Alfredo’s Cantina
266 Pearl St., Monterey
(831) 238-3082
When one thinks about what makes a good dive bar, there are several metrics to consider. Can you tell what time it is by looking around? The answer should be no. Has the bartender ever been confused for a “mixologist”? Again, no. Is the elbow room tight? Do members of the service industry patronize the bar? These should be yeses. All of these criteria and more are met at Alfredo’s in downtown Monterey. While this dive opened in 1973, one might imagine a heap of prospectors and miners lining the bar in 1849. Bring cash, because they don’t mess around with plastic (or gold dust, for that matter).
