Stella Blues

It could have the potential to be something really cool. The owner seems to be holding the Grateful Dead brand hostage for tacky promotional use. Local jam bands play here and some of them are pretty good. Often it is an older and middle aged crowd. Bartender Katie is cool and is probably the only consistent redeeming feature of this establishment. Bands are hit or miss. Always worth popping in though.

Tuesday Night, kinda dead, but I’m not sure why! Maybe the weather ! Super cool place ! Band was hysterical great personality! Shawarma Bums !! Definitely coming back! Also coolest bearded bartender too!

Worst bar by far in the whole southern ct area. The bartender stole my money and gave himself a tip. Then he had the nerve to sexually harrase me and my girlfriend. The drinks and the prices make no diffrence after all this, at least to me. When i confronted him he lied and called me a sk@nk then told me to leave his bar. I would guess, It was the owner or a manager. Either way if your a woman i would say GO ANYWHERE ELSE!!! Watch out for this placw !!!

Stella Blues, I miss you so much! It’s one of the main reasons I love traveling to New Haven! Amazing place with amazing live music! Great food and great drinks served by amazing bartenders (Hi Katie)…Check it out… You won’t be disappointed!

Avoid this place. Good music, but that’s it.

The first time I came here it was on a weeknight and there was no band. I was new to town and it seemed like nothing more than your average townie bar. Very pedestrian.
I came back on the weekend and was blown away by the live bands and the great crowd. There’s typically a $ 5 cover on the weekends, but it’s worth it for the caliber of bands they usually feature. Easily one of my favorite places to hear live music in downtown New Haven.

I came here on a Friday night to see a band that was recommended by a friend. I really enjoyed my time here and here’s why: 1) The staff are great. Courtney, who worked the door, was fabulous and so wonderful! 2) They have the game on. They tune in to games that are broadcasted on TV. When I was there, they had both a baseball game and football on. Reportedly, they will tune in to NHL games when they’re broadcasted (which pleases me greatly!). 3) There was adequate indoor and outdoor seating. 4) The band was very good. If the music that night was representative of a typical evening, it’s excellent.
Verdict: Great place to watch the game and enjoy live music. Stella Blues offers a quaint setting, fabulous staff, and casual ambiance. I hope to revisit this venue to enjoy some live music and watch a NHL game soon.

Update:
Stella blues is still a filthy dump. Go hang out at Kelly’s.

I have a love/​hate relationship with Stella Blues.
It’s a good bar. They have a good drink selection and are generally pretty friendly. I like the atmosphere, and there’s a pool table if you’re into that.
There’s almost always live music. That is a GREAT thing, especially since they tend to have a pretty fantastic taste in music and book a lot of bands that I love. I fully support and love the fact that they are constantly booking bands to play in this spot.
That being said, it is simply not a great venue to see live music in.
One of Stella Blues’ biggest charms is unfortunately also one of its biggest downfalls. The stage is in the very front of the venue, and you can see the bands playing right in the front window as you walk by. While this is great from the outside, it makes things on the inside pretty uncomfortable. The stage is right next to the front door. Along one side wall are tables and stools, and along the other side wall is the bar. So unless you’re in the small area between the bar and the stage (which is where musicians usually put their cases), you’re spending the entire night having to get out of the way of people who are coming and going. For me, this makes seeing shows at Stella Blues pretty tedious, especially when it’s really packed.
The PA is pretty lacking as well, and the sound generally isn’t very good in the room.
Like I said, it’s love/​hate. Stella Blues has a lot of potential, I’m just not sure that potential could ever be fully realized with its current setup. Still, I am very thankful that a venue like this exists to help keep the struggling live music scene alive in CT, and will continue to give them my business whenever I can.

Stella Blues is a great place to go for live music and they typically have bands playing almost every night. Some people seem to be unaware however that the bar is named after a grateful dead song which translates to a clientele consisting of lots of dreaded hippies who’s odor is the typical mix of b. o and marijuana. So just be mindful if that’s not your sort of thing. I personally don’t mind as I’ve spent lots of time with hippie stoners in my youth though it wouldn’t be the place I’d expect to meet a viable date. For me the sole reason to come here is the music, and I’ve seen some great local bands here and had some great times dancing to the tunes until closing time. There tap beer selection is also pretty good though the bartenders are sometimes downright mean and most times you will get accosted by the doorman on the way in to pay a cover. There’s also a pool table in the back if you want a little change of scenery.

Small, divey bar located in the heart of downtown New Haven. I’ve been for happy hour on a weeknight as well as on a Saturday for live bands. Happy hour specials run from 3−8pm.
It’s a little small in the front bar area, especially when the bands are popular and the place gets packed. There’s a nice back room which seems a little more updated as far as décor than the front… there’s a pool table, darts and skee ball (aka bar ball) machine as well as a small bar for drinks. There’s a garage door to the outside which is a small patio – seems appealing for the summer months. They also have infused vodkas at the front bar which is nice and not expected at your typical dive bar. The crowd can vary, especially when there are local bands playing.
It is nice to have a low key option downtown, instead of all the clubs and other places that require more upscale attire.

I work fairly close to this bar so it’s a great spot to stop by after work in your uniform or casual attire. Every time I could to this bar is has a different vibe to it.
One night I walked in and it was open mic night where most of the talent played and sang acoustic guitar, it was chill and relaxing. Another time I walked in on hip hop night, and another it was a dj with people hanging by the bar up front and playing pool out back.
The drinks are reasonably priced.

best bar in new haven and the best bartenders in new haven…

The open mic night was chill, the only reason it’s not getting the fifth star is because the sound kept popping. Bartender made great drinks, but didn’t really talk an chat with us.

Pretty standard. I went there in 2011 and they had this super cool electro rock band there. I always wish I had gotten their name.

This is my favorite local bar in New Haven. Great music and reasonably priced drinks. Everyone is cool and not pretentious. They also have a deck out back!

Oh Stella’s. I never know what to do with you.
You have wasabi peas on your bar. You sell Hot Pockets. You always have cheap Busch Tall Boys, which is kind of impressively gross. You have cute little It’s Always Sunny in New Haven t-​shirts for sale. And your bartenders are exactly the right amount of surly.
You also host a pretty eclectic group of live music, and herein lies the rub: no matter what time of day I try to sneak in, you’re always tryin’ to charge me a cover. I get that it goes to the band, and I appreciate that you are predominantly a live music venue, but can’t I just love you for your cheep beer and dive bar atmosphere when I show up at some bizarrely early time in the afternoon?
Nonetheless, I do really enjoy this place and have always had a pretty good time here. If they dropped the cover I’d probably move in so maybe it’s all for the best. And they supposedly have the best Bloody Mary’s anywhere, though I prefer to keep my vegetables and boozing separate, so it’s all speculation to me.
Still, if you’re looking for a few drinks in a completely unpretentious atmosphere and don’t mind dropping a few bucks to help out the local music scene, you could do a whole lot worse than Stella Blues. If I could give you 3 and a half stars, I would. But here we are. Halfway between a Busch and a hard place. I’m sure you understand.

If you’re lookin for a place to hang with a cold beer that is the polar opposite of Hula Hanks or any of the other dreck that passes for nightlife in New Haven — Stella is your spot. Though it feels a little intentionally dive bar-​ish, and I’m tired of people thinking it’s fun to order a PBR and hot pocket at a bar — this is actually pretty fun place. There’s a horseshoe of leather couches up front, and plenty of space to mill by the bar. The only downside is that if there’s a band setting up (I have no idea how often that happens, but did one night I was there) you have to walk through the band to get to the bathroom. But c’est la vie.
This isn’t gonna be everyone’s favorite flavor — but it’s a really nice addition to the options in New Haven.

I ducked into this gem after being turned away from the bar down the street that wasn’t open yet. I needed to warm my So cal bones and we needed to kill some time before i met some beer advocate members for a east coast/​west coast beer trade. My compadre is a big dead fan so i felt obligated to check it out. Fairly small and quaint bar, no frills here and no corporate feel. Clearly posted is the list of nevers: never a DJ and never a cover charge. Full bar accompanied with a few great craft beer selections, Sierra nevada Celebration ale, alagash curiex and white on tap. and for the budget minded PBR in a can!
Bartender was down to earth and friendly. Giant martini glass on the bar full of Wasabi peas. Mmmm crunch crunch… Noticed large glass boxes at the end of the bar with what looked like infused liquor concoctions. Espresso bean tequila, jalapeño and orange tequila. Pineapple vodka and one rum one i cant recall what was in it. The make specialty drinks with them, but we opted for a the jalapeño and orange straight up. Needless to say my bones we officially warmed up!
Met a fellow patron from Sandiego are, huh small bar world.
Def a must go for an alternative to the corp bar or club crowd. If i lived closer i’d be a regular…

Well it had to happen some time. I’m back in New Haven to weather another year. It was nice of Stella Blues to move into the hood and make Crown Street marginally more tolerable.
Located next to Hula Hanks and directly across from Sinergy (you can see the Sinergy TVs from inside, if you feel so inclined), Stella Blues is a chill little bar, with an atmosphere that one could describe as either low-​key or bland. I’m going to go with low-​key. There’s nothing pubby or clubby about it, and it’s a step above your standard dive with a crazy modern jukebox, an extensive list of house cocktails, and wasabi peas in giant bowls at the bar. The place doesn’t get very crowded, and there’s plenty of seating, with a nice alcove near the entrance for a larger party. Music streams from the jukebox, which is fancy, electronic, and loaded with old favorites like Tom Petty and REM.
Drinks are moderately priced. Think $ 4 beers and $ 8 cocktails. The cocktail list is worth taking a look at. For mojito enthusiasts, the menu offers a few fruity varieties, including my favorite version with mango. May I suggest, though, that you start or end with a Grateful Dead? This wonderful potion is a Long Island with raspberry liqueur instead of Coke. That’s right, it’s a Long Island with more booze. It tastes a little bit like punishment, but it’ll take you where you want to go.
Which, on a leisurely liquid night, might just be back to this bar. Welcome to Crown Street, Stella Blues. Truly, welcome.