I went back and forth with what kind of rating to give this place, since our group of friends ended up having a really good time. The crowd was insanely mixed, which was interesting for people watching. The inside made me feel like I was in an old American Legion or something… low ceilings, non existent décor, just generally dirty feeling. Smoking is allowed inside, which for me was a plus but may not be for others. The guy running the karaōke spent way too much time on the microphone himself, leaving less time for others who were waiting. I was also surprised at how much our bar bill was. I know that we had a good number of drinks, but expected a place like this to be a lot cheaper than it ended up being.
Roger T.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Birmingham, AL
Alright, so the truth is I don’t even know how to rate this joint. It has the most eccentric diverse group of people I have been around in some time, and I am a Marine. LOL. Definitely a dive bar, which is cool, but be aware, Hoover allows smoking inside. You will definitely smell like you’ve been in a dive bar when you leave. Karaōke is cool cause one minute you have a guy singing Hank Jr and the next Tupac. Better yet, it is cheap. So if you are looking for a different experience that may have you shaking your head and wondering how you ended up there for cheap, I suggest you try it out at least once. You may find yourself drawn to go back just to see if it really was what you thought it was.
Jason B.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Birmingham, AL
This is definitely a dive bar. If you don’t like smoke this isn’t the place for you. They have karaōke on the weekends which is a plus. Bathrooms will make you want to run and get fresh air lol. It is what is and not much to choose from in this area.
Will L.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Birmingham, AL
As it turns out, some places still allow people to smoke inside… a lot. Even though we are just over a year removed from smoking being permitted in all Alabama businesses, it’s always shocking to walk into an establishment that still allows it. The bartenders were really nice and did a great job. It’s hard to find a redeeming quality, beyond that. We decided to stop by hoping to stumble on a cool dive bar and trying to be a touch ironic. This was a bad decision. Generally speaking, karaōke is hard to get wrong. Barrister’s is the exception. The DJ(who I think was a real life juggalo) felt like everyone there REALLY wanted to hear him sing… often. Think low ceilings, dirty carpet, clouds of smoke, affliction attire galore, and a possible juggalo running the karaōke. …and, you’ve got Barrister’s.