New York is full of bars for all types of drinkers. Whether you're looking for a glass of rare scotch, a Sex-and-the-City inspired Cosmopolitan, a spicy margarita, or even a Manhattan, because hey, when in Rome, New York has got you covered. What can be a bit more difficult to find, however, is a great New York dive bar. New York is notoriously expensive, but drinking here does not have to be. Here are ten great dive bars where you're bound to meet many characters, drink a lot of booze, and not break the bank while doing so.
10 Luckydog
On the extremely popular Bedford Avenue in the extremely popular neighborhood of Williamsburg, it can feel like you're in an extension of Manhattan instead of in the next borough over. However, a dark little bar paired with a jukebox and a wide open backyard might be the trick to remove you from this gentrified neighborhood. Luckydog is a bar located on Bedford Ave, between S 1st and S 2nd St. They still offer up a beer and a shot deal (miller hi-life and a whiskey), and their famous pint-sized margaritas are so potent that two will surely do the trick. The best part of Luckydog is, as the name suggests, it's dog-friendly, so if you don't have a pooch of your own to bring, you're bound to make some animal friends.
- Located at: 303 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
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9 Do Or Dive
Sister bar to Luckydog in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant is Do or Dive. Do or Dive is another great dive in Brooklyn if the name didn't already give that away. Converse with one of the many regulars as you sip on $3 PBR, and don't forget to tip your bartender. Do or Dive, like Luckydog, is also pooch-friendly.
- Located at: 1108 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216
8 Sunny's
Drinking At Sunny's. Photo: Rebecca Hattery-Khan
A favorite by many famous New Yorkers, including the late Anthony Bourdain, is Sunny's, a hole-in-the-wall of the somewhat pretentious neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Sunny's is a true gem. It's a cash-only establishment, offering up cheap pints and occasional live music. Their website says it best: "Through human evolution, we’ve gotten really great at a lot of things. Building crazy tall buildings, flying airplanes around the world. Isn’t it curious, then, that we still crave the same love they did hundreds of years ago? That pain still hurts so much? We are going through the journey of life. It’s nice to sit down on a bar stool and talk to somebody."
- Located at: 507 E 5th St, New York, NY 10009
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7 Rudy's Bar & Grill
Rudys
Are you stuck in midtown Manhattan, close to Times Square, unable to find a beverage below $20 that isn't a Cosmopolitan? What's a person got to do to get a beer around here? Insert Rudy's Bar & Grill, the saving grace for folks looking to drink on a budget in overpriced touristic Times Square and Hell's Kitchen. What's great about Rudy's is not only the crowd of rowdy regulars and sassy bartenders but the fact that you can get a free hotdog with each drink. There's nothing divier than that.
- Located at: 627 9th Ave, Manhattan, NY 10036
6 Doc Holiday's
Doc Holiday's lets you know exactly what you're in for as soon as you walk in the door. Signs line the wall like "Rule #1- Bartender is always right. Rule #2- If Bartender is wrong, see Rule #1" and "If you look under 75, be prepared to show ID" are just a few that let customers know what to expect. This bar thrives off of sass, the typical attitude you'd expect from a bitter New York bartender. Don't take it personally; it's part of its charm, after all.
- Located at: 141 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
5 Sophie's
Another bar favored by the late Anthony Bourdain is featured in his "Disappearing Manhattan" episode of No Reservations: Sophie's in Manhattan's East Village. Bourdain references the fact that dive bars are a disappearing commodity in New York and that it's hard to find a place to just sit at a bar in mid-afternoon and grab a pint. Well, Sophie's will have you covered. Sophie's remains one of the best gems in Manhattan; it's the epitome of a no-frills establishment, providing exactly what it's there for cheap booze.
- Located at: 507 E 5th St, New York, NY 10009
4 Trailer Park Lounge
Looking for something with a bit of a theme? Trailer Park Lounge on W 23rd St is sure to do the trick. It looks exactly as it sounds, like a trailer park. It's loaded with street and road signs, vintage Coca-Cola signs, and Christmas lights year-round. Drinks are served either as they come, in cans and pints or in quirky mason jars decorated with flamingo straws. They also serve up food like burgers, nachos, hotdogs, and chili.
- Located at: 271 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
3 The Punch Bowl
Located in the Bronx, The Punch Bowl provides a great dive bar option if you find yourself uptown. The unsuspecting brick building ladled with an American flag and a simple sign that reads "The Punch Bowl" will have you questioning if this is a bar or an accounting office, but when you walk in, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find it is indeed a bar. With eight beers on draft and a fairly simple, straightforward approach, The Punch Bowl takes no-frills to new levels.
- Located at: 5820 Broadway, The Bronx, NY 10463
2 The Jar Bar
Sunnyside is a neighborhood in Queens that has been booming in popularity in recent years. More affordable than its sister neighborhoods of Long Island City and Astoria, it's no wonder so many people have been flocking to move here. The issue with so many newcomers is a lot of the neighborhood's charms are being priced out. Insert The Jar Bar, a fantastic unpretentious dive bar in the midst of the gentrifiers. With an open patio, The Jar Bar is, according to a recent Google review, both dog and cat-friendly, though don't quote us. Stay busy with a pinball machine or finding the owner and striking up a conversation. Any night at The Jar Bar is going to be a memorable one, despite how many drinks you might throw back.
- Located at: 45-06 48th Ave, Queens, NY 11377
1 Jimmy's Corner
There are so many dive bars in New York, but none quite compare to Jimmy's Corner. Jimmy's Corner is located in the Theatre District, besides many Irish pubs and Michelin-Star restaurants. Its blue awning will lead you into a tiny bar that is almost always packed. Owner Jimmy Glenn was a boxer before opening this fine establishment, so his friends and family had a place to drink. He could often be found hanging around, chatting up with patrons, but sadly, in 2020, he passed away from complications due to the Coronavirus at the age of 89. Jimmy's legacy lives on at Jimmy's corner in the name of canned beer and shots of whiskey. It's only right you pay homage to him by visiting this long-loved classic New York dive bar.
- Located at: 140 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036
