Best Bar in the Valley!!! This place is a hidden gem in Phoenix, AZ. One of my favorite low key spots were you can drink and dance or just hangout and play pool. You see a huge range of people and is such a great hide out after a long day. Not your typical dive bar and has great music. read more

Another town, another tiki bar. Actually this bar is more like a dive bar ( not that there is anything wrong with that). We got tiki drinks that were $7 each, so super cheap. They were pretty good too. The music was eclectic, lots of country music the night we stopped in. Not over the top tiki themed, more like "tiki-lite." If you're wanting a casual place to grab a reasonably priced drink, this is your place. read more

I absolutely love this place. I drove by it one night by accident w/a friend who was like "you don't kno bout the tiki bar?" 2yrs later I went for the first time. Shit's got character beyond the moon; reminds me of what a gem Phoenix is--AND THATS SAYIN A LOT 4Me!! But seriously, if you respect yourself then stop by. Don't bitch about it being cash only, bitch instead about how long you went without experiencing this place. read more

My first clue should have been that it is on Grand Ave. Dirty and moist. I felt like I needed a shower and a tall glass of Airborne after I left this place. The best thing, people watching. It's very fascinating to see who walks into this place. read more

Cool tiki bar. Cash only. Taco stand outside. Dance party. Strong drinks. read more

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"It's the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki ROOM. It's the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki ROOM." I love how people complain about it being tacky, dirty and whatnot. For fuck's sake, it's the epitome of a DIVE. Dives are supposed to be that way! Remember: they are dark so that you can't see the 'roaches. I love this place! It's up there on the Top 3 Dives. I mean: kitsch decoration, missing toof women bartenders, great music, cheap strong drinks and PBR served in a pitcher -yes, you must drink it out of the pitcher- for $3. I MEAN, what more can you ask for? Not sure if it's still the case, but Tuesdays are great. It's pants off, dance off time! read more

I desperately miss this place. I used to live right up the road from this dank, dismal, wonderful establishment but moved to Cleveland and just cannot find anything else that compares. I never saw more than one person working there, that one person being a short woman with few teeth and a hoarse voice from too many years of chain smoking unfiltered cigarettes.. She was never what I would call friendly but she poured a hell of a cocktail and I never paid more than $5 for a drink. Free pool on Sundays and Mondays and a jukebox that holds every song you could ever want to hear. Live music several nights a week. With Trunk Space being right next door there is a seemingly never ending parade of hipster scum but that makes for the BEST people watching. The entire building is as big as a 3 car garage and it probably hasn't been cleaned since the start of the millennium but really who cares.. You aren't there to rub your naked body on any surface (hopefully) so I mean, don't stick your fingers in your mouth and hover when you pee and you'll survive the night not having contracted Hep C.. If you were looking for clean and classy then you're on the wrong side of 7th ave. The beer is cold, prices are low, service is prompt. There will never be any dive bar that compares. read more

Bikinis bikinis oh wait where my drinky!? Don't expect to see any bikinis at the Bikini Lounge anytime soon. This place is a total dive close to the heart of downtown. Overall, drinks are dirt cheap from what I'm used to and the AA (Affordable Alcohol) club loves it here! 3 drinks for $10 total...wow I feel like we're back in the 90's again with these prices! The place itself is full of tackiness, but not the cheap look. "Bikini" clad girls and some naked on the walls. Only cash accepted and a juke box. Now that's your dive! - Enjoy read more

Do you like trendy shit-music and half dressed plastic surgery queens gyrating all around you, while you pay twelve dollars for your appletini? If your answer is yes, don't bother coming here. Dive bars are plentiful in Phoenix, but the Bikini is in my 'hood. It's a dirty, unassuming place, with a couple of no-nonsense bartenders and a good jukebox. There are a couple of rules to follow when visiting the Bikini: 1. Bring cash. Cards aren't accepted, the atm machine is there for decoration only, as it hasn't worked in at least two years. 2. Don't make fun of the guy in the overalls and farmer hat. He's my neighbor. 3. Don't piss off the bartenders. Tip them well, treat them nicely, and don't order more than three dirty martinis. If you are nice to them, they will be nice to you. This includes, but is not limited to: the strength of your drinks, the price of your drinks, and whether or not you get a drink at all. They take no shit. If you can't handle it, stay away. The place gets crowded enough as it is. read more

Been here many a time I'm sorry To say my visit last night was extremely Not good came in early I was planning to Meet about 8 friends there for a early Holiday party and the old hag of a bartender was so rude I will never go back Period. What a difference in attitude at this Place I remember going in there 12 years Ago and now what a difference that place won't be open for long if they continue. To run away business read more

The Bikini Lounge is a terrific dive bar, attracting mostly hipsters, bar-o-sauruses, sometimes bums and/or your occasional tweaker, and some slumin-it douches. Honestly I liked it a little more before the smoking ban (seemed to have more ambiance) but it still is a good place for some cheap drinking. What are you gonna do? Times change. Apparently some folks reviewing here didn't see the part about Bikini being a DIVE bar. Yep, so don't expect this to be some neat clean place with where all of the beautiful people go and security guards watch your car in the parking lot. It is what it is as others have said. Edit: I have now realized that it has lost something - its dimness. There is a huge light near the ceiling that, um, just makes it too well lighted. Bring back my dark tiki bar! read more

I struggle with the quantity of stars to bestow on this place. Maybe 2.5? I totally get that this is a dive bar. It is understandable that dive bars are suppose to leave residue on you when you leave. However, they shouldn't leave the lasting impression of scariness that this place does. I was greeted completely without any admirable candor (not that I should expect it). "What do you want?" doesn't exactly ring in my ears as an invitation of welcome. I guess I also picked this place when apparently no one comes in. There was one other dude there. He looked like Santa Claus' illegitimate child. So, I would hope a hipper crowd parades around when Trunkspace is rocking. I suppose my biggest complaints are the lack of welcome that the whole place vibed to me; the inability to judge based on clientele (given what was there, I would guess a village of elves); and the lack of any clean surface in the place. Perhaps I am hasty to judge, but I will sit on my 2.5 until a better experience can raise that. I will presumably be drunk for that to happen. read more

A great little bar with cheap drinks and quick service. I'm often at the Trunk Space, which is just 2 doors away. We sneak over between sets for a brew or two. Bikini Lounge is cash only, so come prepared or face the unnerving punishment of ATM fees. It can get loud and crowded; sometimes it takes a tight huddle and some shouting to carry a conversation. Overall, Bikini doesn't promise anything fancy. It's a workhorse of a bar, pumping out reasonably priced drinks at admirable speed. I've never left disappointed. read more

A dive bar without shuffleboard doesn't deserve 5 stars. But the bikini is good times as long as its not too crowded and doesn't have a DJ. I don't understand the people here who like a DJ at a dive, seems so wrong to me. They also have serious problems keeping their mixers carbonated. I've been served more flat G&Ts here then at every other bar I've ever been to combined. So I stick to the PBR. But I've got a lot of good memories from this place. Mostly when they stay open past legal hours. No better way to prepare yourself for family time at a Thanksgiving feast then to get completely trashed until 3am at a dive the night before. read more

I hope you don't think that I'm too critical by the end of this review. But honestly I've been to better dive bars. The first thing that struck me was the location. Crap! It shares a wall the the Trunk Space, on a corner of Grand Ave and 7th ave I believe. Getting there, maneuvering the strange sharp turns, and then locating a parking spot definitely downs my drinking enthusiasm. -1 for initial placement. Although, if you happen to be catching a show at the Trunk Space, this place is 5 steps away. When I first entered the place, I admit I was impressed with the interior decor. The whole tiki-style theme was nice and consistent. Except for all the stuff behind the bar. I mean a piece of paper with a note written with a marker saying "We have the right to refuse anyone service", just screams "low class establishment here" to me. At least the air conditioning and lighting were comforting. The service was decent. The lack of crowd allowed my party and I the utmost dedicated attention. I ordered a large pitcher of Blue Moon, which if you have a three person group, the price is pretty good. You get three smaller than usual frosted glasses which I liked. However, as a fan of Blue Moon, I was unimpressed by how bland the white ale tasted!! I'm sure it was flat. It was cold though. Ill give them that. Overall, I would come back again, but only if I happen to be at the Trunk Space. I see no reason to deliberately make this place my destination. By the way this place is Cash Only...... read more

The atmosphere is dive for sure, but the tiki theme bumps it up to charmingly dive. The bartenders can be gruff, but if you joke with them they actually have a sense of humor (think Dick's last resort, where the servers are supposed to be rude :-)). My only complaint is the price of drinks, other than beer. The beer is very reasonable, but for a dive bar, I expect wells to be STRONG. They are the price of any other place and are average to weak. Also the shots are expensive... like 6-7 bucks. The price of a shot at other places is usually the same or a little less than the drink that the liquor is used for. And... there is no happy hour to balance it out. Some complain about cash only, but I like that it helps me stay in my limit. :-) Overall, I will go once a month or two, but not as a go to. read more

Urban hipsters, truckers, tiki lovers, and homos rejoice - you have your place, Bikini Lounge. Is it bad that I love Bikini, but that the drinks suck and are totally weak - or are they strong - and am I just becoming more of an alky? Don't answer. That is neither here nor there. I've noticed the weak drinks the past several times have gone, and was hoping it was a phase, but no - it looks like a pattern, folks. Be warned. Or one option could be to just forgo the liquor and go with cheap pitchers of PBR. However, the atmosphere, jukebox selection, diverse crowd, and "Phoenix institution" status are enough to warrant a 5 star rating, but the weak drinks are a drag. read more

Bikini gets a 5 some nights and a 1 some nights. Over the past 3.5 years of the grandevelt explosion, I've been the sad witness to Bikini becoming a trendy dive bar instead of an actual dive bar. Some nights, this is still the hangout for downtown weirdos, misfits, artists, and random old grouches. If there isn't a DJ, or if the DJ is the wonderful Matty Balls or DJentrification, you can actually carry a conversation or dance. Most nights, though, it's got an annoying DJ playing for people who really want to be seen - and it's got more of a club atmosphere than one of a place where you can go and enjoy a nice conversation and beer with old friends. I used to drop in here just to bump into friends from the neighborhood - now I avoid it unless I'm at the Trunk Space anyway. read more

The best bar in Phoenix. The Bikini Girls have experience. I've had some of the best nights up in that bitch. sexy. and PBR is like so cheap. Don't be appalled when you see all the dudes drinking straight from a personal pitcher, its one less glass for the ladies to clean. Also, JOHN MAYER! read more

Odd dive bar. The place is well decorated for a dive, with a Tiki, Hawaiian theme...there's art on the walls and some books near the bathroom. Both bartenders were friendly and chatty in a good way. Happy hour featured small pitchers of PBR for 3 bucks with never-ending, well-salted peanuts... I went there on a Wednesday, early evening, and it was mostly empty. The regulars were all reading at the bar. At 6 they dimmed the lights and happy hour ends. It started to get crowded around then...The jukebox was on fire the whole time and has a good selection... It's a cash only bar, but there is an ATM... read more

My favorite dive bar in Phoenix!! The first time i went, the older woman behind the bar was not exactly friendly, but not rude either. The next time she recognized me and warmed up a bit. Now i always look forward to Wesley's warm welcome. She is awesome, pours the best drinks and keeps the randoms in check. The place has probably not been redecorated since the 50's. The crowd is a mixture of artists, hipsters and locals. Everyone is friendly and there for a good time. I have met many cultured, well read and well traveled people. No pretension, no attitude. Just fun. I love Tuesday nights there. Djentrification plays a mix of all types of music and if you watch him at work, you will understand his amazing dj skills. I have seen place packed with people dancing everywhere including the tables. A blast!! I highly recommend this place to any music and art lover wanting to make new friend or to just dance the night away. read more

Cocktails are okay beer is warm and if you aren't paying to play music there is no music the drinks are cheap but for good reason they have $3 pbr that is served room temp the bar smells like old beer and cigarette smoke. Would only recommend if you want a super cheap drink with ZERO atmosphere read more

Quintessential dive with pitchers of PBR and Photo Hunt. This is the kind of place that should just be exempt from the smoking ban, the abundance of quality breathable air almost detracts from the aura. And though I loved the fact we were able to queue up a bunch of early 90's dance hits on the jukebox, that in and of itself is kind of weird for a dive. I'm sitting at 3.5 stars for now and rounding up. I don't think this is the best dive bar ever (I've been to better in other cities), its good for sure and definitely better than Shady's, but until I'm able to confirm if they serve pitchers of Kamikazes I can't give it "best ever" status. read more

After visiting this establishment here are a few of my observations. There's two doors, a bathroom, a pool table (why? I don't know), tables and a bar. Yes, it is that simple. But as we all know, personality can go a long way. The place is small and yes it is a dive. But the beer is CHEAP. When we go, we each get our own mini pitcher of PBR. CLASSY! The bartenders are not ever in a talkative mood, they will ignore you for a while and they won't ever say thank you. The people are cool, mostly. But I always get the impression like at any moment there could be shouting match between two hipsters accusing each other of being a hipster. On some nights you get a really cool DJ playing stuff you'll never hear anywhere else. I like that. I like it. It's a little far for me but I'm game if you are! read more

I had few expectations of the Bikini Lounge -- I envisioned just a dive bar with a cardboard thick devotion to the tiki theme. I was delightedly surprised. It certainly is divey, as many of the best tiki bars are, and it has its insensate, day-glo tiki after-thoughts. But it also has aged charm and quirky appeal. Duane, the bartender (and member of the band Iconoclast, although I imagine they spell it differently), happily told us a few stories of the place, with many of the items dating back to its 1947 founding. The centerpiece hula girl painting behind the bar is said to be to have the head of the original owner's wife and the body of his mistress. While it was owned by a gay couple, the hula girl apparently had her breasts painted over and the grass skirt added, then the subsequent owner restored the bosom to its former glory. The New Times claims that this is the oldest bar in Phoenix. Basically, it has an earnest quantity of tiki, and everything a you need for a dive bar of integrity, including the location in a dicey neighborhood. I don't imagine that I will ever go to Phoenix again without stopping in. read more

Lately, nights at the Bikini seem to end with the craziest stuff imaginable. I swear, it gets more absurd every time. I'm on a self-imposed sabbatical. Now it gets five stars. read more

So we found this place out of the tiki road trip book and when we landed n Phoenix we were on a mission: We were determined to go to the BIKINI LOUNGE. We arrived in Phoenix on a First Friday. As a Los Angeles native i was unfamiliar with this event so when we arrived to a rather bustling tiki bar, Bri and I congratulated ourselves on finding what looked like the place to be. I ordered my litmus test of drinks (gin and tonic) and ordered a malibu coke for my man. They were well mixed and only 4.50 a piece. Niiiiiice. I'm used to paying for 10 dollar drinks at the tiki ti. The locals were nice to us too....letting us sit with them and answering our many urgent questions about Phoenix. Pretty good vibes here I'd come again and regularize myself if I lived in the area. Good job Phoenix. read more

Beer is pretty cheap. Got a mini pitcher for 3.50 plus a buck tip. So any cheaper beer would require you to go to an actual store like Frys or Walmart. Other than that. The place sucked. No pretty women for my single friend to enjoy. Just kind of a lame place. Overall don't waste you time downtown Phoenix on a saturday night. They whole area was dead. read more

There's something magical about the Bikini Lounge--magical in the way a particularly strange shade of fungus might appear to you at three in the morning. You sort of stare, unable to fully comprehend what it is, but you know it is disgusting and somehow it cheers you up. Bikini Lounge is the very definition of a dive bar. It's small, dark, cramped and full of cheap booze and loud patrons. There's dancing, some nights, with DJs who may even refuse to play dance beats. The bar tenders are generally helpful, though there is one woman who will more likely punch you in the face than serve you drinks, and there's a cluster of leather-clad, denim-soaked biker guys gathered around the single solitary pool table, scowling at each other while hipsters smoke cigarettes right outside. This place isn't for everyone, not at all. Its for the people who like to skirt an edge--what edge, I can't say, but an edge, a precipice, and just a slight misstep will send you toppling over it, but here, in the balance, there's a sense of strange equilibrium. What I'm trying to pretentiously say is that the Bikini Lounge is the perfect dive bar. The drinks are cheap, the atmosphere is thick, and its a paradise of filth and grime and tacky glitz and faded glamour. Its old, its inviting, and there's rarely a dull moment. This is a bar to come to if you want an adventure, and in a way, is there anything more you could want out of a bar? read more

Total, total dive! Loved it! Friendly service, cheap drinks and diverse crowd. If you're looking for a dive to hang out for a few and have some cheap drinks, this is the place. Cool tiki vibe and dark to get lost in. The do have a pool table in the back if you can slip in between the locals playing! read more

This place is OLD SCHOOL great. Classic tavern. Cheap drinks and no fu-foo stuff. Not a great selection of liquor but they have the basics. Surprisingly they have Stella Artois on tap. Of course many of patrons were drinking PBR the night I was there. They have one pool table and just a few booths to lounge at. I love the flouresnt, black light powered posters that hang high on the walls near the back of the bar. And my favorite piece of art is the old and very large hula dancer that hangs over the back of the bar. Another one of my favorite things about this bar is they have a juke box and they turn it up pretty loud. Love that. Also this is classic. They have two small tv but no cable. What bar does not have cable TV. I love it read more

It's a 50 year old dive bar. I have to say for being that old it's pretty clean. If your looking for somewhere downtown to have a drink go check it out. I thought it was closed when we 1st got there so don't be fooled. The bartenders been there 30 years. You can shoot pool for free. read more

Bikini Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Great place to chill and drink some brews with friends! The people who work there were great! They have good music and great atmosphere. Also they have a pool table! Which is a plus in my behalf. Definitely will come here again! read more

Bikini is a nice little cash only dive bar with a long history. The music is usually too loud to have a decent conversation, there is only one pool table and most the time I've been it's pretty packed. If you're looking for inexpensive drinks and a very interesting mix of patrons give them a visit. read more

The Bikini ain't bad. It ain't great, either, but what do you want in Phoenix? Kudos to the Bikini for participating in the Idiotarod each year, and for providing cheap strong drinks to anyone lookin' to throw back a few. The juke box here is awesome, and the bartenders don't mess around. Extra points for being next to Trunk Space, so you can get a drink before or after a show. read more

I hate using this lazy phrase, but the Bikini is the quintessential "It is what it is" bar. So, what is it? Hit or Miss. I've had great times here ... other times completely bored and forced. First of all, my major complaint is the NO CARD policy. Fine, i can respect that, though like everyone else under 35, rarely carry cash ... but dammit, can you make sure that your crappy ATM works? So, the PBR is cheap and drinking a pitcher of it is fun. I wouldn't touch a mixed drink here. Their juke box is pretty ace, but alas, good luck getting a play on it. Not likely if you're just passing through. So what is the distinguishing factor for the hit/miss aspect? Come to think of it, the great times that i've had here have all come towards the end of the night. That is to say, I like going here for about an hour before last call. Its a complete mess in there and everyone's rushing to get that last pitcher in and the vibe is festive and chaotic and generally exciting. Any earlier and I'm regretting coming all the way to the edge of the valley, which in my own mind, ends at Bikini Lounge. read more

Best Dive Bar in Phoenix! That's all I have to say! But since everyone knows I always have much much much more to say.... This bar has the best juke box, the bouncer on the weekends is the former commercial stunt double for Charles Barkley, they make me free(!) Shirley Temples when I'm the DD or just not in the mood to drink. My night never ends with this bar, we always seem to meet new people and end up at some random house party afterwards. I always know people in the bar too, which is nice! So if I don't know where anyone is, I'll just head to the Bikini Lounge and find someone to hang out with! One night these two guys who just got out of jail were there, it was a slow weeknight and we befriended them. They told us stories for hours. I never wanted to go jail before, but after their stories I definitely never ever want to go to jail. read more

Bikini is everything I could ever ask for in a bar. Its a dive. Its has awesomely random and strange decorum. Marginally sanitary bathrooms. Cheap whiskey sours. Sassy bartenders. Interesting clientele. Located in a janky neighborhood. *but no hooks for purses under the bar* (still five star worthy though) I was already pumped driving by Bikini... I could just tell it was perfect. As I was arriving a guy was literally thrown out of a neighboring liquor store and stumbled into Bikini. Interior not disappointing in the least. Behind the bar is full of decorative oddities for your viewing pleasures. The bartender definitely didn't take shit from anyone *including some strange characters that chatted us up at the bar*. Beers on tap were $2.75 I believe ... Fat Tire nonetheless! Starting filling up around 10pm with an awesome crowd. I found myself in a conversation with some 'interesting folk' at the bar next to me about multiple universes and aliens... I didn't have too much to add to that one but you just never know who you'll meet there .... ideal. A great dive with a diverse bunch of people and the possibility for some great stories if you stick around long enough or stop in often enough :) *** CA$H bar only*** read more

This is the supreme of all the dive bars in phoenix (im sure there are divier in S phoenix, but seriously, what little white girl is gonna go drinking down there and review it). Every movie youve ever seen where some shady character is in some run down, sticky, smelly dank corner waiting for the man is the epitome of this bar, and i love it. A lot of bars in this town claim to be non judgemental and anti snob only to go and find out they are just as bad as any scottsdale bar. This place could give 2 shits if you still have puke on your shoes from the night before, and everyone needs a bar like that sometimes. Cash only, dont expect the staff to kiss your ass, but do expect to get completely hammered for under 10 bucks. If youre having "one of those nights" where youre aiming to black out, this is the place for you. read more

Oldest bar in Phoenix. Been here sence '47. First had a beer here in Sept '72. Hip people, good vibe and live music on Sunday!