Gene's Haufbrau is what happens when a dive bar takes its beer program seriously. It's on Savannah Highway in West Ashley, and it has been voted Best West Ashley Bar for years running, with one of the biggest craft beer selections in the city - the list is long enough that more than one reviewer said it was difficult to decide. The name is German for "house brew," and the room lives up to it: pinball, pool, darts, shuffleboard, board games at every table, and an arcade in the corner that keeps the kids occupied while the adults work through a round of beer. It's the classic dive bar ethos - a few TVs at most, which is the point, because it's supposed to make you actually talk to the people at the bar.
The food is good enough that the dive label undersells it. The crawfish salad with the jalapeño vinegarette is the sleeper hit, the Avondale burger is the one locals point to, and the bratwurst and fried veal chop show the German side of the menu doing its job. It's a regulars' spot - Avondale and West Ashley locals who have been coming in for years - and it's a little pricey for a dive, but the beer selection is the thing you're paying for.