Da Westy

Updating my prior review– they do now accept cards!
There have been several great updates in the past several months — a pool table, popcorn, better drink specials and cocktails. Their outdoor seating, the weekly CSA, and BBQ offerings have really upped their standings in my book!

Not completely sure what the attraction is to this place, but we’ve been down a few times recently so I’ll leave a proper review.
If you basically want to sit around and drink moderately priced beer with a semi-​decent selection, and you have cash on you, then this is a fine establishment. You can sit inside or outside (unless it’s dark, in which case there are no lights outside) and drink your beer. They do have a Pelican BBQ stand on Saturdays (as of July 2015) so you can get some tasty meat, which is a bonus. Smokers will be glad for the plentiful picnic tables outside.
Do not order mixed drinks here – they are incredibly stingy with the alcohol and you will not even taste it. Remember to bring your cash, otherwise you will get soaked by the third-​party ATM they just happen to have in the back of the bar.

Great bar in downtown Ithaca, within drunk stumble distance of our Super 8 motel. We came here with our local college buddy and this was a major change from the bar experience I recall in my college days. With Chapter House gone, this looks like the place to be if you enjoy chill bars with a fine selection of erudite beers.
The outside area is ample and comfortable, encouraging lingering and conversations. The vibe seemed more hipster than Ithaca hippie, but there were plenty of regular folk, too.

In my book Da Westy is the place you go if you can’t get in anywhere else… This place could be greatly improved by adding some lighting in the back outdoor area. It’s summer now and most people want to be outside but at this place you will be sitting in such darkness it’s hard to see even across the table. They have a few games like corn hole in the back but again it makes it a little tough due to the need to see.

Great place to hang out, especially if the weather is nice, way more outdoor space than indoors. Cash only, but they have an atm. Nice staff, good selection of local beer, clean bathroom (the ladies is anyway). Hoping they bring in a hot truck again this summer. Perfect happy hour on a Friday place.

Great place! So many great people working there, super (simple) drinks and tasty beers.
Oh and as a bonus if you come in with cash, you aren’t subsidizing those people who want to use their Bank of America or AMEX cards everywhere. Use cash – keep it local. Thanks Da Westy, we like not paying higher prices to cover numerous credit card fees. They add up quickly!
In the warm weather it’s corn hole or enjoying the outdoors. In the summer you can even pick up your Plowbreak Farms CSA/​farmshare on Thursday eve!

It’s never five o’clock here! I’ve been coming here for a few years, since it opened when they had wooden booths, etc. I enjoyed the beer selections, the outdoor seating, mellow vibe and occasional live music. Then I switched to cocktails. The «mason jar doubles», though refreshing, were absurdly ice-​laden, very low liquor ratio. I once asked for less ice and was told «well, you’re not getting more liquor if I put in less ice!» — noooiiice. Then the price on those went up and the size of the mason jar glasses shrunk overnight. So I switched to wine but discovered the selection is limited to one or two each of white and red, and wtf: NON-​local. Then I got a skunky glass… Wait, you tend bar in finger lakes… sniff the bottle before you serve? Got sick of the bartenders and the ever-​annoying college crowd. It should be a great neighborhood bar, but it’s just got too many demerits to be one of my favorites.

Cash only, slow service, not dog friendly despite being the only patio bar in town. Most other places around Ithaca have much better selection and a better atmosphere.

Da Westy is a bit of a Janus-​faced institution. In warmer months, its vast outdoor seating area makes it the go-​to bar in Ithaca — the closest this town gets to having a proper German biergarten. This is where you want to be to drink under the stars (to the extent they’re visible) and bring large groups of friends. The bar’s small interior, though, isn’t really anything special, and the hike from anywhere else in Ithaca is hardly worth it when the outdoor space isn’t hospitable — which, being Upstate New York, is most of the year. It still gets points for being less hot, sticky, and crowded than other local bars during this time of year — I’m looking at you, Chapter House — but, for a bar specializing in beer, its selection doesn’t quite match that of the pub uphill (nor does it have its free popcorn).

Good beer selection and prices for a bar. Laid back atmosphere (although I went here during summer when school isn’t in session). Great bar.

Da Westy is a great neighborhood bar, with a decent wine list, cider on tap, and cocktails. I don’t generally drink beer, so I can’t comment on that, but they appear to have a good selection on tap. I do find their cocktails a little on the sweet side for my taste, so I generally stick to wine.
The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming, with a rustic, wooden décor on the inside. In summer, you can sit on picnic tables in the back, and they usually have games of cornhole out.
No food here, but you can order take out from Saigon Kitchen down the street and bring it in.
A fun place to go (especially on Weds or Sun nights for draught night — $ 3.50 draughts) and hang out, play some pinball, and relax with friends.
NB — they do not accept credit cards, so be sure to bring cash. There is an ATM on site if you forget.

Pros: I love the atmosphere. The outdoor seating area is awesome during the spring through fall. Corn hole is also an awesome game to play while tipsy (which they have outside). They at one time had a great deal on two bottles of wine and their beers are reasonably priced for Ithaca.
Cons: the service is incredibly slow because it’s cash only, meaning you can’t start a tab and on top of this they measure their shots for mixed drinks (instead of eyeballing). Definitely the slowest place in Ithaca for the employee to customer ratio. The mixed drinks are not that good here (although I did enjoy a sidecar once) and their «mason jar doubles» are not doubles. A double is 3oz and I am absolutely confident that they aren’t pouring that much alcohol in those drinks. I suspect they are pouring UK sized doubles which is about 1.1 –1.6 times the American single.

A fun bar to hang out in. Usually not too loud, and the staff is always friendly. The bar is cash only (there’s an ATM, so if you’re the one with the fee free ATM card, expect to leave with a debt ledger for your friends at the end of the night). A rotating $ 3 beer special every night, and on Weds. and Sun. $ 3 for all drafts. They have wine and mixed drinks as well, but I usually stick to the beer. Did I mention the free addicting Chex mix?

Really fun atmosphere, doesn’t feel like you’re in Ithaca, which we find to be a plus. Not to knock Ithaca, but the bar scene is pretty minimal here. The outdoor seating in the back is open and inviting, with large communal picnic tables and a taco truck! Reminds me a lot of a bar I went to in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago, same idea, picnic tables and taco truck. Have to say, it;s a really good combination… who doesn’t want a little taco pick me up after a few drinks? Also, it reminds me of home, I recently moved here from Los Angeles and have a serious taco deficiency. Tried the steak taco, it was really good. Cash only bar. Really friendly staff. Also, it’s right next to Atomic Lounge which has amazing cocktails, perfect for a night of bar hopping fun.

I didn’t even know it was called «Da Westy» so maybe that’s not a great place to start– where did the «Da» come from exactly? Anyway, this place is awesome. Probably one of the best bars in Ithaca as far as I’m concerned, particularly on a warm summer night. The courtyard in the back is tucked away from the world and it almost doesn’t even feel like you’re in Ithaca, which is awesome. The food truck is also not to be missed. They have a great selection of beers on tap, but my favorite part is the 2 for $ 25 wine selection, which as far as I’m concerned is an awesome deal. Plus if you run out of conversation, you can always play a little Jenga or Apples to Apples! My only issue, they don’t take credit cards. Otherwise, love this place!

Everything about Da Westy feels a little secretive – in a good way. It’s definitely one of Ithaca’s hidden gems. You have to enter through a gate off to the side, then climb up the building’s back steps to get into the bar. It almost feels like you’re sneaking into someone’s apartment to grab a bev.
The interior is large and has plenty of seating, the bartenders are very friendly, and there are games (Jenga! darts!) if you want to play with your friends. They offer a good selection of beer, but I usually end up with one of their signature drinks. I don’t know what it is about drinking out of a mason jar, but it just tickles me pink. Their mojito is my favorite, but they also offer a great wine deal every night of the week: two bottles for only $ 25. Note that the bar only accepts cash – slightly annoying – but there is an ATM just in case you need it.
The large courtyard in back is perhaps my favorite part of Da Westy (because who doesn’t love drinking outside?). It has a ton of picnic tables, which on a warm April night like last night was an awesome place to just chill out for a while under the stars. (But in case you wanted to bring your furry friend along too, dogs are unfortunately not allowed in the courtyard area.)

Da Westy does so many things right like offering a selection of beers at reasonable prices in a great environment. I go here at least once a week and is becoming my regular go to spot! There are a few tweaks they could do to improve though.
Let me start with the beers. Westy usually has about 12 drafts at any one time. Most of the drafts are pretty good, don’t expect anything exceptional. It can be a tad on the pricy side normally, but I go on Wednesday and Sundays when drafts are only $ 3. This is the best drink special in all of Ithaca. Its nice to find out that someone actually gets what a good drink special is, not the normal, borderline insulting, specials at other places like 50c off. WOW, thanks! For a place that describes itself as a beer bar, I wish they would offer a bottle selection of really great beers. Unfortunately, they use their coolers for storing glassware. SELL US BEER! The mason jar doubles are a bit disappointing and weak, though.
The bartenders here are great, no matter which who is on for the night. They get that a bartender is supposed to be pleasant, engage in conversation with patrons, and most of all, provide fast and satisfying service. The bartenders here really make Da Westy special and make it feel like a local bar that gets to know its regulars.
The space is wide open and relaxing. It’s just a great layout. The best thing I love about Da Westy is that the music is never so loud that you can’t talk to people at your table, especially when engaged in any of the board games they offer. I’m a Jenga master! I will say this, the dart board here sucks. The darts stick to the dart board about as well as they do to the brick walls around it. Plus, the darts are way too light, almost like kiddie darts. I am excited to check out the outside seating now that the weather is getting warmer.
Da Westy is a bar that speaks my language and its a big reason why I’m a regular here. I highly recommend giving this place a shot. It’s hard to be disappointed!

I gotta be be brief here:
A bar with an Alley entrance is usually a Gem. Also: Went on a Sunday Night recently, pleased to find $ 3 drafts and an excellent beer selection. The wooden, rustic interior is great. There were board games readily available and we had a couple great games of jenga. Will definitly be back.

Da Westy has an awesome relaxed vibe and has really helped the west end become the place to be for happy hour or some live music. They’ve got a good and ever-​changing selection of beers on tap, including local and regional offerings (always some Ithaca Beer) and great seasonals. The wine selection isn’t quite as broad, but the price can’t be beat: it’s always $ 25 for two bottles. (Bring a few friends.)
The setup here is a little odd; the «front door» is in an alley and up a half flight of stairs behind a big iron gate; the front of the building shows no sign there’s a bar here. (Mobility-​impaired customers will be pleased to see the elevator, which can take them from ground level up to the bar or down to the refurbished basement restrooms.)
But the real advantage of the setup, especially in good weather, is the big courtyard with picnic tables and, some nights, a food vendor or two. (The bar doesn’t have its own food service.) The options in recent weeks have included locavore tacos from The Good Truck, freshly made cheesesteaks, and Ofeo, the latest incarnation of creative local food from Sebastian Villa of Xeo’s Café and Mexeo fame.
Swing by your ATM of choice to get some greenbacks before you head to Da Westy: they’re a cash-​only bar. Yes, this is getting odder and odder in a plastic age, but small merchants lose a lot of their profit margin when they let customers charge one or two drinks. If you show up without cash, they have an ATM, but be prepared to pay a fee to the ATM company and your own bank for the privilege.
Last but not least, Da Westy is a nice place for a couple of sets of live tunes from one of Ithaca’s improbably great range of musical talent. It might be someone you’ve heard of, or your neighbor from down the street, or a CD release for a popular act, or someone new. Don’t forget to toss a few bucks in the tip jar. That’s how most musicians get paid.

Da Westy is kinda like a speakeasy… which of course I love! It’s located behind what used to be Tuff Soul and you have to enter through the gate alongside the building to get to the side door out back which leads you to the actual bar… got it?!
Anyway, I get the impression that the owner is a beer lover because they have a great variety of excellent beers on tap as well as in bottles. They also offer wine and just recently (to my knowledge anyway) began making a handful of signature cocktails… which I also love! My favorite drink of theirs these days is a lemonade drink made with a double shot of Stoli Blueberry… YUM!
Okay, so now that you’ve got your drinks go out the back door (not the side door you came in) into the beer garden which is the third thing about Da Westy that I love! During the warmer months, this is the absolute best place to be in Ithaca (other than in or near the lake.)
The beer garden consists of multiple colorful picnic table set on top of crushed gravel in a large courtyard surrounded by a tall wooden fence with a small stage in the corner. There are corn hole tables to test your drunken skills and live music to keep things festive. On certain days Stan & Dave Backyard BBQ serves up incredible world street food to help soak up the booze in your belly.
So yeah, Da Westy rocks and you should definitely seek it out!