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4-7:30 daily. $2 off all, $3 beer/shot, $2 Bud, $2 well shot, $4 Jack/Jameson shot, $1 Leopard Skin pool table, Free Peanuts, $3 Dumplings!
East Broadway (F)
Delancey-Essex Sts (F, J, M, Z)
Grand St (B, D)
Mon-Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m.
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Okay, I only came here because I was going to a party next door at Broadway East. Why I paid for a drink here when there was an open bar next door? Dunno, but you get a review out of it, so be happy.
I ordered a margarita on the rocks. It was cheap, well made and the bartender was friendly as were the two guys at the bar I was next too ;) One guy even licked my peanuts (get your minds out of the gutter...he licked the peanuts I had in a bowl. Unfortunately, I had people waiting for me in a booth, so I couldn't stick around with peanut licker boy.)
It struck me as a dive bar joint where you go, hang out and spend some time with good friends.
What more is there to say?
Came here for cheap beer, and that it delivered. $3 can of such heavy hitters as: Piels, Strohs, Black Label, PBR, Schaefer, etc... The can and shot deal for $5 is pretty tight.
The staff are prompt, cheerful, and affable. Good people.
The crowd they get in the place is pretty generic, and nothing really makes the place stand out. The music they played was inoffensive, but not great. Nothing bad about the place at all, but nothing fantastic, either.
Still, cheap drinks, great staff. I'd go back.
I have to say, this was my first time at a dive bar. As the other Yelpers mentioned in previous postings all true, both on the negatives and positives. It is definitely nothing to look at from the outside or the inside. But my experience was pretty fun. My friend and I were walking in Chinatown and after dinner found this place. Let's be clear, if you're looking for swanky hot spot, this is not the place to be.
I went on a Friday, the music, not the best, but everyone has their taste. I'm not into 70's 80's music. The crowd was interesting, you get locals, artist types and yuppies mixed together which gives this place some character. I met a number of people from all walks of life. Like I mentioned, interesting...There's a nice pool table in the back and another cosy lounge. The drinks were average on the expensive side but all in all I had an nice chill time just hanging out.
LOL ok charles h! sounds like a threat, was it tough guy? If only you would put as much time and dedication into your bar as you do rebutting these yelp posts, your bar would have more stars then a white castle burger spot! Clown!
Garbage garbage garbage! Owner can try to come back with as many "witty" responses as he pleases,… Read more »
Wow, I think this may be the cheapest bar in NYC. ...if you can find it. It is, as one reviewer said, in the middle of nowhere. For a dive bar, I thought it was pretty good - my friends and I enjoyed ourselves. They have cheap beer and a fish that will follow your finger.
LMAO...yes Lisa L is my real name, please don't start stalking me because I gave your place a bad review, and dude you don't take crisicism well, because if you did, you wouldnt be harrsing me like you are doing to me and other people that reviewed your terrible bar..
and LOL again for calling me "fat, hairy backed pissed off trucker"... good one :-D
"Ignorant hater...Always have darts, $4 Buds, $3 PBRs. $5 for a shot and a old man 12oz beer, $6… Read more »
This place is full of coke head losers and if your band plays there it's lke saying you took a breath of air today, everyone does it. You might as well take your band to the corner and play in the street because it's better exposure.
The owner is trash and the place is just fith. I had a bartender there add money to my tip that I did not put down. That's the sort of place the 169 Bar is.
If Angel or Rob Kinney is around, tell them I said what's up.
Our 3 stop bar crawl - 169 Bar, Living Room, and The Library...lets start with 169 Bar
I am a fan of when you know the series of events that lead up to bar crawl on a Friday night so here goes...
I get a phone call (it always starts with a call)
Me: Hi Emily how did your brief trip back to Texas go?
Emily: Good but guess what? I am putting in my notice at work tomorrow because I am moving to the Jersey shore next Friday. I just decided.
Me: Sweet we got to celebrate then!
So its Friday night and I get the text to take the F train to the East Broadway stop and an address as to where she is eating dinner. I end up going the wrong direction when getting off the subway but then a uber friendly true New York hipster (accent and all) walked me in the right direction while runnning into old buddies on the street. This10 minute encounter with this guy seemed very movie-like and I think I was sheepishly grinning the whole time.
Anyways her restaurant ended up being right next to169 Bar which we decided would be the first stop on our bar crawl. Emily and her buddy Mike (who I was about to meet and is a great guy) had just finished dinner so we grabbed our stuff and headed next door.
As we walk into the red glowing bar, I light up like someone just kicked a switch because I hear the singer of the live band crooning his rendition of "Witchcraft". Oh snap! I love me some old time music. So we squeeze in by the bar as the place was pretty packed for a Friday and order up our first round. The waitress tells me there is a $15 minimum on credit cards which is 'meh' because we had a plan to hit 5 bars and 1 drink per bar. However I am seriously digging the music (at this time the singer had moved on to singing "Georgia") and was drawing cat calls from my direction. So we decided to stay for a bit.
We cheers to Emily's freedom as I enjoy my amaretto sour and they their beers. Then I move onto my standard of the whiskey shot followed by a whiskey sour. All 3 drinks did the trick for the lightweight that I am and the minimum $15 limit was hit so off we went to our next stop.
I would recommend 169 Bar because the live band was awesome, the bartenders efficient, and there was no cover charge. However it is dark and kinda cramped so arrive early if you want to score a table.
I think what I remember most out of coming here is standing outside the bathroom. While leaning against some tables and chairs, I chatted with another patron about how the wait was long but trying to decipher the graffiti on the doors can make you forget you gotta go go go!
I didn't stay too long, but I liked it for the brief moment's spent there before running off to another "undisclosed" location.
169 Bar flaunts a stage, sleek red vinyl stools and a pool table.
Which seems quite appealing... But what makes it stand out is the playlist .
SOAKED WITH FUNK.
It's like stepping into a blaxploitation movie. I half-expected to spot detective Shaft drinking at the bar.
Best bar to skip on a Sat nite. This place only rawks cuz it has a leopard skin pool table. Meow!
There's a very distinct purpose that this bar serves, very distinct. The East Broadway stop can be hard to navigate unless you're really into the Chinatown scene. For me it's more like a daytime stop, filled with great produce and a market atmosphere (that is if you walk a little west). It's a confusing stop in that if you think you can just walk there from wherever you are, it's probably about 10 blocks farther than you anticipated, it's really out of the way. It's like, the suburban section of Chinatown. How nice that we find a bar here. A bar bar. A dive bar, with a few booths, a few lights, some low ceiling, some small bathroom, and some gnarly but laid back atmosphere.
Would I go back here again? I have no idea, I can tell you right now that there really isn't a reason why I would be stuck around here past sunset. The bartender was friendly but my tab was larger than I imagined so I wasn't so happy about the price of whatever I had gotten, which was absinthe (!!) with a red wine layer on top which was pretty sick. They got PBR but the way my Jameson shots came out to be I was a bit disappointed.
Anywho though, for a low key night that's only a couple stops away, and truthfully, a bar nicely isolated where you really could have a whole night of just sitting and doing whatever, this is a choice spot.
Oh and I almost agree with Ting about the bloody mary, it was pretty damn good. I like mine really spicy though.
This place is what it is. It smells, it's dank, dirty. The drinks are 'meh', but for some reason I like it. In fact, I was there last night and I have to agree with another reviewer in the way shows are booked is just... off. Last night they paired this retarded douche with a guitar (with a sorority girl entourage in the front who were really fucking lame) singing about Hollywood... with Frank Sidebottom! They obviously don't know wtf they are doing, which is fine by me because we got to see Frank Sidebottom for free (who is playing at Galapagos tonight btw).
The crowd is fratty and retarded sometimes (definitely last night for the D-bag fest before Frank's set)... but even still, I still like 169.
Personally, i really like this tiny, dark sorta ripped up and dirty bar. Not everyone else has to, i just happen to however. Maybe it's because of their freakin' fantastic fish in the back room's tank. The fish will follow your finger and give you what looks like an almost human look - I know it sounds crazy but you have to check him out!
Drinks are cheap, atmosphere can fluctuate from completely low key and empty to a crazy dance party on some weekends. The pool table in the back room gets a lot of play - even in spite to its proximity to the smelly bathroom.
Fun, low key, casual spot to go with a bunch of friends if you're looking to get drunk without spending too much money...or get too dressed..or dressed at all really.
A nice contrast to all the shitty bars in meatpacking..;-)
"East Broadway and Rutgers St...Where is that?" asked our cab driver, and, honestly, I could not really tell him. 169 Bar lies in a majorly deserted corner of eastern Chinatown, providing a grungy live music haven in the midst of dim sum palaces and Asain markets.
My four star rating for 169 Bar comes from the sheer kitchiness of the space. The subterranean locale screams dive bar. The bouncer is beyond friendly and will make you feel at home before you even step foot inside. The casual bar area serves everything from classy cocktails to $3 Pabst Blue Ribbon. A laid-back sitting area lies just to the right of the bar, providing rickety wooden tables and mismatched chairs. A small staging area provides a great space for live musical performances. A leopard print pool table and strands of mini lanterns dangling from the ceiling add to this hipster environment.
On a side note, my friend braved the graffitied bathroom and advised me only to use it if it was an extreme emergency. I hesitated for several minutes, but decided to squeeze myself into the phone booth-sized space that surprisingly smelled of bleach and appeared clean beneath the grime. Just when I was starting to feel impressed at how they pulled off the funk factor without the actual funk, my friend received a drink glass with lipstick on the rim...
169 Bar is a unique and casual spot to grab a drink and see some local musicians. The bar embodies what the Lower East Side used to be, and what we hope it to be again.
I used to go here once in a while because I took the F train home. It's convenient, not even a half block away. The booze here can be expensive. The music acts are entertaining. We played here once or twice, too. They used to sell pizza, not sure if they do anymore.
Let see, you walk into a bar with neon xmas lights in the window and a retro-70's sign out front, what were you expecting?
a damn good time, thats what! This is a place in the city even Andy L & Kyle H might enjoy.
Lets be clear, you come here to get wasted off $3 PBR with a whiskey-hairy-chest-maker, complete with free peanuts. Its something all these Brooklynites should love- a dirty "eclectic" place that has black & white television with a band at 930, 1030, and 1130 five nights a week. Its as close to a dive as you'll get in NYC.
And if you dont like 169 Bar, I refer you to Santogolds "LES Artistes" song, posers.
Oh, 169 bar, you lured me in with your dive-tasticness. You're reminiscent of a tiki bar without any real Polynesian attributes, you're pink all over, you're in a neighbourhood that I'd never find myself in if I weren't already at an event next door. You have bongos and a keyboard and an interesting array of cocktails. My organic pickletini with okra garnish was tasty and my husband is on a mission to recreate the NesCafe/Galliano/Bailey's/Absinthe shots that he had.
I was mildly leery of the crowd gathered outside, which is usually a good sign of a low lawyer quotient. The grime and the sketch are within acceptable parameters and it's actually not that difficult to get to if the F train is feeling accommodating.
I agree - I love the dive-y ness of this bar!
While waiting for the Yelp event to start next door, my friend and I decided to grab a drink at Bar 169. It was very chill and I liked that the peanuts came with the shells. That's more sanitary that some of the shi-shi foo foo places I've been!
Shout out to the cool bartender who let me try the Sake G!
Happy Hour specials is 2 dollars off everything... I got a Red Stripe for 3 dollars, you really can't beat that.
This place is pretty cool. The crowd is good and the pool table is...well, leopard-tastic (and 1$). The bouncer insisted on finding out who I'm there to see; my friends of course, but he wanted the name of a band so I pointed to one who didn't have any fans there yet. Everyone needs a little love! The music wasn't very loud, which is great, because often places like this turn up the speakers too loud for anyone to enjoy the company they're with.
I was also given a lychee by a cute girl at the bar. Who can say no to that?! And the bartenders were great. The customers that go there frequently (there were a bunch there friday night) are pretty cool. Laid back place, good staff and good patrons and good music too! I'd go there again. Oh, and it's very close to the F train, which is a huge added bonus for me!
Call me when Chad and Kip's last Merrill bonus runs dry and they finally stop hosting their pimp & ho frat parties in Chinatown.
I have no idea why this place has such a bad rep.
Came in here on a weeknight to grab a drink because East Side Co wasn't open yet. It was pretty empty save for a couple falling in love over tequila shots and some old guy drunkely hitting on the cute bar tender.
Our drinks were strong, the music was good and they have help youself watertaps on the bar! Awesome.
Granted, I'd only come back if I find myself stuck in the same situation, but it's a perfectly decent place to stop for a drink or two.
Frankly, I'm surprised there are this many reviews of this place because it is literally in the middle of nowhere. EAST Broadway? There's an EAST Broadway!? That rant aside, it's kind of like a dive bar+. Micheal B dragged me to this unexplored territory of Manhattan the other night to see a friend of his play. We paid the cover (c'mon people, it goes to the bands!), and got drinks.
Now, given the 1972 exterior and the bumblefuck location, I was barely expecting a full bar. But what this place lacks in atmosphere (and sound equipment for that matter - Yikes), it makes up for in drinks. We made friends with the bartender - she called me pretty - and she mixed up quite a dirty martini! They also have real absinthe, and a fairly impressive cocktail menu. The owner makes a mean margarita - give it a shot.
But all in all, it's kind of gross, out of the way, and filled with a random assortment of lost Lower East Siders and devoted fans of whoever's playing. Without a reason to come back, I doubt I ever will.
Drinks are $$ and watery, crowd is lame and sausage heavy, came here to see a show and it was cancelled even though the musicians were there??
I find it hard to hate a place when I'm there with a big group. Even though I had a great time at 169 Bar its only getting two stars for overpriced drinks (a Jameson neat should have more Jameson in it than a shot) and cover charges for what is essentially an open mic type venue. I wouldn't go to 169 Bar of my own accord.
There was one gleaming moment in my two visits to 169: after my friend played his show, the bar began to empty and once it did the salsa and soul music started cranking. It was a perfect storm for a group of people who are well acquainted with one another and are comfortable doing the running man in front of one another. But I can get that anywhere.
I don't have to walk down to east Broadway to hang with friends, overpay for drinks and all for a cover fee. Thanks 169, but no thanks.
Oh man...we came here post elite event, and despite certain parties abandoning me here (I am too mature to point out names, or am I Apples and Brian and Molly? Tee hee. You know I still love you) I hung out with Rob, Rod and Ting for quite a while. Cheapass drinks and a hot Israeli bartender? Yeah, you got me on that one for sure. Rock on, 169. I take photo classes down the block so you can be sure I'll be back soon!
Maybe the filthiest bar i've ever walked into, and for winning that award I upped it from 1 to 2 stars. You're welcome.
So this is where the 90's went!
169 bar bills itself as a music venue, which is a clever ruse to bilk you a cover charge of $10 ($5, if you're "with the band"). I guess this is how they subsidize the requisite cheap drink specials.
The decor is nothing to write home about. The music...I guess it depends what night you go, but I get the impression that it's normally local bands made up of college students or recent graduates...think of the jam bands you used to hang out with in High School and college, and this is what you get here.
The crowd is mostly younger people, looking like the cast of Reality Bites from the 90s. They're probably not aware of this though.
All in all, i got one drink, and as soon as I finished it, I left. I don't see myself coming back here.
after another trip here, i can better understand the fluctuation in ratings for this place.....the bartenders don't all follow the same drink recipes, and sadly that included the hallowed bloody mary. the evil eye and attitude i received from the bar for not finishing my un-drinkable bloody mary was enough to take my business elsewhere, permanently!
not so much a dive bar, but more like the quintessential anti-Manhattan bar - i love this place!… Read more »
I like this place! I don't know why people hate it so much but I have fun at the pool table and I like the pbr and whiskey drink special. I also saw a fun show here. Plus they have wifi and it's always super unpretentious here.
Me no likey.
I went to see my ex-boyfriend's band play... mistake #1, but he had my Cinderella Man DVD! I wanted that sh*t back!
The only good part was that the pool table area was separated from the bar, and they even had a lil wall to separate it, so I didn't have to see much of him or the rest of the crazy eclectic bar.
The bartender took 10 hours to flag down, but the bouncer was more than friendly and helped me out. Drinks were roughly $7 or $8 (and somewhat watered down).. and the area where the band played seemed very squished. Even around the bar was very crowded, which is why I was more than thrilled to take cover in the back pool area so I could relatively walk around.
And this bar is also in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. My friend and I were actually worried we wouldn't be able to find a cab out of there! It's some random place in the middle of a sketchy part of Chinatown.
I doubt I'll go back.... ever.
We were looking for a bar close by for round 2 for my friend's birthday party and we stumbled across 169 Bar. It's definitely seemed a bit out of place considering the neighborhood, but it worked for the group. The bar was decent and the music wasn't horrible. They even have a psychic reader and a leopard pool table. If you're in the area and want to go to a non-pretentious bar, this place would satisfy.
OK, so I had a very specific experience here and it was hella-fun.
It's midnight. I had been sitting in my apartment watching a netflix movie when a friend of mine texted me that I needed to come to 169 bar because it was dance-party time and I needed to shake my ass.
I am not a big dance club person and what I like to dance to is generally loud eclectic 80s stuff mixed with fun current music; think LCD Soundsystem, Kanye West, etc. God, I already sound like I go out dancing a lot. I don't. This was my first time in years. My other dancing's usually late at night in people's apartments. So anyway...my friend knows this so I'm assuming that it's not a dance club or any kind of "scene".
So I head over. As I enter the bar, I see that the DJ is clad in black tights and a red and blue American Apparel unitard and the stereo is blasting, "This Charming Man" by The Smiths. The place is packed at midnight on a Sunday with people all just dancing and laughing and drinking. The music stayed great ranging from New Order to Aretha Franklin to LCD Sound System to James Brown to The Go Gos...anything really fun and easy to sing along to.
The drinks were moderately priced. I'd like it to be cheaper for the location but can't really complain. $5 Bourbon, $5 Bass. Not bad. Not awesome.
There was a fish tank in the back room and at one point on a dance break I swear to God I think that fish and I had a conversation. I was sitting there and it swam right up to me and we just stared at each other for a long time. "OK, I've never really had a fish swim over to me before. It's going to swim away after the excitement of something new to look at is gone." It didn't. NO, I was not on psychotropic drugs. Just a little drunk.
In the corner was a truly remarkable little enterprise. This disguised couple had set up a makeshift little shop in a booth. A sign read "Honest Appraisal of Your Appearance $2" You pay your $2 and sit across from two people, a man and a woman, both disguised in masks, bandannas, and neutral clothing. They look you over and type up their opinion on antique typewriters on little index cards and hand them to you. Needless to say, there was a line. I'm happy to report that they were very kind to me and my overall rating was an 8.3. My friend who'd invited me got a 9.4 and was told she was the most beautiful woman there...but hey...I'll take 8.3.
Suffice it to say....I had a great time. The place was still rockin' with great music when I left at 3:45 a.m.
I have no idea what the place is like on a "regular" night and it's certainly nothing special to look at. But last night, it was this beautiful hidden gem of a fun time...it felt like somebody's birthday party...or maybe like a bar in a European city where people just start dancing. If you can find out when Unitard is DJ'ing...check it out. It was one of my best Sunday nights in recent memory.
Only been here once. Its a dirty neighborhood bar. Staff was friendly, and I didnt have to pay a cover tyhank god. Just stopped by here to take a sot, (literally) so we didnt really care there was no one there. But if it was our fina destination, we wouldn't have even gone inside.
This seems to be one of the worst reviewed establishments on Yelp, so I'll stand up for it.
Like everyone else, I went here to see a musician friend of mine. I don't think it's worth ponying up eight dollars to see random acts, but if you have a musician friend playing here, you shouldn't be dreading the experience. The sound system was surprisingly good for a small bar and there was a pretty interesting mix of musicians/singers the night I went. The bartender was attentive and the PBR's were $3.
The coolest feature of the place is that they serve 40s! That's right, for nine dollars (kind of pricy, but I have no other bar to compare it to), you can drink a 40 ounce bottle of Colt 45! Sadly, I discovered this at a point in the night when I was no longer in need of 40 ounces of malt liquor, but if I'm ever here again, I will definitely take advantage of this rare opportunity. You may have to bring your own brown bag.
My buddy played there a couple times and last time it was indicated if he didn't get enough people in to see them there might be a problem. Um, WHAT? Were you really just THREATENING?! How could I even begin to attempt another star? The best thing about this place: the peanuts. Absolutely delicious. I don't know how they do it.
if there was a way to give less than a star, i would.
played here last night. the doorguys had attitude, the bartender was rude and the sound guy was mean. only the other bands and some of their friends were actually friendly here.
clearly it's a cash cow for those who run the place. it's $10 to get in and it's not even that fun. if you like to drink, their cocktails are terrible. if you like music, you can barely hear it. if you like rude people, this is the place for you. otherwise, stay away! stay VERY FAR AWAY!!
they bill themselves as a music club, yet they have the worst sound system i've ever heard. i hope they go out of business, and i've never felt that way about any place i've ever played before. they're really terrible people.
A tiny, intimate bar with a surprisingly good system for live music. Pool table is a plus. The bar has character, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return, especially since there is little else to do on the (somewhat shady) block late at night.
A sad place.
Having no expectations about this place other than having heard that it was "dirty," I was surprised and pleased with how much I liked this place. A pretty decent, fun band was finishing up when I walked in, and it had a nice mix of all kinds of down-to-earth-looking people (nobody too hip, nobody taking themselves too seriously). It's got character. Definitely recommend checking it out.
Neighborhood: Bedford Stuyvesant
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Category: Bars
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