Anchorred Inn

57 Waterbury Street
(between Meserole St & Scholes St)
Brooklyn, NY 11206
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347.881.9095

Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$
Subway: L Train to Montrose
Hours: Mon–Fri 1pm–4am; Sat, Sun noon–4am
Food and Drink Menu: Click Here (pdf)
Booze: Full bar
Website: www.theanchoredinn.com
NY Post says:

The new watering hole signals comfort after a long day or night for the world-weary rockers and other tattooed, skinny-jeanswearing locals who people the bar, which mashes up a maritime theme with a dive bar vibe.

Co-owners Adrienne Dowd and Carmen Mello dreamed up the nauticaldive fusion while working together as bartenders at The Half King, and opened the doors to their Brooklyn joint in February. A golden mermaid and a wood sign emblazoned with an ornate anchor and the bar’s old-timey logo (which Dowd, who’s an artist, created) mark the entrance. Inside, Mello’s collection of kitschy velvet paintings lines the walls, and true to the bar’s seafaring focus, one depicting a whale and a giant squid in a oceanic death match hangs over the bar, while a vintage deep-sea diving suit suspended from the ceiling hovers nearby. Cushioned red vinyl booths, salvaged from a pizza parlor Dowd frequented in her youth, offer spots to kick back and enjoy the suds and tipples on hand.

On a recent night, the beer selection was ample and reasonably priced enough to meet the needs of those with only a little cash to spare as well as those with money to burn, and happy hour brought a $1 discount for all drafts. Six taps rotate seasonally, and recent drafts included a standard low-priced lager, Yuengling ($4) and craft brews from local breweries, such as Sixpoint’s Brownstone ($6) and Bluepoint’s Toasted Lager ($6), as well as some further afield, including Left Hand Milk Stout ($6) from Colorado. The cans and bottles covered a wide range, from the ever-popular, low-budget drink of the effortlessly cool, Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can ($3), to the bottled microbrew Dreamweaver Wheat ($7) from Tregs Brewery in Pennsylvania.

The Anchored Inn’s cocktail list steered away from the oceangoing theme and into the realm of divey rock ‘n’ roll with a menu of drinks inspired by the local bands that tend to make up the majority of The Anchored Inn’s crowd. The Mutante Supremo ($9), named after the death metal band Mutant Supremacy, was a Tecate Michelada with a shot of chipotleinfused mezcal, and The Bad Dream ($7), created in honor of the grime metal band Bad Dream, mixed stout with Stoli Vanil. Simpler well cocktails go for $6, and several fine liquors, including Woodford Reserve bourbon ($9), Whistlepig Rye whiskey ($10) and Ron Zacapa rum ($9) were available. And cheap shot possibilities abounded. Any canned beer paired with any well shot costs $5, and the ubiquitous pickle back shot, with well whiskey and pickle juice, was also a mere $5.

But despite all its welcoming qualities, The Anchored Inn’s intense noise level sometimes made it hard to relax. On a recent night, the sound of the hardcore band playing at The Acheron next door was so loud that The Anchored Inn’s bartender had to blast the Black Sabbath blaring from the bar’s speakers just to make it audible above the din.

TimeOut says:

Adrienne Dowd and Carmen Mello, longtime bartenders at the Half King, break out on their own with a nautically themed drinkery in Williamsburg. The bar features a golden mermaid bust outside and a hanging Russian metal diving suit indoors, plus 20 black-velvet paintings, including a squid-versus-whale rendering. Tip back one of six draft beers (Left Hand Milk Stout, Sixpoint Sweet Action) or opt for a sipping liquor (Woodford Reserve bourbon, Flor de Cana rum). Overboard boozers can counteract the night’s tippling with salty bar snacks, including nachos, boiled peanuts and an intriguing combo of pickles with whipped pork fat.

c/o Zagat

323 Graham Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
347.899.7599

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon.-Wed. 4pm.-2am; Thu.-Fri. 4pm.-4am.; Sat. 12pm-4am; Sun. 12pm-2am
Price: Moderately Priced
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Food/Menu: Healthy Bar Snacks
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: No
Time Out New York says:

Gather a group for the 40-ounce cocktails, like a pisco-pineapple punch, at this Williamsburg tavern, from alums of the Breslin and Gallery Bar. You can also order individual-sized tipples—like the Poppa’s Pride (bourbon, ginger, mint, lemon, soda, Angostura bitters) or the Mea Culpa (tequila, Punt e Mes, Velvet Falernum, lime)—at the butcher-block bar. Dishes made with seasonal ingredients, including a roasted beet salad with Greek yogurt and a Wisconsin dog with house-made mustard and aged cheddar, form the menu of elevated comfort food.

Metromix says:

The owners of this Williamsburg watering hole stick to the basics: wine, beer and small plates. Oh, and there are also those giant cocktails meant to share, but drinking far too much is the status quo for this bar-laden ‘hood. The no-frills bar has taken over the space that used to house Phoebe’s Café, and if you’re part of a big group (or a really strong liver), you can booze it up with one of the giant beverages like a pineapple punch. There is also a list of affordable international wines and small plates that will go well with all that booze in your belly. A few of those frankfurters with housemade mustard before bed, and you’re bound to minimize the after-effects of your bender.

c/o Thrillist

594 Union Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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347.529.4906

Cuisine: American Nouveau
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All major
Price: Fairly Expensive
Hours: Daily 5pm-2am
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Delivery: No
Menu: Click Here
Time Out New York says:

Josh Cohen and Blair Papagni—the husband-and-wife team behind Anella, Calyer and Saint Vitus—expand their North Brooklyn holdings with this fifth venue. Teak Danish modern tables and upholstered teal banquettes decorate the 100-seat eatery, which also doubles as a late-night DJ lounge. In the evening, diners can order off the eclectic New American menu featuring raw-bar platters and dishes like baby artichokes with picholine olives and bottarga, tripe mole poblano with cracklings, and a BBQ black bass with cherry-tomato jam. Later at night, local DJs, like No Ordinary Monkey, take over decks, spinning a mix of roots, reggae, house and disco.

Thrillist says:

As you know from virtually every chips commercial ever, if your party spread sucks, your guests will harshly ditch you for whichever of your otherwise pathetic neighbors was thoughtful enough to stock Bugles. For a hard-partying place with optimal eats, get to The Bellwether, soft-opening this weekend, aiming to get hard on the 14th.

From the team behind Anella and Saint Vitus, Bellwether is aiming to be part restaurant, part successor to McCarren Park Pool Parties, a dual mission manifested in a “big, nice bar” that plays host to both iced bivalves and a DJ station (they feel compelled to tell you that the DJs will be clothed, but there’ll surely be oyster wardrobe malfunctions). Other locally purveyed nosh hits on NY’s various cultural flavors, and stretches from crackling-sided tripe mole poblano, to BBQ’d, cherry tomato-jammed black bass, a far more manageable meal than the white Baas’ 312lbs. Assisted by a booming back room, bashes kick off this weekend with Sat’s friends/family starring No Ordinary Monkey — whose promo materials involving sharks, rainbows, asses, and other asses make regular monkeys look even less cool — and Sun’s open Save Us Williamsburg shindig, the first of a bi-monthly which this time’ll feature Ron Like Hell & Ryan Smith’s mellow dinner tunes, followed by dancing and “Balearic Sunday jams”.

You’ll get fueled by “natural wines”, micro- and “uniquely brewed” suds, and the Sierra Nevada Righteous Rye/Dickel house boilermaker, because if anybody knows how to lay out an effective spread, it’s… Joe Tiller!

Burnside

506 Grand St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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347.889.7793

Crown Victoria

60 S 2nd St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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917.719.6072

Dram

177 s 4th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11211
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718.486.3726

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major Credit Cards
Hours: Mon-Fri, 5pm-4am; Fri-Sun, 4pm-4am
Subway: J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.
Food/Menu: Bar Snacks
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: None
Metromix says:

On a quiet block in Williamsburg, this cozy new cocktail spot serves carefully crafted drinks and fancified versions of bar snack favorites. Highlights of their bar menu include swanky concoctions such as the Gin Daisy ($9, cointreau, gin, lemon,syrup and Vichy water) and the “Knuck If you Buck” Buck ($9, rye, homemade ginger beer, lemon and lime). Or throw decision to the wind with the Bartender’s Choice: just name your spirit and style of preparation and the bartender will create a special cocktail just for you.

Time Out New York says:

Williamsburg has long been a stronghold of the old-timey fad—witness the 19th-century-style saloons crowding the neighborhood’s noisy avenues. So it’s unexpected that the area is the site of a watershed moment in the most durable arm of the retro trend: the speakeasy. The opening of Dram signals a paradigm shift in the world of thoughtful boozing: Here we have New York’s first truly progressive cocktail joint—a casual mixology haven with stools to spare for drinkers of all persuasions. It’s instantly apparent that there are no clandestine conceits at Dram: Giant windows lined with deep benches open onto the street, and while the music can be heard from a block away, it’s reggae and indie rock spilling onto the sidewalk—not ragtime. And then there’s the list of summery cocktails that changes according to the whims of Dram’s precocious barkeeps. Lighthearted but exquisitely executed, the menu is an antidote to the seriousness that defines the haute cocktail scene. Rust-colored with Angostura, the tiki-leaning Behind God’s Back gets its warm, nutty flavor from aged rum, cane syrup, pineapple, cinnamon and milky house-made orgeat (a syrup made with almonds and orange flower-water). The Mighty Tux is a botanical balancing act, with crisp gin, bittersweet maraschino liqueur, bitters, and both dry and sweet vermouth lending body and depth. There are classics, too—a beautifully integrated Sazerac; a bitter Negroni bobbing with a giant spiral of orange zest. The cocktail geeks swishing jenever at the bar share real estate with neighborhood dudes draining $4 Porkslap ales and couples sipping from a smart collection of international wines (one of Dram’s barkeeps, Frank Cisneros, is also a sommelier). It’s this egalitarian tack that will keep the place packed, whether or not its patrons appreciate Italian bitters and Kold-Draft ice cubes. And though the bar currently offers no food, its proximity to fried chicken joint Pies ’n’ Thighs makes it an easy place to while away an evening, hopping back and forth across South 4th Street. While some cocktail aesthetes may still be clinging to speakeasy culture, for the rest of us, accessible Dram is a giant step forward.

Full Circle

318 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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347.725.4588

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon-Fri, 3pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 1pm-4am
Subway: L to Lorimer St.; J,M,Z, to Marcy Ave.
Food/Menu: Bar Snacks
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Thurs 4pm-9pm;Fri-Sun 2pm-9pm $3 Full Circle Wheat $3 BREWmosa, $4 Well Drinks, $4 Moo Thunder, $4 Pork Slap,$4 Snapperhead IPA, $4 Whiskee Fizz, $4 Arnold Palmer, $4 BROTY Mary
Metromix says:

The “National Home of Brewskee Ball” is home to all sorts of Skee-Ball league tournaments, game nights, special events and other beer- and game-related parties—and it serves Coney Island hot dogs and hand-twisted pretzels, too. But wait—what is Brewskee Ball? We’re sure you can guess, but just in case: “Brewskee-Ball is the first-ever competitive Skee-Ball league, and Full Circle Bar is its national home.” Just like we thought. Game on!

NY Mag says:

They take their Skee-ball seriously at this South Williamsburg mecca of cheap beer. A Skee-ball machine greets you in the tiny front room, while the back boasts a proper game room stocked with … more Skee-ball! For die hard players, the bar hosts a semi-competitive league – known as Brewskeeball – that meets on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. As for the rest of the regulars, they come for the cozy atmosphere and prices that are uber-friendly: $5 will get you a can of Moo Thunder or Dale’s Pale Ale, Genny Cream Ale is $3, and Stella and Sweet Action on tap are $6. Cans are the name of the game — the bar carries over 15 canned beers, from Golden Pheasant to Pork Slap. One of the best deals is the $4 Ginny Dog (a Genesee cream ale and a decent hot dog) or the $6 10th Ball (a cream ale and a shot of well whiskey). Weekday crowds are mostly locals, while the weekends see some spillover from The Lodge next door.

image via Yelp

1073 Manhattan Ave,
Brooklyn, NY 11222
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718-389-8990, 718-389-8993

Cuisine: Seafood, Lobster
Cards: All major
Phone: 718-389-8990, 718-389-8993
Price: $$
Hours: Tues – Sun 4pm-2am. Closed Mondays. Kitchen serving till 2am.
Booze: Full bar
Subway: G to Greenpoint Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Website: www.lobsterjoint.com
Delivery: Takeout only

c/o The L Magazine

683 Grand St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon-Sun 4pm-4am
Subway: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: None
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: None
Metromix says:

At this musically inclined bar in the less-trafficked Grand Street area of Williamsburg, locals can stop by for cheap beer (most hover in the $5 range) or try their luck with two pool tables. The real draw hits the ears, though: A well-stocked jukebox and monthly open-mic nights (on the first Thursday of the month) get even the most awkward folks moving and grooving. Fortunately, there’s plenty of floor space to cut loose alongside the long, dark bar, plus a small garden in the back. Expect more live performances in coming months..

Shecky’s says:

The “LP” in Williamsburg’s LP & Harmony stands for “Love, Peace,” but it would more appropriately stand for “Long Play” given the records that adorn the bar’s walls, or even “League Pool” for that matter. It appears to be a typical neighborhood sports bar—tall bar tables, flat-screens in every corner, and pool tables so front-and-center you have to wait until a player is finished shooting to even properly enter the bar (league nights are three times a week). Meander your way farther along, though, and a harmonious marriage of music and sport becomes more evident. LP records make their way into all the décor—the walls, the bar top, even the chandeliers—and a tiny dance floor beside a DJ booth gets going every night after 10pm. Wondering about the hippy-dippy name? Just order a “Love Potion” cocktail (cranberry, ginger, and an aphrodisiac herb-infused vodka) and see if you don’t find a little peace on the tree-filled patio, or—dare we suggest—a little lovin’ in the psychedelic-muraled bathroom? And while the “recession special” shot of booze plus a PBR for $5 may help you feel a little more lovey-dovey, you may have to start anew on the whole “self-betterment” business in the morning.

c/o Examiner.com

667 Lorimer St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.388.8693

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Mon-Sun 5pm-4am
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: None
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: 5-8pm Daily $4 Select Beers, $6 red, white, or sparking wine
Citysearch says:

Every au-currant establishment in New York is required to have a retro look, but this bar takes it back further with Victorian furniture, a marble fireplace and an antique wooden birdcage; you half expect to find a dish of Werther’s Originals on the table. Despite the grandma’s-living-room feel, the bar is full of the kind of tattooed people she’d never let you hang out with, plus a pool table. It’s sort of a cocktail bar–jalapeno tequila with black currant and lime juices; rum, orange blossom and lemonade; rosemary bourbon, ginger and lime, etc.–though none of the drinks have more than three ingredients, meaning no 20-minute wait per cocktail. There are also six wines, by the glass only, and while the beer list is mostly mainstream stuff like Amstels and Coronas, local beers from Six Points and Brooklyn Brewery get some love.

Metromix says:

The name of this Greenpoint watering hole ups your expectations for an evening of drink. If you stop here, it can’t just be a night of so-so, or a night of whatever. At Night of Joy, you will feel joy. Or else. The joy may come when you shoot a game at their pool table, which is tucked into a nook by the bar. Or, maybe you’ll get your joy in with some of their cocktails— the cilantro Bloody Mary offers a nice pick-me-up, while the orange blossom rum lemonade might as well be called joy juice. If you’re still not feeling it, head up to the bar’s rooftop patio, which features a few scattered chairs and views of the BQE (hey, any outdoor vista is nice after a few stiff ones). Still not awash with joy? Settle in and make it a night of tipsy—you’ll find the joy soon enough.