2610 Best Bars in USA

The sign touts popular local hangout Twin Kegs as internationally famous, and once you try one of their juicy burgers you’ll understand why. This classic dive features cheap beer, karaoke, a pinball machine, shuffleboard, inventive Burgers of the Month, and occasional live music.

Housed in a neat red barn on the outskirts of town, this family-friendly craft brewery offers something truly unique and special: cave beer, which is literally brewed in a cave on property. The owners discovered the cave, excavated it, and realized it was a great place for spontaneous fermentation, so that’s what they did! Grab a “pressed sandwich”—perhaps the Sergeant Pepper with pepperoni, ham, Swiss, pickled peppers, and serrano crema or the vegan Freakin’ Hippie with hummus, tomato, spinach, cucumber, and olive tapenade. With lots of outdoor space with a playground for kids, along with live music or a comedy show, there’s always something entertaining going on onstage, day and night.

Round Up is South Florida's hot country-music and nightclub venue in the heart of Broward's horse country. In addition to line dancing, the venue offers great libations, dance lessons, large-screen TVs, and theme nights coinciding with drink specials (Whiskey Wednesday, Friday Ladies Night, and the like). Open Wednesday through Sunday from 6 pm to 4 am; closed Monday and Tuesday.

Happy hour is a good bet, from 6 to 9.

Cocktails are the star of the show here, and not classic ones at that, but there's also a great selection of local draft beers and a few wines by the glass. There are also a handful of snacks to counteract the alcohol. This place is popular, so reservations are strongly recommended.

This place isn't really a dive bar—it just looks like one, thanks to dim lighting and an expansive deck that backs up to the train tracks. The bar serves an array of canned beers and a tasty trio of punches with rum, bourbon, or vodka poured over crushed ice. Hungry? Feast on blue-collar eats like fried bologna sandwiches, loaded baked potatoes, and house-made beef jerky. There's also live music throughout the week on an intimate indoor stage.

Grab a biscuit and a tang (that is, a shuffleboard disc and cue) and embark on a vacation within a vacation at this Brooklyn import, featuring 11 shuffleboard courts (one of them up on a seasonal rooftop deck) that channel a retro cruise ship, as well as a rotating lineup of food trucks and tropical cocktails. Courts are first come, first served; to minimize the wait, try turning up at opening time (that's 5 pm on weekdays, and noon on weekends).   

If you're feeling inspired by the music and musicals of Broadway, don't miss a visit to Manhattan's most eclectic karaoke bar. The subterranean space has a lively bar that serves youthful songbirds, plus 17 private rooms, each decorated individually by theme and with an array of vintage items and posters. Karaoke fans will especially love that many of the huge selection of songs show lyrics over the original music videos. At ground level, pop into RPM Vinyl to browse the wild assortment of old- and new-school records, with a few weirder ones for sale in the bargain bins out front.

If you want to scope out some vintage jazz, blues, or swing, this is the place to do it. It has much better ventilation than most other bars Downtown (despite being attached to a cigar bar), and you can bring your beverages to one of the outdoor tables—if you can snag one. It's also a great place to find a unique cocktail.

Rum Boogie Cafe is a good Beale Street spot to hear the blues.

This diminutive neighborhood spot doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside you'll find a horseshoe-shaped wood bar and spirits connoisseurs devoted to the bar's exceptional, typically tropical fruit cocktails. Half the menu is, as the bar's name more than hints, devoted to rum-based concoctions, including the best daiquiris in town (never too sweet, and made with high-quality, aged spirits).

A short ride from the heart of Ballard's nightlife, Rupee offers an elegant, upscale experience. Inspired by the owners' travels in Sri Lanka and India, the drinks are spice heavy and employ tropical fruit without cloying sweetness. The food is also excellent. Rich colors and dark wood give the narrow space a transportive feel, but don't take too many people on the journey with you: there's no room for large groups, and waits can get long.

It's all about Belgian-style ales, "aggressively hopped California ales," and barrel-aged beers at this famous brewery's Santa Rosa pub. The lineup includes Pliny the Elder (and Younger, but only briefly), Blind Pig IPA, Supplication sour (aged 12 months in used Pinot Noir barrels), and many more. A second larger pub (more seats, more beers) operates out of RRBC's Windsor production facility.

This block of 52nd Street knows some serious vodka drinking. The Vodka Room features a casual front room with live piano and jazz music, a more sumptuous back room, a 4--7 pm daily happy hour, and an impressive variety of infused vodkas. A vodka tasting menu is available, as are culinary standards like caviar and borscht. For those ready to compare flavors, Russian Samovar ( www.russiansamovar.com) across the street has similar style, including nightly live music and bold, house-infused vodkas from cherry to ginger to horseradish.

Nestled in between the overhead highway and a series of converted 18th-century warehouses, this discreet neighborhood bar can be difficult to find. With lively crowds, a great selection of scotches, a gorgeous dog-friendly patio, and Sidecar Oyster Bar next door for eats, it's worth the trek to get here.

The handcrafted cocktail tradition is alive and well at Rye. Its menu features over a dozen small-batch American rye whiskeys, as well as scotch, bourbon, and top-notch libations made with house syrups. Low-wattage lighting, mismatched furniture, and a small library of mixology books contribute to the comfortable atmosphere.

A welcoming bar with slick cocktails and a clever take on comfort food, the Rye House beckons just steps from the chain-store overload of Union Square. Whether you're in the mood for some white-truffle popcorn or want a burger to go with a well-crafted cocktail, this place is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle.

This high-ceilinged downtown wine bar occupies a stone-walled late-19th-century former bank. Lit by chandeliers and decked out in contemporary style, with plush sofas and chairs and Lucite stools at the bar, it's a classy loungelike space to expand your enological horizons. Cheese, charcuterie, and caviar are served daily, with full meals an option except on Sunday and Monday.

It's hard to be the younger sibling of a splashy fine-dining juggernaut just a block away, but Saison's wine bar counterpart is a notable place to visit on its own. The wine program is also curated by Saison's co-founder Mark Bright, one of the leading sommeliers in the country and also the winemaker for Saison Winery (which can be enjoyed at the wine bar). The suave decor and concise food menu both have a distinctly Parisian bistro theme.

Whether you're a novice or expert, you'll appreciate the authentic offerings here. The shop and tasting bar is open from 2–8 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Don't be shy—have a seat, try a few of the rotating samples, and ask a lot of questions. Sake can be served up in a variety of temperatures and styles.

A local neighborhood classic, The Saloon has large windows opening to the sidewalk and there's always a crowd (mostly in the twenties age group) spilling out onto the backyard deck. There's live music on Thursday and Sunday.

Hard-drinkin' in-the-know locals favor this raucous spot, renowned for great blues. Built in the 1860s, the onetime bordello is purported to be the oldest bar in the city. This is not the place to order anything mixed besides maybe a gin and tonic. Get a bottle or can of beer, enjoy the scene, and chat with anyone next to you. Just keep quiet when the music is jamming.

This classic watering hole has no TVs, no light beer, and no martinis. What it does have are locals engaged in conversation—a stated goal of the owner—and some of the world's best beers, including the rare Urbock 23, an Austrian brew that is rated one of the tastiest and strongest in the world, with 9.6% alcohol content (limit one per customer). The Saloon also offers a broader bar menu, too.

The Spit's infamous Salty Dawg is a tumbledown lighthouse of sorts, sure to be frequented by a carousing fisherman or 20, along with half the tourists in town.

This bar offers fine service to sailors, college kids, and out-of-towners alike, with cheap domestic beer and old-fashioned cocktails. Situated beneath the Marina Variety Store restaurant—itself a Charleston landmark dating back to 1963—Salty Mike's provides a crusty, no-frills ambience and a dreamy seaside view of the Ashley River and Charleston City Marina.

Aptly overlooking its namesake's statue, the 15,000-square-foot Sam Adams Boston Taproom boasts three floors, including a rooftop terrace with views over Faneuil Hall. Drink like a local, by choosing a flight of innovative styles and rotating experimental beers from the nanobrewery as well as fan favorites such as Boston Lager and seasonal brews like Summer Ale. Suds occasionally sit secondary to fun events like yoga, speed dating, live music, drag shows, and comedy nights. Thursday translates to newly introduced drafts on the menu.

If you're downtown, head to the hip supper club Housed in the historic Rice Hotel. It's open for music nightly, and a full menu is available.

This cozy wine bar is in a little alley (in the shadow of the Transamerica Pyramid), and the location is part of the appeal, but the smartly curated wines (with an emphasis on flights) and small plates make it truly worthwhile. A jumble of velvet chairs and love seats fills the dimly lit chandelier- and fireplace-adorned space, and the bocce court outside is popular.