Bottoms up: ‘Drinkatorium’ wins contest for best dive bar in nation

The Edge Eatery & Drinkatorium has a crown. It’s a virtual one won the same night as the NCAA men’s basketball championship, but that’s all the more reason to celebrate.

After two weeks and five exciting rounds of online voting, the establishment along Route 84 in Rapids City, about 45 miles from Sterling, was named the Dive Bar Road Trip champion by surviving its own bracket challenge.

T-shirts proclaiming the win are in the works.

Owners Lynn and Donnie Hunt are grateful to the community for stepping up and supporting their local dive bar for the one-of-a-kind competition.

According to the contest website, Dive Bar Road Trip is a “fun competition that provides local and small businesses with a chance to gain recognition for their establishment and community.”

It uses Facebook as the voting platform and the bracket format like the NCAA men’s tournament for its annual “March Dive-ness” competition. A total of 93,636 votes were cast in the starting field, Sweet & Sour 16, Elite 8, Final Pour, and championship rounds.

The Hunts credit Missy Lanning of Port Byron for getting their establishment entered in the social media-driven contest that kicked off on March 16. In all, there were 128 entrants.

As news of the competition spread, The Edge racked up over 600 votes and advanced to the next round.

With each successive round and win, locals were eager to vote for The Edge by “liking” the bracket image on Dive Bar Road Trip’s page.

When the bar made it to the final round of voting on April 3, the community rallied behind them by liking and sharing the post throughout the day.

Championship voting began at 9 a.m. and concluded at the buzzer of the San Diego State vs. UConn game later that night.

In the final round, The Edge competed against Farmers Home Tavern in Hemlock, Michigan.

Lynn said it was a “nailbiter” and “neck and neck competition” the whole night. When it became clear that The Edge was the winner — 7,005 votes to 6,655 — the place erupted in cheers and celebrations.

“What a trip! I hadn’t even heard of the competition, but when we made it to the top 128, Missy and Lynn thought they’d better tell me,” Donnie Hunt said.

“It was cool, stressful, and a humbling and emotional deal. The award is theirs, the community’s – this is the place to keep it. I didn’t know we had over 7,000 supporters, and now we’re the best dive bar in ‘Merica,” Donnie Hunt added, with a smile.

Since the win, he said there’s been a noticeable influx of patrons.

Village President Harold Mire Jr. shared the news on the village’s Facebook page. “We are very proud of you and the many people who took an active role in this success,” he wrote.

The village president also requested a formal resolution from a state legislator to acknowledge the accomplishments of The Edge and its supporters. “Such unity amongst a community must and should be celebrated. We are Rapids City proud!”

The Edge will mark 10 years in business in July, and the Hunts are currently working on a summer celebration to mark the occasion. That includes new T-shirts to mark their claim to fame.

For more information about the contest or establishment, visit Dive Bar Road Trip or The Edge Eatery & Drinkatorium on Facebook, or stop by and support the local dive bar at 1802 Second Ave. in Rapids City.