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Dive Bar

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78 E Santa Clara St
San Jose, CA 95113

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(408) 288-5252
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Bars, Pubs & Clubs

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Reviews
( 19 )
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( 6 )

Best

This is a bar I could get used to hanging out at 4-5 nights a week. Its that good! Wednesdays are karaoke night - and one of the LEAST pretentious venues I've ever been to. The cr...

Worst

this place is more of a wannabe-yuppy crowd sipping on yucky appletini's. definitely not a real 'dive bar'. i wish san jose had more real dive bars with drunks and bikers- more ...

Dive Bar - Going Down (hill) 4/29/2010

No joke..this place is properly named. I usually don't write reviews, but felt so compelled after visiting this place. Ordered a Grey Goose and tonic...at 6:30pm....$9.00 bucks. Go figure. Unless you;re drinking their special, visit the atm before you come. Bartender put up a small bowl of snacks when I sat down. It was never refilled. In fact the empty bowl sat in front of me for over two hours. Advertised ""Wednesday Night..karaoke night"". Well after 9:00 I asked the bartender, so when does karaoke start and I quote, ""oh the owner is a jerk. He decided to stop having karaoke. Now this place is really dead on Wednesdays."" What a shame! Great location and huge potential. My advice is go elsewhere...this place really lives up to its name :( Pros: Service OK Cons: Prices, crowd, lack of atmosphere more
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Piece of **** bar 7/8/2008

Me and my friends went there last Friday for a friend's birthday. It took about 10 minutes to even get a bartender to acknowledge us and another 10 for him to actually serve us our drinks. I paid half cash, half card and the bartender overcharged me on my card by $10, claiming he had given me change from the cash I gave him. Knowing I had absolutely no cash back when he gave me my card, we immediately left. I never recommend anyone going here!! Cons: rude bartenders, overpriced drinks, very small space more
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Smokin hot bartenders, neighborhood crowd and karaoke! 2/6/2008

This is a bar I could get used to hanging out at 4-5 nights a week. Its that good! Wednesdays are karaoke night - and one of the LEAST pretentious venues I've ever been to. The crowd is friendly, drama-free neighborhood regulars 25-35 yrs old. Great drinks - Tina the bartender is the best & verrrry easy on the eyes! Yum! Pros: karaoke on Wed nights, friendly staff, crowd of neighborhood regulars Cons: gets really crowded where the bar ends and opens into the DJ room, late-night cow parade on the weekends can get nasty more
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The Dive is GREAT 5/5/2006

It is a great place to have a little fun and still relax...drinks are good and the music is great. more
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there are WAY better bars in San Jose... 4/1/2006

The tap beer selection at Dive Bar is the most redeeming quality the place has. The service is sub-par and made for a bad experience the time I visited. The music in the jukebox is okay, but it was turned off and replaced with a dj that played music too loud to allow for conversation. Dive Bar needs to decided if it is a dance club, or a bar and do one well. I read the word 'pretentious' in another review to decribe this bar and I wholeheartedly agree. Try the San Jose Bar and Grill. Cons: Bad Service, Expensive, Bad Atmosphere more
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Dive Bar is the coolest! 1/12/2006

After reading that Dive Bar was voted the ""Best New Bar"" and ""Best Cocktail Lounge"" in San Jose, and having heard good buzz about it, my friends and I had to check it out for ourselves. It is now our hangout -- we LOVE it! It is a perfect and welcome addition to downtown San Jose -- the bartenders and security are the nicest, the drinks are fantastic, the DJs play a great mix, there's no cover charge -- and no pretentiousness. Even on the most crowded nights, you can tell the patrons appreciate a good spot downtown -- unlike some of the other scary places nearby. If you haven't been to Dive Bar yet, I highly recommend you check it out. Pros: DJs/music/atmosphere, Cocktail menu, Bar staff more
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NOT ALL THAT! 8/26/2005

We went in to the bar the other night and were not happy with the place or the service. There were too many seedy people there and we felt uncomfortable. If the location were better they might attract a better crowd. Pros: Cheap drinks, No food Cons: Location, People more
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Take a Dive! 8/24/2005

My gal pals and I wanted a fun place to hang before heading out to spend the night at Club 8. We were dissappointed in the music. Not our kind! There was no action there at all. Maybe we'll have to try it again on another day. Thursday nights are dead! Pros: Downtown Cons: Music more
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great people and music 7/12/2005

I love this place I would promote this club! everyoine was real cool people Cons: needs food more
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Have your cake... 6/16/2005

This place is awesome. I love the lounge feel of the bar. The glossy wood bar could not be accented better than the by the beautiful ladies working behind it. Dive lends itself to the young, hip professional crowd that doesn't want to wait in line or pay an outrageous cover charge. The place sports a jukebox, pool table, video game and dance floor. What more could you ask for? Well poured, inexpense drinks you say? Damn skippy. I've done the dowtown scene for years, this is the first place I want to meet my friends at every weekend. I'll see you all there. Pros: No cover, casual atmosphere, Great drinks Cons: can get loud, no food more
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My Favorite Bar 6/6/2005

Dive Bar is fabulous! If you want a weak ass drink go elsewhere, Dani and Molly know how to make a cocktail.. With a beautiful bar and friendly customers, there is no way not to have a good time here, and there are always drink specials if your on a budget. I highly reccomend coming here on a thurs or friday when the bar is lady invaded! Pros: Molly and Dani Cons: too brite more
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Great Non-""Dive"" Bar 5/26/2005

I'd heard via freinds that Dive was the new hot spot downtown. I finally made it in and was not dissappointed. The place is fantastic, the decor is welcoming, the music was great(Jukebox has modern and classic favorites) and I met my 2 new favorite bartenders, Molly and Danni. The place is fun and lively, the staff is great! I was served a great drink with a smile, didn't pay $10 like I have at the local ""ultra"" lounges and was served up a free side of smartass from behind the bar, gotta love it. I'll be back soon. Pros: Bartenders, Good prices, Comfortable place Cons: No Food more
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Best Downtown Bar 5/24/2005

This is the best downtown bar. Very comfortable to just hang out (the bar stools are very comfortable!), or a meeting place before dinner somewhere downtown. All types of people and age groups meet and hang out here. No one should feel uncomfortable at this establishment. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Pros: Friendly, Comfortable, Convenient more
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Stand out Bar in San Jose 4/8/2005

I had given up on San Jose a few years ago. I was in town for a company meeting and wandered past this place a week after it had opened. I didn't go in because it was empty. Well, things have changed. I wandered in a few months ater and this place had really picked up. It's no wonder. The place is called Dive Bar, but it is anything but. The restored bar is amazing along with the overall decor. The bar tenders are the life of the place and have fostered a very friendly atmosphere where everyone feels like they are among friends. This has not been my typical experience in San Jose. Anyway, I could go on, but this place is a find and I highly recommend it. Even though I live in SF, I make it a point to wander in whenever I'm in town. Pros: Atmosphere, The Crowd, The Staff Cons: It's in San Jose more
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Kick-ass Bar and Atmosphere! 4/7/2005

What a BEAUTIFUL bar!!! A very comfy place to just ""PARK IT"" with some buds!! The ambience is so wonderful, and the bartenders were great fun!!! Pros: bartenders, ambience, cocktails more
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Dive bar is not a dive bar! 4/2/2005

this place is more of a wannabe-yuppy crowd sipping on yucky appletini's. definitely not a real 'dive bar'. i wish san jose had more real dive bars with drunks and bikers- more diverse crowd rather than people wearing khaki's and dress shirts. more
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This place is MONEY!!!! 3/22/2005

This is the BEST bar downtown! The crowds are diverse and fun, the staff is awesome and very friendly. Almost always a place to sit, even when it gets crowded. Check out the jukebox, pool table and dance floor on Fri and Sat. The perfect ""neighborhood"" bar, EXACTLY what downtown San Jose needed. Pros: Staff, Ambiance, Jukebox Cons: No food more
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Don't believe the HYPE! 3/14/2005

All these reviews posted on the same day. Hmmmm...makes you wonder doesn't it? Well, the real deal is that Dive Bar isn't all that. The crowd ranges from bums off of Santa Clara Street to pretentious lawers from Downtown. You get a cooler crowd in a real dive bar. A couple of the bartenders are good but the owner tends to jump behind the bar and get in the way. He's no mixologist. In fact, try using ice when shaking a drink;) If you want a dive or upscale bar, there are better ones than this in Downtown. Pros: location Cons: crowd, owner, parking more
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It's our favorite spot. 3/13/2005

Very inviting and friendly. You're instantly comfortable in Dive bar. The bartenders are top notch and can make many, many drink recommendations. Anything ""martini"" is capped-off with a super ""pour"" presentation. Great location. Pros: Ambiance, drink menu more
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Finally a good bar in San Jose! 3/6/2005

I have been looking for a good place to go for drinks and a good time in San Jose. I think I have found it. Let's face it the scene in San Jose is a little less than desirable. Dive Bar isn't stuffy but is sophisticated. You can go for a drink with clients or friends and not feel embarressed for the lack of creative establishments in San Jose. This place attracts a good group of people, has a great decor, wide array of drinks, and hard-working bartenders. I am sold. Thanks for opening this place!!! Pros: Crowd, Drink Selection, Trendy Cons: Parking, Only one pool table, Televisions too loud more
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Menu for Dive Bar


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Editorial

  • In Short
    A cocktail lounge in the heart of downtown, Dive attracts both smartly dressed young professionals for after-work drinks and a hip pre-clubbing crowd on weekends. The bar is...

  • 1/6/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Central, Central San Jose
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