We were visiting Penn State and looking for some fun, grownup places to go to after dinner. Every…read moreplace was loud and crowded. However, when we walked by Big Spring Spirits inside the Scholar Hotel, we saw a quiet, classy, candlelit bar. We were able to immediately snag a seat at a high-top table for two. Our friendly server brought us a menu, and we loved that we could try a cocktail flight of six 40-ml drinks for only $13. The drinks arrived on a wooden palate and were enough for the two of us to enjoy a variety. All of them were delicious. (You can also try their spirit flights.) What's fun is the drinks are served in beakers. Big Spirits has a bigger place in Bellefonte which we've been to as well. Just be forewarned that they lock their door fairly early. People were trying to get in, and when we opened the door to let them in, we were scolded by one of the bartenders.

Absolutely one of the best espresso martinis I've ever had, and for nine dollars, definitely the…read morebest value. Great bartenders with excellent skills and friendly service. Not a very large cocktail bar, but really swanky for sleepy State College, Pennsylvania. Located inside The Scholar by Hilton, this bar offers great cocktails and some really good food as well. Stop in and check it out next time you're in town!

One of my favorite cocktail bars in State College! They can get crowded, and in the summer, they…read moreslide the windows open so the other side of the bar on the street side is open to the outside. They used to have a huge drink menu but still offer plenty of unique options. I got the Pornstar Martini made with vanilla vodka. It came with a chaser of Prosecco. My husband asked the bartender for a suggestion, so he made him a vodka gimlet. We loved them both! I enjoy the vibes and decor at Central Reservation. It's not a student handout although it is connected to Local Whiskey (same owners). There are cool photos on the walls (lots of pop culture references) and the bar stools have painted celebrities on the back. We've not eaten anything here, but they do have a menu. Cheers!

Stopped in for a pre-game. Such a pretty chill vibe…read more Not a college bar. Much more chill. Had a beer, some wine and humus.

Great cocktails & very friendly vibe. I felt very welcomed by everyone there, including the other…read morepatrons!

Horrible. 2 men sitting at the bar saying they were going to punch each other. I tried to diffuse…read morethe situation. Bartender assumed I was the troublemaker. I get kicked out. Very poor way of handling the situation. I certainly think I was discriminated against! 2 idiots getting ready to punch each other and I get kicked out. Horrible management. You better be a friend of the bartender or your be discriminated against!!!

A classic American lunch special that made me feel guilty for paying so little for such a good…read moremeal. Preface: This is only about the burger lunch special. I don't drink alcohol so I can't speak to their bar or other food. 5/5 Food: where to start with the burger- its thick patty has a great crisp outside and medium inside and is graced by nicely cooked bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and a proper amount of sauce. The fries are classic, semi mush-semi crisp fries with coarse grained salt. The meal with a delicious burger that outdoes any other I've had in state college, even those that cost close to $20. Walking out the door, the meal (fries, burger, drink) cost 8.05, and I was happy to leave a larger than 20% tip to make it $10 even. I challenge you to find a better burger in state college, regardless of price. Honestly, my MBA-trained senses obsessed over what their business model might be and I'm hoping that it was providing enough for the owners and staff. 3.5/5 Service: Friendly. It was really busy when we were there and it was a tad slow, but we also had a group that came in at different times. 4/5 Ambiance: nice-ish college bar inside, clean bathrooms. Only complaint is that the booth table was too tall for the chairs, I felt like I would have been better suited to kneel to eat my burger than sit (I had one friend who did kneel to meet the height of the table) Tl;DR Excellent burger; confusingly great value.

Second time here and I'm more practical with expectations. The sandwiches are as expected…read more I had fried chicken sandwich. For $3.50 you can get a million broken fries ( no fork) and for us the ketchups were all empty. It was funny watching other patrons track down ketchup. Seating is Lord of the Rings style, but you know that going in. Solid and expectations met, as 9 pm approaches, groups start coming as a changeover to a bar happens.

Expectations drive a review, traditionally. Therefore my expectations were blown away positively on…read morea recent Saturday lunch. Seated immediately in a very large restaurant, deceivingly so, and had a server quickly. The special soup that day was sausage and white bean and it was fantastic and piping hot. My spinach salad was fresh and fantastic. In fact everything was great. I'll be back.

Fantastic dinner with my wife for our 22 year anniversary. Fast and friendly service. We did go…read morein May when Spring session was over so it was easy to get in. Very generous portions for the scallops no pork shank. I will be back

We enjoyed an Old Fashioned and an Original Sin. The bar was updated and expanded during the…read morepandemic. The bartenders were attentive and friendly. The old fashioned was mixed appropriately, served over a cube with an amerana cherry and a fruit peel. The Original Sin isn't as I remember but that could easily be me. The drink is for those that don't drink and tasted like seltzer with grenadine. In actuality, the Original Sin is champagne with cherry brandy. The prices are a little high for State College and the Old Fashioned was delivered in a slightly non-traditional glassware for the drink. The Old Fashioned pour was also stingy.

A great throwback to the State College of yesterday year. Love the colonial feel, roaring…read morefireplace, and iced cold manhattans. It's not a student bar, I guess that's what the negative reviews are all about?

I'd never been to Zeno's on a weeknight early before. Very empty and brighter than usual, but still…read morefriendly service and a great beer selection. I wish there had been sour beers when I was in school. I would have had more options. I always liked the vibe at Zeno's and still do.

Amazing drinks, on the pricier side in the area but for a good reason! The cocktails are super…read moregood, we got a Paloma, Pink Starbust, and just regular vodka cran. The service was so kind and the atmosphere is great. We will be back more often!

We came here to order cocktails and decided to also order the boneless chicken wings that were on…read morespecial for half off. Our drinks were well made and the wings were a nice portion for the price. Also they run daily specials each of the days they are open. Overall this place was a good experience with our server being attentive and generous bar seating. We would recommend coming here but do check their hours as they are closed a few nights per week.

I didn't get any food at Jax. I only came here for drinks and I did enjoy the experience a lot…read more The environment is chill and the music are average trending songs but the drinks are totally amazing. Especially their Mango Habanero Margarita, that drink was delicious. It got a real kick to it while still being enjoyable. I also got their Green Tea shots and those were really tasty too. Fresh and crisp! Good, reasonable price! ($5-$6/ cocktail, $4/shot) The place seemed to be understaff but service was actually fast and the waiter did a good job at bringing us what we need (orders/water/check-ups) I would definitely come back here again.

Super cute place. Good food. Yummy drinks. Fun, but chill atmosphere. Amazing desserts.read more

Passable fare and drinks - somewhat expensive since for that they were. I give four stars though…read morebecause the service was very friendly. The hotel has a festive environment and this was a nice respite from a busy campus.

Very poor atmosphere. Everything is so confusing and nothing blends together. The service is…read morehorrendous, the prices are way too high for the pre-made boxed stuff that they serve. I had the brownie as the dessert in it tasted like nothing but chemicals. Management is a joke. They should have stayed closed after the incident with their other owner.