I’ve heard The Horsehead Bar described as a dive on several occasions, and I don’t think that generalization is entirely correct.

The Horsehead, located in downtown Eugene in the legendary “Barmuda Triangle,” is a “dive” bar like The Black Keys are an “indie” band. That’s not supposed to be a snide comparison, but it’s true.

The Horsehead is a little too clean, a little too produced and a little too welcoming to be a true, stereotypical dive bar. The Horsehead is like a fashionable cousin to the dive bar. It’s a place where you could take a snobby friend and they wouldn’t try and wipe everything down with hand sanitizer, but still a place where you can spill cheap beer on yourself without being judged.

For starters, it’s got a patio with wooden benches surrounded by bamboo. That’s always a plus, and makes The Horsehead particularly well suited for grabbing a beer as a warm, sunny spring day is drawing to a close.

And speaking of starters, or appetizers, rather, you’ll be hard pressed to find another bar in town that matches The Horsehead in its caliber of food. Not only is it great drunk food, it’s probably not that bad sober either — and that’s a hard thing to find in this world.

In addition to normal fries, hotwings, etc., The Horsehead has everything from an alligator burger, to a catfish sandwich, to beer battered fried pickles. I, for one, am a fan of the nachos, which can rival The Bier Stein’s — a tall order to fill.

With regards to drinks, The Horsehead’s able and friendly staff make some of the strongest mixers around in terms of the alcohol-to-whatever-else is in it ratio. You’ll get your money’s worth at The Horsehead.

Which brings us to price. It’s not bad — but not great either. The food is moderately priced and the drinks are in line with about everywhere else. Its drink specials won’t leave any jaws on the floor, and chances are if you get there late in the evening you’ll be paying full price.

But that minor nuisance is fine because people don’t go to The Horsehead for the prices or deals. It draws a diverse crowd of locals of all ages (typically younger types on the weekends) and though it gets annoyingly crowded, it’s still laid back enough that you can meet people, actually hear what they’re saying over the jukebox and then maybe challenge them to a game of pool.

Overall, The Horsehead doesn’t deserve to get pigeonholed as simply a dive bar. You won’t find drunks passed out on the counters, or contract something from your beer glass and it hums with too much upbeat energy.

Within the grand spectrum of drinking establishments, it offers the experience of a dive without the disreputable elements, but the camaraderie of a college bar without the awful soundtrack and overabundance of cologne.

In short, if you’re in the area, it’s worth a visit.