Scoundrel's Field Guide

01/11/2024

We've officially made our local news debut thanks to NBC Chicago. Nothing like a story about a dive bar and its serial killer past to really bring people together.

A tavern in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood has been named the "creepiest bar" in the country. NBC Chicago's Lexi Sutter reports.

15/07/2024

Charlie's Kitchen 📍 Cambridge
There are 1950s-style diners and there are dim-lit college dive bars. Charlie’s Kitchen embodies both, a traditional diner counter downstairs with double cheeseburgers the specialty and a true college dive upstairs, a one-two punch that has cemented the Cambridge dive bar’s status as Harvard Square institution with a freshly minted beer garden to boot.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/charlies-kitchen-boston-dive-bar-cambridge/

09/07/2024

The Lazy Diamond 📍Asheville
The structural majesty of tinsel has never been better displayed than on the roof of the Lazy Diamond, an Asheville dive bar that sits just on the fringe of the city’s increasingly upscale downtown core.

At night, the combination of Christmas lights, numerous mirrored surfaces and an impressive amount of reflective holiday decorations creates a dazzling, high energy dive bar experience.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/the-lazy-diamond-asheville-dive-bar/

02/07/2024

Rose's Lounge 📍Chicago
In a city not lacking in dive bar options, Rose’s Lounge in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood makes a case for best in the city on the backs of a comprehensive commitment to Christmas decorations and a mismatched set of seating options punctuated by a plaid couch.

Drinking in Rose’s Lounge, named after the bar’s singular owner, feels like drinking in grandma’s living room, maybe even her basement.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/roses-lounge-chicago-dive-bar/

19/06/2024

Kramer's📍Dayton
A party supply store, a carryout, a gas station, a dive bar, Dayton dive bar Kramer’s has lived a string of lives since opening in 1933 under the watchful eye of Elmer Kramer.

After decades of family ownership, Kramer’s now rests in the hands of the Gibson family who have ushered in a limited set of changes that maintain the college-friendly, pizza shop-vibe appeal of Kramer’s, down to the $7 40-ounce beers found in vintage rotating coolers behind the bar.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/kramers-party-supply-dayton-dive-bar/

18/06/2024

Absolutely brutal to hear and see video of the fire and subsequent demolition of today. Amazing spot. Buffalo dive bar royalty. Fortunate to have visited a year ago this month. Hope a return is somehow someway in the cards.

14/03/2024

Nachbar - Louisville
Though inevitably the word ‘hipster’ comes up in conversations around Nachbar’s appeal, Louisville’s Germantown neighborhood anchor carries the marks of a great neighborhood dive bar.

Carved wood, bathroom graffiti, wood paneling and an amazing sign paying homage to an 1863 original cement Nachbar’s status as Germantown dive bar destination.

Review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/nachbar-louisville-dive-bar/

#502

11/03/2024

The Village Idiot - Toledo

Along Uptown Maumee’s walking district, Toledo-area options don’t get much stronger than the potent combination of beer, live music and pizza offered by The Village Idiot.

The ambiance within the soaring, open interior adds to an experience built around a relentless approach to live music that brings in bands seven nights a week.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/the-village-idiot-toledo-dive-bar/

01/03/2024

We're heading out to the Charlotte / Greensboro area this weekend. We have our list, we've checked it twice, we know that Thirsty Beaver is quite nice.

Any suggestions for us?

20/02/2024

Dunlap Cafe - Cincinnati
The oldest continuously running business in Cincinnati’s attractive Over-The-Rhine neighborhood, Dunlap Cafe pays tribute to its 1936 roots with affordable food & drink options in an area icon of a towering, blue building.

The Cincinnati dive bar and diner boasts a diverse menu including coney dogs, burgers and all-day breakfast in addition to its remarkably affordable beer offering that includes $2 PBR everyday.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/dunlap-cafe-cincinnati-dive-bar-review/

31/01/2024

Reed's Local - Chicago

Taking over a space from a dusty, no-frills dive bar can be a daunting task requiring balance between bringing something new into the space while preserving its roots. Reed’s Local has done just that, combining dive bar heritage with VHS-fueled nostalgia and a bit of bubble hockey to create a fresh yet familiar Avondale community hub.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/reeds-local-chicago-dive-bar/

23/01/2024

Southern St. Pete is a string of connected islands littered with condos and timeshares, far from ripe ground for dive bars, but Shadracks exists all the same, a red neon-bathed and cavernous space that, and stay with me here, has to be some kind of inside-out house. Seriously, there’s a roof inside and the walls are bathed in wooden shingles. It has to be.

Review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/shadracks-st-pete-dive-bar/

16/01/2024

Opened in 1947, Moe’s & Joe’s in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta has shown an admirable reluctance to change since that time despite expansion of the space nearly 70 years later.

Perhaps more impressive is the dive bar’s status as top-selling outpost of PBR by volume nationwide, responsible for two full kegs sold every day (that’s 330 12-ounce pours).

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/moes-and-joes-atlanta-dive-bar/

13/01/2024

Impromptu trip to one of the great Columbus dive bars. Lava lamps are always a good sign. never disappoints.

12/01/2024

We're headed to Nashville soon and you know is number one on our list. Recommendations are welcome. What's your favorite Nashville dive bar?

14/12/2023

Asheville Yacht Club - Asheville

Relentlessly devoted to its nautical theme, Asheville Yacht Club provides a tiki-laced, dive bar drinking experience in a downtown Asheville that sorely needs that option.

Every possible square inch is well-covered with statute here, bowling pin there, enough to look at for a full night of stiff tiki drinking with late night food on top.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/asheville-yacht-club-asheville-dive-bar/

11/12/2023

Price O'Whales - Playa Del Rey

Some of Los Angeles’ best dive bars can be found in the area’s coastal cities where a beach vibe combined with a dive bar atmosphere combine to create gems like Prince O’Whales in Playa Del Rey.

Said to be the oldest sports bar in Los Angeles, the space opened in 1955 before a purchase in 1972 resulted in changing the name of this dive bar complex that sprawls three indoor drinking areas and two exterior patios.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/prince-o-whales-los-angeles-dive-bar-playa-del-rey/

10/11/2023

Thanks for the coverage and love the spotlight put on these amazing small businesses. We are Columbus natives and there’s no better poster child than Johnnie’s.

Check out the front page of 614now.com to see our super professional glory.

#614

10/11/2023

Locust Bar - Philadelphia
Part of a potent Center City core of Philadelphia dive bars, Locust Bar is a classic corner neighborhood dive down to the slim confines and robust food menu full of pub classics. Renowned for special recipe chicken wings, Locust Bar is the stop-in-for-one bar that can quickly turn into a full evening’s pursuit.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/locust-bar-philadelphia-dive-bar/

#215

08/11/2023

Ms. Mae's The Club - New Orleans
The Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans isn’t exactly known for its seedy underbelly, and a recent renovation certainly removes Ms. Mae’s The Club at least visually from that kind of distinction, but make no mistake, this is a dive bar.

Notoriously cheap drinks are the calling card here, a perfect fit for the cash only, 24-hour, bare floor, weathered ceiling vibe of Ms. Mae’s.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/ms-maes-the-club-new-orleans-dive-bar/

01/11/2023

Fox Fire Room - Los Angeles
More of a comfortable, cozy lounge than it is a dive bar, Fox Fire Room offers a very lounge-like color palette filled in by red, plush booths and deep, brown wood paneling.

The Valley Village dive bar’s claim to cinematic fame is a starring roles as backdrop to a William H. Macy rant in the movie Magnolia, though the appeal here is more a neighborhood-focused bar with a dose of karaoke on Sundays rather than immersion into the filming location.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/fox-fire-room-los-angeles-dive-bar-valley-view/

30/10/2023

Big Joe's - Chicago
A review of Big Joe’s requires mention of the dive bar’s signature feature, Friday night turtle races that can be controversial for some.

Not controversial is Big Joe’s status as a classic Chicago corner neighborhood pub, the kind of place that welcomes a steady stream of locals, using yes, turtle races, as well as group Jeopardy watch parties each weekday to create the kind of camaraderie found almost exclusively at dive bars.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/big-joes-chicago-dive-bar/

20/10/2023

Northside Tavern - Atlanta
Perhaps the most visually appealing dive bar in Atlanta, Northside Tavern, just northwest of downtown, offers a perfect mix of neon, painted murals, cinder block walls and PBR-themed signage.

The visual appeal here is so pure that it should come as no surprise that movies have long used it as a filming location to soak in precisely the same vibe that makes it a fun Atlanta dive bar.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/northside-tavern-atlanta-dive-bar/

18/10/2023

Pilot Inn - Cincinnati
Looking every bit the part as 1937 Cincinnati dive bar classic, Pilot Inn is about as old-school as it gets, a dive bar mixed with a lunch counter that despite a handful of updates is easy to picture anchoring its neighborhood block since just after Prohibition.

As an added bonus, Pilot Inn sits in close proximity to another one of Cincinnati’s great dive bars, Edge Inn Tavern, creating an attractive one-two dive bar punch.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/pilot-inn-cincinnati-dive-bar/

16/10/2023

Chambers Room - Sacramento
Sacramento’s Chambers Room is a dive bar that balances a downtown address with an off-the-beaten path location, creating an urban dive bar oasis of sorts populated almost exclusively by locals and regulars.

Fresh artwork dots the walls, but the decorations here are as faded as the rug underfoot, a recipe for one of the divier drinking options in Sacramento.

Full review on site:
https://scoundrelsfieldguide.com/chambers-room-sacramento-dive-bar/

#916