Haven't done a Yelp review in a few years and trust me, I've been to at least like three of four different places in the timespan. Nothing quite made me want to leave a review. Sure, I'd leave places and be like, "I should really do them a solid" but then I just went home and either forgot about it or started doing other stuff. Have gotten really into running since COVID and that's pretty much my favorite topic of discussion (running, not COVID). Had between 15 and 20 Miller Lites over the course of a three-night span here in late June 2026. This place is like Outback Steakhouse in the "no rules, just right" type of way. I do not believe they serve food here but did see bartenders making microwavable popcorn on request to several patrons. So this place is designed with a three-room set-up. You walk in and it's a square carpeted room that can be used for live music. Then you reach the bar area, then there are pool tables. There seemed to be an area behind the pool tables but I was too afraid to go back there. Now in terms of bar design, I would have led with the bar but that's just me and I'm sure the architects (possibly Mike Brady from "The Brady Bunch") knew what they were doing. I tend to trust professionals, apart from what our public health "experts" did to us during the forementioned COVID. This bar is cash only. That's probably in other reviews. Also, if you have AT&T cell service, good luck. There's no service so you can't look up scores and check Instagram. And now you're thinking, "what about the wifi?" C'mon bro, be serious. I love this bar. They have four different TVs in the main bar area that range from 19 to 45 inches. All are on different setups. Antenna, YouTubeTV, etc. The staff is fantastic. Patrick and Katie were my two favorites. Entertaining and straight out of bartending central casting. I was just drinking beers so I can't comment on what like a cocktail or normal-person drink tastes like. Clientele ranges from bachelorette parties to people who have seen some shit. It's a dive bar that never had to try to be a dive bar. You'll read other reviews on this place and they are super granular or longwinded or whatever. Don't pay attention to those bozos. This place is strictly vibes. Did I mention the dropped ceilings have art paintings on them? One even has a Pontiac painted on it. Hell yeah, Michigan. Haven't seen a Pontiac since cars still had cassette tape players in them. I would live there if I could. And I'm a proud Ohioan. read more

Bartender was cute. Definitely will drink here again. Great prices. Good people and fun atmosphere! read more

We've had great times here before, which made this visit impressive in all the wrong ways. Rude service and a bartender who seemed allergic to customers really changed the vibe. read more

Loved it here! The old time vibe was great and it felt like you were stepping back in time. The people were super nice and helpful. It was free to play music on an old jukebox and they had all of your basic bar games. My girlfriend and I played pool and played against some great people. It is cash only which is a small drawback, so make sure you come prepared! Highly recommend, would come again!! read more

Bartender Katie is terrible. Sign on the wall says No Tabs!!! So we each had 4 to 5 drinks. We paid for the first round and then when we're ready to go, she's oh, I ran you a tab. $44.00 OK, then later on thinking about it. She totally ripped us off plus a tip. She's either running a scam on the bar or padding her take. read more

Hey bartender with the long hair. If you don't want to service people maybe don't work in the service industry. A glass per person isn't ridiculous! Bartender was rude. I love a dive bar with quirky folks but he was just a Richard. read more

This bar reminded me of nearly every dive bar in the wisconsin area, but in michigan. The staff was polite and prices (for that area) were reasonable. However, I'm not sure the staff knows what drink prices are because my drink was $2 more than the same drink served to a friend in my group. read more

What we consider a dive bar in a good way, jukebox has great selections, beers are cold and the bartender we had was a funny guy, and very attentive. Give it a shot for a drink or two read more

As the saying goes: times heals all. Granted it's just a dive bar but it was a much better experience than the last visit. The bartenders were friendly and attentive and the overall vibe was relaxed. Drink prices were reasonable. Keno still proved to be a waste of money but that's not the bars fault, lol. read more

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Bartended was an ass. I don't write bad reviews ever, but not a fan of him. Fun place and cool crowd but won't be back.

Best dive bar in MI! Pinball, Oberon on tap, and great music. While many things in Saugatuck have changed over the years, this bar remains a long time favorite. Big love forever!! read more

This place is where dreams are born or they go to die. That's it. No in-between. This place is an anomaly. The bartenders are "hardened" veterans of the biz. Patrick is the man though. He's pretty much a local legend in town. Between the golf course restaurant and the Sand Bar, he's the man. I took a buddy here because he wanted to experience it and it was everything we hoped it would be on this visit. We even ended up with the town drunk at our table who was trying really hard to eat a hot dog. All part of the experience here. read more

Rude male bartender. Went in on a Friday night, left because we couldn't get service. Ignored customers as he was counting out his tips. Tried again the next afternoon when the bar was empty. Still the same rude bartender that question me on my way out "aren't you going to bring your dishes to the bar" -While he stood there doing nothing. read more

Some folks might call this a dive Barr because how dark this joint is. They have a jukebox, pool table and a great dive Barr feel. I love the art on the ceiling. Drinks are reasonably priced served quickly. They have standard bar snacks like pop corn, real jerky and chips. The place feels right. If you're not comfortable in a dive bar type joint, this may not be for you. We loved the place. read more

Sand Bar - a pint of beer and a glass of lemonade - Dive Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

They had live music, I took a picture but was crappy, there were so many people and it was so dark there was no way to take a decent picture. It is fun, I danced a lot‍ read more

Nice local spot in town! I went on a night where there was a band and it was really cool!

Best dive bar!! Bartender Sandahl, not sure of spelling, is super friendly! If in Sagautuck, you must stop by!!

We really enjoyed our time here for our friend's Bachelorette weekend in Saugatuck. The bar tenders were super nice and friendly. We ended up hanging out here for about three hours and watched the crazies move in and out of the bar as the night progressed. At one point, a fun drunk lady bought us all a round of drinks, but hey, we didn't decline! :) Also, their live band was great! Something about having a live band while hanging out with friends is just comforting. I hope to be back the next time I'm in Saugatuck :) read more

This place was a lot of fun. The drink prices are great, the bartenders were friendly and provided quick service and the live music was GREAT! I highly recommend checking out James Reeser and the Back Seat Drivers if you get the chance. We came into Saugatuck to celebrate our anniversary and happened upon The Sand Bar and were not disappointed. While it may not be the most modern, classy joint in town...the patrons and workers all seem to genuinely enjoy themselves which creates the perfect atmosphere to have fun in. There is a pool table in the back, TVs for those that want to watch them, a jukebox full of Blues, a great drink selection and a local cab company that will make sure you get back home safely. The only downside is they take ONLY CASH....but that's not a big deal with ATMs nearby. read more

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This is my kind of place. Cold beer, middle of the road booze, a pool table and a cantankerous bartender. No pretense and a nice escape from the sea of humanity that can invade the town at times. Don't be looking for a craft cocktail here. Get your beer. Get your shot. And take it all in. read more

This is hands down one of my favorite places. My wife and I wanted to go to a dive bar and this was perfect. I love dives and this might be my favorite of all. The only thing that I am not thrilled about is the size of the TV but I don't even care. They have pool and an old fashioned juke box with all your favorite dive bar classics. Warning: they only take cash so make sure you stop at the ATM before. Atmosphere here is awesome and the guys working were great they chatted it up and really seemed like they were having fun hanging out with everybody. Everybody was so loose and seemed to be enjoying the night, which how could they not? They were of course in the greatest dive bar ever. I plan on coming here often, maybe we'll see each other. If so, I'll buy you a round read more

Don't come here if you are visiting this beautiful town. This is an ocean away from most places that are so excepting . Not friendly except for the regulars. Could barely get a drink. Rude staff......stay away read more

I knew immediately when we walked in that this was my kind of bar. No pretension but good drink selection. Signs everywhere saying "cash only". Pool table, live music on weekends. Friendly bartenders, locals perched on the bar stools. Had a Cheers feel. This is the perfect spot to wait for your wife as she shops at the gazillion boutiques and galleries surrounding it. read more

Sand Bar - An oasis. - Dive Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

Sand Bar, it's a good thing I don't live in town or you'd be sick of me. Rolling into town and marveling at the quaintness of it, I said to my road trip buddy, "we need to find an old man bar and get the scoop on this wacky place". We saw the word SALOON on a sign and popped in with a quickness. My beloved Bell's Amber as well as the IPA in bottles (at a hefty $4.25 a pop, which surprised me - don't they hand that stuff out on the street corners in Michigan?), a great juke box, pool table, Keno for your gambling needs, and real live authentic old men! Overheard by aforementioned old man: "...So I had to fire him. I DON'T LIKE BAD ATTITUDES!" As I whipped around to see who said that, I exclaimed to my road trip companion, "I love that guy!" I saw him set his cane down, do a little boogie to the Otis Redding playing overhead and take his turn at the pool table. Fantastic. read more

One of my future in-laws favorite spots to hang out, and I agree, it is awesome! The perfect chill out place and a place where everyone knows everyone. Located right in the heart of downtown Saugatuck, it is the perfect drinking sport. The bartender ahs been there forever, the walls are covered with memorabilia from all the years it has been around and the owner doesn't plan to change a thing, ever! Love that! The drinks are cold! The juke box is the best! Only down side I could find is that they are cash only, kind of a pain, but they have an ATM right inside the bar so that works just fine. If you are there say hi to Jim and Rhonda for us. Wish we were there! read more

Good drink prices. I enjoyed the blues band and pin ball machine. Much better than most of the other bars in Saugatuck. Laid back staff. I will return. read more

Drinks anyone? I do believe this is where the locals are - old fashion salon with a live band! read more

Sand Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

Beware of the night time bartender Noel she is a very vindictive woman,she has hassled me on many occasions,at one time I was sitting at the bar and the place was busy a customer came up behind me trying to get service.He got his beer and the next thing he did was try to pick my back pocket for my wallet,Noel was right there and said nothing to him made me believe that she was working along with the guy. read more

My wife and I stopped on in here on Sunday and the bartender makes a drink called Green Tea which is really good ($5) and it was a pint glass and I had a Fosters pint ($2) so if you're looking for a good place to get drinks in Saugatuck without spending allot of money this is the place to go! read more

Great basic bar with great service! Always 2 dollar Fosters drafts, and all-beef hotdogs. There's a jukebox, a few tvs, a pool table, and occasional live music. read more

Loved this place. My boyfriend and I stopped in to grab a drink and use the restroom in the middle of the day on a Saturday. We ended up staying for over 2 hours. The bar tender was very nice and we met a local who sat and chatted us up for a while. A beer and a glass of wine cost us $6. That's awesome. They only take cash, which was fine with us, but could catch some people off guard. We sat at the bar and watched a few people come and go, but it was pretty quiet. We asked the bar tender and new friend for lunch suggestions and they were happy to help out. We had a great time here. I loved this place! read more

This is one of the coolest little bars around. They have cheap cold beer, awesome jukebox and the locals make this a fun place to go! It has been here forever and Bill the owner has owned this place since he was a young man. He's older now, but this cool old guy has some great stories and if you are lucky enough to catch him there, he will (like all the bartenders) make you feel like old friends! Great spot for a drink and a good time in the middle of downtown Saugatuck!! read more

My friend and I went in for a few drinks while walking up and down butler. We sat there for about 10 minutes the bartender didn't acknowledge us at all. We just left the people at the bar were friendly but not the staff. Maybe we will try again next time. read more

Whole in the wall hometown bar. Very good cheap drinks. Great place to mingle with the locals.

Terrible experience. The barely legal aged bouncer decided he needed to pull a power trip on one of the 3 24 yr olds in our party of 20 people aged 55-24 and not let her in. Stated that MI doesn't accept valid WI vertical DL? When questioned about it he got all lippy. Was pretty obvious that he was too immature to be in that position and just wanted to try and exert whatever authority he had for the evening. Some of us had already ordered including said 24 year old's identical twin. Didn't matter. Anyway, all 20 of us left and went on to a better establishment. They lost out on a lot of business and that child should be fired for his lack of ability and aggressive attitude and behavior before he gets your business in legal trouble. Hope they picked up all the glass on the sidewalk from when he hit my brother in law in the arm knocking his beer bottle out of his hand when he was trying to reason with him about discriminating against legitimate WI ID's. Unbelievable. read more

As a 24 year old with a valid current Wisconsin driver's license, I was not allowed in because my ID is vertical. This is the ONLY bar in town that refused to serve me with my legally issued state ID. Also, they had just let in my identical twin sister who was inside ordering drinks. I responded with an " I know this isn't your fault, but that is the dumbest policy I've ever heard" to which the child bouncer decided to begin yelling at me and became a huge ass while I waited outside to decide what to do. But it didn't end there, he proceeded to get in my mother's face, attempt to throw my aunt out for daring to question his decision, and finally ASSAULT my uncle by striking him in the arm, shattering the beer bottle he was holding. Not only did they lose a ton of business from the at least 20 people in our party, but this bar is lucky we did not call the police on their child bouncer on his power trip. read more

Was in town for two nights and went to same bar twice! Stewart was an excellent bartender! When we asked for popcorn he said"Mike" would prepare it. (Microwave) ordered a bud select but was told they didn't serve it. There was a big bud select sign on the wall so I was disappointed. Highly recommended this place because of Stewart. read more

Great atmosphere, friendly bartenders, old charm.we go there with friends and have a good time in a warm atmosphere.

This place ROCKS ! It's cheep, it's friendly, it has Keno, and everyone who works & drinks there are so nice. It's the first place we go to when we get into town. Cash only, and that's ok with me. read more

I didn't really like this place. Maybe my little Hamilton County heart is getting a little too snobby in my old age. I wanted to try a dive bar, which is what I got, but I don't think cleanliness should be substituted for ambience. Clearly it used to be a smoking bar but has never been deep cleaned since the smoking stopped. It's one of those places where you kind of feel like you might need a shower later. I had a corona. There isn't really a clear menu of drinks anywhere and you don't really know the cost of anything until you buy it. Which normally isn't a problem, except they only take cash, and of course the ATM was broken that sits in there. So working with the $5 I had in my pocket, I had to guess that my corona might be under $5. I think it was about $4. It was cold, which is good, but the lime in it was old and brown. I didn't want to think about how long it had been sitting out. Probably a great place for guys to go and hang out, but I'll have to stick to other joints. I also felt very out of place. This is clearly only for locals and I felt like people were staring at me when I walked in wanting a beer. read more