Madison has no shortage of bars — this is Wisconsin, after all.
From inventive cocktail bars with mixed drinks on tap and rooftop lounges with views, to sports bars abound with TV screens, you can find a watering hole of your liking on just about any street corner. And if you look past the glitz and the glamor of the city’s burgeoning cocktail scene, you’ll find plenty of diamonds in the rough.
That’s right, we’re talking about dive bars.
But first, what makes a bar a true dive? For us at City Cast Madison, we — loosely — define dive bars as unglamorous, hole-in-the-wall spots that generally have a food menu that doesn’t extend beyond the deep fryer, dark (or minimal) lighting, a solid group of regulars, and a reliable selection of domestic beers.
Here’s a look at some of Madison’s favorite dives. (RIP Silver Dollar Tavern.)
703 E Johnson St.
Home of one of Madison’s most-famous bartenders, the ‘Bou is a local favorite.
2417 Pennsylvania Ave.
Cheap food, cheap drinks, casual vibes. What more could you ask for?
1328 S Midvale Blvd.
Tucked away on the West side, Le Tigre takes the dive bar category to a whole new level with its tiger-dominated decor.
119 W Main St.
If a classic dive bar is your idea of paradise, then the ‘Dise is your place.
2302 Packers Ave.
Get the fish fry, you won’t regret it.
319 N Henry St.
A true Madison institution, Plaza has been serving cold beer since the Prohibition era (allegedly).
2236 Winnebago St.
Come for the big shuffleboard table, stay for the cold beer.
2009 Freeport Rd.
Porn in the morn, must we say more?
Honorable Mentions
These spots may or may not be fully considered dives, but we’ll leave that up to you to decide.
On Cottage Grove Road you’ll find Chief’s Tavern, Jade Monkey, and Dive Inn. In the SASY neighborhood, check out Ideal Bar, The Atwood, and Player’s Sports Bar & Grill. Downtown is home to Come Back In, Mondays Bar, and Genna’s Lounge. And on the city’s west side, you can find Village Bar, Mason Lounge, and Main Depot.
