Richmond Dive Bar Guide

Divey Food Spot Stronghold

Matching Richmond’s laid back vibe, the city’s dive bar inventory runs a little more polished than usual thanks to a seeming specialty in hybrid corner restaurants that run just slightly on the divey side. Richmond is a comfortable town populated with these cozy options to yes, definitely grab a High Life, but also get an above average burger too.

Bamboo Cafe, Joe’s Inn and others circle Richmond’s downtown core providing exactly that experience, dimly lit surroundings hiding a not-quite-polished but not-quite-dive-bar interior. A distinct lack of grime is really nothing to hold against a good neighborhood hub and Richmond is filled with options that hit that attractive sweet spot.

Anchoring the opposite end of that spectrum is The Locker Room Bar, the city’s most popular answer to the question of best local dive bar thanks to a long history and legacy status that permits smoking on the premises. Still divey but without quite the same reputation, Rose Marie Inn on the fringes of the city lives up to its slogan of “where friends meet” thanks to a low key atmosphere and sprawling strip mall patio.

Dive bars are so often a reflection of the city they sit in and Richmond’s collection is no exception, most of them dangerously close to ranking as “too nice” to be on this list but offering an authentic spot to grab a beer all the same.

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