The Phoenix Hill Tavern

The Phoenix Hill is a really fun place. They have good drinks, good karaōke, and it is really large and interesting. However, it is a little grimy, and a lot of the people there are kind of sketchy. As a 21 year old college kid, a lot of the crowd is a little old for me.

Holy Shitballs…
Phoenix Hill is a personal favorite when I visit Louisville. Actually, I am really surprised I haven’t Unilocaled about it sooner because I really fucking like this place and l want to spend more nights there — quiet nights, drunken nights, sad nights, fun nights, Monday nights, Friday nights, Hollywood nights… oh wait, that’s just a Bob Seger song… you get the picture. I would say I could become a pseudo regular.
The bar is like 2 steps up from a dive. Actually, in my humble opinion, it is kind of a perfect bar as far as were it falls on the spectrum of bars, ranging from total stinky dive to a chi chi Appletini serving lounge. Phoenix Hill serves cheap, strong drinks, ice cold beers on tap, they have a diverse crowd (where else can you hob knob with assembly members, lobbyists, Wilco listening hipsters and toothless hobos in one fell swoop?) The frugality of the place makes it divey, but it is actually a really pretty unique bar and well maintained. Bands are playing live music everywhere in this maze of rooms, and the politicos give it a corrupt feeling that I am a fan of — like you are in the middle of some serious bribery and debauchery. Great for people watching too.

This place has all the potential in the world to be a top notch destination bar. I was floored by all the options in this place. On a good night you might be able to just grab a drink at the first bar you walk into and just sip that all night as you people watch the night away. It’s a people watching paradise.
Sadly on the night we were there it wasn’t all that lively. I’m guessing most of the crowd was on 4^th street, but we still enjoyed our night at the Phoenix Hill Tavern. I would visit again without hesitation.

I loved this place for nightlife! If I’m ever in the area again I’ll go back.

The Phoenix Hill Tavern is not my scene, and I fully admit I sound pretentious saying that.
But I can appreciate PHT for some of the things it does well, and if you haven’t been to PHT before, you should go at least once, to say that you have. And who knows, you might love it.
So after trying out PHT on several occasions, here are the pros that stand out to me:
* Lots of separate spaces, so if one does not suit you, explore PHT a bit more, and you’re bound to find one that does. This place is huge! There’s a hip-​hop tiki-​type lounge, a weird hard rock/​country area and karaōke, along with some other ones I’m forgetting about.
* Every time I’ve been, I’ve had to pay a cover (boo), but what you lose in a cover you gain in cheap drinks (yay).
* If you can swing a Thursday karaōke night, go. You might be lucky enough to get the area largely to yourself, which gives you and your crew full reign of the mics.
* It seems they’re always having events, so if you’re bored — and especially if there happens to be a holiday in the next week or so – check out their calendar. And especially put PHT on your to-​do list if you’re a fan of the Velcro Pygmies. They come through there so often that they might as well be the house band.
Even though PHT isn’t on my top-​10 list … or even top-​20 list … I can forgive a lot, but not these:
* If you’re not one who likes to be in the middle of college frat dudes, booty shakers or Bubba from the country — see what I mean about separate areas — this is not your place. But it can be a people watchers’ dream.
* I hate, HATE how every word that starts with an «f» in their marketing is changed to a «ph.» I know that’s kind of their thing, but it just grates on every nerve. «Phirst of 20 Phourteen Showcase,» «phree» parking, «phriendly» staff, «phood» trucks. And «Phridays» in «Phebruary» make my eye twitch. It’s phreaking phlumoxing!
But again, you should give PHT a try if you haven’t yet. If nothing else, you will have some great stories to tell afterward. From an epic Beatles cover band concert to crazy karaōke shenanigans to a run-​in with the Velcro Pygmies (they’re always there!), I know I do.

This is a great venue for concerts, but if you are in the mood for hip hop and dancing there’s also a great section for that. Karaōke, rock, rap, beer, good times, etc. This has also been my go to place for Halloween. I don’t know of anywhere else that has such exciting Halloween crowds and contests. It’s always a great time. Beer is reasonable also.

If you are an introvert, like myself, avoid this place like the plague. There is no privacy, no quiet (at all). It was what I imagined hell to be like. If you like loud music and crowded dance floors with no mental or physical escape to be had– it is the place for you! They have different themed areas and more than one band and type of music going on at any given time. The drinks are reasonable and the staff is helpful.

This is a fairly fun place, worth a stop if you find yourself in the area. Very ecclectic. I didn’t find too many compelling reasons to make more than one or two stops during my stay in the area, however.

I went for the food truck fest and it was really cold so we went inside. It was awesome that they were allowing food from the fest into the bar. There was a loud live singer in the front room and we went out to the smoking deck to talk. The heaters weren’t on so we were freezing for 2 hours while waiting for a manager to turn the heaters on. I didn’t really buy any drinks so I don’t know how the pricing was. I liked the general ambiance.

The atmosphere is rad as hell! The building is really cool and original, and I love the rock vibe. The place is huge, located conveniently, and I think has something for everyone. However it does get too crowded at times, but idk how to control that. I guess it just shows the demand for the place. Drinks are reasonably priced and doesn’t cost too much to get in. They generally have good bands, and the crowd is pretty diverse in both age and race.

You know what… I had fun. It was DEAD on this Wednesday evening, but when I go out for Karaōke I’m not so interested in the onlookers, just the stress relief.
The only real downside of my trip was the it was COLD… Mother Stinking Cold… OMG. There is no heating in this building and a draft like you couldn’t believe.
The KJ’s a good guy. Pretty extensive list but a little less eclectic than I’d like. That said I was able to do like 4 brand new songs for me, and since there was no crowd I did some that I wouldn’t do with a group o peoples too.
They have live music throughout the night too. The band that I saw was pretty good also. It was, again, dead, but fun nonetheless. Their website says they have no cover bands but when I left the new band was singing Crazy B*tch, so obviously they allow some level of that in.
The place is HUGE. Not the crowd, that wednesday, that I would find attractive but I’m sure that it does it for someone. Throughout the evening I think I saw two attractive womens walking around.
Again, this was a wednesday night and I left around 0030 hours, the place was getting more busy as I left but I had work in the morrow!

This place is just what it looks like it might be. Totally trashy, sketchy, and oddly massive, with 3 different stages for bands, a tiki room/​bar, dj/​dance floor, karaōke room, and smoking deck. But here are the reasons I give it 5 stars and yet 2 stars at exactly the same time.
1B) My boyfriend and I were just friends when we first came to Phoenix Hill Tavern, but the awesome booty music and waaaay beyond entertaining crowd watching, well more like experiencing, cemented our relationship
2B) The guy that does karaōke is creepy. And what can I say — it is hilarious! Especially if/​when he decides he is in love with someone in your group who unintelligently told him her name. And that if your group sings something inappropriate — such as the classy Divynals «I touch myself» you’ll get a stomach churning 3 minute intro about masturbation. 3B is key for laughing your way through this.
3B) The drinks may not be fancy, but they are suuuper cheap. 3.50 wells all night. Just keep it simple. Bourbon and coke. Vodka Tonic. Cab?
4B) It is kind of fun to sing Crazy Bitch and dance around like a, well, crazy bitch. Especially after a few of those cheap drinks when you aren’t worried about your friends judging your terrible taste in anything, because, well, you are at Phoenix Hill Tavern!
It is the best worst night you can have in Louisville.

This is one of those oxymoronic spots that is so bad it’s good, so wrong it’s right, so trashy it’s clearly the only option. If you can’t find a good time here, then let’s face it, you’re most likely deaf, blind, dumb and even then probably a square. Phoenix hill is basically a massive warehouse full of every type of booty shakin’ atmosphere imaginable. It’s like walking into your radio and flippin stations all night. Not feeling the Karaōke equipped with funny hats? Slip into the next room, a Hip Hop thumpin’ Tiki Bar. No? Head to the main stage for the big belt buckled 10-​gallon hat cowboy boot stompin’ country band. Not your scene? What about the slightly smaller stage 2 with a 90’s cover band? Ooo, Jazz is wafting from the more intimate mini stage. Eh, I’ll grab some fresh air at the smoker’s lounge. Hey, I wonder who’s on at Karaōke, I bet my turn is coming up… and so on.
Flippin scenes is only half the fun though! People-​watching here is far more entertaining than any olé dart board or pool table. This music hall/​club is inexplicably famous, which means it’s one of those mythic places that people have heard rumors of bands being discovered from, but have no idea why or what to expect. So when Billy Bob and Bobby Sue come into town to get that marriage certificate that proves they are no longer livin’ in sin then they might as well lubricate the necessary consummation with a little hell raisin’ at that ‘fancy famous music joint’ Phoenix Hill Tavern. Then again, Taylor Swift was spotted there a couple months ago. You just never know.
I was shown this place on my first visit to Louisville with a description of «it’s huge, it’s wild, we will definitely meet some folks and that is definitely not necessarily a good thing, however, it’ll be funny as hell. Oh yeah, and tonight is $ 2 well night and there is a Booty Shakin’ contest at the Tiki Bar.» We had so much fun and probably would have won the booty shakin contest too, but we were shookin out by 3:30am and dipped to Spinelli’s.
Why not 5-​stars? You can’t give this place 5-​stars hahahah but you’d have to go to truly understand why.

PHT’s has pretty much everything you could look for in a club, all under one roof! Cheap cover, cheap drinks, and great music if you like alternative, kareoke, rock, or hip-​hop/​dance, its got it all.

Its great if you do not mind spending about an hour in a line outside on the Friday before the derby… that’s why we drink in the line, it keeps your mind off the wait! little hint for those that are not bad looking, once you actually get in view of the door guys, they are sure to let you directly in, just cry that your friends have been waiting inside for you. Then watch and listen to all the others bitch that he let you jump, its pretty amusing!

PHT offers a wide range of music experiences in the bands that play here.
The booty Shakin contest is a blast and good change-​up from the normal bar experience.

While I wouldn’t bring out of town guests to such a location, it was a great place for a bunch of San Fran locals to stumble upon. The place is huge with multiple levels and rooms — don’t let the grunge band and the bad karaōke at the main entrance fool you.
The outside patio on a balmy summer night playing hip hop music was pretty awesome and I would have been annoyed with a $ 3.00 cover (for a Wednesday night) but I got over it after a round of 9 shots for $ 18.00
The beer is cheap and the bartenders quick with service. This time, I finished my shot of Beam and my Miller High Life.

The staple establishment of every town. Dark and loud, filled with rowdy frat boys and giggling bimbos. Stay home and watch Laguna Beach.

I stopped in here to start the night by having one or two beers when I was in Louisville for the Lebowskifest. Really nice looking interior, dark, with some TV’s. It wasn’t crowded, but it was early. I could have done without the music. Especially since there wasn’t anyone in there. When are bars going to figure out that patrons may want to be able to, I don’t know, talk, or just hear themselves think. I am not impressed with what this bar thinks is musically hip. Cute bartender, she was nice, beer was cold, paid with cash, not a really special place from what I could tell. Very generic.
THE KEETH

This place is so tragically hip… that it’s a must see for all!