New Jersey Dive Bar Guide

Like most of the East Coast, New Jersey strikes a balance between large cities with urban-style dives mixed with an endless expanse of small but mostly ancient communities with their own classic corner dives. New Jersey is perhaps unique in a sense because it does see some population concentration around the warm ambiance of New York City, but the rest of the state is fairly dispersed, making this more a strung together chain of dives rather than a handful of big city visits to knock out the best Jersey has to offer.

Our recommendations below demonstrate the phenomenon, Tom’s Tavern in Farmingdale a considerable distance from the equally alluring Hudson House Bar in Beach Haven. These may not be household names as far as vacation destinations, but they’re emblematic of the New Jersey dive bar vibe, a handful of excellent options found in bursts throughout the state. 

The shore of course provides its own sort of magnetism, local vacation destinations always good for a particularly slippery late night dive or two. But equally strong is the siren song of New York City and perhaps New Jersey’s most well-documented dive basks in its glow, Great Notch Inn in Woodland Park. 

Admittedly, we have some work to do to fill in the gaps in the map that hide untold drinking options. In the meantime, our best statewide New Jersey dive bar recommendations can be found below.