Juke joint is the vernacular term for an informal establishment featuring music, dancing, gambling, and drinking, primarily operated by African Americans in the southeastern United States. A juke joint may also be called a "barrelhouse".

What is a juke joint?

Juke joint is the name given to informal gathering, drinking, gambling and dancing places, primarily for lower income people and mostly in the southeastern United States. ...

Why do they call it a juke joint?

Many country and blues bands got their start playing at jukes in the south, although some jukes offer jukeboxes as their only music. You can also call it a "juke joint." The word juke comes from the Southern United States Creole known as Gullah — in which juke or joog means "wicked" or "disorderly."