Cabin Tavern

Loved this place. Laid back. Chill. Good service and friendly bartenders. No drama, just good…read moretimes. Two thumbs up.

Amazing dive bar, if you're lucky hottie Alaskan Annie will be bartending. The popcorn is nice and…read moresalty and they have a good selection of local beers. No taps unfortunately is the only downfall of this lovely Alaskan dive. No food so eat before u come or you can bring food in! Try a duck fart shot or ask for a hotshot....also buy one of Annie's calendars!

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Time Out Lounge

4.3(21 reviews)

The only bartender was working her butt off and the live music was good. A lot of the locals come…read morehere and I was able to mingle with them. It was a great to just chill at this place. I do recommend this place. They did provide hotdogs & chips for those need a bite to eat. I will be back.

It's okay on a weekday. If you're going to get parts to start up your day then let this begin the…read moreend of your night.

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Van's Dive Bar

4.2(18 reviews)

4.3 mi

"True Dive Bar Vibes in Anchorage"…read more October 2023 - Van's Dive Bar really puts the dive in dive bar -- and I mean that in the best (and sometimes worst) way possible. It's small, dark, and a little sketchy, with writing covering nearly every wall and a tiny stage where local bands play -- some decent, some not so much. The drinks are very reasonably priced, and the service is friendly and quick, which goes a long way here. You'll find regulars who clearly know each other, and the atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect from a true neighborhood watering hole. If you're looking for something polished or upscale, this isn't it. But if you want a no-frills local spot in Anchorage with cheap drinks, good service, and a ton of character, Van's Dive Bar is absolutely your place.

Trivia: What brass instrument is unique due to its slide feature?…read more The parking might be the first thing that stumps you. If you don't park in the front, you might wonder, like I did, whether the side of the building is an okay place to park. Then you'll wonder if you should park sideways, angles, or straight on. By then you'll be to the back of the place and down a short hill and trying to figure out where to park or where to turn around. You may even decide to just leave. But don't. Vans is a cozy spot. Due to the hum of the ice machine, and the friendly conversations, you'll not be able to hear any of the street noise so close to the entrance. Five beers on tap, and probably 30-40 cans and bottles in the cooler. Plenty of liquor, though they didn't have any scotch I would want to drink. Maybe four bottles? As advertised, a dive bar. Both in look and smell (which wasn't bad, per se). There was a blue grass group starting to jam a little after I got there. The patron next to me said they were part entertainment, part jam session. Which sounded pretty darn cool to me. Basically everyone in the place was there to hang and/or play. I was asked if I was a musician. Not since high school. When I played it was the answer to the trivia question.

Love the wall art!

Vans dive bar

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The Blue Fox

3.9(41 reviews)

3.8 mi

TOTS!!! Great food and a dive bar feeling, but it's clean! Love this place and love the tater tots!…read moreI mean, who doesn't???

Although I used to visit Blue Fox regularly and enjoyed the service, ambience, and events like…read moretrivia and karaoke, it's clear how poorly the owners treated their employees--even without knowing them personally. Usually, people return for the service and atmosphere, but Blue Fox lost all of that the moment they let go of their long-standing employee. Following that, other employees left as well. Now, Blue Fox has nothing left to offer, and it's truly sad to see how the owners undermined their own business behind closed doors. I'm deeply saddened that I supported this business for so long.

Great dive vibe

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Storefront

Avenue Bar

3.9(30 reviews)

5.1 mi

•$$

I really enjoyed my experience with this bar ! I wanna say a shout to the gentlemen who was the…read morebartender I chilled with for a bit. I came in early like 2-4pm and the place wasn't busy but I like that because I only wanted to chill and relax. This place is so close to my hotel at the Hilton it was a 5min walk if anything. The bartender was super cool we played a game of pool and I had a couple beers and relaxed. I'll come back to this place on a weekend when I'm here again but I def say check it out the have free pool and I saw darts ! Decent sized place to unwind and relax with some drinks !

Good little bar with a bunch of great whiskey! Stopped in on a Saturday afternoon and the…read morebartender was very nice. You don't wanna act like a tourist but I asked her for a few recos and she gave me some great places to eat! Lots of Locals in there too that also helped with finding some oysters as well as some local history of the area. Good music and just relaxing! Went back later that night and it was a different story.. younger crowd and LOUD!!! Bye

Bar

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Carousel Cocktail Lounge

4.2(27 reviews)

6.1 mi

•$$

Nice little dive spot in Spenard! I actually really like…read morethis place, free pool on Mondays a great rotation of Karaoke nights, you'll often find a live band playing on the weekend and they have a FREE taco bar on Tuesdays!!! Super friendly bartenders, and quick to get service. Not a huge selection on tap but let's be honest you're not hitting up a dive in Spenard for the craft beer....its for the Spenard "Ambiance" *pro tip* Keep your eye on their socials for great party events!! This year (2025) they served up a free complete Thanksgiving dinner for folks.

Got to love me a nasty bar with carpet that looks like the from the 1980s but in argyle pattern…read more... This place is great love the karaoke Love the small town atmosphere!!!

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Iconic!

Koot's

3.3(137 reviews)

5.9 mi

•$$

Is there such a thing as the quintessential "Dive Bar?" If so, Koots fits the bill. A dark maze…read moreof fun-filled rooms, a sassy bartendress and a brooding crowd. (Chef's kiss )

This place was very interesting. I spent 4 years of my life in Anchorage before visiting koots. I…read morefeel like Koots is somewhat of an institution to the town so I was definitely curious about the bar. I'm glad I went to check it out, but outside of going there for a show I don't see myself going back. Seriously gave me college bar/frat house basement party vibes. Considering I went to a Big 10 school in the middle of Illinois I'm very well versed in that type of establishment/vibe. It's not exactly the kind of place I want to go to as a 30 something year old. I went there for a burlesque show. Shout out to Pulse Dance Company! The show was amazing and tons of fun. The bar itself I don't think has had any updates since like maybe 1995, and that estimate is probably generous. This bar was probably the place to be when it first opened, but now it's kind of just tired and sad. It could probably be better if they took the time & money to renovate it, but they don't really have an incentive since people go there regardless. Koot's kind of just exists, but considering Anchorage is the biggest metropolitan area Alaska has it's a confusing type of establishment to find here. If you're looking to party though it seems to be the spot!

Arcade

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Gaslight Lounge

3.0(33 reviews)

It was a good place to end the night. The mechanical bull was what caught our attention but other…read morethan that, the guests were good, music was alright, but the bartender that helped serve us our drinks was fab! She was extremely nice and courteous. They did not have any food so I would not be able to judge that. Other than that, I'd probably give it a 7/10.

This was my first time to this place and I will be back. I…read morehad a few drinks at the bar and had around 2-3 bowls of popcorn as I spoke to a few of the patrons about their experience in Alaska. There was a crowd of folks having a great time (been there awhile ) and waited anxiously for when the mechanical bull was open to them. The vibe was definitely upbeat and the bartender was super friendly. I was lucky enough to find street parking up front but there is more parking in the back.

The mechanical bull line

The bar area

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Popcorn

Pioneer Bar

3.2(68 reviews)

Hands down one of the best local bars in downtown Anchorage…read more I never feel unsafe here even with the Gaslight down the way (and yes, we all know that place has its issues). The Pio just gives off the best bar energy downtown. The bartenders are absolutely amazing and always take such good care of you, which honestly makes all the difference. They bring in DJs throughout the week with different sets, and if you're there before the DJ starts, they've got a TouchTunes jukebox so you can play your own music. Inside, there's plenty to do: arcade-style games, pool tables, and air hockey, perfect if you're bouncing around downtown and want to actually hang out somewhere. They've done a few facelifts inside over the years, and it's only gotten better. This is easily one of our all-time favorite spots when we're downtown. And the best part? Sometimes on the weekends, if you're lucky, you step outside and there's a little hot dog stand set up right near the front door. Truly elite downtown behavior and one of my favorite things about being down there.

Great workers. Great vibes. Feels like home! A place to bring your hot date to and then forget she…read moreexisted cause the vibes were too high

Beer on Tap selection

Nice light up signs throughout the bar

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Wildness Alaskan Beer

Pink Cadillac

4.0(2 reviews)

0.2 mi

What a pleasant surprise!…read more I had never heard of this place. I'm terrible at dancing. Any and all types of dancing. However, one of the women I'm seeing is into novel experiences (and is also a good dancer, TBH) and I wanted to hang out with her this week so...there I was. There is a free beginner dance lesson every Wednesday. The instructors are good, really good. Arguably too good. I'm such a n00b that I didn't understand most of the jargon. Jargon that most people have probably known since middleschool. I guess I just need a "total n00b" class to be offered in the future. Anyway, I'm trying to challenge myself so, I still tried. I *kind of* got the dance. My steps were innacurate and but I didn't run into anyone and my timing was A-OK. It was a really fun experience now that I'm not out on the dance floor struggling through "syncopated steps". (whatever the hell those are)

Pink Cadillac was a great place, had a great time playing pool and line dancing #PinkCadillacak…read more@pinkcadillacak #buzzybooth