Princeton’s most beloved dive — cold beer, cheap prices, and no Ivy League pretensions since 1966
About This Venue
In a town full of upscale restaurants and Ivy League formality, the Ivy Inn has spent nearly 60 years being exactly the opposite — and that’s the whole point. Owner Richey Ryan puts it plainly: “We are just what this town is missing.” His uncle bought the Ivy Inn in 1966 and built it into Princeton’s go-to neighborhood bar. After his uncle passed in 1995, Richey stepped in and has kept the character intact ever since.
The Ivy draws one of the most genuinely diverse crowds in Princeton — professors, grad students, locals, tradespeople, and everyone in between, all sharing the same bar. Reviewers consistently call it “dark, grubby and more than generous with a pour” and “the only place on Nassau Street that hasn’t been updated.” They mean it as a compliment. The pool table and dartboard are the only ones in town. The jukebox has an app you can control from your seat. The beer prices are, per Yelp, the cheapest in Princeton.
In 2013 the Ivy added a full kitchen — and the burger immediately became one of the best in town. Tuesday wing specials run alongside Quizzo every week. The pizza is big enough to share and the cheesesteak egg rolls are a crowd favorite.
The Ivy has been a consistent supporter of local non-profits including the Sunshine Foundation, St. Baldrick’s, Toys for Tots, Angel’s Wings, HiTops, Christine’s Hope for Kids, and Good Grief. For a place that calls itself a dive bar, it punches well above its weight in the community.
Quizzo Night at the Ivy Inn
Weekly Event — 20+ Years Running
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Hosted by DJ Bobby Luv
Princeton’s Quizzo fixture — 7 rounds, a bonus round, and the kind of energy that keeps teams coming back week after week.
Tuesday night at the Ivy is a Princeton institution. The regulars here have been showing up for years — some for over a decade — and the competition is real. Bobby Luv keeps the room moving through 7 rounds plus a bonus. Come early, grab a good table, order the wings, and don’t underestimate the team in the corner.
7 Rounds
+ Bonus Round
Solo or Team
Weekly Gift Certificate — 1st Place
Cash only at the bar — ATM on site. Full kitchen open during Quizzo. Tuesday wing special runs all night.
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