Amarillo / Lubbock Dive Bar Guide
The Texas Panhandle And Then Some
To lump together Amarillo and Lubbock is an inelegant solution to documenting the best Texas dive bars the area has to offer, but the stretch of road that connects the two Texas panhandle and panhandle-adjacent cities is only a modest 125 miles (modest by Texas standards, of course). That close connection and the strong possibility that those traveling south through Texas hit both cities gives us just enough excuse to start a dive bar conversation across the two areas.
In Amarillo, the historical appeal and present-day allure of Route 66 is one of the city’s chief attractions, particular along a stretch of 6th Street marked by diners, antique shops and some of the Amarillo’s best dive bars. Amarillo’s oldest restaurant, the GoldenLight Café, looks largely unchanged in its 6th Street location that looks vaguely like an old Texas jail. Nearby Broken Spoke Lounge provides every ounce the roadhouse experience to be expected in an Amarillo dive bar.
In Lubbock, the sprawl is a little more intense with Texas Tech University powering the growth and college town feel of the city. With more ground to cover and more of a student-driven bar scene to contend with, the Lubbock dive bars are a little more spread out and varied in their appeal. But not to be outdone by the Broken Spoke in Amarillo, the Texas Café & Bar (formerly known and currently known to locals as ‘The Spoon’) serves up an equally Texan experience.
Across both cities, the dive bar gems are those that let the Texas culture shine through while providing a local twist, like the appropriately-named House Bar in Amarillo. All Amarillo dive bars and Lubbock dive bars might be separated by a couple of hours of driving, but share the same traits that make them worth a stop while passing through or kicking around town.
In Amarillo, the historical appeal and present-day allure of Route 66 is one of the city’s chief attractions, particular along a stretch of 6th Street marked by diners, antique shops and some of the Amarillo’s best dive bars. Amarillo’s oldest restaurant, the GoldenLight Café, looks largely unchanged in its 6th Street location that looks vaguely like an old Texas jail. Nearby Broken Spoke Lounge provides every ounce the roadhouse experience to be expected in an Amarillo dive bar.
In Lubbock, the sprawl is a little more intense with Texas Tech University powering the growth and college town feel of the city. With more ground to cover and more of a student-driven bar scene to contend with, the Lubbock dive bars are a little more spread out and varied in their appeal. But not to be outdone by the Broken Spoke in Amarillo, the Texas Café & Bar (formerly known and currently known to locals as ‘The Spoon’) serves up an equally Texan experience.
Across both cities, the dive bar gems are those that let the Texas culture shine through while providing a local twist, like the appropriately-named House Bar in Amarillo. All Amarillo dive bars and Lubbock dive bars might be separated by a couple of hours of driving, but share the same traits that make them worth a stop while passing through or kicking around town.
Dive Bar Map
Amarillo / Lubbock Dive Bar Reviews
Ranked Order
House Bar
Review Rating: 9 out of 10
Amarillo, Texas
Complete with rusting furniture on its front porch, this is a house and a bar, it’s House Bar.
Complete with rusting furniture on its front porch, this is a house and a bar, it’s House Bar.
Broken Spoke Lounge
Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Amarillo, Texas
Yes, that’s a cigarette & coffee indoor alcove, matched by the lighter hall of fame on the porch outside.
Yes, that’s a cigarette & coffee indoor alcove, matched by the lighter hall of fame on the porch outside.
The GoldenLight Cafe
Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo’s oldest restaurant slash converted Texas jail (not really, but it kinda looks like it right?).
Amarillo’s oldest restaurant slash converted Texas jail (not really, but it kinda looks like it right?).
Texas Cafe & Bar
Review Rating: 8 out of 10
Lubbock, Texas
Feel like a local and call it The Spoon, or just visit for the roadhouse vibes and live music.
Feel like a local and call it The Spoon, or just visit for the roadhouse vibes and live music.
Lone Star Oyster Bar
Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Lubbock, Texas
On the nicer end of the dive bar spectrum, but look out for the Ric Flair mural just inside.
On the nicer end of the dive bar spectrum, but look out for the Ric Flair mural just inside.
Flippers Tavern
Review Rating: 7 out of 10
Lubbock, Texas
A tribute to hot dogs loaded with toppings and the enduring allure of pinball.
A tribute to hot dogs loaded with toppings and the enduring allure of pinball.
Robbins Nest
Review Rating: 6 out of 10
Lubbock, Texas
The absense of windows only accentuates the experience of the winding bar inside.
The absense of windows only accentuates the experience of the winding bar inside.
The Silver Bullet
Review Rating: 6 out of 10
Lubbock, Texas
Out of the way, industrial strip mall dive bar that specializes in late night karaoke, of course.
Out of the way, industrial strip mall dive bar that specializes in late night karaoke, of course.
Amarillo / Lubbock Bar Crawls
Route 66 Amarillo
Dive bars, hamburgers, Mexican food piled up along Route 66.
Other Dive Bar Options
Unfortunately, we have not yet been to every single dive bar in the city, but there probably a few more punch cards on our livers, so we’ll make it there soon. In the meantime, the curated list of dives below comes highly recommended by a variety of friends, online sources and drunks.
