The best pubs deliver a bit of everything: a welcoming atmosphere, intimate entertainment, and delicious drinks. They’re not necessarily the place to go if you’re looking for world-class cocktails or impossible-to-find draft pours, but they do provide the feel-good experience that keeps people coming back time and time again. These 10 best pubs in the USA offer a variety of experiences, from newer spots that are taking drink culture by storm to long-standing joints with a proven track record.
A lot can happen in a century-and-a-half, but McSorley’s Old Ale House has been at it longer than anyone else. Founded by John McSorley in 1854, the Irish tavern opened the same year Abraham Lincoln was elected president. Throughout the centuries, it has welcomed everyone from everyday workers to celebrities (including E.E. Cummings and John Lennon).
This tavern in the frigid city of Syracuse takes its Irish knickknacks pretty far (there’s a telephone booth for leprechauns outside), but free live music on the weekends, proper drafts, and bourbon-battered onion rings keep people coming back. This is also the spot to go to sample a slushy made of straight bourbon, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous.
