Went here on a Saturday night and had a blast! We can't believe we have never been here before. It's everything you could want in a dive bar: cheap drinks, dark room, live Dj, and great crowd. The bartenders were super awesome and they had specials running all night for a variety of drinks. Remember to bring cash as they don't take cards! read more

Bikini: Where everybody knows your face. Or they should know it if you go there twice or thrice a week on average. And why shouldn't you? It's practically a tropical island oasis with flowing pitchers of delicious, cold, golden Blue Moon. Or Bud, Hein, or Pabst...if you're crazy like that. They painted th bathrooms recently. There are always christmas lights twinkling in the eyes of the goddesses behind the bar. Aloha. read more

This place is old school to the point that the school needs to be rebuilt... I think the crowd here on certain nights might be great, but the place itself is just too rundown. We visited on a Sunday night and were disappointed after all the positive reviews I've read. This Bikini is dirty, old, and stinky. read more

Not long ago the stretch of Grand Avenue between 7th and 15th Avenues reminded me of the street scenes in "Escape from New York" and I honestly expected to find Kurt Russel and Issaac Hayes locked into some sort of badly choreographed brawl down any one of the many dark alleys that I wound my way past. Back in the infancy of First Fridays, in a time when places named "Paper Heart Gallery" and "Emerald Lounge" still stuck heavily to my tongue the walk from Paper Heart to Trunk Space was a treacherous one. While I could easily ignore and step over the stained winos sleeping openly on the streets, I had to always keep one eye on the tweekers and crackheads that roamed like packs of feral wolves just across the street. Like many longtime suburb dwellers I was scared shitless of the big bad city of Phoenix and rarely journeyed beyond the confines of my east valley enclave. That all changed one faithful night as I gawked at real live transvestite hookers sipping from brown paper bags in front of Henry Co. Liquor and calling to me suggestively a voice at my side quietly said, "gentlemen welcome to Bikini Lounge." Moving back to the here and now Grand Avenue between the 7th and 15th Avenues sports a few less roaming packs of drug addicts and a few less homeless people; the biggest change is not being able to throw a rock without hitting some kind of art gallery and the reclamation of the surrounding civilian dwellings that line the area. While those not familiar with the area, the change in this area compared to my first cognizant adult memories is nothing short of astounding. The pair of venues in this area that helped kindle my current love affair are mere ghosts and only a blasphemous abomination called "Sidebar" now merrily resting on the corpse of my beloved Emerald Lounge remains as a marker to remind me of my days of poetry slams and obscure local bands. Which of course is why I feel...nay must share with you the institution that is the Bikini Lounge. In the decade since I've been randomly patronizing this stretch of Grand Avenue nothing about the Bikini Lounge's physical self has changed. The infrequently used liquor bottles behind the bar have never been dusted, the bathrooms have never been updated, the booths may have been reupholstered but I assure you the worn down springs are still the exact same I first placed my ass so long ago. The bartenders might have changed but to be honest I wouldn't ever have noticed as I never go to Bikini for a craft cocktail and the bartenders are all the same basic caricatures; you'd never call them pretty and you're not going to comment on their snappy attire but you will order pitcher after pitcher of PBR from them and they will serve it to you with honest efficiency and no frills. Bikini lounge is the epitome of a dive bar; the bathrooms (even when clean) are disgusting and smell of urine, the décor is vaguely matched to the name, there are hand written "86'd" notes behind the bar, there's a used pool table off to one side and if the lights weren't always turned down to nearly pitch black darkness you could probably spot nicotine stains on the walls and ceilings from the glory days when you could simultaneously destroy your liver and lungs without ever moving from your bar stool. To this day I still can't recall if they take plastic cards for payment so I always roll with cash just to make sure. The Bikini Lounge has done what so many other venues on Grand Avenue could never accomplish (besides the afore mentioned Henry Liquor Co); it has survived. And no matter how grossed out I am by the restrooms or how vexed I become at having to carry cash I will always find my way back to Bikini; not because I like the place or because I even really enjoy my time there but because it is now one of the longest standing hipster spots in the hipster scene and, sometimes dear reader, I like to be seen. My social anxiety often keeps me from enjoying the DJ's and packed weekend nights and the throngs of good looking twenty-something's often make me want to shriek "get the fuck off my lawn" but even after the DJ's stop playing and the suburban hipsters adopt some other dive bar destination to be their scenster mecca, the nostalgia and knowledge that I will always be able to get a pitcher of PBR and that the Bikini Lounge will never, ever change will bring me here time and again...if only for the Snake Plissken memories and the cat calls from the transvestite hookers. I love you Grand Avenue; please don't ever let Bikini Lounge die. read more

Things that might happen at Bikini Lounge: You might watch your friends dance with a bum in front of the juke box. You might drink far too many pitchers of PBR. You might throw a fit when you realize it is cash only. The Bikini Lounge is quite possibly the crappiest place known to man. I mean it's in a shitty neighborhood where you might die, doesn't take credit cards, and has only bags of chips for food. So why do I keep going back? because eventful things happen here. Don't go if you want to have a quiet night with a couple of friends and go home and go to bed. Go here if you want to show up to a bar full of low lifes, order pitchers of PBR until you and your friends are all sick, then go outside and forget where you are and turn left down Grand Avenue only to find out you are nowhere near home when you get to the burned down church on 5th ave and monroe and a bum asks you for money. After that, you'll get in a bike taxi/rikshaw and tell the guy you can only pay him in cigarettes and then when he agrees, have him take you to another bar, instead of home, and then you will be further than you were to begin with. When you finally do get home thanks to a caring homeless guy that actually does have money (you find this out because he has a car) and gives you a ride home. You wake up the next morning wondering why all of your cash is gone, how much you drank, and where your friends are. If THAT is the kind of night you are looking for, Bikini Lounge is IT! read more

They only get business because there's no closer bar to the Trunk Space. The lady that's always there is really rude, skimps me on vodka in my vodka+cranberries, and last time I was there she stole money from me!!! Literally!! Bought a $4 drink, gave her a $10 (after she angrily repeated the price to me in a crowded loud room) and didn't give me my change back. Tried to get her attention but didn't want to make a scene. Never going back. read more

Are you "some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production?" Do you like dive bars where the bar is never the same place twice? Can you handle surly bar tenders, interesting locals, some hipsters, the occasional big gay Indian, and a regular with the best feathered hair I have ever seen since Farrah? Then do I have a bar for you! Yes boys and girls, The Bikini Lounge! Where no matter how strange you are, no matter how hip you are, and no matter how much you might be dressed like Woody from Toy Story, you are still not going to be the strangest guy, or girl, in the room! I love the Bikini. Its within stumbling distance of my girl's house, which makes it the best bar in Phoenix to begin with. That, coupled with the fact that it really is "never the same bar twice" I love going there. Its cash only, which I like even more. I can put X amount of money in my pocket, and when I am out of money, I go home. Its cheap, the drinks are strong, and the people that run the place don't give a fuck in the most loving way. If you're down town, and you're kinda scummy like I am, the Bikini is the place to be. read more

I came here to celebrate my birthday with a friend. 1. they do not take cards 2. the bar tender was rude and did not take our order for over 15min 3. she did not comp a single drink 4. the service continued to be terrible all night, the bar tender talked back to my friend when she asked if she was going to take our order. Sad, b/c I've heard great things. read more

this place used to be way better, when we were single. now that it's considered the hipster mecca of downtown phoenix, it's just kind of boring. the drinks are still cheap, the bartenders are still nice, and the place is still a hole inside, but it's just not as fun as it used to be. still some good dj's like boris and alex and shane, but we're just sick of always seeing the exact same crowd. if someone gets murdered in or near this place, we'll probably start coming back. until then, we'd rather go to real dive bars, not hipster havens. during the day is cool, so just go there on a sunday afternoon for $1 pbr with all the local bums and crack addicts getting faced. also it pisses us off that they keep painting over the art in the bathrooms. mike little's murals were awesome. read more

I dig dive bars but this spot is nasty. Lots of fans keep the stale, something's not right here, air blowing. My drink tasted off. Worst of all, false advertising, no bikinis in sight. Bar tender was pleasant and drink prices were reasonable so they get 2 stars but that's pushing it. read more

Ok so this is a true Divebar...cash only gotta warn you. I wasn't ready for that. I just had gotten back from hawaii met two boys on the plane and they invited me and my friends, who came to pick me up, to this place. Parking is horrible....location is in the middle of no where...bartenders don't even try to hide the fact they don't wanna be there. Plus side though Cheap Beer and old ass tunes. It was fun to a point I was already smashed from drinking on the plane. Got even more drunk that PBR tasted like the best thing in the world! Then my inner dork came out as we all danced to songs that made us go "OMG THIS SONGS THE JAMMMMM!" It was a sad night for all of us. Woke up the next morning wishing i'd worn my chucks instead of flip flops and what looked like a mixture of ketchup and whip cream in my hair? ew. read more

The diviest of dive bars. Cheap drinks and good tunes. This place draws in everyone from hipsters to the homeless. I like the very cheap drinks but I don't like getting crop dusted all night so I don't come here too often. But great for a cheap night out! read more

Bikini, I love you. Love you love you love you. This is a REAL place, complete with all the things you would expect from a dive bar. It's what I think of when I think of a bar that has been around forever and has withstood the test the time. Plus you have Shane the Wonder DJ playing Thursday and Friday nights-he is THE MAN and has amazing music and knows how to make it all work. Shane is GOLD to me. Real people drink here, even though I would never come in on a First Friday because I don't do the hipster thing. Yeah, the bathrooms are grungy and it's not antiseptic. Go to Scottsdale if you need a McBar and for everything to be perfect and pretty. The Bikini ROCKS if you are a real, non-plastic person. read more

Service was horrific. Don't expect courteous bar tenders. They must not be working for tips because they couldn't give an ef less about any thing other than playing their own video poker or having a smoke break. You're more of an inconvenience to them than a customer. I'm referring specifically to the older woman and her daughter. Once again, horrific service! Blatantly bad. read more

Now lemme tell you a little story. Last time I was in Greater Phoenix, it was the week of St. Patrick's Day. My cousin was living in Scottsdale at the time and after a week of nothing but family dinners, I was dying for a night out. I ended up many places, with shiny people drinking Bud Light in Affliction t-shirts, etc. This time, I decided to do some research. Enter Bikini Lounge. After convincing my relations that this was not, in fact, a strip club, we made our way there. *This* is what I was looking for. My favorite bars typically consist of A. a bar, B. two to six non-barstool seating options, C. colorful characters behind the bar, D. pool table/darts (optional). That's all I need to get liquored right there, and I'm happy to report that I succeeded. The tiki theme and the fact that the barmaid was a super-friendly Mexican woman in an Ozzy t-shirt were just the icing on top. read more

5 stars for bein the only bar in Phoenix where I was first scared to order a drink. but- thats why I love this place. That, and its near the Trunk Space. read more

i met someone for the first time, we smoked a joint, and then she took me to bikini, a notable dive bar, please proceed reading with caution: nestled away in some oddly carved corner of downtown phoenix is the bikini lounge. a bizarre concoction of southwestern americana with accents of vintage hawaiin tikki. bikini is chock full of the pastiche one would expect of a traditional dive bar. depreciated hardware, outdated bar accents, dim and uneven lighting, and yes, bikini even has its own roughneck bartender. what seperates bikini lounge from the idea of a dive bar, as many of you who are reading this would expect, is that....as of april 2008, it really is a dive bar, in that...expect to see an assortment of recent ex-convict looking types, blue collar beatniks and urban sophisticates who are attempting their best in pulling off a scenester type of pose. bikini lounge isnt for everyone. if your idea of crashing out in a dive bar is in your best marc jacobs...then DO NOT GO TO THE BIKINI BAR...but if breaking bread with the manson family is something you can pull off without breaking a sweat, then the bikini lounge is definitely the place you want to be. these were my two cents, -james ps - this is not the best place to go to get high if you are the type that gets paranoid....just an fyi read more

Could've been an off night but we felt kind of out of place. We typically enjoy dive bars but this place was full of dudes competing over who's the grungiest. read more

My life is now complete with my Thursday night spot, Bikini Lounge. It's a neighborhood bar with all the things that make hoodie bars the 'comfort food' of going out. I extend an invite to anyone who wants to have a drink, play a game of pool, listen to whatever music your feeling with the great jukebox & relax on their patio. The location is out of the way on Grand Ave, but with free parking & a hop skip & jump from Downtown Phoenix it's a perfect place to go. read more

Easily the greatest bar in Phoenix, the Bikini has more moods than any other place I've been to. Up for a quiet drink on a Tuesday evening? The big booths, cheap drinks and incredible jukebox will keep you happy. Want a completely packed place with an eclectic crowd? Go to the Bikini on a First Friday. I've never seen a place where a more diverse crowd gathers to have a good time quite like the Bikini. Gangsters, hipsters, drunks, yuppies...everyone is there and is seduced by the strong drinks and the miniscule dent it makes on your wallet. $3 for a small pitcher of PBR? $3.50 for a White Russian? One of my favorite places of all time. read more

This place has been a favorite of mine since I started going to bars. Definitely a dive. Not exceptionally clean, but I also wouldn't say it's the dirtiest place I have ever been either. When I leave in the wee hours of morning, I don't feel as though I may have contracted some terrible disease or that I need to bathe in Purell when I get home. In the summer time, you can expect it to be a little moist inside, though they do have a few fans moving the air around pretty well. If you can't handle the moist wind whipping through your hair and up your skirt, better head over to a nice air-conditioned Scottsdale bar. They hit the nail on the head with the decor. It doesn't feel half-done or like it was an afterthought. Depending on what time you arrive on a Friday or Saturday night, you may not find a seat unless you can steal one away with a little eyelash batting. I usually come here on Saturday nights because they have an awesome DJ from 9 pm to 2 am, which gives me a great opportunity to dance to music I don't get to hear as often as I would like. (On that note, I would like to say that if you are a reasonably attractive young lady and you are dancing, you can expect to be approached by at least one guy that thinks he's got game and great moves. I can name several different times I have turned around to find a strange guy dancing right behind me like he belonged there, with a goofy grin on his face. Can't fault 'em for trying I guess.) Be prepared to meet some interesting people! One time when I was here with an old boyfriend, we met a gentleman named Mark, probably about my parents' age, who instantly decided to make our twosome a threesome (not like that, you pervert). He spent the evening playing pool with my ex (he had some difficulty remembering whether he was stripes or solids, but we kept him straight), repeatedly telling me that I looked like a character from Monk, and trying to drink said ex's pitcher of beer. The purpose of telling you about Mark is not to scare you off, but to illustrate that this place is full of characters. In addition to your average Joes and the obligatory barflies, you will definitely see punks, hipsters, metalheads, greasers, and probably people from any other subculture you can think of, not to mention old-timers that have been coming here for decades (sorry if I left anyone out, forgive me?). If your comfort zone is full of people that pop the collar on their polo shirt and end every sentence with the word "bro", you should probably go somewhere else. While these types sometimes show up here, I've noticed they usually dip out after an hour or so. The worst part of this place, for me, is the ladies' room. Not because it is dirty (which it generally kinda is), but because the toilet door doesn't lock and you have to rely on either the gals waiting to let people know that it's in use, or potential drunks recalling the common sense notion of knocking before entering. That said, I haven't been walked in on yet and I can't let this detract from my rating. The drinks are cheap and well-made (not watery). I'm not really a beer person most of the time, but they have plenty here I would drink. I usually do 3-4 mixed drinks and leave feeling pretty good, without spending more than 20 bucks including tips. Between both of us we can do well on 35-40 bucks depending on what we're drinking. Every time I have been here the bartender is the same older lady. I don't know if she works here every night or just on the weekends, but she is amazing. She may look a little grumpy, but don't be fooled -- she's really a doll. I highly recommend this place and hope to continue to frequent it for years to come. I love you, Bikini Lounge! read more

Been coming here since I was a kid. Great to see it not only survive the years, but thrive as a hip place for a new generation. Cheers!

Bikini is the oldest operating bar in Phoenix. It is for sure a dive bar so if that bothers you don't bother coming here. Place is nice and dark just like I like it and the drinks are strong! My fav local haunt. read more

This place looks like a s***hole, but it's a diamond in the rough in terms of dive bars. The drinks are super cheap. The bartenders are always super laid back and friendly. They have pool, jukebox music, dance floor, patio space, and a sometimes a DJ. It's super dark in here and has a tiki/beach theme to it. They even have drinks with umbrellas! This is a staple in our neighborhood dive bar pub crawls. It's also a spot that the Idiotarod and Brides of March usually stop at each year. If you like this place, you should also check out ThirdSpace down the street (another staple in the neighborhood dive bar pub crawls). read more

Monday nights are the nights to go. The pool is free and the owner orders a couple pizzas and some wings to share with her patrons.

This is the coolest, funnest, down as fuckest bar I have ever been to in my life. Super fun crowd just down to have a good time. No attitudes or pretention like at the Palo Verde . Just a really fun cool diverse crowd dancing to some of the best DJs I have ever been so blessed to hear. Again, the best bar I have EVER been to. read more

I always have fun here. Something wierd always happens. I saw the bartenders friend get hit in the eye with a piece of pizza crust. LOL

Definite dive bar, but I kinda liked it in a weird sort of way! The bartender was friendly and the clientele was interesting...definitely good people watching. Cheap beer too! read more

The place is hidden, as you walk in you feel like theres some shady stuff happening behind the doors, but once you open the doors its a lot better :) The drinks are pretty cheap, the biggest plus and my second fav thing about the place is they have peanuts and you break the shells and trash them all over the place. Of coure its very dive-y, the music wasnt that great though when we went. read more

What a great dive bar! Went to see a show at Trunk Space next door and dropped by here for a cheap PBR beforehand. The bar is dark and kinda dirty with tacky Hawaiian/tiki decoration. There's a juke box that has decent selections. The bartender is friendly- it seems as if she's been there for a while. Definitely going back next time I'm in that part of town. read more

This place must not come alive until after midnight. I recommend it for the cheep drinks and they have a pretty great DJ on Thursdays.

This is one of the best dive bars in town. If you want a hipster vibe, head there after 10pm. If you go at happy hour time, you'll love it! The bartenders are pleasant-ish, but it's just a fabulous find in such a great location. read more

I f*ing love this place! It strangely feels like home, hahaha.. What's not to love about this little cool ass dive bar? Cheap (CHEAP!!) drinks, awesome music (finally away from that top 40s bs).. Everyone is there just do get s* faced and dance to way cool songs only a few people (with great musical taste) will listen to and none the less know how to dance to hahaha. This place you can wear anything and go. They have a electronic gambling machine by the bar which is hilarious. The bathrooms are disgusting but whatever, you'll probably be too drunk to give a s* :) read more

I'd like to give this place 1.5 stars but I can't do that, so I'll be nice and give it 2. Clearly, this was not the place for me. People have told me how much they love Bikini Lounge, so I was like okay let's check it out!. Um no! The smell of rancid smoke hits you the moment you walk in! And its nothing but a glorified hallway. They also only accept cash (granted there's an ATM, but I try not to mess with fees). What bar ONLY accepts cash? Bikini Lounge. This isn't the place for me, and I'm not the client for them. Other people obviously like it here, cause it's still in business, but as for me, I won't be going back. Oh and the parking is horrendous. That is all. read more

I feel like the biggest hipster ever for writing this review but I don't really care right now. Bikini is one of my favorite bars in downtown... When I'm poor, I know I can run in and get a $5 mini pitcher of Pabst and be happy. I'm not sure what is up with the pool table and sometimes I wish they'd just remove it during peak hours on Friday and Saturday nights. Pants off dance off is SO much more fun, anyway :] Oh, and the bathrooms kinda suck, but I forgive you, Bikini. You are a dive, after all. read more

Awesome Spot. I was in town for Spring Training and happened by this place. don't ask me what I was doing in this part of town, I plead the fifth! read more

Total dive bar but I like this place. Strong drinks and there's always something happening. If you show up here on the weekends it's always packed. There's a reason for that! It's good. read more

Great Dive Bar! Make sure you bring CA$H. They have a bar of many spirits, and bartenders who pour em strong, all at the right price. The music is loud, the music is good, and the live DJ was a man at one with the beat. The tiki vibe isn't laid on too thick, just enough to give it some personality. The place is small, but there were two bartenders behind the bar when I went and the service was pretty good. The parking lot is the only real downside, you might get ten cars in with a crowbar. One tip, make sure you go out the back way on the way out for one of the best street vendors you'll find for some solid eats before you depart. read more

I went here for the first time on First Fridays, yeah so what. I promise that I won't hang out here all the time and ruin it for all you true Bikini lovers. My mini pitcher was $3.50 and then 5 minutes later a chick walked up and got charged $6.00 for two mini pitchers, hmmm, male discrimination or they can't do simple math? I'll only go back when it's 110 outside and want to put a buzz on early in the afternoon. read more

Hey what can I say its the dive bar of dive bars. One minute you can have a bum drinking out of a pitcher cussing his buddy and the next you can watch the hipsters talk about their day. they have cheap beer and strong drinks. Dont forget the awesome tiki style read more