Dive bar

Dive bar 'The Merrimaker' in Los Osos, California

A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style drinking establishment with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and local clientele. The precise definition of a dive bar is rarely agreed on, and is the subject of spirited debates. The term dive was first used in the press in the U.S. in 1880s to describe disreputable places that were often in basements into which one "dives below". A dive bar may also be known as "brown bars" or "brown pubs" in parts of Western Europe and Northern Europe, for example brun bar or brun pub in Norway.

Description

Typical dive bar decor, with neon Budweiser signs

Once considered a pejorative term, "dive bar" has more recently become a badge of distinction from patrons who seek authenticity in such establishments. Devotees may describe a bar as "very divey" or "not divey" and compose rating scales of "divey-ness". One such devotee is Steve Vensen, founder of a California group called the DBC (Dive Bar Conoisseurs) who says, "Every dive bar is like a snowflake: diverse and unique. . . you always get local subculture and every time is an adventure." Author Todd Dayton offers the following: "Dives [dive bars] are like pornography: hard to define but you know it when you see it". As to what distinguishes a dive bar from an ordinary bar, Dayton stated in 2004:

For me, the ideal dive bar is run by a beefy guy named Frank, where the aroma of yesterday's beer still hangs in the air, and your quest for clean bathrooms (or toilet paper, for that matter) will go eternally unanswered. A bottle of Bud costs two bucks, a shot of Jack, $3, and Pabst Blue Ribbon is served in a can. The sign outside says Steaks, Dinners, Cocktails— but there hasn't been any food served since FDR was president. The prevailing decorative elements are red Naugahyde, wood-toned Formica, and cinder blocks.

Dive bars adhere to the minimal effort needed to provide guests with drinks; i.e., they typically do not advertise, provide parking, or have fancy signage. Dive bars are not known for their food. They often do not serve food beyond pretzels and snacks. For example, in 2018 a visitor to a well-known Nashville dive bar reported seeing a hand-written menu taped to the refrigerator, listing only pork rinds, popcorn, peanuts, and microwaved corn dogs (US $1). Bathrooms in dive bars are notoriously shabby and may have a shower curtain instead of a door on the toilet stall. Authentic dive bars are usually "cash only" establishments, and would probably not feature computerized registers. The owner or a family member of theirs is often working the bar. Dive bars usually have a clientele from all walks of life, including some locals who have been drinking there for decades.

During the COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s, U.S. cities closed down bars and food service establishments, and many dive bar owners made repairs and cleaned up while they were closed down. Rick Dobbs, author of the 2019 book Local Spirit: Neighborhood Bars of Orleans Parish, said, "A dive can absolutely be cleaned up but still be a dive... it's the character and spirit of the space that counts".

See also

• Drinking culture
• Flat-roofed pub
• Honky-tonk
• List of dive bars
• Roadhouse
• Speakeasy
• Types of drinking establishments

Further reading

• Hamill, Pete (14 December 2008). A Drinking Life: A Memoir. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-05453-9.
• Moehringer, J. R. (1 September 2005). The Tender Bar: A Memoir. Hachette Books. ISBN 978-1-4013-8341-1.
• Stockton, J.; Okun, W. (2004). Chicago's Best Dive Bars: Drinking and Diving in the Windy City. Best Dive Bars Series. Ig Publishing, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-9752517-0-6. 150 pages.