"...Flint is home to some of the most resilient people in the world, and some of the best dive bars."

Finally, something we can brag about! The Torch was the second bar/eatery that we visited when we first came to Flint, and I'll never forget what our boss said: "This place...it's a dive bar, but it's the best." Walking down Buckham Alley, I thought, "Wow, what a great location!" Look, I'm from Wisconsin, where there's more bars per square mile than grocery stores. Specifically, I'm from Milwaukee, which prides itself on dive bars (to be fair, they did make the list). But I couldn't agree more with this description of The Torch:

Look, we’re at the point in the news cycle where everyone thinks that Flint, MI looks like the world’s biggest dive bar. But as a native, I’m here to say screw all that, because Flint is home to some of the most resilient people in the world, and some of the best dive bars. And while there’s a host of divier bars -- the understatement of the year -- we’re going to go ahead and re-assert the greatness of Downtown’s the Torch, home to one of the best burgers in the state and some of the best alleyway-cigarette conversations you’re likely to have in America. The Torch has long been a temporary reprieve for the ills that have befallen Flint, a place welcoming to former plant workers and revitalization-hungry whippersnappers alike, where denizens of Vehicle City find solace in strong drinks and great burgers. Things will hopefully change in Flint sooner than later, but let's hope the Torch will always be the same.

Thanks, Thrillist! We needed the good publicity! Now let's go get a Torch burger and a Moscow Mule!

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