Boston dive bars: five real, two close calls

Start at The Silhouette Lounge in Allston for cheap drinks, Delux Cafe in the South End for a cheap meal, and Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain if you want a band. Those three do the dive thing best. Bukowski and Trina's round out the real ones, and two close calls sit at the bottom.

Silhouette Lounge, Allston

The Silhouette Lounge is the one to beat. The bar calls itself a no-frills neighborhood dive. The draw is the cheap beer and still-cheap mixed drinks.

It is a holdout, among the last survivors of the old 20th-century bar scene. It is usually packed late-night, especially on weekends, so get there early for a stool. Weekdays it is 4pm to 1am.

Delux Cafe, South End

Delux Cafe is the dive for people who also want to eat. It pulls in dive bar regulars and locals after a cheap meal. The decor is year-round Christmas lights and tinsel, which is half the charm.

Bring cash, because it takes no cards. Seating is first come, first served, so a busy night means a wait.

Bukowski Tavern, Back Bay

Bukowski Tavern is the Back Bay entry and the beer-first one. It is divey and kitschy. The bar is built right into the parking garage. Go in and take the elevator down, as the bar's own FAQ says.

Go for the beer, since the bar advertises craft beer with rotating taps. There is wine but no liquor. Old write-ups say cash only, but the bar now takes credit cards.

Eat early. The kitchen serves food until 11:30 PM, which is before the bar shuts.

Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain

Midway Cafe is the dive you go to for the music. Time Out's description is a tiny, noisy, divey rock bar, and that is the pitch.

It says it has booked a wide variety of acts in Boston since 1987. The bar is open 'til 2am, 7 days a week. Thursday is Queeraoke.

For the way there, the bar's directions page lists the closest MBTA stop as Green Street or Forest Hills. For a later night, check Last Train before you commit to the T.

Trina's Starlite Lounge, Somerville

Trina's Starlite Lounge is the odd one, and the better for it. It is part gay bar, part dive bar, part Southern diner.

The room runs on dark wood and retro beer signs. The bar's own tagline is hot dogs, high lifes and hugs since 2009. Seating is first come, first served.

Two close calls

Phoenix Landing in Central Square is not a dive. Time Out calls it a hybrid pub/club. The no-frills atmosphere suits the underground sound.

The space gets packed on weekend mornings, so go early for a match.

J.J. Foley's Cafe is the old-school option. It is a family-run pub that has kept it classic, pouring Guinness behind a dark wooden bar. It is not a dive. It is the place to go if you want that feeling without the scuffs.

Before you go

• Carry cash. Delux takes no cards, and payment rules change elsewhere.
• Eat before you go. Bar kitchens close before the bar does.
• The city keeps losing its beloved dive bars, so check a bar is still open before you cross town.
• For what a closing dive bar can still sell, read The Dugout's $550,000 License Outlived the Bar.
• Late night, check Last Train and getting home after last call.