Ultimate Guide to Dive Bars in Atlanta
Published August 6, 2026
Add Discover ATL as a preferred source on Google
Inconspicuously scattered around Atlanta are many places to get a cheap drink: Welcome to Atlanta dive bars. Originally an 1880s moniker for worn-down bars in building basements, the term has evolved and today generally refers to an unassuming, eclectically decorated bar with cheap drinks and a simple menu. No two are the same. Some have pool tables; others have darts. Some sell burgers. Others sell burritos. The thing is, well, you just know a dive bar when you see one.
Zack is a former TV news reporter who now spends his free time hanging out at local establishments and is always up for a game of darts or pool.
Here is a handy list of some of my favorite dive bars in Atlanta:
97 Estoria
The patio is the most notable thing about 97 Estoria. It’s big, and it’s a great place to hang out in Reynoldstown. Whenever you go, most patrons seem to be outside. Sometimes you’ll have to stand when all the seats are taken. One section of the two-sided bar faces the patio; the other side faces inside. This full bar offers several $3 or $4 beer options.
While the patio is the main attraction, the inside is a nice place to hang out if you prefer air conditioning, with larger tables and comfy couches. 97 Estoria hosts a variety of events, including live music, comedy, trivia and occasionally a pop-up market featuring local vendors.
Where: 727 Wylie St. SE
The Earl
The Earl personifies the bar-meets-music-venue concept. Yes, it is a bar. And in the back, The Earl hosts ticketed concerts, sometimes six nights a week. Most of the shows cost less than $30. There is a long list of top musicians who have performed here. Amid the dim lighting, eclectic decor and neon signs, there are cheap drink options, including beer-and-shot combos for $7. A highlight of the full food menu is the Earl Burger.
Where: 488 Flat Shoals Ave. SE
Elmyr
Located in Little Five Points, Elmyr is a Mexican dive bar. No surprise, the menu offers tacos, quesadillas and burritos. There is a mix of familiar choices and fusion flavors (Pad Thai Burrito, anyone?).
The drink menu follows suit, featuring a handful of Mexican beers, margaritas and other tequila-heavy cocktails, including Jarritos and Tajin. There are non-Mexican bar staples like Miller High Life and Coors. In total, Elmyr offers 19 drinks for $5 or less. The most notable and popular is the Grizz, a Coronita topped off with a shot of tequila. Elmyr is named after the art forger Elmyr de Hory. Typically, there are obscure movies playing on the TV, and some nights there is live music.
Where: 1091 Euclid Ave NE
Euclid Avenue Yacht Club
Marked by a neon “Bar Beer Food” sign above the door, this popular establishment in the Little Five Points neighborhood checks many of the dive bar boxes. The beer is cheap, highlighted by a $3 draught PBR. The selection is diverse with a variety of local and national brands. The Yacht Club has a full kitchen that makes typical bar food. The aptly named Yacht Tots are a favorite.
On the walls, you’ll see everything from a full-size swordfish to the door of an old Georgia State Patrol car. There is outdoor seating, and on nice days the staff opens the large front windows. There are a couple TVS and four dartboards in the back. People love to hang out here.
Where: 1136 Euclid Ave. NE
Flatiron and Trophy Room
Flatiron in East Atlanta Village offers a new menu special nearly every day, and it serves brunch. Plus, it still claims all the requisite aesthetics and cheap drinks required to make it a dive bar. Flatiron has plenty of outdoor seating, with the sidewalk around the building essentially functioning as a patio. Climb the metal stairs that run up the side to reach the Trophy Room with a dive-bar vibe plus a pool table.
Where: 520 Flat Shoals Ave. SE
The Independent
If you want to shoot pool, there are few better places in Atlanta than The Independent. The Virginia Highland bar has seven tables available on a pay-by-the-hour basis. Both serious and novice players show up here. In addition to pool, there are darts and board games plus events focused on trivia, poker and Dungeons & Dragons.
The beverage list is pretty large and includes drinks such as hard kombucha. You can get a pint of beer for as low as $3 and a pitcher for as little as $13. The Independent has a small dinner menu and also offers snacks such as chips, mozzarella sticks and jalapeño poppers on its late-night menu. There is plenty of seating inside and outside.
Where: 931 Monroe Drive NE
Manny’s Grant Park
Welcome to Manny’s, where dive bar meets sports bar. There are seven TVs behind the bar and several others scattered throughout. You can watch an NHL playoff game, a Hawks playoff game, a Women’s College World Series game and a Braves game all at the same time. Manny’s even has streaming services, so you can watch a Hawks game even when it’s only playing on Amazon Prime.
Some nights, Manny’s plays audio from one of the games on TV instead of music for people who want to hear the game. It is owned by the same folks who own the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club so much of the food is similar, the drinks are equally cheap and the darts are just as free. Don’t miss the large, covered patio tucked away in the back.
Where: 580 Woodward Ave. SE
Moe’s and Joe’s
Moe’s and Joe’s is a PBR bar in Virginia Highland. There’s a PBR mural on the side of the building, the walls are covered in PBR decorations, the lampshades are PBR, the paper the food is served on is PBR, and there’s a claw machine where you can grab cans of PBR.
It’s no surprise that Moe’s and Joe’s claims to be the No. 1 seller of PBR by volume in the world for four years running. And why not? Moe’s and Joe’s runs three PBR specials a week: $5 PBR pitchers on Sundays, $3.50 PBR pitchers on Tuesdays and $2 PBR tall boys on Wednesdays.
It can get a little crowded, but when it does, people often hang out on the sidewalk or even spill into the parking lot of the gas station next door. The menu offers the cheaper drink prices you’d expect from a dive bar. The food menu is bigger than you might expect. Moe’s and Joe’s specifically touts its wings.
Where: 1033 North Highland Ave. NE
Northside Tavern
Northside Tavern on the Westside is one of the more notable dive bars in Atlanta and has been used as a filming location for several movies and TV shows. It’s also another PBR bar with an abundance of the beer’s signage and a mural. But its real appeal is the live music and cheap drinks. Northside Tavern is known for a consistent rotation of blues-heavy bands, with free entry on weekdays and a $10 cover on weekends.
If music isn’t your thing, there’s a separate area complete with TVs, a pair of pool tables, arcade games and a patio. But, for live music, this is the dive to hit.
Where: 1058 Howell Mill Road NW
The Righteous Room
Right next to the Plaza Theater sign in the Poncey-Highlands neighborhood, you’ll see another bright neon sign for The Righteous Room, home to some really cheap beer. Miller High Life draft is $2.75, and a pitcher is $7. And nearly two-thirds of the beers are priced at $5.50 or less.
It can be a fun place to go before or after a movie, especially if the front patio is open. Like Elmyr, the TV plays obscure movies. There’s also a fully functional Wooly Willy game inside.
Where: 1051 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping-Pong Emporium
Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping-Pong Emporium, where the walls are full of art, is one of the few places you can go to play for free. The two-story bar in Edgewood features a few tables upstairs, and there is a patio out back.
Sister Louisa’s hosts trivia and comedy nights, live music and even offers tarot card readings some nights. For a cheap drink and unique events, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place.
Where: 466 Edgewood Ave. SE
Trackside Tavern
Trackside Tavern in Decatur has the usual dive bar menu, a couple of $2 pool tables, darts, a few pinball machines and the Galaga game. Trackside hosts a variety of events, including weekly trivia and “Drunk Bingo.” It also offers live music and hosts local artists for live painting. Not only that, if you see a piece of art you can’t live without, you can buy it right off the wall. Trackside closes at 3 or 4 a.m. daily.
Where: 313 E College Ave., Decatur
Discover more of Atlanta’s nightlife.
Zack is a former TV news reporter who now spends his free time hanging out at local establishments and is always up for a game of darts or pool.
Discover More
Get to know Atlanta, and discover the best things to do around the city.
