Diving into Indy's dive bars | Metromix Indianapolis
Diving into Indy's dive bars
Red Key Tavern (Credit: Robert Scheer / Metromix)

A dive bar is in the eye of the beholder. For us, it’s any bar where the main focus is drinking. It should have a minimum of hipster cache (except for the odd floppy-hair out for a bit of slumming). The words “ultra” and “lounge” can’t appear in the name unless it’s something like Bubba’s Ultrahonky Lounge and Mud Wrasslin’ Pit.

The customer base should slant toward the aging and near-dead, with the waning strength of their livers all that stands between the bar owner and financial ruin. To call a bar a dive is to bestow a high compliment. We’re sure all the bars in heaven are dive bars.

Dugout

Dugout

621 Virginia Ave. - Indianapolis
(317) 916-1514

This place has a warm, cozy feel. It’s just like Mom. If Mom is a drunk. The menu features a fried bologna sandwich, which is certainly a rare culinary treat. Try finding a fried bologna sandwich at the Four Seasons. You can’t. We guess that makes the Dugout better than the Four Seasons.

Colonial Inn

4343 Madison Ave. - Indianapolis
(317) 783-2553

It might sound like the sort of establishment where Archibald and Prescott meet over tea and strumpets, but don’t let the name fool you. Reminiscent of an old-fashioned roadhouse, the Colonial offers a no-frills take on the pleasures of inebriation. In addition, their floor slants slightly downward, which makes it a sort of amusement park ride for drunks.

Mousetrap Sports Pub and Game Room

Mousetrap Sports Pub and Game Room

5565 N. Keystone Ave. - Indianapolis
(317) 255-3189

We’re told that this place has some pretty good food, but since we don’t go to bars to eat, we can neither confirm nor deny that. What we can confirm is the consistent strength of the drinks, which earns the Mousetrap our befuddled gratitude. They also have plenty of pool tables for those moments when you want a bit of exercise.

Red Key Tavern

5170 N. College Ave. - Indianapolis
(317) 283-4601

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, you really have to walk into this one. We’ve had a lot of bourbon and Cokes in this bar, and we’ve been happy with each and every one. The jukebox floats in a wonderful pre-’60s time warp that encourages drunken crooning. But the bar’s owner discourages patrons from cursing, so leave your potty mouth chained up outside.

Taylor's Pub

1325 W. 86th St. - Indianapolis
(317) 259-0952

There are a trilogy of Taylor’s in our fair city that are named like movie sequels (Taylor’s Pub, Taylor’s Pub II and Taylor’s Pub III), but we can only claim to have visited the original. It has a comfortable neighborhood atmosphere that causes the drunkenness to sneak up on you like a bottle-bearing ninja. Pool tables in the back. Drinks in the front. Sobriety on the side of a milk carton.

Honkey Tonk

2802 Brookside Ave. - Indianapolis
(317) 955-1840

If George Jones and Tanya Tucker had a baby, they’d probably make it drink here. They have a checkered floor, so if you are inspired to make a chess set out of beer bottles, you can probably strike up an impromptu game right there at your feet. We guess Budweiser would have to be the King. They also have live music. Three guesses what kind.

Dorman St. Saloon

Dorman St. Saloon

901 N. Dorman St. - Indianapolis
(317) 237-9008

If the world were a picnic, Dorman Street Saloon would be the potato salad. We’re not sure what that means, but it sounds good. There’s been a bar operating at this location since the end of Prohibition, so the spirits abound in more ways than one. Legend has it that John Dillinger once cased a bank here while knocking back a few, and that is endorsement enough for us.

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RELATED LINKS

    Dugout
    Dugout
    • 621 Virginia Ave. - Indianapolis (Downtown)
    Colonial Inn
    • 4343 Madison Ave. - Indianapolis (South Indy)
    Mousetrap Sports Pub and Game Room
    Mousetrap Sports Pub and Game Room
    • 5565 N. Keystone Ave. - Indianapolis (North Indy)
    Red Key Tavern
    • 5170 N. College Ave. - Indianapolis (Broad Ripple)
    Taylor's Pub
    • 1325 W. 86th St. - Indianapolis (North Indy)
    Honkey Tonk
    • 2802 Brookside Ave. - Indianapolis (East Indy)
    Dorman St. Saloon
    Dorman St. Saloon
    • 901 N. Dorman St. - Indianapolis (East Indy)

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