What makes a dive bar a dive bar? Is it the low lighting? Skeevy clientele? Circling pool sharks?

Those are perhaps hints as to what separates a dive from a chic bar on a superficial level. The atmosphere of trendy bars tends to reek of insincerity and a cold, calculated drive to bend over for the latest fad.

When looking at the question of what actually makes a dive on a more thoughtful level, one could come up with the following: a dive bar is an unpretentious place that doesn’t sugarcoat what it is, a place where people go to drink.

Of course, some places take this a bit too far, and they would fall more under the category of “shithole” as opposed to dive.

A prime example of a great dive bar is Scaffidi’s Hideout, where the bartenders remember regulars and make one fantastic Irish car bomb.

There are three pool tables where, at any given moment, stiff competition takes place. Also, the odds are good that you can actually play pool when you want, even on a Friday or Saturday night.

Although the jukebox is amazing, if you go there often and don’t find what you like, talk to Mark, who is, and he might just let you put in your own mix CD. Scaffidi’s is worth checking out if you are interested in going somewhere that feels more like hanging out at a buddy’s place than in a fashion ad.

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