Magnolia Bar

Love the vibe and the people, hate the cockroach crawling over my arm. Good thing they don’t serve food.

Here’s the thing about the Mag Bar. It’s a dive. It’s the place where you partake in debauchery and sin, and everything in between. It’s also one of my favorite places. I find somebody to talk to and see a familiar face every time I go. It has a charm, however much it is crusted into the walls and floors. Folks that review this place with fresh eyes and snooty attitudes would probably not be somebody I would associate with. It’s a rare breed of awesome. And for that. I salute you Mag.

Well, I finally downloaded Unilocal!just to give this place a shitty review. Went in to have drink and PERSONALLY WITNESSED the bartenders and obviously regular patrons degrade and belittle every single person (including people who they greated as tradtional regulars) on a level that was was down-​right disgusting. It was seriously as if the people that worked there where hand selected from a list of people that were bullied in high school, not for being «different or individual» but simply for the fact that were self-​proclaimed «different» or «individual». Straight assholes, there to please the one regular guy with a beard that speaks his drunken mind. Personally watched them ignore BAND MEMBERS THEY INVITED TO PLAY just to please the one guy that comes in just to drink PBR on 1.00 $ pbr night and tips them probably 15 $ just to buy the privilege of being the bar asshole. Terrible place, terrible service. Better off going to the Granville Inn. Just a 10 minute farther walk with better prices and better WAY BETTER service. Anyone that has written a 2 star + review on this shit hole is guaranteed friends with someone who works there.

The worst bar on the face of this earth. I was served a white russian in a tall glass. Right after a sip, I had to get it replaced because the cream tasted sour. They keep expired stuff at the bar! The bartender was inattentive, just chatting with his co-​worker while people were waiting with empty glasses. The jukebox is crappy, the drinks are overpriced and the toilets are dirty.

Shittiest bar i have ever experienced. The people are assholes. But at the same time, they do have cheap drinks. Still not worth tipping them well when they treat customers like garbage.

I wouldn’t normally take the time to write a review (good or bad) however this evening I felt compelled to do so. I witnessed the (tallish, dark haired male w/​beard) bartender leave the restroom without washing his hands. I believe a coworker yelled out something on the lines of, «hey wash your hands» followed by some joking remark indicating that he would. Right after, I witnessed him walk to the back & wipe his hands on a dirty towel & head right back to the bar…(this is when I walked out). It took more time and effort for him to avoid being a sanitary employee than it would have if he washed his damn hands in the first place. besides all that he was also just a jerk… almost like he hated his life or what not. I know we all have our bad days but it’s customer service bud. Suck it up with a fake smile & handle it.

Food was ok and a bit pricey for the quality. Happy hour beers were cheap. We just came to chat on a Friday afternoon. The table next to us, group of older women, loud and having a good time but fun. Can’t speak for a night out. I liked it.

Cool, grungy little dive. Love the trivia nights, the host is very friendly. The bartenders can be, too. It’s a good place to go to just chill.

Used to have the nastiest bathroom in a bar in Louisville, think «trainspotting», now thanks to new ownership its one of the nicest! The prices vary depending on the bartender (whats going in their pocket), how drunk you are (more equals more), what you look like (hot chick=free drinks, non-​dive guys/​or non regulars=highest price, black dudes=no service), and sometimes there is a cover depending on the above. I have bought Coronas/​PBR there on the same night and paid 4 different prices from 2 different bartenders. Thank God J@@kie is gone, she was the worst, $ 8 for a mixed drink, she overcharged regulars too. So if youre rich dude and looking to have a good time or a drunk chick looking for free drinks on the house or from some rich dude, stop on by!

Beer was good, but I was there for a few bands which was a pretty great experience.

Xxx

I love this place. You can talk to everyone about a plethora of topics! The staff is great and super friendly! Nice prices and a sweet little game room and outdoor area!

This place is pretty cool. Very dingy. The beers aren’t too expensive. There’s pool tables in the back. I really like all the arcade video games in the back room. They play cool music. Sometimes they have tv shows playing on a projected and that’s pretty awesome. Sometimes cool bands play. If you dig pretentious black metal you’ll really like it. If you think the bartender is a dick to you chances are you do suck.

Good location for local music, but the bartender was a real jerk wad. The woman’s room was much improved since the last time I had been there. I’d go back to see music, but not just to simply drink at the bar.

First timer here. Small place, but entertaining. Everyone in the bar was nice, great crowd.

This was my first time at the mag bar and i can say for sure i will be back. The place is old and kinda ran down and has one of the worst bathrooms i have ever been in in my entire life. Dear God hover! BUT the bartenders were very friendly and offered quick service, even as the place began to fill up. Drinks were reasonably priced and made nice and strong. We went for a show in the back room that normally houses pool tables and arcade games, the acoustics were great! Theres not much to the mag bar but thats how i like my dives.

Went to ‘the Mag’ for a drink this week & loved it! Really friendly staff, real community feel, quirky interior (i.e. J Edgar Hoover photo with fishnet legs — love it!), good beer selection (according to my husband — I’m not a beer drinker). Just needs a little wine selection for us non-​beer/​spirits drinkers to make the Mag 5 star (had box red wine — not terrible but could be much better).

Mag Bar has the best jukebox in Louisville, says my 20-​something nephew.
And, while I love a great jukebox, I cannot rightfully weigh in on that one. For all I know that jukebox might be the atomic core that encapsulates the inchoate «ethos» of a Louisville (music and more) scene that is churning at all times.
And, if the Mag Bar is that very template of a «jukebox bar,» it is only so when one of Louisville’s more notable underground bands (Straight As, for example) isn’t playing in the back room (there’s usually a $ 5 cover for the back on live music nights).
Mag Bar also has that pub feel, which makes it a great place to take your friends and just talk. For some reason that strikes me as unusual and worthwhile when an establishment is a great place to have a chat.
I have loved Mag Bar’s sign for many years, and have seen the place rise and fall and rise again, in popularity, over time, but it remains a classic and offbeat way to spend an evening. Long live The Mag Bar.

It’s a dive bar with good beer and cheap liquor. If you’re ordering liquor, you’ll think this place is a steal. If you’re ordering beer, you’ll read Unilocal and wonder what the hell constitutes a «cheap drink.»
Well, whatever. If you spend $ 5 on a Bud Light or High Life and it’s NOT a pitcher, I wonder where you learned to drink. Otherwise, $ 5 for a Founders or West Sixth isn’t terrible but it’s not chump change.
The jukebox IS great, the bar does smell funny but not terrible, there’s no table service and usually only one bartender. But the patrons are chill, the bathrooms aren’t that bad (they lock!), and the pizza next door is bomb.
No frills, some thrills. Mag Bar.

I live a couple of blocks from this bar. Divey, dirty, cheap drinks. Plenty of great people watching opportunities. Over the last few years the mag has incorporated trivia, get down wednesdays (EDM Dance night) etc.
If you like 4^th street live this probably isn’t the place for you.

Great place to kick a few back. The Bloody Mary was good. The Juke Box seemed to always play a song I liked. From Operation Ivy to GG Allin to the Stooges the hits just kept rocking. Service was good and there were a lot of people since it wad a rainy day during the St. James art Fest.

To preface, I am an avid Mag Bar customer and generally frequent the bar Wednesday nights after 12am (the night with the EDM DJs and flashy lights). Also, I created a Unilocal account solely to review this place.
If you’ve never seen someone on drugs at this bar, you are incredibly naïve. Never change. The bathroom walls are laced with cocaine. Definitely don’t try the snozzberries. They don’t taste like snozzberries. The drinks are incredibly inexpensive, hence the 5 star rating. And to clarify, there is a coat check, but it’s a self serve type of situation located on top of the cancertron. Definitely bring your machine washable jacket though, because I’m assuming if you’re in the Mag you aren’t about to make it out to the Old Louisville Laundry and Dry Cleaners the next morning.

Total shithole.

Decently priced drinks. Dive bar atmosphere.
Last night was the first time I went there when it wasn’t their random Goth night. Which is cool to have… but if you wander in on that night and are not goth-​ed out… you’re gonna get some looks. Those times were… uncomfortable.
But last night was chill and fun. They had a DJ for the post-​SpringFest celebration. They have some booths for seating and a long bar.