Best Bars in America by State

[Ookii]

Let's see how accurate it is

http://www.esquire.com/bestbars/complete-list/

Haven't been to any of the ones in Arizona, but Greasewood Flat was recommended to me by coworkers before I moved out to AZ.

[WayAbvPar]

Sadly, I am too old and unhip to have been to any of these save one- 'any bar on the Strip' in Las Vegas. I have been to 'that' one dozens of times 

[Samwise]

Hey, Vesuvio is tied with two others for best bar in California.  Nice.

[CmdrSlack]

The Garage in Birmingham is quite kickass, so at least that listing is accurate.

Hopleaf, Hideout and Green Mill in Chicago are all good picks, but they left off the Map Room and a few other bars with killer beer selections. They also INCLUDED the bullshit Walter Payton bar in Aurora.

[Hoax]

I'm ok with the entries for San Francisco, but its not like its a revolutionary list nor making any leaps..   Also way too much LA shit on there.

[Broughden]

The New York list is retarded. How retarded you ask?
Their 9th listed best bar in the whole state is a shitty chain bar/restaurant inhabited by old people before shows at the Lincoln Theatre.
Come on...thats the best you can do in Manhattan? Really?

 

Edit: In fact as bad as City Search can be at times I would recommend to a visitor to use their "Best of" bar list for New York over this one.

[HaemishM]

I don't know much about the bar scene these days, but the only bar they list in my town is Schimmel's. Which is really a restaurant I've never eaten at, because I can't fucking afford it. It's entirely too pricey to be considered a proper bar unless your ass is wiped with 100's.

[JWIV]

Hrm. Brewers Art - the food in the back dining room isn't what it once was so stay up front, but Resurrection Ale is well worth it.

[Murgos]

I've been to two of the bars on the Mass list.  Eastern Standard is ok, not AMAZING, but it is nice.  B-Side lounge though, that place was cool 10 years ago when Matt Damon would hang out there, it's pretty much a dive now though.

[Selby]

Also way too much LA shit on there.

Exactly.  Not much San Diego love.

[Oban]

Holy shit, I used to go to the Center Bar in Wyoming at least once a month, no clue that it was so rough, lol.

 http://www.esquire.com/bestbars/bb-CenterBar

[Nebu]

Holy shit, I used to go to the Center Bar in Wyoming at least once a month, no clue that it was so rough, lol.

 http://www.esquire.com/bestbars/bb-CenterBar

I live in Wyoming... it's not.  At least not compared to bars in some other places I've been. 

The list, while interesting, seems to have nothing in common with my memories of bars I've been to/played music in over the years.  Maybe things have changed a lot in the past 10 years.  It's been that long since I've been in many of them on the list.

[stray]

The bars in my state are downtown tourist shit.

[FatuousTwat]

They only listed one bar in Oregon? Wtf?

They should have just named it the best bars in California and New York.

[Paelos]

The Georgia list got one right, The Brick Store Pub. That's a kickass place with a large open bar downstairs, and a smaller Bavarian-beer only bar upstairs. They also picked the Clairmont Lounge which is a well-known very very seedy strip club...so I don't get that.

[UD_Delt]

Three of the five Ohio bars are in the Cleveland area. All three are pretty much in neighborhoods you'll either be able to score some meth or some crack on the corner before going and getting a drink.

If the list was 'best bars you are most likely to die going to' then the Ohio bars are spot on.

[stray]

They also picked the Clairmont Lounge which is a well-known very very seedy strip club...so I don't get that.

Apparently, it's haunted too. Haha

http://www.ghosthounds.com/ftopict-1323.html

[SnakeCharmer]

Missing a couple on the Alabama list...

The original Lulu's Bait Shack in Fairhope, The Legacy in Tuscaloosa, Brothers Bar in Jacksonville.

Heh, had our rehearsal dinner at The Blue Gill.  Good good fun. 

[CmdrSlack]

The Legacy in Tuscaloosa

Ok, so I graduated from Bama in '98 and haven't lived in the state since 2001, but I've never heard of The Legacy. Is that one of those new-fangled downtown bars? I know the school has been killing off The Strip, so my guess is that it's not there. What makes it so great? For my money, the International Deli, Egan's, The Tusk and The Booth were great places. (So was The Chukker, but that was off the Strip and has since been closed.)

Maybe I'm partial because I used to tend bar in that part of town.

In hindsight, I'd have to say that The Deli and The Chukker and possibly Egan's were the best bars at the time because they had the best beer selections.

[Ralence]

  For CT, they only list The Tap Room at the Griswold Inn.  The fabulous description of "For 206 summers running, sailors have packed the Griswold's Tap Room from early May until the last sunny day in October. Have a cold pint and the chowder."  That sounds nice and all except the only sailors that would show up there would be the fuckers with their 40 foot yachts, it's also the 10th wealthiest town in the second richest state in the country, oh and only 98.2% white.

[Fabricated]

Blerggghhhh both of the bars they picked in Indy are terrible.

[Phildo]

I haven't been following this thread since I read the OP and hadn't been to any of the bars listed in the numerous cities I've lived in.  So.  Best bars YOU'VE been to.  Go!

Pittsburgh, PA: The Sharp Edge

[HAMMER FRENZY]

AZ

Tucson: The Surly Wench
Tempe: Mallony's

[MrHat]

Brewer's Art in Baltimore is pretty awesome, if a bit....pretentious?

[HAMMER FRENZY]

I would assume that the Giger themed bars are the most pretentious shitty bars around. Man I hate that guy... His bars look like an alien hive.. "Yeah, I'll have a Stella and some edamame... Can I sit in the alien rib-cage shaped captains chair?"





Man that shit is some silly stuff...

[Soukyan]

I haven't been following this thread since I read the OP and hadn't been to any of the bars listed in the numerous cities I've lived in.  So.  Best bars YOU'VE been to.  Go!

Pittsburgh, PA: The Sharp Edge

Yes, The Sharp Edge is a great bar thanks to the sheer selection of beer there. So much to try, it's like a candy store for grown men.

I see that they list Dee's Cafe in Pittsburgh as a best bar on the list for cheap beer and ping pong. Okay, I know Dee's is a "classic dive", but it really is a shit hole that is usually brimming with frat boys, which is okay if you're into that I suppose, but I can think of many far better bars to go to in Pittsburgh. Shame that one made the Pennsylvania list. No wonder Pittsburgh gets a bad name. Anyhow, there's my contribution.

[SillyFish]

Wow the Texas list is funny. 5x Austin, 2x Dallas, 1x San Antonio. No bar in Houston made the list. But Ginny's Little Longhorn is cool enough just because of the chicken shit bingo. I don't play bingo but the place is less than 2 miles away and has some good music.

[Paelos]

To be fair, most people like to forget Houston exists. It's not a town people visit and think, WOW!

[Oban]

To be fair, most people like to forget Houston exists. It's not a town people visit and think, WOW!

I still remember Churassco's.

[Phildo]

Which reminds me I'll be in Pittsburgh this weekend.  And thirsty.

[stray]

Wow the Texas list is funny. 5x Austin, 2x Dallas, 1x San Antonio. No bar in Houston made the list. But Ginny's Little Longhorn is cool enough just because of the chicken shit bingo. I don't play bingo but the place is less than 2 miles away and has some good music.

Austin has shittons of good bars. Yes, Houston sucks... I could go on and on about that. Dallas, I don't make up it too much, but as far as I'm concerned, Denton is a cooler town.

San Antonio definitely has more than 1: Flying Saucer for variety, Blue Star Brewing Co for in house stuff (little crowded and artsy for some folks though). Holes in the wall: The Thursty Turtle and ReBar.

[Paelos]

Dallas really only has two things going for it that make it a good place to visit. One is the endless supply of 5 star restaurants. The other is the sporting events. After living there 13 years, the downtown isn't pretty, the traffic is hideous, and the sprawl is ridiculous and cookie-cutter.

[Lantyssa]

Austin has shittons of good bars. Yes, Houston sucks... I could go on and on about that. Dallas, I don't make up it too much, but as far as I'm concerned, Denton is a cooler town.

Poor Houston.

We have some good spots, but most appeal to a rather limited crowd.  They also don't tend to last very long.

[Paelos]

Lantyssa is in Houston? That makes 2 gay friends I know there now! Yeah!

EDIT: I guess 3 if you count the guy's husband.

[stray]

I always thought you were an Austinite, Lantyssa. You're weird enough at least.