30-07-2025
What are the best bars in the South? See USA TODAY's 2025 Bars of the Year
Retro vibes and au courant status come together at Mary Lou's with its combination of mixed cocktails and caviar-loaded bar bites. Chic decor attracts the celebrities of Palm Beach, Florida, with the Chainsmokers setting the tone on opening night. This is just one of the outstanding cocktail bars to make this list of best bars across the country.
If you're a cocktail lover, you've also come to the right place: This list is a don't-miss read and includes cool bars you must visit.
These 13 bars — the swankiest, most creative, coolest in the nation — are among the selections in our second USA TODAY Bars of the Year list.
The USA TODAY Best Bars in America: The 29 best bars in America in 2025: See USA TODAY's top picks
More: Best Bars in America: How USA TODAY picked the 2025 finalists
Selected by our network of food writers across the nation — from The Arizona Republic to the Palm Beach Post — these bars represent the best neighborhood taverns, the coziest wine bars and the beachiest beach bars.
But for lovers of cocktails, and the bars that serve them, we've created a special sublist here.
Here they are, the USA TODAY Bars of the Year in the South.
See last year's list The best bars in America in 2024: See USA TODAY's 27 favorite spots
Druid City Brewing Company Taproom | Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Details: 700 14th St.; 205-342-0051,
With its Leland Lanes bowling alley, Tuscaloosa Drug Co. salvaged furnishings, and chalk art honoring Crimson Tide legends, Druid City Brewing Company bucks the "I can't believe this is Tuscaloosa" upscale trend and emblazons crimson heart on rolled-up sleeves. Tuscaloosa's first brewpub, opening after Alabama passed a 2009 gourmet beer law, spotlights musicians, writers and other artists in its Moon Room, serves stylized pub food with indoor-outdoor dining and offers classic pinball, video and board games inside. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox has said he hopes to be DCBC owner/raconteur Bo Hicks when he grows up. — Mark Hughes Cobb, Tuscaloosa News
Read a full review of Druid City Brewing on
The Old Salty Dog | Sarasota, Florida
Details: 1601 Ken Thompson Parkway; 941-388-4311,
Perched on Sarasota's City Island, The Old Salty Dog has been a beloved waterfront hangout since 1991, offering a brilliant blend of British pub and Florida beach bar. The open-air bar lets patrons belly up to the hull of a boat while overlooking dolphin-dotted waters and sipping a Boddingtons with some of the best fish and chips around. Three seats down, a group who just stepped off their boat at the next-door marina might be dining Jimmy Buffett-style – cheeseburgers and margaritas. And really, no day of drinking at The Old Salty Dog is complete without surrendering to its legendary deep-fried hot dog, featured on a classic episode of "Man v. Food." Laid-back, lively and loaded with charm, it's pure Gulf Coast. — Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Read a full review of The Old Salty Dog on
Mary Lou's | West Palm Beach, Florida
Details: 250 Southern Blvd.;
Can a bar simultaneously channel retro vibes and au courant status? At Mary Lou's – the new-ish glam spot where expertly mixed cocktails and caviar-loaded bar bites are par for the course – absolutely yes. If Apple TV+'s "Palm Royale" or FX's "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" transported its characters into today's world, this is where they'd go. Setting the tone: opening night's crowd included Bettina Anderson (Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend) and fashion designer Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia. Add The Chainsmokers as collaborators on live entertainment. The name honors the late Mary Lou Curtis, whose chic Worth Avenue boutique once attracted the likes of Jackie Onassis – and whose grandson is a co-owner of the bar. — Diana Biederman, The Palm Beach Post
Read a full review of Mary Lou's on
Darling's | Louisville, Kentucky
Details: 1765 Bardstown Road;
In one of Louisville's buzziest neighborhoods, an unassuming corner bar welcomes locals and tourists with a rusty neon sign for 'cocktails.' Once inside the dimly lit Darling's, the vintage-looking floral wallpaper, long bar, green leather seating and murals of fairylike ladies create a romantic, cozy vibe perfect for drinks before dinner or talking for hours. In a town where bourbon booms, this neighborhood joint stands out for its gin-forward menu, inventive craft cocktails and weekly tiki nights. It's the kind of place you might pop in for happy hour gin and tonics, regarded as the best of their kind in the city, and stay until the free late-night pizza arrives. — Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal
Read a full review of Darling's on
Tasting Room of Louisiana | Alexandria, Louisiana
Details: 812 Third St.; 318-623-1935,
The interior of this whiskey bar is reminiscent of a classic European pub, and the large, ornate wooden bar is the first thing that catches your eye as you walk in. Owner Melissa Scarborough, the only certified whiskey sommelier in Louisiana, has a refined palate that allows her to guide customers through the complex flavors of different whiskeys. It was while working as head bartender — back when it was known as Finnegan's Wake — that she developed her appreciation for the distilled spirit. The Tasting Room boasts the largest selection of whiskey in central Louisiana, along with a variety of beer, wine and craft cocktails. For those who've worked up an appetite, food is available from TROLA's kitchen. — Melinda Martinez, Alexandria Town Talk
Read a full review of Tasting Room of Louisiana at
Little Jumbo | Asheville, North Carolina
Details: 241 Broadway St.; 828-417-4783,
Little Jumbo, a craft cocktail bar housed in a former 1920s grocery store, stands out in Asheville's historic Montford and Five Points neighborhoods. Its original structure and accent details, like tin ceiling panels and entryway floor tiles spelling "Jenkins," pay homage to the grocer and the mountain city's history. Since 2017, Little Jumbo has become the quirky home of jazz nights, deejayed dance parties and literary soirees in a cozy space reminiscent of a Victorian parlor. In the winter, it transforms into the "Tropilachia Club" tiki-style pop-up bar. Little Jumbo's bartenders impress with their cocktail- and mocktail-making skills, ingenuity and in-depth training of a custom cocktail database, which stores nearly a thousand signature and classic recipes. — Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen-Times
Read a full review of Little Jumbo at
The Blind Elephant | Wilmington, North Carolina
Details: 21 N. Front St., Unit F; 910-833-7175,
Before opening The Blind Elephant in 2013, owner Ashley Tipper decided to make the most of the alleyway entrance among the historic buildings in downtown Wilmington. She worked with local film set designers to create a dark and cozy 1920s-style speakeasy where black-and-white movies are projected onto exposed brick walls. Entry is for members only but available for a nominal fee. Since then, Tipper has been growing the whiskey collection and her series of retro-themed annual events. Each season, the bartenders draw a spirit and spend weeks creating an of-the-moment cocktail around it. The Blind Elephant was also an early adopter of the cocktails on tap trend and offering a selection of imaginative mocktails. — Allison Ballard, Wilmington StarNews
Read a full review of The Blind Elephant at
Good for a Few | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Details: 1705 NW 16th St., Suite B;
For some bars, a car crashing through your front door the morning before an event that's been months in the planning might cause people to rethink their plans. But for the team at Good for a Few, a little humor, a lot of positivity and the sheer willpower to keep the plan alive, showed the community what they were really all about. This neighborhood bar, hidden like a speakeasy but 'not a speakeasy,' as they warn on their social media, is consistently elevating their game with inventive cocktails. Whether it's taking unconventional ingredients and turning them into something spectacular, or redefining 'last call' for their patrons, Good for a Few delivers something truly unique in OKC's bar scene. — JaNae Williams, The Oklahoman
Read a full review of Good For a Few at
The Rabbit Hole | West Greenville, South Carolina
Details: 1268 Pendleton St.; 864-214-1797,
Storybook charm, mythical ambiance and a food and beverage menu shaped by its interior design, The Rabbit Hole is a bar in West Greenville that delights the five senses. Its design is inspired by a fairytale and is furnished with mossy interior walls, an upside-down two-top on the ceiling and award-winning bathrooms, among many other details. The Rabbit Hole has an elevated yet playful and whimsical approach to food and beverage and is complemented by the seasons and moods set inside of this unique bar. It also boasts a whimsical tapas bar, creative design and elevated themes in small plate food and beverages that are crafted to complement its decor. — A.J. Jackson, The Greenville News
Read a full review of The Rabbit Hole on
Brother Wolf | Knoxville, Tennessee
Details: 108 W. Jackson Ave.; 865-247-4729,
Brother Wolf brings Italian aperitivo culture to the Old City in downtown Knoxville with low-proof cocktails, from the Il Professore to the Il Dottore, along with a selection of small plates. Not that you can't also enjoy one of 200+ bottles of wine on the menu, curated by sommelier Aaron Thompson, who owns the bar with his seasoned partner, Jessica 'Rabbit' King. Together, Thompson and King have expanded Knoxville's palate at Brother Wolf while crafting an atmosphere that matches the intricacy of their beverages. Gold accents and marble tabletops complement the alabaster and exposed brick walls of Brother Wolf, which attaches to the partners' Italian restaurant, Osteria Stella. — Ryan Wilusz, Knox News Sentinel
Fat Charlie's Speakeasy | Memphis, Tennessee
Details: 107 Harbor Town Square; 901-896-5484,
Tucked away in Memphis' idyllic Harbor Town neighborhood, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy is an intimate cigar bar where everyone can easily learn your name. Bar owners Will and LaTonia Richardson curate revelatory conversations and live musical performances in the cozy bar, where you may run into a neighbor, elected officials or celebrities. The Richardsons opened the bar as a community haven during the height of the COVID pandemic and, five years later, the community continues to grow. In addition to the charming teacups and mugs bartenders use for service, a nod to the Prohibition origins of the American speakeasy, the bar sells hearty snacks and bites of the gourmet variety. It's a laid-back space to escape the fast pace of the world. — Ellen Chamberlain, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Read a full review of Fat Charlie's Speakeasy at
Robert's Western World | Nashville, Tennessee
Details: 416 Broadway #B; 615-244-9552,
Robert's Western World is an icon among icons. Among the noise on Nashville's bright, boisterous Broadway, it stands alone. And it does so with a (relatively) quiet reverence for Nashville's spirit, the one that existed before the crowds. It's a shotgun shack of a place in a street full of multistory bars named after famed country music makers. At its barrel is a tiny stage where musicians play beneath the visages of long-gone country stars, while the masses whirl and two-step in front of them. Robert's is neon beer signs and crooked tile. It's fried bologna sandwiches and ice-cold PBRs. It's an Old Fashioned and a twang of real country music in the air. If the Ryman Auditorium is the Mother Church of Country Music, Robert's Western World, just a stone's throw from its back door, is the Holy Ghost. — Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean
Read a full review of Robert's Western World at
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Best bars in the South: 12 spots you need to visit in 2025
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