Cancel

Open app

Search

The Alley

4.2 (25 reviews)
InexpensiveBars
Open • 1:00 pm - 3:00 am (Next day)

About The Alley

Loading...

Read the full summary in the app

The Alley Photos

THE ALLEY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Divey
Juke Box
Good for groups

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - The Alley

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Neighborhood bar. Good sound level, small, close knit, local feel. Not an amazing beer selection, but varied enough.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Leo F.
1
150
130

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Tony M.
75
30
1

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Love this spot.....atmosphere is a vibe very laid back and lots of funI'm hooked on the pull tabs

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

16 years ago

This place is so cozy. Great beer selection, the owner is probably the best bartender in town, hands down. And not to mention DICE GAMES!!!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Greg K.
4
81
47

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Dan M.
52
5
2

16 years ago

Great little local bar. Bailey the bartender is the best!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of D H.
35
935
4360

15 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

Ask the Community - The Alley

Review Highlights - The Alley

“. I'll definitely make a point to stop in on my next visit to B-Town.”

Mentioned in 2 reviews

Read more highlights

Verify this business for free

People searched for Bars 550 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

Verify this business

The Back Door - Food truck

The Back Door

3.8(31 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$

My girlfriend are on a quest to visit all the lesbian bars in the country, and luckily my sister…read moregoes to school in Bloomington. The weekend we went happened to be Bloomington Pride, so this place was packed. A fun mixture of college students, 20 something's, and older folks. You enter through a tall fence off of an alleyway, so I'm guessing it's challenging to find if you don't know where you're going, but that's part of the fun. Of the 4 lesbian bars we've been to, this place wins for best decor hands down. We're talking zebra print walls, stuffed unicorn heads, yonic art, glow in the dark paint. Great vibes. They have a super cute outdoor patio as well, and I loved the little food truck on the patio that opens at 9 pm! Great waffle fries and hot sandwiches. Nothing hits as right as hot cheese when you're drunk. They have tons of fun specialty drinks on a menu behind the bar! Also a great mocktail menu for the sober community! Everyone was super welcoming in this space. The one complaint I have is the Dj... we came here to dance the night away and barely made it to 11 pm because the DJ didn't play any recognizable songs or songs with a dancing beat. There were only around 10 people on the dance floor at a given time. On the other hand, this is the first lesbian bar I've been in that has had an operational dance floor with anyone on it, so that's a win. I can't wait to come back again the next time I visit Bloomington!

Ok. Im biting my tongue some in this review. While i personally still do not agree with charging…read morefor mixers, i absolutely agree this place needs to do whatever is necessary to keep their doors open. Its a safe place to foster community of any kind. They support so many local organizations it makes my head spin. I do know the owners on a personal level. That doesnt sway my 5* vote. They are true women who do care. It is undeniably the best place to dance in BLM any day of the week. They do have great drink specials. Some of the bartenders make the best drinks in town, and its not over priced. Gay, straight, anywhere in between has a home here. Come join us.

Photos
The Back Door
The Back Door - Comedy Show A+

Comedy Show A+

The Back Door - Menu behind the bar (including mocktails!)

See all

Menu behind the bar (including mocktails!)

Bluebird Nightclub

Bluebird Nightclub

3.5(85 reviews)
0.2 mi
•$

My days of going to the Bluebird 2-3 times a week are long behind me, but as I was attending a show…read morethis weekend, I realized I have never done a Yelp review, and since it's potentially the best bar on the planet, I decided I needed to correct that oversight. During my college years, a good portion of my Bloomington memories are from the Bluebird. Fantastic bands, good friends and a somewhat aggressive number of drinks were the common theme multiple nights a week. Now that I'm OLD(er) the visits are less frequent, but when the right bands are in town and my calendar isn't slammed with adulting, I still find the Bird to be my favorite place in town. The original Bluebird was about half the size it is today. Several years ago, they bought out the restaurant next door and added a large additional space, leading to a pretty big bar/nightclub with a 'bar area' that includes a nice full bar, booths and tables, and the 'live music' portion which has a big stage, plenty of room for big crowds, and a warehouse vibe that is second to none. When you arrive, you'll start to see pictures of the amazing acts that run thru the Bluebird when they're just on the cusp of being 'huge' - from REM to Miranda Lambert to Gryffin, just about every genre is represented and it's nice to say 'I saw them with a few hundred of my friends' after you give ticketmaster your kidney to pay for their giant stadium shows. Reasonable drink prices, good people behind the bar, and the best bands currently playing the area, you can't go wrong with a night at the Bluebird. I wish I was still young and able to do multiple shows every week, but for now I'll just appreciate having it in my backyard so I can attend with the mood hits . Best bar in Bloomington. Probably anywhere.

I think it's discriminatory that international IDs aren't accepted, only passports are.read more

Photos
Bluebird Nightclub - Live music stage

Live music stage

Bluebird Nightclub
Bluebird Nightclub

See all

The Alley - bars - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...