"Stained glass, string lights, stickers, and a portrait of Ernest Tubbs. Dive bar, check. But wait ... a "No PBR, don't even ask" sign? That's the little clue that the Royal American is no regular dive bar, despite the fact that you aren't sure that latch on the bathroom stall ever really worked. There's a stage right beside the bar, a patio out front, a patio out to the side, dogs, and if you're lucky, the train conductor might just hold down the whistle as he passes by on tracks just a few feet from the building. The best bet in the bar will always be the stadium cup punch (bourbon, rum, or Kool-Aid green vodka) for $8, a canned beer, or a shot of the housemade cinnamon whiskey. Keep it simple." - Stephanie Burt
Photo by Callie Cranford