I really, really, really love the drink menu of the Alibi. Like, a lot. Their visual chart is a…read moregodsend for cocktail explorers, and all of the drinks came out delicious and exactly as described. It's so creative, and the drinks are really the stellar stand out here.
However, the atmosphere of those drinks is what gives me pause when thinking about coming back. The limited table situation, tiny cramped space, and loud music means that it doesn't feel particularly relaxing. People are constantly brushing up against you (even at 5PM), and holding a conversation at a normal distance is nearly impossible.
NOTE: This place is covered in dust. No shade to the ownership as it doesn't appear to be anywhere near food prep areas (it's on the decor, on/around shelving, all over the faux plants, etc.), but if you're someone who's sensitive to dust, this is probably not a good fit.
PROS:
-I loooooooove how they've done their drink menu. As someone who is still exploring the potential of cocktails, their nerdy "chart" that places all of their drinks on a sweet/bitter and alcohol-forward/approachable visual chart is SUCH a help. As such, everything I ordered was absolutely amazing for me. I knew exactly what to expect from a drink because of its position on the chart, and it delivered.
-Their drinks are really unique. Aqua faba? Fat washed alcohols? Lollipops or toasted marshmallows as garnishes? Super cool. Don't let some of the weirder descriptions creep you out of trying them.
-All of their drinks were delicious. Everything I ordered was exactly as described. I often go places where the taste is barely related to its namesake, but they were entirely on-point here.
CONS:
-I'm not sure if someone called off that night as other reviewers are in love with the service, but our service was really really slow. No real rapport with the staff; just stating the name of a drink as they rushed past and then they were off to try to clean a table or take someone else's order. The drinks they made were great, but this isn't somewhere we'd go if we were in a hurry.
-The pictures do not accurately convey how small this place is. Like, it's small. I'd guess less than 1000 square feet. My apartment is bigger by a lot. This isn't necessarily an issue, but it means people pile up quickly as they wait for seating (there's like 4/5 tables and then bar seating). The human walkways are small enough that the bartenders and other guests will brush against you a lot - even while seated.
-I get the vibe they were going for here, but with the smaller space, I think a lot of the potential decor options had to "go" in order to fit more humans. It's giving me hardcore The Hearth Room (in Cincinnati) vibes, and I think it could honestly pull it off if it simply had more space. The "relaxed, sophisticated bourbon bar" doesn't quite come through as well when things are so focused on simply fitting in more bodies.
-It's loud AF. Like, really, really loud. Between all the people and the blasting pop music, it required leaning into someone's ear in order to speak at normal volumes. We'd regularly have to pause the conversation if something in the music was building to a drop. This is not a place I'd take someone I wasn't very very comfortable with because it really requires being in someone's space to talk.
-There's a single all-gender toilet here for everyone in the establishment. It's basically a revolving door of people in and out of it. The door auto-closes, however, so it's really difficult to figure out if it's open or not. There was usually a queue of people waiting in front of the door.
