When searching for a small, not-particularly-glamorous, eclectic old-style bar, you'll find you have plenty to choose from in Colorado. They're regarded as "dive bars," and here's a quick look at 14 that stand out from the crowd.

Every town has one, and if you blink, you may miss it. Some of these dive bars are literally holes in the wall. Nevertheless, some receive tremendous praise and devotion from their customers, or better yet, fans. Here's a look at 14 of Colorado's best.

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What Is a Dive Bar, and Is It Okay To Call It That?

In my mind, when I hear the word "dive bar" it conjures up images of some dumpy, dangerous place where one may very well be taking their life into their own hands. To my ear, the term always suggested an "undesirable" place to be.

As it turns out, I couldn't be more wrong. Wikipedia defines a dive bar as "...typically a small, unglamorous, eclectic, old-style bar with inexpensive drinks, which may feature dim lighting, shabby or dated decor, neon beer signs, packaged beer sales, cash-only service, and a local clientele."

Wikipedia goes on to say, "The precise definition of a dive bar is something on which people rarely agree, and is the subject of spirited debates." The site continues, "...dive bar is now a coveted badge of honor bestowed by aficionados looking for authenticity in such establishments."

The Best In Colorado

A couple of websites, Trip Savvy and Advanced Mixology offer articles listing the best dive bars in the United States. Check out the posts and you'll notice Colorado performs very well in both, with dive bars ranking in the top 10.

What Makes For a Great Dive Bar?

The website Love to Know offers a list of qualities that make for a great dive bar. They include:

  • Free popcorn
  • A few decent reviews
  • Happy hour prices
  • Lived in
  • An ode to the Dive Bar

Determining Colorado's Best Dive Bars

For the list below, information was gathered from various bar and cocktail sites, as well as Google Reviews. As stated above, a couple of Colorado dive bars made a list of the best in the nation. Obviously, those are included here. For the remainder of the list, bars were selected from the highest-rated establishments on Google. Every dive bar on this list scored at least 4.5 stars out of five, with some scoring as high as 4.8, and even one boasting a perfect 5-star rating.

Colorado's 14 Best Dive Bars

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Fieri has raved about several restaurants across the state, giving them exposure on a national platform.

Here are the Colorado restaurants that have been featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."

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