you gotta go! Dive bar person? You're gonna love it!…read more You're not gonna have any food, but what you will have is a great time! Lots of locals and regulars here. Our bartender was chatting with everyone. Everyone was chatting with us. We got some amazing recommendations of hikes and waterfalls in the area. Someone bought a local beer just so I could try it. It was just Ana amazing and fun experience and I wish I could share this place with everyone! 10/10 recommend.

the year 1978 ~ walked into Petes one Friday afternoon and never walked out. Sat down and got 3…read morerocks for a buck. I was a sophomore at Ithaca College. I continued to go to Petes for the next 6 years. I had graduated from I.C. and stayed in Ithaca and had a Job at I.C. ~ Back then it was a locals bar only ~ no students went there but me and a couple of friends. Lisa and Pat ( the owners) were so NICE. Ithaca college students were going to the Dugout, The Pines, McCawbers, Simeons, and the Haunt back then. After I graduated from I.C. I really became a regular , after work each day, at Petes. I don't even know if the term "Dive bar" existed. ? I was an avid pool player and we started a pool team in a new league in the Tompkins County area. Petes Pool team played every Tuesday ? night home and away. It was so much fun and we did well as a team. Times did change in the mid 1980's as a few more students from I.C. started visiting Petes. Not a lot but a few. The best time was on Friday afternoons from around 3 pm to 9 pm when happy hour was celebrated. I think that is my fondest memory. I met and made a lot of new friends at Petes and I became more of a local and not an "out of towner from Cape Cod". Even a lot of my past political science professors had their stools at the bar. I really miss those days and think that was when I was happiest in my life. ! I have been back to Ithaca a few times since I left in the mid 80's and my first stop is always Petes ! Yes it has changed just a bit, but it brings back such fond memories. Talk about Nostalgia. What a great time it was . David H.

We had a most excellent drink experience here. First time staying the night in Ithaca. Went into…read morethis bar solely for its name but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of craft cocktails. The bartender was excellent and friendly. Atmosphere was quiet and respectful

This is a sad review for me to write because my husband, friend, and I regularly started our…read moreevenings out downtown by getting a cocktail here. We loved the atmosphere and menu. We have found some of the bartenders to be stand-offish and would only call one of them really friendly, but that just rolled off our shoulders - all three of us are industry veterans. I have never in my entire career as a server and bartender (and customer) observed an interaction like the one we had Friday night. The bartender was so incredibly rude to my friend that we will never return.

Update to my previous review:…read more I now have a dog and I love the Rhine House even more. My dog also likes the Rhine House because Cara (one of the resident booze-slingers) gives her dog treats by the handful. Train shots are still a thing, and still the most reliable way to identify your local, lovable neighborhood lush. The curmudgeonly regulars and no-nonsense bartenders still frighten off most of the college-age douchebags, which is fine with me. (Ok, some of the bartenders are *some*-nonsense. But don't tell them I told you) Best bar in town. But stay away, I'm one of the curmudgeons and I don't want you there. Go away. Leave me alone.

Kim the bartender sucks balls. She was terrible from the beginning. I asked for a redbull vodka and…read moreoffered $100 tip and she told me fuck off because she "knew I was from LA". TRASH. If this is how the Rhino House treats people then I suggest finding another spot where we're all appreciated.

This is a really cool bar in Ithaca NY. We were staying in the Canopy by Hilton right next door and…read moredecided to go in on a whim because it looked interesting. The bartender was really friendly and welcomed us and pointed to a table. He mentioned the rules on wearing masks and social distancing clearly. I got a trial by Wombat New England IPA and my partner got a cocktail. They were out pretty quickly and the drinks were good. The service was also good. While we were here, I also happened to use the restroom, which was clean and well maintained. This is a really good bar for having first and second dates if it's just a drink and conversation. The ambience is just right for that. They seemed to have a bike theme but I couldn't really see many more bikes. They also apparently offer bike storage if you are tipsy (check this with them. I remember seeing the sign but I can recall what exactly it said for sure). Definitely a solid five star bar experience.

Food was pretty decent, service was fast. The burger tasted…read moregood but became soggy really fast. The

I believe this is my favorite bar in all of the city of Ithaca. I feel like the more times I visit…read morethe more love I have for this place. This bar is unassuming from the exterior (front side). It fits right in with other brick turn of the century historic buildings within the fabric of the city. If you blink you might miss it. The entrance is a well lit trek down a back alley. Inside the place seems just the right size. It's comfortable. the elements and woodwork are charming. There are plenty of tables and the acoustics are just right so it's not too loud even with a full house. There is a pool table and more than one "real" dart board. Not one of those weak electronic ones. There are stacks of board games that you often see people on a back table playing. The decorations are great including old memorabilia from nostalgic Ithaca bars including the stained glass from Mcawbers and the original carved wooden tables from the old chapter house. Those bars had great history which has now been incorporated into something new which I really appreciate. The outdoor space in back has an overlooking covered porch covered with vines. The back yard is surprisingly large with picnic style tables that can easily fit a group of ten each no problem. When I was there recently there were at least 50 people accommodated in the rear yard space. There are gardens that are fairly well maintained and murals painted on the walls. Extra special is that the surrounding buildings and space look good too. Nowhere you look fo you see a big eyesore. (Like a parking lot or bright street lights) The drinks are good and the variety of people frequenting are fabulous to converse with. I would love to see people dancing and some live music out back on the weekends. These are really good musicians just sitting around reading books for gods sake. I would suggest starting with an open mike night. Live music here would bring it over the top. Super fun !!! I'll for sure be back on my next Ithaca adventure. Hope to meet you all there soon.

Da Westy is a great unpretentious bar with a wide beer selection and selection of drinks, cool…read morehistorical tables, outdoor seating, awesome graffiti street art murals, MMA trained bouncers who are really cool people, makes me feel safe, outdoor brick oven pizza, they're cool if you order in from anywhere like go get some pho from Saigon next-door and a beer like a Genny cream ale. Ample seating. It's like the scene where you don't want to make a scene and just relax and have a beer with friends, coworker, etc. service was always fast and friendly and times were always good and memorable. Look for the Beer bike rack.

We stopped by this cute wine bar on a recent trip to Watkins Glen. It has indoor seating and…read moreoutdoor seating, and a bar. I have not tried any of their wines, but the cocktails are great. Some popular standards and more unique drinks like the lavender vodka based cocktail I tried. Service is excellent. Definitely worth a stop whether you're in town or elsewhere in the Finger Lakes.

Our airbnb host graciously gifted us coupons for a tasting at J.R. Dill, and while exploring…read moreWatkins Glen before our boat tour, we noticed they had an outpost in the area. We stumbled in and learned they had just opened like a week prior - amazing timing for us! While it would have been cool to see the actual winery, this location was so convenient for us, and it was great to be able to cash in our coupons here. The space, as mentioned, was brand new and beautiful. I loved the exposed brick near and around the bar, and the quasi stained glass lighting was a unique touch. The wine bar is accompanied by a small shop where you can not only purchase wine but also buy locally made goods and a "make your own bouquet" area! A wonderful touch. We sat at the bar to enjoy a few tastings, and we were served by the owner (love when owners actually interact with customers and play the role of servers!). We enjoyed learning his story (originally from near Philly, so an automatic connection), hearing about this new location (they are planning to have a few hotel rooms above the wine bar), and sampling a variety of their wines. We also struck up conversations with some other guests at the bar, learning about their stories and getting their recommendations on places in the area. The wine was solid, too - a great variety to choose from, although the actually winery likely has more options to select. We particularly liked the cab sav / cab franc blend and the chardonnay (usually not a chard fan, but theirs was a great take on it with like 0% butter flavor). As most places in the FLX region, the wine was great but it was truly the hospitality and conversations that made this a memorable experience. We would love to visit the actual winery and try other varietals on our next visit, and we would also love to stay at the soon-to-be hotel rooms at this wine bar! Thanks for a great pre-boat drink and conversation, JR Dill!

Chanticleer is a great old family-run historic bar that's been here forever, since 1946 or so. It…read morehas a tavern-like atmosphere. It's real and local, not tourist-style or tourist-price. Dark. For a few beers and a buzz. If you can't relax in a dive, just take your selfie under the neon sign and roll on. No hard feelings. We'll be here. (Jul 2026)

What a s*^%%# little bar…read more I came here at the recommendation of a local, but these folks are running game on drunk kids late at night. I ordered a double tanqueray and tonic and watched the guy pour the drink. Poorly. (Pun intended) He put the tonic gun on full blast and dribbled tonic into the glass. The bottle stopper was closed, so he had to finger it open as he continued to blast tonic into the glass. I could tell the drink was mostly tonic and said, "Hey friend, that's not a double!" He looked offended and swore it was because they don't use anything to measure their tonic, they just rely on the bottle dribbling out the so-called proper amount. I should have walked away before he sat it in front of me. I took one sip and surprise-surprise, it's basically just tonic water with a touch of a tanqueray. This was my first drink of the night, and I know it's wrong, but neither the guy nor the girl behind the bar were interested in making it properly. Pour out two shots. It's not that hard. But if you're purposefully pouring short booze to drunk people knowing you'll get away with it, it IS too hard. Don't come here. I know at least one local likes it, but nobody likes being charged double for a single anything. Or maybe the play here is to just order stuff in bottles. That way they can't cheat you out of liquor I paid $14 for a glass of tonic and MAYBE a shot of tanqueray. MAYBE. I feel like I paid $14 for the privilege of writing a crappy review. I absolutely got my money's worth.

Heads up: they're cash only. We went for Thursday night…read moretaco night but they ran out of tacos before we got there. We heard that typically they will only serve their special each night, but they got other food out for us since they ran out of tacos. It was basic bar food. The mozzarella sticks were not done enough. The fries were quite good. There are two pool tables and at least 5 dart boards. The women's restroom is very strange. There are no doors on the stalls so you have to lock the main door.

Best dive bar, its THE oldest bar in Cortland. Its got old timers & old stories. No frills don't…read moreexpect anything modern or fancy. Its your basic beers and liquor and excellent wings. On Friday nights they always have the best local musicians. Highly recommend for anyone who is in the area or looking for a good time with good people.