We are so blessed to have the bars and restaurants we have in this area.
Whether it be a Legion Club, a bar which serves very little food, or a full fledged restaurant, the Lake Region Area has some of the best places to eat and drink in the state.
What I find interesting is in this area and throughout Minnesota we embrace the title of Dive Bar.
There is a very popular show which highlights such establishments — Diners, DriveIns, and Dives.
So what constitutes being a dive bar?
I found a list on Instagram last week and I have come to the conclusion, according to this check list, we have many dive bars in this area. Here are some of the things listed on the check list, which features nearly one hundred things which would make a bar a dive bar. Here are some of my favorites.
• Everyone stares at you when you walk in.
• There is a stuffed fish/animal on the wall.
• NASCAR schedule on the wall.
• Pickled eggs.
• Bar signs for beers not available.
• Lots of plastic cups.
• Plenty of neon.
• Pull tabs.
• The bartender buys a round.
• Broken dart tips by the dart machine.
• Free popcorn.
• Hear a bad joke you have already heard.
• Happy hour 2 for 1s.
• Missing pool table balls.
• There is a trough in the men’s bathroom.
• Clever signs behind the bar.
• People hug you when you leave.
• Christmas lights stay up all year long.
• Owner is on city council or holds a public office.
• Someone is talking to themselves.
• Regulars help tend bar when busy.
• Meat raffles.
• Wheel of Fortune or the Game Show Network is on the TV.
• Old trophies.
• Pizza is the only food.
• No waitress or waiter.
• 10 people or less in the bar.
• Someone you don’t know buys a round.
I think for us in small-town Minnesota, we just come to realize these things don’t make us a dive bar, but it is the norm. These are things we have seen our entire lives and are not out of the ordinary. I don’t consider being a dive bar a negative statement after looking at this list.