The Most Scrumptious Dive Bars in San Antonio

Shady Lady Saloon

★★★★☆ 4.4 (15) • $$

"Great neighborhood bar. Not pricey. Staff and patrons here are friendly. They have screens inside and out on the patio with another bat outside. Live music on the weekends. They also have steak nights. Pool tables. Jukebox as well."

The Mix

★★★★☆ 3.7 (80) • $

"Once upon a time about two or three years ago, the mix was a older establishment with a punk rock feeling to it, where you could sit on old chairs and tables and couches and be content with cheap alcohol. Fast forward to now and you can still get the same alcohol, but in a nicer fresher, more hip atmosphere. Don't worry music still plays here and the same people still show up drinking, just stop boy to enjoy the music, drinks and nightlife on North St. Mary's and of the OG bars."

Zombies

★★★★☆ 4.2 (69) • $

"If you're a fan of dismembered limbs for decór and metal music, I've found your haven. For all the rest of us, this is still a pretty cool spot. I've been to Zombies a handful of times by now and I'm a fan. Its dark, low lit, and just a hair above your average dive bar ambiance-wise, but you CANNOT beat the drink specials. Ladies night (Wednesday) features Dos X for $1.50 (among a few others), there are shot specials every night, and if the jukebox isn't blasting there's normally live music or karaoke keeping everyone's heads bobbin. One of the owner's name is Toni, a neat lady who's either slinging drinks behind the bar or mingling with the guests. She introduced my group to a 'warm apple pie' cocktail that literally tasted like a slice of apple pie (even topped with whipped cream) and it might be my favorite thing ever. The bartenders are great, the other guests have always been friendly, I'll never turn down an invite to Zombies."

Bond's 007 Rock Bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 (47) • $

"Do you like Metal? ... If that answer is Yes!... then head to Bonds 007 Rock Bar every chance you can get!Great Jukebox always rockingLive Music upstairs on Weekends& Free Popcorn!Great dive bar downtown along the Riverwalk... but you won't find it in the heart of the city... head north just a bit... right next door to Korova night club."

The Base Line

★★★★☆ 4.3 (44) • $

"Found this place by chance and it's off the beaten path. First of all. I knew nothing about this bar but apparently I know more than ever now. It's out of the way but trust me it's so worth it. The drinks are on point and Heather is a GEM. I've been here a few times and every single time I'm glad I came. If your looking for a place you can unwind and relax with a stiff drink. This. Is. Your. Place. I read the other reviews and trust me. You won't regret it. It's perfect. Unwind. Sit back and relax. You will make this go to place."

El Luchador Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (62) • $

"The experience was great. The bar was very nostalgic and brought back memories of wrestling and wrestlers.Go visit and have a good time!"

Whiskey Smith

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (42) • $

"Whiskeys has been around for many years. I used to frequent this place regularly in my early 20s. They are famous for their Long Island ice teas. For $6 you get a small pitcher. Those pitchers full of Long Island ice tea ads fun, but dangerous. By the time you know it, you've had three. Walking in for the first time in 15 years, I was taken back to many moons ago. The place has not changed much. They even still have the one stall ladies room. They still have great prices on their drinks. You can get a beer and a shot for under $5. That's unheard of in most places. If you want a snack, not to worry. They have complimentary popcorn and a candy bowl you can raid. Now don't confuse this place with an upscale bar. It's what you would call a hole in the wall, but it is a nice, laid back place to enjoy a few cold ones with friends."

Club Sirius

★★★★☆ 3.8 (86) • $

"Definitely a dive, came in Friday day and the crowd was not it, left because a guy was being rude and super overly sexual to everyone there, obviously wasted. Went back with a large group later and it was much better, the pickle shots are the best!! Also did the CHUPACABRA!"

Fiasco Cocktails & Sports Bar

★★★★☆ 3.9 (39) • $$

"Great place to hang out. They have upgraded their televisions, added more screens, took out a pool table, left a pool table, and increased seating. New owners are adding value to their establishment by increasing seating and televisions but keeping the neighborhood pub feel. Well done, Jessica! Y'all rock!!"

The Crazy Ape

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (20) • $

"Went to Crazy Ape for a quick morning Bloody Mary when trying to cure a hangover. Our bartender was friendly in that sort of "I take no shit" kind of way. Lol, best way I know how to describe it. The drinks were fantastic. I ordered mine extra spicy and it was perfect. Literally took away my headache. When we got there there was only one other person in the bar but quickly, over the course of our one drink, there were suddenly 5 other people. Also, keep in mind that this was probably around 10:30am..... they open at 7am. Look, don't judge me, it was my first day off in 2 months and I was not driving. Thanks Lyft! Anyway, people were friendly, some of the regulars greeted us and the bartender was attentive, plus the drinks were fantastic. I loved the feel of the place and the vibe of the bar. Apparently it's owned by the same person that owns one of my other favorite bars. You can't go wrong here. We will definitely be back."

Charlie Brown's Neighborhood Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (223) • $$

"If I could give it more stars I would, this place is phenomenal ! Pricey, but you're getting what you paid for. Atmosphere is great, very inviting. The food was freakin delicious, me and my family cleaned our plates. Philly cheesesteaks for them and I got a pizza steak, so cheesy. My brother got beer on the house, they're generous with the sizes of margs beers and fountain drinks, so crisp. And the sweet potato fries are some of the best I've had. I'll definitely be returning and trying out more of what they have to offer"

Martini Ranch

★★★★☆ 4 (10) • $

"Martini Ranch is hooked up. There is great parking with a ton of stuff going on inside! I suppose every night is different with bands, dart competitions, fundraisers, BBQs, you name it, something cool is happening here. I enjoy the horse shoe bar design as well as a front porch and back porch for smokers. There were plenty of interesting people to watch, so I will definitely come back to scout them out in the future."

Fizz Bar

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (29) • $

"A very cool little neighborhood dive bar. Very laidback. Friendly and attentive bartender. Strong cheap drinks. A very nice place to relax with friends and enjoy some adult beverages. A very nice place for a low key evening of relaxation."

Safe House Drinkery

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (25) • $$

"If you're looking for a dive bar without the risk of getting shanked, you should probably stop in here. Now that San Antonio passed the "no you can't smoke inside any of our bars" law this place is more tolerable. They just added a little outdoor seating for those of you who can't go out without lighting up, so don't worry.Formerly (and affectionately) known as The Stinkery, they've got pool, darts, and a bar (with alcohol). And some seating and music for us high-maintenance types.If you're lucky you'll find Wendy or Nicole behind the bar. This is a good place to stop in after work if you're in the medical center, but don't expect anything fancy."

The Silver Fox

★★★★☆ 3.9 (43) • $$

"I have to start by saying I'm a bit bias. This is like my neighborhood hangout and when you get to know the crew working there you know they are there to serve and make sure you have an enjoyable time. Thron my unbiased opinion, they have some remodeling that can be done without messing with the neighborhood ambiance. I love that you can play music you like on the jukebox through an app on your phone and if you'd like to play darts, pool, or corn hole it's there for you. The bar has enough TVs spread around that you can catch any game or laugh at Chive TV. Best of all is there steak night on Mondays! A deal with a loaded potato you can't pass up!"

Alibis' Sports & Spirits

★★★★☆ 4 (70) • $

"I love the 1 star reviews.The jukebox was screaming profanity? Pit money in the jukebox and change the song or shut the fuck up. The bartender ignored you? Be patient. Shit gets busy. Tip better. Build a relationship. It's a dive bar not Rainforest Cafe honey. Best hidden gem of San Antonio hands down. Don't change. Your shit is on point."

Texas T Pub

★★★★☆ 4.2 (48) • $

"We came in here on a whim. We wanted a local dive bar and we found it! Y'all, this place is where you need to be! The drinks are good, strong and affordable. Adela, one of the owners, was PRECIOUS!! We can't wait to head back down to SA and visit again!! Cool, cool place!!!!"

Serna's Backyard

★★★★☆ 3.7 (46) • $

"The bar is cool. Parking sucks. Limited access for the band to access the stage with the over-growth by the gate."

Deol Bar & Grill

★★★☆☆ 3 (72) • $

"I don't think I've ever had a bad experience at this bar. This is my favorite dive bar, probably only dive bar, in my neighborhood. The drinks are low cost and makes it easy on the wallet to order a double. During the day the vibe is super chill and you can mostly have the whole jukebox to yourself. Day time is for the grown and sexy and night time is for young and messy! The bartenders do remember you if you become a regular and they have amazing customer service.Follow me on TikTok and Instagram: @KrisPBacon210"

The Bang Bang Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (208) • $$

"I love the atmosphere of this place! There is such beautiful antique and vintage decor all over. There are plenty of places to sit and a nice arcade room inside. The drinks are also very reasonably priced and well made. The bartender was very nice and fast making drinks. I will's definitely be back."

Goofy's Bar and Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (115) • $$

"We have been in several times over the past few weeks. Here's what I think. First and foremost, the service is great. Super friendly folks who are laid back enough to make us feel like we can come in and de-compress during our lunch break. We have not liked every single thing we have ordered here, but that's an US issue and we just don't order those things again. We do like the taco salad and the Philly very much tho. Their ABLT is delicious! The Blue Balls are really good. I can't speak on the drinks, as we just order water due to the heat. The beers look cold tho... We don't have an issue with the prices. If you get "bad service" here then you are probably having a bad day and it's showing. We have had nothing but a pleasant experience, every time!! They were even super kid friendly and did everything they could to please our little picky eaters one evening. 100* for sure!"

Cullum's Attagirl

★★★★☆ 4.1 (599) • $$

"Not your typical wing spot, but in a good way??? Wings are pretty big and they usually have a rotating wing flavor which is good and bad if you find a flavor you like and want to try at another time. The thyme fries were also pretty good but a tad too greasy imo. Good selection of craft beer & a couple of wines on the menu as well. It's a nice little spot off the St. Mary's strip! I like to sit on the patio and enjoy the neighborhood kitties that are roaming around. If you don't like cats, maybe sit inside :-)"

Faust Tavern

★★★★☆ 4.1 (84) • $

"Faust is scary in a good way. It has a demonic theme with lots of spooky kitchy decor, and metal is constantly playing. If you're not into those things, I'd stay away. If you're into those things (or at least amused enough to tolerate them while you drink), you should go!A couple of things have changed in the last year or so. The *excellent* southern style food is no longer there. Now, it's just a place to get cheap cocktails and other inexpensive drinks. Also, the drink prices have gone up a little. The $5 cocktails are now $7 cocktails, but they're still really nicely done. No fancy glasses, of course.Even though the music and vibe are spooky, the people tend to be less creepy than at your average bar. People aren't really there to hit on strangers or make a scene. Everyone's laid back. The only weird variable is what will be playing on the TV when you come into the bar area. Sometimes it's been goofy cartoons that look hilarious while playing alongside metal. Sometimes it's been a gory horror film that I really didn't need to see. (For real, Faust, I know it's a metal bar, but I think that we could stand to dial down the violence these days.) That's only been on a random weeknight when few people are there though. I'm just warning you in case you scare easily!One of my favorite things about Faust is that you can go around to the back of the building, where a row of tables are set up next to twinkling lights. It's (dare I say?) rather romantic."

Twenty Grand

★★★★☆ 3.5 (17) • $

"Let's put it out there from the beginning. This is a 100% dive bar. That being said, there's nothing wrong with that and this place is awesome. The customers and staff are extremely friendly and just there to have a good time. Everyone is non-judgmental and it just has a happy vibe. There is a jukebox, pool table and darts. They have a nightly poker tournament and on-demand karaoke from 10-2 every night. There were multiple drink specials. I left with a bill of about $30 for multiple double vodka drinks. I definitely enjoyed my experience and I look forward to having another great night there soon."

Hidden Tavern

★★★★☆ 4.1 (60) • $

"This place is a keeper y'all! They have been around for 15 years now and 15 years in my book = perfection. Why have I never heard of this place before???We went on a Saturday night (I think, lol) and it just happened to be their 15th anniversary party.Beer and drinks were cheap, and I heard a rumor that the drinks were pretty stiff.They had Karaoke (of which I did not partake) and a side area with 3 or 4 pool tables.There were 8-10 of us (I might have been seeing double, so don't quote me on that) and we were able to all sit together.It did get busier as the night wore on, but it was not crowded at all. It's a dive bar and I respect it for that, the only thing keeping them from five stars as a dive bar is that they only had two bartenders and only one bar back that occasionally showed up. This meant we were standing in line for refills for a bit longer than we wanted. They really were busy."

Boozehounds

★★★★☆ 3.6 (27) • $$

"Great dive bar, fun crowd.3 or 4 pool tables in good shape.It's a full bar with about a dozen tap beers, most are the domestic big brands but they do have a couple of the usual regional microbrews and Dos Equis on draft. There are more cold brews in cans and bottles.It's really a fun place to hang out, and it comes complete with the usual interesting cast of dive bar clientelle."

Coco Beach

★★★★☆ 3.8 (25) • $$

"Best bar in town. Bartenders are great, drinks are great, & ambiance is great. Great pop up food trucks. Come and show some love."

Thursty Turtle

★★★☆☆ 3 (45) • $

"Great neighborhood spot! Very friendly staff and just a real good time. If you're looking for a great space for afternoon drinks, look no further. No frills just authentic friendliness!"