Fun bar with a cute name!…read more Great dive bar for the end of the day when you want a local beer, have some salty popcorn and play a few darts. Our bartender was very nice & we all had a great time here! Highly recommend if you're in the area and looking for a cool hang-out bar. Enjoy!

Cool spot. Lots of regulars it looked like. Reasonably priced and had good music on. Bartender was…read morefast

This was my first time coming in after work and I was able to get a cold PBR, I ate some good…read morepopcorn and the nice bartender allowed me to change the station on the tv I was watching. She even gave me a charging station for my dying iPhone. She was great. Pool tables were being used. The TouchTunes June box played great tunes. I will stop by again.

Was done with a client and had like 30 mins to kill before my wife's flight landed. So I've always…read moreseen this bar beside a hotel off International Airport Drive and decided to check it out grab a cocktail. With only time for one quick drink, I was happy it has a full bar. The bartender said she's been upgrading the place having the owner make needed changes like new pool table felts and dartboards. The place has some older style tables and chairs but it has a large bar and nice display coolers, nice beer taps and a new jukebox it's a cool joint. I got my standard double Makers Mark and soda and not 5 minutes into relaxing Judy calls and says I've landed. That's Alaska Airlines for ya! They like to be 10-15 mins early. I'm going back. This will be the place I come to if early waiting on a arrival. The bartender was super nice and friendly.

This review is strictly for the karaoke section of the bar. I will say that if you're looking for…read morea large bar that has lots of fun drink specials and a dance floor or two, Al's may be your place. However... I was very excited about going to Al's for karaoke. I had been there a couple of summers ago when I was visiting Anchorage, and I was very impressed by the enormous selection of music, and also the overall setup and ambiance of the place. So, when we went there last night, I was ready to have a good time. The karaoke area was fairly empty. My friends and I were there for over three and a half hours. I sang ONCE. I've done a lot a of karaoke at many different bars, so I know that even if there are not a lot of people, but everyone is singing, you may have a bit of a wait. I am not a complainer, and I'm happy to wait my turn like everybody else. But when you see the same people go up multiple times and sing while you are still waiting for your first chance, that ain't cool. I hate having to ask the KJ where I am in the rotation (seems like an obnoxiously passive way of begging to sing), but I had to last night. He put me up fairly quickly after that, but I never sang again. KJs shouldn't play favorites, and they shouldn't play to tips. That's not the way to run a karaoke setup. Like I said before, though, I have had a good time here in the past, and the karaoke selection is possibly the best I've ever seen. So, I'm not saying don't go. Just know that it may end up being an exercise in frustration for you. It was for me.

This was another favorite watering/karaoke hole of mine. This place has been around for awhile and…read morehas a regular following. I would say it has one of the best karaoke set-ups in town. Huge selection even though it is all by CD. Only complaint, as a karaoke DJ myself, is most of the DJs tended to put themselves into the cycle more than they should. My philosophy is if u r getting paid to turn the "records" for the customers that u should do so. I will only sing if there is a lag in people putting in requests. Anyway, besides that, good karaoke scene, dance club upstairs, live band pool shootin' downstairs, it has a lot to offer. I got to know the bartenders, bouncers, and DJs fairly well and all of them were cool. Al's has a very well organized Texas Hold'em Poker system that pays $1 per head each night for whoever takes first. You can qualify for other tournaments if you make it to the final table. Typically 30ish regulars there each night. Not bad They have a nice smoking area outside that keeps u warm in the winter. They provide free cheeseburgers most nights, every night they have some excellent free chili. So it is a place to have some good fun and not pinch your wallet too bad. Al Junior owns the place and you can often find him milling around with the customers shootin the sh$#. I'll certainly drop in the next time I roll into Anchorage. Eye candy wise, I suppose I 3 out of 5. Depends on the night, seen some scary ones and some beautiful ones.

"True Dive Bar Vibes in Anchorage"…read more October 2023 - Van's Dive Bar really puts the dive in dive bar -- and I mean that in the best (and sometimes worst) way possible. It's small, dark, and a little sketchy, with writing covering nearly every wall and a tiny stage where local bands play -- some decent, some not so much. The drinks are very reasonably priced, and the service is friendly and quick, which goes a long way here. You'll find regulars who clearly know each other, and the atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect from a true neighborhood watering hole. If you're looking for something polished or upscale, this isn't it. But if you want a no-frills local spot in Anchorage with cheap drinks, good service, and a ton of character, Van's Dive Bar is absolutely your place.

Trivia: What brass instrument is unique due to its slide feature?…read more The parking might be the first thing that stumps you. If you don't park in the front, you might wonder, like I did, whether the side of the building is an okay place to park. Then you'll wonder if you should park sideways, angles, or straight on. By then you'll be to the back of the place and down a short hill and trying to figure out where to park or where to turn around. You may even decide to just leave. But don't. Vans is a cozy spot. Due to the hum of the ice machine, and the friendly conversations, you'll not be able to hear any of the street noise so close to the entrance. Five beers on tap, and probably 30-40 cans and bottles in the cooler. Plenty of liquor, though they didn't have any scotch I would want to drink. Maybe four bottles? As advertised, a dive bar. Both in look and smell (which wasn't bad, per se). There was a blue grass group starting to jam a little after I got there. The patron next to me said they were part entertainment, part jam session. Which sounded pretty darn cool to me. Basically everyone in the place was there to hang and/or play. I was asked if I was a musician. Not since high school. When I played it was the answer to the trivia question.

I really enjoyed my experience with this bar ! I wanna say a shout to the gentlemen who was the…read morebartender I chilled with for a bit. I came in early like 2-4pm and the place wasn't busy but I like that because I only wanted to chill and relax. This place is so close to my hotel at the Hilton it was a 5min walk if anything. The bartender was super cool we played a game of pool and I had a couple beers and relaxed. I'll come back to this place on a weekend when I'm here again but I def say check it out the have free pool and I saw darts ! Decent sized place to unwind and relax with some drinks !

What happened to this place? Used to be a go to spot. Now no food no dj. Door guy was an ass. The…read morebartender tina was drunk and rude. At least she forgot to charge me for my drink. Left $10 on the bar and went to pioneer.

Let's talk about the Buckaroo, because this place is a classic Spenard dive bar and honestly one of…read moreAnchorage's old-school gems. We really love this spot. It's a great place to grab a cocktail whether it's 8 PM, midnight, or 2 AM--it just works at any hour. They've got pool tables and a cozy little section with a fireplace, which is such a nice touch for a dive bar and makes it feel way more inviting than you'd expect. The bartenders are always nice, and the drinks are solid every time. What surprises me, though, is that the place is usually pretty dead whenever I'm there--which I genuinely don't understand because the drinks are good and the ambience is actually really nice. All that said, it's still one of the better dive bars in Anchorage and definitely worth stopping into, especially if you're in the Spenard area and want something low-key but reliable.

Daaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmnn rocky was on point tonight... as always. Will be referring to my friends…read moreand family to enjoy the ambiance and good times to be had at the buckaroo

Service was great. We were here for a conference and we went to the bar to get drinks and went…read moreoutside. The bartender came out to check on us. I had the Boombox and it wad absolutely delicious. I was tempted to purchase the glass but $30 was a little too much. *Suggestion* If someone does want the glass, take the price of the drink off the purchase price. I definitely would have purchased it that way. I will give the bartender credit for attempting to make the sell. He was overall great. I would definitely recommend and say try the Boombox!

Menu is minimal and disappointing. Don't plan on eating here if you're staying here…read more Nice looking space and the drinks are ok

Highly recommended! I enjoyed hanging out with friends at this spot. We didn't try the food but it…read morelooked really good! The bartenders are cool and friendly! The drinks we tried were good and they have a great selection. Plenty of tables and seats to lounge. All gender bathroom. I loved the overall ambiance! There is limited parking. My friends and I came in early evening and found parking easily. We also weren't charged a cover.

You know, I started to come to Myrnas, what feels like forever ago!…read moreBefore covid and after (They spent their PPP $$$ real good) Always a blast to come here whether its for a birthday, a show (which are amazing!), holiday, or event! Dress up! Say less! The shows (weekend or specials) are so well put on, after Wizard of Oz and Rocky Horror! I'm hooked and im on pins and needles waiting on their next!