After leaving the Crest Theatre, my girl and I walked across the street to The Dive Bar to end the night. Security checked our IDs at the door, and once we walked in, the bar area was packed. Luckily, there were reserved booths nobody was using and my girl, and I sat there since the main bar was crowded. It actually worked out perfect for us. It gave us space to sit, relax, and have a good conversation without feeling cramped. We ordered a couple of colorful drinks that were nicely balanced and flavorful, not too overpowering, and easy to enjoy. The music was hip-hop which is right up my alley, so the vibe was definitely on point. What really stood out was the atmosphere. I've never been in a bar quite like this where jellyfish were hanging from the ceiling, and a whole underwater theme. I was told a mermaid appears over the bar at certain times, but sadly, I didn't get to see her this visit. Overall, it was a great spot to end the night after the movie. Good drinks, good music, and a unique sea-themed vibe. If I return, I will hope to see a mermaid read more

Dive Bar - Inside at our booth where you can see the jellyfish and the fish tank over the bar. - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

If you want to be charged a cover to get into a place where you'll be comepletely ignored by bartenders, harassed by security and patrons and allegedly have to worry about your drink being accompanied by something a little extra...just so you can see a "mermaid" swim around in a fish tank then this is the perfect place for you. The bar tenders have horrible customer service even when the bar isn't busy. It seems like they rather hang out and chat with regulars and friends than serve paying customers. The security guards we're blatantly discriminating against my friend for no good reason. Also, security apparently accepts bribes at the front door to let people in, so much for safety. The drinks were in my opinion overpriced and didn't taste good. Maybe I'm biased because my whole experience here put a complete sour taste in my mouth. Then, to top it all off my friends and I were being harassed by two patrons who had clearly been overserved the entire time we were there. We had no choice but to leave and we will never be back again! After visiting I wanted to leave a review because I felt other people should steer clear. To my surprise, I read reviews here that mentioned almost the exact experience we had. So, this is not an isolated incident and Dive Bar has not taken our comments into consideration. Disclaimer: I did not have this experience, but it was very disheartening to see all the reviews, tik toks, reels, etc. I found after visiting Dive Bar in which women and men are claiming to have been roofied. This may or may not be true, but it can't be a coincidence this many people have had the same experience. There needs to be an investigation into this bar. I myself will be placing a call to the BBB and I hope that anyone who has had that experience feels empowered to speak to the authorities. read more

I went today to have a drink like around 6:30 pm 01/03/25 and the girl bartender made a big deal after I paid and left no tip. When I was trying to order it took me like 10 minutes to order my drinks because she kept on saying "I can't hear you, I can't hear you!" even though there were no loud noises or other customers that could prevented her from hearing me. After I paid, she started telling all the other guest how I left no tip and that she shouldn't be dealing with that. I think she should not expect tips if she provides a poor service. read more

First time at Dive Bar downtown my friend wanted to show me the place. There was a $10 cover, which honestly didn't feel worth it and almost made me not want to go in at all. Once inside, there was a good mix of ages, which was nice. The bar itself was just okay. The mermaid was cool at first, but the experience didn't really live up to expectations. She seemed kind of bored, like she was just waiting for it to be over. She'd come up for air and appeared to chat with people before going back down, which took away from the whole vibe. Overall, it just wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, and I probably wouldn't go back. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Dive Bar is just that. A play on words. The theme is a giant aquarium above the bar with a mermaid swimming during certain points of the evening. You will know once the lights turn down and the music shifts. Full bar service. Good for groups. Dance floor and a DJ were on hand on a Wednesday night. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

My colleagues raved about Dive Bar, so I had to check it out. Upon entering, I was enchanted by the iridescent jelly fish hanging from the ceiling and the 40-ft aquarium above the bar with tropical fish swimming throughout. Sunday through Thursday, mermaid showtimes are at 9:30 and 10:30pm for about 15 minutes. Fridays and Saturdays, mermaid shows are at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30pm. These shows are what make this bar unique and it's really cool that they don't charge at the door! At least they didn't on the Monday I went. I was mesmerized by the red-headed mermaid swimming around, dancing with props and re-enacting scenes from The Little Mermaid. I saw that they're hiring! If I lived in Sac, I would totally apply to be a mermaid! The cocktails are on the very sweet side. I went for the least sweetest, which is the espresso martini and it was decent. I switched to white wine after that and it was okay. Seemed the bottle might have been open for a while. The bartender with a mullet seemed like she didn't want to be there. She flashed an attitude to a few people and grumbled that she's the only bartender or they were short staffed. A male bartender came moments later and he was much more pleasant and easy to order from. The dj played classic throwbacks of 90s and 2000 hip hop; he had all of us singing along! Besides the grumpy bartender, I had a blast with my colleagues and will return next time I'm in Sac! read more

Dive Bar - Under the sea vibe - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Came here after visiting the crest for a date night for a nightcap and to show off the mermaids and was pleasantly surprised. For a Tuesday the place was pretty lively. We came around 9 and didn't leave until 11. We enjoyed the music, no cover, the drinks were strong and the place was packed enough to have a good crowd but also share an intimate evening to chat over our cocktail. read more

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I've been coming here since I was 21 and it's by FAR one of my favorite bars in Sac! Not just me but literally all of my friends this was the SPOT and still is! I've never been during the day, so I can't really speak on the food however at night the drinks are chefs kiss!!! It is a totally open bar BUT I have a particular favorite called "The Tipsy Mermaid" and as I looove me a fruity cocktail this one is so sweet kind of like a sour patch kid only a drink! It's got rumraven, black raspberry liquor, sweet and sour, and the glistening blue curacao! They say it mimics the ocean tides! Service ?! A zillion stars!!! You have literal MERMAIDS putting on a show for you, smiling and waving it's the most amazing experience you can have while enjoying a drink!!! The bartenders are also very nice and very fast as well as this bar WILL get packed ! So if you can find a good spot kind of in a corner? You're solid!!! The atmosphere is as if you stepped into finding Nemo vs the little mermaid vs a dive bar. The ENTIRE decor of this is like you're underwater and in a cave it's decorated with coral and everything and I absolutely love everything about it!!! There are obviously sooo many other places that are super fun to go out but my friends and I make it a NECESSITY to stop here!!! We love it!! read more

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This is my favorite bar in Sac. The bartenders are great (shoutout to Zach), drinks are poured strong, and the music is awesome from the live DJ. I love the ambiance, as everything is really inviting. The mermaid shows happen once an hour starting at 8:30pm on the weekend, and honestly, the show lasts for quite some time! The people in the crowd were definitely mesmerized. The only complaint is that they take away the bar stools from the counter right around 9pm, as the place turns into a nightclub. So, forget sitting down, you gotta just stand or dance! read more

Dive Bar - Seasonal drink (appletini) and tipsy mermaid (super sweet) - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

You have to check out this bar for the mermaid show. I have never seen anywhere witha fish tank and mermaid above a bar before. I also really liked the music the DJ was playing. You have to visit this bar at least once! read more

I went with a group on a weekday night. Apparently everyone in our group already knew about this place's notorious reputation except for me. We were all warned not to drink anything here which was fine since we just wanted to see the mermaids. There was no cover on a weekday. Inside, the place is loud with good pop music and dimly lit. They have a lot of jellyfish decor to give the place an "under the sea" vibe. There is some room to dance in the front of the bar. In the middle is the bar and the mermaid tank above. We arrived just in time for the mermaid show. The mermaid was a few minutes late but the show lasted a while. read more

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I was visiting a friend in Sacramento and I wanted to go to a place where I could listen to music and chill or dance and I looked up places on yelp and this place looked great. I loved all the lights outside and I loved all the decorations inside. It was a Monday night and I regret not asking the Dj who he was or if he had a place to download his music because I absolutely loved the music he was playing. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Came to visit Sacramento for the weekend from southern cali. I saw this place recommended on a reddit forum. Pros: Unique! Interior was decorated really cool and different from any other bar i've seen. Clean, and of course the whole mermaid show is different and one of a kind. Cons: We ordered 2 drinks and they were really disappointing. I figured their drinks were going to look and taste great, given the fact that this place has such a cool concept. But the drinks look like they were made at any old dive bar. (Yes i know the place is called Dive bar, but i figured that's a word-play on the mermaids diving). Couldn't taste the alcohol, the presentation of the drink was ... nonexistent, and they tasted like juice. We got the lavender lemon drop and the cherry mojito read more

Dive Bar - Left: cherry mojito right: lavender lemon drop - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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This place is everything you want in a dive bar and more. Chris from security was phenomenal and so welcoming! The drinks are great, and the atmosphere is unique and not like anything you'd find elsewhere. The staff goes above and beyond. I left my wallet on the bar and one of the bartenders, Celeste, brought it back to me! This place is a must do when in the area. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Stopped in as we were walking downtown and what can I say.... Wow! The aquarium was amazing and the drinks were good. Awesome environment. Just wished they offered some appetizers. We left early because we were hungry, otherwise we would've hung out a bit longer. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Visiting Sacramento, my coworker said we HAD to go to the dive bar. She not only told me this, but every single person we met along the way at the conference we were attending. We looked up the times for the mermaid show on a Tuesday and it was 9:30 and 10:30pm. I assumed that the place would be dead on a Tuesday night, but I was wrong. She must have convinced some of the folks she saw to come, because there sure was a crowd there. They have a very thorough security and ID check process before letting you in. The front half of the bar has a big dance floor with a DJ. The back half is where the long bar is and the tank above the bar. Just on cue at 9:30pm, the mermaid dove in and began her show. It was honestly kind of mesmerizing and a gimmick that I totally was here for! read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Such a cool experience. Your classic dive bar but with a twist. They have a mermaid show that's pretty dope to watch. Drinks are strong, DJ had the tunes....what else do you need. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

We love greg. period. he made our night. he was a delight. also david was great and he remembered us somehow. i'm shocked は great staff!! love u david and greg read more

Dive Bar - Greg - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Not sure why this place only has 3 stars, I thought it was a great bar. I came for the first mermaid show at 8:30 so there weren't a ton of people there yet. The bartender was friendly and the Spicy Siren drink was soo good! I love spicy ginger. I liked the decorations and the mermaid show was great! I liked the props she used and the tricks she could do with bubbles, really fun. The bathroom was clean. No complaints, it's a cool atmosphere. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

It has an amazing Winterland aesthetic. Although the mermaid was not on duty at the time, being able to see the fish swimming around was fun. Drinks were good. People are nice. I will go again. read more

Dive Bar - Fun night - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Such a unique place I did not expect to see real mermaids and water just because it was called dive bar!! Loved the show. It was incredible. Fish tank looks kept and maintained. read more

Visited the Dive Bar with a student org I came with. It was my first time visiting this bar a try and seemed pretty cool from others told me. Their specialty are their mermaid shows - theres a tank above the bar that has a mermaid swimming in there. This is basically the main draw of the business and everything is nautical themed. Service was just okay. There was only one bartender working, so it took awhile to get drinks. Things picked up once a second bartender came back. Male bartender was really nice and allowed me to order drinks off the menu. Patrons were really confused seeing that the bussers dressed exactly like the bartenders. They have a heavy hand and drinks are quite pricy, but you can request for a lighter pour for featherweights like me so you don't die. The live dj was pretty cool. The night played a lot of throwback jams. Kinda random to hear John Hart's Who Booty on a Sunday night lmao. Overall, it was a decent experience and a cool place in Downton Sac. I'd probably order what's on their menu since the glasses used for my drinks (midori sour + cosmo) were quite small. read more

Very friendly Bartender on a Monday Night. Iconic Downtown Sacramento Vibe. Would definitely go again when downtown read more

I have forgotten the bartenders names but they were great on Halloween, friendly, attentative and talkative about the show for first timers feom out of town. Drinks were very good and the merman show was epic. We thoroughly enjoyed, wish we could have gotten stickers but they were out ;( read more

Easy parking structure nearby. Overall the mermaid is a cute novelty and my bartender offered good recommendations for drinks. There are a couple other spots you can walk to from here. I came earlier in the evening so I didn't have to compete for a spot to see the mermaid. They also projected the football game on the wall for easy viewing. Thank you! read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Had a great night out at Dive Bar in Sacramento! The Mermaid show was amazing and really entertaining. The atmosphere was fun, and the drinks were good. A perfect place for a night with friends! Highly recommend! read more

For more than a decade, I have visited Sacamento at least once a year. In terms of landmarks, it's not unusual for me to walk along K Street, between the Hyatt and Golden 1 Center. The point is that when I heard that there was a bar that featured "mermaids", I wanted to check it out. It wasn't until I went to the location that I realized how many times I passed by this bar, not realizing what was inside. On the night that I visited, the audience was mostly in their 20s to mid-30s; most of the crowd seemed to be Sacramentans. The decor fit the theme: a lot of references to the ocean. The DJ played a contemporary music mix. The drink prices (beer and cocktails) were reasonably priced. The bar's footprint is like a shoebox: there is a dance floor in the front half, closer to the front entrance; there is a long bar in the back half of the room. What distinguishes this bar is that there is an "aquarium" over the bar (It even has live fish in it!); it runs the full length of the bar. The bar has a woman outfitted as a mermaid to frolic in the water. This show starts at 8:30 or 9:30, depending on the night of the week. (Check the bar's website divebarsacramento*com for the schedule.) If I were a Sacramentan, and if this was just a bar (with no mermaid), I would not consider it a destination, in itself. I would give it a 3.0 - 3.5 star ranking. It would be one of a number of bars I might visit. With the novelty of the mermaid, it's an added feature for locals, and a draw for out of towners. For that reason, I give it a "4". read more

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This is one of those places where even if it's not your vibe, you have to go at least once. The whole mermaid, nautical theme is cool and music is usually pretty good. But the mermaids in the tank above the bar are the reason to check this place out. Something completely different and unique. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

I've always seen The Dive Bar online and finally decided to check it out. As of December 2024, the mermaid showtimes are: * Sunday-Thursday: 9:30 PM & 10:30 PM * Friday-Saturday: 8:30 PM, 9:30 PM, 10:30 PM, & 11:30 PM We went on a Sunday, and it was pretty empty, which made it easy to get a good seat. The bar itself is unique, with a tank above with fish and the mermaid that swims back and forth. The show lasted about 20-25 minutes and was unique to see. They also had a live DJ playing music. The drinks were decent...not the main draw but still good. Overall, it's a cool spot to check out and worth experiencing at least once in Sacramento! read more

Dive Bar - Tank above the bar. - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

Cameron, ronnie, and Bobby are the best service we have ever gotten here at dive bar and we come here often. They are the best team. The service and speed is impeccable. Give them a raise immediately. We are coming back just for them. I miss them already. Bye read more

Dive Bar - The best bartenders (excluding David ) - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

First timer and it so happened to be Throw back Thursday night with DJ Neko! Bartenders were friendly and provided top-notch service. The drinks were on point. This is a beautiful bar and the mermaid fish tank makes it super unique. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

i'm visiting sacramento and i had to check this place out! it did NOT disappoint! the bartenders are so friendly and while seating is limited during its busiest hours, standing around just watching the aquarium or mermaid is really fun. it's a great place to start your night out. read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

The bar tender was very friendly and attentive. The drinks were very good. The Christmas decorations were wonderful for the underwater theme of the bar. read more

First time here after watching Nurse John. It's across the street. Fun fun fun place. Drinks are great! And vibes are good. Me and my friends had a great time. We just wish they serve finger food. It would be perfect because we were hungry too. I would be back again if I'm around Sacramento. read more

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Drinks are expensive but come in a huge amount. The bartenders are extremely friendly. They have more security than people actually in the bar that I thought was funny. And with all the security I was still harassed and followed out of the bar by one of them men and moved several times away from him. It's very cool first and last time. read more

Dive Bar - Drink - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California

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So we finally stopped into Dive Bar after hearing about it for years. We stopped in with some friends while celebrating a birthday and luckily arrived early enough that it wasn't too crowded. There were a bunch of people from out of town and the prospect of seeing mermaids intrigued everyone. As you walk in you see fun jellyfish decorations on the ceiling that take your eye to the giant fish tank above the bar. The tank is long and skinny and is deep enough that the mermaids can swim but shallow enough that they can easily pop up to breathe. While we were there we saw one of the them swim individually as well as in a pair. Some of the interactions were fun like when the merman acted like they wanted a drink from the crowd and then reappeared in the tank with a beer. Some of the performance is making bubbles or little hearts and circles underwater and some is more risqué. It was cool to see, but definitely the type of thing, at least in my opinion, that you can see once and check it off your things to do in Sac list. It also didn't help that the drinks we ordered were sickeningly sweet. I had to trade drinks with my husband because my first one had soooo much sugary syrup in it, the next one wasn't much better but I don't like wasting drinks. I ended up not drinking after the first one and my husband said his next drink, an easy Jack and ginger also tasted off... As the night went on Dive bar started to get packed and we enjoyed some dancing with our friends. It started getting tough to move through the skinny and long space and new people entering had to push through the dancers to get to the bar. We were there for a couple hours at least before leaving and I had a fun time but I don't think I need to go back again. read more

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I love this place, the drinks are good, the decorations are amazing, and the music is an eclectic mix of feel good vibes. Also, to note, the mermaid swimming in the tank is super cool. Bartenders are very nice and attentive. I would definitely recommend this place for a date. read more

Went to use the bathroom wasn't planning on staying to drink but when I walked in the bartender with brown hair and bangs told me I had to buy something to use the bathroom, so I did. I decided to stay to finish my drink and after I paid I did not leave a tip because she was rude then after she sees I didn't tip she said "I'll do better next time" saying weird stuff and kept going on about her life trying to make me feel bad "dry begging" and said how she would not be going out if she was broke too but I literally went to use the bathroom. Very unprofessional would not go here again, it seems like she was drunk or on something. This occurred on 02/7 around 5pm. read more

Brandon was the BEST! We came on a Monday and he was so accommodating. He was attentive to us and was actually welcoming and wanted to engage in our conversations. I am happy he was. I will for sure come again if the bartenders have the same energy and vibe as him. read more

Dive bar, so much fun. From the front door, Chris thank you for being so welcoming and fun. Making sure everyone feels safe is clutch. Super good drinks. Thanks to the bartender Celeste for taking care of us. Will be back for sure!! read more

Dive Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Sacramento, California