The phrase "a friendly dive" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a casual, welcoming bar or restaurant that has a relaxed atmosphere.
Example: "After a long week, we decided to unwind at a friendly dive down the street that serves the best burgers in town."
Alternatives: "a cozy dive" or "a welcoming dive".
Always a crowded but friendly dive, owner Jack Prince bought the joint next door several years ago and knocked out a wall, so that now you can even sit down, enjoy the dusty PBR ads on the wall or, even better, listen to live music.
Other spots include Jaguar's Temple (Barrier Reef Drive, 501-226-4077, www.comuarstemple.com), where revelers sing karaoke and dance, and BC's (Coconut Drive, 501-226-3289), a friendly beachside dive bar where locals flock for $2 Belkin beers and to hear Dennis Wolfe, an expatriate from Florida, singing his tunes, like "Living Jimmy Buffett's Life".
I've visited Oxford (population 14,147), which is about an hour or so south of Memphis, many times and have slowly arrived at the opinion that it may be America's best small city, at least for my needs, which include great bookstores, friendly dive bars and restaurants that do profound things with game birds, pulled pork, grits, delta catfish and oysters.
This friendly dive founded by former boxing trainer Jimmy Glenn in 1971 is an oasis of cheap calm in a land of overpriced chaos.
A friendly dolphin dove down and rescued the cell phone for the stunned and grateful gal.
Some genius duck hunters of Lake Wobegon, who couldn't lure ducks to within rifle range to save their lives, decided they should build a few huge duck lures so that when the ducks were flying overhead at 8,000 feet, they'd seem life-size to them, inviting them to dive in for a friendly quack.
Returning to Manhattan in 1993, Jackie performed mini-monologues in gay-friendly dives where she shared the stage with drag queens.
