The Ace Bar

This Bar is closed for business.

I dug this place when it was Hoghead McDunna’s but I really like the look of the new joint. The bartenders were pretty cool. The beer selection was fair. I saw Steepwater here and it was a pretty good show. The sound wasn’t terrible but wasn’t exactly Schubas either. I was hoping this would end up being another solid, original music venue.
But, what’s up with the website??? How do you find out who’s playing this joint? The Reader? Do I have to «like» your Facebook page just to find out a shitty cover band is playing? If they can pull it together this might end up a good little spot.

Delicious wings! A great bar with great live music on weds and thurs nights! The bartenders are super friendly. I went there with a friend and had a great time!

Cerrado.

Great bar! Went to a School of Rock show here that my favorite kid played in, so automatically this place is Aces in my book to host that event.
From what I can tell, it’s an okay bar with all the drinks you’d want. GREAT wings, tangy and the smell makes my mouth water. Mmmm. .. Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.
Great room, good sound. Nice layout, it’s a fine place to hang out.

Great place to play if you’re a band. Staff is very friendly. The burgers and fried green beans were perfect. I would go back to eat the food even if I was just exploring the city for a day.

This bar used to be decent until they got rid of all their food specials. Now it’s just another bar that has music with overpriced food… and it smells.

I came to Ace for the first time tonight. On the last Wednesday of every month, they host an open mic called Get Off The Couch. For $ 7, I was able to enjoy the sounds of some extremely talented local musicians for several hours. The staff was nice, and the fireplace was awesome on this cold night. I glanced at the menu and it looked like there were some tasty choices that I am looking forward to trying (especially the burgers and flatbreads).
I would highly recommend Get Off The Couch (although I cannot assure you that future shows will be as good as tonight’s). Plus, the sound was crisp and clean… very good!
Please note that it is not something you would go to for dancing, singing, and general belligerence. It is a showcase of musicians and during their performances there is the unspoken rule that you are quiet and attentive.
I noticed a sign listing many upcoming shows… some good bands were listed! Looking forward to returning…
Suggestion: wear layers (it was uncomfortably freezing, even with the cozy fireplace roaring)

Didn’t eat or drink there. Just checked out some bands. A lot of hipsters there. Speakers were blown. Sound tech seemed like a jerk. Bartender seemed resentful I just got water.

Quiet, cozy bar. Not the kind you want to watch sports on but the one you want to come and have a few drinks at and enjoy the stand up comedy show on Sundays, which is really good.
They have a fairly large beer selection, and your first PBR is free if you come to the comedy show, which is free of charge anyways.
Service is pretty fast too, and the people are friendly, kind of like the Green Dragon from Lord of the Rings. Or at least that’s my idea of it. The bar itself is kind of hidden but don’t be fooled, it will see plenty of action, come and check it out.

This is a great little bar with awesome staff, cheap eats (Taco Tuesday– = $ 3 for 3 tacos!) a great beer list and an excellent stage and sound system. My band had a fun night playing here. I can’t wait to come back and see lots of friends’ bands playing here in the near future. This is one of those little bars that knows how to do local rock and roll right.
Quick list of things I really liked about Ace:
— sweet sound guy
— free weeknight shows
— good sound system
— nice bartenders
— easy street parking
— good, cheap tacos
— extensive beer list
Book your band here and bring your friends out. You’ll have fun.

Eh, I don’t know what to make of Ace bar.
I want to like it, a decent bar with a photobooth, random reasonably priced concerts and reasonably awesome bouncers should be a gold star in my book, but its just not.
The food is sub par and overpriced, the crowd always feels like a strange mix of people there for the music and those who resent the music interrupting their night.
All and all, even thinking about Ace bar makes me shrug my shoulders and say Meh.

This place is real cool. The bar area is great, and the venue area is seperated with a great open setup and a iconic wall of speakers which I adore. I was there for America’s Funniest Viral Videos night. So I didn’t go for the drinks or ‘bar’ experience, so I’m not sure about that.

In comparison to other dive bars, Ace bar ranks pretty well. The food was actually really good, offering several different burger meats including bison and ostrich. My husband got the waffle fries, which I think we’d get again. They had some decent beers on tap which was much appreciated.
Downside: the live music they had playing in the room next to the bar. It was super loud, and meant you couldn’t carry on a conversation with your companions. The bartender made it seem like Sunday evening bands were a common thing, so we probably wouldn’t stop by at that time again.

I liked the food and the service. Really good wings and fine as long as you know it is a dive bar with a stage

When my wife suggested we give the Ace bar a try I was intrigued. The Ace Bar took over Hogheads which was one of my old stomping grounds back in the 90’s. I lost quite a few Braincells at Hogheads. From what I remember, I had a real good time.
The Ace Bar has the same cozy feel and welcoming vibe that Hogheads had. The two hipsters working the place did a good job with our orders and made us feel at home. The food is a cut above what you’ll find at most bars. The menu is aimed toward Burger lovers which is right up my alley. I went for broke and ordered the Kobe Burger. It was a delicious cut of meat that was tender and juicy. And the Mac and Cheese appetizer was delicious. I give the food two thumbs up.
Here’s the bottom line: Ace bar seems like a awesome place to watch a ball game, enjoy a burger with your favorite brand of stout. The Kings of Leon wannabes provided prompt and attentive service. Its’ a a place that I would gladly go back to.

Well, I wanted to like this place a lot more than I did. The interior is way better than when it was Hoghead’s (even though it was entirely too dimly lit and we could barely read the menus), the staff was ridiculously nice and attentive, and our mac & cheese appetizer, while small, was pretty awesome with big chunks of jalapenos and bacon.
But then.
The restroom was bizarre. The walls were painted dark brown, but the only light was a ceiling fixture with (I kid you not) one 25 watt bulb. Honestly folks, WTF? If I wanted to feel around in the dark and possibly end up with pee on my leg I will just go camping thankyouverymuch. Then the hand dryer only blew freezing cold air, which was maybe great during the July heat wave, not so great on a cold, rainy autumn evening.
But like I said, there was a bit of redemption with the mac & cheese, and this pumpkin ale I ordered was SO GOOD. It was literally killing me to only be able to order the one (I am trying to stay off beer, but good luck when offered a delicious, delicious pumpkin version).
The burger I chose was the Angus Cajun, which came with lettuce, tomato, spicy onions, pepperjack, and supposedly cajun seasonings. The problem was that it didn’t taste like anything — not Cajun, not pepper, not spice, nothing. Then I found the meat to be too soft, but of course since it was so dim in there I couldn’t tell for sure if the meat was cooked through or not. So between the non flavour and the high probability of eating raw meat, I ate a few bites and just couldn’t eat any more.
Probably a better place to come, listen to music, and drink. Oh and if you can practice peeing in the dark before you come here you will definitely have a better time of it too.

Went on a Wednesday around 5. We scored a seat by the open doors, the vibe was perfect!
I will start with the good: the beer list is great, and reasonably priced. Most offerings are $ 5, with a few higher end choices.
My friend ordered a cup of the mac n’ cheese with bacon. It was really good and came with plenty o’ delicious bacon. I ordered the bacon cheddar burger. It looked outstanding, and tasted good at first. As I kept eating, though, it started tasting more like frozen ground beef and left a slightly gross aftertaste. I took the other half home, but tossed it. It wasn’t worth saving. It was the most disappointing burger I’ve had in a while. I will say, however, that they have TOTS! I love me some tots.
I’m glad I came with a Groupon, I would have felt really ripped off had I payed full price for my sub-​par burger. Overall, though, it’s a great spot to grab a couple of beers and, from what I have read, listen to some local bands. I may return for that purpose, we’ll see.

I will agree with other reviewers that it is about 2 stars better than McDunnas.
We had the Groupon for here and decided to go for dinner around 530 on a nice, sunny summer evening. The server was very nice and attentive. The food was a different story. My wife ordered the Greek flatbread and I had the Italian. They were both extremely dry with little to no sauce on either.
I don’t think I’d go back for the food. With that being said, I might go back just to sit at the window, have a few beers and people watch. It is a very interesting intersection to sit at!

Much better than what McDunnas was. About two stars better in my opinion. I’ve been into the new Ace a couple times now and the new look is cleaner, newer, and more inviting than before. They got rid of those stupid pouring mechanisms that restricted how much booze the bartender could pour at once. So that’s a plus. Prices are still pretty reasonable, but what still kills the review is the fact that when I just want to stop in for one beer, they make you pay 5 or 10 dollars or whatever the ridiculous cover is for the sub par band that they’ve booked. It’s a small place and with the band playing I guess their logic is, no matter where you are in the bar you’re technically ‘listening’ to the band so you have to pay even if you have no intention of coming there to see them.
It’s the closest bar to my apartment, and sometimes I just want a beer after work with some friends! Not pay 5 bucks to listen to a Kelly Clarkson cover band!

I came to this bar so someones birthday and it was sooo lame! First they have a cover, for what? A cheeseball band that was playing, that’s for what. This place was empty on a Saturday night except for a bunch of drunk college bros that bumbed into my best friend and spilled her drink everywhere! Oh and their bartender is an airhead! I guess the only good thing about this place was their cheap drinks. But you can find that anywhere.