A study in contrasts. Â
PROS: Â Best craft beer selection in the area. Â Cozy ambiance. Â Sports on TV. Â Pretty good music piped in. Â Friendly service most of the time. Â Beer variety and availability has been improving in recent months, and they've even done some casks.
CONS:  Beer is pricey here.  At least $6 a normal pint, and small-glass  portions of Barleywine or the very infrequent Belgian beer often costing more despite the smaller size.  Wish they were a little more adventurous in their beer selection. Lots of IPA's, porters, pale ales, but short on Belgians, German lagers and ales, etc.
Long wait for service when crowded. Â
Very small and often hard to get a seat. Â
Weird hours: Â They never open for lunch, their "Happy Hour" ($1 off regular price on pints) goes from 6pm-8pm, even though they open a 4pm on weekdays, and if you want to relax and watch a game on the weekend, forget it. They are closed on Sunday and only open at 6pm on Saturday.
Beer menu is posted on chalkboards which cannot be seen unless you have a seat on the bar. Its location forces one to stoop and rudely stick your head between two patrons at the bar to get a good view. This is ironic considering they have other chalkboards in front of the bar which are basically unused.
The bar is frequently understaffed, and with the bartender filling out everyone's "passport" beer tour cards (a promotion to try different beers and keep a record on a pre-printed card), the time to get a beer can be really slow.
Food selection is unimaginative, portions are small, and prices are high for what you get. There is no fryer (might be a good thing). The Buffalo Chicken pizza is excellent, however.
Growlers: Â They don't have them. They have something called a 'jumbler' which is half the size of a growler. TOO SMALL! Not worth the effort.
Overall impression: Â When not crowded, a good place to have some craft beer. Â However, I get the feeling the owners are relying on the fact that they were the only craft bar around, and refuse to improve (for little or no cost) the numerous pet peeves that everyone has about the place. Â With several new "foodie" restaurants opening up in Binghamton (serving craft beer), plus a very nice brewpub (with two more coming soon), they might want to get their act together soon.
UPDATE MARCH 2013: Â They have been so active in updating and changing the beer selection in the last few months that I'm upgrading my review to Three Stars. Â Also, they (along with the Cyber Cafe) update their available drafts on 'beermenus.com', which is helpful. Other problems remain, but for variety and innovation on tap they are still unbeatable in the Binghamton area.
UPDATE 2, MARCH 2013:  Just when I was softening my attitude, they do it again.  Went there last week. Sat at the bar, Got a beer. Finished it. Waited for another. And waited. And waited....The bartender was busy, but seemed unable to notice  who had empty glasses, and did not have any idea who had been waiting longest. She would immediately serve people who came up to the bar from the tables , while ignoring the several people who were waiting patiently with empty glasses sitting at the bar. To make matters worse, the female owner was not pitching in at all even though she was standing at the end of the bar doing nothing. After about 25 minutes with an empty glass, left feeling frustrated. Not the kind of mood one should have after going out for a couple beers. TWO STARS. NEVER go there when even slightly busy, which unfortunately is most of the time due to their limited hours.
They call themselves "The Beer Joint of Your Dreams". Â Unfortunately, about 75% of the time, those dreams are nightmares.
This place varies.
I've been here a total of three times, and the first two times I got what this place has to offer, a good beer selection. The food selection is poor, and the food is usually okay.
If the Ale House is busy, I'd recommend to just leave. There's usually only one person working the bar when it gets busy, and they can't keep up with the demand. The third time I came here they managed to burn both my girlfriend's hamburger and my steak sandwich. I'm inclined to believe it was because of how busy it was, but I'm not going to risk it again.
Edit: Shouldn't have finished my food, ended up sick for the rest of the night.
TL;DR:
Good beer selection, turn around and leave if it's busy.
If you are a fan of craft beers - The Ale House is far and away the best bar in town. The have 36 beers on tap, with a section that is always changing with the seasons. They have their popular "Passport" which allows you to try each of the beers they offer in exchange for your name on the wall.
However, do be warned that this place is extremely small so getting a table or a spot at the bar is often a challenge. Also - Â the beers run $6 a pint, so drinking there can get pretty pricey.
I've never tried their food but have always found the bartenders to be friendly and have always had a good time hanging out there.
Absolutely my favorite bar in the greater Binghamton area. Great beer selection, amazing food, and a staff that really makes you feel like family. I have never been let down by The Ale House, and am happy to call it "my bar" if you have a problem waiting for a busy bartender or that they don't have a deep fryer, feel free to go somewhere else. I'll stick with my good beer selections, and steak sandwiches. The Ale House is like my version of Cheers, it's where everybody knows your name...
Review Source:This was my favorite bar in college! Not only did I spend my 21st Birthday here but I spent almost every Monday for several years here. They have a great Monday Night Football crowd, awesome draught selections and the nicest staff. I wish I could have taken this bar with me when I graduated. If you have any taste at all you would love this bar!
Review Source:The Ale house has a lot of beers. After going somewhat regularly for a couple years now, I'm amending my original review on the matter of beer selection. There are a lot of good beers that come through here with enough variety that just about anyone can find something that they prefer. Over the winter there was a phenomenal selection of stouts and porters to try, which is pretty much my happy place.
Their food is OK, but the menu is pretty sparse. They don't have a deep frier here, so, don't expect typical fried bar food. Their pizza is decidedly good though, and they make a solid spiedie.
There isn't much seating, and it gets crowded quickly. Sometimes it takes a LONG time to get a bartender's attention as they often leave to clear tables, or get a food order or something and there's only one tending bar most of the time, even when it's busy.
They have a challenge called the passport, where you have to try 60 different beers within a year, you get a pint glass after the first 36 drafts, and then you have to finish the rest with bottles and you get a hoodie and your name on the wall. It's a good way to get yourself to try new things and branch out, but, often that means if you find something you like you'll be reluctant to have it again because it won't help you finish your card.
This place is also overpriced in my opinion. i'm pretty sure the cheapest pint starts around $4 and they go way up from there. A night out at the ale house can get very pricey. They do have $1 off all drafts from 6-8pm on week nights, so that's at least something.
As far as the "best selection in the area" is concerned that a lot of people cite, this is true, but, only because they are pretty much the only game in town.
The beers are alright; they just need to stock up more often. I finished the tour last week, which requires you to finish 60 beers. It's definitely a good marketing ploy and it's not an impossible feat. A lot of the beers aren't that great, though. Sometimes the pint glasses aren't even cleaned well, so it tastes like a mix of a few beers. The pizza and steak sandwich (with cheese and jalepenos) are the best food items on the menu, in my opinion. Like the other yelp-ers say, the service is usually crap but the environment is good enough to chill with your closest friends and just talk.
Review Source:It is a very cozy place to get away from all the dancing crowd and just have a good conversation with friends and meet new people. And it does help to have some really 80 so beers to try. Some are just great, while others you might not what to try based on your taste. It is always best to ask for a taster before you order the whole thing. The DJ plays music from all genres and the bartenders offer great service on food and beers. This place offers no liquors.
As mentioned by other reviewers, they have a Ale House Passport. Try all the beers on the list, you earn yourself a Ale House Mug and a name on their wall. The passport is basically a list that keeps track of which beers you have had. They keep your passport for the next time you visit. The majority of the crowd arrives early and mostly leave by midnight to head over to the downtown district of Binghamton where the clubs are. It is however a hole in the wall, with little space to move or find at the bar during peak hours (6pm - Midnight). So arrive early, and have fun.
Tough call on Ale House. There are things I hate about the place; there are things I love.
The good:
Surprisingly, I like the pizza, and I got a steak sandwich there one time that was pretty good. The beer selection is good by Binghamton standards, and they have the Passport system where you try 36 different draft beers and 24 more beer with at least one from each country offered in order to get your name engraved on the wall. Yeah, I'm up there.
The bad:
Service is usually awful in terms of speed and they are often rude. A friend of mine asked for a glass of water only to be told by the bartender, "I don't have time for water." This was after waiting for 15 minutes to be served. The owner kicked us out one night for being "loud." Ummm, it's a bar, not a funeral home. I'm sorry I didn't realize I needed to be using my inside voice. Most importantly, the place is tiny. I think it's a fine place to be when it's not too busy, but once it gets busy later in the evening, it's tough to move around, let alone have a conversation.
A mixed bag. I recommend going there early in the evening before it gets too crowded. When it's slow, it's actually quite a nice place to have a few drinks.
Tons and tons of specialty beer and they have a quirky "passport" system where they keep track of the beer you order from different countries. Â It's a good way to keep it interesting, and keep you ordering. It is not cheap, but a fun spot to get away from the usual.
It's never super packed or filled with completely trashed kiddies.
On a weeknight, this place was awesome, I'm not sure if it gets busier on weekends, but it got busier as the night went on. Â I strongly recommend the Woodchuck cider, for people who aren't big fans of beer but want to try one of the many on-tap beverages. Â The pizza was amazing as well. Â Parking was a tad difficult, as they seem to share a lot with several other businesses. Â But it is a homey place, has a nice local feel, and was much more pleasant thant going to a chain restaurant and ordering drinks.
Review Source:When I moved to Binghamton in August, my roommate's first priority was taking me to the Ale House. It's been a biweekly tradition ever since.
The Ale House has an excellent selection of beers,both on tap and in bottles. I knew I'd be happy there on my first visit, when I saw that they had Anchor Steam on tap (and a few weeks later, Achor Porter, and now, Anchor Christmas!). I'm currently making my way through an Ale House passport. You drink every beer on tap and a selection of bottles over the course of a year. After you finish the beers on tap, you get a free beer and a glass. Once you finish the whole thing, you get a tee shirt. It's good motivation to try things that you normally might not.
One thing I like about the Ale House is that I've actually learned something about what kind of beers I like there, because I've had access to so many more.
The place is absolutely tiny, and when I go with a large group we spend a lot of time hovering around people who look like they're nearly done so we can swoop in on their table the moment they leave. If you go on a night when a major game is on, expect to wait around for a table.
The service is excellent. Donna always takes wonderful care of us, even when things are busy. The food is alright. I don't really like the cheese and cracker platter, but the pizza is pretty decent (especially the buffalo chicken). The Ale House can get really pricey really fast. Assume $5/beer and you'll be safe; though some (like the lambics) are a fair sight more. Also, it's walkable from BU. I think it's a pretty easy walk in good weather, less so in the cold.
Overall? Highly recommended!
I don't understand the low reviews. They have the best selection of beer in the area, a nice staff, and a surprisingly nice interior considering the strip mall exterior. My only complaint is of might be a bit expensive, even for the quality beer they serve but since everything else is great and they are the only game in town, 5 stars it is.
Review Source:The Ale House is a place that can easily become *your* bar. Â I went there in the late 80s and it quickly took on the atmosphere of "Cheers." Â Though I haven't lived in the area for almost twenty years, Tim and Diane the owners, still know my name and always welcome me back. Â
So why is this a great place?
* Â A large beer selection. Â Over 30 on tap and over 120 available. Â All of the other drinks you might want are available too.
* Â The World Tour. Â A fun "beers of the world" promotion that Tim has been running for over 20 years. Â A great way to try a lot of different beers, win some prizes and get your name on the plaque.
* Â Atmosphere. Â The Ale House is small but it has a great pub feel. Â Lots of wood, a copper top bar, classic rock, many TVs with sports, darts and a video game machine.
* Â Food. Â While one reviewer bemoaned the cheese tray, which is not a signature snack by the way, the pizza alone is worth the trip. Â Add to that a grill (burgers, hot ham and cheese, spiedies) and you won't leave hungry.
* Â People. Â The Ale House draws a diverse crowd: Â Locals, college students (mostly grad), profs and it all works. Â Generally no stupid drunks and if you sit at the bar by yourself, people are friendly. Â
If you're into the club scene, dancing, looking to hook up, this may not be your kind of place. Â But if you want a place to spend memorable times with friends, great beer and food, then it's worth your time.
For me a trip back to the Binghamton area is not complete without a visit to The Ale House.
30 beers on tap... imports, microbrews... How could you go wrong? Apparently, even this formula can't guarantee greatness. The place has so much potential... it just fails to live up to it. Perhaps I am a little biased having lived in that magical country that can turn only 4 ingredients into over 5000 distinct and mostly wonderful brews. I think however, that it was the pub itself, and not the beer that earned the 2 stars.
Let us start with the beer. They have a wonderful selection of beers on tap. There are many flavored varieties from microbreweries in the northeast and elsewhere as well as some of my favorite imports. They even have trappist beer on tap... Chimay if I remember correctly (ahh, Chimay... one of my favorite trips...). The problem is, on any given night half of them are out!! When I went to order a beer, I always needed a backup, and a back-up of the back-up... etc as invariably my first 3 choices were out. If they just found someone who knew how to keep the beers in stock they could improve at least a star. The beers on tap are rarely rotated so it is difficult at best to sample all of the beers they 'offer'. Â I also believe in my heart that they do not clean the lines as they should. I have gotten many a beer that has left a sour taste in my mouth. Â
The service is so-so bordering on crappy. The kitchen food is good... again, providing that you can get it. The bar tenders attention is hard to grab... even with the display of money. Speaking of money... Prices are bordering on outrageous.
Parking is ok... Getting off the parkway to the parking area is haphazard at best though. The bar is kinda small and claustrophobic.
I would recommend going to Sams if you want to sample different beers... you will save yourself a small fortune. Â It does however, provide an alternative to State St.
People were always talking about The Ale House while I was in college. This was the place where the SA went to drink and talk about other dorks in school. They have 30 beers on tap, yeah yeah yeah. I couldn't care less. If you do care, send a comment this way.
The patrons are bland and the "famous" crackers and cheese sucks. It's a joke. Table crackers with slices of cheese and chopped raw onions with hot mustard dining hall sauce. 5.95. Yeah, it's famous for being a six dollar basket of crap.
There is no fryer - that means no wings, no fries.
And for me...No reason to come back.
If you're in Vestal and you don't want to hang out a major restaurant chain's bar, this is probably a good place to go. There are usually a good number of people here and there's a good selection.
This pub is located on the Vestal Parkway near Binghamton University. Walking to it from BU is not really impossible, but let's not call it easy. There are some parking spots right in front of the bar, which is located in a multi-store unit. As the adjacent mattress and pool stores most likely won't be open doing your visit, parking won't be an issue.
As earlier mentioned, there is a pretty expansive beer collection (around 36 beers). However, it might take you two or three tries to chose one that is currently available. From what I've gathered, there are also numerous snack options.
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