West End Ciderhouse

A stunning location with front patio, great old tap room and a back patio as well. Service was a bit disappointing as they seemed more interested in talking cocktails than cider and when we asked a question they were quite misinformed. Tap list is sold with some great guest taps and Schramms bottles to boot. Overall a great cider house, just wish they were more cider than cocktails.

Love ciders? This place is a must-visit. Not only do they brew some of the better ciders I have ever had, but they are passionate about the beverage and feature a good amount of choice guest taps and bottles of ciders, too. I think they usually have at least one or two real beers on tap, but the focus here is almost entirely on ciders. But if you’re not an enthusiast, don’t fret. This place will make you love ciders. If you don’t enjoy them here, then OK, I guess you just don’t like cider yet. I was there last night (in town for the Jackie-O’s 10 Anniversary), and Jstax saw a bottle of french cider on the menu he never had so he ordered it. The owner came over (I don’t think she’s met us before) and I was legitimately excited that we had ordered that and she gave us some details on it. She seemed genuinely excited that we were giving that bottle a go, her passion was clear and I really appreciate that. Not just her, but all the bartenders I’ve ever interacted with at this place were a joy. Athens has got that kind of weird-but-fun vibe to the whole town, and this place is a nice example of that. It’s located on a street that’s not quite downtown but only like a 10 minute walk from it. Every time I visit I find easy street-parking. I like the vibe of the inside of the place. Bar is square shaped, with a nice amount of booths. I’ve never had trouble finding a spot. Being tucked away from the chaos of court street, it’s always far less crowded than other bars around town, and the people you do find there always seem to be good company. I don’t remember the prices exactly but that’s probably a good thing. Being in Athens, they have to stay competitive. All things the same, Athens is a good town $-wise to drink beer, especially compared to Cincinnati. I love Jackie-O’s and try not to miss any of their events. Whenever I’m in town though, we always make sure to go to West End too. Overall, even if you’re just merely open-minded about ciders... This place is a must-visit.

(Visited 07/2014 during Ohio Brew Week): West End Ciderhouse is a relatively new place located west of downtown Athens toward the fairgrounds on Washington Street. Parking is available on the street in the immediate area.

The interior of the brick building is well lit with a square wraparound bar in the center and table and couch seating around the outside. Large windows let in a lot of light. Hanging lights and shelves full of bottles on the walls. There is a large chalk board behind the bar listing the available ciders.

West End features several of their own ciders as well as guest beers. There are also bottled offerings and featured mixed drinks (I actually had a Moscow Mule on my visit after the sampler).

Service on a weekday afternoon at the bar was good. The bartender was knowledgeable and attentive throughout the visit.

I did not have any food on this visit, and the menu appeared to include cheese plates and the like.

Overall this is a nice addition to the Athens scene, and I would definitely visit again.

West End Ciderhouse is shockingly located just a few blocks west of the downtown core of Athens. It’s a nice little corner pub storefront with a modern brick interior and square bar on the right side. Some tables are on the left, and the operations are in the back. A nice big chalkboard menu is behind the bar, spelling everything out. 4 house ciders were on tap when I visited. They also had some guest taps, and plenty of cocktail options. Smallish menu of bar food, but I didn’t eat. The ciders are very, very good, and put the guest cider to shame. Bartenders are friendly, and there were plenty of them to handle the weekend crowd - which wasn’t too bad, actually. Really nice place overall. I’ll be back whenever I’m in Athens.

Definitely a departure from most of the places in Athens as this has a very upscale vibe. 4 house ciders on tap, though one was un-rateable here, and 8 more guest taps, including lots more mead and cider. they also are fairly proud of their mixed drinks. The quality of their house cider was high but not exceptional. No food. Bartender was friendly enough. The flight of 6 is normally $12.00, but due to some insane deal they are $3.00 on Mondays. Be sure to take advantage of that before they come to their senses. Overall a solid stop and worth coming by if you have time after Jackie O’s.

Stopped in on a Friday evening early. Street parking is available, plus a small parking lot across the street. It’s also about a half mile walk from Jackie-Os and the rest of the downtown places, so it’s easy to include this on an Athens beer visit. When I arrived it was fairly busy, but I was still able to walk up and get a seat at the bar. The rest of the seating was modern looking couches and tables. I don’t recall seeing any booths or other typical restaurant or bar seating. The food here looks like all appetizers and snack food, and it’s all higher end and local. The taps were filled mostly with craft ciders. There were two house ciders and a Perry on when I was there. Other offerings included Ohio brewers beers. The bar looked loaded with higher end and local liquors. This place is very cool. One that I will make an effort to visit anytime I’m in the area.

Brand new ciderhouse around corner from Jackie Os. Three house ciders/Perrys on draft and some guests. Lots of meads/ciders on draft. A couple of Jackie O’s beers, but you’ll find those at the brewpub. Food is available but I didn’t eat here. Mixed drinks looked high quality, but I didn’t partake.