Best Dive Bars in St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg, Florida is the home of many dive bars. Downtown St. Pete is full of them. Of course, some people will differ on what a dive bar is. For my money, I'm calling a dive bar a place that is not a mainstream popular hangout, but is more of a hidden gem. Bonus points I suppose for the place seeming a little dingy. But without further ado, my top dives in St. Petersburg:

Mastry's. I feel obligated to include Mastry's in this list. Nestled downtown on Central Avenue, this was named one of the top ten dive bars in the country by Maxim in 2008. The place always reeks of cigarette smoke. Mix that and the bathrooms and you've definitely got a dive bar. It can get a little busy on weekend nights, but it's a great place to hang after work and grab a few beers if you don't mind going home smelling like lung cancer.

Durty Nelly's. Another downtown St. Petersburg destination. This place can get packed on Saturday nights for karaoke, but outside of that is usually a nice place to chill. It's got a relatively large game area with pool tables and the like. A worthy destination with reasonably priced drinks.

Ringside Café. Ringside Café is on 4^th street, around 22^nd Avenue North. It's a blues bar/restaurant. This is my favorite place to sneak away for lunch if I want to down a couple beers. $1.86 for a bottle of Rolling Rock, and that's a nice price for an icy cold brew at lunch. The food is very quality too, although very greasy. Definitely a worthy spot, and it has live music every night.

Blue Parrott. This is definitely the nicest "dive" on this list. Anyone who has ever stepped foot in there is likely to tell you that it's got the greatest food anywhere on the beach. The drink prices are fantastic, and the servers make you feel at home. Definitely my favorite hangout in the city. The only reason I'll even classify it as a dive is because the location - which is really not near anything. You can see the Blue Parrott as you pass over the Corey Causeway. Going to this Corey Avenue establishment is definitely a treat.

There is live music outside most nights. The place thrives on its regulars, probably because anyone who goes there will want to come back again. And I can't say enough about the food! Even if you're just getting the quarter wings at the bar, it's a great treat. The only thing I wonder about is whether there are actually supposed to be two "T"s or one...

Limey's - Three Birds. This fourth street hangout was called Limey's until recently. Now I'm told it's called Three Birds. I'll never know for sure whether or not this is actually a lesbian bar, but it doesn't really matter to me. Nice place to relax and take in some drinks. Reasonable prices, and a location that isn't swarming with douchebags like a lot of the bars even close to downtown St. Pete.

Abbey Road. This bar is tucked away in the corner of a 58^th street complex by 9^th Avenue North with a Chuck E Cheese and Big Lots in it. While you come home smelling like smoke, it doesn't dominate the bar and the prices are good. Good place to watch a game or play darts.

The Sports Bar. Up the road in Seminole, this bar is a pretty good sized joint to hang out in. Never seen it too crowded and the service is usually quick. Last time I went they made my drinks pretty strong, which is the way I want them - none of that portion-controlled stuff. And the prices are good.

The Players Club. While Jimmy's B's on the beach may be pretty packed most nights, the bar inside, closer to Gulf Blvd is not. The Players Club, which offers locals a Players Club Card which defrays most of the extra cost you're going to pay for drinking on the beach, is a nice place to hang out. Many televisions, pool tables (with some nights free) and darts can entertain you and the guys (or gals) on a relaxing night out.

St. Petersburg has many worthy bars and hangouts for people looking for either a relaxing night out, or a place to drink your blues away. These places are my favorite dive hangouts. And if you see me at Blue Parrott, please feel free to buy me a drink!