The Alley Bar

The red headed guy that claimed to be the manager denied Me and my three female entry to the back bar and pushed my girlfriend into the wall even though we had paid the entry fee and showed him wristbands. He was clearly intoxicated and should have charges placed on him for assault. I will not be returning.

I came into town this weekend to visit my friend and we came here after a quick bite at Dreamland. The bar was cool. Drinks were kind of strong but the live music was too loud. Great vibe but if you are trying to talk to people this is not the spot for you! We went into the ice bar area which was pretty cool. You took your shot and then threw the glass on the ground to break it. Not sure if I would recommend this please but seems one of the only decent bars here in Montgomery.

I would love to have given this place a better rating, but the $ 5 cover charge at night is not really warranted. They do have live music… local bands that are generally fairly good, but that mostly just serve as background music. I love that the back windows open up out into the alley, and the interior is a pretty cool space too. The drinks are a bit on the pricey side. I think if you pay the cover, you should not pay so much for drinks on top of that.

The wife and I popped into this nicely renovated bar (I assume the whole alley has been renovated recently) straight after dinner, while it was empty (it was a school night after all) we were both pleasantly surprised by the friendly atmosphere. The bar staff were able to recommend a few good beers to us and there was a small band rehearsing a few songs and taking requests. All in all I would go there again, but maybe on a livelier night.

Live Music, friendly atmosphere and good beer make for a great night! This place comes alive on a Friday night. They had a band playing country music, and the place was packed with people — mingling, drinking, and dancing. This is the go-​to spot for a night on the town in downtown Montgomery.

Good bar. Decent crowd. Some days it can be really packed and it may take a min to get your drink.
The bands and DJ’s are cool but I wish they would mix up the music more because it’s a very diverse crowd people when you go there. It’s usually country bands but the bands that they booked are really good.
The drinks are slightly overpriced at times but the bartenders are very friendly. I once got a free drink because me and one of the bartenders were auburn fans. But that’s how they are. If you’re lucky sometimes they will give you a drink free of charge if their in a great mood.
Great atmosphere too. I made a lot of friends here in the past couple of years. Everybody is cool. You have your drunks and sometimes the bathrooms can be pretty nasty. But this is the best bar in town. I come here a lot on weekends.
If you want to just chill, drink, and listen to live music, this is the place to be. And if you pay to get in, you also get access to go to the aviator bar with the same wrist band.

Seemingly understaffed bar. GREAT live bands! Twice visited, same circumstances and worse the second time. The bar is cool between alley and aviator but really slow to serve. Atmosphere is great but again, good ambiance is killed by slow service, even to close your tab.

A big city feel in a little sleepy town amtosphere. Enjoyed and will return.

Alley bar feels like it should be somewhere that is not Montgomery, AL.
There I said it. Everyone was thinking it.
Even the people who are there all the time.
It’s the reason they’re there.
That point aside, I enjoyed myself every time I visited this esteblishment. I would recommend not being there on nights they charge a cover, but then I’d be recommending that you miss out on some pretty cool local music and at least one opportunity to have a good time.
If you’re going, check out the ice bar & slam a «shot glass» on the floor in remembrance of me.

A crappy townie bar that seems to be coasting on being the «only game in town» on this block. Cover is always $ 10. It’s a bar that charges cover in Montgomery, Alabama. Yeah. Wide beer selection, or if you’re feeling really flush you can go into the «ice bar» and drink an overpriced shot in a glass made of ice and then smash the glass on the floor. Roll tide! There is a garage-​like area out back that is closed off where you can smoke, bands play, and there’s a «dance floor,» although I’ve never seen anyone really dancing. Crowd is mixed, mostly because it was for a long time the only place to go.

Went last Friday with a few friends and had a blast! $ 10 cover because there was a band– it’s was fun and decently crowded. I would say it was a good mix of ages, drinks were yummy, bar was packed but the bartenders were pretty attentive to people trying to get drinks, huge back room for band and dancing :)

$ 5 entrance fee on the weekend? WTF??? I never ever pay to get in anywhere, not in hottest nights in Hollywood, not in NYC, not in fucking Boston, not in Philadelphia, not in any city really. Why, then, pray tell, is Montgomery Alabama charging a COVER?
Whatever. I had to go in to get someone who was drunk and ordering shots. $ 5 later, we took the shots, and I got him. The place was pretty boring but I guess it’s nice for Montgomery. Just a bar with some stools and $ 4 to $ 8 beers and whatever else. If you want a quiet conversation, go outside on a weekday and sit away from the band.

Wish my gang was here to hang with me at The Alley. Tried to take some friends and they weren’t in the mood for The Alley. Cover is $ 10, front bar area is pretty classy and good for people watching. Their ice bar is a joke– just a cold shot room and they pretty much either want you to take a shot or get out. Furry zoolander coats are cool. Back room had a band and dancing… felt country-​fair like with plastic tables. Liked the mixed drinks– malibu/​pineapple/​cran.

Let’s face it — Montgomery isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when thinking about cities with a rockin’ nightlife. That being said, The Alley Bar represents just about the most you could expect out of Montgomery’s meager offerings, so putting it on the scale with bars from other cities is a bit unfair.
In terms of Montgomery however, this is clearly THE place to be on a Friday/​Saturday night. This place is generally pretty crowded with a wide array of people. Because of it’s popularity, expect a $ 5 cover charge at the door. Kind of annoying, but hey, there’s nowhere else to go, so take it or leave it.
Knowing that they’re the hip bar to go to, The Alley Bar clearly recognizes it’s need to cater to a variety of customers. It features a rather typical bar with bar stools and high tables, but is flanked by several swanky lounge couch areas. In a large adjacent room is a stage for live music with cheap plastic tables and chairs for the audience. Oh, and can’t forget the (totally random) «ice bar» in a small room where they serve liquor in ice shot glasses and provide fur coats to combat the constant 40 deg temperature. Basically The Alley Bar has something for everyone it seems
Because they cater to everyone though, you’ll see just that — everyone. Twenty-​one year olds, colleges kids, recent college grads, 30-​, 40-​, and 50-​year olds. You’ll see them all. So don’t expect to go here to check out your own demographic, because they’ll only make up a small slice.
Prices are average, although they do have a decent selection of beer (draft and bottled). I didn’t have any mixed drinks, so unfortunately their mixology skills will have to be reviewed by someone else.
In short though — a fun place to go to with friends, to people watch, and to maybe catch a decent live band. If you’re looking to go out in Montgomery, this is your best bet.
EDIT: WOW, I almost forgot to mention that the cops watch this place like hawks. MEAN hawks. I made the mistake of channeling my inner schoolkid and climbed a bit on the tall watertower that’s right outside the bar. Apparently this is a source of great irritation to the Montgomery cops who decided to berate me for climbing on «their» watertower. Not that big of a deal, except they approached me with their tasers drawn. Pretty much a HUGE wtf there. I could have been the next taser-​victim sensation on youtube. Damn, so close! But really, make sure you have a ride home and don’t do anything stupid outside the bar, or you may get tased!

Awesome bar. Good selection of beer. Would do again.