry.) Tableside cocktails are the main attraction, perfect for a special occasion for an intimate group of friends or a romantic date-night indulgence. Reservations are required and are available in two-hour time blocks.

One of the Castro's longest-running bars—open since 1971—is popular with the polo-shirt-and-khakis crowd. Giant video screens play the latest music videos as well as episodes of shows like Will & Grace and Queer Eye.

This very popular Jamaica Plain café books a lively mix of rock bands, DJs, and noise artists. There's punk, soul, R&B, and on Thursday a raucous lesbian dance party and "queeraoke"—straights are welcome, too. Cover varies nightly; check for show age-restrictions.

Ruining livers since 1880, dark, narrow, and grungy Milano's is one of the best dive bars in the city, its Italian name a reminder of the time when Little Italy stretched all the way up to Houston Street. After entering, let your eyes adjust to the lack of light and then grab a stool at the long bar. Patrons and bartenders might appear intimidating at first but after a few potent well drinks, you'll stagger out of Miliano's with a few new friends. Open from 8 am to 4 am every day.

Opened in 2022 in the lively Central 9th corridor, this big, beautifully designed LGBTQ+ club has a huge stage and dance floor, a game room with darts and pool tables, a patio, and a pretty substantial food menu, too—and yes, milk and cookies is one of the dessert options. Theme nights include karaoke Sunday and country-western Wednesday.

One of two public outposts of MilkBoy recording studios in North Philly, this space features a down-to-earth café and bar on the street level, with a narrow, intimate performance space up top. It attracts mostly indie rock acts, both locals and touring outfits.

Bring your boots and saddle up to the bar—yes, the bar stools are really saddles—or try your timing at the Western two-step to the frequent live music.

Drawing on the popularity of neighborhood pizza-and-beer joint Slim and Husky's, Minerva Avenue is the first true bar to open in the burgeoning Buchanan Arts District. The bar has an easygoing-meets-speakeasy vibe, with a phone out front to alert the host to grant you entrance to the cozy patio. Grab a fresh, locally sourced sandwich and wash it down with a boozy slushie or a signature cocktail.

College students gather and shoot pool at Mingles.

This popular restaurant and nightspot features an expansive dance floor and top DJs, two huge projection screens with 10 additional HDTVs—usually tuned to a game—and newly renovated indoor and outdoor dining. Nightly food and drink specials include Mussel Monday with all-you-can-eat mussels and a live steel-drum band, Half Price Night on Thursday, and a happy hour on Friday. Try the craft lobster roll, offered in three varieties and packed with five or six claws of fresh Maine lobster.

A mixed gay-straight crowd that's drop-dead serious about its karaoke—to the point where you'd think an American Idol casting agent was in attendance—comes here seven nights a week. Do not walk onstage unprepared! Cash only.

Green lanterns glow on the curvy bar of this cool spot where hip patrons sip inventive cocktails, many incorporating fresh fruit, all the creations of renowned mixologist Lucy Brennan. You'll find upscale comfort food in the adjacent dining room.

Did you ever think you'd be wearing a winter parka in the Las Vegas desert? If not, then you've underestimated just how creative these 21st-century bars can be. Don the parka provided by minus5°, pay attention to your orientation speech, buy those drink tickets, and step into the Ice Bar, where the temperature is always 5 below zero Celsius (23 Fahrenheit). This frosty clime ensures that you'll have a \"cool\" time here, but it also keeps the walls, bar, cocktail glasses, chairs, couches, and decorative sculpture in their frozen-solid state. Expensive fun for the sheer weirdness of it? Definitely! The drinks are tasty, too. Kids 7 to 12 are welcome before 9 pm, as long as they come with an adult. Additional locations are at The Venetian ( 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S) and The LINQ Promenade ( 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S).

This intimate outdoor venue on the banks of the Poudre River, about 25 miles outside Fort Collins, is a local staple and usually presents an eclectic mix of bands. Most shows are in the evening, but some are during the afternoon. Plan on reserving a shuttle from Fort Collins in advance, as parking is discouraged due to limited space along the highway; the website has details. Cash is not accepted.