Ivy Tavern & Liquor Store

Very fun place — they have a live band every Friday and Saturday night. A lot of the same regulars come here each week. Drink and food prices are reasonable, bartenders and cook are friendly and personable.

I work about half a mile from Ivy Tavern on South Broad Street in Hamilton. It has been anchoring this area for a very long time. I remember hanging out here in the 80’s when I was bartending downtown and had a night off. They always had live bands, cheap drinks, and hot skirted bar mistresses. Unbeatable combination.
Then, I moved on and didn’t return until last week. 30-​odd years and it still looked exactly the same! Still pumping the standard label suds, and baking a very good bar pie. The crowd seemed older than I remembered, but then again, so was I. Those guys cemented to the barstools were likely the same as had been the young dudes the last time I was there. Funny how we find our place in the world.
Anyway, I was catching a late lunch and had less than an hour to shut the growl in the pit of my stomach, and get back for the next interview. The servers were still muy attractiva, so I took a spinner at the end of the bar, ordered a pie and Redd’s, while chatting up my collegial barkeep. The pie arrived about 10 minutes later, cheese a bubbling, and the aroma of ripe tomato, garlic and sausage steaming into my face. Tears came to my eyes. Some things are just timeless.
The Bar Pie is an interesting creation. Larger than the «personal size pizza,» often found in the Nuevo-​rias of the world, but smaller than the usual «small pie.» This is a «tweener,” — big enough for two for a late night comfort food raid, but also small enough for a hungry person to consume solo. It is about 3 regular slices from a large pie. This one was very good. Scorched bottom from the superhot oven, and almost molten topping when it arrived. It cooled slowly, and while the first sliced required fork and knife to handle, the last couple of slices could be handled manually without insulated gloves. It was crunchy, feisty, and delicious. Plenty of Sweet Italian Sausage to sate the savage beast.
While perhaps, a step down from its brothers at JoJo’s Tavern, Ivy still bakes a very good bar pie. Well worth the trip from a wider radius. Knowing that it is so close at hand, and offering good grub, good prices, and good reveries, makes it a priceless and prized stop on the Trenton Pizza Train.

The Ivy is within walking distance from my house. They really do have the best pizza in the area. Especially when the big guy makes them. It’s a neighborhood bar with the same mostly middle aged crowd every night (and day).

This place is fun, casual and has quality bands on the weekends. The bar pies are tasty and in general the food is good. If I could use one phrase to describe this place: down to earth. It’s nice to go to a place that is unpretentious, and is not trying to be something other than a neighborhood bar and package goods store. I always have a good time here.

come here from time to time when I wear out my welcome at my regular bar. The staff is not that friendly at all, they actually over charged me on a few drinks but I let it go. Because they did not care that I brought my own flask with me when I was tired of waiting for them to get me another drink. The bartender noticed I was taking a sip here and there between drinking my beer and she let it go. I’m giving this place four stars for the awesome bands that come to play here. It is not a bar for young people, mostly mid aged recently divorced people looking to get buzzed and have a good time. Its close to where I live so I can walk which has it’s benefits. The people in there make me feel like i’m part of the regulars crowd. Pus I can grab a 12 pack of beer on my out the door. Just one suggestion please get a bigger canned beer selection. It’s heavy carrying bottles all the way home…