Is Hogs & Heifers Saloon a Dive Bar?

For those of you who have visited Hogs & Heifers Saloon in Downtown Las Vegas, or one of the original locations in New York, do you consider Hogs a dive bar? What makes a dive bar anyways? This can be a highly debated topic, let’s take a dive into the discussion shall we…

Five things every dive bar needs according to us:

First off, at a dive bar, music has to be played a majority of the time. Preferably from an older juke box not loaded with today’s shitty pop music. If you’re visiting a pub and they have Johnny Cash as an option for music selections, you my friends, are probably at a dive bar.

Second, you need regulars. You know the ones. The locals that make it a point to come and see your establishment at least once a day. It’s part of their daily routine, almost like an extra job. Go to work, then head to the townie bar and have a beer to bitch about said work. We fuckin’ love these people! Retired folks can also become a large part of the dive bar regulars scene. Dudes who like to sip on iced draft beers all day and wear t-shirts that say “Old Guys Rule”. These guys do rule, and are almost a dive bar essential.

Third, the place needs to be at least 10 fuckin’ years old. Too much shit comes and goes quickly these days, especially in Las Vegas. Odds are, most food and drink places in this town are long gone before their 10th birthday. Shots on the bar for any neighborhood spot that hits their teen years!

Fourth, there has to be cheep beer on the menu. That doesn’t mean a dive bar can’t have good booze and brews on the rack, but it needs a draft of PBR, or Genesee Cream Ale by the can option that goes for less than a fiver. Happy hour is almost a necessity as well.

Number five! Every hole in the wall dive comes with it’s own smell, a dive bar has to have a noticeable smell. It doesn’t have to be a shitty smell, but one you know is a result of the place being around for awhile. When you leave, the smell of that bar leaves with you, on your clothes, in your hair. Sometimes you still smell it the next day on your walk of shame home.

And that’s it, our very own top five necessities of what a bar needs to be called a dive. Your list may be different, there are many ways to classify a bar… take note a few more items we thought about while writing about things every dive bar needs… neon beer signs, random shit on the walls, printed pictures on the walls hung in a variety of ways, dollar bills on the ceiling, a cigarette vending machine, visible dust on objects that are above human reach, a pool table or dart board, stickers everywhere, large scary guys checking ID’s at the door, maybe a few motorcycles parked out front. All this and we haven’t event talked about the bathrooms yet! They don’t have to be gross, but if they are, it’s an added bonus. haha!!! There’s sooo much more we could talk about, but this is enough to get a conversation going. Does Hogs & Heifers Saloon qualify?

To the public out there, express your thoughts on what makes a good dive bar in the comments below. Do you have a favorite dive in your neighborhood? Let the world know!