perfect Bloomington classic. go, get a great drink, support a local business. everyone is nice and friendly, if you don't fw it, perhaps get your head examined. read more

Yep, you're not imagining it. I too, quit going here when I was asked for my Covid vaccination card in 2023 (have alwaus been vaxxed). Which was made sadly amusing by the fact that I sat there for 25 minutes trying to look for it before ordering anything -- at which point you'd think they would be anxious I spread the virus all over the bar. Ridiculous. Brainless America at its best. read more

Pretentious bar. No go. Lame. Friends from out of town wanted a nice bar. They accused us of being a bar crawl. We were not. In fact rather aggressive. Bloomington deserves better. read more

Me and a group of my ten friends were looking to go to the Atlas bar tonight. We have all graduated from IU Bloomington and had never been, so while we still have some time here in this great town we thought it would be a fun place to try as Bloomington has a lot of cool and interesting bars. When I walked up to the door, the bouncer asked for my ID, but then immediately asked how many people were "in my party". I turned around and told him that we had 10 people to which he responded "unfortunately we only allow parties of 10, I mean, 8 or less". Obviously confused I responded that we had never been to Atlas before and that we all wanted to get a drink and see how it was. He responded that they wouldn't let us in no matter what because "he knew our party was 10 people". Although I'm sure that there are preconceived notions about "college aged kids" and bars, I've never been flat out denied from a bar for seemingly no reason. I then asked the bouncer if we went in with two groups of 4 and one group of 2 to which he replied "well I know there's ten of you so no". If this bar is "so inclusive" I'm confused as to why they would refuse ten willing and thirsty patrons who are interested in going into their establishment. Unfortunately since this incident I've read some previous Yelp reviews citing similar experiences, so I'm not surprised now, but very disappointed. There's a lot of great bars in Bloomington who are willing to have you, so I'd say that you should try all of them first before Atlas. I look forward to hearing the response from Atlas, as I'm sure it'll be as condescending as the rest! read more

I would give them more than one star, but they wouldn't let me in. I'm approaching 50 but their bouncer, a young man who heavily favors a special needs child of Michael Landon from Lititle House on the Prairie sent me on my way for an expired drivers license. I think it's safe to assume that this place doesn't want you around if you're north of 35 - so my advice - give your money to someone else. read more

If I lived around here this would easily be one of my go-to bars. They have a full bar plus 10 or so craft beers on tap and a PBR tap inside an old Chevy on the other side of the bar. Cozy, chill vibes, great low lighting, clean, unique decor...idk about the deer, but there's a lil something for everyone.  While we were there, the music made me feel like I was at The Bronze. They also have shuffleboard, ski ball, and foosball tables. Note: They do card everyone and ask for proof of vaccination. This is a great place to hang out with friends. All love. read more

The Atlas Ballroom - Modelo on left, 3 Floyd's Gumballhead on right. - Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Save yourself and go somewhere else. The shots here are way too expensive. I was with a group and had gotten 2 shots. The lemon drop tasted like dish soap it was probably the worst lemon drop I have had yet. After trying to leave the bartender asked me if I was going to give them a tip or not. After I politely said no thank you the tall blonde girl with short hair said she will not serve me or my friends ever again at the bar and she will "remember us". Don't go here read more

No pictures, but I had to write an appreciation post for The Atlas Ballroom ! After seeing Anastasia on Tuesday night, Jake and I decided to go out. We popped into Atlas for a drink. They not only checked out ID's, but also our vaccine cards. Definitely a plus in my book of places to dine ! Jake ordered a whiskey sour, which I tasted and did not enjoy in the slightest. Since I don't have a foot into the cocktail world, Jake told the bartender what he makes that I enjoy and the bartender crafted me something off of that. He made me a sort of rum punch cocktail and it was okay. Jake noticed afterwards (to his dismay) that Tuesday nights are $1 off gin nights, by the way. What appealed to me the most was the decor of the place. It's definitely not an average "college bar" of b-town. It's a safe place for townies to go chill out. The walls are plastered with unique art pieces, taxidermy, and other oddities. There's a large map on one of the walls; a mummified deer head on another. The tables in the room also share space with the front end of an old truck and a couple of ski ball machines. I definitely recommend popping in if you're looking for an easy going bar to check out in Bloomington. read more

Quite expensive. $9 for a flavored tequila shot and $6 for plain one. Bartender became angry at my group of 3 when 1 person didn't tip and shouted that she wasn't serving any of us anymore. Decorations were cool though. Would've been nice if the photo booth worked. read more

Neat little bar in Bloomington if you're trying to go somewhere that isn't covered with undergrad students. Definitely feels more like a "local" spot. Not super busy on weekdays but usually gets pretty crowded on Friday and Saturday nights. Decor is a bit weird but in the best and coolest way. Honestly the best Negroni I've had in town. The bar staff is friendly. read more

Honestly could have got a zero from me. walked in at 12 on the dot with a bigger party and immediately the guy starts saying "get the fuck out of here" said we were bar hopping but on a Wednesday night with no business we were just trying to help them out. RIP read more

Nice ambiance and a great place to socialize. The bartenders here were super great and were creative in making some fun drinks for me to try out. I love that there is plenty of room to gather here. It's a perfect late-night spot for a summer night if you're out in Bloomington. read more

Cool atmosphere and a location just a hair off the beaten path.

Bartenders are rude and don't have any class which is a shame because the bar itself is pretty cool. They treat you in a hostile way as if you are inconveniencing them by being there . read more

They are so mean and zenofobi, I was looking for my vaccine card and the girl at the entrance was very rude and called two guys over me telling me fucking you, and that I couldn't be there. I'm a girl and the men there didn't even respect me even so I wasn't doing anything. I don't recommend this place to international people. read more

Lmao good luck, super rude about the vaccination card requirement. Go elsewhere Bartender was very rude

Good selection of drinks. Casual environment. Don't expect to dance here or rage, this is a relaxed bar. Shuffleboard and ski ball are the highlights, along with tons of beer and mixed drink options. Considered a "hipster bar", but I don't see anything wrong with that. Great bar read more

Had group of 8. Got asked for ID. We're 50 and 60 years old. Fine, they have their rules. But then they said we had to present proof of covid vaccine... we were shocked! It's Indiana and it's 2023 and an establishment is asking for proof of vax? 6 out of the 8 of us would have had it but we were so shocked and disappointed we just left.. does anyone know what's up with that??? read more

I like how quiet it can be in here. I also very much enjoy the Alpha King they have on tap. You can bring your beer out and leave it on the rail while you chain smoke with the other patrons. Good times. read more

The Atlas Ballroom - da fuq is dis - Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I spent a short amount of time in this bar, not even long enough to have a drink, but what I saw in the first minute was enough to make me fall in love with The Atlas Bar immediately. How do I love thee, Atlas Bar? Let me count the ways. 1. You don't have televisions. 2. You do have shuffle board tables and skeeball machines. 3. You have a list of artists I will NOT find on your jukebox. 4. You are committed to craft beers and liquors. 5. You have furniture made from beautiful, locally sourced and milled cherry wood. 6. You have an immaculate stamped tin ceiling. 7. You have a terrifyingly deconstructed buck head on your wall. 8. You have three locally made belt-driven propeller ceiling fans. 9. Your window shades are maps. Very few business owners put this level of attention into their establishments and I was so blown away by The Atlas Bar that I didn't know whether to shit or go blind. read more

It's quite exciting to see an unlikely hero pop up against the bar scene city down on Walnut and 7th and the Kilroys mega-bars. The Atlas doesn't like to take no for an answer. Bad location? No way. It's the perfect location for those looking to get away from the bro scene at Brothers and Kilroys. Credit card minimums? None. Tacky wall decorations? Nope, all you've got are classy framed maps, a stuffed deer, and a vast wall of assorted drinks. The people are good. The beer selection is good. There's skeeball. Not sure what else you could be doing to wind down the night, but one thing's for sure - I'll be here. read more

If you used to be a regular at The Vid and you wondered where all the polite grad students had gone, you should probably check out The Atlas. At 21, I may have been the youngest in the crowd. Attention to detail is abound. There is a fair amount of taxidermy along the walls. The space is open and fortifies social contact. Not a single TV in sight. Skeeball machines in the back are constantly reconnecting patrons with their childhoods. Someone was nice enough to select quite a bit of The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street from the jukebox. If you want a mixed drink, you can expect it to be made correctly and with a heavy pour. The booze selection's finer choices seem to lean toward Pale Ales and Whisk(e)y. It's only been open for a short time, but if I invite someone to drinks, we usually don't even bother discussing where we're going. There's not a better bar in Bloomington. We always end up here. read more

It has all the desperate effort of a hipster bar, but also all the screaming and spilling of a frat college bar. The bartenders all have ironic facial hair and/or dreadlocks, so I figured they would be happy to demonstrate some classic, old school cocktails. I asked for a Manhattan, and watched the vegan lumberjack behind the bar confidently pour equally from a bottle of vermouth and bourbon into a room temperature rocks glass and hand it to me. Spoiler alert: that isn't how that drink goes. I saw a review that said something like "there are more people oustide smoking than inside drinking" which is a pretty funny way to sum this experience up. Everyone wants to flip through the jukebox, play around with the photo booth and skee ball, smoke outside, get gourmet 19-ingredient grilled cheese from the truck outside, do anything except drink. Which is odd, for a bar. It's a place to watch scraggly young people wear attire from a bygone age, but not display any of the skills that would have been commonplace in people dressing like that in that era. Skills like dancing, conversation, correct cocktail preparation, manners. Go there if you want to see men wear their hair like Don Draper but drink like your little sister. read more

I really can't say enough good about this place. Great staff, solid clientele. There were a few kids who showed up and got out of hand, but the management shored them up fast enough. The drink selection and WIDE range of scotches, whiskeys and bourbon was a treat! Not a TV in sight. Terminator Deer Heads! Shuffleboard! HOORAY!!! I look forward to going back! read more

It took me two visits to realize why there were maps all over the walls... Atlas doesn't seem to be popular just because it's the new bar in town and people are looking for a change of venue. It's a great place to hang out for hours due it's ample seating and the obvious attraction of shuffle board and skee ball. Great selection of beer, on tap and in bottles, and the mixed drinks are strong. Everything is reasonably priced. The entire bar is clean and well maintained. You never see a table filled with empty bottles, the staff is always on top of things. It may be some what of a hipster crowd but it's always filled with friendly people who are just looking to enjoy the evening. read more

I was recently in Bloomington for three nights. And each night ended at this bar. It's a great place, with a fairly palatable clientele, as Bloomington goes. The cheap skeeball and not-so-bad jukebox selections make it even better. AND, a surprisingly good selection of liquors-- not often do you see Michter's whiskey anywhere, nor North Shore distillery in central Indiana. Bravo for that. Will definitely return on future trips! read more

I LOVED this place! This bar was not around when I was going to IU, and how I wish it had been! It is packed full of hipsters, but surprisingly the nicest hipsters you will ever meet. Pretty much everyone I encountered was very friendly, and I only dealt with one creep minimally that night, as opposed to the average 15 at Sports. Brad the Bartender is the friendliest bartender I've ever had, and he actually made an effort to tell me more about the local brews I hadn't heard of. My DD was a little too buzzed and I asked for water, and he offered free juice, noting the calories would help absorb a bit more booze. I went during Little 500, and it was busy, but still not terribly crowded. The only thing I didn't LOVE was the weird taxidermy animals around the place. Overall, I would totally visit this bar often if it were in Chicago, and it would be my first choice if I ever returned to IU again. read more

Everybody loves Atlas. There isn't really anything else I can add. On a Bloomington bar crawl evening, all roads lead to Atlas, as it is the ultimate place to end up. I am really, really thankful that they put out water pitchers and keep them refreshed throughout the evening; many a hangover is spared or at least mitigated thanks to this helpful touch. read more

Crowd, ambience, prices, and service are all wonderful. But it is _WAY_ too crowded on weekend nights. It's actually kind of a deal breaker. Even if you're lucky enough to find seats inside, you won't be able to hear your companions no matter how loud you scream. I've actually stood outside here on winter nights because I was so desperate to have the most basic conversation with anyone. I want to try coming here really early (like 7-9:30pm) or on weeknights, because I bet it would be the shit. And I've heard they have a great Sunday brunch as well. read more

I've only been once so I'll once I go back I could bump the review up a star. This is a very clean and yes even the bathrooms are clean and not just kind of clean but actually impressive. I played ski-ball which was an interesting addition, they weren't very noisy. I watched some people play shuffle board, but the boards were popular they night I was there so I didn't get a chance to try them out, maybe next time. Good prices for strong drinks, you get your money's worth. Friendly staff. Music playing in the back ground but not over powering most of the noise is just from people hanging around and talk, that isn't to say its really loud inside. Interesting decor. It could have used some more seating but that isn't really the establishments fault they just get busy and stay busy. It may lean a bit to one certain type of people you could say but really I feel like there was still a healthy mix of different groups. read more

Brought me back to the Mission in SF. Hipster bar with more people smoking outside than drinking inside. It was very dark and quite empty on a Thursday. Nothing special going on, has skeeball in the back for a quarter a game but the score counter is messed up. read more

This is a bar. This is a very, very good old school new hip bar. This is a place you can get great drinks, craft beer and meet new people. Some of the best cocktails in town and 8 great craft beers. Cool atmosphere. read more

The Atlas Ballroom - Not too light. The bar - Bars Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I'm 42 and was denied a drink because I didn't have ID with me. That I understand. Being condescendingly called "dear" by the bartender while being told I can't even be in the bar means I won't ever go back. There are a lot of other places to drink in Bloomington. read more

Sweet bar for such a popular place. Cool atmosphere and lots of seating. It still gets really crowded and crazy but that's only to be expected. I've had mixed experiences with the staff, though overall they're quick and friendly. The beer selection is good, there's always food carts outside and places to smoke and chat. A fun place for late-night drinks. read more

Back in December. But here's my only experience with this place. First stop of the night. Walked in with a group of 8 people. Packed. No seating so stood fairly close to bar. It was a birthday party. I finally got to order. And ordered 8 shots. Paid. Tipped well. Returned to group. Less than 2 minutes later I returned to bar to order a whiskey and coke. Was told I've had enough and refused service. We weren't loud. Obnoxious in the slightest. Should not have been cut off after one shot. The first drink of the night. read more

I'm never coming back again to this bar. My friends and I were just standing in front of the balcony deciding what to order when this stupid guy shouted " I don't know if you guys saw it, but the bartenders yelled "does anyone know what the fuck to order? If not step the fuck out". Absolutely unnecessary, rude and stupid. I won't come to this place again. And even the times I went, not that good. Beer is really hot. read more

I have been going to Atlas since it first opened and it has steadily gotten better and better, and I quite comfortably recommend Atlas as one of the best bars if not the best bar in town. The layout of the bar is very effective. There is a respectable sized area outside for standing, smoking, etc. Inside is a large bar area with sturdy chairs and tables, weird freaky art and taxidermy, a loyal jukebox, and a few other surprises. Atlas is a very clean, open bar with good feng shui. Tough-as-nails gloss paint on brick insures no graffiti or holes in the bathrooms. The bathrooms are the cleanest I have seen in a bar, ever. The clientele is great! I love getting a 'buzz' on then heading down to Atlas for a little bit of people watching and alcohol. The crowd which I identify most with over other Btown bars consists of Bloomington's best: including disheveled industry misfits, aging hipsters, weirdo townies, annoying grad students, Kirkwood trash, and a slew of other 'types'. I feel at home here! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, professional. The prices are good, the pours are actually stiff enough to cut through dinner, the tap and liquor selection is respectable and modern. Yeah, and they will make you a bloody mary from scratch, they will boil water for a hot toddy, just make sure to tip these guys, they deserve it. The people at Atlas are running slick operation, a tight ship, whatever you want to call it. I even sent them an inquiry one time on their website and got a prompt reply from the owner himself the next day. I'll be damned if I can find anything wrong with Atlas! read more

This place is pretty cool. I'm gonna go ahead and give it 5 stars. My only complaint is that it's haunted by ghosts, which is weird when you're alone in the ladies' room. Other than that, solid prices. Good times. Just... yeah. The ghosts are weird. read more

One of my favorite bars in Bloomington so far. I wish they had a better mix of draft beers with less IPAs hogging the taps, but I still always find something I like. The crowd is grad school-aged and older, which is nice. Bartenders are friendly. I love the skeeball and tabletop shuffeboard. Good mix of music. Just an all-around good bar. read more

A nice Old Fashioned at a good price.