Absolutely fabulous!! A incredible selection of whiskey. Great prices! Food is awesome read more

The Blind Donkey - Enjoyed every bit of the hamburger and buffalo chicken fries...the cocktail was fabulous! Ambiance is great! Must go - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

i have little doubt this place will soon blow up with business, if not already. its just that type of joint. but i didnt wanna be a jerk and rate this place less just so it continues to be nice and slow for my own sake (like 7 grand, WHERE DID YOU GOOOO). so i rated it how it deserves to be rated. FULL FIVE STARS BABY. the owner is excellent. he definitely takes ownership of his business and literally put his blood sweat and tears into it (k fine, minus the blood part). he and his partners painted the walls, did some of the carpentry, and hand selected each and every one of the liquors. and the effort shows. the libations are delish and more than fairly priced. he uses good, organic ingredients, like this sweet jam his friend makes and herbs and stuff. the fiance and i shuffleboarded to the best of our abilities, drink in hand. we watched the lakers win, and it was a good night. thanks BD. i wont hold it against you if it gets suuuper busy. you deserve it :) read more

Cool, casual bar in downtown Pasadena area. Happy hour: $5 beer and wine options for happy hour. Though the happy hour options are limited, theyre pretty tasty. Fries: I ordered the Parmesan Fries, which were usual and pretty good. But the stars of the show were the Bacon Cheddar Fries and the Margarita Fries. The bacon was huge and thick cut with lots of cheese on thick french fries. The best! The margarita fries were odd but surprisingly tasty. Covered in pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, tomato and basil. Id go back for the fries alone. Both priced around $9, i believe. The only issue was it took about 20 minutes to come out. But when it did, they were really hot. read more

One of my favorite bars in LA! Although I'm a beer man first, I'm a whiskey guy second! Asides from their great selection of whiskeys, they make a great old fashioned (order it with Templeton Rye). They also have a nice beer selection, both on tap and in bottles. Haven't had their food yet though, although I surprisingly enjoyed the pickle back shot with my drink! Bartenders know what they're doing and are attentive, although it definitely helps that I always go on weekday evenings. Plus, you can drink whiskey AND play checkers. read more

Fun place to grab a drink. I like that they're open late (2am) even on weekdays! The service can be hit or miss sometimes but overall it's decent. They have an extensive whiskey selection for whiskey lovers and plenty of beer (and wine too!). It's on union which is more secluded from the main thoroughfare of Colorado Blvd. Parking can be difficult on weekends but I've never had a problem after circling a few times. read more

The place is small, the drinks are pretty cheap (peep the happy hr), but don't get it twisted, this place is NOT dive-y What it is is a very quaint and friendly bar that caters to the locals and transients alike. While I'm just a mere commuter who travels to Pasadena for work, The Blind Donkey is always sure to make me feel right at home. The libations are good, and the pours are just strong enough for my taste. The fries are great if you want something to nosh on while drinking with some friends. Their take on the old fashioned is my current favorite, but I've enjoyed anything the bartender makes me there. I've heard it can get croweded at night on weekends, but I've only been during the week after work, and It's never too crowded then. read more

We came here at the start of a Saturday night, and ordered an old fashioned and Irish mule. The Old fashioned was a bit sweet, but still great to drink, and the Irish mule was refreshing, yet still had a good kick. I love that they had TVs here to watch the game (football playoffs!). If you have a large group, I wouldn't recommend this place, as it's designed for smaller groups and a more intimate setting. Would come back! read more

Was one of the stops on TNT leukemia/lymphoma pub crawl. Arrived on a Saturday around 4:30p maybe. Was busy because of this event. Not sure how it is on a normal Saturday? Had the Armory XPA - Deschutes. Was only there for a few minutes as it was on to the next stop. Pounded my beer! I would stop in again to try their whiskey and have a bit to eat. read more

The Blind Donkey - Was cool to be an honorary member :-) - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Large whiskey menu! They have a few cocktails on their drink menu but they are very good! The service was good and the bartenders were very knowledgable about the drinks which is a good thing because I have no idea what some of the names of drinks mean. The staff was very friendly and everyone helped us out not just 1 person. Drinks were good and so were the fries! Would definitely come here again. read more

The Blind Donkey - Old Fashioned and California Sour. - Whiskey Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

me: too bad you're not here, i'd take you to my new fave whiskey bar to catch up they do whisky too Patrick: Lol sure hope a whiskey bar sells whiskey =P me: technically it's scotch P: Wtf why have two spellings and only snobs differentiate me: are you hatin' on my exquisite palate? you just *wish* you had my refined aesthetics ~*~ ambiance//***** this is not a social bar, it's a whiskey bar dark interior with minimal distractions mostly for you to concentrate on your drink...and maybe the company service//**** whether it's a quiet week night or a bustling weekend, the peeps here have been great~ drinks//***** for the snob or the n00b, they have an enviable collection! i took a friend for his bday cuz he is an aficionado, and boy was he impressed ps. i didn't order food, but i've been told they make a good burger. plus the lady next to me ordered some delicious looking grub! she even offered to share!!^^ read more

Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Rachael is a great bartender. Always have a great time and love the comedy show.

Im having a great night... great beer selection tonight, beachwood drakes col. Is fantastic, solid and very clean ipa... pennys kickin ass and makin my stay awesomo and brendas blue is always amazing.. The trivia is very akward though and different from other bars and how it was before. Trivia is supposed to be, trivia... the last question was posted on tmz.com 3 days ago... those are headlines, not trivia Cheers read more

This place has really come alive. I'm happy for them. Came here a couple of times over a year ago and it was very slow but the cocktails were well made and my guests really appreciated the mixology behind them. The liquor options are deep and I was glad to have my usual Hibiki neat. Beer and craft options you can't possibly try them all. Probably the most important thing for Blind Donkey is that women like this place. There are options for all ladies and their various tastes. And where the women go, the men will flock. So keep up the good work. 4.25 stars. I'm coming back! read more

I've been here twice and had a great time, once on my own on a weekend afternoon and most recently as part of the Field Trip event. Service is great, chill crowd, good brown liquor selection and rotating beers on tap. This is a no-frills, friendly place. I don't live nearby but I would make a trip to come back! read more

Been here a couple of times and I always think to myself "this place is pretentious, why am i here?" But in all honesty, I like how they pride themselves on making a quality whiskey drink. It is a little too fancy for my taste, but I always find myself enjoying the time spent here. It's pretty dim lighting, but I bet it is brighter during the day time from the windows. I imagine the decor of the place is what hipsters would have looked like in the 1920s. Overall, parking is a pain since it's in Old Town Pasadena. I usually take the metro gold line, or park in the structure off Union and Arroyo; it's a paid parking structure. read more

Randomly stumbled upon this place walking through old town this Saturday while heading to another bar and this was definitely a nice surprise. The staff was nice, the place was just the right amount of people for me. By that, I mean the place was poppin' but not too packed. We were able to find a good spot for us chat and converse. The music was loud enough to keep the party going, but definitely was not too loud to have to scream at my company. I was pleasantly surprised by their whiskey collection. You could see from walking past their front door that they seem to have a large collection, and that was a huge part of why it got me curious. The fun thing they do is a whiskey flight that lets you sample multiple mini half shots-- awesome ideas for beginner whiskey fans looking to learn some of the nuances. They also let you dictate between a single ounce pour or a large two ounce poor which is great if you want to sample a lot or if you really want to enjoy one particular whiskey. Bonus points for having other select spirits and a decent tap menu too; so you don't have to necessarily be only with your whiskey loving friends here-- others can enjoy as well! And double bonus points for having a shuffle board table. Heads up though, it is a bit on the shorter end! read more

Good gawd!, my Old Fashioned was strong. Maybe it's because they made it the real way. For a Wednesday evening, the place was packed. 10pm and there's no where to sit. It didn't even look like half the people were drinking, they were just sitting. Looking cool, and uninterested. Standard hipster shit. When we finally snagged a table, we wanted to order food, but the kitchen was closed. They allowed us to bring in some tacos to eat (thank you, because I was seriously getting sloshed off of my one-drink). No one seemed to care that we busted out into song in celebration of my fiance's glorious day of birth. Nor did they care about the chocolate cake that was smeared all over the table, completely by accident of course. Cool place to go with a few friends. Remember to order your whiskey with an ice ball. read more

Great little spot on the main strip in Pasadena! They have lots of beers on tap and some yummy grub to snack on. We tried the fried pickles, and they were tasty. My Husband liked them more than I did, the breading was a little thicker than I like, but to each his own. Ask for ranch! We would love to come back again on our next stop through Cali! read more

Fun and friendly bar to hang out. They have a good selection of drinks and friendly staff. The location is good too. It's in downtown Pasadena and right in the heart of their bar area. Reasonably priced drinks and plenty of seating. They have a really cool large mirror too. read more

I am indeed a fan. Big props to Penny, the best bartender Pasadena has ever known (wherever she works). We received excellent drinks and superb service. 1 Moscow Mule (delicious and refreshing), and 1 High West Double Rye Whiskey (crisp, aromatic, fantastic liquor from Park City, UT http://www.highwest.com/). Minus 1 star for the horrendous douchebag crowd--documented extensively in other reviews. No Pasadena bar should draw this type of West LA frats! Ugh. I'll paraphrase another reviewer: bring your ipod, plug in, and enjoy some of the best whiskey you've every had. Also, so I can get some 'useful' points: visit before 7pm to beat the crowd--it is a fairly small bar and it gets crowded at night. read more

Chill atmosphere for a laid back Friday or Saturday night! Some TVS & Shuffleboard! I call this place a Whiskey town because their drinks are predominately whiskey based! They are pretty strong and you maybe wishing for another one but, be careful it may hit you later Perfect for a friends laid back chill place, but make sure one of you guys is the DD Shuffleboard is a must ;) This is the spot i learned how to play ! Parking in nearby structures or street parking (be AWARE pasadena street parking signs are tricky & they don't end till pretty late on Friiday & Saturday night - if i can recall correctly not till 10pm). read more

Buffalo Fries!!! So hot and spicy! I salivate just thinking back on it. If you're a whiskey drinker and you have a girlfriend who loves shoes, you will finally know how she feels when she walks into the Nordstrom Shoe department. There are sooo many excellent choices! For those less inclined for whiskey neat, their cocktails are good too. I don't remember the name, but the one I had was well-balanced, citrusy, sweet but not overly so to hide the fact that it is a whiskey drink. There's shuffleboard toward the front of the space. I've witnessed some epic games go down but haven't tried it myself. It can get rowdy, but if you cross to the otherside, it's less noisy and you can have a conversation with your date without shouting. read more

I can not attest to the quality of the food, since I have never had a nibble from here. I can however attest tho the quality of the cocktails. Old Town Pasadena use to be my stomping grounds back in the day, until that is, I exhausted all the options. I was super happy upon moving back to the area to see a lot has changed. For example, Slater's 50/50 has managed to stay in business in a location that could never keep a long term occupant. I can't even remember what the Blind Donkey use to be. Anyhow, I was referred here by a friend who loves whiskey as much as I do, if not more. A group of us had a free Saturday to hang out and decided instead of us doing the usual BBQ at one of our homes we would take a field trip. OT Pasadena won due to it's close proximity to our house. We started with burgers and made our way down the block. We eventually lost a few members, which left just a handful of us to finish the field trip. Once I walked into the blind donkey I loved the architectural details and oft like atmosphere. The cocktail list was awesome, but I always stick to my favorite. I had to order a rye Old Fashion, went for Templeton, a classic. It was finely crafted and the bartender was so personable I felt like I wanted to hang out and keep talking. But as I mentioned before we were on a field trip with many more points of interest that had to be tackled. I don't usually have a lot of free time and I am not the biggest fan of going out on the usual nights, i.e. Friday and Saturday. BUT for the Blind Donkey I will make the exception. read more

The waitress are rude they don't pay attention when you're calling them & when I was speaking to one of them she straight ignored me & looked the other side . Pleasantly of other bars that offer good whiskey . read more

I can't say enough great things about this place. I held a client gathering on May 18. The staff was amazing. Even though I had come in and had spoken to John (manager) earlier that week notifying him that I was bringing about 20 people, we ended up with 45. The staff met our needs. Always taking our requests with a smile. I received great feedback regarding the whole experience. Thank you Blind Donkey, you made me and my re look great! read more

Im torn between 3 and 4 stars because the food was so bad, but drinks are great. Came here on Sunday late afternoon and a couple tables were open. It took a long while before anyone was tending bar, and then you have to order everything at the bar including food, they don't have table service. A lot of the beer selections were out, but i drink whiskey so not a big deal. definitely dont come here for the food, instead come just for the drinks. read more

One of the best gems of Pasadena. I've been here twice and both times I've been blown away by their service and their knowledge of whiskey and scotch. First thing you see as you enter the Blind Donkey is the amazing whiskey and scotch collection in front of the bar. Next you begin looking at their drink selection and it is unbelievable. Great whiskey flights such as the jet setter which includes one of the best Japanese whiskey, Nikka 12. If that doesn't catch your attention their drink selection include Buchanan 12 and 18, Yamazaki 12, and Pappy just to name a few. If these whiskies still don't entice you to come, check out their food. They serve huge portions of fries, chili fries, and amazing burgers. My recommendation if you're a first time trying whiskey, definitely start with the jet setter flight and then move onto the 4 roses and finish off the night with a Yamazaki 12 single malt. read more

Depressing female bartender? I come here my first time and try to order a beer and she gives me a half-filled glass. How come on yelp, I see all these full glasses. (*Puts on alcoholic rage face*) F***ING B1**H!!! i mean i tried the cocktails and it was great. just don't get what the deal was with the beer quantity. Oh well, plenty of other bars around! 2nd Time was better. +1 star recovered! lol read more

Dear Owner- If you would hire some servers, your business would grow. It's bad that patrons have to snake a path to the bar to get a drink. Get some servers and work that crowd!! Was there for happy hour on 6/27/13 and our group would have eaten and drank 2x what we did if you had servers !! read more

Well show me, the way, to the next, whiskey bar... A real bar among the many attempted concepts in Old Pasadena. John is the man and he knows whats up. It would be prudent of any barkeep to visit him and learn how to properly tend. They have thoughtfully developed a menu abundant of great whiskeys, tasty cocktails, and craft brew. I only wish my tolerance was up for the task. read more

If you are looking for whiskey this is the spot to be. They have an extensive list of cocktails as well as a long long long list of whiskey and bourbon choices. Try their happy hour and you won't be disappointed! read more

This is a fun little whiskey & chess bar in the hustle bustle of Pasadena. If you walk too fast you might miss it, there's only a big red door. The bouncer's really nice, by the way. Full disclosure I'm not into whiskey nor chess, but I think the concept is really cute. A few in our group did whip out the chess pawns and played a few full games (though no one else around us was actually playing chess). I think you have to ask them for the chess pieces. The tables themselves are giant chess boards. There's also a shuffle board in the corner. The crowd seemed like the typical mid-20s to 30s. The reviews below are way more insightful for actual whiskey lovers. If you can snag a table, it's also a fun place to just lounge with some friends over some drinks. All in all, it's a good stop while bar hopping in Pasadena. read more

PROS - Great whiskey selection - Fair prices - Nice ambiance - Busy, but not overly crowded - Ample TVs to watch games CONS - Not enough chairs for people to sit (lots of space to stand, adding a few more chairs wouldn''t hurt) - Ghetto and unusually small shuffle board (you guys can afford something a little nicer) - One of the bartenders gave me regular ice when I ordered top shelf scotch, twice! I ordered from a different bartender the third time and got an ice ball. The first bartender didn't seem like he was new, but cheap ice paired with fine whiskey is an amateur move. *smh* Overall, this spot is just what old town pas needed. A cool space with great beer and whiskey. Not too divey, but also not pretentious. It's the perfect medium for a casual good time. read more

I came here the other day, and will definitely be coming back when I'm in Pasadena. Not "dive-y" enough to be empty or full of creepers, but not quite hipster enough to be overly packed. I've never liked "Old Fashions" in the past, but I had read several Yelp reviews, and I think I'm Don Draper or something, so I decided to try it here. It was great! They have 10 pages worth of whiskeys listed, with flights available and knowledgeable bartenders if you don't really know what you like. Also, had a a great selection of beers on tap including Avery's White Rascal, which I have not seen on tap outside of Colorado. Oh. And BUFFALO FRIES. You need to get these if you like buffalo-anything at all. read more

Really enjoyed the blind donkey. Drinks were all very well made. A+ for the "Hint of Thyme" cocktail made with buffalo trace. Friends all enjoyed the whiskey selection read more

I have been here a few times before and have enjoyed myself. I am very much into whiskey and the bartenders really know their stuff. If you are a whiskey fan this is pretty much the only place in Pasadena for you. They have all the whiskey you could want and then some. My goal is the go through the entire menu before i die and I am in my mid 30s. The vibe is very chill here, mostly guys. If you are looking to find the hotties, it may be a bit tough here, but if you want some nice whiskey, scotch, bourbon or rye, this is your place. And they also have the fancy spherical ice cubes. Can you say classy. Definitely one of my favorite places in Old Town. read more

I just moved to Pasadena and met a friend here for a drink. I don't usually enjoy Old Fashions (for bitters sake), but the bartender talked me into their "Butler's Old Fashion". All I can say is... YUM. The plum vanilla jam in the drink sweetened it just enough. I'm totally a whiskey gal. I don't typically like sweet, girly drinks, but this was the perfect happy medium! FUN FACT! Wednesdays are trivia night! read more

Great selection of whiskey, great atmosphere. Usually crowded and may not always be able to find a spot to sit however the crowd is friendly enough. read more

The carne asada fries were on point! The fries were not skinny, wimpy fries. The were thick but not quite steak fries and covered with just the right amount of cheese, delicious! The selection of whiskey and bourbon is also pretty good. Bartenders suggested great drinks and the crowd was mixed and all very friendly. Not pretentious at all. read more

The staff here are just the best! They don't make you wait long, they make awesome drinks, and they'll even warn you if they make the drink slightly different than what you're used to. Tim is always so nice to me, and suggests great beer every time. Last time it was an IPA be Deschutes, freaking delicious! For the first time ever I actually played that shuffle board type game they have in the front of the bar. It was surprisingly fun, and I ended up being pretty good at it. I love this place, always fun, good music, good people, good drinks, good service. I guess you'll know where to find me on my weeknight. read more