OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Pete's Garage in Oshkosh wins #1 USA Dive Bar in a March Madness-style tournament with 128 bars from across the country.
- This year Pete's Garage celebrates 20 years.
- The "March Dive-ness" tournament winner is determined by Facebook votes.
- The tournament is put on by Dive Bar Road Trip, an organization highlighting local bars and restaurants across the country.
With dim lights, crowded walls and an almost always full bar, Peter Haferman, owner of Pete's Garage, says the bar's nickname is the "Black Hole."
"It's like yeah, it's the 'Black Hole,' we came for one drink, and seven drinks later we're stumbling out of here, you know," he says.
Pete's been a bartender for more than two decades, and he says the best thing about owning his own place is the customers.
"I'm a weird person," he says. "I like talking to people, I like hanging out with people."
This year is the bar's 20th anniversary. For the regulars, like Jon Uecker, it's been a special place.
"I love this place, ride or die," he says. "The atmosphere in here, it's unlike anything I've run into before in a bar."
Now, that atmosphere is recognized nationally.
Pete's Garage won the 2025 March Dive-ness tournament. The competition is ran by Dive Bar Road Trip, an organization that works to support and highlight local bars.
"Times are tough for all small business, but keeping these local bars operating is very important for our communities," the Dive Bar Road Trip website says.
The March Dive-ness tournament is ran on Facebook, with the final face-off happening simultaneously with the March Madness final game.
This year, two Wisconsin bars made it to the final: Leadmine Tavern in Benton and Pete's Garage in Oshkosh.
Pete's won with 5,200 votes.
"I would not doubt there were international votes because of EAA" Ueker says. "People come in here, this is one of their checklist things for EAA."
For Haferman, it's fitting that it was community support that helped them win the title.
"I want to give back to this community, I want to make sure they know that we're a part of this, and without them, I don't have a business."
