Well, I get why some people hate it, and it's the reason why it's not a 5. It gets PACKED some weekend nights. Like can't move packed. However, it still is an awesome place to hang out and mingle. You can go outside for a smoke where there's usually some very drunk people. Can take a little while to get a drink, especially if you don't know some of the guys working there. Do not come there on a weekend night if you are over 30. You just look completely out of place. Needless to say I live about 50 feet away from the place and that is why I moved to my apartment =). read more

The Lionheart was my initiation into Albany nightlife on my first week in this little city. I met up with a friend and we sat out on the patio, which though it had been raining out, was still quite nice. $4 beers? Sure, why not. $4 for pretty good craft beers? Even better. It was still relatively low key at around 8 on a Saturday night, although that changed in a couple of hours. A couple of our other friends joined us later on, and we had some fun playing darts (for a $5 deposit). All in all, I ended up having four pretty solid beers. And I spent less than an Andrew Jackson. Not bad! By the time we left, the place was pretty full - full of people and merriment. I could see this bar being a cozy place to go for a drink later on in the winter, although we'll have to see if it ends up being 'just another college joint.' read more

Solid place to grab drinks with friends! A lot of different age ranges, so this seems to be a local hangout for all residents of Albany. The staff is super nice, the drinks are good, and there's free popcorn to boot. The only downside of our time here was some college girl clearly trashed who fell and hit her head on the floor not once, but twice...the bouncer eventually kicked her out, but yikes. Why did they even let her in? That had to hurt in the morning. read more

Great beer selection and even better prices! I have a friend with a gluten allergy who likes coming to this place for their cider. It's pretty fun on the weekends, but I like Thursdays when they host karaoke night. read more

The bouncer at Lionheart pub is an absolute jerk. He didn't let our friend in because he was visiting from a different state (north Carolina). He had a NC state ID and the bouncer didn't know how to read it. He said it was a fake and didn't let him in. WE tried talkign to him and he was being the rudest human on this planet and he shoved us off. Please employ educated bouncers. read more

Good old Lionheart, had a lot of great times here. This the place to be on a Saturday night in Albany. The place is always packed- they have great beer, play good music, and have darts. This place is definitely designed for you to meet people, everyone is standing up having conversations. If you're single, this is the bar to go to. You could honestly even show up by yourself and still meet someone. That's how friendly and open the atmosphere here is. read more

Worst experience ever... Went for friends 21st Birthday and the bartender Larissa was so unbelievably rude and refused to serve her saying she had an invalid ID ON HER 21st BIRTHDAY!! She had her license stapled with the paper validating she renewed her license and her new ID hasn't came in yet (which it usually doesn't by your birthday) She ruined the rest of our night and her birthday. Will never be going there again. read more

Crowded front bar area on a Saturday night. Head to the back for some breathing room. A pretty drunk and rowdy crowd. Seemed like the after-party spot for a lot of college folk. I felt old here...and I don't think I'm all that old yet. The bartenders were friendly enough and not too hard to reach if you didn't mind bumping your way to the front of the bar. I'm not sure "Blues Cafe" the right name for this place...maybe just "bar" would be more fitting. read more

This place is horrible. There is no atmosphere, the acoustics suck and the bouncers are a-holes. Plus I have seen live roaches in the bathroom and mouse droppings on the floor. Don't go here!!! read more

These negative reviews reflect only one side of the Lionheart. It's true that on weekend nights, as it gets later in the evening, the place is a packed madhouse and a meat market for college kids. But the bar also has a small army of 25-55 year old regulars, male & female, from the dart and pool leagues who mostly avoid those time periods. This ever evolving crowd is a great bunch of people- kind hearted, educated, fun folks who frequent the place on weekday nights and occasionally on the weekend, early in the night. And we love the place, since the old days when it was an old shoe on Lark St. Thus is revealed the hidden treasure of the Lionheart, and that's the fact Jack. read more

A classy bar with some great blues to be heard. In the afterwork hours, this place is populated with working professional types, mostly older or middle age. A civilized, sophisticated spot for a drink and live music. Excellent location; I loved getting an outside table and being right across from the park! read more

The listing for "Lionheart Blues Cafe" is a puzzle to me. Because in truth, the Lionheart Blues Cafe is the Lionheart Pub located at 448 Madison Avenue and it's anything but a "Blues Cafe". While not the worst bar in the world, you can't help but be overcome by the powerful urinal cake aroma and stale beer stench wafting through the bar. It does offer a pretty wide variety of beers and they aren't too expensive, but a lot of the bar staff leaves much to be desired in the friendly service department and the layout makes it a bit crowded at times. All in all not a terrible place, but if you aren't dead set on it, go to Lark Tavern or Bombers instead. read more

My fiend has chrons disease and the bar tender yelled at him..... so professional the guy with the long hair and bandana yelled at him for throwing up,. That's not his fault. It's your job to clean so clean. That's why you get pa d the big bucks read more

I've been coming here for years and there's something you have to know -- the time and date. If you come on a Friday or Saturday night during the school year, this place gets very crowded, dark, and loud. It can still be fun if you get a seat at the bar, but know what you are signing up for. If you come at literally any other time, you will get quick service and a place to sit. Their happy hour is the best in the Capital Region (every day until 7, except Sunday which I call Happy Day for its all day Happy Hour prices). 16 back row beers with pints for $4. Except for Blue Moon and Cherry Wheat, (and maybe Guinness and Yuengling if you're being honest), the beers are great. Then the front 8 taps have more rare beers, and Nine Pin, for more than $4. read more

We have sought out great bars around the world, and happily frequent the Lionheart, among the top few in the Capital Region. Apparently places like Ralph's and Suzie's get higher ratings by the locals who only go out to party late on the weekend. Lionheart has best beer selection in Capital Region at very good prices during happy hour and reasonable prices the rest of the time, interesting and diverse crowd for good people watching, good prices, big dart and pool room out back, capable bartenders, nice location, etc. Only a few bars in its league within 100 miles. read more

4 guys stranded in albany for a night. who'd want to spend the time in the hotel so we got a cab to check out the night/bar scene out. Sadly, it was a thursday night and the most recommended places by the hotel manager and the cabbie was the Lionheart Pub. It was packed for a thursday night and we decided to check it out for a little bit before perhaps attempting a bar crawl. 2+ hours later, we were still here because the prices are great, the bartenders are attentive and friendly and most importantly the crowd was fun. Got to meet random people, my friends got drunk, i enjoyed my sprite/cranberry juice lol and overall had a great time. for the locals or anyone visiting Albany, I'd definitely recommend this place for a visit. read more

The Lionheart has its good qualities, pool tables, darts and an excellent beer selection, which is why you should go to Lionheart. One can find a quality amount of beers on tap, especially from some smaller breweries and some craft brews as well. On the flip side, it can be a rather crowded environment, especially on a weekend, which knocks down the rating for me. My suggestion, pick an offpeak time to come to Lionheart and you'll enjoy yourself, but avoid the bar on a Friday night or Saturday night. read more

Don't waste your time, albany has so many other bars that you can actually enjoy yourself in.

This bar is a good after work hangout on a weekday, but avoid on weekends do to a lot of drunk college kids. The beer selection is always changing and vast, but beware of buying a $10 beer read more

The Lionheart Pub has an awesome beer menu. The bartenders sometimes take their time taking a drink order but they are very helpful when trying to choose a beverage. All in all, it's a great place to hang with friends or co-workers after a long work day. It's definitely one of our favorite happy hour places in Albany. Gotta love a place with pool tables and free popcorn! read more

Great beer selection on tap. It gets loud & crowded in the evenings so I tend to hit up their Happy Hour for $3 pints. They also sell growlers so you can take your beer to go. read more

This review is about the bouncer. Larkfest 2014 was last weekend. And some kid walked in with a cup of beer. On his way out he still had a very full cup of beer, but before he could leave the bouncer grabbed his cup and poured it out. So the kid asked why? Bouncer said you can't have cups outside this part of Larkfest, to the new acknowledge of the kid. So the kid asked i wish you would have just told me so then i could have finished the beer inside. So he then said, "Well i think you owe me a beer". Bouncer said "I don't owe you shit". So the kid was a lithe persistent and mentioned two more times i think its only fair that you buy me a beer for throwing mine away. It was at this moment, The bouncer grabbed the patron by the throat pushing him by the throat 6 ft or so into a parked truck just outside of the bar.. denting the truck. I mind you i saw all of this and the kid didn't threaded the bouncer, nor even touch him. The kid was choked so hard he had abrasions on his neck. Personally i've always been to this bar, and there are way too many underage kids there and the management's allowing its bouncers to let them in, as well as becoming overstimulated and hurting patrons for actions that don't deserve such brutal force. I recommend if you go there.. don't piss off the bouncer. Even if you're rightfully so, they use force beyond what they're suppose to. And VERY unfortunately there is this cloak over bouncers where the police side with them just assuming the patrons are very inebriated, when this is not always the case. It comes down to... this particular bouncer at lion heart abusing his power and harming a citizen/patron/guest. It's just not right. I do not recommend this bar solely on the fact that the owner JERRY hires such a bouncer. Poor kid. read more

This place is filthy. The bartenders are rude and you have to wait forever to get a beer unless you're one of their buddies that comes in every day and drinks for free. read more

The best part is the free popcorn. Usually really crowded on the weekend, and drinks are pretty average priced- not a bad place to stop though read more

Looks nice. Decent beer selection. Douchbag central.

Not a great place. Been there 5 or 6 times and the bartenders were assholes every time. I was in the other night with a friend finishing a couple beers when they started screaming get the fuck out we're closing. We weren't causing any commotion so when we told them we wanted to finish they collectively kicked us out. When I mentioned the word lawyer one of them punched me in the head. The hit was so soft I was actually questioning if he really hit me or not, but I guess that's not important to the story. Basically, if you're looking for a fun time and a good place to spend your money, don't go there. read more

The beer selection at the Lionheart is reason enough to stop in for a pint. With 32 drafts, a number of bottles and a fully stocked bar, this is a great happy hour location. The bartenders are attentive, friendly and helpful and free popcorn is an added bonus. The bar is a great hangout location, boasting 2 jukeboxes, dart boards and 2 pool tables in the big back room. My main complaint with the Lionheart is always that the music seems to be too loud, especially on the weekends and during happy hour. It can also get pretty crowded inside, during peak bar-going times. read more

I stopped in with a bachelorette party on a Thursday night and the pub was fun and lively. They had a DJ spinning some old school hits who even approached the bride to get her song request in. We played some flip cup with a local WAKA kickball team and enjoyed a pretty relaxed atmosphere with good music and relatively inexpensive drinks ($9 for a bud light and vodka soda)! read more

When I lived in the area I really liked this place. Awesome pool tables and great two-for-one and happy hour deals. Really chill and laid-back. Kind of divy, but still with an awesome beer selection and pretty strong mixed drinks. Miss my Sunday nights here when I had an apartment right up the street! read more

This place is great from 5 to 8 or 9. Then it gets crowded. I wish they had more chairs. The popcorn is yummy! The Happy Hour is awesome but after 9 this place is too crowded for my taste. read more

Expected the drinks to be really strong after seeing the amount of vodka put in, but after tasting them, I am CONVINCED they water down their liquor. Also, beer was flat, no carbonation. Old crowd, go to Lark Tavern across the street and save yourself the disappointment. They have awesome bartenders and a much more exciting atmosphere. read more

People always talk about this place as if it is the classiest of the Lark Street-area bars, but whenever I have gone there (admittedly usually late at night) it has been packed with the same rowdy college crowd you find everywhere else. They do have a decent selection of beer and booze, plus popcorn (mmm ... popcorn). I guess I need to check it out during the dinner hour. read more

The days of of $2 happy hours have been long gone, and if you don't pay in cash, watch that statement because there's been issues with tabs being charged twice. There's still the 30 some-odd taps and good selection, but the character of the place is leaning more towards a sports bar/meat market than the neighborhood bar that it used to be. Happy hour on weekdays is now more of an old-boy-network than the open meeting place of previous years. read more

Oh boy, where to start? When I first went here on a Saturday night a few months back, I was amazed by the type of people who were here. The ages ranged from "21" to what I thought was a 40 something year old. You get the typical gross old guys hitting on the young girls trying to take advantage of them. The dancing is something to be desired but there are a few people who will dance. The music is a little juke box right next to the bar so it can be a hassle to get to at times. The bartenders are flat out horrible. They ignore one side of the bar, hold conversations while people wait, and don't seem to care all that much about the patrons. The atmosphere is alright for a bar but could be better. It does get crowded up until last call which is at 4am and is located in college town area. But I will never go back to this place ever again. There are MUCH better bars on Pearl Street or if you prefer Lark/Madison, Lark Tavern. The Lionheart Pub is where low lives, overall creepers, and girls with no self-esteem go to. So if that's your thing, this is the place for you. Otherwise, there are much better places to go to and have a good time. read more

I used to love this bar, it has a great pool table and some dart boards. They even have free popcorn. Drinks are pretty expensive though. The crowd is on and off though, and they seem to have got this new bouncer who's a real prick. He got into a fight with one of my friends, lawsuit waiting to happen. read more

i love this place during the week. they have a great jukebox and the bartenders are friendly and definitely treat the regular customers well. the friday night crowd has changed significantly and is now a pretty annoying mix of younger kids who are all dressed up alike and just want to get drunk. the beer selection is great and the bartenders are also great at suggesting new beers to try from their extensive collection based on what you already know you like. i say- hit it up on a tuesday for a beer with friends, or for happy hour when the weather is nice and you can sit outside and people watch. read more

The Karaoke DJ on Thursday night the 31st of August was extremely rude to multiple parties. I wouldn't normally write a review but the fact that he targeted mutiple people from different parties with rude remarks made me feel like this is something that should be said. A DJ's job is to keep people positive and spending money in a buisness. He made an uncomfortable atmosphere where my group did not feel welcome. We will not be going to the Lionheart again and suggest you hire one of the many awesome DJs looking for gigs in Albany as a replacement. read more

Ok, I just joined to say that this place is legit. It's chill during the week, but on the weekends it gets packed. The bartenders are professional and solid, and several of them go the extra mile (reminding of happy hour specials, looking out for you if you randomly leave your wallet on the bar). The review below that complains about the staff is, simply, wrong. They are professional. Even though I use this site all the time, I actually now officially joined to rebutt that review below. I've been to this pub 4 times, and every time has been fun and/or PRODUCTIVE (if you know what I mean =) ). Don't let the naysayers influence you: I'll be back for a fifth visit ++. read more

I know this is a long post but I encourage everyone to read it. Last weekend I went to Lionheart and had a horrible and unacceptable experience. I waited in line with my friends and when I handed the bouncer my id he just pocketed it without saying a word. When I inquired as to what was going on I was rudely told that my license was a fake id and I would not be permitted inside. I was confused by this; I am a 24 year old and clearly look my age, if not older. My license is a New Jersey license (I am from New Jersey and in the area for graduate school), but that is no excuse for the bouncer to not be able to tell if it is real or not- New Jersey is only 2 hours from Albany and there are numerous people from New Jersey in the Albany area. The bouncer proceeded to aggressively tell me that the only way I would be able to get my license back is if I called the cops and got them to come. Upset and needing my license, I called the cops, whom I would normally never involve. While waiting outside Lionheart for the cops to come (it took over a half hour) the bouncer did not leave me and my friends alone. The bouncer pushed and shoved my friend for standing in front of Lionheart and shoved him into a car parked on the street. In shock, I took my phone out and began to record the incidence. Upon noticing this, the bouncer stopped shoving my friend for a moment and then continued his pushing and slapped my phone out of my hand. The bouncer also continued to yell at me saying I was going to be arrested when the cops came for having a fake id (why he would think I would call the cops to come if I actually had a fake id I don't know). Eventually the police came but I was not allowed to go with them to get my id- I waited at the gas station next door. The cop gave me back my id and told me not to come back. Appalled by the behavior, disrespect, and unprofessionalism I encountered at Lionheart, I decided to call and speak with either the owner or manager in the afternoon and explain what happened. However, when I spoke to the manager he clearly did not care about me or the mistreatment my friends and I had endured; instead of an apology the manager made excuses. When I mentioned to the manager that he had not once said he was sorry or offered an apology I was told that there is always another side to the story and he would have to talk to his employee to see what happened and to see if I even deserved an apology. I had explained to the manager that I had been to his establishment, had my id wrongly taken, been yelled at and treated horribly and he didn't think I deserved an apology? What happened to customer service and the phrase "the customer is always right?". All I wanted was an apology for the way I had been treated and I was denied this. Needless to say, I will not be returning back to Lionheart. read more

What happened to darts? This has always been the bar to go to in Albany to play darts and now management has apparently replaced the chalkboards with whiteboards and dried out markers on every single dartboard. I'm not sure who plays darts without keeping score, but the Lionheart is a good venue for them now. read more