A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style

drinking establishment A drinking establishment is a business whose primary function is the serving of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. Some establishments may also serve food, or have entertainment, but their main purpose is to serve alcoholic bev ...

with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and local clientele. The precise definition of a dive bar is rarely agreed on, and is the subject of spirited debates. The term ''dive'' was first used in the press in the U.S. in 1880s to describe disreputable places that were often in basements into which one "dives below". A dive bar may also be known as "brown bars" or "brown pubs" in parts of Western Europe and Northern Europe, for example ''brun bar'' or ''brun pub'' in Norway.

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Once considered a pejorative term, "dive bar" has more recently become a badge of distinction from patrons who seek authenticity in such establishments. Devotees may describe a bar as "very divey" or "not divey" and compose rating scales of "divey-ness". One such devotee is Steve Vensen, founder of a California group called the DBC (Dive Bar Conoisseurs) who says, "Every dive bar is like a snowflake: diverse and unique. . . you always get local subculture and every time is an adventure." Author Todd Dayton offers the following: "Dives ive barsare like

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: hard to define but you know it when you see it". As to what distinguishes a dive bar from an ordinary bar, Dayton stated in 2004: Dive bars adhere to the minimal effort needed to provide guests with drinks; i.e., they typically do not advertise, provide parking, or have fancy signage. Dive bars are not known for their food. They often do not serve food beyond pretzels and snacks. For example, in 2018 a visitor to a well-known

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

dive bar reported seeing a hand-written menu taped to the refrigerator, listing only pork rinds, popcorn, peanuts, and microwaved

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s (US $1). Bathrooms in dive bars are notoriously shabby and may have a shower curtain instead of a door on the toilet stall. Authentic dive bars are usually "cash only" establishments, and would probably not feature computerized registers. The owner or a family member of theirs is often working the bar. Dive bars usually have a clientele from all walks of life, including some locals who have been drinking there for decades. During the

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of the early 2020s, U.S. cities closed down bars and food service establishments, and many dive bar owners made repairs and cleaned up while they were closed down. Rick Dobbs, author of the 2019 book ''Local Spirit: Neighborhood Bars of Orleans Parish'', said, "A dive can absolutely be cleaned up but still be a dive... it's the character and spirit of the space that counts".

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