Love this place. If it wasn't for this place my time in Princeton would have been even more terrible. I always had a good time here and always ended up pretty drunk... Also, a fun fact is that a contestant on the last Beauty and the Geek (Joshua) used to sing karaoke here with us every Wed night. read more

The Ivy definitely holds a special place in my heart. It is your quintessential dive bar, and consequently my favorite bar in Princeton! They have affordable beer and drink selections, awesome bar tenders, and quizzo on Tuesday nights. They have recently added a kitchen menu with burgers, sandwiches, bar pies, and other pub grub. It's reasonably priced and pretty tasty. Overall a great dive bar! read more

I was here for a little while and it was a fun place to hang out. After a certain time there is a small cover charge (was Friday night). There is an outside area also in the back. read more

If there was a way to post a negative billion star review I would do it. I was sitting alone saving an extra chair for trivia when a man came up to me and asked me if he could have the chair I was saving. There was no one else at tables in the bar. I said that I was saving the chair for trivia and pointed out all the empty tables. Next thing I know the man is screaming obscenities in my face and challenging me to "go outside!" I then learn that this person owns the place. Wow. I will never again set foot in this psychopath's establishment and encourage anyone reading this to avoid the Ivy at all costs. The Tiger's Tale has trivia on Wednesdays and the owner never once challenged me to a fight. read more

The best place in Princeton! Obviously, that isn't saying much, as this Harry Potter wizard town of well-behaved, ice cream-guzzling, rich little snots is hell on Earth--but the Ivy protects us from death at our own hands. Imagine! A place where everyone always forgets your name (but kinda recalls meeting you once--it was 12 times, Zeke, 12...TIMES!); where great titans of crossword puzzles and misanthropic Princeton academics mingle freely with the younger (MUCH younger) interlopers from neighboring forgotten hamlets; where one can always abandon their children (if only for an hour) to drink some delicious Yuengling and fireball shots. Indeed, the Ivy Inn is a mythical haunt, a place that many believe was swept into the dustbin of history, but rather lives ecstatically without abandon. Imagine! A Xanadu, where one does not fear permanent banishment for drunkenly vomiting on oneself--no worries, the punishment is a vigorous, disapproving "shake of the head" from Ritchie and a legitimate expression of concern from the many friendly bartenders. Imagine! A protectorate, where one does not fear the vengeful wrath of health-conscious, Princetonian, dead-eyed charlatans for experiencing the mere joy of incinerating one's own lungs with delicious tar---no worries, the smoke from A THOUSAND cigarettes blocks out the stars! When I die, the few that I have not driven away with my narcissistic obsessions will cast off my ashes into the grime of Nassau Street, as alcoholic onlookers from the Ivy ignore the magnificent spectacle, instead peering into the seemingly bottomless depths of a freshly poured lager with child-like wonder. Humanity is not dead. It is rather sequestered in the dark corners of my white whale, my only love...my Ivy. Fear not! Upon gripping the pavement, its vines shall reach for the sun, pulsating into the endless abyss of tomorrow. Godspeed, ye Ivy patrons! Rage against the incipient darkness that creeps from the confines of the Princeton campus: it will try to quench the small gasps of light that radiate from our ever shriveling hearts; but prevail, it will not. The light will eventually go out, but not today. Not today! read more

Love this place, indoor bar also offers an outdoor spot which is nice in the summer. Best priced drinks in all of princeton and the bartenders are pretty good as well. Trivia night on Tuesday's is alright, karaoke on Thursdays is hit or miss. The DJ lets some people do some slow/boring songs and when the person can't sing in the first place it's a vibe killer. So many people are there Thursdays, the dj really needs to deny some songs... Friday and Saturday you get a band or DJ. Usually pretty good but sometimes a miss when you get an oldies band and a young crowd. Much better in the summer when you can dip out back read more

Went on a Monday night because it's just about the only place to play pool in the area (haven't found any other tables which SUCKS). But heard this and that about the ivy but it was pleasantly nice on a Monday night, the bouncer/bar guy was very friendly and filled us in on specials and his personal fav/recommendation for beers. We had to wait to play pool as there were guys playing who all had brought their own pool sticks and things and seemed a bit intense for us; in no time we were on the table without anyone in line behind us. Pretty nice pool table it had just been refelted. As for specials super cheap beer compared to anywhere else in Princeton and I hear the food is super good also (great price also like 8.50 for 10 wings). Had a pretty good IPA for 3$ that was 8% ABV. Enjoyed it and would definitely go back read more

Great food, drinks, and atmosphere. However the one star is given because of our experience with the bouncer and head bartender at the time. Bouncer bent our friend's ID producing a crease and claimed it was not legit. We tried to have him scan the ID but the bartender told us that they would not accept the legitimate ID and instead left us with a broken (again, legitimate) ID. Would not go back for this reason. read more

Great friendly service. I come here often enough that they know my name and my beer order. They are always willing to accommodate crazy food orders that involve adding tots to any and everything! read more

Ivy Inn - Farewell beer and snack! (I'm going away for the summer) - Bars Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

One of the best burgers we have had at a restaurant--juicy, perfectly medium rare. The hand cut crisps were good too, as were the wings. We have only been to Princeton's local dive bar twice, both times for lunch with kids, but I can definitely see ourselves coming back for that burger. It really was THAT good, second only to the ones we make at home. Damn good burger, friendly service. read more

I wandered in to catch the Packers on a Sunday afternoon. The place is simple but delivers. Okay selection of ales. I tried four different beers (guess they don't do buy-backs in Princeton), each for $5. I ordered wings and was pleased to hear that they are half-priced on Sundays--50 cents per. Service was fine, bathroom was clean. Non-university crowd while I was there. Place is small but well divided into a bar area, beer garden, table area, and billiards room. Big advantage is parking. There are spaces behind and in front. read more

Local bar with cold bear and good spirits collection Prices are well below the usual Princeton gouging that goes on at other places. Keep in mind it's a local place. Nice terrace to enjoy the fresh air. read more

I came to the Ivy because of its negative yelp reviews, or more precisely, because of the owner's responses to negative yelp reviews. This guy is absolutely hilarious. Come for the cheap bear, stay for the free comedy show. read more

Total dive in the BEST WAY POSSIBLE. The reason I'm giving it three stars is because if that's what you're looking for, this place is perfect! Loud music, cramped on weekends, inexpensive drinks, long bathroom lines (bathroom is postage stamp sized in true dive-bar form), nice big outdoor area in the back with an unexpectedly impressive succulent vertical garden (who would have thought?!), lots of college students, and bouncers that are so big they look like they're ready to take on the zombie apocalypse. I definitely recommend this place if you're into dive bars, and highly suggest trolling down a few doors to get drunk food afterward...they also have a pretty hyped karaoke scene. read more

We recently held to a gathering on a Friday night to celebrate the beginning of the 40th class reunion weekend. The owner and his staff couldn't of been more helpful with the accommodations, the drinks, the food and friendly atmosphere! Thank you Ivy Inn and staff, we had a real blast! read more

apparently alot of kids of my school (Princeton high) would go here to drink back when we were underaged. I was always too afraid of being caught (or spotted by my parents and/or one of their friends, who always seemed to catch me when I was somewhere I wasn't supposed to be. remind me to tell you the story about the time my dad found out I was at a Princeton University party at 4am because apparently one of HIS friends was there.............) so I never went. until a few years ago when I met up with a former classmate to have drinks and catch up on life. Decent dive bar, I remember there being a relatively good selection of beer. Staff was..........well, virtually non-existant, mostly because it was (i think) the day after Christmas, but nice enough. Pool table maybe? God, I'm senile. can't remember now. I usually choose not to go drinking in Princeton to avoid running into people I know (i hate those "OMG how have you been????" conversations, especially since I left school mid-senior year and to this day, apparently people think i was in jail or got knocked up and sent away. ugh) but the Ivy is a decent place to grab a few rounds. read more

Started coming here since I was 21. The Staff are definetly what makes this place. A lot of times it's empty which can be a good thing. Everyone that works here is friendly. They make stiff drinks and love to banter. Justin is a Pro and makes you feel like a regular every time. Very Random crowds here and this is the local spot that started Karaoke on Wednesdays. They also have take out Beer, I'm serious they let you leave with it. read more

I was recommended to this place by some "locals" and was not disappointed. It was super festive and also really casual--exactly what I was looking for. The drinks weren't expensive and they had a killer trivia night going on while I was there, along with a great crowd who clearly favored the place. I will most definitely be back when I am in town! read more

They used to have the best wings in town. Then a year or two ago something changed... I think their wing chef must have left. That was a big loss for Princeton. Other things this place does wrong is turn on karaoke during NFL games, play Yankees games during giants games, play loud music when there are no customers and youre just trying to have a conversation, the taps are often out, credit card machines often don't work, and I've been kicked out a few times for no fault of my own. The crowd can be rough... I once met a gentleman who just got out of prison, where he had picked up a carnal desire for young men like myself, and had pictures on his phone to corroborate his story. The one thing they do right is keep the beer prices low. And they sometimes have 1 decent beer on tap, but don't count on it. read more

The bouncers are awful. Was with a group of three women who were completely sober. Bouncer did not let us in because we were "too drunk". Denying three women entry because of our personalities is downright rude. This was not the first time, and we will not be coming back. read more

Local bar with pool and darts. Friendly bunch which the locals seem attracted to. After walking around town it's a good stop off place to grab a cold beer and a bar stool before heading back out into town . read more

Worst karaoke night ever. New DJ only picks the "beautiful people" (meaning those he likes). Total jerk. Not a good night out.

somtimes even princeton folks need a break from being classy. enter the ivy inn... perfectly divey, pretty cheap, and all sorts of a hot mess. things that don't suck: - cheap drinks - strong LITs and vodka sodas - good looking smart people - watching drunk princeton kids "dance" things that suck: - showing up an hour before last call and still having to pay cover - watching drunk princeton kids "dance" - street parking... and/or forgetting where the hell you parked by the time you leave (maybe that's just me though... i am a girl, after all). - late-night fights in the tiny "parking lot" allll the time. add 7 cop cars and it's an afterparty. yeah, i'll be there. read more

The Divey has always been a decent dive oasis in stuffed up Princeton. However, in the last few months they have seriously upped the ante! The place looks fantastic! And their new menu may be the strongest menu in town. Tunes, tater tots, trivia and cans of pbr in a town of puffed pastries? Pure heaven. read more

As with most anyplace the thing that sort of says it all - it simply smells, the stench of simply being dirty, unclean - probably by sloppy lazy owners and employees. Dive bars are OK...filthy places are not. This is a filthy place. read more

Ah, so this is a real Jersey dive. Yup, crowded with plenty of townies grinding to loud hip-hop with the sounds of incoherent shouting and shattering beer bottles mixed in. Not a bad spot if that's the type of mood you're in. read more

I had been to the Ivy a few times before, but after last night, I will never give them my business again. While waiting in a line to get in (the night before Thanksgiving, I'm sure, is the only time there's a line to get in there), the bouncers yelled out to the crowd, "if you've got boobs and butts you can get in!" I would have disregarded their unprofessional behavior if it hadn't been for what happened next. A patron inside was singled out for being gay and was thrown out by the manager, with disparaging comments. I'll pay the extra dollar for a draft beer down the street. I am absolutely disgusted with this establishment. read more

Duh, DUI recipient: Word to the wise- never park on Nassau when you go to the Divy...er, Ivy. You know how they have ski-in, ski-out lodges? Consider the Ivy a walk-in, walk-out bar. Princeton cops are notoriously bored, err I mean, attentive, and have nothing better to do than sit across the street from the Divy and wait for you to drive off. You may get a block away, but then you're toast. And, yeah; it is what it is. Salt of the earth older crowd. Typical, "Are they even old enough to be in here?" younger crowd. PU students, I guess? They have a pool table, in case you feel like showing off your butt, which sometimes, after a few, I do. If you grew up in the area, it's a pretty safe bet you'll run into someone you went to school with. One of you will be happy about the reunion, the other; not so much. Take your chances. But, beware: the night before Thanksgiving haunt. Cheap beer, friendly bartenders. Charmed...I'm sure. Don't forget your ID. read more

Probably the diviest bar in Princeton, so it's a nice change of pace from the usual scene. Very hit or miss- some nights are a lot of fun, and sometimes it's just kinda slow and quiet read more

Went here for a friends birthday/karaoke on a Thursday night. When we walked up there were signs posted that the credit cards were down. No problem this happens sometimes at places. I went to the ATM to take out some cash and the MAX withdraw was $20 with a $2.75 fee. That means if I want to buy $80 in drinks I have to pay $11 in fees! I informed the bartender, who told one of his coworkers (I assume the head bartender and/or manager) and the response was a shrug and "there's a bank down the street". No sorry, no 'we'll cover the fee' or 'let us buy you a drink for the trouble'. Later in the evening my gf left half a drink on the bar and it disappeared. The bartenders response was a nasty "well I didn't take it" Have been here once or twice before and had positive experiences, but this night turned me off. May return, probably not. read more

I used to love this place till last week. I have been frequenting this place since March and loved the energy and music. I made many friends since then and i loved to dance to the music and never felt threatened. Last thursday I was in for a rude shock when I stepped out to smoking area. There was a girl and for no reason she started hurling abuses and asked me to get out of the bar. I understood that the the lady was more annoyed on my race than anything i did. I will not be visiting this place again because of this incident which has left a bad taste. I love the bar attenders, music which they play, food options but feel its frequented more by white supremacist. read more

Worst place ever. Gave this place three tries and every single time it was a terrible experience. Bartenders are miserable and rude. Last time I went the bartender refused to serve me and my friends even though I was the DD (asked for water) and my friends were only two drinks in from triumph since it was the second place we went to. read more

The Ivy is basically the definition of a dive bar. Sketchy crowd at times, ridiculous music (which ends up being fun after a few $1 Miller High Life pints), and it can take forever to get the attention of a bartender. However, it's still a good go-to place if you're looking to people watch, hang out with friends, and drink (very) cheap brew. read more

Great place! Not fancy but good old fashioned bar with dart board and pool table. Food very good too. Had great wedge salad with grilled chicken. Also have back deck with outdoor seating. Good live music on weekends too. read more

If you are looking for cheap beer, lowbrow crowd, girls with big BMI, you will fit right in. If you are looking to hook up with good looking people, I do not think that there is a place in town for you. Drive up to New York. This place is what NJ is all about. read more

Ugh. What a bad place. Unfortunately this place somehow made itself to be one of the popular spots for the younger crowd, I'd guess most likely because they offer deals on the crappy cheap beers like bud light etc., but god it's just not worth it at this place. Their only redeeming quality is the back patio area, which offers great repose from the slums inside. But the place is otherwise just terrible. Outside of your cheap swill, they really don't have good beer selection, and the prices for anything non domestic are ridiculous. The staff there are also bad, bouncers are always rude, bartenders can't serve a crowd (draw straws with your friends to see who has to get the round, cause it's gonna be a half hour endeavor), and the manager is just a tool that likes to creep on younger girls. Definitely not recommended, by any means. Especially when there are such nicer, better bars in this town. Would definitely recommend a&b over the ivy if you're looking for a good crowd, and triumph is also a really great bar, with awesome service read more

This is a reasonable dive bar. It's most singular feature is that it is within walking distance of Princeton campus. The beer is cold and cheap. It has a junky, but useable pool table. If you're looking for these features, the Ivy Inn will do the job. read more

a bit of a dive bar by the standards of Patrician Princeton, a community where the 1% and their offspring are very well represented. basically a sports bar environment, went their to watch a World Cup game and the enchanting Brazilian and Mexican ladies in attendance to view the game, perhaps not always in that order. Decent draft beer selection and full bar. We tried the veggie black bean sliders with chips, we found both the black bean patties to be very bland and in need of herbs and spices and the chips were a but burned and also bland no salt or anythung had been used on them. Service was OK. When I stepped into this place I felt as if I was in one of the Rutgers bars in New Brunswick, rather than in posh Princeton, which was somewhat refreshing actually, As Pretending my wallet contains something beyond a few scraps of very small denomination paper can be tiring. read more

Bouncer is a real jabroni who has an arrogant chip on his shoulder. He has a jabroni'ish fu man Chu that is honestly, quite laughable. His excuse for facial hair actually makes me chuckle. He's a poor judge of character and costs the bar money by giving people outside the bar a hard time. The bar has potential but getting a hard time by the bouncer makes me have no interest in going in the bar and people should literally go anywhere else...the library more than likely would give a patron a less hard time, and probably have better facial hair. read more

Cheap drinks but the crowd was too large and nuts for a "dive bar". Was out om the patio and a guy started taking a leak on the wall right behind where my buddy was sitting. Hard to take away stars on behalf of the crowd but that's part of the experience. I'm assuming this was just a crazy weekend for some reason. I'll go back another time and re-assess. read more