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Hello budget drinkers—don’t worry San Antonio has many dive bars to keep things interesting late into the night. Most of San Antonio’s most popular dives feature pool tables, dartboards and, of course, excellent nightly drink specials. Whiskey Smith managed to pack four pool tables and four dartboards into a tight space, but still left enough room for the rowdy, young crowd to mingle. One of the best parts about dive bars is their eclectic mix of students, young professionals and old timers who seem to have designated seats at the bar. San Antonio dives are also some of the best places in the city to cheer on the Spurs. Having pitchers of beer on the cheap while watching the game is a pastime almost anybody can enjoy. Whatever the reason for going to a San Antonio dive bar, patrons are sure to save money and have a great time.
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Annex
330 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio TX 78212; Tel. 210.223.6957
One of the only times ladies dare to venture into the Annex is when it's happy hour, other than that it's mostly men in leather and bears in this gay bar. Just outside of downtown San Antonio, Annex is a proud supporter of several clubs like the Alamo Bear Club, Gay Darts League of San Antonio and a member of the Texas Gay Rodeo Association. The cruise bar has pool tournaments and dart tournaments as well as other special events throughout the week. Mostly older men frequent the bar where the jukebox plays country, dance and rock music. Don't expect the typical flamboyant San Antonio gay bar, because it can't be found at Annex.
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Bermuda Triangle
10127 Coachlight St., San Antonio TX 78216; Tel. 210.342.2276
With plenty of space to dance or just hang around, Bermuda Triangle is dominated by the local San Antonio lesbian scene. The ladies certainly know how to have a good time especially on weekends when the bar can get crowded with dancers and drinkers. Bartenders serve up stiff drinks from the bar to keep everyone happy. Bermuda Triangle isn't the typical gay bar in San Antonio, though; it's more of a comfortable dive bar that just happens to be speckled with the ladies who like the same.
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Burro Land Ice House
800 Cincinnati Ave., San Antonio TX 78201; Tel. 210.735.2876
When it's hot outside and there's nothing to do but watch the grass grow, Burro Land Ice House steps in to take some of the pain of boredom away. The no-frills San Antonio bar has a concrete floors and picnic tables, but the beer is cold, and that's what matters. Windows have bars on them not because of a high crime rate but so they are more open and let airflow into this San Antonio local icehouse bar. A few pool tables are also available for the bikers and neighborhood folk who stop by the Burro Land Ice House to shoot some stick and pass the time. There's history at Burro Land Ice House, so stop watching that darn grass grow and get a beer.
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Cool Arrows
1025 Nogalitos, San Antonio TX 78204; Tel. 210.227.5130
Live tejano music and DJs draw mostly locals to Cool Arrows in San Antonio. Drink specials are offered every night of the week which makes the bar attractive to people who don't want to break the bank to drink. The bands and DJs perform in the front main bar but a back room offers pool for those uninterested in watching what's going on. Cool Arrows can become crowded on popular nights and that crowd is notoriously rowdy.
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I Don't Know Yet Lounge
1229 Babcock Rd., San Antonio TX 78201; Tel. 210.733.5806
I Don’t Know Yet Lounge is a cool Balcones Heights dive bar for dive bar-loving folks. The crowd is appropriately diverse, from scruffy to cute, from young-ish to geriatric. The bartenders have likely seen more than a fight or two in the otherwise down tempo joint, but it’s likely they also were the ones who broke it up and threw the rumblers out. Cheap drinks and pool tables round off the experience of this loveable neighborhood dive quite nicely.
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Martini's
8507 McCullough Ave. #A9, San Antonio TX 78216; Tel. 210.344.4747
Bringing Las Vegas style entertainment to San Antonio, Wayne Harper takes over weekends at Martini's as he performs every voice in Vegas for the "Legends in Concert" show. When Wayne isn't wooing the crowd at the bar, Martini's is a karaoke bar with singers of varying talent and sobriety taking the microphone. The San Antonio bar is decorated with mirrors, tinsel behind the stage and faux guitars in true casino lounge style. For those who can't get away from San Antonio for a Las Vegas weekend getaway, going to Martini's is the next best thing.
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Safe House Drinkery
5450 Babcock Rd. #140, San Antonio TX 78240; Tel. 210.561.9743
The younger crowd sure knows how to party at the Safe House Drinkery. Live music and drink specials every night bring in a crowd from all over San Antonio especially from the hospital that's practically across the street. Thursday nights are college night and Wednesdays are $1 pint nights at the Safe House Drinkery and, while the partying is raucous, this San Antonio local bar rarely gets out of hand. Local rock bands play throughout the week and a pool table provides another activity when the band isn't tearing things up. The Safe House Drinkery promises to be a bar that won't empty wallets and is consistently a good time.
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Salute's International Bar
2801 N. Saint Marys St., San Antonio TX 78212; Tel. 210.732.5307
Dive right into the San Antonio music scene with a healthy helping of everything from Cajun, blues and funk to rock, metal and punk. The St. Mary's Strip dive bar brings in a new crowd each night with each new band that takes the tiny stage. There's no doubt that "international" is an appropriate title for Salute's with the different bands that play, but the bar is most popular when local San Antonio bands are rocking the house. Colorful walls, bright neon lights and—oh, yes—velvet paintings are a constant reminder that Salute' International Bar really is a dive bar. The kitschy décor is easily overlooked, though, when there's a hot band going crazy five feet away.
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Sanctuary
1812-18 Main St., San Antonio TX 78212; Tel. 210.732.0313
The red and black exterior of the Sanctuary hints at the Goth and metal bands that the club often hosts. Directly across from San Antonio College, the Sanctuary is known for the alternative rock bands that draw students into the bar on various days of the week. On a street that has mostly gay bars, the San Antonio live music club still brings in big name talent between the local acts. More of a dive bar than a nightclub, on off nights Sanctuary attracts business with amazingly cheap drinks and other happy hour specials. Anything from inked and pierced bikers to giant trannies can walk through the doors at the Sanctuary and no one would blink an eye. That's a great reason to like this kicked back San Antonio bar.
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Whiskey Smith
6310 Callaghan Rd., San Antonio TX 78229; Tel. 210.342.7321
The Whiskey Smith is a great dive bar for those that enjoy cozy bars. Cozy meaning a bit small. It's a San Antonio hole-in-the wall that can't be that small though. The Whiskey Smith has managed to fit in four pool tables and four dart boards while still having a full bar. The main bar area can get pretty packed when there are pool tournaments, but it's worth squishing in for the super cheap Texas Tea. Like a Long Island Iced Tea, the Texas tea can do some damage from it's small pitcher—or big mug—for an always low price. The good news about a crowded night at the Whiskey Smith is it'll be hard to fall down after sipping on a few Texas Teas.
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White Rabbit
2410 N. St. Marys St., San Antonio TX 78212; Tel. 210.737.2221
The White Rabbit on St. Marys Strip is part of the San Antonio music scene that keeps alternative rock... well... rocking. Open only Thursday through Saturday—unless a national act requires another night—the bar and club has two stages, each just big enough not to get kicked in the face by the lead of a punk or metal band. Both stages have performances every night the White Rabbit is open. The smaller stage hosts jam bands while the main stage has rock whether it is metal, punk or the newest rock genre. Local San Antonio bands gladly take the stage, but plenty of touring national bands—Halifax, Mastadon, Sparta, etc.—come through the club also.
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