Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times and Friendship, or simply “Louis Connelly’s,” on South Cleveland Street is a manifestation of the owner’s dive bar dreams.

“A good dive bar should feel old and unassuming, have cheap but good drinks and a great atmosphere,” owner Louis Connelly said. “Any good dive bar you go to will have friendly people that have been coming there for years, whether it just be to hang out or watch a game or to grab a bite or just to get out of the house for a bit. Old neon signs, dim lighting, jukebox playing, old men that give you unsolicited but sage advice — it’s all part of the allure.”

And that’s the vibe Connelly’s looking to achieve.

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“I was going for a dive bar but with more of a neighborhood vibe,” he said. “I’m not a cocktail-bar guy, and I’m not a wine bar guy.”

Louis Connelly’s, located in the former Printer’s Alley Bar & Grill space, will officially open Saturday, Feb. 3.

The bar is decked out with old-school beer mirrors on the walls, flooded in red and purple neon lights. There are more than 40 local, domestic and imported beers on draft and in cans, plenty of liquor behind the bar for cocktails and mixed drinks and a rather large food menu. The bar program is managed by Mickey Blancq, a Salt | Soy alum, and the kitchen is run by a chef and longtime friend of Connelly’s Juan Amaro, whom Connelly met while working at the now-defunct Little Italy Midtown.

Louis Connelly’s has had a few soft openings in the past few weeks; on Saturday, Jan. 27, there were more than 30 people at the quaint bar, and everything was in full-swing.

“We’re going for the best burger in town,” Connelly said, “and best nachos. And I guarantee you we’re one of the only bars that have ceviche.”

Connelly said the menu is a collaboration between the things he loves to eat at bars and Amaro’s creativity.

The burger at Louis Connelly’s is a two-patty-tall smash burger with melty American cheese, thin dill pickle chips and caramelized onions, served in a basket beside a pile of salt-and-pepper-seasoned fries. The nachos — which are covered in crema, queso, black beans, pico de gallo and cilantro — can be ordered with chicken or beef or with fries instead of chips. The ceviche is an avocado-heavy mixture of chopped shrimp, tomatoes and onions served with a bowl of chips.

But there’s plenty more: The menu is extensive, spanning a swath of drunk-food options from Coney Island hot dogs to street tacos.

Connelly said he and Blancq are still putting together the specialty drink and cocktail menu before Saturday’s grand opening.

“As for Memphis’ bar scene, we definitely need some better options for late nights that are more on the chill side,” Connelly said. “Also, bars with great food that are reasonably priced are few and far between. Our spot fills both those needs, and I think is going to be great for — as the sign says — ‘fun times and friendship.’”

Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times and Friendship, located at 322 S. Cleveland St., will be open Tuesdays-Saturdays 3 p.m.-3 a.m. starting Saturday, Feb. 3.