The Phoenix Hill Tavern

While I wouldn't bring out of town guests to such a location, it was a great place for a bunch of San Fran locals to stumble upon. The place is huge with multiple levels and rooms - don't let the grunge band and the bad karaoke at the main entrance fool you.

The outside patio on a balmy summer night playing hip hop music was pretty awesome and I would have been annoyed with a $3.00 cover (for a Wednesday night) but I got over it after a round of 9 shots for $18.00

The beer is cheap and the bartenders quick with service. This time, I finished my shot of Beam and my Miller High Life.

The Phoenix Hill Tavern is not my scene, and I fully admit I sound pretentious saying that.

But I can appreciate PHT for some of the things it does well, and if you haven't been to PHT before, you should go at least once, to say that you have. And who knows, you might love it.

So after trying out PHT on several occasions, here are the pros that stand out to me:
* Lots of separate spaces, so if one does not suit you, explore PHT a bit more, and you're bound to find one that does. This place is huge! There's a hip-hop tiki-type lounge, a weird hard rock/country area and karaoke, along with some other ones I'm forgetting about.
* Every time I've been, I've had to pay a cover (boo), but what you lose in a cover you gain in cheap drinks (yay).
* If you can swing a Thursday karaoke night, go. You might be lucky enough to get the area largely to yourself, which gives you and your crew full reign of the mics.
* It seems they're always having events, so if you're bored -- and especially if there happens to be a holiday in the next week or so -- check out their calendar. And especially put PHT on your to-do list if you're a fan of the Velcro Pygmies. They come through there so often that they might as well be the house band.

Even though PHT isn't on my top-10 list ... or even top-20 list ... I can forgive a lot, but not these:
* If you're not one who likes to be in the middle of college frat dudes, booty shakers or Bubba from the country -- see what I mean about separate areas -- this is not your place. But it can be a people watchers' dream.
* I hate, HATE how every word that starts with an "f" in their marketing is changed to a "ph." I know that's kind of their thing, but it just grates on every nerve. "Phirst of 20 Phourteen Showcase," "phree" parking, "phriendly" staff, "phood" trucks. And "Phridays" in "Phebruary" make my eye twitch. It's phreaking phlumoxing!

But again, you should give PHT a try if you haven't yet. If nothing else, you will have some great stories to tell afterward. From an epic Beatles cover band concert to crazy karaoke shenanigans to a run-in with the Velcro Pygmies (they're always there!), I know I do.

Holy Shitballs.....

Phoenix Hill is a personal favorite when I visit Louisville. Actually, I am really surprised I haven't yelped about it sooner because I really fucking like this place and l want to spend more nights there - quiet nights, drunken nights, sad nights, fun nights, Monday nights, Friday nights, Hollywood nights..... oh wait, that's just a Bob Seger song...you get the picture. I would say I could become a pseudo regular.

The bar is like 2 steps up from a dive. Actually, in my humble opinion, it is kind of a perfect bar as far as were it falls on the spectrum of bars, ranging from total stinky dive to a chi chi Appletini serving lounge. Phoenix Hill serves cheap, strong drinks, ice cold beers on tap, they have a diverse crowd (where else can you hob knob with assembly members, lobbyists, Wilco listening hipsters and toothless hobos in one fell swoop?) The frugality of the place makes it divey, but it is actually a really pretty unique bar and well maintained. Bands are playing live music everywhere in this maze of rooms, and the politicos give it a corrupt feeling that I am a fan of - like you are in the middle of some serious bribery and debauchery. Great for people watching too.

This is one of those oxymoronic spots that is so bad it's good, so wrong it's right, so trashy it's clearly the only option. If you can't find a good time here, then let's face it, you're most likely deaf, blind, dumb and even then probably a square. Phoenix hill is basically a massive warehouse full of every type of booty shakin' atmosphere imaginable. It's like walking into your radio and flippin stations all night. Not feeling the Karaoke equipped with funny hats? Slip into the next room, a Hip Hop thumpin' Tiki Bar. No? Head to the main stage for the big belt buckled 10-gallon hat cowboy boot stompin' country band. Not your scene? What about the slightly smaller stage 2 with a 90's cover band? Ooo, Jazz is wafting from the more intimate mini stage. Eh, I'll grab some fresh air at the smoker's lounge. Hey, I wonder who's on at Karaoke, I bet my turn is coming up....and so on.

Flippin scenes is only half the fun though! People-watching here is far more entertaining than any ole dart board or pool table. This music hall/club is inexplicably famous, which means it's one of those mythic places that people have heard rumors of bands being discovered from, but have no idea why or what to expect. So when Billy Bob and Bobby Sue come into town to get that marriage certificate that proves they are no longer livin' in sin then they might as well lubricate the necessary consummation with a little hell raisin' at that 'fancy famous music joint' Phoenix Hill Tavern. Then again, Taylor Swift was spotted there a couple months ago. You just never know.

I was shown this place on my first visit to Louisville with a description of "it's huge, it's wild, we will definitely meet some folks and that is definitely not necessarily a good thing, however, it'll be funny as hell. Oh yeah, and tonight is $2 well night and there is a Booty Shakin' contest at the Tiki Bar." We had so much fun and probably would have won the booty shakin contest too, but we were shookin out by 3:30am and dipped to Spinelli's.

Why not 5-stars? You can't give this place 5-stars hahahah but you'd have to go to truly understand why.

This place is just what it looks like it might be. Totally trashy, sketchy, and oddly massive, with 3 different stages for bands, a tiki room/bar, dj/dance floor, karaoke room, and smoking deck. But here are the reasons I give it 5 stars and yet 2 stars at exactly the same time.

1B) My boyfriend and I were just friends when we first came to Phoenix Hill Tavern, but the awesome booty music and waaaay beyond entertaining crowd watching, well more like experiencing, cemented our relationship

2B) The guy that does karaoke is creepy. And what can I say - it is hilarious! Especially if/when he decides he is in love with someone in your group who unintelligently told him her name. And that if your group sings something inappropriate - such as the classy Divynals "I touch myself" you'll get a stomach churning 3 minute intro about masturbation. 3B is key for laughing your way through this.

3B) The drinks may not be fancy, but they are suuuper cheap. 3.50 wells all night. Just keep it simple. Bourbon and coke. Vodka Tonic. Cab?

4B) It is kind of fun to sing Crazy Bitch and dance around like a, well, crazy bitch. Especially after a few of those cheap drinks when you aren't worried about your friends judging your terrible taste in anything, because, well, you are at Phoenix Hill Tavern!

It is the best worst night you can have in Louisville.

The staple establishment of every town. Dark and loud, filled with rowdy frat boys and giggling bimbos. Stay home and watch Laguna Beach.

This place has all the potential in the world to be a top notch destination bar. I was floored by all the options in this place. On a good night you might be able to just grab a drink at the first bar you walk into and just sip that all night as you people watch the night away. It's a people watching paradise.

Sadly on the night we were there it wasn't all that lively. I'm guessing most of the crowd was on 4th street, but we still enjoyed our night at the Phoenix Hill Tavern. I would visit again without hesitation.

This is a great venue for concerts, but if you are in the mood for hip hop and dancing there's also a great section for that. Karaoke, rock, rap, beer, good times, etc. This has also been my go to place for Halloween. I don't know of anywhere else that has such exciting Halloween crowds and contests. It's always a great time. Beer is reasonable also.

I stopped in here to start the night by having one or two beers when I was in Louisville for the Lebowskifest. Really nice looking interior, dark, with some TV's. It wasn't crowded, but it was early. I could have done without the music. Especially since there wasn't anyone in there. When are bars going to figure out that patrons may want to be able to, I don't know, talk, or just hear themselves think. I am not impressed with what this bar thinks is musically hip. Cute bartender, she was nice, beer was cold, paid with cash, not a really special place from what I could tell. Very generic.

THE KEETH

PHT offers a wide range of music experiences in the bands that play here.

The booty Shakin contest is a blast and good change-up from the normal bar experience.