Ye Ol’ Watering Hole

Great little dive bar with cheap drinks, free pool on the weekends, a unique old school juke box, and excellent service. The bathrooms were nice and clean, and while the place itself is in need of a face lift it seemed to be equally as clean. Parking sucks, but that’s Northampton for ya!

Ye Ol’ Watering Hole is the perfect dive bar and the #1 dive bar in Northampton. The atmosphere is totally relaxed in here. The crowd is a nice mix at Ye Ol Watering Hole. The place is clean and casual and looks like a place where a lot of drinking has gone on! The beer can museum adds some additional character and charm. There is a jukebox loaded up with classic rock that gets quite a bit of action. There are also pool tables and dart boards available.
You will find all the usual beer and cocktail options here. They have some good beers on draft also. The best thing for me about this place is that they fresh squeeze juice for a lot of the cocktails. My personal favorite is the gin and juice. For me this is made with the well gin and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice — delicious! Service had always been great when I have been in here. The bartender I had last night was especially nice and also efficient. Prices are great and value is totally delivered. I am a fan of this place. Ye Ol Watering Hole is a «do again» and total recommendation. Do yourself a favor and get a Gin & Juice!

My favorite bar in Northampton so far. Inexpensive but delicious drinks and good atmosphere. I had Greyhound, which was a mix of gin and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, and they really do cut the grapefruit and hand squeeze it in front of you! And you could get this one for only six bucks! They also have a good beer selection– I tried Lefty Maple Ale and it was absolutely fantastic– only $ 4.50! They also have a jukebox and a couple pool tables, so more options for fun. Definitely visit if you’re in town, I highly recommend it. (closes at 2:00am but no re-​entry after 1:00am once you leave, something to keep in mind!)

I have always enjoyed my experience at this bar. The people are nice, and the fresh squeezed juice is fantastic! However, last night I came here before last call with a couple of friends to end a fun night at Pearl Street, and we were treated with nothing but disrespect. The bartender was rude for no reason, however this is something I could certainly deal with. However, a couple of gentlemen, one of whom turned out to be her brother, started giving us a hard time after we politely asked if we could use the pool table when they were finished. After paying for the table and racking the balls, the gentlemen became incredibly rude and eventually started a physical altercation with one of us. Instead of them being removed from the bar, instead my friends and I were removed. Unfortunately, our treatment and certain things that were said lead us to the conclusion that it likely stemmed from racist origins.
Needless to say, I will not be returning here.

Pickle Back is all I can say. Met with group of our friends for some Darts, Pool and drinks of course. This is one of those dive bars where people just hang out and have fun. There is an area with along bar and an area with pool tables, dart boards and jukebox for some music.
Also the cocktails are made to order with fresh squeezed juice and strong, great tasting and refreshing. For the quality you are getting at a dive bar, it is very inexpensive. i had the Grey Hound which so good and see my self drink on warm summer day. Then we all did the Pickle Back, which now has become my favorite.
then there is the Beer Can Museum; The walls are lined with beer cans from around the world, which is fun to look at and search for specific country, especially after some drinks. Great place to hang out friends.

I spent a few days in Northampton, went to a few bars, and this was my favorite spot.
Very inexpensive for the quality of cocktails they’re serving. The juice they use is squeezed right on the spot when you order. The cocktails are strong and refreshing.
The crowd was fun and the bartender was really nice.
I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone who likes dive bars.

Went out for the usual Friday night GNO to let my hair down with some good pals, good drinks, and god times. Was surprised to find not only one but TWO exits out of the venue. Very surprised, but overall relaxing ambiance :-)!!! National champion for pool tournament in my home town, big collection so get ready for the biggest of your life.
Came for the pool, stayed for the museum. Would highly recommend.

This place is great and a staple of Northampton, but they need to take the Grand Funk Railroad Greatest Hits CD out of the jukebox. «We’re An American Band» is already on another compilation in there, and no one of sound mind or otherwise would play any of their other «hits».

This place has everything-​midgets, grapefruits, fat chicks. When I walked in helplessly hoping was playing and I made eye contact with this short Latino kid jules

There really is a beer can museum here (I found a Billy Beer can in there). Northampton is largely a trustafarian paradise now but there are scrapings of a grittier time. This is one of them. Check out the sign int he front… there arent many of these places left.

Fun place to go to play pool or hang out with friends. Bar is crowded, drinks are alright– try the fresh squeezed juice drinks.

Honestly, being from the south I have yet to find a bar I truly liked and this is the one!!! Loved it!

This place is a great hole in the wall bar that is more than that. It is really homey and comfortable. The waitstaff have always been super nice and accommodating. Fun pool table in the back too. Just a laid back place with no stuck up attitude. Not a dive but not too fancy. The perfect place to relax with friends.

Just what the doctor ordered. If this place doesn’t meet your expectations I’m not sure what you were looking for. Doesn’t the façade and name tell you what to expect? The free pool/​bar games and affordable drinks won’t let you down. It’s not pretentious and doesn’t take itself too seriously or try hard to be cool. The can collection adds flavor and the crowd is mixed and not all 22 year olds. If as one reviewer noted there are drunk degenerate middle aged people slumped over the bar at lunch time, and this is off-​putting to you, don’t ever go to dive bars in the day time while the cool kids are still at work or waking up. It wouldn’t be a real dive bar otherwise.
For everyone else, go in and enjoy!

Great dive bar. Fresh fruit juice for mixed drinks. Reasonable prices. Pool tables. Very divey.

What a dump. My brother in law and I stopped in here and literally looked at each other and left. Drunk guys passed out at like 1pm on a weekday and the bartender giving us dirty looks like we were outsidrs who didn’t belong.

It’s a shit hole. A remarkably clean, balanced pool table, free darts, fresh juice for cheap cocktail with heavy pours shit hole. Stay away so I can take my rightful seat at the oak.
It’s also a self-​proclaimed beer can museum, as much as the ring of empty handles in a college dorm kitchen is a museum to consumed firewater. Free to see every day, though, so take that BoA First Fridays or whatever-​the-​hell.
The only foods they sell are bar snacks, most bottles are under $ 4 (priced in the cooler if you’re looking for cheapies) and the air conditioning runs cold. If there’s a Bruins/​Pats/​Sox/​Celtics game on, it’s being shown on both flat screens.
Just to remind you of what I mentioned six sentences ago: orange and grapefruit juices are squeezed to order. Go ‘head — get that Salty Dog.

Great
Dive with
Darts, billiards,
Fresh squeezed juices,
And decorative beer can museum.

I have a radar. Yes, if you’ve read my other Unilocal reviews, you know I have several: I have the wine radar, the bar radar, the foodie/​restaurant radar, and of course, the sweet tooth radar.
I tend to go to NoHa once or twice a month. I have awesome friends who live in the area and Northampton has got to be on the top of the my list of places with so much to do in a manageable and walkable area.
Last winter, a friend of mine wanted to hit up the dive bars on your way into Northampton center that you pass on the drive from I-​91.
Alas, it was late, I was tired, and I regret having missed the experience because one late December weekend two months ago, I ended up here with my friend who lives in town. And I kick myself for not coming earlier.
First off: FRESH SQUEEZED JUICE for you drinks. Right there in front of you. Orange or grapefruit or get the two mixed.
Secondly, the prices are cheap. I mean college student cheap. The place also only takes cash.
The dive bar atmosphere is in effect: great mélange of townees, hipster kids, college students and those of us smart enough to read Unilocal and get our butts into the seats at the bar.
The bartenders were super friendly. We met some interesting characters that night. Everyone for the most part were friendly. I felt like anyone could walk in here and feel at home. No one cares who’s hanging out. This isn’t one of the uppity places you go to be «seen». Nope. You come here to chill out with your peeps and drink good cheap booze. Aaaaaah, it warms the cockles of my little bargainista heart.
YOWH, you’ve won a fan for life. I will definitely be stopping again because the experience is one that was authentically beautiful.

How have I never reviewed this bar before?! WTF!
Ye Olde Watering Hole was my favorite place to go when I was a student at Smith. During my senior year I had a shit-​ton of spare time, as I completed all my major requirements early and didn’t have all the crazy seminars that everyone else did… so I was here with my BFF Jim most nights. Whenever I’m back in town for a visit, I insist that Jim and I head down for old times’ sake again. I was back this past August and had the chance to revisit for the first time in a while and I’m happy to see that nothing has changed in my absence. The dusty-​assed beer cans from around the world (it IS a beer can museum, after all) are still found along the perimeter of the whole place. The floor is still sticky, it still smells of dirt and spilled drinks and regret, and it’s still frequented by people who give you the stink-​eye just for existing. It is DIVINE.
The best thing here though is the drinks. Nothing fancy or fluffy but they are fucking GOOD. If you order a cocktail such as a screwdriver or greyhound, the juice is fresh squeezed on the spot. The beer is colder than a witch’s tit, and the martinis are perfect. And to top it off, the prices are downright cheap. I love and miss this place so much.