Any bar with a concoction labeled Ass Juice as its signature shot needs no additional justification to be labeled a great dive bar. But Las Vegas’ Double Down Saloon makes a case for not just best dive bar in an entertainment-heavy city but also best dive bar in America, such is the explosion of stickers, graffiti and overall atmosphere. Opened in 1992, Double Down Saloon’s location was once fairly solitary by Las Vegas standards, early business a bit light leading to a consideration to sell the furniture to keep the lights on.
After a series of hotly-attended live music nights, Double Down Saloon doubled down on the punk rock vibe that holds true today, saving the bar and giving it a lifeblood that has let it grow and evolve over the years. The Las Vegas dive bar is open 24/7, a banner inscribed with “The Happiest Place on Earth” hanging above the door. The bar’s famous Ass Juice shot has no set recipe, only the requirement that it be fruity and look a little weird as it’s poured into a porcelain toilet shot glass. Owner P Moss went home one night with an idea to concoct a second signature drink involving bacon, coming back the next day with what was likely the country’s first bacon martini, today another bar staple.
Inside, even by dive bar standards the graffiti game is intense, the bathroom probably the standard all other dive bar bathrooms aspire to achieve. B movies and other oddities are displayed on the TVs above the bar, adding to the vibe. All comers are welcome, as evidenced by a long defunct theme night, Toothless Tuesdays, providing a free beer to anyone missing a tooth. As too many patrons qualified, the rules were changed a handful of times before the idea had to shelved due to too much free beer provided. The Las Vegas dive bar’s success spawned a cousin bar in New York City with a similar aesthetic.
