Dive Bar Bucket List: How Many of These Lansing Dive Bars Have You Visited?

Dive Bars are a great place to hang out with friends and to grab a bite and some beverages. Before I quit drinking, I visited many local "dives" to have a great time. Although I don't drink anymore, I still like going to dive bars because of the vibe and the food.

What is a dive bar? I think Urban Dictionary gives the best definition. Urban Dictionary says:

A well-worn, unglamorous bar, often serving a cheap, simple selection of drinks to a regular clientele.
The term can describe anything from a comfortable-but-basic neighborhood pub to the nastiest swill-slinging hole.

That definition is dead on. A dive doesn't mean you will have to get your booster shots after you eat there. A dive also doesn't mean that the business struggles to stay open. The dive bar is your go-to when you are craving something good, the patrons know you, and when you walk into the bar the staff knows you too.

Dive bars tend to have simple menus, simple drinks, simple staff, and simple clientele. I prefer a burger from a dive bar over a burger from a chain. There's something special about the burger being cooked on a flat top grill that has been used for decades. The flat tops are seasoned well after all these years.

We have plenty of "dive bars" and "hole-in-the-wall" type of establishments, and they are all unique in their own way.

Instead of going to a fancy chain restaurant this weekend, try something new. Visit a dive bar. Play some keno while eating your burger and fries and perhaps sipping on a PBR. Enjoy the vibe, that's why I keep going back.