The Dive

PHILADELPHIA, PA: we love a dog friendly bar and The Dive Bar is one of the most unique we have been to! Leashed and friendly dogs are welcome on all three floors with the bar being on the 1st level, a smoking area on the 2nd, and a pool table and games on the 3rd. Dive is the right name for this bar (and we love it) having been around for a while, dark lighting, wood paneling, and walls that have probably seen thousands of patrons walk through the doors and up the stairs. The bartenders are great, prices are good, and Happy Hour is Monday-Sunday from 5-7pm with $3 draughts. There are also a couple of TVs to watch the game in this sports city!

The best dive in Philly by a mile and a top 10 on the east coast. A must visit. If you get Colonel Ritchie as your bartender you’re in for a treat. A true gentleman and a scholar. 10/10. Love this place.

Friendly bartenders & cheap drinks, what's not to love!

Great punk spot, good vibes. Richie is cool as hell, ill def be back

Awesome place with cheap beer. The top floor is nice and cool in the summer and has pool and an arcade.

Awesome down and dirty dive. Good prices and chatty regulars. Smoking on the second floor if that sorta thing floats your boat. Service when we visited was super fast and attentive. The music mix playing was also fun and eclectic.

Low key, unpretentious, great prices, casual, uncomplicated, friendly... everything you could ask for in a dive bar.

As advertised. Maybe could use more grunge graffiti? Sociable crowd if you like smokers. Service absolutely miserable.

Great dive bar to grab drinks - has a few floors and chips. Happy hour on weekends too - $3 beers on tap.

Stepping inside is kind of like visiting Cheers, even if you've never been here before. Everybody's friendly. You're sure to strike up a conversation at the bar with staff or other customers. The draft list is surprisingly decent and always rotating, but there's always a great bottles and cans menu. It's been a while since I've ventured up to the 2nd or 3rd floor, but there's a lot to explore, including a pool table. There's lots of fun stuff on the walls and behind the bar, and the ambiance is usually pretty decent unless an idiot tries to troll everyone on the TouchTunes. It really is the definition of a dive, if only every other one was this nice to spend a couple hours in.

Had drinks here at happy hour. $3.00 for a draft beer is unheard of! Liked the relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere and friendly service. Will definitely try again.

Wow. What a rare find. They really stay true to their name with this one. If you want to go to a true dive bar it's really fun. Indoor sm*king, games upstairs, pool, and a bathroom with no door handle. Had a great time and great beers.

Top tier dive bar!!!!! Good vibes and good drinks. Snacks on offer and pool tables upstairs. The bartenders are always friendly. Full of good folks. I wish I walked by more often.

Friendly service, definitely go for that sad old 90s bar vibe and do it well. It seems like it's a place where local hipsters go for the sake of saying they go to a weird bar. That's not a knock, if that's your thing this is for you. The staff is very friendly and attentive to everyone. Only thing that's annoying is that it's cash only.

The decorations and music are nice. Quiet enough to talk to another person. Bartender was an asshole. Was hard to get his attention and when i finally did he gave me the wrong drink. I I gave him a smaller tip and he got really pissy, saying "I can't pay my bills." Made me really uncomfortable. I'd definitely come back with a different bartender though.

In a city with so many great dive bars, I genuinely don't get why someone would go to this one. Yes, beers are pretty cheap, but like a few people mentioned, the staff is miserable. The place is also grimy as hell and stinks like smoke inside even during Covid. Went there a few times since it's a local spot and could never figure out the crowd. Sometimes it would be hipsters minding their own business (which is cool), but then others it was straight up loud dudes being overly aggressive especially towards women in the bar. Hard pass. There's plenty of other bars in this neighborhood just as cheap who won't make your lungs feel like actual garbage

Dirty inside and the crowd is gross. They smoke inside during COVID which seems like it shouldn't be allowed. Lots of fights outside the bar, too.

I got off the Chinatown bus at 11:45 am. A quick ride from NYC. My friend had afternoon plans. I had to entertain myself. And I have no qualms with hanging out solo and being in the driver's seat. After some brunch and shopping the heat got the best of me. During the summer I can hear a nice cold beer calling my name....Carolina....Carolina ... and not in the weird Poltergeist preacher voice that haunted me as a child but in a siren style calling. And like a light shining light pointed at the sign I looked up and there it was, a sign with a beer can and the name of the bar, "the Dive". I knew it was the place for me. The place was your regular dark and damp bar with some friendly regulars greeting me with a "Happy Funday Sunday!" I sat by the window. My life lacks sunshine so I'm recently into windows. I was going to order a light lager but when in Philly one has to drink a Yuengling. I ordered a Yuengling from my bartender, Chris (ask about his Beavis and Butthead tattoo) and the regular took care of my first round. The must've recognized me as a five lover. The baseball game was on. Phillies were being slaughtered. I guess there was no need for my glasses. There was talk of baseball fields and it turns out I've been to 7 baseball fields! I'm kinda impressed with myself. The owner, Jon came in for the second shift and the beginning of happy hour. The bar filled up with even more regulars and I heard a funny discussion where "conjugate" was accidentally used instead of "consummate"! It was quiet amusing. This place is great to escape heat, have funny conversations and drink cheap beer! I will definitely be stopping by again the next time I'm in Philly. I was greeted with open arms and even met a fellow crazy cat lady. Hi Keo!

Great bar in Philly almost a hidden gem go one of my favorite places in Philly but bring cash

This is the ultimate dive bar. Friendly service, good music, cheap booze, and easy to make conversation with other patrons. They have a freezer full of hot pockets, uncrustables, and burgers to serve or you can bring your own food. Most importantly, it's dog friendly! What's a bar without the company of man's best friend?! I didn't check out the upper levels but the chalkboard at the entrance said the second floor was a smoking room and third floor a game room with a pool table and darts.

Now I'm ready to review The Dive, much to the chagrin of a Twelve Steps Down loving schmoe. I walked in for the first time last night and instantly felt welcome from the very beginning. It definitely had a good lot of things that appealed to me: 1) good beer variety ranging from PBR to Hop Devil and Flying Fish on tap 2) Random Khyber posters that flashed me back to some good shows. 3) FREE PIZZA!!! 4) a friendly bartender and interesting tattooed regulars. 5) a jukebox that played random songs by Primus and SLAYER!!! 6) a radioactive sign on the mens room that at least made them kind of honest. 7) A bar that lets you smoke inside. take that for what you will. but I didn't mind it thanks to the air conditioning. 8) Cartoons and Comedy Central on the Television instead of sports. 9) a priceless sign that said EVADE HOT NADS placed randomly in the corner. Overall it's a good place that has a little bit of something that anybody can appreciate.

Relive your childhood at The Dive Bar with selections from Chef Boyardee and snacks like Hot Pockets, popcorn and ice cream. Sadly, I'd already had dinner when I ducked in here, or else I would have partaken. Instead I grabbed a pint and settled comfortably in at this neighborhood bar. Patrons were singing and folks were generally sweet. An old dog lay on the ground and enjoyed being stroked by various patrons. If you smoke, you'll love this place. If you don't, either light one up or take regular fresh air breaks outside. Trust me, you'll need 'em.

I just recently moved to the street. I have checked the place out , and it's absolutely filthy and filled with smoke. The crowd there is loud and obnoxious on most nights smoking by other neighbors windows .constantly leaving bottles everywhere outside, and extremely loud and past 2 am. Wish we had better options in this neighborhood.

This is such a perfect niche place. You can't go to this bar without making friends, and the staff is just endlessly indulging. Definitely a MUST for South Philly experience. Check it out. There's three floors, the top two of which are smoke-friendly and the third has a pool table and a cigarette machine. Bottom floor is for the classier folk. Very cool, cheap drinks, awesome vibe. Lifelong customer here!

I think everyone worries about reviewing a dive for the same reason, too many good reviews, too many people, dives lose their character and start serving small plate new american dishes and pairing them with cocktails full of st germaine and frozen pomegranate essence spheres. I walked up to the second floor, and the bartender, a very pleasant young woman, sat and chatted with me for well over an hour. This bar is legit. Next time I'm in Philadelphia I will certainly be back.

The bartenders here are awesome. Prices are very reasonable and this place always has the most interesting people. I love that I can come here in my jeans and hair up in a poiny tail with no make up on and I can fit right in. Last week they had the Local 215 truck parked outside and I loved it and hope the truck comes back again. I am not a smoker and usually hate bars that allow people to smoke but they have fans going and the smoke isn't nearly as bad as other bars that allow smoking. Everyone here is down to earth and they have pool tables upstairs. And you are welcome to come in with your own food or get delivery to the bar.

It is what it is and what it's advertised as. Beers and shots. To give it anything less than 5 stars doesn't make any sense.

Came here for a nightcap or two after visiting The Royal Tavern next door. Loved the atmosphere in the place. When we came in, they were watching Talking Dead (I guess straight after watching The Walking Dead) which was fun to see - I like bars with a bit of community about them. You could tell the people at the bar were regulars and the bartender was a really nice dude. Couldn't quite believe the bar prices either - I'm always shocked when I get change from a $10 for two drinks, even AFTER the tip. To the locals - go here if you want a new local bar. To the outsiders - feel at home in this true dive bar.

Great dive bar. The Mad Dog cocktails are world class! Ask for the orange jubilee and hot pocket combo!

If any bar takes its name literally, it's this one. Immediately upon entering, you're greeted with a wall of smoke so thick that you feel like you're visiting your great aunt's house in coal country. The bathroom smells like Philadelphia's biggest landfill. No really, there's a serious disregard for the courtesy flush rule...every time I go in there, I'm met with someone's last meal. I want to like it, because I know you all do, but I. just. can't.

If you judge a good Dive by the hangovers you've had after going there, this is a real winner. I've never been not wasted here, somehow. Once I flew at John in a panic cause "his" ATM ate my card. He said, "Are you sure you didn't jam it into the receipt slot?" Well, yeah, that is possible, since it's one a.m. and I've been drinking your triple shots of Powers for three hours and I've actually smoked a few of Kelly's cigarettes and watched Metalacolypse and this weird dude has been trying to talk to me the whole time so I was drinking faster to avoid talking, and I think I ate a Lean Pocket, too, who fucking knows what flavor it even was. Anyway John magically unstuck the card from wherever it was jammed and I got more money and kept drinking until the girls put me over the top bar of my bike and rolled me home. So, yeah, good bar.

Basically the only thing i will miss about all of Philadelphia. Best staff in the whole city, good beer side by side with canned Schlitz, free pizza, cheap pool, forced mingling due to narrowness, a bunch of sluts, artfags, lesbians and neighborhooders, Adult Swim, sex on camera, shirtless dancing, pot pies and LOVE. The Dive, i will always have my hat tipped to you. I'm still looking for your Chicago equivalent.

A friend from out of town wanted to experience the novelty of smoking in bars in Philly and so I decided to take her to the Dive: cheap, friendly, close by. Within the first few minutes we got to experience the bartender's casual woman-hating comments and hear about the size of his dick. Then I was told to shut up because there was a show on TV this guy wanted to watch. Mind you, the TV was booming, there were subtitles, and since when are you not allowed to socialize at a bar? Another guy reached out and shook his hand - "Well played, sir." So this wasn't some rando - this was a shared sentiment. I got called a bitch. The same dude said he wanted the bartender to put arsenic in my drink. Oh, and then someone was yelling out a woman-with-a-penis joke. Icing on the cake. We were only there for an hour and that's the last time I'll ever step foot in there. For the record, we went to Ray's afterwards and the bartender didn't tell me about his genitals, I wasn't chastised for talking, I didn't receive a death threat, and the drunk dude talking to me just wanted to tell me about how much he loves My Bloody Valentine.

This place is tops as far as I'm concerned. Besides having a great selection of beer (I had something apricotty - wait, is that even a word?) and enjoyed overhearing the conversations of the other patrons. I wish I could recount them for you, but the very best ones weren't very family friendly, hence, my love for this bar. Nobody would ever dream of bringing a child in here, unless they were up for "Worst Parent of the Century." The music was good and there was even an interlude where a Monty Python song was simulcast on the speakers, television and from the lungs, heart and soul of the customers. Plus, the bathroom did not skeeve me out at all. Who woulda guessed? If you don't mind walking out smelling like an ashtray, then this just may be your favorite bar in Philly.

To me, The Dive Bar needs no review to keep up the hype. This place is homey, cozy, fun as hell, and bartended well. And that's all I can say about that. Peace, bitches. I'll be there again and again.

Friendly neighborhood bar. One of the only places where I don't feel embarrassed for going to more than a few times a week. Jon, who is the owner and bartender, is a self proclaimed "beer snob" and is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the product he is serving. They have a great rotation of seasonal draughts -- I highly recommend the Peach Wheat when its in season. But don't worry, he won't make fun of you for ordering a $1.50 can of Schlitz and a $1.00 shot of Mad Dog 20/20 -- my usual when I'm thirsty and tight for cash. Above all, a great place to bring friends, meet some more, eat cold pizza and get extremely wasted.

Smoking is allowed here :( So if you detest smoking, you will detest this place. I've only ever been to the second floor which is teeny tiny. Bartenders are nice. Beer is cheap. And they're kind enough to allow literary readings on their second floor, which is the only reason I put up with the secondhand smoke. Probably a great place if you don't mind getting lung cancer.

Wow, I didn't even realize this place had a pool table. I will hit that up next time I'm in the hood. I had a real nice time when I was here, good beer, good company, good times, and dogs like to hang out here too. There are all kinds of quality imports(La Fin Du Monde for instance), and of course budget standards(PBR) They also have all kinds of microwavable goodies to eat, all I can seem to recall right now is the popcorn though. And the Juke is pretty darn good. My bar experience is always exponentially increased when I hear something from Primus, and the AIDS song by Ween.

It has been entirely too long since I have frequented the Dive, due to my relocation to West Philly. But just like Chapterhouse, it's a place like this that will bring me back to the east side of the river when my lease is up. I agree with Marissa - there's no pretention at all. There's always a good crowd, some assorted dogs sitting with owners at happy hour ,and so on. The happy hour is hands down one of the best in Philly - free f'in pizza, with the beer and liquor of the week. Beyond happy hour, drink prices are still reasonable. And of course, there's Philly's friendliest bartender, John. How can you go wrong?

Who would have thought that a place named "The Dive Bar" would actually be a dive bar! What a genius name. They had [Adult Swim] on the TV, and served up some hot pockets.. I was midway through my PBR and thought, am I re-living freshman year of college? The charm of this place is that it has none. In fact, it's an outright shit-hole. Still, with the $4 beer and shot (PBR and Jager) special, I'll be back for more.

File under "Too old for this crap anymore", I guess, though I can't imagine liking this place even when I *was* young and poor and kinda stupid. Sorry... wanting to get hammered on a budget, wanting to hang with the cool crowd in an unpretentious atmosphere... these are NOT sufficient motivation to set foot in The Dive. The place stinks, figuratively and most definitely literally. In its apparent effort to be a hipster-antidote to all things pretentious, it's cultivated and nailed its own version of pretentiousness. Yuck on every level.

Oh Dive Bar. I love your concept, I love that you have pool tables. I can't stand the smoke. I know, I know, I should not go to a place that has smoking if I don't like smoke. I get it. I'm not going to complain anymore about it. I said my peace and I'm done. The beer prices are great and I think you're guaranteed to meet some real characters here. The whole place just has a good feel and I like it very much. I enjoyed my interaction with the staff. The bartenders were friendly, down to earth and they get you a beer quickly. That's all you need really. I'll be back, I know I will, and I'll hate myself in the morning.

After reading the review of "Michael N" I thought; well if this humorless c*^t who by reading his other reviews hates everything I should add my two cents. The dive is a bar. Not sure what you're looking for but it has cold beer, 3 floors (two for smoking) and the people that work there are basically cool. I generally hate people so the lack of strangers talking to me makes me happy. Don't get me wrong....I am all for a good conversation but you best have a vagina betwixt those legs if you expect anything but a grunt for a reply. Anyway, I usually come here to get blackout drunk and forget that I'm spending precious rent money to feed my drinking habit. What I'm trying to say is it's budget friendly. You can be any kind of drunk here you want. Funny, quiet, chatty, confused, sad....etc. The only kind you shouldn't be is annoying...annoying drunks are the worst. This rule doesn't apply to the dive exclusively but it's a nice general guideline if you're planning to defile yourself in public. But seriously.....it's a bar, no more, no less. One of the last bastions of establishments where there is no pretense and no illusion why you are there. Oh and to "Michael N" if you call anything "faux" you should probably just use it to describe your circle of friends. Seriously, who'd be friends with that tool?

Until a recent change in staff this was my spot, as I've been a regular at the dive for years. Lets start by stating that this bar was never a great place, it was a bar that had a great atmosphere because of the staff and crowd, both of which have moved on. John's a douche and reminds you of the neighborhood dork that no one liked growing up; he says "cheers" to you every time you grab a new beer, which I guess makes the dive a worldly place. The girl bartenders have no bartending skills and the other younger guy that works there is in the wrong field. If I ever come around it'll be to reminisce about who you were "the dive" not who you are.

Oh Dive Bar, how I love you. I can't begin to count the ways. I like the fact that I can step out of my door and be there in 30 seconds, that's for sure. I love that you have a plethora of booze that won't empty my wallet, and that one of my favorite beers (franziskaner) is only 4 dollars! I like that the majority of the crowd that frequents you is very friendly, and laid back, and that sometimes I get to pet cute dogs. I like your free pizza during happy hour which is 7 days a week!! And that you always have a great selection of draughts that are totally not typical of your average dive. I love the fact that I can catch great food shows / discovery network / science fiction / horror films / adult swim on the tv. Yes I have stayed to watch From Dusk Till Dawn in it's entirety. I love that I can eat popcorn, and white castle burgers, and drumsticks there. I don't mind the smoking, it's not really bad as everyone says it is. I just love you. Okay.

Alrite, first off, the name of this place eats shit. By just reading the name, the bar automatically depicts itself as a hipster-wanna-be discharging hole. I even got a few friends who wont touch this place solely based on its name.... which might make them elitist assholes, but, they admit to that... so... anyway.... So yea, this place is cheap, its gotta big flat screen tv over the bar that plays cartoons and bad movies, and an upstairs rec-room that your allowed to smoke in. The main clientel here is cute, "dont call me a hipster", bad tattoo sportin', 20 something lez-chicks mixed in with neighborhood lackeys, and the run-off of the Royal Tavern. This place is novel the first few times you show up to it, and it makes you sorta wish you lived closer, but as you keep going, you sorta look up the street and see the lights of Royal Tavern, and look down the street and see the darkness and filth of Rays Happy Hate Day, and you start wonderin' what your doin stuck in the middle. When your on Passyunk Ave, you either gotta get classy or get nasty, those are the two options... and Dive Bar isn't one of um.

The only thing I miss about living in South Philly. The staff is fabulous, the place is void of elitist asses and it's poor folk friendly

Want the cheapest, coolest place in Philly? This is it. Great bartenders, awesome owner, great neighborhood spot. And where else does a bar menu include Chef Boyardee?? Home away from home. $4.00 well drinks. New friends. My place.

The Dive Bar used to be my neighborhood pub back when I lived in Bella Vista. It moved in to the space which was formerly Low Bar, a dank, cliquey and pretty awful den of debauchery. In an even earlier incarnation it was Smocky Bar (yes, that was how it was spelled) which hosted the type of clientele you might see in the bars in Ghost Dog. Most of the bar flies were old Italian-American men who wouldn't curse in the presence of women so if a chick walked in they said nothing at all. Now feels much more alive. Jon opened up the second floor for DJs, live music, quizzo and the occassional poetry event and the third for pool, darts and video games. The bar definitely caters to the young at heart with an X-Box and Adult Swim sponsorship. Their brews are reasonably priced as is the liquor. A four dollar Fin du Monde and a John Powers for another four? Yes, please. (Note: I don't do Schlitz and PBR which is MUCH cheaper). I'm also a fan of the mural of a naked boobie which the lesbians (who have a weekly 'Dyke Night') petitioned to have kept up when Jon was planning to paint over it. The jukebox is good and the music the staff plays is usually rocking (punk, new wave, hardcore, etc.) I love the staff. They are the perfect blend of surly, funny and cool. Good kids, all of 'em.

Good chill spot. Free Pizza at Happy Hour, plus decent drink specials. Dog Friendly provided yours is chill and there isn't a Fido Convention. Smoking allowed after 7 works for all persuasions. Right on Passyunk Ave where the action is in S Philly. Come in and explore it's levels.

Oh Dive Bar, how I love thee. With your disheveled looks and your old man-who-smokes-too-much smell you're hard for me to dislike. You're like the neighborhood hooker that everyone knows a little too well. You wave your cheap drink about in such a tempting fashion and I do drink them while perched on a barstool checking out the regulars and not-so-regulars. You sashayed in front of me with your dangling Dive Bar sign and drew me in for life (or as long as I'm in Philly). Oh Dive Bar, how I love thee. Seriously folks... The bar: It's one of the few bars in Philly where a smoker can light up and have a stiff, quickly poured drink by a really, really, reeeeeaaally happy bartender. If you're not a smoker, be ware, yes there is a wall of smoke. If you complain about the smoke, know you're probably out numbered. The drinks: Ssssssssssstiff and poured with a smile and quickly too! Magically quickly. Priced fairly too. That's always a good thing. The crowd: I see some people here have described the crowd as hipsters. Far from it. The regulars mostly live in the neighborhood. It's the place they go when they're sick of staring at their own walls and maybe, just maybe they'll run into someone they know for a good conversation. The people I've met there are everything from artists to IT guys, those who no one is really sure what they do to make money to nurses. People from jeans and t-shirts to polo shirts and khakis. Middle class hipsters? I think not. Some are poor, some are rich, some are middle class but hipsters? Not so much. They just *like* the bar because it's not some pretentious, overpriced, meat market. It's a dump with some OK folks and a few douchoise as patrons but hey, that's any neighborhood bar. All in all, I like this place and will keep going back as long as it's there.

EW. This place is GROSS. I fail to see the charm in this cramped, suffocating, and smelly bar. In and out in less than 30 seconds, and still increased my chance of lung cancer by 34,165,213%. No thanks!

A standout spot in South Philly. $2 Happy Hour of beer better than anything else priced at that or below and two slices of pizza. I cannot think of a better deal in this fine city. Fridays and Saturdays you got Mike the bartender working and he's a great pourer of beers and an even better conversationalist. Come on down to The Dive for a welcoming community, diverse in ages and in backgrounds.

As far as neighborhood bars go this one take the cake. It's not even really in my neighborhood, but I'll take a quick bike ride there anytime for a cheap can of beer and munchies that bring me back to after school special days. Add free pizza happy hours and I'm set. The upstairs was closed for a while, which, I'll admit kept me from coming. But now there's pool again and plenty of DJs spinning, including my friends Just Jess and Klembot. Yeaya! It's a great place for an after-work drink or just to chill for a while. Damn, now I want a drink.

sometimes there is a cute as hell pup hanging out which makes the second hand smoke from upstairs manageable. good pool table upstairs and friendly bar tenders every time i have been in! also - good prices on drinks

Given the distance from my home base, I doubt I'd come back, but I can dig it. As a smoker, I can appreciate a place that permits smoking. But even I couldn't hang too long. In the end, it was fun and all. Had I not been in the hood, it wouldn't be worth it to travel to this place. The bartender is as nice and cool as everyone says he is. Prices were decent. The menu is quite hilarious. Otherwise, it was actually quite forgettable.

Quite possibly my favorite place in the world to get a drink and shoot a game of pool (yes the second and third floors are open again). I'm so biased it's hard for me to even write a coherent review. In general, the friendliest people, a good happy hour, a great selection of beer for a place this size, really reasonable prices, and just a great vibe.