On a rainy day this bar was the perfect way to get out on a Saturday afternoon. Plenty of pool tables after 5pm on a Saturday. The low lighting makes the atmosphere relaxing and just a chill place to be. Cant decide if it's a dive bar or not haha. Good little bar food that keeps you full while you play a couple of rounds of pool. The tables are $6/hour, this price can keep you going for hours. We ordered the chicken bites and just had a good meal overall. It's classic bar food, came out quickly, and the service feels very local and cool. This was my first but will not be my last visit. read more

See all

This stop was part of our impromptu bar crawl on a random Friday night. It's a great place to play pool if there's a table open. They have quite a few, but it's popular. I appreciated that their draft craft beers are one price-- no matter what you get. Makes it so much easier to figure out the draft list! Bar service was quick & friendly. read more

Kicked us out because their bartender was having a bad night. As the guy bartender asked for our id's and as we tried to show him he flipped out Came her from San Diego to hang with friends in louisville for my first time. But I guess we won't be hang at Barrett's tonight/again read more

Great neighborhood bar with pretty good food and a nice patio when the weather cooperates. The bartenders are nice and served us promptly. We grabbed a couple beers - they have a decent local selection on tab and they're all $6.50. We took a look at the menu and decided to try the brusell sprout special, fries, and the spicy chicken wrap. The brusell sprouts were our favorite; they were paired with a sweet Thai chili sauce. Would recommend if you're looking for a place to grab a drink and hang out. read more

Barret Bar - Front bar - Pubs Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

Everything is awesome here. The food is immaculate. The employees are immaculate. The pool tables are immaculate. The drinks and cocktails are immaculate. The bathroom is immaculate. Most of the time the other customers are immaculate but that depends how buzzed they are. Basically.......this place this is immaculate. read more

Barret Bar is one of my favorite places to hang out in Louisville. It's within walking distance for us, so we are here at least once every couple of weeks. The drink prices are great and the beer and bourbon selection is plentiful. The food is also very good, both for a late night snack or an early dinner. What sets Barret Bar apart for me is the environment. The bartenders are all very friendly and they get to know the regulars, which is why we love to sit at the bar. It's a great spot to bring a group, but also very chill for a date night. The patio is phenomenal and there are six pool tables, so there's plenty of room to spread out and play. Cheers! read more

The prices are good, the food is great, and the staff are amazing. They have pool tables and a cozy outdoor patio. Barret is one of my favorite places to eat/drink in Louisville. read more

Headed over here after not being able to get a table at Diamonds due to the league and I'm glad I checked it out! The place had sort of a local, darkly lite ambiance but all bartenders tonight were pleasant to interact with. They had more pool tables than I thought, decent beer rotation and surprisingly decent bar food overall. You can play per game or by the hour ($6), which is definitely the way to go... Table quality and sticks were so so but worked well enough to play a few games on in a pinch. Draft beers were average priced and they had a decent selection. The food was actually better than I expected which was a nice bonus! I'm sure I'll be going back and even possibly become a regular so long as there's an open table for me!! read more

See all

Great casual place for a very late supper (9:15 pm) due to a late massive lunch. I ordered the fish sandwich with sweet potato fries, my son ordered the Philly cheese steak sandwich and upgraded to sweet potato fries instead of the chips that comes with it. Both sandwiches came with toasted buns. Lots of pool tables and different age group were present. The staff ( bartenders) took your orders for food as well the drinks and brought your food out. They were awesome. Place was clean. read more

Barret Bar - Fish sandwich with sweet potato fries - Pubs Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

If you want a place to watch sportsball on the teevee this is the place. They have the mass produced beers that you aren't excited about but drink anyway. The bathroom wasn't filthy but I also thought it wasn't very clean. I mean, if we were somewhere else I wouldn't have brought Baby Yoda in here to change his diaper. This bar is okay. It doesn't have any personality and that's okay. It is a place for people with dated mustaches to have a beer. read more

Stopped for a late dinner to-go, got a drink at the bar while waiting. The place was chill, unpretentious and friendly. Food was good and reasonably priced. Neat little dive bar in Highlands. read more

Great patio...AWESOME patio. Very good selection of beers, prices not bad (the same beer that is $7 across the street at Monkey Wrench is $4 at Barret Bar). The staff is friendly and pretty great. And the food isn't too shabby. I got the pork burger and it was delicious! I definitely recommend it! read more

Best chicken wrap in town. The inside is somewhat dark in a dive bar/pool hall way but they have a cute side patio and the bar staff is all super friendly. read more

This was right across from our airbnb and after a day of bourbon sampling we were in need of some bar food. Very nice large patio but lots of smokers so that wasn't great. The food was sub par at best. I had the brisket grilled cheese and the brisket was so tough and almost inedible. 2.50 coors banquet cans made my hubs happy and he liked his smoked bologna sandwich. read more

Stepped in on a recent weeknight. Played pool for an hour or so. Enjoyed a few beers. Like the chill atmosphere and the ease of getting a table. Friendly service. read more

Excited to hear Barret Bar had reopened, I stopped in for beverages and tasty treats. Let me start by saying, they're taking COVID precautions seriously. Before entering, your temperature is taken and they provide hand sanitizer. Up next, no indoor seating, they've put up a covering and have umbrellas at each table. Servers are in gloves and masks. My server was actually kind enough and to spray my hands with sanitizer at one point. Now, on to the food. I usually just tackle a quesadilla but I was feeling frisky and went all in on a brisket grilled cheese sammich. I've denied myself of meat that was tender and moist (I said what I said) smothered with pepper jack, there's a side of BBQ sauce for dipping as well, for far too long. It's indulgent but everyone needs a treat. Get in there, feed your face. read more

Barret Bar - Brisket grilled cheese sandwich - Pubs Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I love Barret Bar!!! We stopped in to watch a friend's band, "Mary's Dad's Band" who frequently plays at Barret! The place was packed. Quite a few pool tables, with tables and booths along the outskirts of the bar! There is an outside bar area as well that is enclosed with heaters for additional room. However, that area was quite smokey!! We ordered burgers (beer cheese burger was wonderful!) with sweet potato fries and onion rings. Burgers were around $5-$7 and quite delightful for that reasonable of a price! The kitchen is open where you can see them preparing the food which is awesome. read more

Barret Bar - Mary's Dad's Band! - Pubs Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Best pool hall in town. Friendly atmosphere, great drink selection, solid pub grub, and a wonderful patio. Been going for years and don't think I've ever had a bad experience. You want to show off an independently owned local spot to some friends and family when they're in town, I recommend Barret Bar. read more

This is a place where I could see myself spending long summer evenings out on the patio in the company of good friends, each of us with a pint in hand. The Barret Bar is tucked away at the corner of Barret and Winter. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful and knows many of the regulars by name and drink. Inside you'll find pool tables galore (love pool tables at a bar! It's a great activity for when the conversation and the brewskis start to go flat but you still want to be somewhat social), with tournaments held on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. TV's allow for watching sporting events, and - like I mentioned before - the patio is a great place to congregate and visit. As far as food goes - get a burger here! I visited recently and got a regular burger, while my friend got a beer cheese burger. Both were cooked medium-well. We split our burgers in half and shared with one another. This is a place with a Burgermeister-worthy patty, cooked to juicy perfection and with a crispy crunch of lettuce tucked between the buns. Kettle chips on the side complete the sensory tour. The pretzel roll with beer cheese is great as an appetizer or as a side to split around the table. The roll comes with scores through the bread for easy breaking off, flakes of sea salt on the top, and tangy beer cheese for dipping. The cheese is good enough to eat by itself with a spoon, but I'd recommend putting it on the bread if you're feeling civilized. As the weather warms up, saunter on over to the Barret Bar for a good time - guaranteed! read more

I found myself here randomly with a table full of journalists! It's a large place with plenty of parking in the back. This place would be perfect for a sizable work party or other large group of people. On that particular night, there was a journalist gathering, Goodwood's employee holiday party, people playing pool, and locals scattered all around. With that being said, the bar and the staff handled everyone with ease. I could see myself becoming a regular if I lived in the neighborhood. This bar seems to secretly be one of those "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" bars. The staff was incredible. Nice, prompt, and they periodically checked to see if anyone needed food or beer. They also have a decent selection of food if you need a snack. I only ordered the pretzel loaf and beer cheese. It was good, but the beer cheese seemed to be lacking something. The beer and bourbon selection was enough. So many places either have too many(if that's possible) options or not enough. Barret bar had a nice mix of food, beer, and bourbon. If I remember correctly, there are at least 8 pool tables here(Maybe more). They're also spaced out so no crowded areas. The only reason for taking 1 star off is the bathroom situation. Maybe I was missing something, but there wasn't a lock on the men's bathroom(which consisted of a single urinal and toilet). I can deal with relieving myself with my back turned to the door, but I'd hate to have people walking in on me if #2 hit! Go here with a group. Have a few drinks and some food. Enjoy! read more

I remember back in the day when I would go play pool at the old Barret Bar. It was divey and the bathrooms were always dirty, the "patio" had no atmosphere at all and the only music came from the jukebox. But, it was still a local gem and my friends and I always had a good time. When I walked past one day a few years ago and it saw that is was closed, I was very sad. Since this is only a block or so from my house, I hoped that it would reopen and thrive. Not only did Barret Bar reopen in early summer 2011, but it has a facelift beyond my dreams while keeping its genuine neighborhood tavern feel. From the new sign on the outside, to the better lighting, clean bathrooms, and awesome pool tables, a lot of time and money was put into making this place better. The patio is a beautiful little oasis with great decor, its own bar, and live music several days a week. The new food menu is fantastic. Nothing fancy, but a bit more upscale than just fried bar food. I had the pretzel bread and beer cheese- YUM! Next, I had the portabella mushroom sliders that were seasoned well and quite tasty. I washed it all down with a cold BBC draft beer for $5. Not bad! I am looking forward to many more evenings relaxing on their patio with a frosty beverage. read more

Barret Bar - Pubs Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Barret Bar is your run of the mill, locals hang out. Late night you'll find service industry folks shooting pool, drinking beers and chain smoking cigs. I dig it. Barret has a decent sized bar inside and the outdoor patio is pretty large. I imagine fall weather on the patio is great. The drinks are good and it's off the beaten path from the Highland bars. The food here is pretty good too. I ordered a cheese-steak with Cajun tater tots. Both were great. Kitchen is open and the side of one-eighth of the bar. If you're looking to shoot pool with a crowd that is very different from the crowd at Diamonds, this spot may be alright for you. They have a ton of TVs as well. If you're hesitant, just go. It's not for everyone, but it works for me. read more

As good as it gets Great pool bar with 4x diamond bar boxes and 2x 8 foot steepleton tables. Very reasonable prices by the game. Solid bar selection with great bar food. Maybe not craft cocktails but that is fine. I recommend the chili. Music 3-4 nights a week including bluegrass with a dope ass patio. A great mix of people. Enough bikers to make you think you are in that south park episode read more

It's good to see this place open again, and with some nice changes. New decor, a spruced-up patio and (finally) a food menu again. Though the new poll tables in the main area are quarter tables, they are quite nice an play much better than ones at your regular bar. The drinks are fairly cheap, and even on a busy night, service always seems to be pretty good. Though they don't have a full kitchen, the food is still pretty good, and the owner makes his own beer cheese, which I suggest anyone who likes beer cheese try. read more

Barret Bar - Pubs Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Nice neighborhood dive bar with excellent kitchen - should be a go-to for late nite Louisville imbibers and diners. Appropriately-named Barret Bar is as friendly and inviting as a 'neighborhood' bar can be. Spacious, good vibe, attentive and quick bartenders (and well staffed)...broad beer and drink selection to satisfy a spectrum of tastes, and a delicious menu also featuring a variety of choices. What more could you ask for, really? Upon entering, there is a traditional-looking bar and seating area if that's your 'thing'. Continuing on in to the rest of the building, the space kind of opens up with multiple pool tables and seating. The bar wraps around, and kind of melds into the kitchen area. There is also an outdoor patio and additional bar, very nice seasonally. Like many of the places I tend to frequent, there ins't really a specific 'type' of clientele at Barret Bar, you're going to see a variety of age & social groups there. They have frequent live music, featuring bluegrass on Wednesdays. I haven't paid a cover the nights I've gone, but I'm not sure about their overall policy. The joint is big enough that you can 'escape' the music if you really aren't into it. There's nothing really magnificent about the decor or vibe, everything is practical and functional and geared toward service. It's really a nice low key place to drink/eat/socialize free from the trendier trappings you'll find elsewhere. Go here! read more

Barret Bar is one of our go-to places for late dinner and big group gatherings. My husband says time and time again it has one of the best burgers in town--it's cooked to order and inexpensive ($6.25 for the Beer Cheese Burger). The onion rings ($3.25) are always cooked perfectly, too, and firm enough to hold up after being bitten into. There's a veggie burger, too, and mushroom sliders for vegetarians. The back patio is huge and partially covered, so good for outdoor seating on rainy days. Bluegrass on Wednesday from 9-12. read more

Plenty of pool tables and drinks flowing. I hope to revisit in the near future as the vibe seems to mesh well with my tastes. I wouldn't visit again for the food and I do wish they had a lager on tap. However, if you're an IPA type this is a definite stop for ya. Friendly folks. read more

Stopped for a night cap, had some music tonight. Great night to sit on patio and have a drink. Bartenders were great! So much fun! read more

Barret Bar - Pubs Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I love the Barret Bar. It isn't a 5 star place but does provide 5 star service. They were the best restaurant/bar at COVID that I have been to. Food is always good. Great beer list and a solid selection of bourbon. It's a great dive bar. read more

My reliable local watering hole. Good drinks, cheap beers, plenty of pool tables rentable by the hour, a nice outdoor patio, and good bar food. Not much else you could need! read more

Nice, casual place. Fair prices for drinks and food. The tequila lime beef sliders are awesome. I live in the neighborhood and think I will become a regular. OK. I just edited my review to five stars! I can't stop thinking about those sliders. read more

The Barret Bar has a rich history of jovial mischief and underground notoriety. It once housed one of the cities largest bookie joints, a stag piano bar, a burlesque theater, and the infamous basement music hall - Barretones. The Barret Bar has been a mecca for pool players since the 40's and currently offers weekly leagues and an open challenge for any shark willing to fish. In 1994, the business expanded from a 1000 sq. ft. shotgun bar with pool tables and reputed poker room to it's current 4000 sq. ft. pool hall with the original 1947 bar and a newly finished 2400 sq. ft. outdoor garden and patio. A new kitchen and grill menu offers casual dining in a friendly environment. The Barret Bar continues to be a shooters paradise and a favorite haunt for Louisville restaurant and bar industry professionals. Rick Wessling's father passed the business down to him in 1977 and Rick proudly admits that "since I was tall enough to mop, I was moppin' and I'm still here today". Welcome back to The Barret Bar. Open 7 days a week, 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. (originally written for the Barret Bar Facebook page) read more

The perfect hang out bar whether you're looking to catch up with friends, play a couple rounds of pool, or get a good beer or stiff drink without a wait. From the moment you walk in the door it just feels comfortable. Totally lacking pretension, bells and whistles, hurry, I found Barret Bar to just be easy going without being dull. Pretty good crowd as well. Mostly 20s and 30s, not too uppity but far from classless. This would probably be my Cheers if I lived in this neighborhood. Only reason for lack of a star was the price for the beer. 5.50 for Magic Hat is a little steep, but I'll pay it to have the ambiance in tow. read more

This is one of my favorite neighborhood bars because of the reasonably priced and good mixed drinks and the outdoor, partially covered patio with a bar (one of the best in town). They also have pool tables available by the hour or game. The bartenders are some of my favs too! They are helpful in picking a drink and always on top of it. I have seen this place packed and still not waited for a drink more than a couple of minutes. They have a fair amount of tvs as well as a small food menu. The food is good. Seriously. Try the pretzel bread and beer cheese or the fried mac and cheese bites. The kitchen is open so you can even watch the cook make your food! :) I have gone here for live music on the patio before too. Perfect atmosphere! read more

Pool Hall and Live Music. Skip the Crowds and Highland Tourists try local Louisville Highland instead. We walked into this venue looking for a bite to eat. We had no idea this was actually a bar/pool hall/ live music venue. The venue is very open and you can play pool without getting stuck against a wall. There is a wall that splits the Barret Bar in half. The night we were there the live music was on one side and the other side was serving food and playing pool. The menu not overly elaborate and pretty much pub snack food. I did order these Mushroom Cap sliders with Spinach that turned out to be amazing. I was not a big fan of the fried wings, there was a lot of breading and no flavor just spice. They had sweet potato fries that were nothing special, but great see a smaller place that carries that option. Now we did arrive after 930pm and although there were tables, the service was already bartender style. I am not certain if it wasn't because we were regulars or just couldn't make eye contact, but one person took our drink order, another took our food order, and then no one would cash us out till we approached the bar. There were no drink refills or up-selling to another round, just service. I would imagine if I was in bar mode, approaching the counter to add things to my tab would have been fine, but our table was clearly dining only. I still gave this place four stars, even though I am a stickler for service, because it is the Barret Bar on Yelp so expect Bar Service. It was just a little confusing for the sign to say Barret Bar and Grill, denotes restaurant behavior. I will be back to try again, but just as a pool playing, imbibing patron. read more

This is a cool place! Unfortunately all of the pool tables were full, but the bartender was great about keeping an eye open for us when for when one opened up. They have a $2 Coors special all the time and some good regional craft beers on draft. A divey, chill, local bar. read more

This is becoming my go-to bar in my neighborhood. I love the outdoor patio and the wide open bar area inside... it just seems to ooze comfort. I feel perfectly at home just sitting at a table quietly or chatting up people at the bar; it's a very open and unassuming place. The crowd is usually a pretty calm, after work, laid back kind of crew. There are typically open pool tables as well as some cornhole boards outside. The drinks are stifffff (my typical reason for hitting up Barret Bar) but I've tasted the food as well and been a fan. I shared some pretzel loaf and beer cheese with a friend and then some Swiss cheese dip and thought they were both high-quality, awesome bar appetizers. Great place to hit up if you're around Bardstown Rd. and want to avoid the crowds and the college kids. read more

This is a great new (?, reopened?) bar at Barret and Winter. The staff and owners are super friendly and the food is good. Menu is short, but they know what they can make and it's good bar food. 4 stars for the big, open pool hall areas and amazing patio area... like O'Shea's, but more quaint. Although off the main Bardstown road, it's a good stop if you're looking to shoot some pool. read more

See all

I'm still a super huge fan of this bar, but I figured this review needed an update and a better touch on what it means for a night on the town at Barret Bar. Me and Scott have visited this bar quite frequently since it is almost walking distance to the house, almost. If shooting pool is your thing then they have several pool tables, but you may have to wait a little bit because there are generally plenty of people playing. If pool isn't your thing then there is a giant TV that they usually show games on with plenty of tables facing the area. Since I'm not a sports fan (at all) I generally don't pay a lick of attention. The outside patio is huge, with plenty of seating and a bar outside as well so you don't have to keep walking in and out. When it's cold outside they generally have a canopy over some of the tables and heaters to keep it warmer outside. They also serve pretty decent bar food. The onion rings, fries and pretzel bread with beer cheese is what I generally go to during each visit if I just want sides and carbs. However their burgers are also really, really delicious and there have been a couple of nights when we've been too lazy to cook and decided to drive down for a cocktail and burger. I've never received bad service from these guys. Anytime I get food there is always someone who walks over to the table and makes sure everything is good and they are on top of making drinks as well. Their beer selection is decent and they rotate some out for the seasonal section so you never know what you're going to get. One of my first visits here I tried Stone's Arrogant Bastard for the very first time and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to take one home, because the nearest liquor store was a bit away. I asked the bartender and she rang it up for me, didn't take the top off and let me walk out with the bottle in a bag so I was super happy that night. The noise level inside gets kind of loud on busy nights since there are people playing pool in the background and drinking at the bar. I prefer outside as it's usually a big quieter and easy to chat it up with friends. Overall this bar is one of my favorites in the Ville because the prices aren't too steep, great & friendly service, hella good burgers, great bourbon selection, and when I'm in the mood to shoot some pool I have a place not to far from me to do so. read more

Super-cozy interior. Friendly bartender was helpful, & the pool table was FREE!!! Will definitely be back. read more