2610 Best Bars in USA

If you're looking for laughs while you're in Music City, look no further than Third Coast Comedy Club. Nestled inside the Marathon Village complex, this local favorite plays host to sketch, improv, and stand-up shows most nights of the week. And if you're interested in brushing up on your own comedy chops, Third Coast also offers classes and workshops (check availability before visiting).

West County natives who also own Bowman Cellars in Graton attract a craft-cocktail-loving crowd to their downtown watering hole. The place, whose name and redbrick interior pay homage to "The Three Little Pigs," stays open a little later than most neighboring bars.

High-quality, not-fussy cocktails are showcased at this charming, low-key bar. The namesake Third Rail cocktail (a riff on the classic bourbon-honey-lemon Gold Rush) is a longtime favorite, but there's no going wrong on the menu split between shaken and stirred drinks. Food is almost exclusively unique kinds of jerky—a perfect snack with a drink or two.

Mixing art and brews, as Thirsty Eye does, is not unique for Albuquerque, but it's certainly welcome. As is the neighborhood atmosphere here, where craft beers are king (their own brews—El Ojo Rojo and Citrus Buzz—are regular faves, plus there's a tempting selection of seasonals and guest taps) and its indoor/outdoor set-up allows for live music weekly. Often the art on display is tied into a show at Exhibit/208 next door (the smart-eyed curator, Kim Arthun, is also a partner at Thirsty); openings, held jointly, might be accompanied by pizza made fresh on the back patio.

In the heart of the "Thomas StrEATery" collection of restaurants and hangouts, this little bar is a relaxed spot in Plaza Midwood to grab a beer and play games like cornhole and Ping-Pong on the spacious patio. There's also live music.

Cocktail bars are a dime a dozen in Hollywood, but there’s something about this Vine Street joint that makes patrons keep coming back for more. Maybe it's the down-to-earth attitude, delicious no-frills cocktails, and raucous nights of live music from up-and-coming bands. Come to see one of the burlesque or comedy shows for a full experience.

Opened in 1980 under Alan Eames, Three Dollar Deweys was reputed to be the very first place in town to pour a pint. The cozy, brick-lined bar changed hands a number of times since then—including ownership by famed actor Judd Nelson—and even closed once in 2018, only to be reopened again under the current owner. The tap lines have now been extended to 36 and eats like pizza and nachos have been added to the menu.

Once you’ve found the alley entrance (hint: look for the red-roped line of people waiting outside), descend the glowing skull-lined stairs to reach this hip spot that’s an homage to the mid-century tiki craze. "Three Dots and a Dash" is an old-school, rum-based tiki cocktail that gets its name from the morse code for the letter "V" as in victory, as used in WWII. There are Pan-Pacific nibbles, like the shareable pu pu platter, to accompany the strong tropical cocktails adorned with flowers and served in tiki mugs. 

This rambling, legendary tavern has been a local hot spot for drinks, darts, and live music since the 1930s. It sits right on the water in a weather-worn 1910 building that housed the town's original general store.

Stop in for the perfect pint and "happy hour" snacks at this Irish pub with an authentic atmosphere.

The group behind the beloved Brooklyn absinthe-themed cocktail bar Maison Premiere opened this speakeasy-style lounge on the Lower East Side in December 2023 and it instantly became the place to sip cocktails that straddle the line between classic and creative, as well as bespoke martinis (in which guests can request the ratio of vermouth and gin). The gold-accented decor invites '80s-style debauchery among the twenty- and thirtysomething revelers who frequent the place. Make a reservation to ensure you can get in.

You get two kinds of retro-hip nostalgia at Casa Di Amore, a durable Italian restaurant. Inside, vintage photos of Las Vegas line the walls where a live pianist often entertains diners. Except for the limited bar seating, the indoor area is primarily for those with dinner reservations. Out back, however, the open-air Tiki Di Amore is more for the walk-up crowd of those in shorts and flip-flops, with a separate menu of bar food, cocktails such as The Pain Killer or Dark & Stormy, and often live bands amid the kitschy bamboo and thatched-roof surroundings. (The tiki bar is only open from Friday to Sunday, and only in the warmer months.)

Tiki torches light the way to this fun restaurant and bar overlooking Kuhio Beach in the Twin Fin Hotel. A mix of locals and visitors heads here for happy hour and, later, to enjoy its kitschy cool, casual vibe. There's great nightly entertainment by contemporary Hawaiian musicians playing lively and popular cover tunes. The drinks menu is extensive and (not surprisingly) tiki-focused. Don't leave without sipping on the Lava Flow (rum, coconut milk, pineapple juice, strawberry puree) or noshing on coconut shrimp, ahi poke, or macadamia-crusted fish of the day. And if you love the tiki vibe, you can purchase an array of whimsical merchandise, including the colorful tiki mugs. If you're here during the holidays, ask the host about the "Christmas bar."

A rocking big-city club from the same owners of the nearby Vintage Wine Bar, Time features three concepts in one—a whiskey-heavy cocktail bar; a dining room with a bar and live music seven nights a week; and an upstairs lounge and music venue. Downstairs acts tend toward the jazz persuasion, while DJs tend to dominate up top.

This small, friendly bar has 20 taps; the beers run $4 to $9 each, and there's a short list of specialty cocktails and a half-dozen wines by the glass. The austere but cozy setting includes pinball machines, a pool table, and wall-mounted TVs. Guests are welcome to bring in snacks from the food trucks that pull up outside on the weekends.

Upstairs from Oddfellows and across from Cal Anderson Park, The Tin Table is part of the Century Ballroom, a welcoming little lounge with lots of exposed brick and a long, glossy bar. Its three-course, $45 menu is very popular and so is the Chimay that's on tap. It's also beloved for its good à la carte food, like dynamite steak frites. Try the "floozy burger" (with caramelized onion, bacon, cheese, and shoestring fries) and a creative cocktail.

The veranda overlooking Matanzas Bay at this Casablanca Inn bar is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail, people-watch, and listen to live music.

A couple of transplants took what was at one time a gun shop and another time a beauty parlor—set in a run-down, retro strip mall—and created a small bar with a big personality that welcomes tourists but focuses on winning the hearts and minds (and hard-earned dollars) of locals. From the grandma-core art—one wall is devoted entirely to cat paintings and photos, another to black-velvet works—elevated bar food (loaded yuca fries, chilaquiles tacos), and numerous activities and theme nights (photo booth, pool table, karaoke, movies, prime-rib Thursdays), what's not to love?

In the heart of TriBeCa, this diminutive three-story town house dates all the way back to 1810. The ground floor is home to a restaurant with a wood-burning fireplace in the back, and food is served until late; upstairs, a pressed-copper bar provides an intimate place for cocktails and snacks. This is prime date territory, and Tiny's old-fashioned ambience is perfect for a romantic predinner cocktail.

This corner bar—dubbed a "local treasure" by many in and out of town—is famous for its Cajun-style chicken wings and a mysterious drink known as the "Orange Crush." The owners, who founded Tiny's in 1983 and consider themselves to be the dwarves Doc, Grumpy, and Dopey, have a refreshing sense of humor. They advertise their pizza as "voted the best" in town (they did the voting). Enjoy covered patio seating when it's warm outside and the sports bar when the big game is on.

A very good local brewery at a very laid-back beer garden, plan your visit to coincide with talented live music Thursday through Saturday that ranges from jazz to indie rock.

Toad's Place has the tagline "Where the legends play," and they're serious about it. Over the years The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, U2, Billy Joel, Weezer, Parliament Funkadelic, Johnny Cash, Drake, The Afghan Whigs, Lenny Kravitz, Bon Jovi, and hundreds more have given showgoers the night of their lives. Spend a night at Toad's Place and you're standing, likely dancing, in music history.

As the name suggests, Tom and Jerry's is pretty much an every-person's bar, a casual mainstay on the New York scene that caters mostly to locals who come for everything from casual afternoon beers to late-night cocktails. There's seating at the long bar or at picnic tables under the windows.

Stop in during weekdays to peruse the fiddle collection of Tom, who has 17 years of experience restoring vintage string instruments. If you're not in the market for a fiddle, then the first Sunday of the month is the day for you, when the shop hosts its monthly JAMbalaya Acoustic Music Jam from 1 to 4 pm. Everyone is welcome, from beginners to experts. If you don't play, no problem---just come by and enjoy the music.

Visitors to Georgetown University looking for a pint or some pub grub head down the stairs below 1789 restaurant to this traditional, half-century-old, collegiate watering hole adorned with rowing paraphernalia and steeped in charming Georgetown boosterism. One block from the main gate, it's the closest bar to campus, so it gets crowded with students at night.

Enjoy Irish music by local group, the Bograts, on most weekends at this rollicking, traditional Irish pub. If you're hungry, dig into the Irish nachos—cubed potatoes, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, tomatoes, and ranch dressing—with a Guinness or Harp.

The younger sibling of L.A.'s oldest still-operating tiki bar (opened in 1958 in North Hollywood) transports guests from Palm Springs to Polynesia with groovy tunes, pupu platters, and umbrella drinks. Most of drinks, both classic and original, are powered by rum, but gin hounds, rye or dies, and vodka lovers have a few options, too. The bar is on the second floor of a building in the thick of downtown, so try to nab a table on the lanai to watch the action from above. Private parties can reserve a shagadelic room hidden behind a phone booth.

Since the 1940s, the Tonga Room has supplied the city with high Polynesian kitsch---it's not a bar, it's an experience. Fake palm trees, grass huts, a lagoon (three-piece combos play pop standards on a floating barge), and faux monsoons—courtesy of sprinkler-system rain and simulated thunder and lightning—grow more surreal as you quaff mai tais and other fruit-flavored cocktails.