Winner: The Mix
2423 N. St Mary’s St.
(210) 735-1313
Is the Mix really a dive? Many readers made that call, so we won’t quibble, even if we can think of plenty of bars that are smaller, seedier and more spartan. Since opening in October 1997, the Mix has remained a constant on the oft-changing North St. Mary’s Strip, especially when it comes to presenting live music in an unpretentious setting. Although the venue has changed ownership and management in the last decade, it continues to host a variety of local and touring performers from punk and metal to goth and even a traveling circus act. Throw in affordable drink prices and a chill atmosphere, and it’s no wonder the Mix remains a local fave — whether or not it truly qualifies as a dive.
2. Oak Hills Tavern
7920 Fredericksburg Road
(210) 614-8855
oak-hills-tavern.business.site
3. Faust Tavern
517 E. Woodlawn Ave.
(210) 257-0628
This article appears in Best of San Antonio 2020.