* Clem's
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.
image c/o Flickr
From City Search: Williamsburg has long been approaching its nightlife saturation point, but among its old pubs, sexy lounges and factory performance spaces, one type of bar was always missing: the handsome cocktail joint. Compact little Clem's fills the niche and looks spruce with a copper-painted, pressed-tin ceiling, polished bar and corner picture windows. The room has yet to pull in a large following, but even a scattering of couples brings it alive. Cocktail standards (including a "Southside" Car) mix with house novelties such as the Yellow Boxer--smooth tequila brightened with Galliano, Rose's lime juice, sugar and soda--and the Straight Story, which softens rye whiskey with sweet vermouth and bitters. The selection of eight beers on tap also offers surprises: the hearty Blue Point from Long Island and the subtle, lemon-wedged Weihenstephan (est. 1040 A.D.). The solid rock-and-roll bartender will let you sample a brew and gallantly tear open your bag of Utz Party Mix before serving.
From NY Times
"It's the drinks that matter. Otherwise, Clem's is the basic corner pub: a rail car space comprising a dark wood bar, tin ceilings and scruffy wood floors. Consider it (and the gaggle of bars that look like it) a slick, modern version of the prototypical Bowery-era saloon. But Clem's goes one better with its drink selection. Forgo the standard Bud, Heineken and Corona it offers in bottles for $5 drafts of Victor Hop Devil IPA, Jever Pilsner or a seasonal selection like Blue Point's Winter Ale. Daily happy hours (4 p.m.–8 p.m.) discount beer-and-shot combos while the bar's mixed drink specialties include the Moscow Mule (ginger beer and vodka) and Clemonade (Absolute Mandarin, Triple Sec, lemon, lime and sugar). In a somewhat remote corner of Williamsburg (at least for those traveling by subway), the bar mainly hosts neighborhood drinkers, from the loud football fan to the clean-cut hipster."
From Shecky's
"Ah, the standards. In the rat race of bar overpopulation, Clem's is poised for survival with its graceful nod to old-school class. A dark wood bar sits in this sunlit room by day waiting for the sultry dim glow of night. A well-rounded beer list (from Red Hat on tap for $5 to Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can for $2) and up-to-date cocktails like the Gin & Sin (gin, lemon juice, orange juice, grenadine, and an egg white, $6) go down easier than a Hilton sister. Generous drink specials, like the Patriot (a $5 PBR/Jim Beam combo) or the Federale ( a $5 Tecate/Suaza set), won't bogart your savings and the only thing missing is a baby grand piano and "Sam" to play it over and over again"
Comments
one of my favorite bars in williamsburg, and not just because its a block from my house. in a city where gimmicks abound (omg, they have how many 80's arcade games?/the wind mill on the mini golf course is made of PBR cans?) its nice to find a bar with no kitsch where you feel continually drawn back. prices are decent, including the almost always on special patriot (shot of beam or similar and a pbr) or federale (shot of sauza and a tecate) for $4 most of the time. bartenders are always ultra chill and good for a nice conversation. patrons are almost always friendly. definitely a lorimer stop locals kind of feel with a lot of regulars. one of the few places around you can walk in alone and meet a new friend. definitely the highlight of the "west of the bqe" portion of grand.
Posted by: chris | March 19, 2006 02:10 AM
dark ambiance + great baretender + not many hipsters + gay music
Posted by: lola | August 17, 2005 08:36 PM