Latest reviews from Athens
| 54 /100 Fluff Bakery (Restaurant) 8 N COURT STREET “Stopped in here for breakfast on a Saturday morning during Jackie O's 18th Anniversary weekend. Nice little storefront along Court Street in Uptown Athens. There's a glass bakery case with some nice looking pastries and a cooler with some drinks, but not much of the alcoholic variety. They did have 3 local taps, though - Jackie O's, West End Ciderhouse, and Little Fish. I had a couple breakfast tacos that were good. Prices are in line with expectations. Service was fine. I'm not sure I'd call this a beer destination, but it's a decent place.“ |
| 82 /100 3 N SHAFER STREET “West End Ciderworks & Distillery is tucked in the office/retail/industrial strip just across the street from the Ciderhouse. It's a small space with a little mezzanine up a spiral staircase. It's only open from noon to 6 on Friday and Saturday and with only one guy working when I visited, it was a little busy and he was a little slow to get through everyone's orders, though he was really friendly. I think he makes the stuff. Which is really good, by the way. I didn't do the spirits but the people I was with liked them. There were about a dozen ciders on tap, too, and the 5-6 I had were all very good. Then there were plenty more in the coolers, with singles available of everything. It's amazing how a town this small has 2 breweries and a cidery better than anything Cincy has to offer.“ |
| 34 /100 Kroger - Athens (Grocery Store) 919 E STATE ST “It's a Kroger. Like most others inside and out, including the beer section. Mostly six packs, in terms of craft offerings, although there are some singles in the "mix a six" section. Prices are fair. Again, it's a Kroger. Athens doesn't have as much in the way of bottle shops since And Beer closed, so it's really here due to lack of options, not due to it being any different than any other supermarket beer aisle.“ |
| 78 /100 12157 OH-690 “Dutch Creek Winery is a nice place off route 690 outside of Athens - easy drive from town. Large parking lot, and there's a porch off the building and larger covered patio behind the building. The bar space is relatively small. When I visited, they had 9 meads and 3 ciders, plus 6 or so Old Bridge guest taps. There is some light food available. Prices are very fair for what you get. The meads are good, too, as are the ciders. Service is very friendly and attentive. I was outnumbered. Good alternative if you're looking to get a wee bit out of Athens and want a change of pace from beer.“ |
| 42 /100 Busy Day Market (Grocery Store) 30 W. STIMSON AVE. “Small liquor store on the edge of Uptown Athens. Three cashiers on the Saturday morning when I visited. All other customers were college kids stocking up for the weekend. The craft options are limited - a decent amount of six packs, along with some local singles like West End Ciderhouse. But not really a craft destination. You'd do better just buying from the breweries in town.“ |
| 44 /100 The Smiling Skull Saloon (Bar) 108 W UNION ST “The Smiling Skull is a dive down Union Street from Jackie O's. It feels like a beach/vacation town bar, but grimier. Pirate/skull theme, funky, rough around the edges. There are a few craft options, but not much. I'm assuming this is yet another one of the Athens places added due to Ohio Beer Week tap takeovers. As far as Athens dive bars go, you could do worse. The people who like this place probably really love it.“ |
| 24 /100 The Pub (Bar) 39 N COURT ST “Of all the Athens college bars listed here because of Ohio Beer Week tap takeovers (probably), The Pub is the worst. One craft handle (Devil's Kettle when I visited), the rest macros, loud, cramped, unpleasant. This is maybe the last bar in Athens I'd actually want to go as a beer-minded person. Avoid.“ |
| 44 /100 Broney’s Alumni Grill (Bar) 7 W CARPENTER ST “Another one of the Athens college bars that's probably on here due to Ohio Beer Week tap takeovers, Broney's is a big place with a few separate bars. Unlike some of the others, they have some craft handles here but it's mostly the larger ones like Dogfish Head, Deschutes, Sierra Nevada, et al. It's loud, crowded, and not a fun place to get a beer. But maybe they'll have one you haven't seen elsewhere. Who knows.“ |
| 60 /100 The Union Bar & Grill (Bar) 18 W UNION STREET “College bar next to Jackie O’s. The bar is like the others nearby. Some good taps but basically a college bar. Decent liquor selection. Good service. College town prices. 12 taps and chances are one of them will suit you. You’re at Jackie O’s so you might as well pop in and find out.“ |
| 54 /100 Salaam (Restaurant) 21 W WASHINGTON ST “Really good spot for a meal but not as a beer destination. Below street level. Cool atmosphere. Nice menu and friendly staff. Minimal beer options. Maybe something local. Expensive meal for a college town.“ |
| 54 /100 Athens Uncorked (Bar) 14 STATION STREET “Wine bar in an odd spot west of Uptown. Only 4 taps and when I visited, 3 were Devil’s Kettle and 1 was Thirsty Dog. Good stuff but not much beer. Mostly wine. Friendly staff. Fair prices. Maybe you’ll catch a unique beer here but not super likely. But it’s a nice spot if you’re with wine drinkers.“ |
| 58 /100 Cat’s Eye Saloon (Bar) 12 N COURT STREET “Shotgun style bar in a college town. A dozen taps and a handful that are unique enough to warrant a visit. Cheap college town prices. Not exactly nice. Service is good enough. Some cans and bottles but the taps are where you may find something new. There are some breweries in town, meaderies nearby, and otherwise good spots in this area, but you could do a lot worse than this.“ |
| 44 /100 The J Bar (Bar) 41 N COURT ST “This is a college bar. 8 taps and they’re pretty basic for any Ohio bar. Some cans, too, but like a third are seltzers. Big open room with a mezzanine. Average college bar bartenders. There are like 10 places in Athens to hit before you have to start thinking about college bars. Go to those, skip this.“ |
| 88 /100 25 CAMPBELL ST. “A classic place in a tiny town — very glad I made the trek out here from Columbus (about 1.25 hours). They had 16 taps, with 8 year-rounds and 8 specialties (wild saisons and barrel aged stuff). Everything is available in 4 oz pours, which is perfect, and staff are happy to do samples. Beer quality is excellent, especially the BA stouts and barley wines. They have a ridiculous amount of BA bottles to go, so it was hard to contain myself. And the prices of everything are externality reasonable. Well-worth a special trip to visit. Awesome spot.“ |
| 86 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “Love that they had a bigger selection of beer samples. Love the small atmosphere. Wish they had more a bit more food though.“ |
| 78 /100 24 W UNION ST “Found this place while coming back home from a Jonas Brothers concert that was at Columbus on Sept. 6,2019. Was afraid that they didn't have food good thing I was wrong. I was excited that they had a bourbon barrel aged beer on tap. I found it very cool to have this place so close to me an hour away in a small college town. It is the same drive for me as it is to get to Charleston,WV.“ |
| 76 /100 25 CAMPBELL ST. “I guess. I mesed this one up, going to the brewery instead of the downtown tap room. It was a rainy day and there was no inside seating, so it was a damp session. Was still able to snag a small flight. Service was good. Beer was very good. Enough taps to keep you interested. The inside part did look nice, but would definitely like to check out the downtown taproom.“ |
| 80 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “Located outside of town (I think), at the end of a dead end road. Nice scenery looking over the surrounding area. Patio and indoor seating available. Online ordering and payment during pandemic, and no flights or halves. Good music. Specialize in sours.“ |
| 76 /100 97 COLUMBUS ROAD “This brewpub is now painted (devil?) red and has named their beers to match this theme. There are a good variety of beers on tap with 1 nitro tap and a particular strength in barrel aged beers. Friendly service. Plenty of on site parking. Indoor and outdoor seating. 3 of the 4 beers I tried were good or better.
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| 86 /100 24 W UNION ST “30 taps, including 1 guest tap, that cover a wide range of beer styles. Moderate size with a long bar and tables both indoors and outside. Friendly, attentive service.“ |
| 86 /100 25 CAMPBELL ST. “'Only' 16 taps here but what a selection! At least 7 of the taps today are barrel-aged beers.
All three of these that I tried were masterful. Besides, there are quite a few additional choices available in cans and bottles.“ |
| 60 /100 The Union Bar & Grill (Bar) 18 W UNION STREET “This place is on Union Street pretty close to where it meets Court Street. On Street parking situation or find a lot. This place used to be a real dive and need to check this place out since the renovation. Service used to be below average just a couple years ago. Really they did not have too many craft beers not too long ago and they used to only have pints. Really need to check this place out again.“ |
| 68 /100 Cat’s Eye Saloon (Bar) 12 N COURT STREET “Here is a place I have been dozens of times during OBW and back in the day. This place is in the center of downtown Athens right on Court Street. Parking is on the street, unless you find a lot somewhere and walk, or you can pay at the big parking building half a block east off court on Washington Street. The beer selection is above average most of the time, but they kick it up a notch during OBW. Service has always been pretty good and friendly. The place has always been a worn dive bar, but I have never felt unsafe here.“ |
| 76 /100 Cat’s Eye Saloon (Bar) 12 N COURT STREET “Visited during Ohio Brew Week. The place is right in downtown, not too far from the parking garage, but if you prefer metered parking, that is right outside the door. Inside the place has a broken in, dive type atmosphere. The beer selection is far superior to what you would expect, though. During my visit they had a tap takeover of Ohio beers, but from what they said, they usually carry predominantly craft beer. Service was fast and friendly. They kept up with me and my group very well. Pretty neat place.“ |
| 34 /100 97 COLUMBUS ROAD “A lot of house beers that are mostly bad misses. This place needs to step up their game with the likes of Jackie O’s and Little Fish in town. They may want to talk to those people and ask for a little guidance. What I tried here in August of 2016 was not good at all.“ |
| 84 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “I really like what Little Fish is doing. I have been here twice, with my first visit coming in August of 2015 shortly after they opened. They don’t have a huge selection but have around 10-15 beers to try and what they do is very solid. During my August of 2016 trip I picked up one of their 22 oz bottles to go (Sun Fish). I hope they continue on the path they’re on because on my annual trip to Athens I love seeing what they have new. Definitely worth the visit.“ |
| 98 /100 24 W UNION ST “It doesn’t get any better than this really. I guess the only possible drawback to this, is the spot does get a bit busy. The staff and the locals are always friendly and this place has a great vibe to it, just like Athens does. The pizza is great, and they always have at least 20 to 30 beers or so to try on tap. This is a must stop for any beer lover if you ever get the chance. Still my favorite brewery.“ |
| 94 /100 25 CAMPBELL ST. “Jackie O’s is my favorite brewery in the country. I realize I have not been to many on the West Coast, so I’ll say East of the Mississippi. Great selection of great beers. the Production Facility is smaller than the downtown spot and closes at 9pm so beware of that. I like the fact it’s small and has it’s own personality. Not as many of the experimental small batch here as there is at the downtown spot, but really well done. A must stop.“ |
| 86 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “(Visited 07/2015 during Ohio Brew Week, and a couple times since): LIttle Fish is one of the newer breweries in Athens, located west of the campus area on Armitage Road, near the West State Street Park. There is a decent-sized parking lot in front of the building. There is an outdoor biergarten/children’s area on the left side of the barn-style gray building. The inside opens to the tap room, with picnic bench seating along the front by the windows, and the bar in the middle of the space, featuring a gigantic chalk board behind it listing the beers on tap. The brewery is beyond all that, with a large foeder, barrels and brewing equipment in view. It is essentially one large space with a semi-industrial feel with hanging lights and ceiling fans. Little Fish has around 12-15 beers on tap, and samplers are available. On my visits the beers have included flagship type selections like Li’l Harvey’s Milk Stout, Saison du Poisson, Woodthrush, Reinheitsgewhat!? and House IPA, as well as barrel-aged seasonals and one-offs. They also have a NA Ginger Beer for the kiddies. The beers are consistently pretty good. Service on my visits has been very good, both from the bartenders and from the brewers. Very friendly, they know the beers and regularly solicitous of input. Food is not served at Little Fish. All in all, despite the deferential name, it is a solid brewery with consistently good beers that is worth seeking out.“ |
| 86 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “Visited on a Friday afternoon. Located near the outskirts of the town. The building isn’t much to look at, looks like a boring warehouse when driving up. Interior is relatively small, with a small bar and a few tables. The outside area is pretty nice though, some picnic tables, a kids play area, and a food truck, all overlooking the river. Beers available in full sizes and sampler sizes. They had around 12 beers on tap when we visited, with 4 beers available to-go in bottles. Beer styles were very unique and beer quality was very good. I had never heard of this place before we visited, but it was my favorite stop in Ohio. Just good, fresh, unique beers and a really nice atmosphere outside.“ |
| 86 /100 24 W UNION ST “Visited on a Friday during lunchtime. Located in downtown Athens, close to the college. Quaint pub with a nice atmosphere. Beer flights of any size available. Eclectic menu including burgers, vegetarian options, and pizza. The beer quality was outstanding here. All 8 beers we had were top notch. Around 6-8 beers available in the bottle to-go. This is a top notch brewery, and worth going out of your way to visit.“ |
| 78 /100 Athens Uncorked (Bar) 14 STATION STREET “Visited during Ohio Brew Week. They are primarily and higher end wine bar, but they do carry mead and cider. They had Mad Moon, Brother’s Drake, and Rockmill. The Rockmill was probably a special occasion, but I’ve been sent here for mead outside of OBW. Super friendly and knowledgeable service. Really nice glassware. I will gladly come back here. They do have a small food menu with some really interesting things on it. I would love to come here to eat some day. Stop in if you can, you won’t regret it.“ |
| 74 /100 The Union Bar & Grill (Bar) 18 W UNION STREET “Visited during Ohio Brew Week. This place is the next door neighbor to Jackie-Os, so an easy visit if you are in town. Recently renovated place. The tap list was all craft beer, with 8 of the 10 being Ohio brewed. Super friendly service. Very attentive. Prices were good on the sample pours. $2-3 depending on the beer. Only the Barrel Aged Siberian Night was $3, and the others I tried were $2 for a 5 ounce pour. I look forward to checking these guys out outside of OBW.“ |
| 68 /100 Fluff Bakery (Restaurant) 8 N COURT STREET “Primarily a bakery, but over the past couple years, they have embraced the local craft beer scene and carry beers from the local breweries and usually a cider from Ohio. They also carry bottles of mead and cider and allow for individual glasses or whole bottle purchases. Prices of the beer/cider/mead are pretty good and in line with restaurant prices. The coffee here is good, locally roasted coffee. Pastries are always good here. I love this place, and almost always stop in when I’m in town earlier in the morning.“ |
| 74 /100 97 COLUMBUS ROAD “Lots of house beers on. Hit and miss. Easy stop if you are going to Jackie Os and Little Fish.“ |
| 94 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “Must visit brewery in Athens. They are doing some great things.“ |
| 72 /100 97 COLUMBUS ROAD “A warehouse that is a bit hard to find with red on black lettering. On entering a heavy metal themed tasting room with music stuff on the walls. Nice tap room considering theme and staff was pretty pleasant. Selection is good with some solid beers, no food and prices were OK. Not worth a specific trip but worthwhile if you are in town.“ |
| 80 /100 234 WASHINGTON STREET “A stunning location with front patio, great old tap room and a back patio as well. Service was a bit disappointing as they seemed more interested in talking cocktails than cider and when we asked a question they were quite misinformed. Tap list is sold with some great guest taps and Schramms bottles to boot. Overall a great cider house, just wish they were more cider than cocktails.“ |
| 76 /100 24 W UNION ST “Unfortunately at my age college bars are annoying, loud and too busy. This place ticks all 3 boxes. Service was OK, friendly but they didn’t really know alot about the beer. Selection is huge and that is the big draw. Food was decent, but over priced for what you got. I ordered a burger and kid you not thought I was getting a slider. I prefer the other location, but if you want a better selection this is the place to be.“ |
| 80 /100 25 CAMPBELL ST. “A huge production facility with a small comfy tap house that has an older and more local vibe. Service was awesome, they knew their stuff and let us try almost everything without even ordering a flight. Of course a big selection of beers along with wines and even mead. Prices were solid and in my opinion a much better and more relaxed stop that the pub.“ |
| 80 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “A warehouse like structure on a small road with a large outdoor play area. Service is pretty good once they start chatting, very local. Good selection of good beers with a huge flight of everything available at a good price. I have nothing bad to say about this place, a real gem.“ |
| 86 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “Visited on a Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, the weather was not warm enough to enjoy the outdoor area, but looks like a good spot for drinking beer on a sunny day. Front area is pick-nick style tables, and a bar area. Huge chalk board with beer options (I only saw their beer listed), along with other information regarding the brewery. The beers I had were good. The price point was typical to most other breweries in Ohio. Service was knowledgeable, and very friendly. Will be back for sure. Would recommend to others.“ |
| 86 /100 8675 ARMITAGE ROAD “Nice place. Kinda weird to find at night as it’s a rough turn off the main road onto a tiny street and a parking lot with no lighting. Other that that it was all great! Large warehouse type brewery with a decent sized bar and several tables. Early Kinks music playing. I felt like I could hang out for hours. Bartender was very friendly and knew a lot about the beers. They have a couple bar snacks and it looks like they have food trucks as well. There was a tamale vendor inside as of my visit. Fairly crowded on a pleasant Tuesday early evening. 10 beers on tap as of my visit and all were executed well with a few standouts. I definitely appreciated the mix of styles and several lower ABV options. Overall this is a very nice complement to Jackie O’s in a gem of a beer town. Worth going out of your way for.“ |
| 86 /100 24 W UNION ST “Love this place. Jackie os is a great bar in a college town that offers a wide variety of taps, and an awesome food selection. When busy, service can be slow, but the staff is always friendly and helpful. The public house side is larger, and the original pub side can sometimes suffer from an unpleasant aroma when crowded. Other than that, you would be hard pressed to find a more fun, relaxing place to drink amazing beers from such a large selection. Highly recommended!“ |
| 90 /100 234 WASHINGTON STREET “Love ciders? This place is a must-visit. Not only do they brew some of the better ciders I have ever had, but they are passionate about the beverage and feature a good amount of choice guest taps and bottles of ciders, too. I think they usually have at least one or two real beers on tap, but the focus here is almost entirely on ciders. But if you’re not an enthusiast, don’t fret. This place will make you love ciders. If you don’t enjoy them here, then OK, I guess you just don’t like cider yet. I was there last night (in town for the Jackie-O’s 10 Anniversary), and Jstax saw a bottle of french cider on the menu he never had so he ordered it. The owner came over (I don’t think she’s met us before) and I was legitimately excited that we had ordered that and she gave us some details on it. She seemed genuinely excited that we were giving that bottle a go, her passion was clear and I really appreciate that. Not just her, but all the bartenders I’ve ever interacted with at this place were a joy. Athens has got that kind of weird-but-fun vibe to the whole town, and this place is a nice example of that. It’s located on a street that’s not quite downtown but only like a 10 minute walk from it. Every time I visit I find easy street-parking. I like the vibe of the inside of the place. Bar is square shaped, with a nice amount of booths. I’ve never had trouble finding a spot. Being tucked away from the chaos of court street, it’s always far less crowded than other bars around town, and the people you do find there always seem to be good company. I don’t remember the prices exactly but that’s probably a good thing. Being in Athens, they have to stay competitive. All things the same, Athens is a good town $-wise to drink beer, especially compared to Cincinnati. I love Jackie-O’s and try not to miss any of their events. Whenever I’m in town though, we always make sure to go to West End too. Overall, even if you’re just merely open-minded about ciders... This place is a must-visit.“ |
