The Avondale Bar & Tap Room

Great place to get a drink! Wonderful atmosphere. Comfy leather chairs. Great place to meet friend and drink and have good conversation. It’s not too loud so you can actually talk to people! It’s a great place to get away from the college scene. The bar tenders are real deal and actually know how to make more than just a well drink.

This place has changed! I remember it long ago when it was more empty, darker, and uninviting. It attempts to make the speakeasy bar setting, and it kind of works with the narrow, scary staircase that seemingly lead to nowhere. In the end, it works and hopefully this kind of scene will catch on in Auburn soon.
This is the place to go for craft cocktails. The service is great, and they keep up with making sure everything is clean and empty glasses are collected. I had a Moscow Mule here which was refreshing and tasted nicely.
It’s nice one in a while to go to a lounge and feel instantly more classy when you left than when you came in. I wish they had this in Auburn when I was around or maybe that’s a good thing. I would’ve been even more broke as a student if I had known about how much better this place has become.

It’s hard for me to really know what to say about this place. The décor leads me to believe that it is supposed to be kind of swanky, which doesn’t really fit with the downtown of a large public southern college. And honestly, it doesn’t really pull it off. It feels cheap. It doesn’t cost cheap, but it feels cheap.
I see a lot of untapped potential. It’s a small space… could be pretty cozy, I think… on the second floor of one of the downtown shopping units. You climb a dark, skinny staircase to get up there, which could make it feel kind of «secret» if they wanted to play that up. Once you’re up there, the view of downtown is nice. The drinks are a higher caliber than the other downtown bars, I think. I honestly don’t think I would qualify it as a taproom. Sure, they have some beers on tap, but it doesn’t really seem like that is a focus.
Anyway. I’d definitely go to one of the other good bars in downtown Auburn before I went here. If you want beer, try Finks or the new taproom/​restaurant. Shoot, Mellow Mushroom has more beers on tap than Avondale.

I went with two friends from college recently for the Georgia game weekend. I’d heard great things about this place, however we were disappointed in the service from our grumpy bartender. The crowd was a mix of young students and older alumni, but it wasn’t terribly busy. The bartender seemed impatient with the younger patrons, but they were far from rowdy. At one point a couple «kids» stomped the floor during a song and he yelled at them. We left shortly after in fear we’d get corrected for laughing too loudly. –bummed

Avondale is my favorite bar. Yes, it’s expensive. BUT… They have amazing happy hour specials if you go early and always have ponies available if you’re not looking to spend a lot of money. The bartenders are skilled, the place is always immaculately clean. They have the best liquor selection in town and Hardy always has some GREAT craft beer on tap. If you’re a grown up looking to have a real drink at a real bar, this is your spot.

They just recently became more over priced than ever. An appletini cost 14 before tips and an amaretto sour ran 10.50! Not only that the quality of drinks have gone down and the bartenders get more and more snobby.

My favorite bar in town. They make a great moscow mule and have good options on tap. The moody, Mad Men-​esque interior is great and makes it feel way more sophisticated than your typical college town bar. Good place to go on a date night or to meet friends for happy hour.

A nice place to get away from all the college kids and relax for a drink. A little pricier than most other bars, but the drinks are good as long as you are specific about what you want. They seem to stay a little understaffed so when it is busy it can take while to get a drink.

This was my favorite place to step away from the studies and grab a drink. Although not living there any longer, I will always be thankful for it saving me from the only option being Sky Bar.

Super chill, fancy tap room. It’s like a set from Mad Men. Great place to hang out with folks in a bar that doesn’t have blaring music or areas so packed with people that you can hardly move. Artisan cocktail specialty, but they have a rotating selection of craft beer that always has something good on it. Staff is also very friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely one of my favorite drinking establishments in Auburn.

Asked for an old fashioned. It was probably half way full of soda water. I told the bartender «this is not an old fashioned, I’d like one with maybe a dash of water and I’ll pay the difference». The bartender/​owner said that is how she makes them and that’s how they’re made while refusing my request. I said she is not very good at customer service, and she told me to finish my drink and never come back.

Looking for a drink in downtown Auburn but don’t want the typical college-​aged crowds at the other local joints, then this is a great place to go– alone or with friends-​to have good drinks. Sometimes it’s loud, and sometimes it’s quiet. I’ve taken friends from out of town who loved the place. The bartenders are always friendly and ask your name, as well as serve good drinks. It’s like the «Cheers» theme song, the best bars are where they know your name.

I’ve never been to Auburn, and if there was ever a reason to not revisit somewhere, it’d be this bar. I ordered a Tito’s with a pickle back, and for reasons I can’t describe, I was charged for a very expensive whiskey instead, which I never had. This was a really sleazy place I regret going to. There are countless bars on this street. Everyone should avoid this bar as much as Ben Franklin needed pennecillin.

Had a wonderful post– Birthday cocktail hour here on January 4. I told the owner in advance of our very large party and he was most gracious to accommodate us! Best chocolate martini in town! Love coming here as a splurge for a quiet, upscale/​formal cocktail.
Only thing that would be better is a happy hour (unless they have it and I am unaware:) ! Love to the Avondale family.

Love this place. Hardy, the proprietor, is super friendly and has brought a nice chill spot to enjoy quality cocktails and craft beers to downtown Auburn. Definitely will be coming back here on my trips to Auburn.
I did notice the Est. 1977 when I walked in and was like, ‘this place has definitely not been here since 1977′ so I asked how that came about. Learned that Hardy, as a first grader at Avondale Elementary School (where his father and grandfather attended) had always wanted to own a bar, even in first grade, which was in 1977.
So the concept of Avondale was born then in 1977 and is realized here in Auburn — a great story! :)

Disappointed. I stood at the bar probably 30 minutes and never got a drink. I was being very patient because there was only one bartender. But after a while I felt like he was intentionally skipping over me. He confirmed this when he started serving what seemed to be the regulars and once again skipping over me. When serving his regulars he said «they’re just gonna have to wait» «I don’t care.» «I fired a guy tonight.» «I don’t care, I’m the one who writes the checks around here». Blah blah who cares. The overweight bartender who «writes the checks» needs to write himself a check to buy some new clothes. Poor fella couldn’t keep all his fat inside his clothes. Not ever going back. This place sucks.

We went this weekend for drinks after dinner, the atmosphere was fun, liked the big banquet seating/​booths, didn’t feel overrun with college kids (plus for those of us not still in college :)) or that we were at a college dive bar. Good addition to bar scene.

Upscale place for a nightcap, craft beers on tap, good selection of bourbon & scotch.

Wonderful atmosphere! Jonathan (the bartender) knows what he is talking about!!! I can’t say enough how great this bar is!