Dive Bars & Barbecue

Dive Bars & Barbecue

From It's Acadiana: Out to Lunch by ItsAcadiana.com

March 7, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

Christiaan Mader discusses the appeal and cultural significance of dive bars with guest Justin Bennett, who owns a bar in Lafayette.

Hi, it's Christiaan Mader, host of Out to Lunch Acadiana. I love a dive bar.  And I know I’m not alone. They attract a certain cult-like following among people looking for an unpretentious place to share a reasonably priced drink with an old friend or a new one. The appeal is fundamentally American.  The drinks are cold, the music is loud, the bathrooms might be suspect — but you can be you and everyone's welcome.  In Acadiana, a great dive bar can be a cultural center of gravity. Especially if it’s got a stage and a spunky PA.  However adored, dive bars carry a janky reputation. And the people who love them, love them because of that jank. It’s hard to precisely define a great dive bar. But my guest Justin Bennet saw one in the making when he moved to Lafayette and bought Artmosphere, the Downtown Lafayette bar and music venue.  Justin Bennett grew up in New York and was literally raised in dive bars, sitting on a barstool drinking cherry cokes from the age of five while his musician father played gigs. He went on to earn a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Washington, spent five years with New York City's Department…

People in this episode

Host: Christiaan Mader

Guest: Justin Bennett

Topics covered

  • dive bars
  • barbecue
  • cultural centers
  • music venues

Keywords

  • Lafayette
  • Artmosphere
  • New York
  • journalism
  • Louisiana Workforce Commission

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Texas Twister, Artmosphere

Places: Acadiana, Lafayette, New York, New York City's, Louisiana, Lake Charles, Flynn, Texas, Pennsylvania, Broussard

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