Whether you’re looking for the best place to enjoy a cold one with your buddies while watching football or you fancy a Moscow Mule served in a custom copper mug there's an iconic bar out there in the vast American landscape to accommodate you. In this post, we're going to take a look at 6 of the most famous bars in the USA. Their fame stems from different factors and there aren't any exclusive high-brow bars on our list. Instead, these are bars where real people have gone for many a long year to unwind and disconnect from the cares of the world. Enjoy.

Six of the Most Famous Bars in America (In No Particular Order)

Sloppy Joe's, Key West, FL

Key West occupies the most southern point on the east coast of the USA out at the end of the Florida Keys. It's where iconic Route 1 ends and on a clear day, you can almost see Havana about 60 miles to the south. Key West in general, and Sloppy Joe's in particular were made famous by Ernest Hemingway who had a regular table at the bar and wrote some of his most well-known works while living in Key West, including "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Death in the Afternoon" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". These days Sloppy Joe's is part Hemingway museum and part party destination where you can saunter up to the bar and order a Papa Dobles (grapefruit and rum) and then sit and enjoy the live music.

Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles, CA

"The Whisky," as locals call it, has played a central role in the SoCal rock scene for nearly 60 years. The Doors, Alice Cooper, Van Halen and Guns n’ Roses all played here before they broke nationally. The bar is surprisingly small given its outsized reputation but it’s a great place to kick back and maybe watch history in the making. Just down Sunset Blvd from the Whiskey was the Cock n Bull which, besides being the go-to hangout of Hollywood big wigs in the 30s, 40s and 50s was also where the legendary Moscow Mule (the drink that made solid copper mugs famous) was invented in 1941. The Mule and the copper mugs are more popular than ever, but the Cock n Bull closed its doors forever in 1987.

J.J. Foley’s Café, South Boston, MA

From southern California and the west coast, we make a detour of some 3,000 miles to Boston and the east coast to visit J.J. Foley’s. If you want a taste of “real” Boston Foley’s has always been the place to go as its fate has mirrored that of the city in general. These days Foley’s is quite the respectable place to be seen but it wasn’t always that way. Both the neighborhood and the bar itself underwent significant changes beginning in the 1980s (some call the changes “progress”, others call the phenomenon “gentrification”). The bottom line is that these days you can actually walk to Foley’s from the South End or Back Bay without taking your life in your hands. And once you get there you’ll be impressed by the local flavor of the place and the variety of people who are drawn to its Olde Towne charm.

Charlie Brown's Bar & Grill, Denver, CO

Charlie Brown’s has been around for more than 70 years and has managed to retain much of its original decor and charm. CBs is known for its convivial atmosphere, its good food and its big, heated outdoor patio where you can sip a cold one in the middle of winter without getting frostbite. The bar itself offers everything from craft beers to Manhattans and everything in between. While you’re in town to visit Charlie Brown’s don’t forget to take a quick detour to the Paykoc Imports store a couple of miles due north of CB’s on Logan Court. There you can pick up a personalized Moscow Mule mug, wholesale copper mugs, Turkish lamps and so much more.

The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ

If the name Asbury Park sounds familiar it’s probably because it's where rock superstar Bruce Springsteen got his start. In fact, his first album was entitled "Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ". While Springsteen had already issued 2 albums before the Pony opened in 1973 he quickly took to the unassuming joint and played many memorable gigs there through the years. With its whitewashed exterior, it doesn't look like a historic anything. More like an old auto repair shop. But once inside you soon realize that the Stone Pony exists to rock. So drink up the music history, and if you're up for a walk the historic Asbury Park boardwalk is just a minute away.

Mulligan’s Brick Bar, Buffalo, NY

If you find yourself in Buffalo on the shores of Lake Erie on a Sunday afternoon during football season you owe it to yourself to head over to Mulligan’s Brick Bar, or just the Brick Bar as locals call it. This bar has been a Buffalo institution for decades and has a world-class selection of beers at a second bar in the back. While it’s definitely a Buffalo Bills fan hangout the Brick Bar also attracts tourists from all over the world who want to experience the All-American ambiance. Just do yourself a favor and don’t wander into the Brick Bar on a Sunday in December wearing a New England Patriots cap. You have been warned.