The Blind Donkey
| Address: | 53 E Union St, Pasadena, CA 91103, USA |
| Phone: | +1 626-792-1833 |
| Site: | theblinddonkey.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 4PM–2AM 4PM–2AM 4PM–2AM 4PM–2AM 4PM–2AM 1PM–2AM 1PM–2AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 12
MA
Mar Vy
Ive been here a couple of times for Happy Hour, it is located in Old Town Pasadena. Their specialty is Whiskey but they also serve beers and cocktails. I came here with my friends on a Friday, around 5pm, it was fairly empty and quiet. Towards the evening around 9:30pm it started to get busy. The lights were dimmed, music got louder but the ambiance was still casual. My friends and I also had fun playing with the Shuffle Board that is located by the front entrance. This is one of the bars that my friends and I enjoy going to. ~Food~ Ive tried the Triple Fried Fries and Garlic Parmesan Fries, nothing special about it. The Green Goddess Chicken Wrap is stuffed with lettuce, dressing, pieces of blue cheese and chicken; it also came with a side of fries. The chicken was tender and the wrap was soft. ~Drinks~ My favorite drink would be the Nick of Thyme. It has Buffalo Trace, Honey-Thyme Syrup, Lemon, Cock and Bull Ginger Beer. Another drink that I like is the Moscow Mule , it consist of Figure Vodka Kings Ginger, Bundaberg ginger beer and lime. If you like beer try the Ten Fidy by Older Blues. The flavor is a combination of chocolate and coffee. ~Rating~ ~Drinks/Ambience: 4 Stars / Food (based on what Ive tasted): 3 Stars ~Notes~ ~Happy Hour is from Monday thru Friday, 4pm- 7pm Saturday and Sunday, 1pm-5pm ~$2 off select draft beers and $4 well drinks.
YV
Yvette Tung
If Pasadena were my neighborhood, this would be my joint. DRINKS: Whiskey, whiskey, and more whiskey. And a decent selection of craft beer... on draft! FOOD: Simple, delicious food menu of burgers and fries loaded with a variety of toppings. The thick-cut garlic parmesan fries came with heaps of garlic*, and envious glances from nearby patrons. Get a side of jalapeno ranch sauce for an extra kick! SERVICE: Bartenders were super friendly, and it was almost like we were just hanging out at our apartment with our BFFs. At one point, Penny busted out her phone and entertained us with hilarious clips from the Tonight Show. ENTERTAINMENT: A couple TVs by the bar that features local sports teams, and a near-defunct mini shuffleboard table. But the BESTEST part about the Blind Donkey is their happy hour! Weedays 4-7 pm Weekends 1-5 pm $4 draft beer $4 well drinks $6 cheddar burger (comes with fries!) but only for Happy Hour Week Not only is it cheaper and tastier than eating fast food, but it comes with beer. Need I say more? *garlic makes the world go round
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Savannah Dominguez
Cool bar with a great selection of alcohol and craft cocktails. We went on a slow night so service was quick for our big group. There was a female bartender who seemed irritated when I interrupted her conversation to place an second order. It was obvious to me she was just chatting with a friend. I patiently waited a couple of moments to see if she would acknowledge me. After she showed irritation the second bartender who was done for the night and outside of the counter enjoying his beverage said, "l will help them." He went back behind the counter to take our order. My group and I were rather quiet for a large group so it wasnt has if we deserved her attitude. I couldnt figure it out, maybe she was having an off night. Either way I would give the place another chance.
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Christine Tran
One of my girlfriends and I explored Old Town Pasadena recently and The Blind Donkey was one on the list. We came in around 8ish on a Thursday and it wasnt too crowded, which I like. We were able to snag seats at the bar. Our bartender was really attentive and made sure we were taken care of. I had an Old Fashioned made with Templeton Rye and friend had a 2oz Bookers whiskey. I love how drinks were served with a big sphere of ice. They have a pretty big selection of scotch and whiskey, totally my type of bar. The atmosphere at the Blind Donkey is really chill. Its a great place to grab a drink with friend (s). They also made a bunch of tables including communal tables as well.
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Gregory Geiger
Best selection of whiskey in the area, maybe the county. Some bottles one cannot find outside the actual distillery, because the owners fly to the distillery to buy them. Food is limited, but very good. Beers are rotating 10 taps. The beers run the gamut from light pilsner, to ipa, to stout, to Belgian, to sour. From local breweries to hard to find exotics. Atmosphere can range from chill Sunday, to trivia busy Wednesday, to triple deep weekends. Service is good, but dont expect speed when they are busy. Its a small bar, so they have a hard time accommodating a big crowd. Go, its a great place.
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Morison Woo
Would have given them 4 stars if not for the fact that the bartender doubled charged my credit card. I didnt notice until the day after. Originally, I ordered 2 drinks. They only gave me one, so I said i wanted two. So he went back to make another one, but he did did not reverse the charge for the first drink. Instead, he charged me for the first, and on top of that charged me for two more. Really disappointed in the fact that they would screw up like this. Especially when you work at a bar, a lot of people wont pay too much attention after a few drinks.
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Cameron D.
Old Fashion was definitely worth the visit to this otherwise decent place. It doesnt have a huge menu but what it does have is standard fried pub/fare. That being said the snack mix and fries (a big order for just an appetizer) are pretty tastey when drinking. Id say go eat somewhere else and then come here for the drinks.. Especially whiskey as the selection list is enormous!
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philip Jackson
Good place with some very good custom cocktails. I recommend that you get the "bandolier" but anything on the drink menu is good. Try something new! Get out of the usual rut of rum and coke. Also dont order an apple tini. Ever. Especially at a nice place like this. Or ask for a UFC fight that had been over for an hour anyway. You know who you are. Douchebag.
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Jacob Motes
A hidden post punk goth gem! If youre in this neighborhood (for say, a show at the Teragram Ballroom) - check it out. Or maybe even check it out if youre not in the neighborhood. If you dig The Cure , Gary Numan, Bauhaus, and the like - youll feel at home in this dark, vaulted ceiling, weird taxidermy mixed drink pleasure den.The Blind Donkey is best.
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Kevon Houghton
I know this place is really popular with local folks, I just cant figure out why. I stopped in because of the "legendary" whisky selection. It was good, but it wasnt anything that most other full bars have too. I was kind of hoping to find some things that I couldnt find elsewhere. The vibe is ok, but kind of loud for my taste.
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Jaime Saenz
The Blind Donkey is a bar in downtown Pasadena. This places is absurdly full during the weekends. As in shoulder to shoulder full. Its relatively clean and pretty well staffed. The doorman greeted us with a smile, and bartenders worked quickly to get us drinks. The staff was the only reason I was okay with this place.
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Vincent Nguyen
An awesome place to get your whiskey fix in. My go to is an old fashioned, which is one of the best Ive had especially when they still have their huge spherical ice cubes left. It could get crowded on the weekends and they offer shuffleboard a one arcade machine. Over one of the better places to drink in Pasadena.
