Dive Bar & Grill

If you’re uppity, don’t let the name discourage you! This is one of those places where you kind of have to become a regular if you live close enough.
I came here with a couple of buddies one night just to get some food and a drink and hang out. It turned out to be the perfect spot, given our tastes in venues and what we each had in mind. You walk in and it’s open seating. The bar space is great; you have a couple TVs in case you want to watch sports, there’s a big blackboard with all the draft beers (which rotate every so often) and the bartenders/​waiters are all personable and helpful.
Prices are reasonable, and portions are huge! Maybe too much… but who’s complaining? I ordered a Reuben, which I don’t regret the slightest bit. My friends got sandwiches too. We all have appetites. We all barely finished. Couldn’t have asked for a better spot. I actually can’t wait for an excuse to be back and try some of the menu items that I heard were really good.

Went there with a group of friends this past Saturday night and had a great experience. We had a bigger group but they were able to accommodate us right away.
Ordered the pretzel sticks with cinnamon butter, loaded croquettes and calamari and all were very good. The cocktails were also great. We happened to be there during the «reverse happy hour» from 9 — 11 pm so we got great deals on the apps and drinks.
Our server was very attentive and friendly and even gave each of us separate checks without us asking, which was unexpected since the place was busy.
Great food, service, and drinks!

We went here on a whim. Not a bad bar, it was a little cold inside, but the food and beer were good. I had the fries and they were really good. I would recommend them. It is not actually a dive bar. But, it is pretty small inside. I can’t really find much to say about it. Not impressive, but solid. I would go back.

Bland bland bland. Went here with a friend who enjoyed their dinner. Brunch on a Sunday after a substantial snow fall. The service was slow despite the lack of customers the waitres was very friendly. But you want a brunch drink? Don’t expect it any time soon, nor for the waitress to be back soon. I ordered the traditional eggs Benedict and it tasted like congealed water. The egg was perfectly done but the sauce was nonexistent flavor wise. My friend got the sweet potato tots and those were amazing with the cinnamon butter. Overall a lackluster brunch. Spent forty bucks total on a sad brunch and slow service.

I work across the street from this place and they’re always my first option for food ! I love trying new things on their menu and it’s affordable and the portion speaks for the price. The staff are always friendly.

Went here for the first time last night on a whim and was impressed. I only got the fried pickles even though I wanted everything on the menu, but they were some of the best I’ve ever had. The batter was different than most but delicious and their ranch seemed to have a light dill flavor to it which I enjoyed. Service was kind of slow but it was busy. I can’t wait to come back to Dive.

I’ve been to Dive Bar a handful of times and gotten take-​out once, but there’s always been something wrong with our experience every time. The first time my boyfriend and I tried the brunch here I ordered the Cali Eggs Benedict, which had almost no flavor. It’s a fairly mild dish, but the hollandaise sauce should have given it some kind of flavor. My boyfriend got a standard burger, fries, and wings which were good. The food took a fair amount of time to come out.
The second time we had brunch here I tried the Smoked Gouda Omelet, which was good but very greasy. My boyfriend has his standard eggs and bacon, however he said it was terrible. The eggs were overdone, the toast had no butter on it, the bacon was cold. We also waited about 45 to an hour for our food.
The third time we dined here for dinner with a couple out of towners. They said their beer cheese that came with their pretzel app was cold, they also did not get the mustard they requested for it. My burger was over-​done and all I could taste was the grill-​meat on it, even though it had beer cheese and fried pickles. I got mac and cheese as the side, however it was really dry and not very cheesy. My boyfriend got wings which were ok this time. The food was also slow to come out this visit again.
We also got take-​out once and I ordered the Loaded Pierogie Quesadilla. The quesadilla itself was good, however I expected it to come with sour cream on the side. There was no sour cream, which it was really missing, and so it was kind of dry to eat and was disappointing. Take-​out was quick though.

This is a great little restaurant/​bar! We have been there several times and each visit we are pleased with the food and service.
Pros:
The food is great! Everything we have tried on the menu is delicious!
The wait staff are super friendly and helpful.
They have a wide variety of craft beers.
The location is really convenient.
The décor is updated and fresh.
The place is really clean! Usually bars tend to be a bit on the dirty side, but not this place.
Cons:
The place is on the smallish side. However, there always seems to be a table available. On busy days, it may be difficult to sit at the bar. I think there may be about 12 or 14 barstools.
Parking can be challenging, but it’s in Lawrenceville, so if you frequently visit that area, you’ll be prepared.
Overall, this place rocks! We love to eat in and take out. This has quickly become a standard stop for us.

The food was amazing, the Porky vs Hamburgler was amazing, service was good, atmosphere was not bad, not too loud.

Had a really great time at Happy Hour yesterday! The half price «tiny» tostados were anything but tiny! The pork was tender and well seasoned. $ 3.50 smirnoff vodka drinks along with 2 $ off drafts. The waitress was very nice, but very busy! She was running her butt off… word to the wise, get there before 5pm to get a seat! It gets packed in a hurry. The pretzel sticks and zucchini fries were also great! I had the beer cheese with the pretzels. Although the name suggests it may be a hole in the wall, the interior is remodeled, and nice tables, bars, lighting, floors, etc. Speaking of the floors… to put it as a yinzer… VERY SLIPPY! I almost fell, and had I had a few more cocktails, I may have been on the floor! Not sure why… maybe someone forgot to mop? Anyways, I’ll be back I’m sure soon.

Went to dive around 10 pm on a Saturday night. It was half off apps and I got a chicken parm sandwich. The food was really good! Recommend the zucchini fries and pretzel sticks for an app!
I only deducted a star because the service was quite slow. I waited around 20 minutes for apps and another 20 for food.
Atmosphere was good. Pretty loud because it was a bar which was just what I expected! I would recommend this place for dinner or lunch.

I had a great experience at the dive bar with my friend Ashley who is a total foodie and always drags me to place in the Lawrenceville/​Bloomfield area. We went on a Thursday and the place was empty! We were literally the only people there. We grabbed seats we ordered drinks and looked over the menu. I have to say that the menu gives you lots of options. I ordered the cheeseburger sliders and the loaded croquettes with pulled BBQ pork. Now for some strange reason I thought I’d be able to eat these two things and still have space for more stuff. I was wrong. The waiter did inform us that what we ordered as appetizers was going to be a lot of food and advised we waited before we ordered anything else. I definitely appreciated her suggestion as I could not finish either plates. The food was really good. I can’t remember what my friend ordered. I would definitely come back here.

Don’t let the name fool you, this place is way too nice to be a true dive.
They serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday until 3, which was a nice surprise when I visited around 2 on a Saturday. Given the time, my husband and I were able to choose whether we wanted to order off the brunch menu or lunch/​dinner menu. There were SO many options that I just decided to go all in with brunch and not even consider the other menu for fear of complete brain meltdown.
I ordered the chicken and funnel cake. You read that right FUNNEL CAKE. My meal was really good– the chicken was perfect and the funnel cake was all funnel cakey goodness. It was a nice little variation, though I do prefer waffles with my breakfast chicken.
Fighting Elleck from Arsenal Cider was on tap. Since that’s one of my favorite ciders, I have absolutely no complaints for the drink department. There was a pretty extensive drink menu for those who want to get a little more fancy/​wild.
Our server was lovely and we had a lovely time. I’ll definitely be back to try the lunch/​dinner menu.

I think I might be slightly obsessed with this place. We were here twice in one week; once for dinner and then for brunch.
There menu is large and offers a nice variety. I always like a larger menu but I have a lot of family members who find it overwhelming.
My mom orders the nachos every time we go because she is obsessed with the beer cheese and so am I! Yummy.
My husband usually sticks to sandwiches and has never had one he didn’t like. The portions are generous which is always a plus. Recently my husband ordered the mahi mahi entrée and loved it.
We just tried their brunch after hearing a friend rave about it (offered Saturday and Sunday’s). Absolutely delicious. I was thinking about it the rest of the day and really wanted to go back on Sunday. Again– the selection is large. We started with donut holes– they are perfect with the chocolate sauce.
Two of us ordered the breakfast bowls. I did the build your own since I knew I wanted the beer cheese. The portion was large and even though I wanted to, I couldn’t finish it.
I’m hoping to go back next weekend to try the funnel cake pancakes.

I dream of Dive bar! My boyfriend and I were pretty desperate for food after a bike ride one evening and stopped into Dive bar on a Saturday night. The place was packed and the service reasonably slow but the food was great! I had steak tacos with chimichurri and a side of their Mac n cheese! I really didn’t care about the macaroni and should have probably gotten something lighter but the steak tacos completely satiated my need for red meat and delicious chimichurri. While I do prefer chimichurri to be a little thicker, it was very flavorful and the steak was not over cooked. My boyfriend had the pierogie quesadilla and really enjoyed it as well. The menu has such a wide array of treats from burgers to pasta to chimichangas. Maybe I need to have my bike rides end in Lawrenceville more often!

My first experience at Dive Bar & Grill was for brunch and boy am I sad that it took me this long to eat here!
Great menu options for brunch ranging from omelets, to breakfast burritos, breakfast sliders, savory and sweet potatoes, and just yum. I had a smoked Gouda omelet with bacon chopped deliciously inside and a side of sweet tater tots served with the most delicious cinnamon butter known to man. It was delicious and the price was under $ 10.
I can’t wait to go back for dinner.

Okay, so I had never heard of Dive Bar and Grill in Lawrenceville. Since I had never heard of the place, I had no expectations about the décor, food, drinks, etc… This past Friday, after a visit to the Home Show, my daughter Muff, my sister and my friend Stephanie had a chance to stop by the restaurant. We were on our way to another restaurant when my sister decided that we should visit Dive bar and Grill, even though we had already passed the place. I had to turn around several blocks later to go to Dive after my sister had an epiphany. (%^*$!)
Anywho, I turned back around and found parking next to the restaurant. We walked right in and were able to find seating immediately. Apparently, it’s a seat yourself type of place and our waitress said that we just missed a crowd. Whew! We were starving and were not willing to wait to eat anywhere. (Somewhat stupid, because it was a Friday night after 9:00 during prime business hours.)
The décor is intimate and cozy. Exposed brick, chandeliers made out of reclaimed wine bottles and booths. Very important to me, modern and clean bathroom. Definitely an upgraded dive bar! My sister ordered an appetizer to share with the table which was what looked like a fried large wonton skin with pulled pork, salsa, chopped scallions and cheese on top. It was pretty tasty. Our waitress advised us that the food portions were rather large, but we were like, «Yeah, they all say that!». I ordered the Salmon BLT ANDTHENSOME sandwich wrap, my sister ordered Alabama Slammer burger, my friend ordered the Macho Man Reuben sandwich and Muff ordered the Hometown salad bowl. With our sandwiches and wrap, we also received homemade potato chips and fresh-​cut fries.
Let me tell you something, that Salmon BLT ANDTHENSOME sandwich wrap was scrumptious. The salmon had a Thai chile glaze. Mmmmm good! The Macho Man Reuben sandwich was hu-​ru-​gi-​lous (I know it’s not a word!) and the meat was nice and lean. (I traded half of my wrap for a third of the reuben.) My sister said the Alabama Slammer burger with a brown sugar spice rub, bacon, cheese and onion straws was delicious. (She could only stuff herself with half and had to take home the rest.) My daughter Muff couldn’t finish her Hometown salad bowl either, but said that it was good too.
What a delightful surprise and a nice funky joint that we will return to in the future. I wish that I had a spot like this closer to my home. Boo-​hoo!

Huge. And I’m not just talking about just portion sizes. The menu at Dive is enormous and full of options. You would think with that large of a menu, some of the items would be a miss, but I’ve tried items in almost all categories (quite a feat!) and they are all hits!
My favs include the grilled romaine Caesar salad and the bowls; fries or chips topped with different veggies, meat, and cheeses. And the brunch menu adds even MORE options for you to choose from, including a mini funnel cake for 3 bucks that is the perfect size to share.
Dive has a plentiful draft and cocktail list. Be warned, Dive has a small dining room and some slightly surly wait staff. The value and variety here always keeps me coming back, though!

Dive is exactly the sort of place Upper Lawrenceville was lacking before. It’s a chilled out bar by night and a clean, fairly calm place to grab lunch or dinner during the day. Given the shortage of diners and weekend lunch places on this stretch of Butler Street, I was very glad when it opened.
I’ve been here for late Sunday lunch, dinner, and takeout multiple times. The service is always fast and very friendly, and the food never disappoints. The burgers are hand-​formed with lots of toppings to choose from and reasonably priced for the size and quality. I’ve also had the fish & chips, which was quite delicious, and my boyfriend swears by their wings. Additionally the draft list is always surprisingly diverse and quite reasonably priced. I tried a Kentucky bourbon barrel aged ale on my last trip here. So good! I’ll be back to Dive again soon I’m certain. It’s a sure bet for a good meal in a relaxing environment.

Maybe it was the fact that I was vulnerable, with a cold and skipping the Pitt game.
Maybe it was because Dive had the Pitt game on when no one else did.
Maybe it was the company, stellar as usual.
Maybe it was the beautiful bar and great atmosphere.
Maybe it was the Veggie Burrito that fed me for two days and the sweet potato tots with cinnamon butter that left me weak in the knees.
Maybe it was the friendly wait staff that never let my creamy cup of delicious coffee hit the bottom.
Maybe it was the pages of menu items each more delectable than the last.
Or maybe it was everything at Dive. I can’t WAIT to go back and try every damn thing on that super-​robust menu. Get thee to Dive, now!