Gas Lite, 2030 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, free popcorn, donât come on karaoke night, check your booth for vomit before seating, nuff said.
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Blipsyâs, 369 N. Western, LA, a few dozen old school video games and pinball machines, some of them work, jukebox, drinks are cheap, cash only, itâs decent.
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Toronado Pub, 547 Haight St. SF. Good selection of beer, a couple in the range of
Never had food from there, used to just grab a sausage from Rosamunde next door (since closed) and theyâd let you eat it there. Doubt thereâs any pinball / billiards amenities, just went for the beer.
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Thatâs a good call. Itâs been there a while.
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+1 my favorite dive in SF is Toronado, which also happens to be the best beer bar in the city. Cash only, jukebox in the back that has mostly metal 
. Rosamundeâs spot has been taken over by a former employee there and is now Berliner Berliner, also serving sausages and the like.
Also, back when I used to commute downtown regularly, Glen Park Station in Glen Park was a regular stop on the way back home. Not much of a beer selection but the drinks are cheap. Sometimes they had free hot dogs in a crock pot in the back.
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Good info about Berliner Berliner! Itâs been about a while since Iâve been to Toronado. Mmm, currywurst
I remember when I recommended Toronado to my beer-loving friend on a rainy night after watching a bizarre but rather great movie (an Estonian tragicomedy) at The Roxy; he was skeptical at first, but âIt Took the Night to Believeâ
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Are the Li Po, Buddha or Bow Bow on Grant still alive ? Anything else in Chinatown/near Chinatown apart from Mister Bings ?
I used to love the Saloon up the street from there.
Then a stagger from Bings to Vesuvios but something tells me Vesuvios is now pricy and different. Spot used to be cool.
I think theyâre still there. I used to visit Li Po after dinner and a few bars around the Mission, SOMA, and Union Square area (but not a ton of dive bars) and then end with late-night noodles at Sam Wo on Clay or New Sun Hong Kong on Broadway and Columbus/Grant. Saloon is good. Iâm not the go-to guy for SFâs bar scene now; I moved to LA for the most part and when Iâm in SF, itâs usually a pretty quick affair. Open to learning more about good dive bars aroudn the area; good thread idea!
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Yeah same here I happily call LA home now. I still have family in the Bay Area where I lived many years too and find myself there fairly often. I still remember what my drunkard friends at the Albion would preach namely that work is the curse of the drinking man. You need to work a lot less to drink in some places compared to others these days. And no matter how flush I may feel itâs just not in my DNA to drink 25 dollar cocktails or 200 dollar bottles of wine and like that. Give me a five dollar beer and shot special, a nice buzz and a twenty in my pocket for later any day. Thanks for participating Iâm learning about some new spots and about you fellow drinkers too. Cheers.
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You really captured the dive bar âflavorâ with this post! I especially liked the line about the âoasis of filthâ.
Wasnât Mr. Bingâs next to that place with the falling-apart green awning that said âWhere good friends and girls meetâ?
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Haha I donât remember that but I like it !
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The Living Room, 2636 Crenshaw, LA; usually time to leave when your drunken neighbor pics up the mic. Sometimes good tho ! Roll the dice. Security may drive the drink prices up a buck. Money well spent.
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Taxy Bar, 1403 W 3rd St LA, clearly designed for those that donât have a TV with antenna to watch sports or a something to hunch against and pass out. This homey establishment does have a beat up pool table and a refrigerator. Only canned and bottled beers. But this is a true hell hole. Enjoy it while you can.
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While not among this postâs obvious aficionado class, we can claim having a couple at possible candidates Yuppie Bar in San Mateo and Bill McNallyâs in Oakland.
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Rogerâs Exciting Tattle Tale Room, 5401 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, like the Drawing Room and a few others on this list, this musty spot opens at 6am. Settle in for some pool and strong drinks. I wonât tell - our little secret. Mask recommended.
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Cozy Inn, 11155 Washington Pl, Culver City, also opens at 6am, shuffleboard, pool, darts, jukebox. Bring your own food and purel.
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The Greatest, 13766 Inglewood Ave, Hawthorne, a lot has changed since Brian, Carl and Dennis grew up here. Have a $4 drink at 6am - good vibrations at the juke box.
Old Town Patio - on Richmond (south end of street) in El Segundo - great and cheap beer
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