This place is the funkiest travel back in time you will ever find. We visit every time we're in…read moreTucson. You pull up in the parking lot and the building does look like some sort of shelter. It ain't pretty.... When you walk through the front door, you're greeted by the scents of stale cigarette smoke and Fabuloso. The decor is something out of the mid 60's. It's a very fun, unpretentious place. Good service, fun drinks and a great escape from our crazy world. Check it out!

There aren't many places in Midtown with this level of dedication to looking retro. The Shelter is…read moreheavy on mid-20th century design, with an interior completely dedicated to JFK memorabilia. It's kitsch and offbeat, maybe even offputting if you think too hard about the legacy of that family, but it's anything but boring. What I love: They're big on doing their own infusions. You absolutely must try Pam's Spicy Lemonade--Hornitos with thai chili and mint. I've also had coffee-infused liquors here before that you'll rarely find anywhere else. I'm not a smoker, but I get stoked for their enclosed smoking patio with a couple old arcade cabinets (I like Centipede!) What I like: There are like, really cheap simple cocktails with the creativity to make some unappealing, bottom shelf liquors taste palatable. Those aren't my usuals, but I'm always intrigued. I will shamelessly have a couple $3 High Lifes. There's only one big bar in the center of the lobby, but service is generally fast. It's dimly lit and can be tightly packed, but you'll still have fun. Good for date night or groups of four or less. No food, but once in a blue moon you'll find a truck parked out front. Overall, a solid Tucson staple.

Nice dive bar. They no longer serve food but you can bring food in to eat. It's also cash only…read more They do no accept credit cards

Wonderful bar. Jeffery the bartender was great and funny. Drinks were well made. There was karaoke…read moretoo, which was a lot of fun. Had a good amount of seating too.

I always love coming to the Buff. It is the dive-est of dive bars, but somehow it always feels like…read morecoming home. Friday night was absolutely packed, loud, chaotic, and exactly what you expect in the best way possible. Jerika was behind the bar handling the crowd like a pro all night long. We managed to snag a spot near the Black Hole, (iykyk). Prime people watching location. Jerika kept the Fun Dip drinks flowing all night and honestly, if you have not tried those yet, do it. Dangerous because they taste amazing, but somehow I woke up with zero hangover the next day which felt like a miracle. This is definitely not the place if you want quiet conversation or personal space. It is crowded, loud, and full of every kind of person imaginable. You are probably going to overhear your neighbor's entire life story at some point. But if you enjoy meeting random people, laughing with strangers, and just leaning into the chaos a little bit, it is such a fun night out! One of my favorite things about the Buff is still the jukebox. I swear it has had the same song selections forever and every single one feels nostalgic. Plus it is super cheap to queue up a ton of music, so the soundtrack for the night was excellent. Another thing I appreciate is how affordable it is. I walked out with a tab that probably would have only covered one or two drinks somewhere else. Super fun night, great atmosphere, and always an adventure.

My wife and I stopped by this bar while waiting to attend an event in downtown Tucson. I've heard…read moreabout this place, and since it was close, we had to see what it was all about. The fact that they serve Coors Banquet on tap is what drew me to The Buffet! We walked into The Buffet and sat at the bar, which was extremely busy, but the vibe was full of energy. The bartender was absolutely awesome and made my wife an excellent mixed drink. I ordered Coors Banquet from the tap, oh what a joy! Spoke to some regulars of the bar and had great conversations about this place. I learned that The Buffet is the oldest bar in Tucson and the largest vendor of Coors. Very friendly people in a quintessential "dive bar". Lots of character decorate the walls. The prices for drinks at The Buffet are extremely affordable. A night out here won't break the bank. I could easily become a regular at this place (if I didn't live so far away). I definitely will return when when I'm in the area again. My visit here was well worth my time. This is a great place to slow down and enjoy the Iron Horse District of Tucson. As a side note, in reading about this bar, I was led to believe that it was cash only. That is not true, they now take cards.

Cowpony is one of those places that just feels right. It's the kind of bar where regulars feel like…read morefamily and first-timers are welcomed like they've been coming for years. The atmosphere is laid-back, and full of character. I go for the drinks and good vibes. You always end up staying longer than planned. It's charming in that real dive-bar way, good people, good energy, zero trying too hard. If you know, you know.

Country music dive bar feel with pool table and live music. Small space and so it gets really loud…read morewith the music... you know.. typical dive bar. Seating that gets taken quickly... so plan on standing around or tappin your boots to the music. If you are looking for a place for intimate conversation - make sure to bring your hearing aids- even if you don't have any- you will need them. That said- it's a great gathering space for all ages and something fun to do.

I recently went to this place on December 9 2025 toasting my father on his birthday as it's his…read morebirthday and we lost him six years ago. It wasn't fancy but, even so, it had a welcoming atmosphere. The other patrons were kind as was the bartender. I got two hard ciders on draft plus an order of the chilli cheese tots. For simple fair it was delicious. I misremember the bartender's name but I liked her as she was friendly and checked on me a number of times. The tab was a bit under $20 which might've been a bit more than anticipated however I've not been a barfly for a while so prices have likely gone up for everyone. Prices have gotten crazy since the lockdown so I'm sure it's largely due to the rise in pricing for everything else. All in all I liked it and will go back. 4 out of 5 *s.

There are a lack of places to watch sports and have a good place to hang. Salty Dog II is the place…read moreto go to watch sports. Staff really tries to make you feel comfortable and makes sure that you're taking care of. It's a neighborhood place which gives that home feeling. People here are nice and their selection of beers is amazing. Food is great and staff make sure it's right. Salty Dawg is a wonderful place to be and there is no place to look that a TV doesn't have the game on.

Want old time happy hour prices? Come here. They have not one but two happy hours. Great people and…read moregreat bartenders.

I get that this place is a dive bar and they have a place in the market, but stand apart from your…read morecompetition with good service or being a fun place to come. This place is cash only. The bartender arrived later than opening time and I don't recall an appology for being tardy. She didn't remedy the bad service, I was handed a wrong beer. She then proceeded to give poor service because she was occupied putting up decorations for a party. Unless you're in the area or a regular there's no reason to drink here. Nothing special in the inventory or personally to speak of.

Great place good cocktails Nice patio and good bartenders…read more Good music dj in Saturday and karaoke on other nights

The Musicbox is the place to be on the eastside! The new owners are AMAZING and have big things…read morecoming in the near future. The Dj on Saturday, DJ King Otto, is the shit playing all the dance jams and Wednesday, Emdeekay kills it with the unhappy hour bangers! The enitre staff, including the owners are very friendly and welcoming to everyone and seem to really enjoy their jobs. They have an all day happy hour and great shot and drink specials at night including jello and pudding shots that are the bomb! Every night is a great time!!! If you want to have a blast any night of the week, go to the Musicbox!

My wife and I visited the Liquor Barrel Saloon while in Tucson for my birthday. We had a few hours…read morebefore a show at the music hall across the street. It was a very warm day and I was thirsty for some cold beer and a cool place to sit. I entered the saloon and bellied up to the bar. I was greeted by Jessica, the bar tender who served me a mini pitcher of beer. The beer was cold and refreshing. My wife had a vodka drink which was made exactly how she ordered it. The saloon was alive with people who were playing pool and flinging darts. Country and Western.music was playing on the touch tunes jukebox. Wow! Was a great little honky tonk! There is no food, but you can buy a bag of chips. When I am back in Tucson, this place is on my list. It's a great place with a good vibe.

This place....is interesting. Feels ok when you walk in...and my friends and I sat at the bar…read more We all noticed the layers of dust on the items displayed behind the bar......hmmm. My friends and I looked at the draft beers. Not much other than the usual dive bar brands. We ordered bottled beer, and sat down to get a vibe. Several people that walked in were greeted by the bar tender, and she did not pay much attention to us once we got our beer. Seemed the people that were regulars got most of the attention. I get that...but there was an opportunity to have three more regulars, and I feel like that opportunity was missed. We drank our beer, and left. I may try this place again at some point...but there are a lot of other dive bars that embrace new customers.

We are visiting Tucson for the weekend and our goal was to find a divey chill bar that served cold…read morebeers and wings . After a little research .. The Wooden Nickle was just the spot ! Pulling up the exterior vibe was simple and yet it was drawing us in! The outdoor covered patio option is ideal for our pre spring /summer weather and with plenty of seating! Upon entry we were spotted by the locals ,pool tables ,basketball on the TVs , music and the warm welcome of the ladies working the bar! Please note , ya gotta order at the bar , for your food and drinks . We were a little slow to see that " sign"! Look up! The Saturday specials were exactly what we were looking for ! Wings and fries basket $11.50 Wow wheat on draft $4.50 Spicy pickle shot $4.50 ( I skipped out this time ) We ordered the hot wings and the mango habanero hot wings . The wings were a little bigger her than we prefer however the flavors delivered!! The extra perk is that crisp on that skin! A little dip dip in that ranch and I was in my happy place , belly satisfied and taste buds happy! High five to the chefs making it happen in the back! The lighting was ideal for the ambiance that we were looking for, not too bright not too dim! The walls are tastefully decorated with local memorabilia and your typical booze signs. And let me tell you what ... that Zima sign took me down memory lane! Our experience offered a clean environment , sorry if the boyfriend left his sticky fingers on the bar! :) Let's not forget the service ! Ladies you killed it! On point , quick , great energy , smiles and the check ins were greatly welcomed ! Keep killing us with those smiles it goes the longest way! We look forward to our next trip back! Bonus perk , I believe the owner was on site and it's always a plus to see the personal interactions with the guests! Ohhh man! I forgot to ask if you all had darts?!! Until next time! Thank you folks for satisfying our quick but delicious and chill visit!

Small dive bar for a casual spot for wings. The wings themselves were good! We got BBQ and hot. The…read morefries were very salty & expensive ($9 for that basket). Would recommend for a night with friends to listen to music and play pool. Food was good! A little expensive but the service was friendly and fast!

They have three great pool tables. All the bar tenders are extremely nice and the drinks are nicer…read more They also have the best $1 Jell-O shots that I've ever had! This is my favorite bar in town.

Found this place purely by mistake when my rental broke down on the way to the airport - outside?…read moreResembles any number of dive bars, however inside? Big spacious bar, colorful people, COLD beer, and outstanding service. It is huge inside with darts, multiple pool tables, a jukebox and atm and the back yard? Bar games, plenty of places to sit outside with friends and yes a stage for live music of which there is a lot. There is nothing pretentious about this joint, where business folk and bikers sit together laughing, and the price is right. The only thing they don't have is a kitchen, but then again you can bring your own if you want - No harm, no foul.