There’s no better feeling than sidling up to your neighborhood watering hole after a long day. And one such beloved desert watering hole recently made USA TODAY’s best dive bars in the U.S. list.
The Coachella Valley’s nine cities have plenty of fancy bars where the people pouring your drink prefer the term “mixologist,” but I’ve found that the dive bars have a certain homey, come-as-you-are vibe that’s much more appealing than an Instagrammable cocktail lounge where every drink is at least $18.
So, in the spirit of the USA TODAY master list, if you’re looking for something casual where you can just grab a cold one, play some pool and maybe even sing some karaoke, check out the Desert Sun’s favorite desert dive bars below.
Fireside Lounge
Fireside Lounge doesn’t “belong” in Palm Springs. Walk in and take one look at the political signage on some of the walls and you’ll know what I mean. But for those of us who can put politics aside for the sake of a cheap beer and a good time, Fireside is the place to be. It’s got a few dive bar staples — questionable bathrooms and a bartender who could definitely be someone’s grandmother — but they add to the shabby charm. A huge plus: a new-ish barbecue business called Big Earl’s BBQ started operating out of Fireside in the winter, so you can now grab BBQ with your pint (11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday).
Fireside is one of the few places in Palm Springs that doesn’t even remotely try to be upscale (it, gasp, doesn’t even have a website or Instagram), which is likely why its regulars continue to come back — and stay for a while. The bar is open 20 hours a day, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., so it’s also the most reliable drink in town.
Details: 696 Oleander Road, Palm Springs. (760) 327-1700
Playoffs
The first time I ever went to Playoffs, it happened to be the Calder Cup Finals, aka the end of the American Hockey League’s playoffs, and it couldn’t’ have been more serendipitous. This divey sports bar is the type of dark, neon sign-covered place filled with regulars who will offer newbies a split-second look of “where did you come from?,” but will quickly accept you as one of their own if you take a seat at the bar and stay a while. If you’re a big Coachella Valley Firebirds fan — or you’re simply hockey-curious — I highly recommend pulling up to the bar to watch a game and grab a cold beer.
Details: 12-105 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs. 760-894-3006, playoffssportslounge.com
Neil’s Lounge
Neil’s Lounge is locally famous for, as Gen Z would say, its lore. Besides being a laid-back (before the nightly karaoke starts, that is) place to blow off some steam, it’s a pre and post-Stagecoach music festival haunt that’s been frequented by the likes of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban for its proximity to the festival grounds and its light Western theme. This is the kind of place where you might have the urge to switch seats because of a mysterious stain (I say from firsthand experience). But all of that is forgotten the second you sit down at one of the tables facing the stage and you lean into the absurdity of a guy wearing a traffic cone costume singing Beyoncé songs (also firsthand experience). Note: The CockyBull, the restaurant inside Neil’s Lounge, puts its beloved crispy chicken sandwich in the spotlight, but its menu also includes jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks, nachos, burgers, chili cheese dogs and pizza.
Details: 80-956 Highway 111, Indio. 760-347-1522, neilslounge.com
Hair of the Dog
There’s no better place to watch a soccer match and throw back a Guinness than Hair of the Dog. This English-themed dive bar at the southern edge of downtown Palm Springs (emphasis on “the edge of,” some people don’t consider this downtown) boasts 12 beers on tap, over 25 bottled beer options, and a full bar with specialty cocktails (I’m not a Bloody Mary fan, but I hear theirs are legendary). It’s also a great place if you’re the kind of person who prefers their night of drinking to include an activity, because there’s six pool tables and two dart boars to keep you entertained. Like most of the dive bars on this list, Hair of the Dog also has a food menu, and they win for best-named menu items with the “HOD Barstool Burger,” “Doghouse Philly,” “Wasted Wiener,” “Dive Bomb Wings” and “Fries Gone Wild.”
Details: 555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite A111, Palm Springs. (760) 323-9890, hairofthedogps.com
The Hood Bar and Pizza
The Hood has everything I personally look for in a great dive bar: cheap drinks, fairly good pizza and activities that somehow bond you and your coworkers for life. For me, the latter was the bar and pizza joint’s Friday night Drag Queen Bingo event with local drag star Sham that we accidentally stumbled upon during a coworker’s farewell happy hour. He thought he was getting away with a simple goodbye party over a couple beers, but within an hour he was onstage with Sham receiving prizes and some cheeky remarks about his outfit. Nights like that can only happen at a place where people aren’t taking themselves too seriously, and that’s absolutely the vibe at The Hood.
Details: 74-360 Highway 111, Palm Desert. (760) 636-5220, facebook.com/HoodBarAndPizza/
Honorable mentions include NYPD, Club 5, Tiny Pony
We also appreciate the following spots, which came very close to making it in the top 5, but not this time. Maybe next year!
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Which Coachella Valley dive bar made best dive bars in America list?
Reporting by Niki Kottmann, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
