Escape from the Casino Scene at These Atlantic City Bars

When in town, it’s never a bad idea to step outside Atlantic City’s casinos and check out the scenery. Especially when looking for a drink. From Irish bars to spots to watch the game and everything in between, there’s plenty of one-of-a-kind bars all around Atlantic City that won’t have you paying casino bar prices. Check out these Drink NJ Shore favorites.

The Atlantic City Bottle Company: The Atlantic City Bottle Company is a one-stop shop for all kinds of handcrafted libations you can enjoy to-go or in house at the “Iron Room” lounge. Labelled as AC’s first speakeasy since Prohibition, The Atlantic City Bottle Company features a constantly rotating beer list, award winning wines, and a whiskey list as long as any you’ve ever seen. They’ll even make you a meal that’s perfectly paired with your favorite drink. (648 N Albany Ave.; 609-348-6400)

The Irish Pub: The Irish Pub taps classic domestics and imported Irish favorites like- you guessed it- Guiness and Harp. The bar itself is a quintessential dive, and features plenty of top-shelf Irish whiskeys to sip. It’s a cash-only bar, but you’ll find plenty of specials and deals that will favor your wallet so you can head over to the casinos with cash to spare. (164 St James Pl.; 609-344-9064)

Ducktown Tavern: With a liquor store built-in next door, you can bet that the selection here will be plentiful. Ducktown serves up beers, cocktails, and wines, including house-made red and white wine sangrias. And with a super-casual and relaxing setting, this bar is a great escape from the high-energy that you might find at casinos and clubs down Atlantic Avenue. (2400 Atlantic Ave.; 609-449-1212)

Back Bay Ale House: Known for its “Basin Mason” drinks, The Back Bay Ale House also has a growing craft beer list that includes their own exclusive brew, Back Bay Sunset Ale by Flying Fish Brewery. And those Basin Mason drinks… they’re big, 32-ounces big, and they limit two per customer. (800 N New Hampshire Ave.; 609-449-0006)

Vagabond Kitchen and Tap House: Tucked away from the busy streets of Atlantic City closer to the bay, Vagabond specializes in craft beer. Just browse their draft list on Facebook to find what they’re taping that day, including brews from as close as Cape May and as far as the West coast. You can do a tasting with their beer flights or sip them one at a time alongside their creative food menu. (672 N Trenton Ave.; 609-350-6721)

The Boneyard Bar & Grill: This 24-hour bar features two happy hours every with $2 domestic beers. However, craft beer is clearly king at this eclectic music venue with a tap and bottle list that includes beers from Allagash, Dogfish Head and New Jersey Brewing Company. (20 S Virginia Ave.; 609-348-3360)

Atlantic City Bar and Grill: If you’re starting early, try their beloved Spicy Crab Mary, featuring two full crab claws and a spiced rim glass. Or try any of their fruity and creative margaritas, served up blended or on the rocks. The bar is open every day until 3 AM so you have plenty of time to pick your poison, be it beer, martini or any of the other drinks the regulars rave about. (1219 Pacific Ave.; 609-348-8080)

Dock’s Oyster House: It’s really hard to beat the wine list at Dock’s. That and the raw bar, which combine to form an upscale casino escape that’s perfect for a quiet-but-classy night out. You’ll find 11 pages of wines by the bottle or glass. And while their draft list is small, it pairs well with the selection of oysters, clams, crabmeat, lobster and ceviches available on the accompanying raw menu. (2405 Atlantic Ave.; 609-345-0092) 

Photo via Atlantic City Bottle Company