7 of the Best Dive Bars in San Francisco

THE KEY ELEMENTS OF A DIVE BAR

The Photo Booth
A key element of any dive bar, a photo booth provides a) a way to commemorate an evening you might otherwise not remember, b) a place to make out with your one-night-only love interest and c) a place to hide when the going gets rough.

The Snacks
Frequently stale, dive-bar snacks range from the pedestrian (salty snack mix) to the inspired (the free bacon served Monday night at Pop's) to the just plain weird (a block of cream cheese doused in Worcestershire sauce at the Hearth, in the Richmond).

The Bartender
The best among them can help you through a breakup or a breakdown, tell you when to say "when" and bellow, "Last call!" at an alarming volume. These are people you want on your side.

The Booze
Essential: cans of Tecate, PBR or Oly, along with bottom-shelf whiskey and Fernet. Optional: Jägermeister dispenser, weak 6-hour-old coffee turning to mud and a local brew on draft.

The Decor
Dim lighting is a must; random sports memorabilia and old beer ads (see the ZZ Top poster above) are to be expected. And stuffed wildlife, family photographs behind the bar and random tchotchkes? True marks of a fine dive bar.

The Regular
Frequently holding down "their" corner of the bar from happy hour on, true regulars always order the same thing (and nothing that's made in a shaker, thanks) and know the name of every bartender on every shift. When friends are looking for them, they call the bar first.

The Fireplace
A fireplace falls into the "not mandatory but welcome" category, along with hooks under the bar, Naugahyde booths, garage-sale paintings and, of course, electronic games of poker and nudie match-up.

The Room
The best dive bars look as if they might catch fire or collapse in on themselves at any moment. Faulty wiring, year-round Christmas lights and low, sagging ceilings are all markers of the best of the worst.

The Jukebox
Long before there were iPod playlists, there were jukeboxes. The best juxtapose Neil Diamond's "Cracklin' Rosie" alongside Guns n' Roses' "November Rain," and each gets equal airtime.