thumb|Dive bar 'The Merrimaker' in [[Los Osos, California]]
A dive bar is typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style drinking establishment with inexpensive drinks; it may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and local clientele. The precise definition of a dive bar is rarely agreed on, and is the subject of spirited debates. The term dive was first used in the press in the U.S. in the 1880s to describe disreputable places that were often in basements into which one "dives below".
Dive bars are known as "brown bars" or "brown pubs" in parts of Western Europe and Northern Europe, for example brun bar or brun pub in Norway.
Description
thumb|Typical dive bar decor, with neon [[Budweiser signs]]
Once considered a pejorative term, "dive bar" has more recently become a badge of distinction from patrons who seek authenticity in such establishments. Devotees may describe a bar as "very divey" or "not divey" and compose rating scales of "divey-ness". One such devotee is Steve Vensen, founder of a California group called the DBC (Dive Bar Conoisseurs) who says, "Every dive bar is like a snowflake: diverse and unique[...] you always get local subculture and every time is an adventure." As to what distinguishes a dive bar from an ordinary bar, Dayton stated in 2004: