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Ace Bar
531 E 5th St
(between Avenue A & Avenue B)
New York, NY 10009
Neighborhoods: East Village, Alphabet City
(212) 979-8476
(between Avenue A & Avenue B)
New York, NY 10009
Neighborhoods: East Village, Alphabet City
(212) 979-8476
- Nearest Transit:
-
2 Av (F)
1 Av (L)
Delancey St (F)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 3 pm - 4 am
Sat-Sun 2 pm - 4 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Wed, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
197 reviews for Ace Bar
Review Highlights
"The thing that hooked me was the Skee-ball."
(in 75 reviews)
"...especially if you like skee ball or Big Buck Hunter."
(in 6 reviews)
"I like the lunch boxes in this place."
(in 10 reviews)
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197 reviews in English
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Review from Denise C.
Jersey City, NJ
2/8/2012
I don't go to Ace often enough to be considered a regular, but I've been enough times to know I love it.
The beer selection won't wow any of your craft beer snob friends, but they have more than enough choices for everyone. The prices are more than reasonable ($3-6), so you can get loaded here and not feel horrible about yourself when you look at your bank statement the next day. The bartenders are cool and don't take shit from anyone.
And of course, one can't mention Ace Bar without mentioning the greatness in their game selection: darts, skee ball, pool, etc. Darts and pool are standard, but the skee ball really puts the place over the top. The collection of old school lunch boxes will also get you bonus points with your friends when you bring them.
As I mentioned in my previous review, this bar is right across the street from Minca. So if you find yourself waiting for a table there, stop by Ace and grab a few beers. -
Review from Nathan L.
12/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is my go to spot when im in the east village and need a low key spot to just hang out and not fight for drinks with the masses. There are two pool tables, a designated space for darts (awesome), skeeball, pinball and a wall lined with old school lunch boxes that are probably worth a lot of money.
I really like this spot as its in the middle of the block, a little off the beaten path and isn't really that crowded. Ill definitely be back.Listed in: Places Worth Going Back To, Bars I frequent
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Review from Hannah M.
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
been to ace bar a few times and have always enjoyed myself.
(+)lots of activities great for the self proclaimed A.D.D. having adult that i am.
(+)pool, skeeball, darts, juke box, pinball.
(+)big booths (great to play some drinking games with the champagne of beer!)
(+)not too crowded.
(+)two stalls in the women's bathroom!
(+)cheap drinks.
but alas all good things come to an end ...enter service(-)
(-) had a graduation celebratory happy hour on a tuesday eve. brought them 30 people worth of business on a tuesday night, but multiple people were saying this place is cool but why are the workers being so mean? we weren't being obnoxiously out of control or difficult. perhaps they were having bad days or we made their job a little more busy than they'd like that evening?
needless to say we didn't let a couple of frowning workers get us down and still had a grand, old time.
so, gather your friends, grab some booze, play some games and be merry. -
Review from Mickey M.
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not a bad option along the way on a bar crawl. On a Friday night, this place is packed, which is great if you're moving around with a big crowd. Crowds love crowds! This place is really big too, so you keep going back, wondering when you'll find the back room.
It's a little forgettable, but thanks to foursquare I was able to recall where I was. I also unlocked a Frat-tastic Badge when I checked in, which says a lot about the place.
It's great for drinking cheap beer with a lot of people. -
Review from Steve A.
Updated - 10/23/2011
Just like to write a lil' update came here again recently on a Friday night and played some pinball in the front which I missed the first go around. At present time they have 24 and I don't know if I'm a pinball wizard...but that game kept on going and going. On the other hand, I'd like to say that Mick Jagger is a cunt as he was prancing around and periodically blocking balls on the Rolling Stones pinball machine.
The jukebox can be daunting to some as it has a lot of random playlists built in, but I think it makes things more interesting. Choosing Bad Brains followed by some Ghostface...there ain't nothing wrong with that.
I got schooled on Skee Ball and need to take my ass back to the boardwalk to train. I blame the truncated lanes. All in all this is a good bar to stop at if you want to do other shit besides just drinking and talking or staring if you're a creeper.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/14/2010
I went here one weekday night with one of my roommates who was meeting a bunch of her friends. They… Read more »
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Review from maya f.
12/22/2011
Skeeball, pinball, pool, darts, a jukebox; Smithwick's (and lots more) on tap, an Xcelerator hand dryer in the loo; high-backed booths; a gaggle of tight mini-skirted, bare-legged b&t biddies tottering around in heels; a bouncer who's not a total dick. In short, an amusing way to spend a December Tuesday evening in the East Village.
Listed in: T.G.I.F.&B., good head, juke can do it!
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Review from Joey R.
New York, NY
11/28/2011
"Hidden spot, like an ace up your sleeve"
Play this bar when you are worried about taking a group of people out and satisfying them all. Honestly this place is a blast, but for some it could embody a weird Meatpacking potential that turns you off. Poker games with the Golden Girls might be more your speed. Do not confuse with Dave and Busters either.
The staff was so sweet, I think I also had the same girl that called Evan G. handsome. (you're not the only one :) )
Pool table, pinball and other game accoutrement. Place is bigger than it seems. Skee ball. is. amazing. Booths in the front that are large enough for a 10 person group. Great place to go after work.
Patrons are a bit snotty and have a sense of entitlement which was dumb for the type of place it is. It's not as "fancy" as others make it feel. It's a bar close to brooklyn with games. 'Nuff said. -
Review from Miles H.
Stamford, CT
1/6/2012
How Dive-y can you be... OHHHH SUPER DIVE-Y. Well ok not THAT dive-y. This bar has skeeball, pinball, darts, pool tables, its a great bar when you are hanging out with friends who really arent that interesting and need games to keep you entertained!!! hahaha jk.... Great selection of beers, cheap prices, good local spot!
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Review from Nancy S.
11/13/2011
Fun place! Came here on a saturday night around 12am and it was busy as I expect most popular bars in the east village to me.
Skee-ball, pool tables, darts, pin ball machines, fun juke box, nothing much else to say that other reviews haven't said already!
Generally pretty fun bar to hang out with friends. Pretty good crowd, mostly young looking girls and guys just looking to chill. The bar was insanely crowded and it took us 5-10 min of waiting just to get a bartender's attention.
Good prices w/ beers. Will definitely come back in the future when it's less crowded! -
Review from Whitney J.
Queens, NY
9/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Skee Ball! Pinball! Beers!
I like this place already. A little off the beaten path for me, but a neat place. The bartenders were really nice and made a great drink. It's a dive. A happy, brightly lit dive. There are some really excellent neon signs. The lightbulb martini one is my favorite.
We came here for a surprise party for a good friend. They were super accommodating. We called ahead and they reserved a huge booth in the back for us and made sure a waitress took special care of us. Very much appreciated on a busy Saturday night. -
Review from Travis C.
KNICKERBOCKER, NY
12/9/2011
Cheap drinks + plenty of booze-friendly activities to keep people entertained = a solid place to bring a large group of people.
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Review from Mike Q.
New Rochelle, NY
10/9/2011
This place was a lot of fun. My friends and I came here to start our night and I'm very glad we did. The drinks are very cheap and the atmosphere was really fun! We played pool and had the entire back sections to ourselves. This is def a great place to start or end your night.
Quick notes
There is a 20 min on credit cards and the mens room has no lock -
Review from Mykel B.
New York, NY
9/10/2011
They got the machines!! Pinball, Big Game Hunter, pool. Are they the only bar in NYC with 2 skeeball machines?
No food, but friendly service and not overpowering music. I guess they're a bit afraid of the neighborhood though, because the tables are screwed to the floor! And not at a very convenient place in relation to the benches around them. (I guess it must be all those NYU students.)
Sascha, the waitress, is a goddess, though by the time you read this she may be off in Croatia. Maybe you'll be lucky with her replacement. The place wasn't crowded when we were there on a Thursday night, so it could be a cool place to escape the E-vil creeps that the tables are screwed down to avoid. --Drink Club NYC is a roving group of NYC drinkers. -
Review from Trey R.
Jersey City, NJ
6/28/2011
This is where you go when you want to drink PBR on tap and play skeeball. We all get in those moods. It's a ridiculous dive, and I really like it, because sometimes that's exactly what you need.
It is also pretty much the only bar I'll drink PBR in by choice. It just feels right, when you're there.
...and that fourth star is really for the skeeball... -
Review from Annie S.
6/20/2011
I ended up coming here for (part one of) my birthday. It was dead when my party started to show up at 6:30 on a Wednesday night, but got more crowded as the night when on. We took over the corner by the skee ball machines.
The Bruins were fighting for the Stanely Cup and having come from Boston (and a lot of my friends, too) made for a great night. We asked the very, very sweet bartender if we could turn the game on the big screen and he obliged.
Sadly, the jukebox was not working, though it wasn't an internet jukebox, which my friends and I love so we can play horribly good emo and pop-punk songs from high school. Anyway, my friend put in a dollar and the bartender made sure she got it back, even though she didn't really care.
Skee ball was fantastic and only one of my friends beat my high score because he's an expert at going for the 100's.
Definitely out of the way and a lot of hipsters, which isn't normally my thing, but the drinks were strong, the company was great and I had a very good pre-birthday. -
Review from Henry H.
New York, NY
7/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here with a friend of mine the other night, and it was definitely an interesting experience.
She suggested the place because I had just watched Chasing Amy (I know, I know) and wanted to play skee ball, and this place just happens to have it. The trip there was a little interesting as you go through a fairly iffy part of the single digit east side area. Also, I walked in here to find that they were playing heavy metal which isn't really my thing but it wasn't too awkward.
We get the drinks and the tab is something pretty reasonable for what I'd expect (~$11 for a beer and mixed drink), hung out and played some skee ball. I noticed about halfway through being here that they changed the music to some classic rock type stuff which was definitely an upgrade.
The vibe here is very chill and the people are pretty yuppie but leaning more towards the laid back side rather than the buttoned up group you'll find at a lot of UES bars.
Highly recommend, especially if you like skee ball or Big Buck Hunter. -
Review from Steve S.
6/11/2011
Fun, small bar with no cover or line. Darts, pinball machines, Buck Hunter & the best part: SKEEBALL make Ace a cool place.
Didn't have any food but it's a fun place to have a drink with friends. -
Review from Jesse S.
New York, NY
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
maybe its cuz my single days are behind me, but any place with good distractions is a plus. Beer list is better then average. skeet ball, pool, pinball, darts, makes for a good afternoon or night!
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Review from Amber B.
Brooklyn, NY
4/21/2011
To quote the artist of the decade, Rebecca Black, this place is "fun, fun fun fun.!"
Seriously though, it's a good time. Any place with skee ball has me hooked right away, but add our amazing waitress, Lindsay, to the mix and you've got yourself a hell of a Friday night. She was on top of our group's drink orders all night and the one time she returned without my drink, she made up for it with her bubbly personality and a free shot of Cuervo. Girl knows the way to my heart after only a few hours.
Minus a star for the insanely loud (and not very good) music, and for the semi-douchey late night crowd, but the place is solid. Check it out. "We so exciiited" to go back! -
Review from Chris H.
4/4/2011
In short Dive-ish bar with a gamey twist.
Can get crazy crowded. Crowd is a little on the raucous side and the floors are sticky. More of a standing bar than a sitting bar. Thus, you were warned.
The bar has decent drink prices and has a ton of things to do in the backroom. Pool tables. Pin Ball. Darts. Ski ball (really, I felt like I could reenact that scene from Chasing Amy).
I'd go back.Listed in: Quirky fun in NYC
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Review from Hank C.
3/12/2011
A fun, rowdy bar with darts, pool tables, and arcade games in the back, it's a crazy space that has a local crowd. The guy at the door has a sense of humor even as he kicks out the kids from the bar. Not easy to identify, necessarily, but a bouncer down the street guided me here. Just a bit out of the way...
Cheap beers ($3-4 specials) and a noisy atmosphere make for a very fun night overall.
But the bathroom is nasty. Seriously a scary experience for those who like the clean.
Overall, you're not here for the bathroom but the crowd and the crazy fun.
Crowded but fun if you're looking to cram in here with a big group of friends or just hit on the crowd :D -
Review from Darwin G.
3/9/2011
Gambling on skeeball and alcohol fit together as well as porn stars and cocaine. Winning.
While it can be really crowded on certain nights, Ace is the only place I know of with skeeball. If you're not in the mood for that, there's always pool, pin ball, and darts.
Not a really exciting place, but at least your fix of being a kid again at Chuck E. Cheese. -
Review from cait l.
11/17/2010
Ugh, oh dear. Forget about even trying to get to the bar it's so crowded in here. Plus there are too many guys with popped collars leering and sweating and pushing... it's a girl's nightmare. A reminder of college but at New York prices. Not my thing.
And skee ball at $1 isn't a good deal. There are pool tables at better bars where my shoes won't stick to the floor and where I can hear more than 6 inches from my face.Listed in: Drinkies!
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Review from Nina P.
3/22/2011
I guess I'm a serious dork...but...SKEE BALL?!??!!?
Yep. Done. You had me at skee Ace.
Really good drink specials.
Darts. Pool. Arcade games. And some game where you roll a bocce ball down and up a lane into various holes...you know...SKEEE BALLLLLL
I had a great night.
PBR and bar games make me pretty damn happy.
But hey I'm easy.
O andddd you can bring takeout in from neighborhood restaurants.
Meatball Shoppe + Skee Ball?
Slap me. -
Review from Molly T.
Manhattan, NY
4/10/2011
I love skeeball!
I won't lie, aside from the skeeball and pretty red booths, this bar is kind of unremarkable. The beer selection is fine & pretty reasonably priced, the crowd isn't too obnoxious & you can pick up free condoms in the doorway.
Not a bad spot, but nothing special. -
Review from Mike B.
Manhattan, NY
4/17/2011
Went here on a Friday night. Good tunes and relatively cheap beers. Skeeball and darts were fully occupied so we spent the entire night playing pinball. They have two machines - one is 24 (Jack Bauer) and the other is Rolling Stones themed. 24 was freakin impossible - i swear there was a special funnel into the gutter lanes! Rolling Stones was way way more fun. if you send the ball into the right places, you collect extra balls that play at the same time ("groupies"). The thing that makes it challenging is a cutout of Mick Jagger that darts this way and that right in the middle. He likes to block your balls from going up the proper chutes ("argh! #$@#@ Mick Jagger!"). It costs 75 cents for three balls, but it is more cost effective to pay $2 for nine balls. Sweet!
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Review from Irene F.
6/1/2010
Skee ball and Jaeger walked down the aisle and resulted in this gloriously frat boy-like mess of a bar. Speaking of mess, you should really be a complete hot mess to come here if you really want to enjoy it, otherwise, your judging side will come out and let's face it, judging ain't a good color on NO ONE. Except me, sometimes.
Anyway, go for the jaeger, stay for the skee ball, avoid the popped collars, it won't be all that bad. -
Review from Mike R.
Astoria, NY
11/21/2010
This bar is fun. The decor is great, especially the wall of vintage lunchboxes and the 3D poster of a werewolf. Random? Yes. But I'm not complaining.
Beer prices are on the cheap side. PBR and Miller are just 3 bucks and my personal favorite, Yuengling, is just 4. Everything else is 6 bucks.
They have two pool tables, two dart boards, and skee ball. People complain that at 1 dollar, skeeball is just too expensive to even play, but I ask you: why play skeeball at all when you can play...wait for it...BUCK HUNTER!
Yes, Buck Hunter, no bar is complete without one. Chicks dig guys with plastic toy guns. It's addicting as hell.
I went Saturday night. At 9pm, place was still on the quiet side. An hour later, it was packed which makes getting a drink hard sometimes, but luckily they do have waitresses walking around taking drink orders. It's just that, with the crowd, it also takes the waitresses awhile to get back to you. But it's all good. Use the extra few minutes to sober up a bit.
Fun place and will definitely be back again. -
Review from Josh W.
11/14/2010
Pretty standard bar with lots of bar games to keep you entertained. The place is loud and is crowded most of the time, so its great if you come here with a large crowd to chill.
Darts, pool tables, ski ball, pinball machines, etc there's just a lot to do. It's a nice change of pace from other bars in the area. One of my friends really likes this place so I seem to end up here more than I expect. It's a good place to go to, but just not one of my favorites. -
Review from Erin L.
Astoria, NY
Updated - 12/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
Okay, well, clearly Ace has changed. Or, I've changed. Whatever.
I went back there this summer after an admittedly long hiatus and was a little disturbed. The crowd there has always been a little erm, annoying, but I always could look past it to the cheap beer, (yay!) & the amusingness.
Sadly, I think I've gotten to the point where I am less amused by the crowd and more into the I-can-drink-for-cheaper-somewhere-where-I-don't-wa nt-to-kill-everyone.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/16/2008
If only this bar weren't such a trek for me! I love it here. PBR on tap (unsettling, I know), skee… Read more »
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Review from Ashley D.
Metairie, LA
7/24/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Typical dive-bar in East Village. I lived above it. The staff isnt very friendly and the chicks who bartend literally must not like money whatsoever.. If you sit at the bar they literally look at you and then continue their convos with each other every time without fail. drinks are strong and relatively cheap for the Big Apple. Buck Hunter game is here.
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Review from Jessie M.
6/11/2011
I mean, they have ski ball. What more do you need?
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Review from Peter D.
1/23/2009 3 Check-ins Here
Ace has two pool tables, pinball, darts, AND skeeball. They employ a waitress who will bring my (fairly cheap) drinks over as I play the game of my choice. The bar is spacious, with plenty of places to sit. I SHOULD be able to spend hours on end here without a problem.
Sadly, I don't love Ace as much as it rightfully deserves, because the bar is filled with people like That Guy.*
That Guy does things like this:
1. Approaches the bar. Gets the bartender's attention, THEN deliberates for a over a minute.
2. Asks what kind of beer they have in bottles. [Bartender silently points to prominent Bottled Beer sign.]
3. Asks if they have Stella. [Bartender says "Yeah, but on tap."]
4. Says, "Oh. I'll just take a Long Island iced tea."
Last time, That Guy wanted to play me in pool. When it was his game, he handed me a dollar and waited expectantly. After a minute, he finally asked, "Oh, so I provide the quarters?"
That Guy will also pass up the gems on Ace's eclectic jukebox (you don't often see Husker Du, Fats Domino, Kings of Leon, and Ghostface's Supreme Clientele together), and insist on playing music that nobody wants to hear blasting when you're trying to kick back and play a little pool.
In the right hands, such a jukebox can be a thing of beauty. I can appreciate the varied selection; but Ace, PLEASE put a few mainstream classics on there so That Guy won't ruin my night.
*You know, the one who seems like he's out in public for the first time since he graduated at the bottom of his class in home school. If you don't know who I'm talking about, just go hang out at Ace for a while. You will. -
Review from R M.
San Francisco, CA
6/3/2008
I hate to see grown men cry. However, I am far too competitive to let anyone beat me at muther-fuckin' SKEE-BALL.
So, its a good thing that they have a pretty decent selection of beer and strong drinks. Place is PACKED on a Friday though. I knocked off a star for the seating sitch. There aren't enough seats in the parts of the bar I want to sit in.
On a side note: they also have an excellent web site with bartender pics and profiles. So, you can call them by name when ordering, or flirting, or both. Sure, I can be accused of being a stalker but, I prefer to think of it as preparation.
Props to everyone who attended my first NYC DYL way back when.
The Beccas, Chun (a man really shouldn't cry that hard in public), My yelp nemesis, Justin C., Jen D., Larry L. and other ppl that I've forgotten because I drink waay too much. -
Review from Eve C.
3/24/2010
My friend mentioned something about a bar with skeeball in passing, and I immediately latched on to the idea, and demanded that we visit this establishment! Granted, this was about 4:30 in the afternoon on a random weekday.
We wandered over to Ace Bar where we were practically the only customers. We sauntered up to the bar to make sure our one-dollar bills were in working order and ordered some beers to wet our whistles.
On to the skeeball! I hadn't played since my childhood birthday parties at Showbiz Pizza (now known as Chuck E. Cheese), so I was quite out of practice. Needless to say, when I somehow landed a ball in the "100" pocket, I did a dance of joy. It was the only "100" I managed.
Ace Bar also has a couple pool tables (only $1 a game), and dart boards, with a few arcade games at the front. Beer prices are reasonable, with most being in the $4-$5 dollar range (bottles and drafts). Credit cards are $20 minimum, so be prepared to order some shots, or just drink a few more!Listed in: NYC, Fool!
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Review from Sara W.
New York, NY
6/3/2008
Back in the day, you had to take a crazy scary walk across 5th street, past the Guardian Angels HQ, through the projects, then brave the Hells Angels HQ to get to this shady, dark bar with no name. The bouncer knew you, the place was full of freaks and geeks, the juke box was brilliant, the beer was cheap and served by hot goth chicks.
I can't vouch for the juke box now, but every time I go to ACE, I feel like I run smack into the cast of "Felicity." The trendier the neighborhood gets, the more bubbly NYU co-eds take over the territory. Sadly, this makes ACE less appealing. The clientele used to match the decor - now it clashes with it. They think they've found a cool "dive" bar, but it was much cooler when they weren't in it.
Big props for keeping the classic lunch box wall and the wolf-man hologram through the change in ownership. I prefer the dark booths you could make out in to the skee-ball that replaced them, but that's just me.
On the up-side, ACE has free wifi and is essentially empty during the day. We did our fantasy football draft here on a Sunday evening last year and had the whole place to ourselves. Just like old times . . . . -
Review from Sam P.
New York, NY
12/8/2007
After I learned with dismay that Bouche Bar across the street had been closed, I wandered in here with some friends after seeing a movie at the Pioneer Theater.
The place has a little bit of activities overload going on. There's pinball, two pool tables, darts, Big Buck Hunter, even skeeball! Whew, I'm exhausted just writing this! Methinks they would get a better use of the space by limiting it to only a few of said activities, thus creating a few more places to sit, but that's just my opinion.
Some good beers on draft - I had a Boddington's - and a full bar. Definitely a big, divey, East Villagey kind of place, but therefore, not really my kind of place. But why am I in the east village so often again these days!? -
Review from PJ G.
New York, NY
4/14/2008
It's crowded, noisy, crazy on a Saturday night.
The pool tables are constantly being used, and used well.
Tons of people, super cheap drinks. We're talking $7 for a Ketel 1 and your choice of mixer.
Pretty people, ugly people, tall people, short people...lots of people, lots of cheap booze. And you didn't want to come here because why?? -
Review from Justin C.
Boston, MA
2/20/2008
Normal bar in the E. Vill, proximal to Minca (a plus), peopled with hipstrologists (meh, could go either way on that), pretty cute bartenders (schwing), nice selection on tap (inching towards excellence here).
But wait.
SKEE BALL.
That's right. Your paltry averageness just got 4 star'd thanks to your SKEE BALL machine. Venue owners take note! -
Review from Rebecca H.
Brooklyn, NY
2/23/2008
Miller Lite on Tap, Skee Ball in Back, Buck Hunter up front. 'Nuff said?
Great dive bar, lots of room for a large party. Apparently, you can have pizza delivered here, um yay.
Only problem...my ML was $4.00, which I feel is pricey for my ghetto beer. Have I become jaded about cheap booze? Probably.
I will be back as I didn't get to partake in skee ball, so y'all better watch out!
