SFG City Guide

Las Vegas Dive Bar Guide

Getting off the Strip is generally a good idea for sanity, for financial security and for dive bar hunting in a sneaky good city to do so.

A Few Counterpoints To Walking The Vegas Strip

Sometimes dive bars are the hidden gems to be found in cities that might slip under the radar, a place where the entertainment options may not be obvious and the local institutions a bit obscured from view. Las Vegas is not that place. The city is flush with dive bars, high end cocktail bars and every possible alcohol environment in between. But still, there are a few icons that stand out in a city full of them.

Atomic Liquors is the logical place to start, the oldest free-standing bar in the city and holder of Las Vegas liquor permit No. 1. Opened as a café in 1945, Atomic Liquors was christened under its current name in 1952, a symptom of the growing revenue from alcohol. A haunt for local celebrities over the years, crowds initially formed thanks to the convenient rooftop view of mushroom clouds thanks to atomic testing at the Nevada Test Site 65 miles away.

On the opposite end of the spectrum sits Double Down Saloon, a punk rock dive bar home to live music, an absolute explosion of graffiti and a signature shot called Ass Juice served in a small porcelain toilet bowl shot glass. Development has grown in the direction of Double Down Saloon, making it less of an outpost than it once was, but the desolate, edge-of-the-city vibe is still alive and well.

And somewhere in between sits Frankie’s Tiki Room, sharing an owner with the Double Down Saloon and currently holding the flag for tiki bars in Vegas. The love story between Las Vegas and its tiki bars has seen ups and downs over the years, but Frankie’s upholds the tradition well, a white building with a half moon entrance that bursts into grass hut & carving-infused life inside.

Dive bars compete with countless other options in Las Vegas, but a good dose of reality somewhere away from the Strip is always a good idea when in town. These dive bars provide a bit of that reality check, even if it too is wrapped in a bit of Vegas bubble wrap, from the 24/7 hours to the marquee often out front to the video poker machines at the bar (not a bad thing).

Las Vegas Dive Bar Map

Quick Links

Reviewed Dive Bars

Recommended Not Yet Reviewed Dive Bars

Other Dive Bar Recommendations

Reviewed Las Vegas Dive Bars

SFG Rating

10

Double Down Saloon

Las Vegas, Nevada

24/7 punk music dive.

SFG Rating

10

Frankie's Tiki Room

Las Vegas, Nevada

Perfect Vegas dive-tiki hybrid.

SFG Rating

9

Red Dwarf

Las Vegas, Nevada

Pizza-fueled Vegas tiki.

SFG Rating

8

Dino's Lounge

Las Vegas, Nevada

1962 Vegas karaoke original.

SFG Rating

8

The Dive Bar

Las Vegas, Nevada

Sticker-covered punk dive.

SFG Rating

7

Rustic Lounge

Henderson, Nevada

Rustic Henderson bar outpost.

SFG Rating

7

Gold Mine Tavern

Henderson, Nevada

Water Street Henderson anchor.

SFG Rating

7

Atomic Liquors

Las Vegas, Nevada

For that mushroom cloud view.

SFG Rating

7

Maxx's Food and Drink

Boulder City, Nevada

Roadside motel-bar combo.

SFG Rating

4

Hogs & Heifers Saloon

Las Vegas, Nevada

More theme bar than dive.

SFG Rating

10

Rusty Spur Saloon

Las Vegas, Nevada

Silver unicorn outskirts dive.

We have not had the great pleasure of getting to every possible dive bar (life goals), so inevitably there are great bars that we simply haven't been able to get to yet. The list below includes noteworthy dive bars that by all accounts look amazing but do not have a review associated with them just yet.

Dispensary Lounge

2451 E Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89121

(702) 736-2101

Golden Tiki

3939 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89102

(702) 222-3196

Hard Hat Lounge

1675 S Industrial Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89102

(702) 384-8987

Huntridge Tavern

1116 E Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104

(702) 384-7377

Moondoggies Bar

3240 Arville St, Las Vegas, NV 89102

(702) 368-4180

Silver Stamp

222 E Imperial Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89104

(702) 970-6457

Stage Door Casino

4000 Linq Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89109

(702) 733-0124

Mountain Springs Saloon

19050 NV-160, Las Vegas, NV 89161

17028754266

Other Divey Drinking Options

The bars listed here are the best of the rest, great local drinking options that may not quite be classified as must-visit dive bar destinations (in our rudimentary estimation). There is no doubt a hidden gem or five in the list below. Happy hunting.

4 Mile Bar

3650 Boulder Hwy, Las Vegas, NV 89121

(702) 431-6936

Badlands Las Vegas

953 E Sahara Ave #22B, Las Vegas, NV 89104

(702) 792-9262

Blue Ox Central

6000 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89119

(702) 795-8795

C.D.'s Sports Bar

3025 E Desert Inn Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89121

(702) 731-0131

Decatur Package Liquor & Cocktails

546 S Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89107

(702) 877-0641

Four Kegs Sports Pub

276 N Jones Blvd # B, Las Vegas, NV 89107

(702) 870-0255

Fun Hog Ranch

495 E Twain Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89169

(702) 791-4040

Rush Hour Tavern

3985 E Sunset Rd #A, Las Vegas, NV 89120

(702) 433-6622

Stray Pirate

1321 S Commerce St, Las Vegas, NV 89102

(702) 473-5188

Tap House

5589 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89146

(702) 870-2111

Aztec Inn

2200 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104

17028254920

Island Bar & Grill

2660 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89104

17027371966

Jake's Bar

2301 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89104

(702) 457-0053

Nearby Cities to Explore

Death Valley

Top Rated Dives

5 Dive Bars

Denver

Top Rated Dives

40 Dive Bars

Los Angeles

3 Top Rated Dives

51 Dive Bars

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What did we miss? Where should we go? We'd love to hear your ideas, your favorite spots, your profound disappointments and anything in between.


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