The South's Most Legendary Dive Bars
Including dimly lit historic dives, sand-floored tiki spots, old-school piano bars, and beyond.
Laurey Glenn
In the South, the definition of a dive bar is anything but strict, with historic dimly lit dives, breezy sand-floored tiki spots, old-school piano bars, beloved college town haunts, and almost anywhere you can find a cheap drink and live music on any given night able to make the cut. Yet, Southern dive bars also set themselves apart with unique qualities, such as food menus boasting better-than-your-grandmother’s fried chicken or eclectic annual events like a fish-tossing competitions and two-stepping tournaments. As much as fancy cocktail bars are now a dime a dozen, there are so many more authentic dive bars dotted throughout the South that we’d never be able to list them all. However, these Southern watering holes hold that something special that keeps people coming back for more.
When it’s time for a tipple, these 25 best dive bars in the South don’t disappoint.
How We Picked This List
These bars were picked by the editors of Southern Living who report, research, and visit bars and local restaurants across the South.
Green Parrot Bar
Key West, Florida
Any place with a self-proclaimed slogan as a "sunny place for shady people" can safely be considered a dive bar. A favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, Green Parrot Bar has been a Key West institution since 1890. Expect a jukebox and frequent live music, which can be anything from a 10-piece Latin-funk group to a band playing old-school hits by The Beatles. You never know what to expect, and it's hosted every sort of gathering, including poetry slams, divorce celebrations, memorial services, and hurricane parties.
greenparrot.com; 601 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040
The Griffon
Courtesy The Griffon
Charleston, South Carolina
The Griffon certainly doesn’t care what you think of the dollar bills on the walls or incessant classic rock playing in the background. It’s just going to be what it is, which is the Lowcountry’s favorite grungy little dive bar. For over 25 years, patrons have stapled signed dollar bills to the wall of this intimate, English-style pub that serves fish ’n’ chips, a straightforward burger, and a broad selection of craft beer.
griffoncharleston.com; 18 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC 29401
Earnestine & Hazel's
Memphis, Tennessee
This spooky spot is Memphis’ most infamous haunt. Are there really ghosts here? We’ll leave that for you to decide. Earnestine & Hazel's has had many past lives since the 1930s—a pharmacy, beauty salon, and restaurant, just to name a few. Over the years, legends like B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Bo Diddley made their way onto the Club Paradise stage, and walked over to Earnestine & Hazel's after. Today, it remains one of Memphis' favorite dives, famous for its Soul Burger and great jukebox.
earnestineandhazelsjukejoint.com; 531 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103
Port of Call
New Orleans, Louisiana
This longstanding French Quarter dive from the 1960s (before Bourbon Street was a bustling party district) is known for its burger, which Port of Call proudly touts as the "best in the city." The tropical drinks are nothing to be messed with. They're served in oversized to-go cups and are sneakily potent. Try the Neptune's Monsoon, a specialty drink with two types of rum, tropical juices, and passion fruit.
portofcallnola.com; 838 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70116
Planet Marfa
Courtesy Planet Marfa
Marfa, Texas
Located far out in West Texas, Marfa already feels like a concealed corner of the world, which makes this quirky outdoor dive even more illusive than most. Upon any trip, you're quickly schooled in what locals call “Marfa time,” meaning that things might be open—or perhaps not—with little warning. However, ask any locals and they'll say that Planet Marfa is one of the more reliable places to go for a cold beer and patio hangout on any day. Order food from the window, and sidle up to the wooden bar.
planetmarfa.com; 200 S Abbot St, Marfa, TX 79843
Nowhere Bar
Athens, Georgia
If your definition of an authentic dive bar is the appearance of pool tables and sound of live music, then Nowhere Bar is a shoe-in. The dark bar has both and draws in large crowds to listen to bands playing on a red-lit stage. You'll find eclectic Georgia Dawgs memorabilia, as well as monthly Jazz nights and country music nights.
nowherebarlive.com; 240 N Lumpkin St, Athens, GA 30601
No Name Pub
Big Pine Key, Florida
Many of the best dive bars are the ones that don't even have a sign out front to let you know the name, and this Florida landmark honored that sentiment with its namesake. After planting its roots in the 1930s, when it started out as a general store and bait-and-tackle shop, the bar has remained “A Nice Place If You Can Find It,” per its catchphrase. The legendary pizza recipe, which dates back nearly 60 years, is preserved on the kitchen wall.
nonamepub.com; 30813 Watson Boulevard, Big Pine Key, FL 33043
The Garage
Laurey Glenn
Birmingham, Alabama
When the weather is nice, there’s no better place in Birmingham to spend an afternoon than at The Garage, a beer garden known for its build-your-own sandwiches (try the house-favorite Fritz Sandwich) and local beer. The outdoor space, where you can snag a picnic table, is accented with garden antiques, lush hanging wisteria, and familiar locals. Until recently, the bar only took cash. However, that won't stop you now.
facebook.com/TheGarageBham; 2304 10th Terrace South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Scotty's Beach Bar
Courtesy Scotty's Beach Bar
Surfside Beach, South Carolina
It's an unspoken rule that anywhere near a beach there's need to be a watering hole where flip-flops are welcome and there might be a bit of sand on the floor. Scotty's Beach Bar is just that. The homey haunt, just a stone's throw from the shore, has served up many ice-cold beverages for tanned locals and sunburnt visitors alike. You'll find plenty of tiki cocktails on the menu—we recommended the Pain Killer—and perfect sunset views.
facebook.com/ScottysOceanfrontBeachBar; 111 S Seaside Dr, Surfside Beach, SC 29575
Donn's Depot
Courtesy Donn's Depot
Austin, Texas
Set in the old rail cars of a former train depot, the energy of Donn's sneaks right out the front door and onto the streets. This music-filled bar rattles the walls with dueling keys, a two-stepping dance-floor, and live music multiple nights per week. With carpeted floors and festive Christmas decorations (that they kept up all year in 2021), this West Sixth establishment is the place to get a taste of Texas with a hint of Austin's weird side.
donnsdepot.com; 1600 W 5th St., Austin, TX 78703
The Virginian
Charlottesville, Virginia
Like many dive bars, this historic Charlottesville spot also serves up food, particularly since Virginia bars can't only serve alcohol. From transforming into a soda fountain during Prohibition to temporarily “going under” during World War II, The Virginian has had quite an eventful legacy since its grand opening in 1923. The wooden booths and pressed tin ceiling further enhance the restaurant’s old-school feel.
thevirginiancville.com; 1521 University Ave, Charlottesville, VA 22903
AJ's Grayton Beach
Courtesy AJ's Grayton Beach
Grayton Beach, Florida
This eclectic seafood joint takes a turn into a dive bar scene once the sun goes down. As town squares and pastel cottages sprouted in areas down the road, Grayton Beach has kept its shell-speckled, sandy roads, sea-weathered homes, and groovy attitude—and AJ's fits right in. You'll even find bottomless mimosas and live music on Sundays.
ajsgrayton.com; 63 Defuniak St, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Flora-Bama
MATTHEW COUGHLIN
Perdido Key, Florida
So named for its location on the Florida-Alabama state line, this eclectic honky-tonk and oyster bar touts itself as one of America’s last great roadhouses. Tourists and locals saddle up to any of the building’s multiple bars or perch on the massive deck, which boasts an idyllic view of the Gulf of Mexico. Order a “Bushwhacker,” a creamy frozen cocktail legendary in the area for its potency, and mark your calendar for the bar’s annual Mullet Toss where patrons compete by slinging mullets–yes, we do mean the fish–across the Florida state line into Alabama.
florabama.com; 17401 Perdido Key Dr, Pensacola, FL 32507
Sloppy Joe's
Dietmar Rauscher/Getty Images
Key West, Florida
Like a rare Cuban rum, this dive just gets better with age. Sloppy Joe's has existed in Key West since the 1930s, one legend suggesting Hemingway named it after the floors in a favorite Cuban spot—perpetually drenched with spilled alcohol and melting ice. A rowdy and independent bunch of islanders drink here, and it's open 365 days a year until 4 a.m. It also wouldn’t be a trip to the Keys without one of its notorious Sloppy Rita’s or Sloppy Joe sandwiches.
sloppyjoes.com; 201 Duval St, Key West, FL 33040
Pirate's Cove
Courtesy Pirate's Cove
Elberta, Alabama
On the Alabama Gulf Coast, this legendary third-generation beach shack can be found in the tiny town of Elberta and is accessible by boat or car. Along with waterfront views and chilled-out good times, the restaurant is known for three main things: Bushwackers, cheeseburgers, and the many friendly pups who are free to play along the sandy beach.
piratescoveriffraff.com; 6664 Co Rd 95, Elberta, AL 36530
The Backstreet Pub
Courtesy Backstreet Pub
Beaufort, North Carolina
This funky bar resides in a century-old converted bakery, and you’ll find the vintage brick building quite cozy. Every patron, from fisherman to tourists, gets along just fine. As for entertainment, pick your poison: live music, board games, or something off its bookshelf. Grab an IPA (a house-favorite: Abundant Sunshine IPA by Waterman's Brewing), and sink into a seat.
facebook.com/TheBackstreetPub; 124 Middle Ln, Beaufort, NC 28516
The World Famous
Courtesy World Famous
Athens, Georgia
This brick-walled dive in downtown Athens boasts a regular lineup of local indie musicians, and people of many different strokes frequent at all hours of the day and night, as it's open from noon to midnight seven days a week. The World Famous is also "famous" for its food and beverage selection, including cocktails in Mason jars, affordable beer, lunch favorites such as the chicken-and-waffle club sandwich, and late-night snack offerings (get the pretzel bites with local honey-mustard sauce).
facebook.com/theworldfamousathens; 351 N Hull St, Athens, GA 30601
Santa's Pub
Courtesy Santa's Pub
Nashville, Tennessee
Turns out, Santa is real—and he wears a cowboy hat, drinks cheap beer, and, unsurprisingly, prefers nice people over naughty ones. At Santa's Pub in Nashville, you'll spy signs around the bar warning against foul language and other unbecoming behavior. The space is a somehow charming, graffiti-covered double-wide trailer, bedecked all over in holiday decorations all year long. There’s karaoke as well, and celebrity fans like Brad Paisley and Ed Sheeran have been known to pick up the mic. Be prepared to get in line for a turn!
santaspub.com; 2225 Bransford Ave, Nashville, TN 37204
The Red Bar
Grayton Beach, Florida
A scarlet-lit, bohemian anomaly on the polished, planned-community-lined Highway 30A, this Grayton Beach mainstay somehow combines a ’70s Parisian beatnik bistro with a beach vagabond vibe. Come for the perfectly blackened grouper, stay for the house margaritas and live music by The Red Bar Jazz Band. After a devastating fire took down the original building in 2019, but it has since reopened with the same energy and style of the original building.
theredbar.com; 70 Hotz Ave, Grayton Beach, FL 32459
The Esso Club
Gary Clark/Southern Living
Clemson, South Carolina
Now, every college town boasts a favorite sports bar, but few have a bar so collectively beloved as The Esso Club at Clemson University, which first opened in 1933. Originally housed in a small gas station, the well-known bar now sits in the shadows of Death Valley, serving up its signature “Build Your Own” Bloody Mary bar. You’ll find walls covered by Clemson Tiger memorabilia and alumni saddled up to the bar—but everyone is welcome.
theessoclub.com; 129 Old Greenville Hwy #1, Clemson, SC 29631
Johnny's Hideaway
Courtesy Johnny's Hideaway
Atlanta, Georgia
This iconic lounge and dance club in the Buckhead area of Atlanta sees a bustling crowd of patrons of all ages, from twenty-somethings to seasoned regulars in their sixties and seventies. Period hits from Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding, and Michael Jackson keep the dance floor packed well past when other bars in the area have closed. The rules are simple but strictly enforced: Pay the cover, abide by the dress code, and no drinks on the dance floor.
johnnyshideaway.com; 3771 Roswell Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30342
The Palace Saloon
Courtesy The Palace Saloon
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Fernandina locals are fiercely protective of this historic saloon. Like many dive bars, sentimental value is a huge part of what keeps The Palace Saloon churning. Not to mention, it's said to be the oldest still-operating bar in Florida, since its opening in 1903. Vintage murals, mosaic floors, and classic cocktails only add to the historic charm.
fernandinafun.com; 117 Centre St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Callaghan's Irish Social Club
Jennifer Davick
Mobile, Alabama
This unassuming corner pub in Mobile is regularly written up for its food, primarily due to its ultra-popular house specialty burger. The plate will leave you feeling like you just got let in on a secret. Most patrons choose to accompany the greasy order with a cold pint at the Irish-style pub.
callaghansirishsocialclub.com; 916 Charleston St., Mobile, AL 36604
Harry's Banana Farm
Courtesy Harry's Banana Farm
Lake Worth Beach, Florida
Since its first drink in 1954, Harry's Banana Farm in the West Palm Beach area of Florida has been serving up well drinks and plenty of sass, which can usually be seen on the ever-changing and cheekily phrased marquee sign out front. Part of its signature "take it as it is" attitude included allowing patrons to smoke inside until January 2020, when it was officially prohibited. That hallowed week, the sign read: “Now the only thing that stinks is our attitude.” Don't expect to find a website for this true dive.
(561) 540-8300; 1919 N Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460
Dixie Chicken
College Station, Texas
Since 1974, Dixie Chicken has been a hotbed for Texas A&M University students, locals, and alumni. The walls are covered with retro 1970s beer signs, and the beloved watering hole has many stories and gatherings under its belt, including everything from college reunions to marriage proposals.
dixiechicken.com; 307 University Drive, College Station, TX 77840
For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Southern Living.
