The Levee
image c/o Flickr
212 Berry Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211
PHONE: 718.218.8787
HOURS: Daily, noon-4am
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
HAPPY HOUR: 5 pm - 8pm daily, $1.00 off all drinks & beer, SPORTSMAN SPECIAL - $4.00 Evan Williams shot with PBR chaser
DIRECTIONS: Walk south on Bedford Avenue several blocks and make a right onto North 3rd Street. Walk one block and The Levee will be on your left at the corner of Berry.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L train to Bedford Avenue
WEBSITE: www.theleveenyc.com
WE SAY: Most people stumble into this newish Williamsburg establishment looking for cheap coke since it was once better known as Kokie's. Though fond memories of a more seedy Williamsburg linger, The Levee is a perfectly nice place to have a drink. Loungey. Mellow. Affordable. We miss the sketchy cokeheads staring at our girlfriends and the jacked-up hipsters dancing to salsa.
From NY MAG
Formerly Antique Lounge (and before that, rumor has it, a cocaine bar called Kokie's), this well-apportioned space has finally been put to good use by The Levee, an old-fashioned bar with Southern roots and a comfortable, homey atmosphere. High-gravity microbrews and melted cheese are now the drugs of choice here: From behind the bar, Texan owner Howard serves up white-trash staples like Frito pie and chili dogs, which are best washed down with a Beam Cream (Jim Beam and cream soda--two great tastes that really do taste great together) or any of the 35 bottled or six tap beers. The clean, lamplit back room has pool, pinball, cozy couches, and the kind of inclusive, no-bullshit vibe that attracts dedicated regulars. Given the changes this space has seen, it's almost eerie how much The Levee feels like a tried-and-true local. Notable specials include the Sportsman (Carling Black Label and Evan Williams shot, $4) and the Texas 2-Step (Lone Star and tequila shot, $5).
From Village Voice
If the cool kids with asymmetrical haircuts have been keeping you from making Billyburg a drinking destination, then the Levee will convince you to give the neighborhood a chance. The owners of this unpretentious bar welcome everyone with their famous Texan hospitality. On a recent visit, hard-drinking middle-aged men sang along to an Iron Maiden song from the jukebox near the dark wood bar, while a crowd of locals in black-rimmed glasses and hooded sweatshirts played Battleship on the thrift store sofas in the other room. Under a sign declaring "Beware Pickpockets & Loose Women," the friendly bartender chatted with diverse patrons, suggesting beers from the long list of unusual brands ($4 to $7) that includes options like Chimay Blue and Delirium Tremens, or one of the delicious specialty drinks ($6), like a Creamsicle (Stoli Vanil and Sunkist orange soda) or a Beam Cream (Jim Beam and cream soda). Food was proffered, and though the menu is simple, cheap (under $5), and decidedly Texan, everything--from the chili-soaked Frito pie to the hot dogs--can be made vegetarian. This is a bar where PBR swillers sit side by side with Hefeweisen sippers while the jukebox plays Modest Mouse songs and Dio rockers. So drive your Chevy to this Levee (or just hop on the L train)--it never runs dry.
Comments
I like it big time. The staff IS friendly, they have sweet games, and the music is inoffensive.
I just bet my roomate that he couldn't get coke there.
Posted by: MikeLowrey | December 6, 2007 02:01 AM
Cool site. Thanks:-)
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Posted by: 2003 gmc envoy problems | September 21, 2007 07:51 PM
Cool site. Thanks:-)
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Posted by: 2003 gmc envoy problems | September 21, 2007 07:51 PM
Cool site. Thanks:-)
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Posted by: 2003 gmc envoy problems | September 21, 2007 07:50 PM
Userful blog. Thanks!
Posted by: Debikf | September 21, 2007 09:08 AM
Cool site. Thanks!
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Posted by: 1998 chevrolet suburban 2500 | September 20, 2007 02:54 AM
we miss Cokie's.
Posted by: dirtystan | July 10, 2006 04:33 PM
We love The Levee just the way it is. Howard and Susan have gone above and beyond to provide us connoisseurs with what we love-great atmosphere, beer, booze, food, jukebox and most importantly the staff. Because of their attention to detail and their warm, caring and genuine friendliness we have made The Levee our home away from home.
Posted by: tnt | November 16, 2005 04:26 AM
well what can i say- Howard and Susan have cultivated such a little gem in an otherwise sparse neighborhood. You can guarantee on this bar for friends, relaxed chill evenings with good people, amazing bar-tenders who know all of the many choices of beers and cocktails, great bar-food, relaxed seating in the back. There's a certain quality that makes a bar special and this has it- it doesn't come in any of the trappings, it comes down from the owners and the owners truely rock. P.S. the spiteful e-mail about The Levy being a coke bar is complete bullshit, most people who are looking for that behaviour are engaging in it- the person who wrote that ovbiously was thown out for that very reason, the owners have a zero tolerance for that kind of crap...
The Levee fucking rocks.
Posted by: JJboyny | November 3, 2005 01:40 AM
This place is my home away from home.Everyone that works here is friendly, they have decent prices and a good pour. Good Beer as well as the cheap stuff. I've met a lot of cool laid-back people here. It's a great neighborhood bar with solid service, awesome frito pie, and the pool table is great - no short stick needed. Finally a cool spot in williamsburg.
Posted by: jake | November 2, 2005 04:35 PM
don't be fooled. there's just as much coke in that place now as there was when it was kokie's. it can take forever just to take a piss because the bathrooms have two or three people in in them all doing blow. there's even a handy puerto rican coke dealer on site. cheap beer though.
Posted by: holden | November 1, 2005 05:24 PM
This bar is a little pocket of magic in Williamsburg... low key but vibrant and filled with colorful people. I have enjoyed so many wonderful evenings in this bar, it has become a haven for me during a very stressful period in my life. Please support this bar and hopefully you wll find what I have found... new friends, support, fun, and bloody good drinks in a non pretentious environment... LOVE THE LEVEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: jonathan | October 29, 2005 03:24 AM
The Levee is hopefully the last bar I will ever work in and I am not saying this to be negative. My experience as a bartender takes me from the south to the north with many notches in my belt. But I can honestly say that the owners along with the patrons I have met at the levee made such amazing impressions on me and filled me with good humor and honesty that I am so spoiled and could never work in another bar/resturant again. Sorry if that sounds close-minded and if there any of you who can compare let me know.. As I take the long road to a far away place, L.A. I will always feel very close to the people i have met and I will never feel as far away because of all the great times I have had there.
Posted by: cobra | October 29, 2005 02:05 AM
There is a bartender named Tonya that has eyes that belong in LA with me, but until then..tip her well.
Posted by: Treb Provenz | September 29, 2005 12:07 AM
The Levee is a fun neighborhood bar, no gimmicks, no bs, just a real bar without pretension. The staff is congenial and lacks (thank you!) what has become standard bartender/server behavior this area over the last ten years; self-conscious hippness that borders on megalomania tinged with bitterness, the complete inability speak any human language and a total lack of knowledge regarding product/place/their job. These people are just the opposite, friendly without being fake, attentive without being overbearing. Thanks for a good time The Levee. The curse of Kokies has been lifted!
Posted by: shenzoustarlet | August 10, 2005 03:29 PM