Dive Bar

Let's be real, I love this place's outdoor atmosphere and their beer selection is of the best in Worcester. If you like quality beers, look no further.

That said, the cash-only policy is a bit of a pain, despite having an overpriced ATM in the place and the indoor atmosphere is really drab. It really feels like a dive bar, which doesn't match the craft beer selection they have. The outdoor seating is a no brainer when the weather is nice, but on gloomy days, you're going into a drab bar.

The "Dive" part is the underwater theme.

Every bad reviewer of this place wants Dive to be something it isn't. They want generic/shitty/widely available beers that they aren't judged for ordering, espresso martinis, no other patrons, and to pay by credit card. Well, for all of those people, there are about 100 other bars in Worcester (10 in this neighborhood alone) that fit that description. Why in the world would we need another cookie-cutter bar to cater to more of the same?

Dive has the best curated beer list in the state (no, I am not exaggerating). Single Cut, Honest Weight, Brick and Feather, Jack's Abby, and Hill Farmstead are regular menu rotations. The prices are incredibly reasonable (for example Trillium for $8 versus $10-12 in Boston). The patio is the only place to be in the summer time. Cash only keeps tons of college bros from overtaking the place and over-consuming. It can get crowded later, but that is easily avoided by coming earlier. Dive isn't for everyone, nor should it be. To me, it's perfect.

This place is owned by the same people who own Armsby Abbey and this essentially a more relaxed, casual version of it. Say goodbye to the wooden accents and instead say hello to a cash-only, spot with a giant outdoor patio.

The craft beer selection is still absolutely amazing and they have four or five permanent Hill Farmstead beers available on draft. They frequently rotate their beers and often have some highly sought after ones, again, much like Armsby Abbey. Overall, it's all solid and they also have a full bar in case you want a mixed drink.

The staff is friendly and while the indoor area gets cramped due to its limited size, there's still plenty of space outside. They actually are incredibly smart and make great use of that space. During the warmer months, they'll project movies out there which is neat.

Overall, there is nothing divey about this spot and the craft beer selection is nearly unrivaled. It's one of the best tap lists in the state! The owners are fantastic individuals who make great use of their space and it's definitely a great spot to hit up during the warmer months.

That being said, the cash-only thing really stinks, especially in this day and age and the food options are non-existent as well. I personally much prefer Armsby Abbey but this is a nice alternative as well and very laid back which is nice.

Some days I miss the old dive bar back in the late 90's and early 2000's. But, that was a long time ago anyway. They have ok beer but the abbey gets the better stuff. I have been back several times when I visit and it is never packed like it used to be. Still fun to head in an catch up with friends though. Don't expect bud, Miller, and coors though.

Service was good and most importantly love the beers that they have available! It's hard to find Hill Farmstead and while we were there we had 4 different kinds available. However, just make sure to have cash as this is a cash only bar. There is an ATM inside.

I didn't like the dive bar BUT the food truck they have stationed most days on the backyard, MamaRoux, is just nirvana. The chicken sandwich they have can cure depression, heal wounds, make you see angels (or if preferred, demons) and will possibly win chef Demoga a Nobel prize! All hail MamaRoux!

I remember coming to the Dive Bar back in the day when there was bearly any space at all ... they had 3 beers on tap and 2 of them were Pabst Blue Ribbon ... and the crowd typically vomitted and/or picked fights with other patrons more than just about any other bar I went to. I remember one time watching a fight end in someone being hit in the face with a glass beer pitcher. Those days are over, thankfully! Depsite this, for some reason this bar used to make Esquire Magazine's 'Best Dive Bar in the Country' list often.

A friend of mine wanted to take me here and I was a bit hesitant given its past reputation. I remembered an elevator sized bar where you literally left covered in beer, vomit and sweat as people bumped into you from every direction. He told me that it was completely changed ... from layout to concept ... and it was! This is not the disgusting, smelly packed bar of old.

When I first walked in, the first thing I noticed was that they had opened up the space incredibly. I was there on a Wednesday night and there were about 5 other people in there, so it looked even bigger. There wasn't a single strand of colored Christmas lights in the joint ... and they had taken down all the cheesy starfish covered fishing nets. The bar is long and narrow and everything looked neat and orderly. In the old days, it was such a disaster, it was commonplace for one of the overworked bartenders to ask you to switch your drink from Whiskey to Vodka because she couldn't find the Whiskey bottle.

There was an 8 foot long string of candles burning along the back of the bar and there was a blackboard with about 20 craft beers. They have Allagash White on tap ... and it's only $5! Cheapest I've ever seen it on draft. They also do a good job of selecting some unique spirits for their drinks ... many types of Rye Whiskey. The brands of alchohol you see at the grocery store in fancy bottles and don't buy. Every mixed drink here is $8. Which is a pretty good price, I think.

The vibe is low key and almost hipster. It reminds me of one of my favorite beachside dive bars, Chez Jay in Santamonica, CA mixed with some of the trendier bars in West Hollywood. Where college students used to throw up on the bar now sit hipsters in their J Crew t-shirts and ironically manscaped beards. And late 20 to 30 year olds who are beginning to realize they can't drink like they used to.

This bar has a very LA feel to it ... which is odd given that Worcester is one of the worst cities I've ever been in. A couple sucky things ...

Only street parking, which there wss plenty of next to the bar on a Wednesday. There are paid lots sort of nearby ... but its risky to attempt to park on any side street or vacant lot due to Pat's Towing which run around Worcester towing cars 24/7. If their owner isn't a millionare yet ... I'd be surprised. Leeches.

CASH ONLY. Ugh ... What fun is going to a bar if you have to hit an ATM machine everytime you want to drink more than you should?? I can't believe this place doesn't take credit cards ... especially given that drinks are $8 and beers can range up into the $8 range as well. Cash only bars are usually reserved for TRUE dive bars where beers are $2 and the bartenders are too busy to swipe. They have an ATM machine here, but there is a hefty fee to use it and it doesn't look like the safest thing in the world.

The place once was the hottest "dive" bar to go to. Standing room only. Butt to butt and shoulder to shoulder....... That was then and this is now. Not the same awesome place that I used to go to unfortunately.

We got there and there place was empty. Maybe one person at the bar and another at a side table. There were more bartenders there than people. BUT go outside and the tables were packed. They do have a great open area to chill outside with a lot of tables.

Go ahead, ask for a Corona or a Sam.... Nope! They don't carry anything other than microbrews. And only a select few that you have to read off of the chalkboard in back. No taps. No drinks. No bud. No nothin! (Not sure why they have so many bar tenders then)

And not to mention the face in these bartenders when you ask for something other than a microbrew. Like we should have known that's all they carry and why we anyone want to drink anything other than a hippy dippy microbrew. Don't get me wrong, we do enjoy our microbrews and going to different local breweries. But I do enjoy a corona or a Madelo with a lime on a nice summer evening.

Won't be back and that's too bad. Just not the Dove bar we once loved and hung out at.

Best to go when it's warm out so you can access the outdoor area and fire pit- otherwise it's fairly small. Many different beers on tap and in cans/bottles.

The selection of beer is great, the list here rotates frequently, the atmosphere is social and relaxed. The patio is great, it includes an excellent food truck that has a short and sweet menu with delicious morsels and sharables.