Video: What Makes an Authentic Dive Bar?

In last week's cover story -- which, for the next few hours, you can still find on a newsstand near you -- Jesse walked through a few of Dallas's most authentic dive bars, from the "all hours mixed-use dive" (Starlight Lounge) to the "dive where even your grandparents might get...

By Patrick Michels

November 18, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

In last week's cover story -- which, for the next few hours, you can still find on a newsstand near you -- Jesse walked through a few of Dallas's most authentic dive bars, from the "all hours mixed-use dive" (Starlight Lounge) to the "dive where even your grandparents might get kicked out" (Ships Lounge).

We covered 10 bars in all, but while narrowing down our list we had to define just what makes a dive bar. Cheap bear, wood paneling, video lottery and low-budget decorations are all some of the hallmarks -- all things you'll find in plentiful supply at Cooper's Club in Oak Cliff, where we filmed the video above. Check it out for a little more about what defines an authentic dive bar, and take a look around the bar. Of course, we've also got photos from each bar in the story, here in our slideshow.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Dallas Observer has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.