536 Driggs Ave. (between N. 7th & N. 8th)
PHONE: 718.599.4400
HOURS: Daily, 3pm-4am
CARDS: Cash Only
GAMES: Pool, Big Buckhunter 2, Ms. Pacman, MegaTouch
HAPPY HOUR: Mon-Fri, 3pm-8pm; $1 off all drafts; 2-for-1 bottled beer and house drinks; $4 wine
Sun, 3pm-8pm; $3 Stella; $8 Guiness plus shot of Jameson
Sat, 3pm-8pm; 2-for-1 Yuengling and Budwiser
DIRECTIONS: Exit the back of the train at Bedford Avenue. Make a left on Driggs, The Abbey is on your left.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Trian to Bedford Ave
POTTY GIRL BATHROOM REPORT: Click here
WE SAY: A non-touristy staple. It has a maroon pool table, a pinball machine, and a an occasionally used DJ's booth populate the back. It is a largish space, and the air conditioning rocks in the summer. Beers start at $4 or so and the bartenders are always competent and often quite friendly. Small but solid tap selection (Guinness, Brooklyn Beers, etc.) and in general, no b.s. or hassles. Definitely worth visiting and the growing gay scene at The Abbey makes this bar even more appealing whether you are straight, gay, or undecided. Plus the jukebox will pleases fans of early 90's indie.

Continue reading "* The Abbey" »

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image c/o Flickr

600 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211 (near Lorimer St.)
PHONE: 718.599.4440
HOURS: Mon-Fri, 3pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 1pm-4am
CARDS: Cash Only
GAMES: Pool, Ms. Pacman, Buckhunter 2
SPECIAL EVENTS: Thurs. Karaoke, 10:00 – 3:00AM
Tues. Open Mike Comedy, 9:30PM
HAPPY HOUR: buy a drink and get a free brick oven pizza (all night)
DIRECTIONS: Exit the front of the train at Lorimer and exit. Walk one block away from the BQE on Metropolitan and Alligator Lounge will be on your right.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
WEBSITE: http://www.alligatorlounge.com
WE SAY: The dive meets frat boy decor is nothing to write home about, but the free brick over pizza (which is actually REALLY good) makes it hard to pass up.

Continue reading "* Alligator Lounge" »

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609 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.384.9802
HOURS: Daily 5pm-4am
CARDS: All Major
GAMES: Pool, Megatouch, Ms. Pacman
HAPPY HOUR: $1 off drinks
Sun-Thur: 5:00 – 9:00PM
Fri-Sat: 3:00 – 9:00PM
EVENTS: Click Here for shows, etc
DIRECTIONS: Walk east 3 blocks on Union Ave. (Kellog's Diner will be on your right). Take a left on Grand Avenue and walk a block. Art Land will be on your left.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Lorimer
MYSPACE: Click Here
WE SAY: We love this place. It's dark and out of the way. It has Ms Pacman and a nice pool table. And best of all, it has a real neighborhood bar vibe. Don't go, we want to keep it for ourselves.

Continue reading "* Art Land" »

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image c/o Flickr

426 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206
between Ten Eyck and Stagg Sts.
PHONE: 718.302.5055
CARDS: Cash Only
GAMES: Pool
HAPPY HOUR: Sun, 6pm-2am; $1 off wine, beer, and well drinks
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
NY MAG SAYS: In 2003, Jede Brahma (who also owns nearby Art Land) took over a struggling, almost exclusively Latino bar in a rapidly shifting neighborhood and transformed it into an amiably scruffy spot to bridge the gap between longtime residents and younger transplants. Named Balanza (Spanish for "balance"), the orange-bronze space hosts heavy metal battle-of-the-bands contests, djs and burlesque shows for half its clientele and pool league tournaments (the home team's trophies line one wall) and live Latin acts for the other. On a typical night, both sides come together to recline on beat-up couches or dangle bottles of Negra Modelo at the painted-mahogany bar. The jukebox is expansive (Marc Anthony and Lynyrd Skynyrd) while the low-priced Mexican beer reflects the idea that some tastes are universal.

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c/o Flickr

388 Union Ave (Cross Street: Between Powers Street and Ainslie Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.302.6464
HOURS: Mon-Sat 5pm-4am, Sun 5pm-2am
CARDS: MasterCard, Visa
GAMES: Dozens of vintage arcade games including Asteroids, Rampage, Moon Patrol, 1943, Tempest, Tapper,
Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Gyruss, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Rolling Thunder, Super Mario Bros, Crystal Castles,
Arkanoid, Out Run, Zaxxon, Smash, Gauntlet, Star Wars, Frogger, Tetris, Galaga, Ms. Pacman, Rock Field, Centipede, Berzerk, Rush 'N Attack
HAPPY HOUR: Mon-Fri, 5pm-8pm; $1 off tap beers, $1 off well drinks, $6 Fisherman's Brew and shot of Jim Bean
Mon-Thu, 2:30am-3:30am; $1 off tap beers, $1 off well drinks, $6 Fisherman's Brew and shot of Jim Bean
DIRECTIONS: Walk east 2 blocks on Union Ave. (Kellog's Diner will be on your right). Barcade will be on your left.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L at Lorimer; G at Metropolitan
WEBSITE:: www.barcadebrooklyn.com
MYSPACE: Click Here
WE SAY: A fabulous bar with tons of classic arcade games like Moon Patrol, Centipede, Frogger, and Donkey Kong,and Zaxxon. Plus, there are a dozen beers on tap and its spacious. Barcade rules.

Continue reading "* Barcade" »

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81 South 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (at Berry Street)
PHONE: 718.387.5389
HOURS: Mon-Thu, 7:30pm-4am; Fri-Sun, 7pm-4am
CARDS: Cash Only
MUSIC/EVENTS: Click Here
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: J, M, Z at Marcy Ave. ; L at Bedford Ave.
WEBSITE:: http://bembe.us/
NY Mag Review: Alongside the Williamsburg Bridge, Bembe is a world apart from its concrete, industrial environs. Inside, the bi-level lounge feels more like Miami or a steamy, fun-loving Latin American hotspot, with a tropical drinks menu—mojitos, rum punch, a tasty vodka concoction marinated in and served from an actual watermelon—and an airy, island-like décor of exposed brick and blonde wood. (The slightly exotic, accented bartenders, both male and female, lend another degree of authenticity.) But more than anything else, it's the sexy, ethnically-diverse crowd dancing (some expertly, some not) to vibrant Latin music, spun by a DJ but sometimes accompanied by live drummers, that really makes you feel like you're on vacation. Be warned: These booty shakers move with an enthusiasm and determination—sans attitude—that's contagious.

Continue reading "* Bembe" »

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366 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.599.0243
HOURS: Daily, 6pm-4am
CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
GAMES: None
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 6:30pm-9pm; $3 margaritas and Brooklyn lagers, $5 mojitos
EVENTS: Monday: Live Music, Tuesday: Rock Trivia Night
MENU: Click Here
DIRECTIONS: Walk beneath the BQE on Metropolitan Avenue for about 2 1/2 blocks. Black Betty will be on your left, just before Havemeyer Street.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Lorimer
WEBSITE:: http://blackbetty.net/
PAPER MAG SAYS: "Though Black Betty doesn't look like much from the outside, once you're inside you feel transported to a dive bar in Casablanca. Pumpkin-colored walls and eclectic appointments like an I Dream of Jeannie horseshoe-shaped couch and tapestries add to the cozy environment. The vibe is carried to fruition by an adjacent restaurant that prepares 'nouvelle Middle Eastern' fare. Black Betty attracts all walks of life, making it the perfect spot to soak up booze and Brooklyn-by-way-of-Marrakech bohemia alike."

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image c/o BrooklynVegan

ADDRESS: 1089 Broadway, Williamsburg Brooklyn
CALENDAR: Click Here
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: JMZ to Myrtle
WEBSITE: www.chiefbodega.com/
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/bodegabk
WE SAY: New bars and venues open constantly in this neighborhood--it almost feels like the community board consists of a solitary robot with a giant rubber "Approved" stamp for liquor license applications. To which I say "Huzzah!" because papa needs his sweet, sweet booze. Anyway, today we take a look at a new music venue in Bushwick called Bodega (1089 Broadway), which is run by those hip souls over at Chiefmag. The space holds 300 people and used to be an actual bodega--one which used to sell crack I am told, which goes great with beef patties and Boar's Head turkey sandwiches. Most bands they host are of the Todd P variety, including Japanther, The Death Set, Ninjasonik, etc. Shows are usually in the $5-$6 range, perfect for the club's young, eight-people-to-a-loft crowd. [review by Keith Wagstaff]

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579 Meeker Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
between N. Henry St. and Monitor Ave.
PHONE: 718.389.3252
HOURS: Daily, 3:30pm-4am
CARDS: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
GAMES: pool
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G to Nassau Ave.
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/boulevardtavern
NY MAG SAYS: Despite the fresh paint and free wi-fi, this pub is in truth a Greenpoint relic. Opened in 1928, the bar weathered most of the last century as J & D's before giving up the ghosts (more than one owner has died on the premises) just after the new millennium. A few years later, the owners of East Village bohemian bar Raven pried off the boards to find a diamond in the rough: To the original high tin ceilings and extra-long, dark wood bar, they've added high-backed wooden booths, a pool table, a jukebox and a majestic 12-beer tap that makes it clear that—neon signs and reasonable prices notwithstanding—this is not a dive. When rock bands aren't throwing after-parties, bemused retirees who still call the joint by its former name make neighborly conversation with the latest 24-year-old graphic designer who thinks he knows better. The bar's owner, Harold David Kramer, is himself a slice of NYC history, since he's the grandson of the owners of the Thunderbolt, the beloved, vine-covered Coney Island rollercoaster that was torn down in 2000.

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image c/o Eater

20 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (nr. Kent Ave)
PHONE: 718.384.2800
HOURS: Wed-Sun, noon-midnight; Mon-Tue, closed
MENU: Click Here
CUISINE: mainly a wine bar but Italian & Spanish Tapas are available
SUBWAY: J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.; L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: http://www.bridgevineyards.com
WINE PRICES: $6-$12
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Beer and Wine Only
RESERVATIONS: Not Accepted
NY TIMES SAYS: Greg Sandor and Paul Wegimont, the owners, have opened Bridge Vineyards Urban Winery and Tasting Room, an industrial, brick-walled space nudging the Williamsburg Bridge. Their wines and others are available for tasting with small plates of wine-friendly food ($4 to $10). Come fall, they hope to start using the stainless steel tank on the premises for blending wines and bottling, too.

Continue reading "* Bridge Vineyards Urban Winery" »

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image c/o flickr

103 Berry St. (between N. 7th & N. 8th
PHONE: 718.302.9811
HOURS: Mon-Fri, 3pm-4am; Sat-Sun, noon-4am
CARDS: All Major
GAMES: Pool, Darts
HAPPY HOUR: Mon-Fri, 3pm-9pm; $2 domestic bottled beer, $4 imported bottled beer, $3 well drinks, $4 20oz drafts
EVENTS: click here
DIRECTIONS: Walk on north Bedford Ave. to North 8th Street. Take a left on North 8th and walk another
block. Brooklyn Ale House is on the left corner.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave.
WEBSITE:: Click Here
MYSPACE: click here
WE SAY: One of our favorite Bedford-stop bars. Brooklyn Ale House is completely lacking in pretense and attracts a surprisingly hipster-free and tourist-free crowd. The beer selection is great and the vibe reminds us of the neighborhood circa 1995. Dog lovers especially like Brooklyn Ale House since the bar is dog-friendly.

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79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (between Wythe & Berry)
PHONE: 718.486.7422
HOURS: Fri, 6pm-11pm; Sat, noon-5pm
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
HAPPY HOUR: Fri, 6pm-11pm; $3 beers
EVENTS: Tours every Saturday from 12-5pm on the hour. For more events Click Here.
DIRECTIONS: From Bedford L Train, walk north on Bedford Avenue four blocks and
take a left on North 11th Street. Walk a block and a half. Brooklyn Brewery will be on your right between Berry and
Wythe Avenues.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Avenue
WEBSITE:: www.brooklynbrewery.com
CITY SEARCH SAYS: In a neighborhood that once housed a pre-Prohibition "Brewers Row," this big-name beer company founded in 1987 does right by its craft and community. Friday nights, the brewery opens up its 300-seat tasting room for happy hour, pouring Brooklyn Lager, Pilsner and up to 10 other varieties, including such seasonal brews as Blanche De Brooklyn. On Saturday's free tours, visitors learn about the company, walk through the brewhouse and receive a free beer.

Continue reading "* Brooklyn Brewery" »

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618 Grand St. Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Cross Street: Between Leonard Street and Lorimer Street)
PHONE: 718.388.2114
HOURS: Mon-Fri 5pm-4am, Sat-Sun 4pm-4am
CARDS: Visa & MasterCard
GAMES: Makeshift miniature golf
HAPPY HOUR: During the daily happy hour (until 8pm), it's buy one, get one free on pitchers. Pitchers of beer, from PBR to Red Tail, run $15 to $17.
EVENTS: Click here
DIRECTIONS: Take the Metropolitan exit and walk 4 blocks down Lorimar to Grand Street, make a left on Grand Street and we're across the street on the corner of Grand and Leonard.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L to Lorimer, G to Metropolitan
WEBSITE:: www.bushwickcountryclub.com
WE SAY: A beautiful addition to the new Grand Avenue bar scene. The restored oak bar will make you feel like you should wear a smoking jacket. The tiny makeshift miniature golf course in the backyard will make you wish you had worn your Seersucker. Several beers are on tap and a full liquor bar is available. Definitely worth a visit.

Continue reading "* Bushwick Country Club" »

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image c/o Flickr

174 Bedford Ave (Cross Street: Between N 7th Street and N 8th Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.782.8717
HOURS: Mon-Sat 3:30pm-2am
HAPPY HOUR: No, but $1.75 slices of pizza available
DIRECTIONS: From Bedford Ave take a right of Bedford Ave. The bar will be on your right between North 7 & 8th Streets.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave
CITY SEARCH SAYS: The Charleston is a tackily appealing, dimly lit room. The ancient bar stretches down the side, and is usually manned by Benny, the proprietor for uncounted decades. A room in the back is cozy, with semicircular booths and soft red lighting. Music from Sinatra's day through the '70s is covered on a jukebox whose seriously old speakers make everything sound a little bit better for being a little bit worse. Benny owns the pizza kitchen next door as well, in case you need something with your beer. Even as Bedford Avenue has become the new Champs-Elysees, the Charleston still holds onto an interesting mix of hip kids and some of the neighborhood's old guard, by which we mean, like, 70-year-old Polish guys. A stage in the back room also plays home to local bands, who have made the Charleston something of a hip venue for up-and-coming art rockers.

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image c/o Flickr

264 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 (at Roebling Street)
PHONE: 718.387.9617
HOURS: Daily 2pm-4am
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
GAMES: None
HAPPY HOUR: Mon-Fri, 2pm-8pm; $1 off liquor, wine, and draft beer, $3 Pints
EVENTS:
DIRECTIONS: Walk south on Bedford Ave. seven blocks and take a left on Grand Street. Go two
blocks down to Roebling Street and Clem's will be on the right-hand corner.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train Bedford Ave.
NY MAG SAYS: At his day job as a sculptor, owner John Clement renders sinuous shapes in rough industrial materials, but the design touches in his railroad barroom are non-ostentatious: Just a few antlers and antique beer cans adorn the slate-grey walls. A possibly overly generous happy hour special encourages drinkers to be serious about their craft, which they practice at the sidewalk seats during the summer, at the people-watching-perfect window perches, or at the bar where unharried attendants custom cater drinks such as a peanut-butter and jelly shot (Stoli raspberry and Frangelico) and dole out beers from the esoteric and often-changing varieties on tap. Bargain-hunters choose sides between two long-running specials: The Patriot is a PBR can and a shot of Jim Beam while the Federale pairs Tecate with a Sauza shot.

Continue reading "* Clem's" »

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98-104 Meserole Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
at Manhattan Ave.
PHONE: 718.383.5723
HOURS: Daily, 8pm-4am
CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
COVER CHARGE: Sun-Thu, $8-$12; Fri-Sat, $15-$20
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G at Nassau Ave.
WEBSITE: http://europaclub.com/
NY MAG SAYS: Club Europa's unassuming exterior--wood signage, semi-seedy sidestreet location--belies the nonstop, no-holds-barred, Euro-disco fantasy within. (Yes, there’s a smoke machine involved.) The crème de la crème of Greenpoint's young, thriving Polish population packs the enormous dance floor amidst elaborately choreographed lightshows, neon faux-stained glass windows, and gilt and red velvet everything. Hilton-twin-lookalike cocktail waitresses shimmy to the beat, toting translucent trays full of vodka drinks and bottles of Zywiec. Though the language barrier impedes conversation (not to mention drink orders) for English-only strays, Europa's unique ambiance allows you to skip the velvet rope of Manhattan clubland as you catch an Eastern European case of dance fever

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image c/o Village Voice

149 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
between Manhattan and McGuinness Aves.
PHONE: 718.349.6969
HOURS: Fri, 10pm-6am; Sat, 10pm-4am; Thu, depends on event
CARDS: Cash Only
EVENTS: Click Here
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G at Greenpoint Ave.
WEBSITE: http://club-exit.com/
NY MAG SAYS: Over a zebra-striped dance floor, luminous red disks dangle like space mushrooms. Nearby, giant, curving pillars loom up like brontosaurus ribs from behind one of three Plexiglas bars. Clearly this is a place which can summarily prove that Manhattan Avenue--not just the namesake borough--has its decadent, futuristic pleasure domes. Granted, many of the stiletto-heeled girls quaffing mojitos, watching videos imbedded in their tables, and bouncing to the throb of house music are speaking Polish. Yet unlike its nearby rival Club Europa (permanently entrenched by Euro-cheese), Club Exit also caters to a new and different wave of immigrants: those forced north by Williamsburg's rising rents. On Friday nights, outside promoters such as Todd P are inviting noise rock acts and scroungy scamps to experience the slamming sound system and otherworldly decor.

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66 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
between Franklin and West Sts.
PHONE: 718-389-1531
HOURS: Daily, 4pm-4am
GAMES: Pool, darts
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 4pm-8pm; $3 drafts beers, $4 mixed drinks
CARDS: all major
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G train to Greenpoint Ave.
NY MAG SAYS: Elements of this stylish Greenpoint bar's former incarnation as a wood shop are still evident: Old window frames now line the rugged pressed-tin walls and the ceiling beams are used as benches. The industrial double doors, concrete floor, and raised loading dock entrance were left untouched by the co-owner, who uses the high-end chocolate in martinis such as the spicy Screaming Mozart, a combination of chili-infused vodka and hot cocoa. In the front room, after-work regulars line the chic metal bar that glows with red candles or gather around one of the polished black zinc tables lit up with embedded light strips. The best seat in the house is a table behind the DJ booth—they spin every Friday and Saturday—that's warmed by a fake fireplace and watched over by a lone piece of kitsch, a porcelain good luck cat. The atmospheric back room provides more seating between turns at the dart board or at the pool table that basks under an enormous and ornate round skylight

Continue reading "* CoCo66" »

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CUISINE: French Winebar/Cafe
ADDRESS: 251 Grand Street between Driggs and Roebling
PHONE: 718.599.3840
CARDS: All major
HOURS: Mon-Thurs: 5pm to midnight; Fri: 5pm to 1am;
Sat 10am to 1am; Sun 10am to midnight
BRUNCH: saturday and sundays
BOOZE: Full bar
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave; J, M, Z to Marcy Ave
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEB: www.cafecornichon.com
DELIVERY: Yes
L MAG SAYS: Last Friday I ate and drank at Cornichon, a new wine bar/cafe/small plates restaurant on Grand Street in Williamsburg. What they sell is terrific--lovingly presented cheese and meat plates, cheap bottles of good French wines--but the decor made it seem as if they had rushed to open a week before they finished decorating, and then just decided against finishing. The front and back are pretty attractive--lots of pale, neutral greens and blonde wood--but the spacious area in the back (where my friends and I stayed well into the night, and were always the only people there) felt like a spare afterthought, with naked wooden tables, benches, empty dark green walls, and that's it. Right angles and right angles and unset tables. The food was so carefully prepared--the crudite salad arranged with wedges of boiled egg, ruby cherry tomato halves, and slivers of avocado, drizzled delicately with some kind of rich, opaque dressing--that it's mysterious why more consideration hasn't yet gone into making the place more comfortable. But the owners (all French) were sweet and eager to please (they gave us free Champagne and encouraged us to sign the mailing list) that if they softened some of the pointy, lonely edges, I'd happily go back. Especially in the summer, when their lovely back patio opens for warm-weather wine. Like white zinfandel.

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image c/o Flickr

216 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
at N. 5th St
PHONE: 718.384.0100
HOURS: Mon-Fri, 2pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 1pm-4am
CARDS: Cash Only
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 2pm-9pm; $2 PBRs; $5 shot-and-beer specials; varying other drink specials
DIRECTIONS: from the Bedford Ave L - walk south two blocks on Bedford and the bar will be on your right.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.
WEBSITE: www.cynlounge.com
NY MAG SAYS: Like a homesteader who finally landed a house on Main Street, the owner of Williamsburg's almost impossibly out-of-the way dive Rockstar Bar has set up a second joint just two blocks from the Bedford Avenue subway stop. Given the prime location, you’d think that this cozy, red-and-brown candy-striped room would teem with the young and fashionable. But Cyn, like its predecessor Rain Lounge, is a chasm in the middle of the swirling hipness that surrounds. Aside from the replacement of the former tenant's hip-hop soundtrack with an internet jukebox and DJ's spinning rock, little has changed. Amidst the dim red lighting and the modest crowds, you come here not because you want to join the see-and-be-seen carnival outside, but because you want to escape it with a $2 Pabst in the spacious back garden

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image c/o Flickr

437 Graham Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
between Frost and St. Cono Strada Streets
PHONE: 718.609.6388
HOURS: Daily, 5pm-4am
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
GAMES: Ms. Pacman, Emerald, Pinball
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 5pm-9pm; $3 Brooklyn Lager, $2 Miller Lite; $1 off all other drinks
DIRECTIONS: Take L to Graham, exit and walk north 6 blocks on Graham (towards the BQE). Daddy's will be on your right.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L to Graham Ave.
NYMAG SAYS: Famously owned by the almost-famous band The Rogers Sisters, Daddy's has quickly become a neighborhood institution, thanks mostly to its market-cornering location, pointedly eclectic jukebox (Royal Trux, vintage country), and college-wallet-friendly prices. (Sorry, they don't accept Campus Cash.) It’s a great place for prospective market researchers to go on a trend-spotting safari—many experts believe that the vintage-boots-over-jeans thing was born here. With cozy booths and a wide, horseshoe-shaped bar, Daddy’s is nevertheless spacious enough to comfortably support rival cliques...and an Elvis pinball machine. The beer and the liquor selections are limited but for those who overindulge in hard drinking, Daddy's is kind enough to provide hot/tofu dogs to absorb any excess booze.

Continue reading "* Daddy's" »

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image c/o NY Mag

43 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Between Calyer Street and Quay Street
PHONE: 718.383.5030
HOURS: Tue-Thu 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-2am, Sat 2pm-2am, Sun 2pm-1am
CARDS: Visa/MasterCard
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G at Greenpoint Ave; L at Bedford Ave
CITY SEARCH SAYS: The owners of this Greenpoint bar are pushing the doctrine of "session beers," that is, beer that one can drink multiples of and still win at the shuffleboard table. So, strong ales like the dark bottled Oerbier from Belguim are on the menu alongside lighter tastes like the Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted from Scotland. Beer fans--especially of U.S., Belgium, German and English brews--can make friends at the bar, bring their own to the table seating, or shoot Quiots (NYC-sized horseshoes) in the backyard garden. Why the glittery interior and Van Halen on the juke box? The owners have a penchant for "Diamond" David Lee Roth. Sometimes the bar holds "vintage" tastings, which means that you can taste a 1998 version of a beer alongside its 2006 counterpart.

Continue reading "* The Diamond" »

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image c/o noahkalina.com

83 North 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Cross Street: Wythe Street)
PHONE: 718.963.1925
HOURS: Mon-Thu, 6pm-midnight; Fri-Sat, 6pm-1am
CARDS: Cash Only
HAPPY HOUR: No
DIRECTIONS: Walk north on Bedford Avenue to North 8th Street. Take a left on North 8th and walk
two blocks to Wythe Avenue. D.O.C. is on the far right corner.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave.
WEBSITE:: www.docwinebar.com
WE SAY: A small, warm wine bar with delicious cheeses. D.O.C., as you may know, stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata. It's a phrase one often finds on the labels of Italian wines and it means "controlled place name." When one sees D.O.C. on a bottle of wine one's confidence is boosted: it means the wine within comes from a legally defined wine region where producers must watch the quality of their wines lest they face governmental wrath.

Continue reading "* D.O.C. Wine Bar" »

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ADDRESS: 90 Manhattan Ave at McKibbin Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206
PHONE: 718.218.6914
HOURS: Mon-Sun 11am-7pm
CARDS: All major
MENU: Click here
CALENDAR: Myspace | Todd P
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L-Montrose, G-Broadway, JM-Lorimer
WEBSITE: www.donpedro.us
MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/donpedrobarlounge
WE SAY: A Spanish restaurant with a backroom where hipster bands have been performing. Todd P's latest venue of choice. NY Times recently discovered Don Pedro's and several other "underground" L Train music venues.

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153 Montrose Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206
at Graham Ave
PHONE: no phone
HOURS: Mon-Fri 5pm-4am, Sat-Sun 6pm-4am
CARDS: none
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L to Montrose
CITY SEARCH SAYS: "Safely east of the Williamsburg bar scene circus, this local dive features $2 beers and a lack of attitude."

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28 North 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11211 (at Kent Ave.)
PHONE: 718.302.0411
HOURS: Daily, 6pm-4am
CARDS: Cash Only
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 6pm-9pm; $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon
DIRECTIONS: Take the L Train to the Bedford Avenue Station at the corner of North 7th and Bedford Avenue. Walk 4 blocks south on Bedford Avenue to North 3rd Street. Turn right and walk 3 blocks to Duff's Brooklyn on the Southwest corner of North 3rd and Kent.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave.
WEBSITE: www.duffsbrooklyn.com
MYSPACE: Click Here
NY MAG SAYS: When the Misfits sang about a "hybrid moment," they might have been referring to the perfect combination of Bellevue Bar's seedy Hell's Kitchen ambiance and Williamsburg's gritty waterfront that has resulted in the birth of Duff’s. Bellevue Bar was a dirty, red-lit den with pin-up murals and dusty horror artifacts sharing shelf space with the bottles. Owner Jimmy Duff has moved his collection of baby skulls and taxidermy, along with his staff of inebriation specialists, to a former check cashing store on the other side of the river. He's also added a nice big patio with built-in grill, and kept the metal-heavy jukebox and cheap drink specials that made Bellevue a dive cum laude. Patron hygiene ranges from "fashionably unkempt" to "possibly homeless"--yet another sign that Jimmy Duff hasn't left Port Authority too far behind--but the bar and its bathroom are surprisingly clean. And though Bellevue regular Dancing Dominick won't be frequenting the new space (he passed away after a full life of shimmying for drinks), he won't be forgotten: A cut-out photo of his manic grin adorns CDs in the jukebox. Look out for free hot dogs in warmer weather when Duff's occasionally fires up their outdoor grill.

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97 South 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211, near Bedford Ave.
PHONE: 718.302.0511
HOURS: Daily, 5pm-4am
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 5pm-8pm; $3 beers, $1 off all other drinks
EVENTS: Click Here
DIRECTIONS: For the L train, get off at the Bedford Ave stop, the 1st stop in Brooklyn on the L line. Walk down Bedford Avenue (south) towards the Williamsburg Bridge, take a right as soon as you pass underneath the bridge (on S 6th Street), half way down the block you will see the East River Bar on the right hand side.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: J, M, Z at Marcy Ave. ; L at Bedford Ave.
WEBSITE:: www.eastriverbar.com
NY MAG SAYS: Before becoming the East River Bar in early 2004, this venerable space was an illicit Latino speakeasy, and before that, an underground biker bar. Its first incarnation, though, was as a paint factory, and the giant room retains a great industrial feel, with beautiful pressed-tin ceilings and weathered floorboards. Instead of accentuating such things, though, the owners have opted to camp it up, marring the antique ceiling with a disco ball and shoving a cowboy-themed mirror behind the bar. The result is a comfortable but generic dive, complete with the standard handful of beers on tap, the standard dartboard and pool table, and the standard smell of Murphy's Oil Soap. Some of the barflies are about as stylish and appealing as the broken-down furniture, most of which looks like it was just dredged out of the bar�s namesake estuary. If the weather's nice, East River Bar justifies its existence by grilling BYOBBQ on the patio. These meaty treats compete with the beefy fumes emanating from nearby Peter Luger's.

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560 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222 (at Driggs Ave.)
PHONE: 718.349.3859
HOURS: Mon-Fri, 5pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 10am-4pm
Dinner - Daily, 6pm-10pm
Brunch - Sat-Sun, 10am-4pm
CARDS: MasterCard, Visa
GAMES: Ms. Pacman/ Galaga
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 5pm-7pm; half-off beer and well drinks
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G to Nassau, L Trian to Lorimer or Bedford Ave with a long walk
WEBSITE:: http://enids.net
POTTY GIRL BATHROOM REPORT: Click here
WE SAY: Since July 1999, many in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area have adopted Enid's as a home away from home. From young hipsters to Polish Seniors, laptop junkies to dogs, this spacious bar takes all and is never too crowded. From 5pm -4am, seven days a week, Enid's serves up the sauce with great atmosphere and no pretense-- and at half price during happy hour (5-7). Boasting eight taps, eleven bottled beers, wine, standard liquors, and of course The Harrison-- Enid's house special, loaded with tequila and juices packed into a hefty pint glass-- Enid's leaves no one thirsty. (Unless you drink Coors Light.) Dinner is served nightly, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm Enid's is packed for brunch, offering hearty, home-style plates with a southern twist and weekly pancake specials. DJs spin toward the end of the week, Mondays and Tuesdays host movie nights, and Sunday evenings wind down with Degrassi High up on the screen. A great juke box, Ms Pacman/Galaga, and a photobooth should keep you busy otherwise. So eat brunch, put a couple back, hit the photobooth and send a saucy pic home to mama.

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image c/o Flickr

188 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Cross Street: Between Seventh Street and Sixth Street)
PHONE: 718.384.9539
HOURS: Sun-Thu 9am-2am, Fri-Sat 9am-4am
CARDS: None
HAPPY HOUR: All times: $3.50 Bud 32oz styrofoam contanter, $4.50 Becks 32oz styrofoam container
DIRECTIONS: 1/2 block South of L Train Stop at Bedford Avenue
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
CITY SEARCH SAYS: Once a regular old-neighborhood hangout, this congenial bar has been steadily usurped by the cool youngsters who pile in every weekend. White Christmas lights and strings of seasonal decorations create a festive spirit in an otherwise plain room, which is furnished with red booths and bar stools, and a jukebox filled with rock-and-roll and retro standards. Despite the changes in clientele, the biggest draw remains the 32-ounce Styrofoam cup of Bud for $3.50.

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Image c/o Gothamist

(Bowling Alley)
200 North 14th Street, Brooklyn NY 11211
between Wythe and Berry
PHONE: 718.387.3585
HOURS: Mon-Thurs 4pm-4am, Fri-Sun noon-4am
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford, G to Nassau
WEBSITE: www.thegutterbrooklyn.com
GOTHAMIST SAYS: The first bowling alley to open in Brooklyn in (we can't even believe this) nearly 50 years is about to open up! The Gutter is new...but the feeling old. Brought to you by two of the same people who brought you Barcade, expect a similar vibe. There's a Schlitz globe spinning over the shoe counter, vintage bowling items adorning the bar, old lamps throughout, and even some TVs with rabbit ear antennas.

You won't find flashy flatscreens displaying your scores and advertisements hanging above the lanes. The scoring machines are straight out of the past, and the only advertisements are on the pin clearing machine. Those ads are likely for establishments in a town far far away, however -- as the equipment was all purchased from an old bowling alley in the midwest.

THRILLIST SAYS: The most notable throwback's the price: $6 games ($7 on weekends) and $4 shoes -- which everyone will steal, forcing Gutter to reticently inaugurate this cash-cow of ill repute: "Taking Care of Business Tuesdays (Now With Lasers!)".

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ADDRESS: 988 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint
PHONE: 718.383.5615
HOURS: Monday thru Friday 4pm to close
Saturday and Sunday 2pm to close
SUBWAY: G train to Greenpoint Ave, exit at India Street,
located one block north on Manhattan Ave.
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full Bar [beer/spirits menu]
MENU: Click Here
HAPPY HOUR: 4pm - 7pm
"2 for 1" Victory, Sweet Action, Lagunitas and Penn Dark
$2 off Well Drinks
$8 Glass of Sangria + Empanada
$4 Mac & Cheese
GOTHAMIST SAYS: New York City's urban rustic trend keeps on trucking with the newest addition to Greenpoint’s ever-expanding nightlife scene, The Habitat. Housed in an old convenience store and built with lumber salvaged from as far away as Maine, the bar and restaurant will let Brooklynites savor back porch ambiance without having to breathe the air from the nearby sewage treatment plant. The kitchen is located behind what looks to be the exterior wall of a house, and a raised deck seems destined for late-night bluegrass ja