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The Dive Bar

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Best Dive Bars in Las Vegas

The Dive bars Las Vegas offers are one of the most underrated ways to get away from touristy areas and experience the raw, real version of Sin City. If you want a casual ambiance and affordable drinks, the answer is simple, dive bars! Las Vegas has several great bars hiding in plain sight. 

Hogs N Heifers

Huntridge tavern.

While the exterior of these bars might not be flashy enough to warrant a second glance, there are never-ending good times and a little bit of magic hiding inside. 

Dive Bars in Downtown Las Vegas

Atomic liquors.

Atomic Liquors have been serving Vegas since 1952, making it the oldest free-standing bar in Las Vegas! The bar is super laid-back, and you feel comfortable instantly when you walk in. Their beer and cocktail selection is slightly better than what most dive bars offer. The patio with outdoor seating is one of the best in downtown too!

Atomic Liquors has that classic, no-nonsense vibe that locals and tourists both enjoy. 

If you love browsing the racks of antique shops and thrift stores, you have to visit ReBAR at least once! This dive bar has an interesting twist – you can buy (almost) anything inside. It sounds strange, but it’s true! From neon signage in the front window to one-of-a-kind bar stools and antique bar glasses, anything can be yours for a price.

If you don’t want to shop, the cheap cocktails, beer, and wine will keep you entertained. Order some delicious bar food at incredibly low prices too!

The Griffin

The Griffin isn’t a dive bar by definition, but they still captured the dive bar vibe. You’ll find a diverse crowd, cheap drinks , and friendly bartenders who make you feel at home. Dim bar lighting is accompanied by a jukebox which certainly adds to the dive bar feel of the place. 

Electric fireplaces and a weekend DJ feels a little too fancy for most dive bars, but The Griffin makes it work. 

Hogs n Heifers is a dive bar that isn’t for the faint of heart. This bar is a Vegas outpost of the original that started in NYC and inspired Coyote Ugly, but it fits right in with rowdy Las Vegas patrons. Bartenders have bold personalities and don’t hesitate to berate customers with a microphone; that is when they aren’t inviting female patrons to dance on the bar top.

Donate your bra if you’re feeling really brave, and it’ll be hung from the ceiling! 

Dive Bars off the Strip

Saddle n spurs saloon.

If you’re as interested in country bars in Las Vegas as you are in dive bars, Saddle n Spurs Saloon is the best of both worlds! It is a honky tonk bar in every way. Watch live country music performances, sing your favorite country hits on karaoke night, or hit the dance floor in your favorite cowboy boots.

The bar is open 24 hours a day because there’s never a bad time for a dive bar! They have a strict cash-only policy, which can be annoying, but it does seem super on-brand for a bare-bones dive bar, so we’ll let it slide. 

Frankie’s Tiki Room

Frankie’s Tiki Room is a tiki-themed bar that’s known for its super-strong, cheap drinks. The potent drinks are accompanied by all the tiki props you can imagine and then some. There’s a good selection of bartop gaming and an even better selection of rum on the menu! 

Frankie’s Tiki Room is a go-to spot if you want cheap booze with a lively, fun crowd.

Tap House is one of the dive bars in Las Vegas with die-hard regulars. The interior has Cleveland Browns decor around every corner, so it’s not surprising that many of those regulars are sports fans too.

The Italian American bar & grill is open with its full menu 24 hours a day, including its legendary pizza and hot wings! Catch live music from locals on Open Mic Monday, or try your luck at video poker. 

Champagnes Cafe

If you love Old Las Vegas, Champagnes Cafe will be a hit. There’s Rat Pack in the jukebox, Marylin Monroe photos throughout, and dim bar lighting. You add a little smoke in the air, red vinyl booths, and velvet-draped walls, and you’re left with a dive bar that’s undeniably charming. 

Champagnes Cafe is certainly set in their dive bar ways too. The bar was featured on Bar Rescue, where they underwent changes to bring the bar into modern times, but things went back to normal shortly after filming ended. Luckily, the show did a great job at bringing more foot traffic into Champagnes Cafe by patrons who can’t get enough of a good dive bar like this!

Griff’s Las Vegas

Never waste time waiting for your turn at the pool table at Griff’s Las Vegas. This dive bar and pool hall combination has 26 pool tables, delicious food, and a welcoming crowd of regulars. The menu here includes a better selection of craft beers than others, which we love!

Griff’s Las Vegas doesn’t look like anything special, but there’s a reason it’s such a popular watering hole for pool-loving locals. This bar is non-smoking, which is another thing that sets it apart from other pool halls and dive bars in Las Vegas.

Fun Hog Ranch

We can’t talk about the best dive bars in Vegas without mentioning Fun Hog Ranch. Break out your finest leather or fetish wear, and get ready to have a blast at this rustic gay bar! This is a cash-only bar. While most of the customers are gay men, anyone with an open mind is welcome!

This is a nice change of pace from other gay bars in Las Vegas because it’s simple, casual, and affordable. 

The Dive Bar

If the simplistic name of this bar doesn’t set reasonable expectations, we don’t know what will! It sits in an unassuming strip mall, but there’s lots of fun to be had inside. The Dive Bar hosts local, edgy bands and welcomes all your best graffiti art in the bathroom. 

Loud music and a dance floor that’s overdue for a good cleaning live up to the name of the bar.

Double Down Saloon

Double Down Saloon is universally hailed as one of the last true dive bars in Las Vegas. Maybe it’s because of their infamous Ass Juice Shot, or maybe it’s the rowdy punk rock crowd, but either way, we love it! 

The interior of Double Down Saloon includes hand-drawn art, hilarious NSFW stickers, and a stage that hosts live music acts. Their bacon martini is surprisingly delicious, but we haven’t been brave enough to try an Ass Juice Shot. If you’re curious, the shot is rumored to be made of all the bartop spillage from making other drinks, but you’ll have to try it to find out!

Dispensary Lounge

Dispensary Lounge was once known as one of the best dive bars in the USA. While it probably isn’t good enough to hold that title anymore, it is still one of our favorite dive bar locations in Vegas. If you want casual, you’ll find it here! 

The 1970’s style lounge has living-room seating for ultimate comfort, although the cleanliness of that upholstered furniture is questionable at best. The Dispensary is famous for its half-pound burger that costs just $7.95. 

Hard Hat Lounge

Hard Hat Lounge is the perfect spot for hard-working locals to unwind with a drink after a long day. This dive is popular on game days thanks to their unbeatable drink specials and tasty Guerilla Pizza. Ownership has changed hands over the years, but there is a bit of history behind this bar.

Inside, there’s a large mural on the wall. Allegedly, that mural was painted by Frank Bowers to pay off a hefty bar tab. Whether it’s true or not, it’s fun to look at the mural and wonder!

The Sand Dollar Lounge

The Sand Dollar Lounge has been a popular Las Vegas dive bar for more than 40 years. In addition to great drinks, this bar is a fantastic music venue! Live performers are booked regularly, with a focus on blues bands.

The bar has a pool and shuffleboard with a laid-back crowd of regulars and many tourists in the mix too.

Celebrity author, chef, and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain made his love for Huntridge Tavern known. We must say, he has good taste! Huntridge Tavern has lots of TVs, super-cheap alcohol, and charming decor. The tavern thrives on its regular customers and even has a Jameson Century Club for people who have ordered 100 shots of Jameson Whiskey.

Las Vegas Strip Dive Bars

Dino’s lounge.

If you didn’t already know, we love Dino’s! This timeless dive bar has been operating since 1962, and even in 2023, they’ve stayed true to their dive roots. The drink selection is limited, but the prices are cheap, and the patrons are some of the best in the city. Dino’s is LGBTQIA+ friendly, has a late-night happy hour for people working the graveyard shift, and offers 50-cent pool games!

We highly recommend checking out Dino’s Lounge on karaoke night when it’s the busiest and most fun. 

Fuel Bar Las Vegas

Fuel Bar at Grand Bazaar Shops is not a dive bar in the traditional sense, but we had to include it in this list for a few reasons. First, the atmosphere! The patrons are friendly, and although it’s primarily tourists, this bar doesn’t attract an uppity, judgmental crowd. Talking to the bartenders and mingling with other customers will make you feel like you’re in a dive bar, even if you aren’t really.

Secondly, the prices! Getting great drinks at a reasonable price on the Las Vegas Strip is no small task. Fuel Bar offers drink specials, including buy one get one free craft cocktails, putting prices close to other dive bars in Las Vegas. Finally, live entertainment. Entertainers at Fuel Bar have that grungy, authentic sound that belongs in a dive bar.

Stage Door might sound like the name of a Strip Club, but it’s actually a dive bar with slots at every seat. This bar is technically on Linq Lane, but it’s just a few steps off the main Strip. The 24-hour bar has a no-nonsense design with drink prices to match. 

$1 Bud Light bottles and $9.99 Smirnoff liters are hard to pass up!

Why are dive bars called dive bars?

Dive bars originally got their name when bars were hidden in cellars and basements. Regulars to the hidden bars could “dive” in for a drink undetected. 

The term was meant to be negative, implying poor cleanliness and cheap drinks, but it’s now seen as a badge of honor for bars that keep things simple and authentic with no frills.

What’s the difference between a dive bar and a regular bar? 

Dive bars are simple, no-nonsense establishments. They keep prices low by maintaining a casual bar where minimal effort is put into drink-making. Most dive bars have a regular crowd, unlike other bars that attract new customers frequently. 

What bars do Vegas locals go to?

Vegas locals tend to avoid bars on the Las Vegas Strip. Instead, they go downtown or off the Strip to casual bars that could be labeled as dive bars.

Key Takeaways

• Las Vegas has plenty of dive bars; you just have to know where to look for the hidden gems!
• Downtown Las Vegas and other parts of Las Vegas Valley have more dive bars than the Strip.
• When you go to a dive bar in Las Vegas, have reasonable expectations. It’s called a dive bar for a reason! Most have limited drink selections and less-than-fancy interiors. The trade-off is cheap drinks and a great, casual crowd.
• A lot of dive bars have something they’re known for, like a theme or signature drink. Embrace it! Try the drink, listen to the music that fits the theme, and experience a dive bar how it’s meant to be.

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I Spent 72 Depraved Hours Searching for the Gnarliest Dive Bar in Las Vegas

The inside of the Double Down

The bathrooms at the Double Down Saloon

Left: Patrons at the Double Down | Right: Tom'O, a regular at the Double Down

A man doing God knows what outside of the Double Down

The Rusty Spur

A dog on the bar of the Rusty Spur

The bar at the Rusty Spur

The unicorn outside of the Rusty Spur.

Left: A patron singing karaoke at Champagne's | Right: A patron at Champagne's buying cigarettes

The inside of Island Bar

The exterior of Island Bar

Taking out the trash at the Hard Hat

Left: A woman standing outside on the outskirts of Las Vegas | Right: The Strat Hotel

The front entrance of the Aztec Inn

The empty motel by the Aztec Inn

The exterior of the Aztec Inn

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Upcoming concerts for Uada

• Monday May 27, 2024 Bewitcher and Uada The Usual Place, Las Vegas

Friday 29 September 2023

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4110 S. Maryland Pkwy. 89119 Las Vegas, NV, US (702) 586-3483 facebook.com/DiveBarLV

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Doors open: 19:00

Tour name: Crepuscule North America

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12 Bars That Could Only Ever Exist in Las Vegas

Published on 4/20/2017 at 12:09 PM

Las Vegas is the world capital of amateur hour. It’s where even the most seasoned professionals go too far and end up getting lost inside the Venetian for two hours and/or deciding to walk home down the Strip (5 miles) at some "nothing-good-happens-after" hour. This is a place that truly never sleeps, and not just for the tourists -- nope, all the folks who serve those tourists need to get their after-work drink on too, which might mean 2am or 7am or 10am or whatever. Bars on and off the Strip are open 24 hours and at any hour of the day or night -- although especially at night -- you are likely to witness some sloppy behavior... or partake in it yourself.

Vegas locals like to laugh and roll their eyes at bumble-stumble tourists. But the truth is we get more publicly sloppy than even the most eager of Hangover -recreating tourists because that kind of behavior has become completely normalized for us and also sometimes Tuesdays happen.

The innumerable great places to get your drink on in Vegas offer absurd, crass, and absurdly opulent experiences to suit any tastes. The bars on this list are the most Vegas-y of all Vegas bars, for their own respective reasons, but mainly because you are pretty much guaranteed to go home with some real-life "Only in Vegas" stories if you spend some time in any one of them.

Double Down Saloon

The 24-hour punk bar famous for its "ass juice": Vegas has more dive bars than busted straights, but the Double Down is by far the most famous -- a 24/7/365 punk rock bar with live music and entertainment almost nightly (and no cover charge, a rarity). With some of the most amazing bathroom art you've ever seen and very strict rules on vomiting ("You puke, you clean"), Double Down is a Vegas must. And so is its signature mixed drink, the "Ass Juice,” a fruity concoction served in a toilet bowl-shaped shot glass. Just don’t order the bacon martini unless you do actually want to test those house rules.

Mermaid Lounge

The finest mermaids in the desert: This lounge inside the Silverton Casino, a more "locals" casino located about 3 miles south of "The Strip" on the Strip, is made to look like an undersea grotto, surrounded by a 117,000-gallon saltwater aquarium that houses 4,000 tropical fish, including a jellyfish habitat above the bar. Also, yes, swimming, dancing mermaids (though call first if you have your heart set on seeing them, since performances are only during certain hours). Where else can you watch "real live" mermaids swim around next to a Bass Pro Shop as you play video poker and eat chicken nachos? Vegas, baby.

The Golden Tiki

The finest rockabilly Tiki bar in Chinatown: Vegas has a couple of very fine specimens: First, there's Frankie's Tiki Room, a 24-hour dive Tiki bar that is basically the Double Down in Tiki form (which makes sense because both are owned by the same dude). However, Frankie's is known for being quite a bit off the beaten path of downtown and is kind of pro-level Vegas drinking. For the novice, as well as those looking for something closer to the Strip and newer/trendier/shinier, there's the Golden Tiki, a new-ish spot in Vegas's Chinatown just minutes from the Strip offering all the best in Tiki cocktails and Tiki culture. There is a definite burlesque-y/rockabilly-y leaning to the place, so if that's your scene then welcome home. This place is also a total locals' hotspot, so if you want to go "where the locals hang out," look no further.

Fireside Lounge at the Peppermill

Plush, colorful, and immune to daylight: Every Vegas tourist knows the legend that is the Peppermill Restaurant, or at least they should. "As Vegas as Vegas gets" is the tagline, and there really is no better way to put it. Up front is a neon-soaked 24-hour diner, but tucked away in the back is a whole different also neon-soaked world where time ceases to exist: the Fireside Lounge. Filled with circular fire pits ensconced in fountains and surrounded by plush lounge seating that begs to be disco-napped on, Fireside is decorated and lit in a palette of exclusively pinks, purples, and blues, sans windows. This is a place where good decisions go to die, as you order their signature 64oz Scorpion drink and wonder why god WHY is it already daylight WHY when you stumble out of there at holy shit, is it seriously 8am already?

The Chandelier Bar

An opulent three-story bar draped in 2 million crystals: Over-the-top ostentatiousness is Vegas' MO, so naturally we have a three-story crystal chandelier comprising 2 million crystal beads in the middle of the trendiest hotel in the heart of the Strip. The Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan became an icon almost immediately upon opening its crystal curtains in 2010, and has remained, in a city that stakes its reputation on all things glitz and glamor, THE glitziest and THE glamoriest bar of all. Each floor of the three-level bar offers a bit of a different experience, but the beating heart of this 65ft-tall crystalline structure is the ground-floor 24-hour center bar, the end-all, be-all of casino center bars where you can post up for excellent celeb-spotting and people-watching -- prostitutes on the make, garden-variety tourist shit-shows, it’s all here, opulently.

107 SkyLounge

Quality views from nosebleed heights: Skyfall is a great spot for a view of the Strip from the south end facing north. (Ditto the Foundation Room and Mandarin Bar.) But there is only one true Top of the World Vegas view, and that is at the 360-degree 107 SkyLounge located, yes, 107 floors above the Strip. Come for the two-for-one cocktails during happy hour 4-7pm and late-night happy hour 1-4am.

Atomic Liquors

The best beer bar in Vegas: Atomic Liquors is the oldest free-standing bar in Vegas where people once watched nuclear test blasts from the roof because the 1950s was a fucked-up time in American history. Atomic is now an East Fremont staple, a popular dive with an extensive craft beer selection that hosts beer festivals (including the very awesome Sour Saturday held in November), tap takeovers, bottle swaps, and other beer-y events. When The Kitchen at Atomic opens later in 2017, this will easily become the best little beer bar in Vegas.

The Gold Spike

A hipster romper room: Signifying a turning point in the evolution of Downtown, the Gold Spike is like a romper room for semi-grown-ass adults, with games like cornhole, Skee-Ball, giant chess, giant beer pong, shuffleboard, and soccer pool. It has an enormous backyard -- called, if you can handle it, "The Backyard" -- that hosts live bands and DJs and events like Down & Derby Roller Disco. Now there's also an art deco hipster chic boutique hotel attached called the Oasis with 24-hour poolside cocktails and vintage Huffys for rent that can serve as your Downtown crash pad when you partied too hard in The Backyard. The whole place is a riot.

Velveteen Rabbit

Where locals do their Downtown drinking: Downtown Vegas has several excellent cocktail bars, including the Downtown Cocktail Room, Commonwealth, and the Wayfarer Bar. But the Velveteen Rabbit is more than just a kick-ass cocktail and beer bar -- and it IS a kick-ass cocktail and beer bar, with a cocktail menu that changes seasonally and 12 rotating specialty beers on tap. Further, it’s the epicenter of Downtown Las Vegas culture, with live music and DJs playing the spacious back patio that serves as a beacon for hipsters and Zaptistas (aka, Zappos employees, aka the company that is pretty much responsible for making Downtown Vegas happen).

Dino's Lounge

A bucket-list Vegas experience since 1962: This beloved den of debauchery for locals and tourists alike sits on the Strip right next to the Strat. A dive bar extraordinaire known for its karaoke and for some of the best entertainment -- of both the intentional and unintentional variety -- in Vegas.  

Skyfall Lounge

A place to get your martini-sipping, custom-suited international spy on: High atop the Delano hotel sits the Skyfall Lounge, attached to the Alain Ducasse restaurant Rivea. Skyfall is Ducasse's nightlife concept, and as far as expensive cocktail bars perched high atop a Strip resort tower with incredible views of the Strip go, this one is first among peers (see also: Mandalay Bay proper's Foundation Room, the Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental). Scope its unobstructed 180-degree view of the Strip below, theater-style seating facing out towards the windows and ample outdoor patio seating for an even better perch. It also helps that this place has one of the best cocktail programs in a city that still elevates Grey Goose above all others.

The Griffin

Where tourists do their Downtown drinking: Located on East Fremont, this actually-sort-of-elegant stone-faced bar with two circular stone fireplaces in the center and blood red leather booths throughout has one of the most eclectic jukeboxes in Vegas -- not the sort of stuff that appeals to the club crowds of the Strip -- and is very affectionately known for its bartenders' heavy hands. Whether your night begins or ends here, rest assured this is where it takes a left turn.

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A dive is a dive and everyone needs to deal with that. It’s not an insult. It’s not really a badge of honor. But it’s a mantle that means a rougher clientele and the occasional Joe mom jeans who wanders in and tries not to make eye contact. That said, this is Vegas and even our dive bars are fabulous. So before you cave to stereotypes or worry about getting hepatitis from glancing at the pool table, remember that even the dingiest dirt in this town is at least 10 percent glitter. So without further a-don’t-touch-that, here are the best dive bars in Las Vegas.

Huntridge Tavern

Diviness : An abandoned strip mall bought out by hipsters

The strip mall thing wasn’t even part of the joke. Huntridge Tavern actually is in a strip mall. It’s not abandoned or, to our knowledge, owned by hipsters. But it is a one of those Vegas spots that you don’t get to see a lot of on the Strip. On the side of a pharmacy that unironically says “Drugs” and “Liquor” on the front, Huntridge Tavern is one of those Las Vegas locals’ hangouts that tourists occasionally end up when they’re stumbling around in a daze looking for a drink and/or their anxiety medication. However you end up there, whether you remember the journey or not, Huntridge Tavern is one of those bars where bikers and bicyclists can bump arms and only get into a fight over how much Jameson they can drink.

Double Down

Divitude : A punk rocker’s fever dream

We’ve heard the argument recently that Double Down Saloon has become so divey that it’s transcended divitude and become almost a parody of a dive bar with the same bite. We respectfully disagree, but can understand the sentiment. Double Down is the place you’d picture if someone told you the Misfits’ logo threw up on their black Vans at the bar last night. There’s a wall that says “Shut up and drink” among many, many other things. The bathroom is filthy. They serve disgusting drinks that we don’t like to think about but actually taste pretty good. And the wall art is something to behold then drink until you forget. But the real attractions here are the shows. Punk rock in all its varieties and many more forms of hard and fast and kickass music can be found. So down a bacon martini and mosh your heart out. What more could you want from a place that dubs itself the “happiest place on earth”? Eat that, Portia de Rossi’s underwear drawer.

Hogs and Heifers

Divacity : Biker gang who are really into the movie “Roadhouse”

This is another one of those entries that seems obvious. The line of Harleys out front definitely gets it list cred. And the bras on the back of the bar give it a sort of homey vibe, like a casual Sunday afternoon in the country hanging laundry and watching clouds. Yeah, we don’t believe that either. Hogs and Heifers is a bar where losing your bra is a bonus, albeit an unsupportive one. Some of the bras even belong to celebrities, though it’s unlikely that they’ll let you guess the celebrity based on smell. But if you’ve ever wanted to follow in the footsteps of Julia Roberts, and the whole acting thing never worked out, you can always throw your bra into the mix. Of course, if you’re boobly challenged and don’t wear a bra, you can still enjoy a biker/country/divey/underweary vibe at this Las Vegas institution.

Atomic Liquors

Divology : Graffiti of a post-apocalyptic future that never happened

Atomic Liquors is a throwback to the nuclear age, if the nuclear age threw out all its awesome, divey bar stuff before buying all those ugly, lime green kitchen appliances. Reigning as the oldest bar in Las Vegas (it did close for a time but they like the title so we’ll let them have it) and holding the first package liquor license and off-sales permit (which is legal stuff that just means they can give us booze), Atomic Liquors has become one of Las Vegas’ most iconic acknowledgements of how many explosions irradiated this state. In the good old days, you know when radiation was fun and new, people even sat on the roof of the bar to watch the bomb tests – or so the story goes. We couldn’t reach any of those people for comment due to their current status as mutants. But we’ll take the bar’s word for it. This is a dive bar that knows its roots and is a place for the alcoholic history buff in all of us.

Dino’s Lounge

Divality : What’s left of the mob after Liam Neeson gets through with them

At Dino’s Lounge , they know how to take care of family. Seriously, we’re not making a mafia reference. It’s actually a legacy bar. Started by Dino in 1962, the bar is now run by his granddaughters and remains a pure spot in Vegas to drink to the old days. The history isn’t all about gangsters, but it’s definitely an interesting note. While the city has turned into megaresorts and the mob has realized they can’t compete for villainy with internet trolls, Dino’s has stuck around to form a dive bar that dives deep for its ambiance. If you ever wanted to pretend you were planning a heist, or you just need a stiff drink after a long day of taking “protection” money via PayPal, let Dino’s make you feel like family.

Diversity (See what we did there?): A parking lot party under a rainbow roof

This just wouldn’t be a Vegas dive bar list without a gay bar. Sure, we’ve got the higher end gay clubs. But we’ve also got a truly inspiring level of gay dive bars, because even gay people need a break from the glitter once in a while. When you just want to drink and dance and watch drag queens drink and dance, there’s no better place in town than FreeZone . The cocktails are dirt cheap. The go-go dancers are scantily clad. And the pole in the middle of the mirror-lined dance floor practically calls to you when you’re trashed at 4 a.m. after a PRIDE event. Our bum still hurts from falling off that thing. Being located in the Fruit Loop, the party can occasionally spill out into the FreeZone parking lot as people move back and forth from Piranha across the street. Everyone’s welcome. Everyone can dance together. And everyone can belt out their favorite karaoke hits while everyone else laughs.

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I have made a list of dive bars, mainly made from reading on here, and I'd love any info on your favourite location, especially if they new additions to my list!

I don't mind a little travelling if required, and being a Brit,the more 'authentic' the better,

52 replies to this topic

What’s on your list?

We enjoy stage door. Go every trip!

Stage Door is a go-to every trip. Easy walk and close. Good hot dogs too. Well,good after a couple of drinks.

Its high on my list. A kid I grew up with from elementry school through high school and then we both ended up at UNLV it bought it probably 10-15 years ago and transformed it into what it is today. You should have seen it before. Most of my favorite spots are far from the touristy areas, many I havent been to in years but spend endless hours in them when I lived there.

Anyone remember LV Lounge in Commercial Center?

Another vote for Stage Door, now that I know the name of the place, lol. My go to during breaks while playing at WSOP across the street at Horseshoe.

What's the dividing line between a Dive Bar and a normal bar?

What about somewhere like 'Silver Stamp' in the Arts District, is that a dive bar? It is newly built but in an old fashioned style, no windows, has a characterful vibe, but quality drinks.

“What’s the dividing line between a dive bar and a normal bar?”

If the restrooms were cleaned at any point in the last 6 months- it’s not a true dive bar :)

“ What about somewhere like 'Silver Stamp' in the Arts District, is that a dive bar? It is newly built …”

So it’s a poseur wannabe dive bar. :)

Half the draw of a dive bar is the clientele and employees. It’s not something that can be newly built or invented.

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• Eater Inside

Vegas Dive Bar Legend Pours Drinks in a Pringles Can at the New Punk Rock Museum’s Bar

It’s run by rocker P Moss, the guy behind Ass Juice and the local dive, the Double Down Saloon

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The local legend behind the preeminent Las Vegas dive bar the Double Down Saloon and the tiki bar Frankie’s Tiki Room has opened a new drinking destination inside the Punk Rock Museum. While P Moss’s new bar, called the Triple Down, isn’t quite as divey as his other haunts, it functions as a familiar type of space where punk rock fans and musicians can throw back shots with a PBR chaser and reminisce over the last 45 years of punk.

The Punk Rock Museum, where the bar is located, has been years in the making for the stars who founded it, donated old merch and instruments to its display cases, and now lead tours through the exhibitions. After meandering through the museum, past the tattoo parlor, and through the chapel, tourists are dropped off inside the Triple Down. The bar is small and sparse, with black walls, crammed seating, and a limited menu of drinks. “I’m not going to call the Triple Down a dive bar, simply because a dive bar isn’t something you can just build,” says Moss. “A dive bar is something that has to go through decades of abuse” — like the 30-year-old Double Down, Moss says. “It’s had the shit kicked out of it.”

The Triple Down offers a no-frills selection of canned beers (plenty of PBR) and hard liquor. Tabletop menus list exactly three items — two of which are straight shots and beer. The funniest item is the Fletcher ($14), named for Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise. It’s a rum and coke in a Pringle’s can — the chips come poured out on a plate — just like Dragge used to drink it. “People are going to want to take a picture of themselves holding this stupid fucking Pringles can full of booze and drinking it,” says Moss. “It’s fun.”

During Saturday’s opening, punk rock legends led groups through the exhibitions for the first time. Don Bolles of the Germs paused his tour every few minutes to point out something in a display case and remark, “I think I used to own that phonebook and it was stolen from me” or “I thought about wearing that today but I couldn’t get it out of the case soon enough.” The exhibition, which is in a two-story, 12,000-square-foot space next to the Little Darlings strip club is laid out mostly chronologically, first introducing the 1970s New York scene and ending with more contemporary acts on the second floor.

The idea for the Punk Rock Museum at 1422 Western Avenue in downtown Las Vegas originated more than two years ago when “Fat” Mike Burkett first conceptualized a punk rock shop on Main Street. The idea evolved to include old artifacts from legendary bands for customers to look at while they shopped. “I thought, that’s way cooler than just selling shit,” says Burkett. “And we just kept hiring more people, we got investors, too. And now the Punk Rock Collective is about 16 of us.” Getting artifacts for the museum was easy. Burkett, the bassist and lead vocalist for NOFX, put out a call and T-shirts, fliers, combat boots, and electric guitars started flying in. Sure, loads of memorabilia are safely tucked away behind glass. But a lot of the museum’s collection is meant to be touched.

There’s a jam band room where visitors can pick up a musician’s guitar — like Burkett’s — or sit down at a keyboard. Two rows of leather vests hang on a wall, tethered with a chain, but fully within reach of being handled or even tried on. Upstairs is a faithful recreation of the garage belonging to the Southern California punk band Pennywise, complete with the drum kit, stack of amplifiers, and posters on the walls. A photo showing Kurt Cobain sitting on a black couch hangs directly above said couch. “Go ahead and sit on it and take a picture on it,” says Burkett.

Moss estimates that the relationship between punk rock and dive bars got its start in New York City in 1975 when up-and-coming bands were scrambling for a room to play in and found their way into Hilly Kristal’s CBGB. “It was a piece of shit,” says Moss. “He said, ‘Fine, it’s not going to work but I’ll let you play.’ And that obviously worked out well for the whole genre.”

Many of the punk rockers that are celebrated within the museum have frequented the Double Down before. Burkett even performed there on visits to Las Vegas. He’s no stranger to the city, having also performed at the Punk Rock Bowling festival — for which he received criticism for his show after the Route 91 Harvest festival shooting, when he remarked on-stage, “That sucked. But at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans.” With his closeness to the punk rock community, Moss says it was a given he would co-manage the museum’s bar.

Both Moss and Burkett hope that the bar will become a haunt among punk rock fans and rock stars alike — even if it is ultimately a museum bar. “But it’s a comfortable bar where people can come hang out, listen to good music, and get loaded,” says Moss. The big question is if the Triple Down will serve shots of the Ass Juice — the Double Down’s famed shot that one drinks directly out of a tiny toilet. “No,” says Moss. It’s a trademark issue. And if that upsets you, head up to the jam room and scream about it.

Double Down Saloon

Group behind carbone is taking chicken parm to the food hall, italian restaurant with las vegas strip chefs is opening in a henderson apartment complex, another legal place to consume cannabis is now open in las vegas.

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‘It’s a lot’: Famous Las Vegas dive bar finally reopening

Frankie Sidoris opened Hard Hat Lounge in August 2022. It’s been closed about half the time since.

Frankie Sidoris is opening the same 61-year-old dive bar for the second time in 14 months.

And how’s it goin’, rock star?

“You know, it’s definitely a lot. It is a lot, a lot, a lot,” Sidoris says on Friday afternoon, just hours before taking the stage with Mammoth WVH at Ford Field in Detroit, where the band opened for Metallica . “But at no point was I like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s it. It’s time to close up shop.’ I mean, it’s history. It’s a landmark.”

Sidoris spears of his prize project, Hard Hat Lounge at 1675 Industrial Road, an original Las Vegas beer-and-beat down bar established in 1962 and re-opening (re-re-opening, actually) on Dec. 1.

The Hard Hat has been taken down and locked up since May, as Sidoris and his band of workers finish infrastructure repairs. For Sidoris, plumbing fixtures and grease traps have been as important as guitar amps.

“There have been so many setbacks,” Sidoris says. “It’s one of those things that always comes back to, well, you know, if you buy an old house from the ‘50s, you’re gonna have to fix all of the plumbing, or all of the electrical. It’s a similar thing with Hard Hat.”

Sidoris’ food partner in the club’s next iteration is Bobby Meader of Stay Tuned Burgers, who Sidoris refers to as a “local hero” for his position in the culinary community. Stay Tuned is stepping in for original culinary partner Robby Cunningham of Guerilla Pizza of Las Vegas, before the two agreed to part ways before the May shutdown.

Stay Tuned is an apt participant in the club. Sidoris and Meader have been friends since grade school. The burgers and sloppy-yummy tots and fries could be served inside specially designed hard hats (these ideas always arrive during the writing).

Sidoris is also working alongside club GM Dillon Shines , which has been a name and a job description in the club’s widespread restoration. Sidoris and Shines have been friends since they were fourth-graders at Vandenberg Elementary School in Henderson.

Sidoris’ team is dependably close-knit. We’ve routinely mentioned he’s the son of Stabile Productions co-founder and original “Crazy Girls” cast member Angela Stabile, and esteemed Resorts World casino pro Frank Sidoris . Angela and Matt Stabile run the “X Burlesque” and “X Country” topless revues series, and the Piff the Magic Dragon show at Flamingo. Daughter Tiffany Stabile is co-producer. Las Vegas entertainment professionals abound in this family.

Even while on stadium tours, Sidoris maintains a taut Vegas affiliation. His “GKG” (standing for Go Knights Go) is Golden Knights’ theme song, played at every game at T-Mobile Arena. Throughout his career, Sidoris has recorded and toured with with serious rockers, and next year is actually opening for himself next year when Mammoth WVH opens for Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators on a European tour next year (he’s guitarist in both bands).

On Dec. 8, Mammoth WVH headlines House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. But ahead of that is the relaunch of the club on Industrial Road.

Whomever commits to playing this party will cut loose in a historic place with a fresh feel.

“All I can say now is that this place, from the bathrooms to the electrical to everything, you can feel the difference. You can smell the difference too, that’s for sure,” Sidoris says with a laugh. “But what’s cool is that it’s still the same Hard Hat that people knew and love.”

Prime-time lineup

Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child is singing the national anthem and Richie McDonald , late of Lonestar , is to lead a halftime military tribute at Sunday’s Raiders-Jets game at Allegiant Stadium. We can say the honorary lighter of the Al Davis Memorial Torch is one very cool individual.

David Perrico and the Raiders House Band is performing along with McDonald on “I’m Already There.” McDonald was a pre-game guest in the 2021 season, whose performance impressed even those not familiar with Lonestar. Kickoff is 5:20 p.m., broadcast on “Sunday Night Football” on NBC. Get their about an hour early for all the hype.

Laliberte bounces back

Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte’s Frooogs Camp is set up at Resorts World’s former Enchant parcel just off the Strip. Laliberte is residing on that plot throughout Las Vegas Grand Prix. On Friday he entertained a group described as “potential clients,” for a project moving forward in Las Vegas. We’re checking in next week, Frooogy costume or not.

The Babyface play

Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds has been seen around town as a new Las Vegas resident. Sunday he sang the national anthem at the Raiders-Jets game. Monday afternoon he toured Fontainebleau’s under-development rooftop club (which is apparently VIP enough for a 12-time Grammy Award winner to check out).

That night, Edmonds took up a booth at the Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns show at the Copa at Bootlegger Bistro.

Edmonds arrived with Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health co-founders Larry and Camille Ruvo , and was also seated with Bootlegger owners Dennis Bono and Lorraine Hunt Bono . Edmonds hit a hot night. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Danny Seraphine , late of Chicago; and Carlos Santana percussionist Karl Perazzo were also in the mix.

Perazzo was called to the stage early in the show and rocked the place until the end of the set.

Fantastic performance, though vocalist Tyriq Johnson said afterward he was as nervous as he’s ever been onstage. Having a person in the audience who has recorded with Whitney Houston, Usher, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna and Diana Ross will alter the trajectory of the evening. This is another reason why front man Jerry Lopez calls these shows “The Healing.”

Tease this …

On the topic of Fontainebleau, the hotel is hosting a significant civic event for a richly deserving organization in February in its BleauLive Theater. Exciting times for everyone.

Cool Hang Alert

The Windjammers pull into port at 9 p.m. Saturday at Sunset Station’s Club Madrid. Lopez leads this musically and vocally buoyant yacht-rock armada. No cover, which is just silly for all this talent. Ages 21 and over.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts . Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.

Phish’s wild audio-visual production creats such a heightened sensation you don’t need assistance.

Ross Mollison was dressed as a ghost while praising the humans at the Strip juggernaut “Absinthe” 13th anniversary party on April 10.

Phish Radio plans rebroadcasts, a live airing of the finale at the Sphere, and Trey Anastasio interivews.

Grammy-winning musician Gwen Stefani took the stage to the roar of 400 partiers at Ole Red Las Vegas on the Strip.

The company that developed Omega Mart at Area 15 is cutting dozens of jobs at the off-Strip attraction.

More than a decade after premiering on the Strip, Boyz II Men perform this summer at the Cosmopolitan.

Mark Twain Award honoree Kevin Hart is back at Resorts World Theatre on July 12 and 14.

The images of a top player are among those glowing on the Sphere in advance of the upcoming Esports World Cup.

The young musicians were about $25,000 short of their goal to represent our state at the National Independence Day Parade in Washington until the hit-maker stepped in.

Mariah Carey is an international sensation, but has also forged a unique relationship with Las Vegas.

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A’s relocation: Last Dive Bar, Oakland 68s taking ‘SELL’ movement to Sacramento ballgame

I t has been relatively quiet on the A’s fan protest front other than a few signs here and there in the organized resistance to owner John Fisher’s plan to move the Athletics to Sacramento and eventually Las Vegas.

That will end on April 27 when Oakland diehards mobilized by the fan groups Last Dive Bar and Oakland 68s make their presence known in Sacramento for the first time.

The plan as announced Monday on the Last Dive Bar website is for A’s fans opposed to Fisher’s ownership to buy as many lawn seats as possible for the Sacramento River Cats game against the Las Vegas Aviators — the first time the movement has taken on Sacramento directly after the club’s announcement that it would play from 2025 through at least 2027 at Sutter Health Park.

Sacramento is the Triple-A affiliate of the Giants, Las Vegas of the Athletics.

In conjunction with Vivek Ranadive, who owns both the NBA Sacramento Kings and the Pacific Coast League River Cats, the A’s and owner John Fisher on April 4 agreed to play at the Triple-A Stadium rent-free until their proposed stadium in Las Vegas can be financed and built.

If all goes according to plan, it will be the last year for the A’s at the Coliseum. A’s fans who have protested the move plan on continuing the fight.

“That’s our response and to let Vivek know we’re not going away,” Last Dive Bar co-founder Bryan Johansen said. “Just because you’re going to Sacramento doesn’t mean we aren’t going to haunt you and make sure everything you do is exposed and make sure the community knows exactly who they’re dealing with and how they’re helping someone like John Fisher.”

After the announcement of the Sacramento move, A’s president Dave Kaval talked of making it a “memorable” last year at the Coliseum. Included in the plans are increased alumni participation, discounts discounted tickets and hot dogs and a Coliseum replica on Sept. 26 for the first 25,000 fans — the last scheduled game at the site.

“I mean, it’s a joke, an embarrassment,” said Aaron Casanares of the Oakland 68s. “How many times has (Kaval) lied to Oakland? To the fan base? To other cities?”

The A’s are currently 7-9 and have won three straight series for the first time since 2021, although leaders in the “sell” movement sound resolute in their promise to boycott.

The A’s drew 8,637 Sunday with the help of a Little League day, and Stu Clary, who helped organize the first fan boycott at the Coliseum, doesn’t see it getting much better. Average attendance through 10 home games is 5,948 — the lowest in the major leagues.

Clary lives in Vacaville and said he had no plans on attending a game in Sacramento even though it’s closer to his home, although he was contacted before the plans to actually protest in Sacramento.

“People are staying away in droves,” Clary said. “Haven’t been to a game yet. I think people will be excited the team is playing well, and I’m glad to see that. But I don’t think it really moves the needle.”

Ranadive’s courting of the A’s comes off as hypocritical to those in the protest movement who remember him saving the Sacramento Kings from moving to Seattle, Virginia Beach or Anaheim.

“The Kings owner steps in and saves them,” Clary said. “Now that same guy has enabled John Fisher to move the team to West Sac and those same people that were beside themselves about losing a team have enabled another team to leave.”

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Johansen and others remain optimistic that Fisher will be unable to close a deal in Las Vegas and that the A’s could eventually wind up in Oakland under new ownership willing to fund a stadium.

“Vegas is shaky. There’s no financing, no investors lining up,” Johansen said. “Why aren’t things moving along? The narrative in Vegas is starting to mount about not wanting Fisher there.”

Given California’s reluctance in publicly funding a stadium, it’s not clear if Ranadive would have the means buy the A’s from Fisher and bring the A’s to Sacramento should the Las Vegas deal fall through.

“I’m banking on the incompetency of Fisher and Kaval that the deal is going to blow up because everything they do never works out,” Casanares said. “There’s a clear path to Oakland.”

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at mercurynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

More From Forbes

The oakland a’s could set the wrong kind of attendance records.

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A fan stands over a sign calling for Oakland Athletics management to sell the team during the fourth ... [+] inning of a baseball game between the Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Sometimes the best way to say goodbye is to simply walk away. That’s the approach Oakland Athletics fans are taking this season. The club has historically low attendance through their first 13 home games in what appears to be their final season playing at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum.

The A’s are averaging a reported attendance of 6,243 fans per game . That’s less than half of the second-worst team’s attendance—the Miami Marlins are averaging 14,259. The MLB median for attendance so far this season is 27,001. The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the league with an average of 45,482, which means they sell more tickets in two games than the A’s have sold in 13 (81,167).

The only time Oakland achieved a five-digit attendance total was on Opening Day when they reported 13,522 fans in attendance, though many of the fans who purchased tickets may have opted to stay in the parking lot instead. Supporter groups—the Oakland 68s and the Last Dive Bar— hosted a community event outside the stadium to boycott owner John Fisher’s efforts to move the team out of Oakland. There certainly appeared to be a lot more people outside than in the seats.

There may not be an official or unofficial boycott ongoing, but fans are staying away all the same. Excluding their season-high attendance on Opening Day, they’ve averaged 5,637 fans per home game.

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Fans have good cause to express their displeasure by withholding ticket purchases. After a protracted, public dispute with the city, the franchise announced it intends to move to Las Vegas by 2028 . Oakland mayor Sheng Thao accused the team of using the city as leverage to negotiate with Las Vegas and that the club had “ no interest in reaching a deal with Oakland at all .”

The latest nail in the coffin came on April 5 when the A’s announced a deal to play in Sacramento until the proposed Las Vegas stadium is ready, even though their funding agreement with the Nevada legislature faces legal challenges . The Sacramento agreement makes it all but certain that the A’s will leave Oakland after this season.

For their final dance with the city they’ve called home since 1968, they could set modern records for poor attendance. The last team to average fewer than 10,000 fans over a full season was the 2022 A’s, who averaged 9,849 as the product on the field atrophied due to Fisher’s lack of investment in talent—a precursor to relocation. Prior to that, the last club that averaged less than 10,000 was the 2004 Montreal Expos (not including the 2020 and 2021 seasons which had pandemic-related attendance restrictions).

There are parallels between the 2024 A’s and the 2004 Expos, who sold 9,254 tickets per contest. After a few years of threats from commissioner Bud Selig to contract the franchise, during which MLB actually purchased and took control of the organization, the club would relocate the following season. They began playing as the Washington Nationals in 2005.

If ticket sales don’t improve, the A’s will have the lowest attendance of any MLB team in 45 years. The 1979 Oakland A’s averaged only 3,787 fans per game. They had dominated baseball earlier in the decade, winning three consecutive World Series from 1972-1974, but owner Charley Finley refused to to adapt to the advent of free agency and either let their best players sign elsewhere or traded them before they reached the open market. They collapsed to a 54-108 record.

The debacle of the 2024 A’s is a black eye for MLB, and the rest of the league has to be displeased . The A’s are a revenue-sharing recipient and the league gave them preferential treatment by waiving their relocation fee. Now, visiting teams will have to play in a Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento for at least three years without the modern amenities and facilities of major-league stadiums.

For the present, the emptiness of the Coliseum is an embarrassment to the sport, but the fans have no obligation to spend their money on a franchise that doesn’t love them back.

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