Analysis
We received a couple dozen responses to our dive-bar poll, half of which eschewed the whole concept — “We never go to a dive bar in Las Vegas. I think that is something for the younger generation!” And “Too distracting for good video poker play.” And “We stay on the Strip and don't go near dive bars!”
Several respondents wondered, in fact, what exactly a dive bar might be. Fair enough: A dive bar is a colloquial American term for a bar or pub that, traditionally, was considered run down, of ill-repute, a nuisance to the police and public, even sinister and dangerous.
These days, including in our poll and the context of Eating Las Vegas, it’s more just a neighborhood place, where local residents and adventurous visitors gather to drink and socialize. We love the poll response that summed it up this way: “Everything you could ask for in a dark bar on a sunny day.”
Either way, dive bars are proud to be known as such.
As we said, half of the poll respondents do frequent these places. One even received two “other” votes: Hogs and Heifers downtown. “Female bartenders dancing on the bar ... my kind of place.” And “How in the world did you forget to include downtown's Hogs And Heifers, with their cussing bartop-dancing servers?! They even have their own theme song and music video, "Screw You, We Drink at Hogs."
There was also one vote for the Fun Hog Ranch on Twain near Paradise. “Huge cheap drinks. Lots of buy-one get-one-free all day. Great bartenders.”
Here are the best of the “other” mentions.
“Sporting Life. I got a free lunch and won money! Even after leaving a great tip!”
“Calico Jacks on West Charleston. Great staff, good bar grub, heavy-handed drinks. Everything you could ask for in a dark bar on a sunny day.”
“Hitching post Saloon. Hands down.”
“Gold Spike. Not sure it is considered a dive bar, but it sure looks like one.”
“Office Bar, Paradise & Naples.”
“Tap House!”
“Not really dive bars at all. "Dive-in" restaurants: The Peppermill Hash House @ The Linq Carnegie's Deli (their $25 sandwiches feed 2-3). Ping-Pang-Pong (Peking duck to-die-for). I think we need to get near The Strat and downtown more often for "real dives"! Musings on "Cheapo" Vegas boozing from 15-yr. "Tourists": The Casino Drink Girls are far cheaper than a Dive Bar. Baileys and Irish coffee for breakfast. Nothing beats an ice-cold $1 Corona in Vegas at the machines! I get "all the boys" (name-brand whiskies) at the nicer casinos. The girls like to bring me Sunrises too. The Mrs. likes Dirty Vodka martinis. We hardly drink at all at home, by comparison! We would lose our livers if we lived there!”
Finally, one wag seemed to nail the whole dive-bar concept on the nose with a slightly disparaging comment on the poll itself: “By my definition, a dive bar ain't gonna appear on no stinkin’ ‘Best of’ list.”
