Ye Ol' Watering Hole

It's a shit hole. A remarkably clean, balanced pool table, free darts, fresh juice for cheap cocktail with heavy pours shit hole. Stay away so I can take my rightful seat at the oak.

It's also a self-proclaimed beer can museum, as much as the ring of empty handles in a college dorm kitchen is a museum to consumed firewater. Free to see every day, though, so take that BoA First Fridays or whatever-the-hell.

The only foods they sell are bar snacks, most bottles are under $4 (priced in the cooler if you're looking for cheapies) and the air conditioning runs cold. If there's a Bruins/Pats/Sox/Celtics game on, it's being shown on both flat screens.

Just to remind you of what I mentioned six sentences ago: orange and grapefruit juices are squeezed to order. Go 'head - get that Salty Dog.

both bartenders were so nice.  they managed to pay attention quickly to everyone despite the bar being slammed.  young crowd, early 20's.  good music.  we especially liked the fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice that they mix your drinks with.  they could use a few more tequilas but they had a great selection of vodkas, craft beers, etc

Okay, so I've been living above the Watering Hole for about a year now, so I give this review based on my collective visits during that time.

If you're looking for a great bar with excellent drink prices, the Watering Hole is a fantastic place to start. Beers range from $2.25 (black label) to $6-7 for some of the cans and 22oz. Peoples Pint beers. The draft options change regularly enough, and they always have Pabst as the cheepo option.

Mixed drinks are about on average for the area, and sometimes change depending on if you change out the rail liquor for something specific that is more expensive. Hands down one of the best deals has got to be the greyhounds/screwdrivers, which cost like $6 and juice is fresh squeezed right in front of you. The only thing I'd say about these are don't order like 6 of them when the bar is insanely crowded because thats just sort of a dick thing to do.

In the interest of being concise...

- Free pool M-W, decent house cues and the felt is new (April 2013) *Don't put your drinks on the tables! It's so annoying!

- Jukebox is has a good selection, a bonus is that it's a real box and none of that touch screen garbage every bar has been switching to.

- People are friendly for the most part, and if you're sociable I've usually found it pretty easy to end up talking with people I don't know.

- This is one of those "dive" bars that mainly has that classification because people just want to sound cool. It's true that the inside has things like old beer mirrors and wooden walls, but if the watering hole is a dive than its way nicer than any dive I've been to before.

Overall, just go check it out. One of a few bars in Northampton that is open until 2am as long as you are in the door by 1. The people who hate on the Watering Hole probably spend most of their time at Tully's, and should just be ignored.

Go check this place out!

*One more note: If you are talking outside the bar, know that tenants above and to the side can hear basically everything you are saying! If it's 2am, shut up and go home!