Generally, I am not into Dive Bars. While I like the laid-back, casual atmosphere of most irish pubs in Manhattan, the term "Dive" reminds me of a place that would be dark, dirty, and dank. Those three D's are not usually the adjectives I want to use to describe my night out. That said, I've avoided Dive Bar for a long time, until I could no longer fight my UWS inhabitant co-workers. Besides I thought, what the hell, another place to yelp :) Dive Bar was a great place for an early happy hour. The beer selection is extensive and the happy hour special is great ($3 for most draft beer, $4 mixed drinks, $5 frozen margaritas, etc.) They also have Harpoon Winter Warmer on tap which was enough to make me stay for 3 more drinks. The Friday night food special was Mac & Cheese with bacon pieces. Ordinarily I would never order something like this, but I was feeling a little adventurous and went for it. YUM. Who doesn't like mac & cheese? Who doesn't like bacon? Put them together and you will experience heaven (share with a friend, or you will experience a stomach ache as well.) Crowd was pretty dull, I wouldn't go without a group of friends. read more

Big fan of this spot. We live nearby and have been coming for years. Ticks all the boxes - ample beer selection, food is much better than it needs to be (double smash sliders ), and the service is consistently friendly and on point. Great value for money too. Perfect for a casual Friday night dinner, meeting friends to watch a game, or any other excuse I can think of. read more

Not as divey as some "dive bars" - I thought. Went here with a friend at around 1 am on a Wed. nite and closed it down at 4 am. Along the way, we had several drinks - which were all fine, but not easy to mess up - and met some interesting characters. I suppose that made for some good entertainment. I'm sure the bartender knew we weren't from the area because she said most people there are regulars. As a visitor to NYC, wouldn't plan on going here again with all the other options, ,but definitely not bad if you just need a chill place to hang out and have a beer... read more

Our favorite spot. Food is always great, service is fast and friendly. Dive Bar always has the right amount of people somehow, always pretty full but never packed where you can't get a seat. read more

Dive Bar is a great neighborhood bar/restaurant but who breads buffalo wings and puts some type of marinara sauce on them. Those are NOT buffalo wings!! Where's the "Frank's"?¿? read more

UUWS standby. Better than average food (espec. the wings), better than average alcohol selection (espec. microbrews, Belgian beers/lambics, and Scotch), and better than average TV-per-square foot ratio. The bartenders are cool but the table service could use some improvement. Crowd is better than the Fratsterdam bars. Depending on the night, they've either got a pool table in the back or they use it for extra seating. Have probably come here 15-20 times over the years - can't remember a bad moment....can't remember some of the good moments either :) read more

What's in a name. This place is actually called Dive Bar. And, having now been there, it definitely is the exact type of bar that I love. Great Beer Selection - Check Tons and tons of food options - Check Food that is actually edible - Check Outdoor Seating area - Check Friendly Service in said outdoor area - Check All of these are a good sign in my book. Oh, not to mention the prices are reasonable. A nice craft beer runs you about $5 or $6 and can even fill your growler for $14 (unless its one of the fancy beers like Delirium). This place gets extra points for having lots of food and most looking pretty good for a place called Dive Bar. They have a few other locations, which I will definitely check out, though I suspect they are all the same. read more

This place is actually really cute, the decor kinda makes me think of what would happen if a chain restaurant like Applebee's or TGIFridays opened up a dive bar. No, it's not real dive but that's alright, it doesn't need to be. But the food and the drinks didn't do it for me. Me and my friend split and order of fries and the Kentucky bourbon wings. The fries were fine, we basically focused on eating those. But the menu description of their wings included terms like plump and juicy. The wings we got were scrawny and dry from the inside out, and the sauce tasted off. There was also a faint burnt smell but the sauce and wings didn't taste burnt, we didn't know what to make of it but we didn't finish them. Their mixed drinks are also weak, which was honestly why I ended up drinking elsewhere for the night. If I'm not going to get full or drunk it's hard for me to justify sticking around. Their bathroom is extremely small, and is really made for just one person, but instead they put a stall in there and don't have a lock on the first door. It causes people to wait inside the bathroom (and two people can wait outside that stall but it's really tight). I think the reason they do this is so that they don't have a line of people blocking the entrance to the kitchen, but it's still awkward to use. On the plus side our waitress with the dark hair was attentive and sweet, and the music was pretty good, I remember hearing Journey. And I dig the aquariums, but unless it's for beer I'm not sure I'll be back. read more

Sitting outside might make the difference -- the interior was filled with frat boys and frat boys gone grown-up, with enough noise to knock over ... well, a frat boy. L, B and I sat outside. In the interest of full disclosure, I did not pay for anything, but I sponged a great deal of B's dinner. He ordered the special, a pot of garlicky mussels for 12$, and an order of fries, with a beer and a shot of tequila. The mussels were pretty good -- the flavors were on, but they hadn't been cleaned as well as I would have liked. The french fries were fantastic, and the prices were what I expected as a tourist in the UWE. It was convenient to where I was staying, and I can definitely see myself popping back over should I be in town again! read more

The best dive bar on the UWS!!! Shera is a genius and I adore her!!! Best conversation I have had in a long time... read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Been here 2-3 times now. They have a great selection of beer and interesting/healthy food. The diner inspired booths are okkkk, but they take up alot of room in a pretty small space already. Service is usually pretty good. Nice fish tanks! What they lack? The DIVE in Dive Bar. No specials? No happy hour? come on! Also, Tuesday Night Trivia is a JOKE. It's hardly trivia or fun. A lame host hands out an answer sheet and pops all 60 questions on a TV screen (Only on 1 TV screen btw for the entire bar!) in less than 30 mins! Each question runs for about 10 seconds. If you missed it, too bad. He doesn't announce anything or stops in between questions or rounds. Its like taking a test for 30 mins and then he flashes the winners on the same power point presentation. I understand that having trivia at a place like Dive Bar is a little hard considering there are alot of people eating but come on, I've been to other trivia nights at other places. Some are great, some are ok, but this is by far the lamest and not to mention LAZIEST trivia ever. The host plugs in his powerpoint for 30 mins, you take a 60 question test without stopping, you mark your own scores and he packs it all up and leaves. No recognition for creative team names, or even mentions of the 2nd or 3rd place teams. In fact, he doesn't even have a mic to announce he's starting. If you're gonna host trivia night, commit to it. Hire a real trivia guy and mute the music and TVs and make everyone get into it. read more

Stopped here on Saturday evening for drinks. We had appetizers (wings) which were decent but our drinks barely had any alcohol. My vodka and cranberry was Cranberry with a touch of vodka. My friend order a whisky sour and the same thing. We tried again with a second round of drinks and asked the bartender to please make them stronger but we got the same as before. This place is a neighborhood staple known for their beer selection and we should have just ordered beer. So if you want beer and burgers then this is your spot but go somewhere else if you want a decent drink. read more

Had a hamburger with fries for 12 bucks. 2 Chimay for 36 bucks. Caught me by surprise. Otherwise, looks like a nice neighborhood place read more

Great spot. Average bar food, but I always wind up back here cause of the awesome service. Came here recently with my friend and had the pleasure of being served again by Max - super sweet, great recommendations and goes above and beyond. Definitely elevated our experience there! read more

I don't know what they put in the sweet potato chips but they are ADDICTING. Sliders looked better than they tasted. Service was a little strange ("Soo... are you guys ordering more food or what?") but the tables were comfortable and it was a good lively atmosphere. It's a place called Dive Bar. What do you expect? Still thinking about those sweet potato chips. read more

Came to Dive Bar with a group of co-workers on a Friday after work. The menu contains a cool selection of "divey" food (Burgers, wings, etc) as well as a nice selection of salads, subs, and a few Middle Eastern dishes. I tried both the regular buffalo, and the bourbon wings. My favorite were the regular wings because they are breaded with flour, and extra crunchy! They also have a semi-sweet(?) taste to them. Hard to describe, but they are de-lish! Our server Caitlin was amazing! Very friendly and attentive. She even suggested a few cupcakes for us to try! The cheesecake, and the carrot cupcakes were to die for! Dive Bar doesn't sell popular favorites such as Blue Moon, or Angry Orchard, but they make up for that with varieties like Duvel, Red Stripe, and alcoholic ginger beer! I will definitely be returning to Dive sometime in the near future! read more

Lauren and Jessie are the allstars of Divebar, Lee 's doin a great job finding talent. It's always warm and inviting at 96 dive.

Definitely not a real dive bar. Aside from the false advertising, this place is a lot of fun. Wait staff can be on the chatty, eccentric side, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. They messed up my food order once and were very gracious about it, enough so that I didn't really mind. read more

Love this place. Order 20 fingers and 20 wings and see if you can get through them with 3 people. Its harder than it seems. Also the mac and cheese is great!!! read more

Love our little local staple. We live right up the sidewalk pretty much and we'll pop down often to enjoy a beer at the end of the night. Really nice servers, lots of beers to choose from, and very reasonably priced food. read more

Oh, Dive Bar. When I first became a teacher, I was introduced to the concept of "teacher bars." Dive Bar is one of them. It's centrally located between a myriad of schools and is frequented by worn out educators on Friday afternoons. Dive Bar has a strong beer list. They also have a strong scotch list. Dive Bar offers a wide variety of single-malt scotches. The beer list is two pages and includes descriptions and statistics (alcohol content, etc.). They change up the beers semi-regularly. The atmosphere is a bit bizarre. Lots of mirrors, some awkwardly placed lights that will make you feel as if you are being interrogated, and a moose head (which wouldn't be too weird if it wasn't for all of the scuba diving motif). The food is surprisingly good. I frequently get the nachos, although I've had some of the sandwiches. The most surprising of all is the fried calamari. I did not expect Dive Bar to have such quality calamari. Friday is free mussels day. You get what you pay for. Lots of empty shells, but - hey, it's free. read more

I was back at the Dive Bar for the first time in a while last night, to catch up with a friend. I used to stop there once a week or so when I lived in that area...and I realized last night that I didn't really miss the place too much. The beer selection is always really good. That's why we go there - not for food or atmosphere. I think I've only had appetizers from the menu. The mozzarella sticks are really good. The nacho's are so-so. The cool thing on apps is that you can order different sizes, and the smaller size starts at just $5. As for the service, they've always treated me well. Then again I had become somewhat of a regular so maybe that helped. I'm not a big fan of the crowd, and sometimes it is pretty crowded. We go for the beer selection. read more

Good atmosphere, friendly bartender, and generous pours! Eric was friendly and attentive. He was familiar with the menu, able to make suggestions, and had a great sense of humor. I was a little repulsed by another bartender once, don't know her name, who was blowing and wiping her nose behind the bar and would then continue working without washing or sanitizing her hands. Luckily, she wasn't helping me, so she didn't make any of my drinks. Also, the bathroom was clean and that earns a lot of points in my book! read more

For a place called "dive bar", I really wasn't expecting much. As it turns out the dive bar thing is more in line with the scuba diving decor. Really good burgers and an excellent beer selection. Hardly a dive. read more

Jesse is New York's best waitress. Do yourself a favor and visit this bar. Great local hangout

Great bar and restaurant! I've been to Dive Bar many times over the years, and although the neighborhood has certainly changed, Dive Bar has and continues to be a diamond in the rough on 95th St.- a beacon of glowing, glorious neon light beckoning outsiders to step on in and enjoy themselves! The atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming! The bartenders are also consistently great and last night, Howie was no exception!! He piled us up with copious amounts of food while the taps kept on a' flowing. Howie was super friendly and you could tell he had earned himself a set of regulars as a result. Bartenders always make the bar!!! The beer list is expansive and varied- something for everyone and a good mix of domestic and imported beers; also a nice variety of domestic craft selections as well, including Dive Bar's own brews! Food menu also has something for everyone- even an all-day breakfast selection!! The specials are always spectacular and there are plenty of healthy options for those who want a dive bar experience without the dive bar grease. Space is large with plenty of seating- be sure to bring friends!!! Also try out their other establishments, which are equally impressive- Dive 75 and Buceo 95! Even though these guys no longer serve free wings on your birthday, I'll keep on coming back! read more

Incredible beer selection. We had the lobster Mac and cheese, which was to die for. The shrimp po' boy sliders on the jalapeño pretzel buns were also great. Overall a great dive bar in the city! read more

Dive Bar is what the Upper West Side is all about. It is a bar for Locals - you'll see lawyers and plumbers and teachers and construction workers and retired guys and gals, kids from Columbia and residents of local SROs. Come right when it opens Saturday or Sunday and bring the kids - the food is perfect (pigs in a blanket, mac and cheese, great tacos), and then stay and watch a game. Great Happy Hour prices, burgers, and always some interesting specials from the guys in the kitchen (the size of a phone booth!) The staff is friendly and knows the regulars - my suggestion: if you live between 125th St and 86th St on the UWS... become a regular! read more

I'm a beer fan and I work at Columbia. So really, that makes this bar absolutely perfect. The waitstaff is absolutely lovely, the beer selection is OUT OF THIS WORLD (I particularly recommend the Lagunitas WTF, but I was saddened to learn that this was their March limited edition-- something I discovered April 2) and the food is pretty tasty. For a beer-focused bar, the menu is surprisingly extensive and extremely vegetarian friendly! My veggie friends were enthusiastic about their entrees... my girlfriend got the special and said it was really interesting, with fresh ingredients and huge portions (they were pretty staggering, even with the beer munchies) and my brisket was tasty and not too dry. As an incredibly awesome bonus, the restaurant was selling pastries from Arthur Avenue, and I can think of few things better than a cannoli after I'm tipsy. Hmm... downsides... let me think... late at night (we started around 5:30 and left around midnight), it gets a little crowded and some of the crowd is a bit frat-boy (I think we heard impromptu singalongs to 'Don't Stop Believing' twice that night), but it's easily forgivable if you stake out a booth early in the evening and stay put. I can't wait to go back. There are dozens of beers there I haven't tried yet. Delicious! read more

We hated this place. It was SO loud & chaotic. The food was so average & the one girl waitressing had too much to do to give us any kind of service. We asked for extra plates & salad dressing & it took 10mins to get back to the table while our food was sitting there waiting. The seating arrangement was cramped & uncomfortable. I wouldn't go back. read more

Busy place, decently priced beers. Drinks are $10 which seems high for a dive bar. The bar is really packed so if you can get a seat there then that is probably the best place to sit. Bartenders are nice, and the crowd is pretty mellow. Might be a great place for Sunday Football watching, but I wouldn't really come for that. Anyway, if you are in the area and just need a beer then step right in. read more

Pop Quiz - what do you get when mixing $10 pitchers, the NFL Package, and a major subway stop one block away? You get the perfect Sunday afternoon destination with all your buddies who live throughout the city. The Dive Bar is really not a dive at all - on fall Sundays, you'll see a whole bunch of regular professional-types (both guys and girls) who like football and happily, have enough knowledge about the sport and friendly demeanor to strike up an engaging conversation while enjoying the games. The Dive Bar also can be full of surprises. Once, I did a few shots with a celeb. However, you will occassionally find the person or couple who somehow mistakens the Dive Bar for a quiet French bistro. As Exhibit A, I take you back to the afternoon of the infamous San Diego/Pittsburgh game which everyone who is based in reality knows was fixed. After said controversial call, let's just say I was a tad upset and had a lively conversation with a friend on the cell. But kept it all Rated G. Yet it was exactly then that a snooty couple at the next table started screaming at me to shut up...because they were having a "quiet dinner"...at an establishment called the Dive Bar...on a football Sunday....while the place was packed....and 95% of the patrons were flagged. "Yeah, right." And same for the guy who took up two bar stools and four hours drinking coffee, reading a book on existential something or other, and getting annoyed anytime someone cheered. Some people in Manhattan just don't "get it", but thankfully, the Dive Bar does! This should be a great place for the NCAA Tourney come Spring.... read more

Slightly bit nicer-looking than just a regular old dive bar. Not much to say...the food was solid, so was the beer, nice waiters and had a cool diner-ish feel to the place. If I lived near here, it'd be a regular place to hang out. Looking forward to coming back soon. read more

It took me seven years to realize that "Dive Bar" did not mean "crummy, dirty drinking establishment," but rather "Hey, let's go in the water and go diving" bar! (I finally looked on the walls and saw the mermaid and diving mask. Duh.) I've been coming to Dive Bar for years and so has everyone else. This is the place to be on Sundays for football (good luck finding a seat!) and the locals come for the food. This place offers a huge menu and I highly recommend the $5 nachos and the poutine. Yes! Poutine! A dish that is hard to find in NYC. Dive Bar serves up a very filling portion with those salty cheese curds. I like that the bar serves Docs Cider on tap and late-night I've enjoyed PBR tallboys for $3. (Ok, enjoyed is a strong word. I drink PBR when it's cheap!) My recommendation for anyone visiting for the first time: look up. There are extensive bourbon, whiskey and beer menus that line the walls. I'm also a big fan of the wine carafes, which contain more than one glass of wine and range about $10-12. So glad this bar exists so close to my home. I just wish that it wasn't so popular! It's where everyone in the neighborhood meets, but isn't that what bars are there for anyway? read more

for takeout, really good bleu burger and fries pickles, fries were soggy and inedible but I suppose we should have known better. great, fast service, all servers wore masks. looking forward to heading back post-covid. read more

This was one of the first bars I went to after moving to NY. It's a bit old and rustic inside and could use some updating, but the place is great. Free Wifi and good, strong drinks. The bartenders and locals are very nice and it's low-key. I love to sit at the window and people watch if I'm by myself during the day. I haven't had any food here, but possibly some day. As long as I'm on the Upper West side, I'll go back. read more

I find some of the reviews of this bar not accurate except when they talk about the decor. AND when you talk about being drunk BEFORE you go in..maybe you should wait to write a review when all senses are functioning and you've visited a bar/restaurant a few times at different times throughout the day. So I write a sober view of the DIVE BARS! Don't expect a perfectly designed Feng Shui yuppie catering hang out from the Dive Bars. It's rustic and nautical! The Dive Bar has underwater nuances...as one of the bars used to be a scuba diving shop. The DIVE Bar is a landmark and as such is not decorated for efficiency. It's actual wood bar is authentic and over 70 years old. .so yes..there are some crammed places where the pool table is..but hey! They DO have a pool table and sometimes live bands of various artistic musical types. The Dive Bar does not discriminate in people or food. While I don't eat wings due to the industry needing to market and validate what to do with a meatless part of a chicken... I do eat a more fish and vegetarian diet..which by the way the menu is full of wonderful smart dogs and dishes...that make you wonder? Wow..this is fantastic AND filling and there is no meat? Check out their mac n chz and other interesting burger concoctions which they offer a veggie burger substitute. Their specials change every day! They even have Sake in stock sometimes! There is vast array of microbrew beers..so if you don't like a beer. TELL THEM! It's okay. And ask your bartender their opinion. They have a huge selections of tequila, bourbon, wines and scotches. Look at the Menu!! and tip yer bartenders!!! I will say that as far as pub food goes (which doesn't really go far with me) the Dive bar has a wonderful quality and diversity of foods to choose from. If not sure..check out their website menu or videos that post some fantastic wine tasting / meal parties..for 3 hours of bottomless food and wine at $30 a pop..WOW! Good Times!!! During the afternoon it's mostly after work people. Just enjoying a paper and having a beer! It's quiet with plenty of flat screens to keep you posted on sports and news. A great quaint meeting spot for casual business or getting to know someone in a casual environment. Also, you can bring a well-behaved mature kid around this time. Friday and Saturday NIGHT - Whoah!. Watch out...if you like noise with music, and loud people! THEN this place is for you during those times. Conversations about the vastness of the universe will not occur during these nights. Also, note what time of year it is. People tend to evacuate NYC on certain holidays..so those Friday and Sat nights are generally slower. Also, weather permitting..your locals will be there all year round. Don't be surprised to see a local celebrity appear. They find the low relaxed tone of the patrons and anonymity of hanging at the Dive Bar a restful pleasure. I've lived on the Upper West side for 17 years. I love the bartenders and the people who hang here..they are genuine non-pretentious non-judgers. It's an "adult" place so don't do anything young and stupid. read more

I love a good dive bar. When I moved to the UWS I figured trying a place called Dive Bar would be my scene; I was right. It's the quintessential craft beer experience. I've gone a few times now and the service is always fast. The bartenders also give good recommendations when you don't quite know what you want. The atmosphere is always busy and friendly, and not pretentious at all. read more

Great neighborhood spot - chill wait staff and pretty great food for a "dive bar". As soon as we got there for brunch on Sunday, the waitress suggested a few items and her favorite - which actually isn't on the menu " Juan's Breakfast" consist of: Beans, avocado, eggs with peppers and onions, topped with cilantro. We loved it so much we took a picture with our food ! read more

Dive Bar - "Juan's Breakfast" isn't on the menu, but its AMAZING!!! - Dive Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Presumably your expectations aren't all that high from a place called "Dive Bar," and given that, you should have a good time. Sportball on TV, extensive beer selection, reasonably priced, and decent pub fare. Now, their menu is much broader than pub fare, with stuff like jerk chicken, blackened salmon, and catfish bahn mi, but I'd avoid the more colorful menu items and stick to the pub fare, which is what they do best. If you're seeking an inventive culinary adventure, I wouldn't go here, but you're probably not because you decided to go to a place called "Dive Bar," right? So just don't get tempted by the poutine or shakshouka and get the burger and fries you were planning on anyway, and you'll be fine. Service is usually casual and competent. Went here once and our waitress was roaringly drunk. She spilled much of our beers on the floor, but made up for it by comping a round and just being all-around hilarious. She also spilled a little beer on one of my friends, but I hate that friend so that was fine. Oh, and I get that their tacky decor is "diving" themed, so haha it's a "dive bar," get it, get it? but yeah actually they pretty much are a dive bar in the normal sense of the term, at least for this area. Go for the drinks, food is also present, don't expect a particularly high level of cleanliness or maintenance. They only just recently got the D, E, B, A, and R in their neon sign fixed, meaning for most of the past year they were just IV. That actually did just as good a job of advertising that they're a dive bar as the sign does when it works. read more