After recommending this place to almost all of my friends, I can't believe I've never written a review about the Wild Colonial Tavern. But, here's my basic scoop on why you should come here:
#1: cheap drinks
#2: unique beers
#3: big open space
#4: free parking lot
#5: dart table
If any of these peaked your interest, then you should definitely give this place a try. I've almost come here for a small social gathering for ice breakers and it hasn't failed once. I will say, however, that the food is not nearly as top notch as the beer selection, but hey, at least they have food.
Food: 2 stars
Drinks: 4 stars
Price: 5 stars
Great bar, great drinks, good prices, hard as hell trivia (don't try it if you don't have a local with you.. it's embarrassing) but fun. Â It might be that I'm not from around here, but usually I have to try to order a mixed drink with a couple of options until I come up with one they are able to make or have the ingredients for, and I don't have that problem anywhere else. Â I love the atmosphere, there is pool available but always occupied when I'm there. Â I love that it's spaced out and not crowded. Â Parking is usually easy enough. Â Always a good time here and service is great.
Review Source:This was a pretty cool place. I did not try the drinks or food but the atmoshphere is interesting. I prefer more lounge type places but my friends wanted to stop in and it was fine. There is alot of seating and good parking. If I were in the area and wanted to play pool or darts I may stop in.
Review Source:The Wild Colonial is not a bad place to go if you're looking for a low-key place to get a drink on a Friday night. It's like walking into the Wickenden Pub, but if the Wick was a dungeon instead of a hole in the wall. The drinks are reasonably priced and they have a pretty good selection of Craft Beers that are written on the chalkboard next to the bar. They also have pool tables and dart boards available to play.
Getting a seat is key, because if you don't it gets a little crowded around the bar around 10pm. Also, the bartenders are fantastic and super nice!
Solid place to grab a drink in Providence. Wonderful draft and bottled beer selection along with delightfully strong mixed drinks. The bartenders are also pretty cool. although there doesn't seem to be enough of them on during the busy nights since it can take some time to work your way to the bar to get a drink.
It is a good sized place, with plenty of spots to sit, and darts and pool in the back. On top of this there is plenty of FREE!!! parking right near by.
I really, really liked this place. The staff was friendly, atmosphere was cozy, comfortable and laid back and they had a great beer selection. I love that they have pool and darts and they have PARKING!
I went for a friends birthday and there was probably 10 or so of us and we had a great time. We only went for drinks so I can't speak to the food but the menu on line looks good.
I will definitely be going back!
How have I NOT written a review of this joint.?! Seriously, Betsy? Seriuosly?
I've been coming here since college, and I will whole-heartedly recommend the WC to anyone. Good beer selection--you can get Allagash White, Strongbow, and a handful of other above-average beers. Plenty of tables--you can sit and have an actual conversation.
What I really like about this place is that it's low key. Play darts, chat, have a few beers, and never wait in a line for the ladies' room.
And y'all KNOW I love me a good exposed brick wall.
A must try for sure!!!!
The wild colonial is full of charm, hipsters and the BEST beer selection around! They have specials on a chalk board and are friendly when you inquire about a beer. I had attentive, kind and witty service on a busy night. We were able sit at a table, play some darts and pool while keeping cool in this unique 18th century inspired bar. Will return for TRIVIA!
I first wanted to come to this place because of the name - "Wild Colonial"? I'd love to go out for a drink with an 18th-century Rhode Islander. Adorable!
This place is similar to the GCB in terms of atmosphere and beer selection. It's located on scenic Water Street, which makes it a great place to walk to and from since you can't drive after drinking!
I've always loved the Wild Colonial. Mr. H and I went here on one of our first dates many years ago and although that's not really part of my review of the bar, it is what keeps the WC in a happy little place in my heart. It's also the first place in Providence where I found Strongbow cider, so that sold me right there.
The low ceilings and stone/brick walls charmed me, I love the architecture of old Providence. The beer selection is great and like I said, having Strongbow, a cider I drank gallons of in London, was a total score.
Parking is free and plentiful and you usually run into at least one or two old friends in the bar. I've definitely had some very fun evenings at the WC.
I really truly love The Wild Colonial. Â
Apparently, it's was voted one of the 50 best bars in America by Esquire Magazine; I can see why!
Big, open, spacious, gracious, gorgeous, dark, romantic, burly and dungeon-like. Â They serve a great beer selection on tap and in bottles. Â Usually always packed. Â Pool tables. Â Darts. Â No televisions. Â Good music. Â Great times.
I used to go to the Wild Colonial every other Sunday for trivia, and I really wanted to like the place, but I've finally just accepted that I don't. Â I'm going to write this review in a hit or miss style.
Miss--The trivia is fun, but they give you no time to actually discuss an answer. Â The questions are incredibly long--more of a short essay than a trivia question, and they read them twice. Â While they're reading them, they get upset if you talk (which makes sense), but then they expect your answers right away after the second reading. Â There's no time for any kind of discussion so unless you already know the answer, you're pretty much done.
Hit--Good beer selection and perfectly poured Guiness every time. Â Other reviewers have complained about the lack of cheap beer, and given the dive-y atmosphere, that's fair point. Â Personally, I drink Gansett at home and go to the Wild Colonial for a draft Allagash.
Miss-- Slow and often rude service. I really hate to single out one person, but the brunette female bartender has been dismissive and downright rude to me and people I've been with every single time I've been there. Â She acts like she's doing you a favor by taking your order, and even though I've never ordered anything remotely complicated, filling that order is punctuated by heavy sighs and a layer of attitude that is just unnecessary. Â A friend of mine made the mistake of ordering a martini once, and the bartender proceeded to fill every other person's order before even starting it. Â It took 30 minutes. Â If you hate your job so much, quit. Â Don't take it out on me.
Hit-- I like the vibe and the layout, it reminds me of some circuitous English pubs I've been in, and there's no trouble finding parking. Â What I don't understand, is why they don't seem to use the first bar area right when you walk in. Â There are some tables there, but not many, and that whole bar is always unlit and piled with glassware. Â It's like you walk through a garage sale to get to the actual bar in the middle space. Â Get some more tables and turn the lights on, guys.
Hit-- Nachos. Â They're good.
Miss-- Service, yet again. Â This is a bar that has a lot of regulars, and that's cool, but sometimes, as a non-regular (even though I went there every other week for a year and a half), you feel like the staff are barely tolerating you. Â I know it's rough working in a bar, and I know that customer service can be draining (cause I do it every day), but I am a dream to serve. Â I'm not picky, I say thank you so often it's ridiculous, I'm polite and I make sure I'm ready to order right away. Â Yet I often leave this place feeling like they wish I'd never come.
I've spent a lot of time and money at the Wild Colonial, but it certainly doesn't feel like 'my' place by any stretch. Â I'm sure, in the future, I'll go there and have a nice time, but it's not somewhere I can get too excited about.
Ahhh, the Dub-C. I love this bar. It's the social club you'd set up in your basement if you could. They have a great beer selection but if you go on a busy night it's hard to belly up to the bar near the beer cooler (behind the bar), and even if you can, it's dark and hard to tell what's in there. Go in earlier and you can get a lesson on the various beers from the knowledgeable bartenders. If the beer cooler is out of questions they have a board with the current tap and cask selections which are always great choices. They even have a house beer that's pretty darn tasty.
This place gets to capacity on the weekends, especially in the summer when they let patrons hang out on the sidewalk with their drinks. Some hang there to smoke, others simply because it's less noisy and crowded. They even let me enjoy a beer with my dog once as I had just come back from walking her and stopped over to see some friends. Just had to keep the pup on the sidewalk.
As for food, stick to the nachos if you're really hungry. The hummus is decent, but not really worth it in my opinion. Nachos are killer though.
Lastly, if you're heading there for pub trivia, you better bring your A game. These hosts mean business and will leave your head spinning. 2nd place is the name of the game here, 1st place usually sucks, 2nd is the highly coveted WC pint glasses.
Been coming here for years, turning 30 this year and happy to say I don't feel too old for the crowd in this bar yet. Don't think I ever will thank Goddess. :-)
What makes a great bar:
Cool interior-check!
The Wild Colonial has these awesome exposed brick walls and dim lighting that make it feel like you are hanging out in a basement. A realllly cool old basement. Â There is plenty of seating, yet it feels cozy and intimate. Â There is also a dart board for those who are in to playing a game of skill while they imbibe some great drinks. Â
A chill atmosphere-check!
When you walk in you feel like you are one of the cool kids. Â It's not that the bar comes off as too hip, or too anything really, it just feels very relaxed and fun. Â You can chill and enjoy a beer without having to scream over loud music or obnoxious drunk kids. Â
Reasonably priced drinks-check!
Sure some of the specialty drinks are a little bit on the pricey side, but you can still get certain craft beers that won't break your bank. Â
Friendly and knowledgeable staff-check!
Their staff is friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. Â If I have a question on a certain craft brew, chances are that their bartenders have an answer. Â
Great draft/craft beer selection-check, check and check!
And with this, folks, I was sold. Â Their beer selection ranges from your typical everyday brews to some of the more unique suds from around the world. Â They have a brilliant selection of local micro brews, which always makes it difficult for me to choose a drink. Â
So if you have been paying attention dudes and dude-ettes, you should know by now that if you enjoy a good brew in a fun and interesting establishment, than you should hit up the Wild Colonial.
I Â have been coming to the Wild Colonial for years. The place never changes. And that's a good thing.
They have delicious, interesting beers in stock. and the staff is very knowledgeable about what they've got. Service can be a bit slow and hard to come by.
But the place has character. I love the mill setting, old brick. It's dark but charming.
I've never tried the food. Do they even serve food?
Thank you Wild Colonial Tavern! Â You are the Dive-Bar I have been searching for.
With so many hoity-toity bars opening up with the new wanna-be upscale drinking with the prices to match, you need a place to get a plain-and-simple pint of beer.
The food is bar food and you should expect just that when ordering. Â Keep to the basics and you won't be disappointed.
the Wild Colonial always feels a bit like you walked onto the set of what a Hollywood director thinks a grad-student bar should look like. Lots of exposed brick, pool, darts, and what seems to usually be a crowd of students, professors, and various creative and intellectual types.
During the school year it tends to be a student bar, over the summer it draws more of a local crowd (though mostly local to the East Side). The place itself is huge, so even on a Saturday night during the school year you'll be able to find a place to sit. They have a decent amount of beer on tap and in bottles, without being one of those "200 beers available here" places. Service can be a bit slow when it's even moderately busy.
They have a theoretical food menu, but it pretty much consists of a cheese board or nachos. I'm fairly sure the bartender has to take care of all the food as well, so again if it's even moderately busy ordering food is a dicey proposition.
If you're looking for a relaxing bar to hang out and have an actual conversation, the Wild Colonial is probably your best bet in town.
Walking into The Wild Colonial reminded me that Providence can hold it's own when it comes to having a unique look and feel to a bar. The brick walls is what sold me. Brick walls of any kind is hard to find in buildings these days so for me I really dig it. The draft beer selection can hold it's own, but the price is a bit higher than other bars in Providence. That's fine anyways since I don't normally stay in one bar for not more than two drinks then I'm off to another bar.
Had no issues with the bartenders. The people that I noticed that came and went are varied from hipsters to wine drinkers. As for me, it was a great place to enjoy a brew with friends.
I've been here about 10 times, mostly because friends dragged me here.
The staff is rude, the atmosphere is generic and trashy, the interior is loud, the layout of tables is awkward, lighting is spotty in a sloppy way (not a charming way), and the food and drinks are nothing special. Clearly there was little to no effort put in to making the place look or feel like anything. If the exposed brick is construed as nostalgic, it is most likely an accidental artifact of buying an old building and doing as little as possible to dress it up. Inside, it has a way of making friends feel like strangers.
So the Wild Colonial is more of the Mild Colonial in my book. Â Super low key and a great beer list to boot, I pick this place when I know I want to have a relaxed evening out, rather than balls to the wall, go go go night.
The exposed brick walls and dim lighting really makes you feel like you travel back in time. Â The narrow doorways and seperated rooms give it an old charm. Â The bar is well kept too.
This place has an extensive beer list, which is great. Â They have a limited draft selection, maybe 10 or so at best, but the selection of bombers and bottles are great. Â If beer is not your thing, they do have wine and a full bar. Â Yet, don't expect to do shots or chug beers here, they do not take kindly to it.
You can also order food here. Â I have only had a cheese plate so I cannot judge the other options. Â You do get a pretty good amount for the price so I cannot complain here.
I frequent the Colonial so I can't be too critical.
They lose a star for  their lack of cheap beer.  I guess the high prices keep the riff raff out.  Granted most of the time you want to drink great beer of which they have plenty, but that will run you about $5 a beer + tip. Â
High marks for a proper Guiness pour, and awesome craft beers on tap including a cask or two.
Their trivia is hard- but a laid back fun time. After hitting the books I might do it again sometime.
My first "I don't want to review this place because I want it all to myself" review! Then I saw thirty six reviews and figured I would haha.
I will start by saying I went here with one of my friends who is a regular, so I didn't experience "getting ignored for the regulars" like seems to be the consensus on most of the reviews.
When I first arrived I was greeted by a HUGE, very well lit parking lot, and extra street parking. There was a decent amount people sitting outside, but when I walked past them, to go insde, I didn't get that awkward "everyone is staring at me" feeling. When I walked in I got a refreshing blast of cool air. The Colonial, from what I can tell, never gets hot and sweaty like some bars around providence. At one point we actually went outside because it was a little chilly (which is totally fine with my during the summer).
I went in with, like all the other bars we have been going to, the intention of reviewing the place, having one drink and then heading home. After five minutes of being there I was having so much fun I completely forgot to even check-in!
The bartender was awesome, big dude but easily approachable. Surprise, surprise, my girlfriend didn't know what she wanted to drink when we got there (seeing a trend in my reviews?) and asked him to make her something tasty. He whipped up an awesome concoction, that I'm pretty sure doesn't have an actual name, but it tasted like a jolly rancher and was pretty strong! (I guess that's why they call the bartender Jolly, probably not but I like the thought lmao)
There is a MULTITUDE of beers and even a house brewed choice which I will be getting next time I go due to pure curiosity. One beer and one mixed drink was thirteen bucks (totally worth it though) and I gave the guy a really good tip because of how quickly he through something together for my girlfriend.
We went outside and drank a little and talked with some of our friends (the regulars) friends, and all the people were super chill. Not the "broski" types which was awesome to escape from. I was easily the youngest one in there but never felt like I was being stared at like at some places. After sitting outside for a little while we decided to go play some darts which I was very excited about.
The darts are behind the bar so, if it's busy, be ready to wait a couple minutes to grab them, but it is totally worth it. The dart boards are very well maintained, you can tell the people that go here have respect for the place just based on the condition of them (seeing how it's free). We played for at least thirty minutes and it was an awesomely close game! I lost but only by one point! (There is a chalk board setup right in the middle of the two boards for scoring cricket for those of you dart savvy types)
They also have pool that is a dollar a game, which isn't bad at all and its a very nice pool table, if I had more time last night I most certainly would have played. We went there at 9:30ish with the expectation of leaving before 11 AT THE LATEST and ended up being there till midnight!
Even though this is a little out of the way to go to a bar from my house (considering I live right next to Atwells with all those bars) I will easily be going back. Not really a date night sort of place but definitely a place to go with a couple friends to talk and have a great time. I would say go with three plus people, or as a "casual just friends date" if you are going with two!
I've been coming to the Colonial since before I moved to Providence many moons ago. It's a college bar that isn't. Why? Because everyone is welcome here--RISD student or working man.
They have a great beer selection, the staff is friendly, and the music doesn't suck. What more do you want?
Low key. Â Good beer, good prices, good people.
I've been a loyal patron of The Colonial since moving to Providence in 2003. Â Three connected rooms - all looking like some sort of hide-away straight out of a pirate movie. Â The center room is the best place to get served, the third room boast two dart boards and a (slightly sloped) pool table for free use (in exchange for holding your ID).
The crowd is laid back and eclectic - these are not people who are out to impress anyone - they are out to be with their friends and have a good time. Â Not surprising to see groups of people that look like a grad class from Brown relocated their lecture/discussion for the night.
My recommendation: try one of their many beers on tap!
Great local dive hang out. Don't expect anything to wow you but definitely a great place to grab a drink with friends and catch up. There are darts and a pool table and everyone is friendly. My friend adn I grabbed a drink and sat at the bar away from where you order. This was perfect because we were able to not be overly crowded by people trying to order. The place is packed with table and a good range of people hanging out. Yes, you'll get some Brown & RISD folks, but a good amount of them seemed to be older - probably grad students, so I was pleasantly surprised. Parking is also super easy.
They have Pub Trivia and the "Grog and Dog Jog" which my friends have said is a blast to participate in so I'm looking forward to that this year.
I dig the Wild Colonial.
The spot is a little dark and musty, but the stone walls give a cool vibe to the place and while it's a bit of a hipster scene, it's still a pretty fun time. I mean, hipsters don't argue much, yell, start fights, or act like total douches, so all in all, it could be a lot worse.
Beer selection is nice, overall vibe is friendly, and the bartenders even let me steal a dollar from the tip jar to help me settle the score in a particularly contentious pool battle (as long as I reimbursed them on my tab, which I did, about five fold).
There is some truth to other yelpers comments about favoring the regulars (can you really blame them) and last call was a really strange experience (at 12:30 but some people were getting drinks right before close?), but it's not a dealbreaker.
The Wild Colonial is a solid spot to grab a few Grey Lady's, sign up for some darts and take it easy.
Wanna get pissed drunk and feel good about yourself?
Damn straight.
Wanna enjoy some potentially soggy nachos, cuz you were to pre-occupied playing darts and forgot about the nachos?
Yea that's right.
Wanna enjoy these times with some  hipster RISD, architecture / Industrial Design Kids?
Damn straight.
Wanna see some Architecture kids throw down a load in the parking lot cuz they haven't slept in 3 days for they're review and got burned by there professor so they thought they would drink it off?
eh.. not so much.
But The WC is still a great place with cheap beer.
I'm pretty surprised this place only has a 3 star rating at the moment because I actually really enjoy it here. Â They have an awesome assortment of beer on tap, considerably better than your average bar. Â Back in the day they used to have Humble Patience on tap, which was a real treat...if they still did I'd consider a 5 star rating. Â
The atmosphere is cool, calm and collected. Â It's nice that they have darts and pool available, and I really like how there are plenty of tables to sit at with a group. Â
One of my favorite things about Wild Colonial is that you never really run into any assholes. Â A typical bar-going experience generally provides a couple tough guys. Â The people that tend to frequent Wild Colonial are chill, which I respect.
Not as bad as the Red Fez put pretttty close.
1. Terrible service, especially from the guy bartender who looks like he is 15. The bartenders, if you can find them, are usually too busy chatting with regulars to provide any kind of service. Last call is super early and they like to scream "LAST CALL" directly into your face. Also, why do that let you buy a beer at last call, then immediatly start screaming at you to get out about a minute later? Give people a bit of time to finish their drinks for crying out loud.
2. Bad crowd from the RISD hipster doofuses to the drunk/condo living/emtpy nesters who come here because they read about it in Providence Monthly. Not friendly and they all seem to think they own the place.
3. Bad beer, both draft and bottles. Bottles are often too old and I don't think they ever clean the draft lines. Draft and bottle selection is pretty boring and rarely changes.
4. The exposed brick and loads of tables are a plus but the lighting is just wierd. It always feels like a poorly lit basement bar in some 80's ranch house. Even with all the exposed brick and whatnot, the lighting just makes the whole place feel uncomfortable. I normally don't care too much about the ambiance of a bar, but on top of all the other problems here, the awful lighting just makes it so much worse.
Being from the southern part of the state I haven't been able to frequent this place all too often. However, the place has a great feel to it, like drinking in a catacomb. If that turns you off in any way, you should probably stay away.
Excellent beer selection and dart boards round out the mood, and if you don't mind occassionally running into Brown students bumping lines in the bathroom, then check it out.
P.S. Beware of hipsters
The Wild Colonial reminds me of a dark, musty, hard to maneuver basement. Â The location has potential. Â There is beautiful stonework with a richly dark wooded bar area and tables. Â Unfortunately it is far too dark and the layout of the bar itself does not make for a sociable environment.
My date and I weaved our way over to the bar. Â Literally moving left and right and retracing steps at times to make it around the inconveniently places high tables, narrow doorways, and crowds. Â On the upside, our mixed drinks were only $5 a piece and tasty at that! Â Found an empty table and began to survey the scene.
We discussed that some corners of the place were so dark that we had to squint to see if there was anyone hanging out there. Â Special spotlights displayed the dartboards enough to make them playable. Â So many random walls and tables that each group of people seemed to be isolated from each other. Â The environment is certainly not one for mingling or socializing with others than the group you came with.
Only 1 pool table and 2 dartboards available, making for a long wait if this was your plan for the night. Â Left after having one drink as there was nothing of note to stay for. Â A mix of a college and older aged crowd. Â I was surprised that on a Friday night they didn't have more going on entertainment-wise. Â
Free parking lot out front at nighttime makes for a convenient situation when parking at other bars in the area proves to be difficult or non-existent.
The ONLY reason why Wild gets 3 stars is because they had that awesome Grogs and Dogs whatever relay last weekend. Â Other than that, it is a 2 star bar... Â Grogs and Dogs was pretty hilarious, will try to be back in RI next year for it. Â
They do a decent Guinness pour, not too much head, so that's the way I go when I head to Wild... always have had Guinness there, always will.
My girlie and i played a couple of college punks named Kristen and Andy in Cricket.
I was sure we would rock their world but we lost twice. Â We all agreed that the third time playing was winner take all, so....
One of the things I like about Providence (aside from the fact their is now way to shorten the name and make it sound cool {Provy, Prov just aren't cutting it} ) is the bright student aged scene. Â College kids can be retards, but Providence has a high ratio of cool ones.
I will put aside the sometimes snobby bartenders and embrace the great selection of beers and cool atmosphere. Exposed stones and brick, low ceilings, wood beams everywhere!
I love chilling at this place with a bunch of friends and a bunch of beers. It's a good place to talk and catch up.
Easy parking, decent prices... an all around winner that doesn't let you down.
Drinks are fine, whatever. Here are my issues:
1. Last call is ridiculously early. Like 12:15 for a bar that closes at 1:00.
But more importantly...
2. No Car Bombs (or Fiats) because they are offense. Give me a break. Apparently a Bloody Mary is fine to order here but a car bomb (not an Irish Car Bomb, mind you) doesn't fly. Utterly stupid.
What's next....no Sex on the Beach because someone who hasn't gotten laid in a while might be offended?
This place is not to be missed. In 100 years some civic commission will mark this place as a historic landmark if for nothing else, the Colonial's tradition in observing James Joyce's birthday. I tip my hat and say "Ra-spect!" But it's so much more. My brother took me to this stone haunt by the river. The bartenders are very friendly and will provide you with both drink and friendly conversation. The Colonial has great ambiance: dark yet pleasant and always alive. A favorite of students and regulars both. Â In these times.....a place to rest one's weary bones, throw some darts and talk a little double J is more than enough.
5 duckets for the Wild one!
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