2610 Best Bars in USA

This out-of-the-way, yet fan-favorite, venue in NoLibs has expanded its musical scope well beyond traditional jazz. The vintage barroom, named after a defunct Philly brewery, now books indie rock, hip-hop, funk, and pop music DJs. Hit up the bar for the affordable and delicious hot dogs, pretty close to the perfect drinking snack.

If the life-size statue of Oscar Wilde sitting on a bench out front doesn't catch your eye, the flamboyant interior surely will. Step inside to behold Manhattan's longest bar (at 118½ feet) and one of the city's most visually striking establishments, where every inch seems occupied by art and objects that blend busy Victorian and baroque styles, colors, and materials—from antique clocks and stained glass to a giant carved-marble fireplace (and Wilde quotes). The building was once home to the 1920s Prohibition Enforcement HQ, but now the bar serves expertly concocted, authentic, Prohibition- and Victorian-era tipples. The pub-style food is good, too.

Ottobar is the city's venue for live alternative music—and bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, Queens of the Stone Age, and the White Stripes performed at their original, downtown location. Ottobar moved to the Remington neighborhood in 2001 and has been continuing their tradition of excellent sounds from up and coming musicians ever since. There are two levels: the first has a stage and dance floor, and there are pool tables upstairs.

Though it offers all the trappings of a typical Seattle brewery, in that it's dog-friendly, all ages, and has a rotating selection of food trucks parked in front, this partially covered outdoor beer garden doesn't make its own brews. Instead, the 30 taps at Ounces offer a variety of beers and ciders made by folks all over Washington State, making it an awesome opportunity to try drinks from different regional breweries.

Cocktail bars in Las Vegas have lots of varying vistas, but few can equal this one, which, appropriately, overlooks the Wynn resort’s Lake of Dreams. The interior is elegant, with draping fabrics that seclude it from the adjacent casino, lots of wood grain, crystal lamps on the tables, and a ceiling with ornate moldings. It serves all the classic cocktails, plus a large list of innovative ones from resort mixologist Mariena Mercer Boarini, that are designed to appeal to all five senses. Try the Hudson, an amber-hued blend of blanco tequila, grapefruit liqueur, thyme, and pink grapefruit bubbles.

Murals depicting logging, fishing, and other local industries adorn the walls of this small-batch brewery opened by two childhood pals. You'll find the expected range of ale types, along with novelties like the Jasmine Green Tea Ale and Overkill Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout.

Whether you feel like a quiet midday chess game or a more lively atmosphere at night, the Owl Bar is a good gathering space. Here you'll find live music on weekends and a wide selection of beers and spirits to accompany a limited but satisfying menu. Classic photographs of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hang on the walls, and with the worn plank floors, stone fireplace, and original 1890s rosewood bar (said to have been favored by Cassidy's Hole-in-the-Wall Gang) transported from Thermopolis, Wyoming, you might just feel like cutting loose.

Not much has changed at The Owl Bar since opening in 1910. An authentic speakeasy, this place has signature owl statues flanking its bar that once served a useful purpose: during Prohibition, owner Colonel Consolvo kept barrels of whiskey in the basement, so if you saw the owls’ eyes blinking, you knew it was safe to order a beverage. A thoughtful cocktail list includes an Owl Bar Manhattan and a Belvedere martini. Belgian and German beers are served on tap as well as a Heavy Seas Owl Bar lager. The vibe is casual, but the atmosphere, with stately Germanic influences like leaded glass windows, iron chandeliers, and herringbone brickwork, harken to days of finer quality craftsmanship. The kitchen serves comfort foods like crab cakes, pizza, burgers, and salads. It's located in the former Belvedere Hotel.

This affable pub near Pike Place Market presents acoustic folk music on a small stage in a cavernous room. It's often loaded with regulars, who appreciate the well-drawn pints of Guinness, the talent, and the Tuesday-night jazz jam.

A luxurious Downtown nightclub beneath the Pendry Hotel, Oxford Social Club has become one of San Diego's swankiest destinations, with a predictably ample-size line outside on weekends. Once inside, the place is spacious and comfortable, with plush bench seating and specialty cocktails, plus table reservations and bottle service for a VIP experience.

Sports fans and oyster lovers congregate here.

A spacious dance club that mainly attracts young gay men also draws straight men and women, largely because of the scarcity of good dance floors in the French Quarter. It's open around the clock and tends to peak very late.

Ozona Grill and Bar has a large, tree-shaded patio where SMU students kick back after class.

Giving the Tonga Room a run for its money as the most kitschy tiki bar in town, Pagan Idol features a back room complete with erupting volcano, giant tikis, and a starry night sky. The folks from Bourbon & Branch are behind this faux wooden ship, so even if the cocktails are sometimes served in goofy tiki glasses with paper umbrellas, rest assured they're on the money.

One of St. Louis' major music venues in the trendy Loop district, The Pageant is a mid-size venue that hosts nationally known acts and up-and-comers.

Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood, this hipster hangout---and a favorite among the neighborhood's residents---has the kind of carefully designed run-down vibe that might make Tom Waits smile. All the details are there, down to the soft-core porn on the restroom walls. The bar regularly hosts beloved pop-up restaurants serving Thai, Mexican, and Cajun food.

South Beach’s gay heyday continues at this fierce oceanfront bar where folks gay, straight, and everything in between—everyone's welcome—come to revel in good times, cheap cocktails, and fierce drag performances. On weekdays the bar gets busiest in the early evening, but on weekends it's all about the drag brunch. It's a true showstopper—or car-stopper, shall we say: using Ocean Drive as a stage, drag queens direct oncoming traffic with street-side splits and acrobatic tricks in heels.

Florida's oldest continuously operating saloon entertained the Rockefellers and Carnegies at the turn of the 20th century but now caters to us common folk. When you enter the swinging doors and see the massive mahogany bar, tiled floors, mural-adorned walls, and myriad artifacts, you may feel as if you've gone back in time.

Occupying a cozy two-room space in the middle of peaceful, green Ladd's Addition neighborhood, Palio has delicious desserts and good coffee drinks, and it's open later than most coffeehouses in Portland. Try the Mexican Mocha.

Banjo player Danny Barker immortalized this restaurant in his song "Palm Court Strut." Traditional New Orleans jazz is presented in a timeless setting with tile floors, exposed-brick walls, and a handsome mahogany bar. Regional cuisine is served, and you can sit at the bar and rub elbows with local musicians. A wide selection of records and CDs are available for sale.

\"The Pal\" is one of the oldest strip clubs in the area—it opened, appropriately, in '69 (1969 that is) and was a favorite spot for certain members of the Rat Pack. It also is one of Las Vegas's most notorious haunts; two separate owners have been accused of murders, and it was also owned briefly by a noted heart surgeon. Because the club was grandfathered into the North Las Vegas zoning codes, it's allowed to have both a full bar and full nudity (elsewhere in town, you can't have both). There's also a burlesque stage.

This cocktail bar with a stunning brick-back bar easily competes with the best in the Bay Area. Cocktails are creative and compelling, frequently incorporating atypical ingredients like fenugreek, mango, sumac, and cumin in a gin-based ensemble. The short food menu revolving around spruced-up comfort food is less inventive than the cocktails but far more interesting than standard bar grub, with fun bites like Dungeness crab deviled eggs.

High-energy disco is the rule at this dance club above the Bourbon Pub. If it gets to be too much, a quieter back bar and a balcony offer respite. The crowd is mostly male and young, but women are welcome.

Part of the Crown & Anchor complex of entertainment options, the Paramount is the hotel's main nightlife venue, offering poolside dancing to skilled DJs—including many names from the top international dance scene—on many nights. It's also host to cabaret performances and live theater. Cover charges vary.

Roast beef po'boy devotees genuflect at the mention of this friendly hole-in-the-wall, which for more than 60 years has served the sloppy sandwiches along with Guinness on tap. The annual St. Patrick's Day block party at Parasol's spills out into the surrounding lower Garden District neighborhood; it's grown so large that police have had to erect barricades to keep traffic out—or to keep the revelers in.

Formerly located downtown, this live music lounge and venue relocated just east of I–35 in recent years, so the physical space is different than old Austinites remember, but the nightly live music and dedicated community and special events are still the same. A small attached bar space, My Oh My, has a nice cocktail menu and rotating food options.