2610 Best Bars in USA

This Instagram-worthy cocktail bar is populated with the coolest locals. Chicken enchiladas and fajita bowls share the menu with roasted beef hummus and charcuterie. A true L.A. watering hole, The Semi-Tropic features many movie and TV show inspirations; it even was one of the filming locations for The L Word. The outdoor patio is a newer addition, perfect for those cool Southern California summer nights. 

In addition to playing one of the hundreds of Vegas-style slot machines, you can try your luck at poker tables and video-gaming machines. The lounge serves drinks 24 hours a day, and the Hard Rock Cafe, of course, serves live music as well as dinner. Note that, as at many casinos, there's a good bit of cigarette smoke here.

On a warm summer evening, the saloon at the Pump House Restaurant is a fine place to listen to music alongside the Chena River. You can also peruse the wine list at the mahogany bar or shoot pool on the 1898 billiards table.

A glitzy lobby with Seneca Nation–inspired hieroglyphs and green-lighted endemic-stone walls marks your entry to the Seneca Allegany Casino. The 22,000 square feet of gaming space encompasses around 2,300 machines, 40 table games, a bar and high-rollers' lounge, as well as a separate poker room, which is the only portion still owned by the Seneca Nation. The mega-complex has a hotel, a salon and spa, and several restaurants, including the requisite buffet. Big-name acts from the Goo Goo Dolls to Brooks & Dunn have played the big stage.

The 82,000-square-foot Seneca Niagara Casino complex, which includes a hotel and performance venues, is owned by the Seneca Nation. The 24-hour casino is in a giant airplane-hangar-style space with a large stained-glass mural at one end, and has more than 3,200 slot machines and 100 table games, including baccarat, craps, roulette, and several styles of poker. Unlike Canadian casinos across the river, free alcohol is served on the gaming floor, and smoking is allowed (though the smoke is not cloying, it's noticeable). Big acts like Michael Bolton perform at the events center; smaller performers occasionally take the stage at the 443-seat Bear's Den.

This swanky whiskey lounge is a welcome alternative to the neighboring dives and dance clubs. Live jazz, a tranquil atmosphere, and a bourbon-loving craft cocktail list keep locals flocking.

In the heart of the Historic District is Pensacola's equivalent of New Orleans's French Quarter. In fact, you may think you've traveled to Louisiana when you enter any of its seven bars and two courtyards offering an eclectic mix of live music. College students pack the place on Thursday, tourists come on the weekend, and military personnel from six nearby bases are stationed here nearly all the time. This is a classic Pensacola landmark, and on most nights there's a small cover after 8 pm.

This spacious indoor-outdoor leather bar is a holdover from the days before SoMa's gentrification. The Sunday afternoon "Beer Busts" remain a high point of the leather set's week, Mondays are for karaoke, and there are DJs and live music generally Thursday and Friday. This remains a welcoming place for people from all walks of life.

This Mission Hills hangout captures all the warmth and camaraderie of a traditional British pub—except here you can enjoy consistently sunny weather on the sprawling patio. The bar hands pour from a long list of imported ales and stouts, and the early hours for big matches make this the place to watch soccer (football, if you're speaking the King's English) and rugby.

If you want the focus of your night to be games instead of (or in addition to) drinks, then this massive Mid-City bar is the place for you. There are 23 pool tables, 4 Ping-Pong cages, 7 dart boards, 2 mini--bowling lanes, foosball, air hockey, shuffle board, Skee-Ball, a punching bag, as well as basketball, soccer, and football games. This is a solid place to watch sports, to catch an inexpensive happy hour, eat some greasy bar food, and to get competitive with your travel companions. Take a taxi or a rideshare car, as the surrounding neighborhood can be intimidating at night.

This consistently jam-packed hot spot is a bar and grill with a good kitchen. They brew their own beer—six or seven varieties are usually on tap, including the Irish Red Ale and PAPA, the Pueblo American Pale Ale. It's especially popular with the after-work crowd.

With a shaded beer garden in summer and a roaring fireplace in winter, Sheffield's spans the seasons. The laid-back neighborhood pub with a craft beer and barbecue focus features more than 100 kinds of bottled beer, including an impressive list of vintage brews. You can also choose from up to 50 beers at one of the four bars, but for those not interested in brews, wine and cocktails are also available. 

Sip a martini or a local brew and go totally retro at the Shelter, a former bomb shelter decked out in plastic 1960s kitsch, lava lamps, and JFK memorabilia. Watch Elvis videos and listen to the music of Burt Bacharach, as well as current alternative rock.

Shooters on the Water, an indoor-outdoor restaurant and night club, has easily the West Bank's best view of Downtown, Lake Erie, the busy Cuyahoga River inlet, and native Clevelanders. Summer is the best time to visit Shooters, enabling you to enjoy the summer lake breeze and din of a bustling entertainment district.

Echo Park’s Short Stop is one of the few remaining dive bars in the area, still catering to those who want cheap drinks in a no-frills joint—especially local hipsters and Dodgers fans. There’s memorabilia scattered throughout as a reminder of what this once was—a police hangout. Today the Short Stop has become a legendary place for debaucherous celebration; the dance room fills with '00s hip hop and pop on any given weekend evening.

It may be one of the diviest bars in Belltown, but Shorty's is a bright spot in a neighborhood where most bars serve $15 cocktails (and the bathrooms happen to be spotless). Along with a come-as-you-are atmosphere, the grown-up arcade features pinball machines and video games, cheap beer and gourmet hot dogs, and lots of no-frills fun.

Just across from Pike Place Market, this venue—which is more than 80 years old—is a great spot to see some pretty big-name acts. The room's small enough that you don't feel like you're miles away from the performers, and the terraced bar areas flanking the main floor provide some relief if you don't want to join the crush in front of the stage. 

Although its Austin counterpart closed years ago, Showdown is still a mainstay in downtown San Marcos. The dark dive bar has a neighborly vibe, made stronger by the numbered mugs hanging above the bar for regulars. The cozy space manages to pack in two pool tables along with several pinball machines and plenty of tables for mixing and mingling. In addition to cold, cheap bottles and pitchers of beer, locals flock here to indulge in their jalapeño poppers, hash browns smothered in cheese and jalapeños, and sloppy-good burgers (you can even replace the bun with a quesadilla if you’d like).

Comedians generally perform Thursday through Sunday nights, though there might be other shows sporadically throughout the week.

Cocktail connoisseurs head to this subterranean speakeasy beneath the Prince Solms Inn for both classics and the bartenders' unique creations. Live music (jazz is popular) and an appealing menu from bar snacks to crab cakes and sliders make this a stylishly satisfying way to spend an evening.

An anchor establishment south of Center City, the Sidecar delivers an approachable mix of craft beer on tap, creative but satisfying pub food, and positive vibes. The narrow but cozy street-level bar is complemented by a roomier second-floor hangout that can host events and get-togethers in addition to everyday hangs. Specialties of the kitchen include handmade pastas and charcuterie, hearty sandwiches, and Detroit-style pizzas.

A throwback atmosphere meets the modern craft cocktail movement at this excellent “tavern” that shows how much the concept of one has evolved. Cocktails might include a unique housemade tonic for a standout gin and tonic or a tiki drink incorporating aged rum, mango, and rooibos.

In business for over 40 years, this sprawling, multi-level club packs them in by the hundreds each weekend thanks to the fairly priced drinks (and extremely rare cover charges). Events include show tune singalongs, glow stick dance parties, lesbian-friendly Sapphic Saturdays, and even events for dog owners. 

From the oval bar and walls the color of a fine blanc de blancs to retro chandeliers that mimic champagne bubbles, everything about this sparkling-wine bar's frothy space screams "have a good time." That owner Jayme Powers and her posse are trained in the fine art of sabrage (opening a bottle of sparkling wine with a saber) only adds to the festivity. Sigh opens at noon, so it's a good daytime stop, too.

Rock bands, burlesque performances, comedy sets, and LGBTQ+ nights all have a home at this little dive bar. This small-yet-famous venue is a neighborhood spot in the best way possible, with cheap drinks and local talent deserving of their time in the limelight. There are a variety of signature cocktails and quite a few tequilas and mezcals on offer. If you come hungry, bring food in from the pizza place across the street or look for a restaurant pop-up in the newly updated back patio.

A trendy place for the dressy crowd, the bar at Simon & Seafort's Saloon & Grill has stunning views of Cook Inlet, a special single-malt-Scotch menu, and tempting cocktails. The lavender martini is a highlight. Take advantage of the happy hour food menu in the late afternoon.