4/26/26 we stopped in. We were instantly accused of being "too drunk" to serve. That's fine that the large old woman bartender thought that, she had the right to refuse service, but then as we were leaving, she decided to taunt us, yelling "bye" and "don't ever come back". We did nothing wrong to deserve that treatment. People at the bar were embarrassed for her, apologizing to us. Absolutely unacceptable behavior. I think she was the one who was drunk. We will return, after she is fired. read more

Becoming my home bar. Bartenders are awesome. Sean is chill. Cheap drinks. But, watch where you parks when it rains.

So skipped or missed turn to fancy eateries ended up at Sunshine.. Low and behold they had Thanksgiving dinner on deck.. Crowd is always unique.. Whatever that japenlo w/ esploana tequila, agave, and lime juice shot is bomb.com" Donna is the best bartending cook on planet.. D's Nuts Sugar Pecans were amazing.. I'll be back read more

Great bar tenders, awesome drinks and amazing people. Great Division St dive bar. Don't skip this one!!

Stumbled upon this place and so glad we did! Came into have a drink and ended up staying hours shooting pool & controlling the music on the jukebox. Matt the bartender took great care of us. He even changed the channel to let us watch the Mavs game once it came time. Greaaaat drinks prices also. Overall good vibes. If we're ever in Arlington we're definitely coming back here. read more

Unable to quiet my mind, I sought somewhere to calm me a bit. As I drive down Division, I saw Sunshine. That name... Sunshine, holds 33 years of significance for me. This place is a much less broke down Showdown. A dark, divey but decent place to collect on the currency of a smile. To discuss the weather with a woman weathered by life serving you a delicious drink. To hear a 1970's legend on a Waffle House style jukebox, selected by a 20 something in a hooded sweatshirt. The drinks, strong. The beers, cold. The conversation, lovely. The place is full of regulars, but the best kind. I love that the chairs are mismatched office chairs. The bar is raised, but the floor is tall, leaving you with a short seat and a tall order. Comfort. Think sitting in your chair at work, but with a drink. If you are in Arlington, stop in. It's quite the unique place. read more

This is an everyday people's bar. A good place to come in for a drink at the bar. About 12 seats at the bar. Tables all around and 2 pool tables. Super casual with a small deck in the back. Parking is shared with another bar so it can get crowded in the parking lot. Juke box has a variety of artists to choose from. Overall a cool place to chill. read more

See all

As the three stars signify, you're A-OK, Sunshine Bar. You definitely have your virtues: cozy and mellow space, friendly crowds of regulars, and an awesome juke-box blaring classic hits. The bartenders are no-nonsense, but sweet, and your cheap libations encourage guests to keep ordering another round. Before entering this very confined space, let me warn you about the smoke because I'm pretty sure I've never wafted through a heavier cloud in my life. It's stagnant and thick. I can usually handle bar smoke fairly well, but I kept finding myself using my hand or shirt for ventilation. Kind of a bummer. Besides having to immediately throw all of my clothes onto my balcony and shower upon reaching home, I enjoyed my time spent at Sunshine! It seemed like everyone in there knew one another, but there wasn't a cliquey vibe at all. You'd probably be accepted into any faction, if you're nice! PS: Sunshine Bar's "Ruby Red" tastes just like a grapefruit. Citrus-y, bright, and strong! read more

Went here after a Rangers game with a Group of 10 ppl! It was an early game so we didnt want to go home.... Soon as we arrived Matt the bartender told us about some drink specials and we had a great time drinking for cheap .. had a few $3 shot options... they didnt have a open kitchen but he was completely fine with us picking up and bringing in outside food ... overall had a great time read more

Great service from Matt the bartender. Great personality and very accommodating. He turned the channel over to the mavs game for us. Played a few rounds of pool. The locals welcomed our energy. Even had a small little space to dance around and goof off. We will definitely be back. read more

This is a hidden gem! A dive bar with style and super atmostphere. Definitely be safe and do uber in the area and to be safe andx responsible. Lots of fun folks and friendly staff. read more

Sunshine Bar is one one the best bars to visit in Arlington. However, please note, make sure you don't visit while Forest(the bartender) so called bartender' is working. My partner and I ordered 3 drinks total. When we tabbed out the bill seemed a little high so I asked for an itemized receipt. At which point Forest became very defensive and before you know it, he's screaming at me saying it doesn't matter what I think, "I already have your money!" And he grabbed my receipt from the bar before I could sign it! So no, he does not have my money because he does not have my signature. Silly Forest. That being said, all other bartenders their are amazing. Come visit! read more

I was looking forward to showing my friend a local bar. I spilled MY FIRST beer and tried to apologize to the bartender. She threw a towel at me and said "f*** you!" I was so confused I actually tried apologizing twice and explained it was merely an accident. When I asked for my card back she denied having it after I had just handed it over to pay for my drinks. Literally THE WORST experience. I was so confused. She was EXTREMELY unprofessional. I Will NOT be coming back. I waited 10 mins to order a beer at a nearly empty bar top.....just to get cussed out. Dirty establishment & awful service. read more

Betty aka Donna is bad ass! We came down from Cali for the game and found this place by chance. I'm so glad we found this hole in wall spot! Everyone was super friendly. Betty (Donna) was amazing, quick on the draw lol funny as heck! Made great drinks, pricing is in budget. We came bk 3 times in our 4 day trip just cus she is the best n everyone is so welcoming!!! Hole in walls are my favorite and this one is on my top list now, every time I come in town I will come bk to visit Betty! Lol read more

Sunshine Bar - That's Betty aka Donna - Dive Bars Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Oh, shine. I remember the first time I heard about this place. I had just turned twenty-one and all prior drinking experience had been at big chain restaurants where they didn't ID. Right off the bat, I was told that there were more puke stains than I could shake a stick at. I was afraid. I was disgusted. I was intrigued. That said, I love Sunshine. Cheap drinks, good salt of the earth people, awesome jukebox. You can come here in your PJs. There's no one to impress. There is absolutely no one taking fashion tips from Jersey Shore. The bartenders are awesome and friendly and there's always a different deal going on every night. Sports on the TVs if you're into that. Stained pool tables. Friendly customers (usually). Sunshine taught me the beauty of a dive bar. If there's too few skinny jeans for you, head to Caves across the way. read more

This is probably the nastiest of the dive bars on Division Street. I'm not sure how old the place is, but the furniture is definitely original. Tattered office chairs on wheels that swivel and tables that lean, like the old Casa Magnetica at 6 Flags. No windows either, so it's like being in a basement crack den. The bar is a horseshoe shape and you kinda look down into the pit of it to order a drink. The pool tables are broken a lot so you can play free pool and the jukebox isn't bad. The waitress is always nice and the people watching is FANTASTIC. Sunshine Bar shares a parking lot with Caves Lounge, so lots of people go back and forth. It's a good place to grab a drink on your way to shoot up smack at the super scary hotel next door. Don't share needles!! read more

Sunshine Bar - Looks innocent enough.... - Dive Bars Near Me - Arlington, Texas

I love dirty bars.. and I love sunshine. well- my uncle loves this place, so I have to semi love it too. Just so you know it's very smoky in here so please don't come in all dressed up, smelling good and expecting to leave the same way. You will definitely be scrubbing that smell out of your hair before you go to bed. I hope. This spot is very tiny and there are regulars that usually occupy the entire bar area. If you're lucky enough to find an empty chair- belly up and order a drink. The people here are all very chill and they usually know each other- so don't come in acting crazy and start anything cause you will get your butt kicked out really quick. All the drinks are ridiculously cheap here. They have Mexican Mondays where Dos Equis, Corona- well, you get it, are all $2. They actually have a special every day I just can't ever remember what all of them are; my uncle on the other hand has them all memorized. If you wanna stay here- they have free pub mix, cheese balls and popcorn in the back corner and a lot of times you can can catch the tamale guy strolling through here peddling his home cookin- they are delicious and make sure you ask for extra green salsa. Sometimes he has tacos too, so just ask. If you're like me I like to dive bar hop- so Caves is literally in the same parking lot. Just pay your tab and do your walk of shame out the back door and you'll see it. read more

If there was a Mexican trash bar for white people, this would be it. Sunshine gets a 5 from me because it's not afraid to be true dive bar. It is small, dank, rank and filled with people from many walks. I've never had problems visiting here and one thing is for sure, its not a place you will ever have to worry about seeing pop-color douches. Sunshine is an experience you will not forget. The drinks are cheap. Atmosphere is packed and loud. Televisions play random crap and.....the bar is freaking recessed into the floor. Not to mention the ceiling is like 8 foot high in most spots. read more

I definitely come here very often as it's probably the cheapest place in Arlington to go to for drinks. Especially on Wednesday nights!! It doesn't have the best music to dance or anything but hey, who doesn't want cheap drinks right???? They also have their new pool tables and they have free snacks like cheeseballs and ground nuts. And they have free foozball! read more

If Charles Bukowski is in heaven (and we know he is) his bar is likely identical to The Sunshine Bar -- possibly the most antithetical name to ever grace an establishment. Not to say I don't love this bar because I do! Omg, do I love this bar. Mostly because I live in downtown LA where the bars are pretentious and the prices are high. When I get to town, the first thing I do is make a beeline for this bar with my rugged dirty Texas boyfriend in tow (he lives here but that's another story). TSB is the direct antithesis of the bars of my neighborhood in LA. (My neighborhood "dive bar" sells PBRs for $5 and shots for $10. Once you stop gasping for air dear Texas readers, please read on.) Where was I? Oh yeah...whenever I look at the bleak landscape of Texas, the millions of Jesus fish gracing the windows of minivans, the oversized trucks of the undersized men inside them, the vast expanses of chain establishments stretching on endlessly, I start to feel boredom setting in and long for the palm treed oasis that I now call home. Luckily, I have only to step inside the smoke-choked confines of this fine establishment to remind me why I'll always love Texas. The drinks are cheap, the bar tenders are erudite, irreverent and won't take any crap. The conversation is unforgettable. The jukebox (when functional) is the best curated selection on the planet. True, I take special care to bring hand sanitizer and the bathrooms are questionable at best. But it's like going into the wilds on safari or scaling the heights of Kilimanjaro, it's not always pretty or sweet smelling but it's usually epic and you'll definitely come home with some unbelievable stories. Stay un-classy Sunshine! Xoxo read more

it is... a ok. It is a total dive though. Smells .... like old people. We went during the late afternoon. maybe 2 Vietnam vets in the place. HUGE American flag. Kudos for that. Bathrooms... very questionable. Bartender pours strong. Cheap drinks! read more

Beautiful bartender and service! The drinks are cheap and the crowd is very entertaining! Will be back when I visit Dallas again!

Don't come here if you want to play pool or drink a beer with friends. Me and a group of three other friends came here because we wanted to try out a new place. When we walked in we were about to play pool but were rudely interrupted by the bartender (who's name is Val) started yelling and slurring her words that the "pool table is fucked up and don't work". So my friends and I settled for foosball. After ordering a beer and cocktail separately, the cocktail which was never served. The bartender came up and started aggressively yelling and stating that the cash my friend gave her for one beer was not enough. She handed back the $6 that my friend gave her for a beer that was supposed to be $4.75, and tried to say the beer was $30.75! (We assumed because she thought he didn't tip enough, but it was his first drink and he was planning to tip more at the end of the night). She eventually said the beer was $7.75. So my friend took the cash she gave him back and he gave her a $10 bill and was going to give her a better tip but wanted some change back, however, she once again aggressively turned around and gave him a condescending look. Immediately, my friend group reconvened, clearly none of us were feeling comfortable or welcomed so we made plans to leave after finishing one beer that we definitely overpaid for. The bartender then made a pow wow with some of the customers at the bar, cuts off the music and yells from across the bar that we should leave if we have a problem, and the bar goers all echoed her call. The only problem I have is a rude, drunken bartender who lost out on four sales and continued regulars. I will never come back here. read more

Perfect dive. Dark. Good music- it shuffles from punk to Beatles to rock to Neil Young and everything in between. Free wifi. read more

Sunshine Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Friendly people, cheap drinks, and great specials. Trivia on Monday's, free juke box on Wednesday, free pool on Thursdays. Would recommend to all. read more

Proud to be the first to write a review of this place. It's the bar I hang out in when I'm at home in TX. This place is a shithole don't get me wrong. It's the dive bar of all dive bars, but it's got character. Fuck it has a hand painted picture of E.T. on the wall that I've tried to steal several times. It has FREE foosball and 2 pool tables. I can't believe they fit all the shit they have in this place into such a tiny shithole. The jukebox is awesome. I know all the bartenders by first name and they're all cool. They have all kinds of free snacks such as cheeseballs, popcorn, pretzels, peanuts and the like. They also have darts, but as we all know only date rapists play darts. There are bathrooms amazingly, although watch out for the big hole kicked in the door of the men's room and don't even think about locking the bathroom door or taking a shit in this place. All in all a good place to spend your vacation back in your home town. read more

Sunshine Bar - the usual crew...or at least from like 4-5 years ago... - Dive Bars Near Me - Arlington, Texas

See all

This place is a real ****hole....if you like dive bars, you'll love it. If you don't, you'll hate it.

I read the other reviews and agree with them 100%. I happen to patronize this lovely establishment during the day time sometimes coming back from the bank in mid afternoon but mostly around happy hour. It truely does put the dive in dive bar. But like a drug it is strangely seductive with its dark dingly interior filled with the smell of stale beer. I have seen some of the best people watching I have ever had. Have made fast friends for the afternoon with may patrons. No one knows your name nor gives a sh*t who you are. While everyone mentioned the cheap drinks they didnt mention the free pretzels,cheese puffs and popcorn in the afternoon. Do yourself a favor and this dive a visit. Save Chili's for another day. read more

Great dive bar tucked away in Arlington. Solid service, interesting locals and ridiculously cheap drinks. Like 1973 cheap.

Perfect dive bar. Really, if you ever need to know exactly what a trashy bar should look like, this is it. Which makes it fun every once in a looooong while. read more

Came in late on a Saturday night had no problem getting in or getting a drink for the bar. drinks were reasonable and bartenders friendly, gotta love the bar recessed into the floor, free pretzels and cheese poofs. i'm heading back next pay day read more

Love Sunshine!! Always a cast of characters around the bar. Jukebox is full of classics. Can't forget the free animal crackers and cheese puffs! read more

Cool jukebox but man, it eats quarters, but the music is awesome. I like that you can smoke in there and it's dark and divey! haha! I like the free popcorn, pretzelz and cheese puffs and especially the beer of the month where you get a dang good brew for a dollar!! Cave's next door is super cools too! read more

Sunshine just got new carpets for their pool tables and also remodeled the place a little bit.

Hands down, the "Shine" is the cheapest bar in Arlington. Regulars of the shine tend to be nice, but it can get a bit rough around the edges when it gets packed. It reminds you of an old school biker bar but has flairs of hipster college students that make their way through to save a buck. Great jukebox and it shares a lot with "Caves", another cool Arlington joint. Enjoy this cheap dive, bars of this sort are a dying breed. read more

Ok love me dive bars and this is the best.... Donna aka betty (call her betty she will love it inside joke) is the best bartender ever she made us smile and feel at home and most importantly jot us shitfaced ..... ..... a must if ur around stop by and have a drink or two and the prices are unmatched.... cannot believe how cheap my tab was ... unheard of read more

This is my favorite bar, hands down. I have been going there for years, ever since my first year at the local university, UTA. The people are friendly, the drinks are strong and cheap, and the snacks are free. I still go to this place to celebrate my favorite holidays even though it is now a two hour drive away. Highly recommended. read more

Cheap booze, good jukebox selections, nice laid back atmosphere. Awesome people most nights. It is very smoky.

Ive been to Shine a few times now since moving to Arlington. The dive bar of all dives. Relaxed environment with friendly people all looking to catch a cheap buzz. You need to check this place out at least once for a fun and iteresting experience. read more

Had a blast thanks again Betty aka Donna!!! The sun is always shining here at a sunshine Bar even at on cloudy day !!! Great drinks & prices!! Come down and have some fun read more