Fort Lauderdale’s dive bars are concentrated near the beach and downtown, real bars built around cheap drinks, regulars and a band in the corner rather than a scene. A few of these have been open for decades and have outlasted every trendy rooftop bar that opened and closed around them. Every venue below links to its full profile in our venue directory.
Elbo Room
A Fort Lauderdale Beach institution, Elbo Room has been a dive bar landmark for decades, with live bands and DJs playing seven days a week on rotation, plus karaoke nights. If you only have time for one dive bar on the beach, this is the one people have been going back to for generations. 21 and up (get directions).
Poor House Bar
Poor House Bar is a downtown dive built around blues, rock, punk and Americana, with a recurring blues jam and rotating original local acts that skew younger and scrappier than the classic rock cover bands you’ll find elsewhere downtown. 21 and up (get directions).
Rock Bar Fort Lauderdale
Right on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard across from Las Olas, Rock Bar Fort Lauderdale mixes craft cocktails and hookah with live entertainment and weekend DJs, a little more polished than a true dive but close enough in spirit and location to belong on this list. 21 and up (get directions).
Original Fat Cat’s
Original Fat Cat's is a real Americana dive bar with live music booked every single night of the week, the kind of place with a rotating cast of local bands nobody outside the neighborhood has heard of yet. 21 and up (get directions).
What separates a real Fort Lauderdale dive bar from a bar that just looks like one is longevity and a house band culture. Elbo Room and Original Fat Cat’s both fit that description; Rock Bar leans a bit more toward the beach tourist crowd, which isn’t a knock, just a different kind of night.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best dive bar in Fort Lauderdale?
Elbo Room is the most iconic, a Fort Lauderdale Beach dive bar that has been open for decades.
Are there dive bars with live music near Fort Lauderdale Beach?
Yes. Elbo Room and Rock Bar Fort Lauderdale are both within a block of the beach and both book live entertainment.
Is Original Fat Cat’s a dive bar?
Yes, it is a real Americana dive bar in Fort Lauderdale with live music booked every night of the week.
