Jon C
My Wife and I visited this place on Valentines night 2026, never visited before, and it was kinda busy but its a small location, easy to find, parked in the parking garage across the street, easy. walked in and saw great decor and seating, we sat on a couch and a chair near another couple, which is the kind of vibe i like to meet new people, so heres where the issue was…. time of arrival, to the time we actually got our first drink…. over 45min, they were kind of busy but by far not swamped, pleanty of staff. but they refilled my water twice, before we got our drink. but we saw people at the bar being served 2 drinks before we got our first… staff didnt seem to like their jobs either…
My drink was amamzing, the enviroment is great… but we probably wont be back due to the sheer wait just to get our drink was so bad… its a shame.
… moreMichelle Churchfield
Visited this bar on Valentine’s Day for an after Valentine’s Day dinner drink for the first time. Arrived before 8pm. It was busy, but we found a seat quickly. Service was very slow. It was about 15 minutes after we sat down before we got delivered waters. Then waitress walked away?? We wanted to order drinks??? We sat there with another couple and about all 4 of us finished our waters before another waiter came around to take drink orders. We placed our our order an waited another 30 minutes for our drinks. We had been there for 45 minutes before we even received our drinks while noticing patrons at the bar with full drinks that had been there long before us. Not sure if it was a system issue or not but we definelty waited way to long for our dinks.
Now, the drinks were exceptional! We did enjoy the atmosphere and ambiance. We were turned off on the long wait to order our drinks and the time it took to receive our drinks. I am trying to be understanding to the large crowd and holiday, however seeing other patrons taken care of better than newer or first timers was definelty a negative. We probably won’t return.
**Edit** Waiting 40+ minutes for a drink seems the norm for this place after reading other negative reviews. Beware folks. They cater to regulars. Again, we will NOT return.
… moreKim Kronk
Mina makes the BEST expresso martini. We always feel like family when we come in. This is an amazing stop for an after work drink.
… moreMelissa Scott
Collin and Mina are the BEST–making some of the best drinks in town!! Brittany makes a pretty great drink, as well! Jeff has done a fabulous job, stepping in…he truly listens to the customers, takes suggestions, and runs with them. All very much customer -pleasers, which is probably why we keep coming back each week! Cheers
… moreJoane C
So far our favorite bar for date night. Superb cocktails with historical significance. Some bartenders are very knowledgeable and provide a great experience. “Uncle Nearest’s old fashioned” the secret menu item suggested by the bartender stole the show.
… moreJames Yarbrough
I’ve had cocktails on a 20 hour Emirates flight, in some amazing bars in New York, and New Orleans and this place always blows me away with consistency, quality and an approachable atmosphere that invites people into the cocktail world. Great staff, amazing drinks, and fantastic humans sharing a fun culture.
… moreThomas Fenzl
Great cocktail bar in downtown South Bend- Lots of classic cocktails along with modern takes. Small plates are available as well, the rotating deviled eggs are delicious. My personal favorite is the Executive Old Fashioned, it’s smoked and comes out in a bell jar.
… moregeorge hilbring
I live in Chicago but will stop by Whiskey Exchange whenever I’m in the area. This place was always decent but things have really improved since Shanda took over as Manager in 2024. She really knows her bourbon and any connoisseur could stand to learn from her.
I was last there this past summer and met Bobby and Collin. These guys were warm and very engaging with customers. The place honestly felt like “Cheers” as the entire bar area was engaged in some interesting and sometimes hilarious conversation. Big salute to Shanda for bringing Bobby and Collin on staff!
I’m due back in South Bend this winter and I absolutely can’t wait to stop by Whiskey Exchange again.
… moreBeth R
I had The Starlight Special cocktail, and it was very flavorful. Nice presentation! The bartenders were très sympa, too. Even though the website says that the bar is inside an old bank, it still doesn’t look like much from the outside from the east. This no doubt lends to the intimate atmosphere.
… moreDiane
The whiskey exchange is not the same anymore. How much can change in less than one year? it is not dark or vampy which is the vibe I was going for … it is bright as heck and then they turned on the Christmas lights. You’re gonna take 40 minutes to get served a drink and it’s just so loud there’s so many people so I don’t know if I’m gonna go back. It used to be my favorite bar, but I don’t know if I can recommend it anymore cause it just was so slow and not how used to be.
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