East River Bar
East River Bar
97 South 6th Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.302.0511
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Sun-Thurs 5pm-3am; Fri-Sat 5pm-4am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave
Food/Menu: Bring Your Own BBQ
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri, 5pm-8pm: $3 drafts and well drinks
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.
Citysearch says:
TAGS: Bars, Bedford, Billiards, Dive, Garden/Outdoor Seating, Good for Groups, Happy Hour, Live Music, Notable Beer, Open Late, ★★★ GoodAt this lofty former after-hours spot, red-painted brick walls, poured concrete floors and a custom Western-themed stained-glass mirror define the space, adding a soulful, personal touch without appearing to try too hard. The laid-back crowd gravitates to the elevated pool table and neat pairing of couches in the rear, kicking back outside when the weather permits. On sunny weekends, groups of neighbors spill into the lively patio, which is decked out with garden furniture, canopies and free-for-all grills–just bring your own meat. Among the eight beers on tap are a rich Hacker-Pschorr wheat beer and a well-priced, fruity Flying Dog, which add extra zest to the barbecue spirit. For dessert, the bartender can pour you a homemade shot, like the Caramel Apple with apple and butterscotch schnapps.
