America's Best Beer Bars

By Justine Sterling, Food & Wine

In the dark days before the craft beer boom of the 1980s, much of the beer sold in America was as uninspired as the generic bars that served it. But now historic beers, micro bottlings and hyperlocal selections fill bars worth traveling to. Here, Food & Wine names America's best beer bars.

More from Food & Wine:
America's Best Bars
Best Burgers in the U.S.
Best Pizza Places in the U.S.
Best Fried Chicken in the U.S.
Best Steak in the U.S.
Best Sliders in the U.S.

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Comments

[Robert Buttons]

12:19 AM on 09/07/2012

I've only been to one on the list (blind tiger) and I can tell you Brickstore in Atlanta has it beat by like 28,000 light years. The staff in BT doesn't have the knowledge and they are always too busy to talk about beer, anyway. The selection is not large (but I admit it IS well chosen). Brickstore is WAY more friendly, the staff is WAY more helpful. Heck BS even has a Belgian-only bar!

[ConnectedTraveler]

09:31 PM on 08/12/2012

There was a bar in Rochester, NY that had over 100 beers available when I was in college (decades ago) long before micro breweries were in vogue.

[PizzamanBiz]

09:18 PM on 08/12/2012

Hopleaf in Chicago. Been around 20 years, over 5 dozen craft beers on tap, knowledgable bartenders, no one under 21 allowed and not one tv in the joint. Serious beer drinkers know about this joint. This list is pathetic. Any list of quality beer bars in all of America less than 100 in number is bogus.

[csedan]

09:12 PM on 08/12/2012

McSorely's. Period, end of report.
Place smells of history.

[Robert Buttons]

12:19 AM on 09/07/2012

OMG. History yes, but crappy beer is not what makes a beer bar.

[csedan]

10:03 AM on 09/07/2012

Really? Haven't been in a while, I loved it when I was a teenager though!

[Air Vice Marshal Park]

08:32 PM on 08/12/2012

If it is the same place I remember from the 1960s, the Draught House in Austin is one of those always been there places that are becoming fewer and fewer as old Austin gives way to Midwestern Yuppie Austin.

Not to be missed is the genuinely old Austin "Deep Eddy Cabaret," the best dive bar in America. The juke box is a kind of miraculous thing there, it even has Edith Piaf on it.

[elcastle]

08:20 PM on 08/12/2012

There is tiny brewery in downtown Durham - Bull city burger and they have their own rotating beers and just unbelievable burger - from pastures in NC, everything local, homemade buns, and great duck fries...love the place! And there is other, bigger Tylers tap room in Durham and another in Chapel hill - not bad place for beer lovers, Foothills brewery in Winston Salem, Red oak brewery in Greensboro, Kinston Mother Earth, Olde Hickory in Hickory, New Belgium Brewery in Asheville.I can't stop!!

[MaxHeadroom]

07:46 PM on 08/12/2012

The Thirsty Monk - Ashveille NC, Beer City USA.

[Dave Nielsen]

07:36 PM on 08/12/2012

Beer Advocate rated HopCat in Grand Rapids, MI, as the third best beer bar in the U.S. and it is not on your list? Do some research before you present another tired and hacked list.

[Mike Wrona]

07:27 PM on 08/12/2012

How many microbreweries from how many cities were in the competition, 5?

Seems like a Food/Cooking/Travel Channels Lineup. Same featured cities.. Same tourist destinations. Same hyping of them.

[Copyright]

07:14 PM on 08/12/2012

Romans' Pub, Milwaukee tops my list.

[Watch Maker]

06:59 PM on 08/12/2012

The founder of 'Six Flags' son Shannon Wynne has opened several restaurants in DFW, two of which have amazing beer selections, 'The Meddlesome Moth and The Flying Saucer'

[elcastle]

08:06 PM on 08/12/2012

Love the flying saucer!!!!!!!! Would love to see more of them ...selection is amazing !

[calijohn2]

06:49 PM on 08/12/2012

i can't get to any of the other links without some random ikea ad popping up.

[calijohn2]

06:47 PM on 08/12/2012

the best beer in the world is my next one.

[KenInd]

05:38 PM on 08/12/2012

Great Lost Beer, Gritty McDuffs, Brian Boru....Portland Maine has a whole host of beer watering holes......and great craft breweries.

Those who visit Portland and see the restaurants and bars and live music go away quite impressed by such a small city.

[derekc06]

08:18 PM on 08/12/2012

The Old Port has been a very trendy place with a very enjoyable night life.

[Bruce Forbes]

09:02 PM on 08/12/2012

A good jazz music scene in Portland as well.

[Smurfe04]

05:15 PM on 08/12/2012

The Avenue Pub in New Orleans is a superior beer bar to The Bulldog. The Bulldogs "other" owned place in the burbs called Lagers is superior to The Bulldog locations. Just cause you have a lot of good beer don't make you the best bar. You have to have service in there to, that's where The Bulldog is lacking.

[ChiefLaughsAtSheep]

07:32 PM on 08/12/2012

The fact I could get a burger at 3:30am while continuing to drink heavily made Avenue Pub a favorite spot for me in college.

[Robert Buttons]

12:20 AM on 09/07/2012

How does DBA rate?