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Men's Health Mag: This joint specializes in microbrews and whiskey. Sip, sit back, make some buddies over darts, and even learn a few things from the quotes scribbled on the bathroom floor. True whizzdom.
Men's Health Mag: One of these bars that's never changed despite what's happened to the city around it. Sit at the horseshoe bar and order the negroni, like liquid Miami the way these guys make it.
Men's Health Mag: Don't order a cocktail in here. The crowd of local Irish guys won't let it go. The TVs always have European sports on, so head in for soccer, Gaelic football, rugby, what have you.
Men's Health Mag: The place's a bit of a dive, but the music keeps packing in the people. The cheap drinks don't hurt, either. Order PBR, in a can. Tall boys if they have them.
Men's Health Mag: The Boston cream pie was born in the building, there's a warm bowl of nuts at every table, and the whiskey list is long and beautiful. For something different, check out the alcoholic coffee drinks.
Pub · Thompson Square - Bunker Hill · 95 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: They say George Washington and Paul Revere drank at this bar built in 1780. It's full of locals, and looks like the place sailors drank themselves stupid 200 years ago. Order a Sam to keep it real.
1333 New Hampshire Ave NW (at O St NW), Washington, D.C.
Sports Bar · Connecticut Avenue - K Street · 138 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: D.C.'s a newspaper town. This place gets that. Do yourself a favor: Buy the Post, order the Front Page Mule, sit down before things get too busy, and really read the news for once.
1212 18th St NW (at Jefferson Pl NW), Washington, D.C.
Lounge · Connecticut Avenue - K Street · 89 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This spot was once a 3-floor mansion. It still has working fireplaces, antique chandeliers, and upholstered furniture. Pay the cover. You're sure to reap the rewards.
1811 14th St NW (btwn Swann & S St NW), Washington, D.C.
Rock Club · U-Street · 106 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Forget the kids dancing in the boom boom room. Find a seat tucked back in the Red Room. The bar's well stocked, and they serve health food until 2 a.m. Better for that future hangover of yours.
2461 18th St NW (btwn Kalorama & Columbia Rd NW), Washington, D.C.
Karaoke Bar · Adams Morgan · 90 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Live blues every night, soul food, and half-priced Rolling Rocks to redheads. Find your Juilanna Moore upstairs at the "Big Daddy's Love Lounge and Pick-Up Joint." No, really, they named it that.
1100 New York Ave NW (at H St NW), Washington, D.C.
Brewery · Downtown-Penn Quarter-Chinatown · 218 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The owner says this brewery was the first to churn out booze after prohibition. And they have a drink to prove it: the Prohibition Porter. Order one up and toast that you weren't born in another era.
1345 Connecticut Ave NW (btwn N St & Dupont Cir NW), Washington, D.C.
Dive Bar · Connecticut Avenue - K Street · 111 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Manly (and strange) decor marks this watering hole, which offers an oasis from D.C. grad students and suits. Get a pint of Red Hook. They're three measly bucks on Thursdays.
Seafood Restaurant · Northwest Washington · 160 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Order a plate of half shells from the blackboard. Then, have the bartender pull you anything from Allagash (a brewer in Maine). and suck those little guys down with some horseradish and Tabasco.
1517 Connecticut Ave NW (at Q St NW), Washington, D.C.
Bookstore · Northwest Washington · 328 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Books and brews? Not a bad idea. The literate choice here is clearly a Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Leave the mango martinis to the Cliff's Notes types.
264 S 16th St (btwn Locust & Spruce St), Philadelphia, PA
Gastropub · Rittenhouse Square · 248 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Do yourself a big favor and ask to look at their Beer Bible, which includes divine brews like the Flemish Sour Ale. It just might make you religious.
Men's Health Mag: The gravy French fries taste even better with a local brew (try the Kenzinger), and they're delivered by girls with skirts so short they look like they're made with cocktail napkins.
Rock Club · Northern Liberties - Fishtown · 40 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Everything but the urinals were built by hand. The booths are made from reused bowling alley wood. Even the stage is a do-it-yourselfer. Come for the beer, stay for the woodworking lesson.
Men's Health Mag: All you need to know is that this place stocks the best pierogies in Philly. Order them with "a lager." (It's really Yuengling, but say it that way and they'll know you're not from around here.)
22 S 3rd St (btwn Market & Chestnut), Philadelphia, PA
American Restaurant · Center City East · 155 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: They built this bar inside the walls of the old National Mechanics Bank. 18 taps. A great whiskey list. Most adventurous, but crazy good, things to order? Bacon vodka or jalapeno tequila, straight up.
1201 Frankford Ave (at Girard Ave), Philadelphia, PA
Bar · Northern Liberties - Fishtown · 141 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Treat the beer menu like a to-do list and then head to the balcony upstairs to catch a better view of local bands. There's also a secret bar up there with shorter lines.
2331 E Cumberland St (at Memphis St), Philadelphia, PA
Bar · North Philadelphia · 117 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Spend 5 minutes in this brightly-lit beer bar. Have something local on tap—maybe a microbrew (ask for what's fresh). Soak in the service. Repeat.
Irish Pub · Rittenhouse Square · 96 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: You've got to respect a place that opens at 7a.m. some days just to host a big soccer matchup. They've even got a European draft system so Guinness pours like Guinness should. Authentic enough for ya?
Dive Bar · Washington Square West · 51 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Out front, snap a picture of the Frank-filled mural (Sinatra, Zappa, and Saint Francis of Assisi all in the same place). Then get Frank's special: a pony Rolling Rock or High Life and a kamikaze shot.
Men's Health Mag: The clam chowder—sorry, "chowdah"—is great. So are the local crowd, the 30 beers on tap, and the TV screens. Show up early, though. The place packs them in.
Men's Health Mag: Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA is the beer of choice at this Cold War-themed dive bar that features darts, cheap beer and all-night $2.50 hotdogs. You're welcome, comrades.
Men's Health Mag: Two-for-one appetizers from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Can't beat that. And order the Smithwicks as the locals pronounce it: "Smiddicks."
149 Charles St (btwn Cambridge & Revere), Boston, MA
Dive Bar · Beacon Hill · 42 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Sit near the window, order a Bud Light and people watch at this dive outpost in one of the most well-to-do neighborhoods in the city.
427 Massachusetts Ave (at Columbus Ave), Boston, MA
Jazz and Blues Venue · Roxbury · 50 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This jazz dive opened in 1934 and keeps that old school vibe alive and well. Try the Hammer. Brandy, amaretto, orange, cranberry and pineapple juice, topped with a cherry and fruit slice.
3484 Washington St (Williams St), Jamaica Plain, MA
Pub · 120 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The place has more than 100 brews, and if you can't make up your mind, the bartender just spins a wheel. Order your beer, then get a peanut butter burger. Trust us, it's better than it sounds.
Men's Health Mag: Zeke's stocks 130 beers and every bottle costs four measly bucks. One of the best bets: Zywiec. A beer from Poland that'll make you polka.
131 Atlantic Ave (btwn Henry & Clinton St.), Brooklyn, NY
Bar · Brooklyn Heights · 102 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Always thought bocce was a game for Grandpa? Throw back a couple bourbons and the tables will turn, my friend. Don’t fret if there’s a long line for the court—enjoy some good ol’ Kentucky beercheese.
Beer Garden · Carroll Gardens · 12 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Being sent to the doghouse a bad thing? Not here. There’s a fenced-in pool table in back with the occasional drunkards barking at each other. Plus, the owners love vintage beer cans…but who doesn’t?
359 Metropolitan Ave (at Havemeyer St), Brooklyn, NY
Beer Garden · Williamsburg · 177 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This joint specializes in obscure and rare beers. Hansje Drinker Triple? Zum Uerige Dusseldorf Alt? Hard to pronounce, let alone find the fridge. Luckily, these barkeeps know their beer.
388 Union Ave (btwn Ainslie & Powers St), Brooklyn, NY
Bar · East Williamsburg · 321 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Kickball with a beer seem a bit sacreligious? Get over it. This bar lets you embrace your inner child—it’s stocked with vintage arcade games—while allowing you to keep a hand in your adult life.
Men's Health Mag: Yearning for some Oktoberfest in the Big Apple? Look no further. This industrial warehouse turned German bierhaus serves weinerschniztel and Bavarian pretzels. Say no more.
Men's Health Mag: Nearly every New York City bar serves this local joint’s brew, but swing by the place itself. From 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., pay $4 for a wooden nickel and redeem it for any beer the place brews.
New American Restaurant · Fort Greene · 122 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: There are a few types of guys it is always worth getting to know. One is a bartender, the other is a pastry chef. Here, you can do both. Go ahead, order that chocolate-hazelnut pudding and a beer.
Men's Health Mag: This place is huge—15,000 feet, former warehouse huge. It’s so cavernous that it becomes like a dozen private bars. Just watch out for couples getting…a little too cozy on the couches.
American Restaurant · Financial District · 82 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: If it was up to par for George Washington—he famously toasted to his officers in the tavern’s long room in 1784—it’s good enough for us. You’ll feel proud just sitting there.
Men's Health Mag: Order the bistro burger—it can kill you if it so desires. Wash it down with dirt-cheap beer from the tap. You’ll want to sit near the front, at the giant windows, to watch passersby drool as you chew.
Cocktail Bar · East Village · 263 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: One drink here and you might be ready to move to Mexico, learn Spanish, and resettle. They serve pork belly and steak, and you can drink tequila underneath a huge tarantula-shaped chandelier.
Men's Health Mag: Finally, a bar for the hockey fans. Run by Sean Avery, this place is like a love letter to the game. It feels just like a post-game locker room, if locker rooms had tabletop video games.
Men's Health Mag: This place is a foodie haven—100 plus wines, grilled calf liver, all that jazz. The best part though? Kitchen’s open until 2 a.m., and those guys make a mean blue-cheese burger.
Men's Health Mag: The vague name has beer geeks in the outdoor garden arguing about it means. One thing that’s certain? They have damn good beer—350 bottles and 16 taps worth.
American Restaurant · Brooklyn Heights · 89 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The wall of antique clocks is surprisingly relaxing, watching them tick on, unaware of their age, as you drink, fully aware of yours. If you need a distraction, go for the smoked gouda mac ‘n cheese.
Men's Health Mag: You’ve got to be crazy to stand out in New York. Near fanatical. Like this place is about their beer—draught, aged, vintage, cask. Luckily the help on hand can keep you sane while you try to order.
71 N Moore St (btw Greenwich & Hudson), New York, NY
American Restaurant · Tribeca · 147 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It used to be a horse stable, and the bathroom is an old elevator. Ship plans hang on the walls. The vintage cocktails are strong. Order a Negroni, like a fisherman would do after a big day's catch.
Men's Health Mag: Heaven: sitting in a darkened, romantic bar that looks pre-Prohibition, sipping smart concoctions made by smart barkeeps, making this place heaven on earth.
181 Orchard St (btw Stanton & Rivington), New York, NY
Bar · Lower East Side · 70 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This place’s happy hour laughs in the face of the word “hour”—it runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Beers are $3 (and PBR is $2), one of the best bargains in New York City. Can’t beat that.
8 Stuyvesant St (at E 9th St & 3rd Ave), New York, NY
Speakeasy · East Village · 491 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: There’s no standing room here. Only groups of four or less are served. If there’s horseplay, they toss you out. Sound crazy? At this place, unmarked and hidden in a Japanese restaurant, it just works.
Cocktail Bar · Greenwich Village · 302 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It’s a jazz joint with real palm trees and amazing cocktails, made by a legend in the mixed-drink world. It may look a little pretentious, but you can’t deny the truth: the drinks are good. That good.
Men's Health Mag: If you have the energy to close out a night right, this is the place to do it. They filmed some of Crocodile Dundee and Godfather II here, to give you a sense of its grand tattered quality.
101 W 75th St (btwn Amsterdam Ave & Columbus Ave), New York, NY
Dive Bar · Upper West Side · 96 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Don’t be misled by the name. It’s called Dive because it’s aquatic themed, and well, because honestly it’s 75% dive beer. Great beer selection, and a rare Upper West Side bar with character.
211 Avenue A (btwn E 13th St & E 14th St), New York, NY
Bar · East Village · 161 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Once a Laundromat, the low-key crowd and decent wine list make this the perfect place to chat. With no laundry going on, you don’t have to show off your ratty underwear until later. If you’re lucky.
197 2nd Ave (btwn E 12th & E 13th St), New York, NY
Pub · East Village · 116 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: I am not a rich or dangerous man. But if I were, I'd sit in the plush, red nook of this Scottish bar, past the portraits of kilted Scots in wartime victory. Try the grapefruit and vodka hand squeezed.
American Restaurant · Lower East Side · 569 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It’s as close as you can get to nature in New York City—dead forest creatures around the walls at Freeman’s. If you can find the hidden door, try a few drinks—they’re fantastic—and so is the meat.
Men's Health Mag: This place is pure kitsch, in the best possible way. Concert and movie posters all over, a crowded pool table, and stuffed crows perched on the rafters. What to drink? Something cheap…anything cheap.
Dive Bar · Greenwich Village · 130 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Ever been to the catacombs? This is like it, but better—there’s beer. You enter into a dim, tomb-like underground. The beers are imported and largely monk-made. Ask for a Trappist recommendation.
Men's Health Mag: This sprawling bar has themed rooms: the library, the arcade, and so on, and feels just like a good old game of Clue. They have great beers, and great mini-pastrami sandwiches. See you in the library?
Bar · Stuyvesant Town - Peter Cooper Village · 127 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Don’t leave this bar without ordering The Slice of Heaven. Only available for a half hour starting every Saturday night around 2:30 a.m., deep friend bacon and a shot of your choice. Nuff said, right?
Men's Health Mag: The owners took an old farmhouse, stuffed it with weathered tables, an art gallery of local stuff, and a heck of a beer list. Grab a drink, walk around. Sometimes the best seat isn’t a seat at all.
Men's Health Mag: Do yourself a favor and rile up your tasted buds with a glass—or three—at this bar while you wait for a table at the same owners pizza shop next door. Hint: these Italians know how to pick their wine.
Men's Health Mag: Instead of leaving something behind, in this bathroom, you take something with you. The stuff on these stalls may have well been tattooed on my forehead because I’m not forgetting them anytime soon.
Men's Health Mag: It’s so hot outside, this is the perfect place for a touch of suds to take the edge off the road. Order a beer from the coldest part of the fridge, you’ll be glad you did.
423 N Scottsdale Rd (at E McKellips Rd), Scottsdale, AZ
Dive Bar · 18 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: You’ll never see as many loud shirts and sparkled dresses as you do at this dive. Words of wisdom: Wear black, and keep your cool when they tell you happy hour started at 6 a.m.
Men's Health Mag: Motorcycles always bring in good people, and this bar is full of ‘em. Want to hear a few stories? Find the guy with most black leather and patriotic patches. Order a Jack Daniels, it fuels long rides.
7011 E Indian School Rd (at Goldwater Blvd.), Scottsdale, AZ
Dive Bar · Downtown Scottsdale · 78 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It’s the life of a frontier man—ride west all day, sip some whiskey around the campfire all nite—but with just the whiskey part. Order a $3 Crown and Coke. Save your cash and class for your next date.
4041 N 40th St (at E Indian School Rd), Phoenix, AZ
Lounge · Camelback East · 77 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It takes a lot to get people outside in Phoenix. But hell, here, the grass bocce ball court, incredible menu, and big outdoor chairs make it so that you’re missing something if you stick to the AC.
Men's Health Mag: When you’re sick of blaring lights, ritzy restaurants, and the sound of clinking quarters, come here. Order a big beer and a barbeque chicken pizza. Rested? Get back out there for some $3 blackjack.
3950 Las Vegas Blvd S (at Manadalay Bay Resort & Casino), Las Vegas, NV
Russian Restaurant · 73 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Order up some caviar and vodka at this Soviet Union-themed bar in the Mandalay Bay casino—they’ll serve it on a solid block of ice, literally. Grab some friends for some mutually assured destruction.
Men's Health Mag: The casino cocktail waitresses are great, but the girls here are dressed up in lederhosen, bearing 74 oz. steins of dunkel, and set to a backdrop of accordion music. Doesn’t get better than that.
Bellagio Casino (3600 South Las Vegas Blvd.), Las Vegas, NV
Cocktail Bar · 20 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It’s not the flashiest little joint in Vegas. But after a whiskey or two, a cigar, and a good twenty minutes cradled inside a leather chair, you’ll realize it’s exactly what you needed.
Men's Health Mag: The owner’s a beverage operations professor at UNLV, and runs this slight obsession on the side. His place houses 400 tequilas, 600 whiskeys, and 916 beers. It’s your best guess what to order.
Men's Health Mag: Locals come here. There are bartenders that aren’t concerned with your singles or drinks that don’t come in test tubes. Just ask for whatever the cutest girl at the bar is drinking.
1350 E Tropicana Ave (btwn S Maryland Pkwy & Spencer St), Las Vegas, NV
Pub · 81 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The Brits know how to do it. In every city, I can count on there being one great pub. And with this joint, Sin City is no different. Grab fish ‘n chips and a Guiness. And no, not in a bottle you Yank.
Men's Health Mag: At this family-owned bar, the beer comes from the brewery’s giant tankards that you can see, working hard to churn out beer so fresh you swear you’ll never go back to the bottle.
605 Queen Anne Ave N (at W Mercer St), Seattle, WA
Mexican Restaurant · Lower Queen Anne · 131 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The rain's not bad when it gives you the excuse to spend the afternoon in a bar like this. Peso’s has a Latin feel that's not shoved in your face with piñatas and tequila. To drink? A marg—no frills.
Men's Health Mag: Belgium cranks out some of the biggest, boldest beers out there. If Belgium’s making it, you can bet this bar has it on tap. Whatever you order, slug it down with a bowl of mussels and plate of fries.
456 N 36th St (btwn Francis & Dayton Ave N), Seattle, WA
Bar · Fremont · 36 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This isn’t your strip mall billiards room. Order a $5 PBR and a slice of pepperoni or cheese pie (it’s New York-style pizza). Heck of a dinner.
Men's Health Mag: If you’re yearning to bring Fido to a bar, here’s the place. Pugs, great danes, poodles—there’s no wingman like man’s best friend. Oh, and order a PBR 40 in a paper bag. For you, not the mutt.
Men's Health Mag: It’s anyone’s guess why someone would turn an old mortuary into a place to drink. But after a few rounds in this dimly-lit cathedral cantina, you’ll realize why. Order a John Doe…it’s deadly.
Men's Health Mag: You’ll never order a whiskey this joint doesn’t have. Or a bourbon. Or a liquor. Try The Last Word cocktail: gin, maraschino liquor, green chartruse, and lime juice.
Men's Health Mag: You’d probably visit the silver screen more if they built ‘em like this. You tell the in-house bartender your seat, they bring you a drink. Order The Bogart, in honor of film’s last real leading man.
2316 2nd Ave (btwn Bell St. & Battery St.), Seattle, WA
Dive Bar · Belltown · 81 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Remember how much fun the carnival was as a kid? Okay, now add a fully stocked bar and you understand the idea behind this place. Order a blue moon, hold the orange, and find the Pinball Cove.
Men's Health Mag: Seattle isn’t exactly paradise when it comes to weather. This bar was right to steal the vibe from the always-sunny country of Cuba. Get the Paper Tiger: gin, lemon, blood orange bitters.
Men's Health Mag: The owner used to be a mortician—dead serious. It’s no surprise though, with the real freak shows and bizarre museum. Order the Alligator Juice, it’s one of the more normal things on the menu.
830 S Broadway (btwn 8th & 9th St), Los Angeles, CA
Bar · South Park · 37 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This place gets LA glitz right: a Rat Pack vibe and a killer leather-padded circular bar. Do yourself a favor and order the Broadway Caipirinha: Leblon Cachaca, muddled limes, and simple syrup.
108 W 2nd St Apt 101 (at Harlem Pl), Los Angeles, CA
Speakeasy · Gallery Row · 184 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: No worries, this power company’s a lot better than the one bugging you for the bill at the end of the month. Plunk yourself on an old leather couch and treat yourself to an Edison Light Beer. Get it?
Men's Health Mag: The rule on theme joints is you can’t force character. Unless that character is Black Bart. Who doesn’t want to sit around a powder keg drinking with his mates? Naturally, order a bottle of rum.
Men's Health Mag: This family-owned joint is still alive and kicking after 25 years. Credit the living-room feel, classy outdoor seating, and heady dose of humility for the Sunset Strip. Grab a Stella from the tap.
1800 Hillhurst Ave (at Melbourne Ave), Los Angeles, CA
Dive Bar · Los Feliz · 41 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Unlike half of L.A., it doesn’t matter what you look like at this bar. Maybe that’s why the drinks are so cheap, yet so strong. Go to? Whiskey soda, although, not sure how much soda you’ll taste.
Men's Health Mag: This place has low lights, lavish drinks, and plenty of velvet. The guys love it, but the women love it more. Show her her idea of a good time and you’ll soon find your way to yours.
Cocktail Bar · Financial District · 69 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The idea of drinking in places where you’re not supposed to brings back a guilty fun, like passing notes to pretty girls in grade school. Drink of choice? Their “I’ll Take Manhattan.” Cheers, Dickens.
3172 Los Feliz Blvd (at Glenfeliz Blvd), Los Angeles, CA
Whisky Bar · Central Atwater · 33 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The big difference between this bar and 95% of the others in L.A.: it knows it’s tacky. Drink with Smokey the Bear, talk up waitresses dressed as forest rangers, and hangout with robotic wildlife.
10622 Magnolia Blvd (at Cahuenga Blvd.), North Hollywood, CA
Dive Bar · 23 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This joint feels like the house of the coolest guy on the block back in the 70’s, complete with a basement bar and a billiard room. Order whiskey with a couple ice cubes. Just like dad used to drink.
Gastropub · South Robertson · 360 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Sadly, a man cannot survive on beer alone. Luckily for us, God invented meat. Taste one F.O. burger with sweet potato fries and a microbrew. Heaven sent.
Men's Health Mag: The taxidermy on the wall is reason enough to stop at this roadside joint north of L.A. The taps aren’t half bad, and that pulled pork will fill you up good for a day on the road.
Men's Health Mag: Here, the bar is a stage, and the tenders are the actors. High ceilings, giant mirrors, hell, even curtains to either side of the bar. Snag a Maloney Negroni, then watch the performance.
Men's Health Mag: You may not be a Cubs fan now, but after two hours of cheap drafts, Chicago-style dogs, and Midwestern women sporting pinstriped jerseys, you’ll be calling yourself a resident of Wrigleyville.
Men's Health Mag: With beer, there’s a story behind every bottle. That’s why there’s genius in this bars beer menu. Those stories? Right there in black and white. Read up, boy, then drink up.
Men's Health Mag: You walk in and Rosa’s there hanging out. Her mostaccioli is on the menu. She’s tapping her foot to some of the best blues this side of the Mason Dixon. Now that’s style. Grab a domestic and dig in.
2900 W Belmont Ave (at Francisco Ave), Chicago, IL
Burger Joint · Northwest Side · 417 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Need a meal of substance after all those Chicago dogs? Head to this burger bar for a mound of ground meat. Oh, and don’t leave without ordering a bourbon on tap. That’s right.
3258 N Sheffield Ave (at W School St), Chicago, IL
Beer Garden · Lakeview · 108 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: For those 30 days when winter is gone, this place is as close to heaven as you’ll get—pint glasses of basic brew and a good plate of BBQ on a picnic table. It’s the simple pleasures in life.
1354 W Wabansia Ave (btwn Elston Ave & Throop St), Chicago, IL
Rock Club · 57 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Where they won’t floor you with décor (what do you expect from a 100-year-old house?), they do it with the music and rye. Order The Wooden Leg, named after an old bartender’s band.
Men's Health Mag: Yes, maps line the walls. But the real attraction is the beer list. You can travel from Belgium to the U.S. to Germany and to Ireland all from your barstool. Try the beer of the month. Genius concept.
199 Valencia St (at Duboce Ave), San Francisco, CA
Beer Garden · SoMa · 387 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Whatever cultures collided to bring a beer garden, a BBQ pit, and a biker bar together did it right. Snag a Spaten Premium Lager. It sticks with your ribs. And there will be a lot of ribs.
580 Sutter St (btwn Mason St & Powell St), San Francisco, CA
Cocktail Bar · Downtown San Francisco-Union Square · 129 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The bartenders here know the value of detail. They’re throwing blackberries into caipirinhas. They’re juicing oranges behind the bar. Grab a caipirinha, here they do it right.
Men's Health Mag: These old-timers are keeping things on the hush-hush, and not just with the lack of a marquee. No cell phones. No cosmos. No standing around at the bar. Get a Buffalo Trace bourbon. Taste the history.
1511 Haight St (btw Ashbury St and Clayton St), San Francisco, CA
Jazz and Blues Venue · Haight Ashbury · 72 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: If you need to forget things for a while, this place is your go-to. The raunchy comics will have you on the floor if the Bloody Mary’s don’t do it first.
547 Haight St (btwn Steiner St & Fillmore St), San Francisco, CA
Dive Bar · Lower Haight · 292 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The owners here worship beer. They’ll talk your ear off about the 100-plus beers in the back. It would be overwhelming if it wasn’t so damn genuine. Ask for a local brew and win their attention.
Jazz and Blues Venue · Lower Pacific Heights · 40 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: All you need to know is that these blues and boogie musicians laid the groundwork for whatever’s blasting out your car stereo today. Grab a whiskey sour and listen up. You’ll like what you hear.
2140 Market St (btwn Church & Sanchez St), San Francisco, CA
Dive Bar · Duboce Triangle · 92 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Ladies in this profession don’t get enough credit. The women here won’t take heat from anyone, and they pour a damn good drink too. Show a little respect and they might pass you a free plate of BBQ.
1168 Folsom St (btwn 8th & Rausch), San Francisco, CA
Beer Store · SoMa · 113 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Here’s a genius concept: buying beer? Drink some as you’re shopping. This mom and pop shop packs in more than 300 beers to buy and a few on tap to taste. Find it in the fridge? Drink it at the bar.
Men's Health Mag: Every man should visit this bar, which requires men to give their seats to the ladies. And guess what, guys? There are more girls here because of it. Grab a chimay, she’ll like it too.
Men's Health Mag: Maybe it’s the Asian menu and views of Golden Gate Park that attract the ladies to this place. A sports bar where you can bring your girlfriend? This may be a relationship-saver, my friend.
354 Metropolitan Ave (btwn Havemeyer & Roebling St), Brooklyn, NY
BBQ Joint · Williamsburg · 561 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: A former ironworker’s shop that serves some of the best BBQ north of the Mason-Dixon. Order the smoked prime rib medium rare and sit at a picnic table, take in the butchery charts and dig in.
Men's Health Mag: Here it’s simple, no frills. They’ll wind you down the way people have been doing it for years: a nice whiskey and a good cigar. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Men's Health Mag: If the college-friendly bands on the red velvet stage is not your scene you can find a spot with the old timers out in the Pachinko room, an outdoor patio lounge. Go for a Lone Star—it’s cowboy fuel.
Men's Health Mag: It’s dark and there’s not a TV in sight, so you can give her your full attention. She’ll appreciate the cocktail list, too. These guys know their way around a mixed drink. Try The Brave…if you dare.
1641 Westheimer Rd Ste B (at Dunlavy St), Houston, TX
Whisky Bar · 75 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It’s worth it to come here for the pinball. Granted, it’s harder to be a wizard after a few Poison Girl shots, but it’s not rocket science. Had enough shots? Go for The Jones: ginger beer and bourbon.
Men's Health Mag: The closest you can get to the circus without Barnum & Bailey. If the live pianists and pink elephants get to you, grab a cold beer (preferably from Saint Arnold, a local brewery), and a cushy seat.
Men's Health Mag: This hot sun makes a man crave something strong. The walls of this place are filled with taps, and not a Bud logo in sight. Go for the Saucer Black n Tan: Sierra Nevada Pale ale with Guinness on top.
Men's Health Mag: Apprehensive about the whole country western thing? Wait until they kick on the jukebox, the cowgirls start doing shots, and the bar crowd hits the dance floor. What to drink? Jeremiah Weed vodka.
Men's Health Mag: Houston’s humidity will make you do nothing. Here’s the best bar to do it. Sit outside—there’s a roof over the outdoor seating—and order an iced screwdriver. You’ll never go back to ice cream.
Men's Health Mag: Nothing says a good time quite like a fifteen-feet armadillo outside your bar. The inside houses Old West memorabilia, shuffleboard, and a line-dancing floor. Order a Lone Star, you’ll fit in fast.
Men's Health Mag: Yes, the name is Houston spelled backwards. But there’s nothing overly complicated about this place. The later you stay, the harder it is to leave.
French Restaurant · Central Business District · 329 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The guys here are mixing cocktails like pros, shucking oysters, and arranging mammoth shrimp onto plates. Order as much food as you can, and wash it down with a Luke Export—only available here.
Cajun and Creole Restaurant · French Quarter · 104 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: You’re walking into history when you walk in here. Restaurant opened in 1918—it’s been through it all. Drink of choice? The French 75, their signature cocktail. Heck, have a few. It’s Nawlins.
Men's Health Mag: Legend has it that when Ernie K-Doe went to the big blues bar in Heaven, his widow opened up this shack, where you can catch great acts and the occasional Louisiana fish fry. Ask for what Ernie drank.
Men's Health Mag: Fried oysters, on a big honkin roll, with mayo, lettuce, and hot sauce. Say no more. Grab an Abita, a local beer that goes great with the city’s deep-fried menus.
Cajun and Creole Restaurant · French Quarter - CBD · 52 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Gotta love an establishment that loves a good classic. They haven’t touched anything at this bar for 150 years. Order a sazerac and an absinthe frappe.
Jazz and Blues Venue · French Quarter · 92 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The entertainment is so good it can play to a mellowed crowd, calming even the most rowdy of residents. Here? A live European jazz band. Order a liter of beer, you’ll be here a while.
214 Royal St (in Hotel Monteleone), New Orleans, LA
Hotel Bar · French Quarter · 273 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The bar spins. And not in the “I’ve had a few too many it’s spinning way.” A little hokey, but a trip or two around is worth it when you taste the tender’s first drink. Best bet? A Ramos gin fizz.
Cocktail Bar · Central Business District · 82 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It’s plush. It’s refined. It’s the perfect place to bring your girl for a Hurricane before things really get wild. Order two Adelaide Swizzles. Don’t worry about the name. It’s damn good.
742 N Clark St (btwn W Superior St & W Chicago Ave), Chicago, IL
Bar · River North · 55 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Come during the early afternoon. Bring Rover (yes, he’s allowed here). Buy a stogie. Fill a rocks glass. Sit outside. This is what it means to be a man, not to mention man’s best friend.
Men's Health Mag: This Irish joint has a bar that’s 70 feet long. The ladies (not professionals) love to dance on it. Grab a Harp, sit back, and enjoy the show.
Men's Health Mag: This joint’s your taste of the high life. Grab a seat in one of their big beautiful rooms, order yourself something nice, and take it all in.
Men's Health Mag: It could use a little work out front, but the inside will take you by surprise. If the old-school video games, wood-paneled bar, and Big Ted Deluxe burger don't grab you, the view of the city will.
24 E 3rd St (btwn York St. & Monmouth St.), Newport, KY
Concert Hall · 21 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Here, they do the house party the right way. First, it’s an old senator’s mansion, which helps. And there’s ladies, who come because every room has live music. But grab a vodka, for old time’s sake.
Dive Bar · Central Business District · 24 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: If you want sweet drinks and tchotchkes, go to Bourbon Street. Here, all you’ll find are locals, some cheap 24-hour drinking, and an endless supply of bar stories. Go for the basics: Miller or Bud.
Men's Health Mag: Feed your growing bones with a shepherd's pie or (heck, and) some Guinness Beef Stew. You'll have the base you need to survive a long night of hard drinking here. To drink? Go for Smithwick's.
Pizzeria · Downtown New Haven · 174 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: So, what’s in a name? Exactly. It might just be called “Bar,” but it’s so much more than that. Set in an old automobile showroom, it’s got a lot to offer. Microbrews? Check. Brick oven pizzas? Eat up.
Cocktail Bar · Downtown New Haven · 42 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Fancy outsides don’t mean a thing if you’re rotten inside. This joint is slick and covered in trendy déco but damn, they back it up with a killer cocktail. Get the Original Rye Sour-whiskey.
Cocktail Bar · Downtown New Haven · 12 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Some see an old firehouse and immediately think condo. This buyer thought big. Recording studio, performance space, and more, with a bar downstairs. Pull up a stool. These guys won’t stir you wrong.
American Restaurant · Menomonee River Valley · 45 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Bikers bring some of the best company around. That’s why a stop by this haven of hogs is always worth it. Pay your respects with a few sliders and a couple of pints—preferably Motor Oil beer.
German Restaurant · Kilbourn Town · 39 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Where else can you drink Oktoberfest beer, year round, from a boot-shaped stein the size of your thigh? Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan drank here. Go for the Spaten Season—Oktoberfest…because you can.
Men's Health Mag: Okay, look. Pete’s doesn’t serve hooch. So why go? Simple. It’s the best place to hit the morning after bender. One of their burrito bowls smothered in green chili will put you back among the living.
Burrito Restaurant · Downtown Boulder · 69 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Okay, look. Pete’s doesn’t serve hooch. So why go? Simple. It’s the best place to hit the morning after bender. One of their burrito bowls smothered in green chili will put you back among the living.
Burrito Restaurant · University Hill · 26 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Okay, look. Pete’s doesn’t serve hooch. So why go? Simple. It’s the best place to hit the morning after bender. One of their burrito bowls smothered in green chili will put you back among the living.
Men's Health Mag: Fresh brewed beer. Billiards without daiquiri stains. Food served on platters. No wonder the states mandate closing hours, or you’d never leave this place. Start with Peck’s Pilsner, go from there.
Gastropub · Downtown Madison · 262 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: It’s simple here. No. 8 if you want to split bratwurst with buddies, and No. 38 if you want one to yourself. Do yourself a favor, snag a side of mac and cheese. To drink? Easy, the Old Fashioned.
Men's Health Mag: The owner lives in this old house. The first floor is now a neighborhood bar, and the walls creek with what he—and ghost hunters—swears is a crew of old souls. Snag a pale ale, and say your prayers.
Men's Health Mag: Bullet holes. That’s what you have here. They’re in the 1930s-looking taproom and reportedly came from the gun of famed Prohibition agent Elliot Ness. So, why not down a few Elliot Ness Amber Lagers?
American Restaurant · Southeast Jacksonville · 66 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: There’s no better deal in town than the sampler of its homemade beers, which go for only a few bucks. These little glasses are a victory lap around all the Bud and Bud Light on tap elsewhere.
2167 Montauk Hwy (on the Napeague Stretch), Amagansett, NY
Bar · 46 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This little shack on the side of the highway has fresh seafood and cold beer, and attracts people who don’t seem rushed about anything. Your best bet? Baily’s Banana Colada. It’s a Cyril specialty.
American Restaurant · Castleton · 109 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Funny finding a place like this in a strip mall. The joint offers more than 100 beers from around the world, pizza, and sports on TV. Snag a Bitburger, and soak up all America has to offer.
401 E Michigan St (in Athenaeum Building), Indianapolis, IN
German Restaurant · Downtown Indianapolis · 77 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: The Germans, as it turns out, know how to make a hell of a crisp brew. Saddle up in the bar attached to this German restaurant, and order from its wide range of unpronounceable German beers.
27-24 Jackson Ave (btwn Queens & Dutch Kills St), Long Island City, NY
Cocktail Bar · 259 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: All you have to know is that this cocktail joint hand-writes a fresh menu every day and then they deliver. They're Generals of Gin. They're Captains of Cognac. They’re Bosses of Brandy. Trust them.
Men's Health Mag: Big barrel tables. Bigger burgers. No-bull clientele. They don’t mess around. Neither should you. Try a Pilsner Urquel—nice burger beer.
Men's Health Mag: At a place like this, even a non-seafood lover can eat it all day. It’s a red shack with picnic tables. There’s beer too, which will encourage anyone to stay. Go for Blue Point, it’s the local brew.
56 5th Ave (btwn Bergen St. & St. Marks Pl.), Brooklyn, NY
American Restaurant · North Slope · 110 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: If you need a place to bring a friend, this is it. This hardware store turned bar serves up food that is organic, free-range, and local.
117 E Berkeley St (btwn Harrison & Washington), Boston, MA
Pub · South End · 42 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: There are no seats at the bar. You stand, put your foot up on the railing,and chill. That's how it goes at Foley's. Get your whiskey and knock it backfast.
Men's Health Mag: Boston's long been an Irish town, and this is straight out of the oldcountry (it even has a fireplace). Try the Shepherd's Pie and drink in theauthenticity.
Dive Bar · Rittenhouse Square · 72 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This place often hosts bingo nights, with the hosts giving out gag prizes tothe winners. Specials include $3 PBR and Beam. Can't beat that.
113 Saint Marks Pl (btwn 1st Ave & Avenue A), New York, NY
Speakeasy · East Village · 439 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Here's how you get in: Enter Crif Dogs, and veer left into a phone booth.Bam: you¹re inside. Enjoy the kitsch on the walls and try to avoid thecalorie-busting deep-fried hot dogs (if you can).
Seafood Restaurant · Maple Ash · 191 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Can a land-locked state deliver tasty oysters? Hells yeah. Six half-shellsplus a tall draft adds up to one of the best ways to beat a hot day in'Zona.
Men's Health Mag: Just like the name promises, this place has an old school vibe that invitesall manner of Vegas characters. Oh, and order a bacon martini. Not becauseit¹s good, because you can.
511 Fremont St (at S Las Vegas Blvd), Las Vegas, NV
Lounge · Downtown Las Vegas · 95 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: A good place to find refuge from the more chaotic places in the Vegas scene.Order two martinis, one for your baby and one more for the road.
Men's Health Mag: Beer drinkers take a sip and say "damn that's good." At this brew shrine,all the best lagers and ales require a few words, followed by a moment ofsilence.
1002 N California Ave (at Augusta Blvd.), Chicago, IL
Bar · Humboldt Park · 48 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: This bar proudly advertises the fact they don¹t have a TV. Instead its BingoMondays, live rockability, and board games. Hey, nothing wrong with a littlesocialization.
Men's Health Mag: When your bar is housed in the building that's survived prohibition and anearthquake, you know it's rock solid. Grab a Big Daddy, a local beer.
Men's Health Mag: Grab a seat at the far end of the bar, within earshot of the famouslycolorful keep. It's the cheapest form of entertainment this city has tooffer.
Rock Club · Downtown New Haven · 16 tips and reviews
Men's Health Mag: Far from the main strip, highway right outside the door—this is a bar thatdefines "off the beaten path." Order something clean and simple. Bask inanonymity.