A classic among a sea of imitators.

BREAKING - dive bars are cool.

They're a dime-a-dozen nowadays, with some 'hoods seeming like practical breeding grounds for the stereotypical local watering hole. Skinny jeans - check. Pabst Blue Ribbon by the can - check. Excessive Desperate efforts to appear dusty and worn in - check. Walk inside one of these establishments and the chatty patrons will most likely be a cross between Williamsburg "residents," NYU poly sci undergrads, and Upper East Side gals out for a night of hipster hunting. Most of the crowd would secretly rather be drinking something of quality (who actually likes PBR?) be it not for the fact that it's the go-to drink of the E. Village. Heck! Why go to any dive when you can throw your next rager at a Superdive!?



But to remain close to the topic on hand, I recently came across a bar that stands a cranky head and shoulders above the rest - McGlinchey's. Enter through the door labeled "bar" and it's like stepping out of a city and into the suburbs (not in the Applebee's/Walmart kind of way). Call me country, but it reminds me of a bar back at home that is no more. The first thing you notice when you walk into the dark, smokey bar is - yup - the smoke. How they get away with it, I don't know and frankly I don't care. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge proponent of smoke-free bars. But this place deserves to remain second-hand unfriendly.

The layout is simple. A rectangular bar sits in the center of the room with a ring of crusty bar stools to match. Around that is another ring, this one consisting of diner-like booths; the seat cushions broken in beyond necessity. Two bartenders, one waitress, bathrooms in the back. The single, poor excuse of a light fixture hanging in the center of the room is covered in schmegma not because it brings character to the place but rather no one cares to clean it. A dozen plus beers on tap, with the closest thing to PBR being Budweiser. Sorry, no Bud Light. A bottle of Yeungling will run you $2.35. A mug? $2.85. The quickest way out of this place is by requesting an Appletini.

My favorite characteristic of this place is the simple fact that people are minding their own damn business. You don't meander into McGlinchey's to be seen or heard; you're there for the company of good friends and cold, cheap beer. What more do you need?

Non-pretentious booze fueled hang outs. I'm beginning to see a theme here...