Let's call the buffet what it is and is an institution of what a dive bar should be. It's dimly lit has a staff that for the most part is no nonsense and isn't afraid to throw some jokes your way and the stickiest bathroom floor you've ever encountered. It's not trying to be anything it's not. There's a reason that this place is filled every time that I go on because it's one of the few true dive bars that are left in Tucson. You can get a five dollar pitcher of beer shoot some pool play anything but Metallica on the jukebox and have a good time. This is one of those places I take anybody who visits Tucson because it is just such an important place. If you're from the area, we're just visiting. You owe it to yourself to visit one of the oldest dive bars in the country, even if the dive bars aren't your thing and you prefer a 9% hazy IPA with hint of citrus, take the night off get a pitcher of cheep beer and enjoy what a bar should be read more

So this place is an institution in Tucson. I love the fact it's oldest still operating bar in town. They keep odd hours as I understand. The service is normally pretty good. The ambiance is a total dive bar. The restroom is questionable for cleanliness. The food? I only eat packaged food here. The low rating is due to my taste in bars. I'm a beer snob and they aren't known as a beer bar. read more

The Buffet - Not the best draft beer selection in town - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

You come for the low prices and stay for the high characters. I can't say enough great things to say about this place, between the affordable drinks, incredible staff, and some of the best pool players a bar full of regulars can produce, you always feel at home, it makes the show Cheers look pedestrian. Tip your bartenders, have some manners, and you'll have a groovy time. Shout out to the staff in the order of when you'll most likely see them throughout the day, starting at 6 AM: Allan, Shawn, Patience, Robin, Jerica, Crystal, Sonia, Monica, Lena, Gary, Mike, Aaron, and Cody. read more

The Buffet - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Most extravagant Buffett in ALL Tucson. Meticulous bathrooms. Calligraphy adorned by guests. A place to celebrate wedding anniversary or intimate first date. Black tie optional, but encouraged! read more

We had a really disappointing experience here. The staff was friendly at first, but things changed quickly after I unknowingly sat in what was apparently considered a "local's chair." A man approached me and told me my time sitting there was limited because he was playing pool. He was extremely rude, got very close to my face, and made me feel uncomfortable. My son stepped in and simply told him, "That's my mom, be respectful." At that point, several other locals became involved and started yelling and cussing at us. One woman had already been making comments to her friend about my son and about how we obviously weren't from the area. My son heard her multiple times and ignored it until the argument escalated. He did eventually call her a name, which I'm not saying was appropriate, but the situation had already become extremely hostile. What bothered me most was how the bartender handled everything. Instead of trying to calm the situation or acknowledging the behavior of the locals, the bartender began shouting at us to leave and even told me that I should "raise my son better." As out-of-town customers, we felt completely unwelcome and singled out simply because we weren't regulars. There is a respectful way to let someone know that another customer is using a seat while playing pool, and this was not it. The entire situation could have been handled very differently. Unfortunately, what started out as a nice visit turned into an awful and uncomfortable experience. I would not return EVER! read more

My wife and I stopped by this bar while waiting to attend an event in downtown Tucson. I've heard about 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. read more

The Buffet - My view from the bar. - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Super cool dive bar the bathroom is called the black hole and is not as bad as the bathroom at the hub in Tampa. Great bartender, stiff pours and a bunch of characters at the bar to talk to which is great. I would highly recommend if you're in Tucson. read more

The Buffet - Pool table - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I am trying to be less hyperbolic but, I often fail. My notes for this place read: "Best dive bar maybe...ever?" Everything you want from a drive bar, they got it: Charismatic bartenders (some friendly, some crusty)? Yep. Back-butt-and-elbow-bumping levels of crowds? Yep. Barely anything on tap* except some chugger domestics? Yep. Long wooden shuffle board table? Yep. Every diverse crowd in terms of: age, income level, ethnicity, race, etc? Yep. Super-friendly-single-serving-friend energy? Yep. If you're looking to get away from college kids, this is also probably a good bet! The bottle/can situation is definitely better, with some local beers and some IPA's. read more

The Buffet - Beer - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Best dive bar ever. Just what you would expect from a dirty old historic bar. Great staff, stiff drinks, mediocre hot dogs that you will love. read more

This is the shittiest bar I've ever been to, but I keep coming back. Like, on paper, I should hate this place. It has so many things I dislike. Narrow walkways. No patio. Definitely no craft beer. Very limited seating. And worst of all--the cardinal sin of a trough in the men's room. But you know what? The Buff does a lot of things right. Infinite graffiti on the walls and ceiling. 4-6 flavors of generous, flavorful jello shots at any given time. Excellent taste in their little assortment of crunchy snacks. And bartenders who know a few quick (and delicious) cocktails. You could do a lot worse. I must say, this place is also prime people watching, especially if you have a bit of morbid curiosity about the the type of person who has survived a half-century of binge drinking. It's the oldest bar in town, and every now and then you'll make small talk with boomers who'll boast about blacking out here in the 1980s. The ones who keep talking to me about coming here at 6am as if it were a right of passage. There's a mixed crowd, but an exceptional portion of it are people with decades of patronage. That counts for something. This isn't the type of spot I usually like, but the drinks are cheap, the staff is great, and I keep running into some real characters. If you're a dive bar enthusiast, this is one spot in Arizona you have to visit! read more

This is easily the best dive bar in Tucson. As you walk in there is someone checking IDs. But son't be alarmed the crowd consistents of mainly adults out of school, not a ton of college kids. Just inside the door is a great jukebox to the right and a pool table to the left. The large U shaped bar takes up most of the space with lots of barstools. There is a shuffle board table to the far right side of the bar as well. This is a dive bar at its finest. If mixed drinks or cocktails are your thing go for simple 2 ingredient drinks like gin and tonic or rum and coke. I say this from experience, on my last trip in I had an old fashioned, which was okay, and a gin and tonic which was perfect. Know your venue and order accordingly. The highlight of this establishment has to be happy minute. During this Happy Minute tokens sold at 11p for $1 (CASH). This token gets you a 2nd of the same drink for just $1. So although they do take card payments for normal orders remember to always bring a few bucks to enjoy happy minute with your friends. read more

The Buffet - Happy Minute tokens sold at 11p for $1 (CASH). This token gets you a 2nd of the same drink for just $1. - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Stopped over for a beer pre-wedding. Ended up falling in love with the place. The people were so great! Service was over the top. 3 beers $9. Can't beat it. read more

I came here Friday night to play shuffle board and there was no wait for the table. If you haven't been here before, it's a dive bar with tight squeeze space behind the bar seats. I loved their strawberry Jello Shots ($2). They also have a pool table. Friendly service. read more

Super hostile environment if your not a regular, one of the bartenders was amazing but the first was as rude as his regulars, I would skip this place as its not a chill spot at all, hopefully the owner does something about it and maybe get security for the idiots, just saying you're not missing out! read more

I came to this establishment with high hopes, looking forward to a relaxing time with my friends, but unfortunately, my experience with their Bloody Mary was nothing short of a disaster. Let me preface this by saying that I've had my fair share of Bloody Marys, from homemade concoctions to expertly crafted versions at upscale cocktail bars, and even the simple zing of store-bought mixes like Zing Zang. But whatever was served to me here doesn't even deserve to be called a Bloody Mary--it was, quite frankly, an affront to the drink itself. I'm not sure what went wrong behind the bar, but the flavor was closer to unfiltered sink water with an unsettling aftertaste of mystery spices. To call it uninspired would be generous; it was completely undrinkable. I kept taking small sips, hoping it would somehow grow on me or that my taste buds were initially mistaken, but no--each sip was a confirmation of how bad it truly was. I asked the bartender, Allen, if there was a mistake with the mix or if perhaps the wrong drink had been brought out. Allen, who seemed to embody the chaotic energy of "Allen from The Hangover," was unhelpful at best and dismissive at worst. He gave off the impression that he either didn't care about the quality of the drinks or didn't have the skill to fix the situation. His attitude made the experience even worse. A bartender's role is to elevate the atmosphere and help craft a positive experience for patrons, but Allen's lackluster service only added to the disappointment. The worst part is that the fix for this debacle seems so simple: just stock a halfway decent Bloody Mary mix! Zing Zang is widely available and would have easily elevated the drink from "unbearable" to at least "mediocre." How hard can it be to source a better mix or spend a little extra time on the recipe? The drink was so bad that it makes me question the bar's quality control or even if they've tasted their own concoctions. I'll give credit where it's due: the prices here are reasonable, which would normally be a highlight for a budget-conscious outing. But even affordable prices can't save a night when the drinks are this poorly executed. If you're considering coming here and ordering a Bloody Mary, don't. Stick to the canned drinks or something pre-bottled because at least then you'll have a fighting chance of enjoying what's in your glass. To sum up, this Bloody Mary was one of the worst drinks I've ever had in my life. I don't say that lightly--it was so far below my expectations that I feel read more

This is THE DIVIEST dive bar around and it's epic. Dark, dingy, random crowd, and killer service. What more could you want?

Nice, neighborhood bar with free parking! It's a small place with mostly bar seating. We were able to be seated right away on a Friday night. The waitresses were very friendly. We were served quickly and prices weren't bad at all. They even have Jell-O shots. It was a mixed crowd, with respect to race and age. I'd definitely go back and feel comfortable bringing anyone. read more

The Buffet - people sitting at tables in a restaurant - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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What can you say, dive bar that doesn't feel to dicey. The buffet has been in tucson for decades and you see all kinds of people/characters. Placed nicely in midtown tucson and looks like a scene out of a movie. Drink specials are great and they have all kinds of different spirits and mixed drinks. Beers on tap are the normal imports and locals. They have pitchers available at a great price. Walking distance to the light rail is a plus. Great place to pre-game for any occasion. Bartenders are fast and get you your drink right away! Ordered a blue moon and it came out nice and cold and the pour was nice. They open early at 6 am and have different happy hours. I hear they sometimes have specials at a real low price. If you've never been it's a definite must go if your a local or a tourist. You won't be unhappy with drinks and people watching. read more

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Pretty much the best bar of all time...hands down. Really needs crock pot back though

Tried it with friends and it is your typical dive bar but the staff was good & the other patrons were nice which helped me feel comfortable there. They had lots of TVs to keep up with sports around the bar. Women's restroom was interesting to checkout all the writing on the walls that people have left behind. read more

The Buffet - Jack and coke - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The staff is amazing!! Met one of the owners Crystal and she was amazing as well!! Great customer service, drinks and staff that is willing to lay down the law when needed (which is comforting) Patience is a "boss" and her commanding presence deserves respect. I've also gotten to know Robyn, Jerrica, Allen, Shawn, Sonia and they are also amazing. The regular patrons are quite welcoming! Maybe a rotten apple here and there but that's to be expected and shouldn't reflect on the bar itself or their service. Love that they open at 6am Tuesday thru Sunday! Definitely a place to visit! I'm sure i misspelled some names but with no disrespect intended. read more

I travel all over the country for work. Dive bars are my absolute favorite and I've been in many of them all over the country and The Buffet is absolutely fantastic. It's one of my favorites in the country. I cannot get enough of this place. It is so fun and the bartenders are awesome. I actually had to buy some merch. I love this place. It is the quintessential dive bar and I love all of it read more

Tucsons oldest bar. Dive in and enjoy reasonably priced drinks and a dive bar atmosphere. Was attended to quickly and got refills of water without asking which was nice to balance out the drinks. Enjoyed the place had a nice time. read more

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AH-MAY-ZING dive bar! I am so sad I have lived in Tucson a total of 33 of my 56 years...and had never been here! It looks sketch from the outside.....(even a better clue it is an AMAZING dive bar). all inside and you find an assortment of people....but EVERYONE is friendly and will talk to you. That is something I miss in a lot of places now days.....that willingness to talk to the person next to you....EVEN...if you don't know them! My friends and I got the scoop on the air vents, the drink specials, and the jello shots. We ordered bottled beer, as the selection on draft is only Bud (or PBR) and Coors. DONT come here and order a Manhattan...then b*tch it is not good. lol. It is a DIVE BAR...and this place has SO MUCH character, I can not wait to go back. read more

This is my favorite tucson dive bar! Shuffleboard, Always good music playing, Patrons are a lot of fun, And the staff is amazing.

The diviest dive bar in Tucson. It's always hopping here at night, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. The prices here are decent and the customer service here is great. They also have a pretty decent pickle game. Not the best place to sit and have a conversation if you come here on a Saturday night, but it works if you are just looking for another location to hang out and grab a drink. read more

Holy smoke. To call this place a dive is like calling the grand canyon a hole in the dirt. You never know what you will see. The people are friendly and it is just a good place to cut loose. read more

You have to experience the Buff! Such a diverse crowd and awesome music. Bartenders and staff are real ones and the best. read more

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This place is an amazing divey dive bar... I'm pretty sure the phrase was coined here. It opens at 6:00 am for your drink pleasure. Many of the best days of my life were kicked off at this bar. Yes, I'm a sauce monster. The bartenders know what's up. They know how to pour them right and body slam people when they get outta line. Also, you can get a yard of beer and a shot for a penny on your 21st birthday. Cheers! read more

I'm a smoker, they have no accommodation for smokers, and I refuse to leave my drink unattended inside the bar to go outside to smoke. Down the Street is O-Malley's with a huge outdoor smoking area as well as Mr. Heads, a block north of there. read more

Entropy is a law of nature. Any closed system will tend toward disorder. Hence the loophole. Back after a 29 year absence. We used to require trips to Henry Electric to repair lab equipment, but that was rge cover story. Tgia was a favorite hang, so need to check in Nothing has changed. The vibe, unchanged. The clientele, unchanged. The urinals, unchanged. The prices, barely (sailor jerry,'s, rocks $5). Within the closed system that is the U.S. we are tending toward disorder. A cretin in the white house and grifters in power...it's going downhill fast. The acceleration of entropy leaves some slack - the loophole - for the Buffet Bar. It's unchanged, because everything is is hurling toward cluster. Finally, thermodynamics works in our favor. And I've not even discussed the crockpot... read more

Starting your night at The Buffet is like squirting mustard water on a perfectly mediocre sandwich. Because The Buffet is kinda more of a place to end the night. It's more like the dry crusty mustard on the outside of the bottle, so it's just more faithful to the vibe to end your night here. With an empty mustard bottle. That's also probably a little expired. This metaphor has completely lost its way. They have suspiciously good pickles. They buy them in five gallon buckets. You gotta be confident in your pickle selection to buy them in that kind of quantity. And they don't even serve food, so I'm not sure how I ended up with one of their pickles. Did it come with the chips? Did I ask for one? Did I even buy chips? How did I get here? Are you my mom? read more

About 2-3 times a year we will head down to The Buffet, either to get reacquainted with our college stomping grounds with some old friends or to shock and amaze unsuspecting out of town visitors whom have never experienced a dive bar as divey as this. Make no mistake: this isn't just your run of the mill dump that's been classified as a dive simply due to poor maintenance and deplorable hygiene standards. This is the real deal. The Buffet looks, smells, and feels like something out of "Barfly" and I wouldn't be surprised if Charles Bukowski's ghost had decided to take up residence here. You'll find a mixture of all walks of life here with an extremely wide age span, and all are welcome. Some find the older clientele a bit frightening, though anytime we've seen a fight break out it was between a couple of inebriated college boys - but generally that's not the norm. Most people come here to relax and enjoy a reliably stiff drink, a game of shuffleboard, and maybe a beer-steeped hot dog. The bartenders are punctual and competent at ensuring your glass is never empty. And the drinks are cheap, even for top shelf. Your scrapbook is not complete without a photo of you here. During our most recent visit, The Buffet did not disappoint. My gin and tonic was heavy on the gin, my hot dog was delicious, and the restroom was revolting (hint: bring hand sanitizer and try not to touch anything). Whether you're a seasoned Tucsonan, a college student, or a tourist, this place should definitely be on your bucket list. read more

I live in Seattle and have documented over 1,000 bars where I've had a drink (see Project K-Bar), but my two favorite dive bars in the country are in Tucson. While I love the Meet Rack for it's gradually revealing layers of weirdness, it is the crowd and the vibe that immediately make it plain that the Buffet Bar and Crock Pot is a great dive. It has the most elemental features of a fine dive: it is old (est. 1934); it has a ramshackle decor with years of uninvited contributions from patrons; it has cheap and strong booze (with Coors the only beer on tap); and it was full of lively characters on a Sunday night. For Seattlelites, think of the Blue Moon, with a bit wider demographic and even more graffiti. The Buffet is the oldest bar in Tucson, established shortly after prohibition, although The Shanty up the road a piece has the oldest liquor license (1937), as the Buffet's was suspended a few times over the years. And just as The Shanty is not a shanty at all, there's no buffet at The Buffet -- although there is a crockpot, which holds hotdogs. But it's a grand old place. read more

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This is by far the best dive bar ever. It definitely has a mixed crowd, with people from all walks of life. Drinks are super cheap, and the bartender makes them with skill and character. Be sure to bring cash, or otherwise, you'll be using the ATM near the entrance. Happy Minute is at 11 pm, where they match whatever drink you have in your hand for $1. The shuffleboard table is the highlight of the bar. There's usually quite a wait to even get on the table, and you might have to challenge someone to get in. Don't forget to pick up your ID if you left it at the bar to claim the shuffleboard table. Engrave your name on the infamous wall of the Buffet if you want to forever be a part of Tucson history, and grab a hot dog or pickled egg if you get hungry. Sooo many memorable drunken nights have been had here, and many more to come! read more

If you're looking for a laid-back, no judgement dive bar experience, The Buffet is where you need to be. A definite 5-star dive bar experience. Fifth stop on my DDD Crew's list on our Dia de los Padres Muertos tour. A couple of my girls on our little tour had never been to The Buffet. What's that you say?!?! It's a goddamn Tucson institution and we were out to educate these foolish women. The decor, well maybe that's not the right word. Graffiti walls and bar signs adorn this gem of a place. The clientele ranges from old timers hanging out for hours at a time to college kids to bikers & thugs and working class stiffs. Obviously to a group of 6 women ranging in age from 25-55!! The place is chill though so sit back and enjoy. I promise you'll get out alive. Probably. But don't quote me on that. read more

When I heard this was Tucson's oldest bar and winner of Esquire's Best Bars in America and winner of Tucson's Best Dive Bar, I had to visit. I was greeted by a friendly neighborhood dog when I rolled up the parking area and noticed lots of people hanging about outside. Some were smoking in the special bench area complete with tin cans for your butts. Once inside my eyes had to do a very quick adjustment. So very dark with walls loaded with graffiti and folks sitting around the horseshoe bar sipping their $2 16 oz. Blue Moons. One fellow was enjoying their famous hot dogs served on a coffee filter. It only set him back $2. They offer popcorn, pork rinds, and peanuts in you're not in the mood for a hot dog or polish sausage. When you feel the need for entertainment, you can go to the pool table or shuffleboard and get in a couple games. They open at 6 am and close at 2 am. Cash only here, folks. And when you leave, you might just get a hug from one of the locals. read more

The Buffet - The buffalo mascot - Dive Bars Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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The perfect neighborhood dive bar. Bartenders are rad, and the crowd was fun. 100% will be back when I'm in Tucson again. I think the bartender was named Monica, either way she was great and took care of me. Cheers. read more

The best dive bar ever! Cheap heavy drinks with eccentric customers and laid back bartenders. Popular with college students on the weekends, go during the week for a laid back classic dive bar atmosphere. Music is great too. read more

My visit was in 2019, but I would bet this place hasn't changed. Great dive find in Tucson. Even comes with genuine sticky-to-the-touch walls. I'm going back next time I make a trip to Tucson. read more