Athens has been in need of a up-scale cocktail bar for decades, and Old Pal lived up to the challenge. I've been here twice and received great service and even better drinks each time. Their Tom Collins was so good it inspired me to start making it in my own home, though so far I haven't reached their level of taste. Only critique with Old Pal is their clientele. The establishment attracts a rather odd crowd of millennials who routinely make jokes from 2012 and cheer for Atlanta United. Male facial hair is disproportionately represented among these folk as well. Regardless, this is not a viable reason to demote an establishment's star rating so 5 star it is! Go Old Pal! read more

The Old Pal - A "Southside" and "Pisco Sour" cocktail featuring girlfriend - Bars Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The staff is rude and refused to accept my 24 year old friend's current id because she "used to live in Arizona and their ids expire 50 years". And her ID expired in ~10 because it's a new real ID, so the bartender refused to serve us. I hope the owner is happy their bartender turned away a group of 9 customers ready to have multiple drinks over her opinion of of when an id should expire read more

Stopped by here on a Friday evening while waiting for a table at another restaurant. Neat old time feel to the bar. Bar was about half full so we sat there. They have a pretty extensive list of craft cocktails. My wife and friend got a cosmopolitan and we got bourbon and ginger. The girls really enjoyed their cosmos. The bartender worked the bar well and kept everyone's drinks filled. Nice place in Normaltown to have a drink. read more

Although there is one fantastic bartender (Shiraz) here that truly values customer service and making a great drink, the rest of the bartenders are mediocre and lack common service skills. They are not attentive and like to socialize with their friends instead of serving their customers. read more

Fantastic cocktail bar in Athens that isn't in downtown area. Definitely an amazing menu and hospitality. I have been twice within the month and have enjoyed both trips! Both times I went were during the week and were not busy. I have enjoyed and will definitely come back to try more! read more

the old Pal is an absolute gem. A wonderful place to sip a drink and just relax. No gimmicks, no hi jinks , just a nice relaxing laid back bar. The lovely ash blonde bartender was wonderful. read more

We walked in on Saturday @ 4:00. There were 5 other patrons in the place. The bartender was engaged in conversation with the bar and never looked our way, said hello or I'll be with you in a minute. We sat there for 15 minutes and finally walked out! Went to Hi-lo Bar a couple of doors down. Not much of an old pal feeling! read more

This place could be great. Nice atmosphere, well made drinks, etc. However, I have been here 3 times and none of the bartenders has ever once smiled or said a kind word to me. In fact, the last time I was here I was the only customer and the bartender acted like it was an inconvenience that he had to stop reading and make me a drink. Why would anyone go here when HiLo, home of the nicest bar staff in town, is right down the street? read more

I came for the craft (house) cocktails but was disappointed. The menu at the restaurant was different from what was online, and the cocktails were below average. My rule of thumb on craft cocktails is that if I can easily make it at home, then it's not impressive as "craft", or worth ordering. Tinctures, falernum, orgeat, house syrups, etc. all qualify. None of the house recipes had these and weren't balanced, but overly sweet. Wait time was moderate (8-10 minutes) before my order was taken. One of the drinks was "okay," but not great. Can't justify paying $10 a drink for "just average" (or less). Places like Death & Co or Anvil charge the same price for much higher quality. Can't say I'll be returning unless it's for a beer. read more

If you come to Athens to visit and want to go to a place where it's not obnoxious college crowd.....This is the place! Old Pal is one of Athens few "Grown Man Bars". Great bartenders and great atmosphere that is located in Normal Town Athens. read more

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The Old Pal feels like your favorite pair of jeans,or like and that album from the old days that you could just let play all the way without a skip. You get the odd feeling like you just missed the ghost of Jimmy Stewart sipping a martini in the corner booth with his old pal, Harvey. read more

First time here, good music, great service! Would love to try a pop up restaurant night. read more

The Old Pal - Inside of bar...great vibe! - Bars Near Me - Athens, Georgia

My husband and I walked in Saturday night at 9:30 to a very rude server that told us the were closing in 15 min, we can have a beer or wine. We were not greeted, we were barley acknowledged, it was so disappointing. We crossed the street, went to the Normal Bar and had outstanding, friendly service and a delicious cocktail. That's the Athens I know and love! read more

Old Pal is an outstanding little jewel of a bar. Snug, friendly and hip with a short but well-chosen list of beers, wines and hand-crafted cocktails. In the up-and-coming Normaltown district, it's a perfect place for a happy hour cocktail, drinks after dinner, or maybe a chat with the enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. We loved it and will be back soon! read more

Wonderful bar. Great cocktails and friendly chat with Zack, the knowledgeable bar keep. Both cocktails I tried were just what I was wanting.

Choosing the best bar in Athens is like choosing which one of your kids you love the most. There are so many good places. And I could easily be talked into any number of choices depending on my mood, the time of day, the time of year, the drink specials, the bartender, etcetera. But The Old Pal has quickly risen to the top of my list. What I love about it is that it just feels nice. I know that sounds cheesy. But some places you go to there is either too much energy or not enough. Either you can hear every conversation in the room or you can't hear yourself think. The Old Pal always feels just right. The decor and ambiance is cozy but not boring. It's a place where I want to go sit with my wife on a rainy day and read and it's a place I want to drink whiskey with the guys. Not an easy thing to hit both of those moods. The bartenders are always nice. I've only met one of the owners but he was great when he was bartending for us one evening. Making small talk as a bartender is a lost art. Making small talk and being genuine in the process and not faking it for the sake of a tip is almost unheard of. These guys do it right. It's harder and harder to get out these days with two kids but when we make it out, The Old Pal is our first stop. And usually last. read more

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The Old Pal feels like your favorite pair of jeans,or like and that album from the old days that you could just let play all the way without a skip. You get the odd feeling like you may have just missed the ghost of Jimmy Stewart sipping a martini in the corner booth with his old pal, Harvey. read more

Since I wrote my last review, The Old Pal has really hit its stride. Both the menu and the cocktails have improved (as has the whisky selection), the service is better, and the frequent events and collaborations with other local businesses are always a success. Things are looking up. I value The Old Pal for its emphasis on mixology as well as the much-needed variety it offers the Normaltown neighborhood. It's become one of my favorite spots in town. read more

The Old Pal is a great neighborhood bar that I would unreservedly recommend to anyone. Good music, friendly staff. Nice joint.

Don't tell anyone about thus place...keep it the best secret in town. Place is wonderful and the bar staff is friendly and hard working. The drinks are works of art. Please just keep this between us... read more

Mark me down as IN LOVE. We actually decided to try this place after a movie bc the place next door (we don't care much for) was packed. I was so excited to try this new place. It was very dim inside, I really liked the atmosphere. We walked in & started looking over the menu. Interesting drinks , they sparked my interest. I told the bartender what I usually like to order and he fixed me an awesome drink. Also came back later to offer me a free sample of his favorite whiskey. I even left the guy a bunch of free candy bc I enjoyed it so much. We will 10/10 be back. read more

By far the best mixed drinks ever!!! Everything is made from scratch with the freshest ingredients! Our number 1 place to enjoy a drink!!

It doesnt take itself too seriously, it's a bar. The place was clean, bartender clever, good beer and soccer on the tv.

This is the cocktail bar Ive been looking for since moving to Athens! Beautiful renovated space. Laid back and comfortable, classy but not pretentious. The cocktail and beer list is perfect. The two cocktails I had couldnt have been tastier. read more

A great place to kick back after work and have some cocktails with friends. Not the type of place where kids go to get wasted, which is a nice change of pace from the downtown bars. The drink selection is great, the bathrooms are clean, the bartenders are knowledgeable and make great drinks. Highly recommended! read more