These and more are part and parcel of a great dive bar -- which seem to be around almost every corner in New Jersey. But which ones are best?
Several in Bergen and Passaic counties were ranked among the 31 best in the Garden State in a new rundown by NJ.com calculated by Yelp users.
Every regular imbiber has his or her favorite dive bar to watch the game or get a quick bite, but we wanted to find the consensus best local hangouts around the state.
22. Duffy's Tavern, Paterson "What a great place to spend St. Patrick's Day. Corned Beef and Cabbage was delicious, the entertainment was great and the value for the portions was awesome! The staff was very friendly and helpful on such a 'crazy' evening!"
20. Dingo's Den, Clifton: "Great dive bar with a heavy metal / horror movie theme. Bar pies are good. Friendly staff. Not too crowded. Wish they had more food options on the menu. Burgers maybe? I will definitely be coming back here."
17. The Boiler Room, Garfield: "Yummy drinks. Free pizza! Great specials. Sunday brunch- free omelette station and $5 mimosas or Bloody Marys. The atmosphere is great... great music selection. I can see us hanging out here more often."
1. The Straphanger, Hackensack: "Hands down, the best neighborhood bar for miles. The place is very divey with big wrap-around bar, games, jukebox, pool table, darts... pretty much everything you could ask for at a pub."
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