PRINCETON: A beloved local dive bar in the heart of downtown, Ivy Inn is known for its cheap drinks, tasty bar food, and dog-friendly outdoor patio. We especially loved the shaded seating under the big tent that is perfect for staying cool while hanging out with your pup. The vibe is super friendly; we had a blast chatting with regulars and bartender Adam. Just a heads-up: dogs are welcome until sundown, since things get lively here once the party kicks off. It is a great spot to grab a drink, mingle, and unwind. Cash only! read more

Ivy Inn - Bars Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

We were in Princeton for a lacrosse game and was looking for a place to grab a drink. From the outside it doesn't look like it's even open but we took a tug on the door! Simple basic college town tavern. Adam the bartender is great! It was so good we went back the next day for lunch. Huge sandwiches! Definitely a place to visit. However, know ahead of time they are CASH only! But there is an ATM on the premises. read more

I went to this bar with a couple friends and I asked the bartender a question. She immediately responded with attitude and disrespect. Afterwards she was making mean faces at me and my friends who weren't even involved. I will never come back here and I don't recommend anyone does. Also the bathroom was disgusting. She should work on her customer service skills, her attitude ruined my night. read more

Google Reviews wasn't working for me so I created a Yelp account just to say how great of a time I had at the Ivy Inn!! I arrived here for the first time with family the other day and I was met with an authentic feeling American bar with great food, staff, and music. The bartender with the glasses (Todd?) went above and beyond for my group with recommendations, pleasant conversation, and even custom mocktails for the kids! Cash only was a bummer but the drinks were cheap, fast, and well made. The food service was a bit slow and we did receive the wrong pizza at one point, I could hardly complain as Todd noticed it right away and corrected it. After hearing about Karaoke and Trivia nights, I'll be sure to visit again very soon. This is a perfect spot for date night, friends, or a day out with the family. 5 stars!!! read more

This place is awesome and they allow you to smoke! Thank God and Trump that a bar / restaurant has finally come to their senses. There was a running club that was sitting near us, who just got food and complained to the establishment that people were smoking while they were trying to eat - bar guy came out and basically said to the run club, F off people can smoke after kitchen closes. LOL - stupid jocks got their food not even five minutes before the kitchen closed! We smoked like the factories from the Industrial Revolution! Great food, smoking allowed, appears to be MAGA friendly, oh and pissing off the libs with backing from the staff was epic. They do need ashtrays on the tables though - we had to flick our butts out onto the sidewalk - which, like President Trump - creates jobs! Somebody has to pick up the litter! read more

Friendly staff. Local. Delicious. I have had a great experience with Ivy Inn. Food was delicious and staff was outstanding. I would like to shout out JJ. She provided a great service and made sure I was taken care of. I would definitely come back here again, I hope you find this review helpful. Thank you. read more

Ivy Inn perfectly captures the atmosphere of a small community pub; the whiskey collection is incredible, and the distinctiveness cocktails are creative (attempt the smoked rosemary gin fizz!). Although the bar stools might want greater cushioning for extended use, the happy hour offers are true. Weekend noise stages are higher, however the bartenders preserve prompt carrier. Ideal for intimate gatherings or romantic evenings, however less appropriate for quiet conversations after 9:00 p.M. read more

Best bar in Princeton! Beers are cheap, service is quick. I've always had great nights at Ivy - every hour is happy hour No frills, all fun. read more

The food here is sort of mid (typical bar food though, so can't really complain?) but the service is good and they gave the class of 2025 a pretty great venue/pub night w karaoke! It does get quite crowded here though if your group is large as there is not too much space. There is not that much sitting space either. read more

Great open patio to bring to have beer. Awesome given the need for open air outdoor dining during the pandemic. They have a good selection on taps and cool and laid- back crowd. I believe they have live music but has not experienced that (yet). And yea, bring the dog along - as I said quite laid back. The weizen on tap was a bit watery so go for ale or and IPA instead. read more

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this was my second time here and have never been treated so disrespectfully. i ordered two lemonade surfsides that should be typically $2-4. the bartender accused me of bringing in a drink someone else left on the counter and threatened to kick me out, after coercing me to say "yes i brought it in" just to get a drink here. i just wanted two lemonade surfsides. got the wrong order, got charged $16 for what should have been max $8, paid $20 and the bartender kept the change. my friend ordered the same drink for me prior got charged $4 for a 1 lemonade surfside. never coming back, absolute gross behavior. read more

I totally understand when tickets get lost and food gets forgotten, what I don't understand is bad service. We ordered nachos and chicken strips at the same time and paid at the bar through a young blonde girl. We received the chicken strips almost immediately. 40 minutes later we still hadn't received the nachos so I went up to the young girl and asked about them. She told us the kitchen was backed up. Another half hour went by and my friend went up to the bar and asked again nicely. The bartender told her again (with attitude) that the kitchen was busy, but didn't look into it, didn't check the computer or with the kitchen. We never received the nachos, and after another half hour had to ask for a refund. We had to go to another restaurant down the street cause we were still hungry. I just don't understand why we weren't taken seriously. I thought it was very clear the kitchen had lost the ticket. If we had been taken seriously the first time they could have asked for the nachos on the fly for us and we would have been happy. Instead we left hungry and upset. read more

While most restaurants in Princeton vainly aspire to the Michelin Guide, the Ivy Inn on Nassau Street defiantly clings to their Upper Peninsula Michigan vibe. Thank God. Dark, grubby and more than generous with a pour this is a proper bar that gets loud and has zero gastropub pretensions. Yeungling on draft coexists nicely with a very decent bloody Mary whose vodka pedigree I didn't quite catch. Leave your school tie at home and enjoy a menu that's not biodegradable or gluten-friendly. This is a hard core joint in a soft core town - there should always be one. Five stars. read more

Not really one who gives bad reviews, but staff was not friendly and they did not say it was a cash only joint until after I ordered. I had to pay an extra surcharge at their ATM without knowing so before I bought a single beer. Definitely could use help with customer service. read more

Ivy Inn - a pint of beer on a table - Bars Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

came for trivia made so many memories and had so many laughs with good friends good food and drinks. love this place will be returning LOVED the outdoor seating (only in summer). read more

Great little spot in the heart of Princeton. DJ on weekends and crowd is always diverse. Shout out to our favorite bartender Chuck for always taking care of us! Always a great time at Ivy. read more

This is the best dive bar around. Cheap drinks and friendly bartenders. Karaoke nights on Wednesdays are the best!! I think they have live bands or a dj every Friday and Saturday too. read more

We visited Ivy Inn for the first time in a few years with some friends. We liked the new outdoor setup and that you could order with QR codes at the tables. Unfortunately QR scanner image was old and faded and it didn't work. I ended up going inside already annoyed and ordered our drinks/food. Handed the bartender our card and we're told it's cash only. Seriously? What year is it? I didn't have enough cash on me and their ATM machine didn't work so we just left and went to a bar down the street. What happened to this place? read more

Bar doesn't serve to anybody on a motorcycle or bicycle??? I've never heard of another place in my life doing this, it's just discrimination. If it's from a place of morally not wanting to endanger a cyclist/motorcyclist, is it not a bartender's job to not over-serve a patron regardless of how they arrived to the location? So what is the significance if you walked, took a motorcycle, or rowed in a canoe for that matter? If I could give 0 stars I would, I've never been turned down from a business before, let alone for something as silly and discriminatory as a mode of transportation. read more

Great Dive Bar with excellent bar food. really terrific pizza. Good drink, super laid back and plenty of tvs.

Came in mid week for a drink, was warned by others to avoid but I don't like to judge based on other peoples experiences.....I should have listened. Literally only 8 customers spread out the entire business both inside and outside with two bartenders, with that being said, bar staff seemed to be preoccupied with talking with each other and not walking the bar checking on customers. When I finally got their attention, bearded bartender seemed frustrated that I was even there and said about 5 words, walked away and never turned back. These days, many folks like to classify this style of bar as a "dive bar", this is not a dive bar, it's not down to earth and is way more pretentious than it pretends not to be. read more

I am a life-long New Jersey resident, an avid bar goer, and a burgeoning alcoholic. I think you can trust me on advice for taverns within the Garden State. I first set foot in The Ivy Inn during the winter of 2018 and I just can't stop coming! The drinks are spectacular. The food is satisfying and lovingly cooked. The prices will make you smack your mother across her fat, sullen face. The clientele is simply perfect. Have an Uptown Get Down to start your night (or late morning) off right. Sing some karaoke on Thursday (preferably something by The Scorpions, Cher, or KISS). Flex your BRAIN on Tuesday for trivia night. Whip your lungs into shape on the gorgeous patio area with some fine tobacco products. Come say hi to me, Ed Gonzalez when you stop by... I'll be sure to make it worth your while if you nahhh I'm sayin'. Aiiiight?!?!! read more

So I came here for karaoke night and was shocked at how insanely busy it got. I had to yell over the crowd for the whole night (my voice was hoarse the next day!) and no one in our group ever got to sing, despite being there for hours. It seems weird to fault the venue for being too popular, but if I go to a karaoke night and never get to sing, that's kind of a problem. Also, there weren't any instructions on how to submit song requests to the DJ. It's usually pretty straightforward at other bars (you fill out a piece of paper with your artist and song name and hand that piece of paper to the DJ) but Ivy Inn uses an app. Futuristic, I guess, but if you are requiring people to use the app, you need explicit instructions posted. Anyway, the bartenders did a good job handling the huge number of people and it was an alright time, but I can't imagine I'll be back for karaoke. read more

What makes a good bar? Where do you meet great people? How do you have a memorable night? At Ivy Inn, these are the sort of questions you'll never be asking yourself, being far too busy having an excellent time. The exceptional staff, well priced drinks, live music and DJs make this one of my favorite bars. This is the sort of place I hope my hypothetical future son OR daughter go to, and I can't fathom any higher accolade I can give, if I could rate it higher, I would. Huge shout-out to Dave and John for not letting me drive. read more

The Ivy or as it's affectionately known "the divey", would only earn this title in Princeton. The Ivy is really just a normal bar, which is very refreshing in Princeton. The food here is excellent, and I often come to eat here. I highly recommend the burgers, they actually listen to how you want it prepared. They also have tater tots! They also have lots of fun events, karaoke, trivia, comedy, live music, ect. The management/owners are also super accommodating to planning large events and ordering food/drinks for a group. The patio is also awesome for outdoor seating in nice weather. A Princeton institution with no match. read more

Why are people hating so much on Ivy Inn? Just by the outside rustic area and loud thumping music, you must know what you are about to get yourself into. This is a dive bar that has created a perfect marriage between cheap drinks and crazy drunk people. Now if you are appalled by that statement, you probably should go to a classier joint like Triumph, but if you just checked how many singles you have in your wallet, you can join me at the Ivy. Hubby and I came here after fueling up on some good food at the late night happy hour at Winberies. It was around 10:30 pm and it felt like 2 am for some of these folks. Two nicely poured Vodka sodas and 2 fireball shots were about $12, which is just amazing. There was a $3 cover fee, yes, 3 whole dollars to come in because they had a live band, personally I think that's more than fair. The only reason I take out a star is because it was definitely a sausagefest and about 3 guys were WAY over their limit, falling all over themselves and the other was harassing girls. I guess typed out that makes this place sound awful, but I think this is bound to happen at a place that is so overly crowded with so much going on. I do think the security has to be stepped up , but there were no bar fights, no glass smashing, so all in all people were cordial to each other. It is a pretty mixed crowd of ages and even races. This is the only bar where I have seen a group of Latino men drinking at the bar. They also have a pool table and sell beer to go. I would definitely return, but not alone and not with a group of only girls. read more

Karaoke Wednesdays! Upsides - It is exactly what you expect. They have a decent selection of bar food and beer. The pub grub is standard, fries and burgers and sandwiches. Not super tasty, but decently priced and when you're having it with some beers - it'll do. They also have a pool alcove and a outdoor porch area out back. Downsides - There is minimal parking. Ivy Inn itself is also pretty tiny. Not a lot of room. There's basically just a bar, the karaoke stage, some minimal seating indoors and minimal seating outdoors. For the most part, it ranges from relatively to pretty crowded most days. read more

How were the drinks? Can't recall. Ambiance? It's hazy. Service? Honestly not sure. I went here with a bunch of folks after my 30th HS reunion. Middle aged people drinking like they're still 20 is never a good look, and when we started with the tequila shots it was the beginning of the end. By the time we got to the Ivy everything is a bit of a blur. But! I sitting out on the patio was nice, the cool air felt great. And staff was great, even helped me find the glasses I lost during the night. Will definitely return for another round when I'm back in Princeton in another 30 years. read more

I love this place. You can't beat the food and excellent cocktails. There's 1 in particular, Chuck, who stood out the most to me. Very personable, great conversation & even better pour. We had a little debate about who was the better Batman, I said Christian Bale and he said Ben Affleck which was my only fault with him. Nonetheless, amazing experience. I will be coming back here for sure! read more

Worst customer experience ever. Rude bartender, John Nino, I think his name was. The guy is a complete tool, no social skills what-so-ever. Then to make matters worse, he flirts with my wife right in front of me. Sorry bud, unfortunately you're too short for her. read more

Best neighborhood bar in Princeton...great prices, amazing food, always a good time! The bartenders are super nice too! I highly recommend the chicken salad with sliced apples (see uploaded picture) read more

Ivy Inn - Chicken salad with apple slices - Bars Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

This place wasnt to bad, its a dive bar so know that walking in there. The place wasnt to croweded when we we go there and when we left it still wasnt to crowed on a firday night. The beer was pretty cheap i, remeber paying practically nothing for about 10 beers. granted they had 24 ounce miller for 2 bucks so. All in all, it wasnt the best place around but the cheap beer made up for the 3 buck cover. read more

Amazing place. Bingo is a blast. The bartenders are attentive and attractive. Definitely recommend.

This is your classic dive bar in an Ivy League town. It has a bar, indoor seating, pool table, rear patio, full menu Patio has lots of smokers, which one expects from a dive bar. That's a plus. They have the best burger-and-fries platter in Princeton. Very, very good. Good mixed clientele. Yes, preppies from Princeton, but in the minority and they keep it undercover. Mostly regular folks. I met a local union guy, and we talked politics. Somebody likes flowers, because the smoky patio had great window boxes. Super friendly staff and good service. Clientele is mixed read more

We had two meals at the Ivy Inn with two different groups over the past weekend. Service was great, convenient outdoor seating made for good conversations, the nachos were tasty, the mozzarella sticks were delicious, and the pizza really was out of this world! We'll be back again next time we're in town. read more

This is a Princeton Institution. Best bar in Princeton. Hands down, bar none (pun intended). Great food, good beer selection, no judgement, no frills, just come in and have a good time. Not over-priced or stuck up. read more

Dive bars are dark, grungy, chaotic -- the perfect type of bar for me, really. Less civilized, but more exciting. Less attractive, but more available. Less exclusive, but more forgiving. You know what irks me about this place? Even though it's a dive bar, it's still in Princeton; there are always tall, above-average-looking white guys congregating in this place -- which is sort of in my wheelhouse. I feel generic whenever I'm here. It's messed up. I guess everyone who goes here must have had decent health insurance and good nutrition growing up. Just like me. I notice that other reviewers complain about the Ivy Inn as if it didn't belong in a place like Princeton. But that's just ridiculous. Genius breeds misery, and this is one of the only miserable places in this Ivy League town. I'll bet anything that this place makes for an excellent refuge for some of the most beautiful minds in Princeton. read more

I was here for a little while and it was a fun place to hang out. After a certain time there is a small cover charge (was Friday night). There is an outside area also in the back. read more

The best place in Princeton! Obviously, that isn't saying much, as this Harry Potter wizard town of well-behaved, ice cream-guzzling, rich little snots is hell on Earth--but the Ivy protects us from death at our own hands. Imagine! A place where everyone always forgets your name (but kinda recalls meeting you once--it was 12 times, Zeke, 12...TIMES!); where great titans of crossword puzzles and misanthropic Princeton academics mingle freely with the younger (MUCH younger) interlopers from neighboring forgotten hamlets; where one can always abandon their children (if only for an hour) to drink some delicious Yuengling and fireball shots. Indeed, the Ivy Inn is a mythical haunt, a place that many believe was swept into the dustbin of history, but rather lives ecstatically without abandon. Imagine! A Xanadu, where one does not fear permanent banishment for drunkenly vomiting on oneself--no worries, the punishment is a vigorous, disapproving "shake of the head" from Ritchie and a legitimate expression of concern from the many friendly bartenders. Imagine! A protectorate, where one does not fear the vengeful wrath of health-conscious, Princetonian, dead-eyed charlatans for experiencing the mere joy of incinerating one's own lungs with delicious tar---no worries, the smoke from A THOUSAND cigarettes blocks out the stars! When I die, the few that I have not driven away with my narcissistic obsessions will cast off my ashes into the grime of Nassau Street, as alcoholic onlookers from the Ivy ignore the magnificent spectacle, instead peering into the seemingly bottomless depths of a freshly poured lager with child-like wonder. Humanity is not dead. It is rather sequestered in the dark corners of my white whale, my only love...my Ivy. Fear not! Upon gripping the pavement, its vines shall reach for the sun, pulsating into the endless abyss of tomorrow. Godspeed, ye Ivy patrons! Rage against the incipient darkness that creeps from the confines of the Princeton campus: it will try to quench the small gasps of light that radiate from our ever shriveling hearts; but prevail, it will not. The light will eventually go out, but not today. Not today! read more

I see that a lot of people have rated this place highly. Have you been to any other bars before? The things that this place has that I love are the take out, chill staff and ludicrously cheap beer. Other than that on a Friday or Saturday night it is way too packed to have any sort of fun whatsoever. best times to go are weekdays when it isn't as crowded. That way you can actually socialize and still drink for mad cheap. Definitely had a bunch of black outs here. read more