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The Bootlegger

4.3 (83 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

The Bootlegger Photos

Business Info

THE BOOTLEGGER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Intimate
Classy
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - The Bootlegger

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Reviews With Photos

Painkiller
Heidi B.

The Bootlegger is a fun, prohibition themed bar located right on the River Walk in Savannah. It's pretty simple to find as there is a giant black boot posted over the front door. Upon walking inside, the bar is dimly lit with multiple TVs playing nostalgic movies and TV shows in black and white. All of the drinks on the menu are standard cocktails, but some of them have a fun twist such as the Old Fashioned being smoked using a fancy skull smoking cover. The taste of the old fashioned was fine, but I think we enjoyed the pain killer a little bit more as it was nice and refreshing. Great spot if you're looking for a delicious cocktail and fun atmosphere near the river!

Kelly W.

We had a great time at The Bootlegger this weekend! It's located on the riverfront and claims to have the best smoked old fashioned in town so of course we had to check it out! It's a tiny spot with dim lighting and silly prohibition themed pics hanging on the walls. The atmosphere was relaxed but still kind of upscale, i loved the vibe. Staff were all very friendly as well. Their cocktail menu was definitely enticing, with a great variety of concoctions. We grabbed a couple smoked old fashioned and a their version of an espresso martini and hung out for a bit. The smoked old fashioned was quite lovely, as was the espresso martini. I don't know that the old fashioned was the best i've ever had but it was pretty darn good. We had just eaten but their food menu looked really good! I was tempted to order just because I wanted to try their food! Some of the menu items that piqued my interest were the crab rangoon deviled eggs and the fried green tomato sliders! Next time i'm in Savannah this will definitely be somewhere I put on my list to return to!

Well appointed bar
Cat F.

This place is fun! A little dark but you can find your way to the bar. The bartenders were Very personable and fun. I got probably the coolest drink I've ever seen in a bar. (See photo). They also have food, maybe next time.

Leslie C.

The Bootlegger quickly became my favorite bar in Savannah--so much so that we went back multiple times during our visit. The atmosphere was great, but what really made it special were the bartenders. Bugsby and Big Mike were both incredibly friendly, fun, and made every visit feel like a great time. We didn't eat here, but the drinks were absolutely top tier. I had one of the best espresso martinis I've ever had, and my fiancé said their old fashioned was the best he's ever had. That says a lot. They even had a replacement for his nut allergy since their old fashioned is normally made with almond wood chips. If you're looking for amazing cocktails, great vibes, and bartenders who truly know their craft, The Bootlegger is a must-stop in Savannah.

Deannah R.

This place instantly becomes a Favorite just from the intimate and moody vibe that sets the tone for a romantic or chill night with friends. It's tucked away like a true speakeasy. They are known for their creative Old Fashioneds, and they definitely live up to the hype. They are well balanced and crafted with real skill and artistry. If you sit at the bar you get to experience the whole drink making process but to me it felt more like a little show. It makes the cocktail feel more like an event than just an order. I also ordered another cocktail on their Autumn menu It was a pumpkin spice espresso martini. It had all the components i love from a pumpkin spice latte but with a spike. If you love crafty cocktails with a fun atmosphere than go order a drink at the bootlegger.

Old Fashioned
Heath A.

Happy to see this establishment take over the old Bernie's. Nice remodel and definitely a cool vibe and Prohibition theme. Bar service was excellent, with lots of care given to preparing our cocktails. Smoked Old Fashioned was very tasty.

Ian S.

This is a tough one for me. We were recommended to this "speakeasy" which is right on the river and has massive signage highlighting the fact that it's a bar so I don't know how anyone could call it a speakeasy. It is a pretty good craft cocktail bar on the river. Additionally, locals seemed to be very positive about what seemed like a very tourist-trap-ish bar to me, which is out of the ordinary. Now I had a good time, there were only a few minor hiccups with service and the smoked old fashioned with the skull topper was certainly something to behold. A decent craft cocktail bar on the water, yes, but a speakeasy of any kind? Maybe it really was during prohibition or something but when there's a six foot boot with a flask hanging out of it on the front building, well you can do the math.

Hunter S.

Update 10/12/2025: Still not contacted by the establishment. I guess they get to keep my 34 dollars plus tax for the crab cakes and fried green tomatoes I didn't order, receive, or consume. Will never return. This isn't going to be my typical review. And once this is resolved, I will update the review and the rating. The vibes were great. Low lit like a real speakeasy. Bubs gave good service as a bartender. The drinks were fine, and once this is fixed, I'll elaborate. The charcuterie board might not be 22 dollars worth, but it was okay too. I have a problem with the fact I was charged for crab cakes and fried green tomatoes that I did not order, coming to a total of 34 dollars not including tax. I was tipsy, feeling good, so I didn't check the bill. In the back of my mind I thought it seemed pretty steep. I've called and left my information with the establishment, and am waiting for a call back. Again, once this is resolved, will update.

Outside
Erica C.

Very cool vibe, very cool bartender, very good drinks. Larger group, took drinks to go- beer, a couple of kids strawberry mocktails, a martini, and a smoked old fashioned. Great flavor, craft cocktails and time and effort put into making them all. Next time we'll enjoy our drinks there, along with the atmosphere.

Amesha R.

Stumbled on this speakeasy while walking in Savannah. Was immediately taken by the charm and feeling like I stepped back in time and found an underground spot. I had to have an old fashioned of course even though they had really good drink options. The kids (i mean young adults) were allowed to come in as well and have a Shirley temple while the adults sipped on our drinks watching Betty Boop and the 3 Stoges. Our bartender was great as she made our drink and finished the smoking process table side.

Chocolate covered cherry martini
Tiffany F.

Fantastic ambiance. You walk in and feel like you're in the 20's. The service was fast and attentive, with the food coming out quickly. Highly recommend the pork belly tacos and the crab cakes, as well as any of the flatbreads.

Views from outside tables
Cherish H.

Ambiance was great! No seated inside, opted for outside which was nice with the view but of course heavy foot traffic'. Drinks were relatively fast given how busy they were. Self seating at table, high table, or bar**** some people were standing at the bar.

Amy B.

Amazing speakeasy experience. Bugsy was such a great host/mixologist. Would recommend to everyone!

Our drinks

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la aparicion - Experimental cocktail

la aparicion

(14 reviews)

The Mint to Be Mojito Bar is for the tour groups. La Aparicion is for Savannah locals…read more La Aparición is a speakeasy tucked away behind a code protected door. Low lit, neon. An exclusive feel. The bartenders here are more like mixologists. They give you specialized attention. They are creative and offer interesting conversation. Drinks have names like Mezcalini Verde, night in Tokyo, viaje astral, Mexican lollipop, and tropical matcha. I honestly can't tell you most of what I had because I asked the bartender to make me his choice every time, including any possible new creations he may be perfecting. Every drink was complex and delicious. Nothing too sweet or bitter. They have these neat little lights they drop in their drinks to give them an instagram worthy glow. Those who say it's "loud," probably just don't like latin music. It was very low key and relaxing.

While in Savannah I wanted to check out a speakeasy and came across La Aparicion. It was fun trying…read moreto find this place but once you do you'll love it. You have to walk through a business to the back and go through the hidden door. It's nicely decorated and full of plenty of photo ops. Once you're ready to order a drink make your way to the bar and place your order. The bartenders were nice and attentive. The cocktail menu had lots of delicious sounding drinks that you don't find everywhere. We ordered the Mexican Lollipop and the Vieja Astral. Both drinks had great unique flavors and were strong but nonetheless delicious. The ambiance and service 10/10, I just wish the drinks were just not so pricey. If the prices were a little more reasonable we would've stayed a little longer.

Repeal 33 - Crispy Brussel Sprouts

Repeal 33

(808 reviews)

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We liked this spot so much we visited it twice during our two nights in Savannah…read more The octopus is delightful! The cocktails are spectacular. Charlie, the bartender, is awesome.

Solid choice for dinner but it was just ok overall experience. This was one of the few places I…read morecould find last minute dinner reservations on a weekend so that's a bonus. Ambiance is prohibition bar vibes so a little more rustic and casual. I was a bit annoyed by the hostess. We had a reservation for our party of 6 and arrived about 15 minutes early. I asked if we could grab drinks at the bar and she kept coming up with excuses on why we couldn't stand or sit in certain areas. Finally, I just asked her to come up with a solution because we had 15 minutes to kill and they didn't have a waiting area. Funny enough, she decided then to get our table ready. It was just odd. Our server was from Ukraine so she was efficient and fast. Not super friendly or chatty with us which missed the mark on Southern hospitality and made our experience feel cold compared to our previous dinner experiences in town. I don't fault her for it though as she did her job. We ordered an excessive amount of starters and some of the entrees. The stand outs for me was the crispy Brussels sprouts, roasted bone marrow, steamed mussels, and grilled octopus. Skip any of the bread options. They weren't even toasted. For entrees, we also decided to share them. The pork chop and NY strip were stand outs. We ended up sending back the halibut. It tasted mealy and freeze burnt. Skip the crispy Japanese eggplant. I was expecting a grilled dish and it was actually fried with a thick batter. Too heavy for my liking. Overall, we enjoyed our meal but not somewhere I am dying to go back to.

Planters Tavern - Mussels

Planters Tavern

(193 reviews)

$$$

We stopped in hoping to grab a few appetizers to find the wait to be quite long. Asked the hostess…read morefor local suggestions, which she was kind enough to help with. We left and as we were walking away she chased us down to say she had a table coming up soon. Very above and beyond. We ordered a lot of appetizers to share. Everything was fantastic. I was here many years ago and it is as good as the first time.

Planters tavern has a wonderful ambiance, and waiters are super friendly. We came at 6pm and while…read morethey said there was a 2hour wait, it wound up only being 30 minutes. So we got there for 6:30, and knew we had to leave by 8:20, as we had a ghost tour shortly thereafter and we told our waiter as such. Unfortunately, despite not ordering an appetizer and going straight to mains, we didn't get our dinner until 7:55pm. The reason it happened was the waiter accidentally ordered us the seafood special, not the steak special. They were apologetic about it, but still, a dinner we were looking forward to turned to a rushed scarfing down of food. Would have been nice if they comped one of the dinners, or offered a free round of drinks for the inconvenience. As for the meal itself - the shrimp dinner was meh - only came with 6 shrimp for $32 (pirates house shrimp dinner tasted better and came with over a dozen large shrimp). The ribeye was perfectly cooked, but needed more seasoning. My guess is because they rushed it, they may have forgotten the salt. The steak sauce (tamarind forward a1) wasn't my cup of tea. On the positives - both of the sides were amazing - highly recommend they put those on the main menu. All in all - there's too many good restaurants in Savannah, I doubt I'll be coming back. Given the ambiance, maybe good idea to come for a drink and dessert? (Although the wine pour was a little weak too).

The Bootlegger - tapasmallplates - Updated May 2026

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