Highwire

HORRIBLE bartenders. They seem to ignore me intentionally. Interestingly, my friend doesn’t have this issue. Is that because of color or just bad bartenders. Will NEVER go back to highwire again

Just a room off Trapeze. Not worth your time. Same poorly trained staff as Trapeze. Wanna be cool, but really just poor service trying to pass off as hip. There are other places that are sophisticated and hip in Athens. Perhaps with management that hired people with better customer service skills than McDonald’s, it’d be alright. Also does not have live band many nights, even though they say they do on web and phone. Due to poor staff not knowing what’s going on.

Hands down one of my favorite places to grab a cocktail in Athens. They have a great staff and amazing drinks. I’ve also become a huge fan of Bingo Night on Wednesdays. Great atmosphere that I would recommend to anyone.

Food exceeded expectations, most all the servers met or exceeded expextations. Unfortunately our server missed the mark. Deserves one more chance.

Decided to have drinks here while we waited for our table at trapeze. We sat at the bar and talked with the bartender, who carried a good conversation. She introduced me to the Moscow Mule’s step sister, the Black Mule. It’s basically a blackberry moscow mule, and it was so delicious. Not too sweet, not sour. Just right. So refreshing. And, its not on the menu. So now you know to ask for it. Another great drink that my friend got is the painkiller. But that’s only if you like coconut milk. They also have a full menu if you just wanna eat.
I like this place because it seemed like less of a party bar scene and more of a sophisticated place where people in their mid 20’s and up go. Nice atmosphere. Good vibes. Not too loud. I’d definitely go back.

My favorite place to have a drink. Staff is always polite and food and drinks are always tasty.

I love Highwire. One of my favorite bars in Athens when I was in Undergrad. But… Highwire is not your typical ‘let’s get super wasted and party our asses off’ kind of bar. It’s a bit more chill than that.
I really like the set up in here. When you walk in, you’ll see booths on both sides of the bar then the actual bar. But when you walk past the bar, you’ll see more tables to hang around. I’d say Highwire is a kind of more upscale than usual. I started to come here probably during my Junior summer/​early Senior year in college. At the age, when you’re too tired of the hardcore bars and you prefer the chill/​quieter bars. You know who you are/​will turn into: P
I’ve only had drinks here — and I’ve had several favorites the past few years. I always make it a point to stop by when I visit Athens now. Since my hotel is so close by too. Drinks here aren’t bad at all. Plus the bartenders here are cool. I’ve always had good service.
Oh and it’s a nice place to bring your parents if they’re in town and just want to enjoy the Athens atmosphere. My parents liked it there… but then again, they enjoy the «calm» environment.

The new renovations are awesome! And it is one of the quietest bars in Athens. Everything about this place is cool. From the drink selection to the food menu. My only problem is with the service. It has been disappointing sometimes

Ignored by both bartenders. Not busy for lame music trivia. All new inexperienced staff. Was a regular. Now just confused. This used to be a great bar!

This was my first time at Highwire & I can honestly say I didn’t feel like I was missing much. A group of us went to celebrate a friend’s birthday tonight & all I can say is thank goodness we all like to talk because it took a long time for everything. It took the server 20+ minutes just to bring my husband & I some water after arriving. I asked for a straw for my water & it took so long I finally walked up to the bar myself & snagged a straw from behind the bar. They were not that busy. I think we counted 4 tables sat total. After another extremely long wait the server finally came back to take our order. My husband & I both ordered the Pub Burger medium. 2 of our friends tried to order the special only to find out several several minutes later that they only had 1 flat bread pizza left. So after our friends decided who was going to have the last special & the other reorder, we were all hoping for a little more attentiveness to what was quickly becoming the butt of our jokes during diner. After watching a table that came in after us, order & be served their meal we were wondering if bailing out at this point was an option. When our food finally arrived not everyone got theirs. Go figure, it took them 45 minutes to bring out the flat bread pizza that didn’t even looked like it had been cooked! We were All done with out food by the time our friend got his. Ours was good. Cooked as ordered, I think… the lighting in that place was horribly dim. It wasn’t worth the wait or the $ 11 for a Burger of that caliber but the Garlic Aioli that was served with the fries was my favorite part of the whole meal. When it was all said & done we were all just glad it didn’t take hardly any time to get our checks (which were split up wrong) & get the heck out of there. I don’t think we will try for a round two.

You must try the garlic rosemary fries served with one of three dipping sauces. I enjoyed my garlic aoli selection but was also intrigued by the raspberry ketchup. This seems like a great happy hour meeting place, within walking distance of the University of Georgia campus in Athens.

Highwire used to be one of my favorite spots downtown, but I’ve gotta say — as much as it pains me – recent «improvements» have been anything but. The new seating arrangement seems designed to increase the number of diners and food orders, but they certainly add nothing to intimacy and atmosphere of the place. I liked the old rooms, the old nooks and crannies — most of all, I liked having somewhere to go to get away from the music, which is apparently ALWAYS HAPPENING NOW. Please, guys, you’re a cocktail bar, not a music venue. The last three or four times my wife and I have stopped by, we’ve left early because another anonymous musician was setting up. Have some quiet nights! Additionally, though I may be wrong about this — the cocktail menu has been downsized, and that’s a heartbreaking blow. It used to be the strongest in town! I recently heard they were revamping this menu, and I’m happy to hear it, but until that day, and until I can be relatively confident that I can carry on a conversation at a reasonable volume, I won’t be returning.

Live Jazz tonight. .looking forward to it.
Good venue in downtown Athens. They had a 3 piece Jazz combo playing when I was there with a Vocalist sitting in for a song or 2
Great drinks menu… something for everyone… at all price ranges. Mojito’s were a little too sweet for me and overpriced. Everything else was delicious and priced at a reasonable level. Just start from the left side of the drinks menu and work down and you’ll be fine!!!
All and all. a fun place to visit IF they are playing Jazz on a Friday night… other than that… stay away.
I’m not too sure about this place… it’s Fun… it has a great vibe… but, It can be a snobbish, hipster joint with food that is overpriced and not worth it. AND lots of wanna be COOL folks trying to be pretentious… just be wary if you go… verge of boring if you go by yourself!

Service was a little crappy, they seemed to only care about sitting blonde girls. Drinks were average. Oh geohhgia, sigh !!

I’m always looking to get away from the overpopulated undergraduate bars in Downtown Athens. For my birthday, in particular, I was looking for a lounge and bar with booth seating and a notch above the ordinary. Highwire definitely provided that and so much more. I was able to reserve two booths at the front of the lounge for my rather large party. For the size of the group, we had awesome service! Amanda H was our server and she went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time. Delicious food (Highwire and Trapeze share a menu) and even better cocktails! Oh yeah, and the raspberry brûlée cheesecake was heaven! Overall, I got exactly what I was looking for and I will be back for more nights to come, especially on nights with live jazz. Highwire is now my favorite bar and lounge in Downtown Athens! Perfect for the adult crowd!

Tice might be the best bartender I’ve ever had. Pumpkin spice White Russian rules the bar. Can’t beat the whiskey selection either. Great cocktails in Athens.

I can’t say enough good things about Highwire!
But let me try, anyway. :)
First of all, the drinks here are awesome – original and fresh with new spins on traditional goodies (for example – pumpkin russian for fall time!). With a seemingly endless and top notch variety of bourbons/​whiskeys, gins, and other standards, you will NOT get bored with the selection. The only downside is having to make a decision – because there are so many choices!
Second, while this is a bar, the food is outstanding. Highwire shares a kitchen with its sister restaurant/​bar Trappeze, and the menu is nothing short of exceptional. This is not your typical bar food, folks. They have a sophisticated assortment of appetizers, burgers and sandwiches, soups and salads, cheeses, and oh-​the-​entrées. I have to personally recommend the Steak Frites, but my friend got the Pecan Crusted North Carolina Trout and I had a bite. Oh my WORD. SO good.
Finally, the service is phenomenal. The staff are always cheerful and friendly, and very happy to make suggestions (which is great, given the extensive drink menu)! Also, I have to mention this – I left my phone in the restroom one night and was naturally in a panic as it’s an expensive phone! I realized it the minute I got home, and called the next day to see if anyone had found it. Not only had they found my phone and kept it safe, they CHARGED it for me. I mean seriously… It’s hard to find good people like this these days.
All around an outstanding establishment!

A real reprieve from the typical college crowd bar. Excellent selection of spirits. Was very impressed with the gin selections. Quality tonic (Fever tree) and ice. Fine mixologist but maybe a little green. Nice sophisticated ambiance but still down to earth. Highly recommended if one is looking for a nicer bar/​lounge experience.

Good, solid stop for us grown folks who come back to Athens and reminisce about our glory years. The times I have been there, it is a great mix of people. You don’t feel overrun by students, and it’s not unbearably loud. It’s a little off the beaten path of the main bar drags on Clayton and Washington Streets, so I think that helps. Drinks are creative and a notch above some of the more traditional Athens bars.
I had the Funambulist — bulleit bourbon /​/​lavender /​/​lemon /​/​seltzer. YUM. Okay, I had two, which was probably not the greatest idea. But still, Highwire, and the adjacent Trapezze, are great bets for a night out with the big kids (an some younger ones here and there). Finally, as a fair warning, there is a spooky jester hanging from the ceiling, which gets scarier with every Funambulist consumed.

While this place is like a restaurant (full menu complete with salad options and appetizers and soups), they still ID you upon entering. This place is connected to Trappeze.
There was actually a wait when we went (9pm on Friday). While we waited, we went up to the bar and got a few cocktails. A *lot* of random stuff, and super fresh too (fresh oranges, limes, lemons, blah blah). Basil caipir-​blahblah? Huh?
Best service EVER. Very attentive, super quick, and super AWE-​SOME. Some random couple tried to swipe a table and weren’t even on the waitlist. Luckily, Highwire doesn’t mess around with that sh*t. The couple was politely asked to leave, and coincidentally we were the ones up next. So obviously, I was realllllllllly excited to finally get a table that was in view of the jazz band playing!
Best cocktails. Old fashioned = straight up whiskey on the rocks… blech! Get the Corn and Oil (rum drink), it’s pretty fruity but still strong. Drinks can get pricey for the Athens atmosphere (about $ 6-​$ 12) BUT I did see some vodka cocktails for as low as $ 4.
They played WONDERFUL JAZZ MUSIC (Friday nights only). I will be here… every Friday.