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Dempsey's Pub
- Nearest Transit:
-
2 Av (F)
Bleecker St (4, 6, 6X)
Astor Pl (4, 6, 6X)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 4 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ, Live
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Fri, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
89 reviews for Dempsey's Pub
Review Highlights
"Nicer, upscale Irish pub with a very friendly staff."
(in 34 reviews)
"Sweet potato fries are amazing."
(in 5 reviews)
"Wednesday nights, good beer specials, always packed."
(in 7 reviews)
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89 reviews in English
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Review from Paul S.
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Made the trek to the city to hit up Dempsey's. My Bruins got stomped by Texas. Jerks. But I had a great time.
For great seats all you need to do is show up during the pre game. There are great drink specials during football. Bucket of domestics (5 beers) is 15, and you can get it with a plate of wings for 20. And shots of Bushmills (Protestant whiskey) are 3 each. Which begs the next point.. What kind of waitress with an Irish accent who works at a pub doesn't know that Bushmills is Protestant whiskey? I dunno..
Wings were meh but cheap. And the 4 of us drank a LOT for a little. Definitely coming back.
It gets busy and loud and crowded. Just right for football. -
Review from Lilli C.
1/9/2012
Went here for the Giants v. Falcons game and for Sunday brunch. The place was packed, but we got a table pretty quickly. The place was EXTREMELY hot, they were understaffed, there was a group of obnoxious people cheering loudly when NOTHING was happening, and the food here blows.
My boyfriend ordered the huevos rancheros and it was the saddest looking thing I"ve ever seen. It was 1 tiny flour tortilla with 1 tiny egg on it that looked like it was cooked in the microwave. I got a burger that was also tiny and was served on a McDonald's hamburger looking bun. I got it with cheddar and grilled onions...the grilled onions were a tiny ring of onions that I didn't even realize were on there until I was 1/2 way done since it was so small.
The only redeeming thing about this place was that the server was pretty fast and on-point even though they were overwhelmingly understaffed, but I don' think I will ever be returning back here. -
Review from GarGuPi L.
Flushing, NY
11/26/2011
3.5 stars. Brunch review here.
I don't consider Dempsey's a dive bar or maybe because I'm here during the daytime and did not witness any libation scenes. Basically, if you want to enjoy some quiet time, go hit a bar for brunch. While all the drinkers had returned to their lairs, you basically own the entire place to yourself, plus the staff. Now, I think my waitress must've worked the late shift the night before because she looked worn out and not very attentive. Nevertheless, she honored my food substitutions (my pet peeve with raw onions) and provided lotza lemon with my seltzer.
The brunch menu is not huge per se, but if you want to get your Irish grub, this place's got some nice offering. Mom went with the grand slam Irish breakfast, which came with baked quartered red skin potatoes, sausages, black and white pudding (really pig's blood, so not a sweet dessert), ham, grilled tomatoes, two eggs (perfectly poached), a bit of stewed tomatoey beans (like the Heinz) and two slices of Irish whole grain bread. Very hearty indeed. The house salad was also a generous bowl of mesclun salad with chopped tomatoes. And then another order of BBQ chicken wings, but the sauce was very gooey and cloyingly sticky. We chose to sit inside, even though the sun was out today. The exterior is spacious, with wooden furnishings and plenty of spaces to maneuver around once evening comes and patrons need spaces to balance their drunken state. The bar wall is infiltrated with all kinds of alcohol that I surely don't have the knowledge of, but the bartenders sure do.
I had another quiet, relaxing brunch experience, even though the service was mediocre, but I'll understand that noon time for a bar is probably equivalent to midnight to old folks. -
Review from Tara L.
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love that they are open on Christmas...thank you :)
Nice "regular" beer selection and nice craft beer selection in a nice chill place to hang out. -
Review from Derrick C.
Buffalo, NY
12/14/2011 1 photo
Nearly 100 UCLA Bruin alumni flocked to Dempsey's to watch the 'SC game this year. Misery loves company.
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Review from Jane K.
4/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've been coming to Dempsey's for years now and it's always a solid good time. The Bloody Mary's are well-balanced and tasty, beers fresh and the bar food is perfectly greasy and satisfying. I've been known to clear a plate of Dempsey's wings in less than 3 minutes flat.
Recently stopped in for Yelp Drinks and was served by a friendly and attentive bartender, chatted with some interesting characters and was reminded why I dig this Irish pub in my hood. Fair warning, I haven't been here on weekend nights so I can't report on it but for an after work pint with some good friends, there's plenty of room to spread out and TVs showing the game.
One of my favorite things is their outdoor seating in the summer months. In a neighborhood rife with overcrowded outside patios, Dempsey's almost always has a free table calling my name. -
Review from Janine C.
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
$5 Happy Hour got me two Gin and Tonics...need I say more??
Not really, but I will: Great spot for trivia on a Wednesday night. Head over early because it gets packed around 7:30 p.m., which is when the festivities begin. Be sure to bring a posse of friends equipped with random/obscure knowledge and start thinking of a clever team name.
If you're hungry, try the $5 french fries that come in a bowl the size of a pregnant woman's belly (yes, that's the best analogy I could muster). The quesadillas (also $5) with pulled pork are scrumptious.
Another major plus is the ample outdoor seating. LOVE THIS PLACE. -
Review from Jonathan J.
New York, NY
4/4/2011
Where have all my dive bars gone!? I guess that question answers itself when you walk into Dempsey's. NY dive bars have gone the way of the dinosaur and in its place are quasi sports bars that cater to an eclectic clientele.
So what makes Dempsey's so great? I'll start with the awesomely Irish bartender and bar back! One might think this is a standard, as it should be with most "once a dive bar" bars. The beers aren't over the top expensive, there are more flat screens than you can shake a stick at and chatting up the staff opens up a world of anecdotal greatness. Not to mention that their food is pretty damn decent for a sports bar, definitely not a gastropub by any means, but your run-of-the-mill bar food goes a long way here with the prices being surprisingly low for a NYC sports bar. -
Review from Shayla W.
Yonkers, NY
11/5/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Dempsey's was fairly average. Nothing spectacular, but we would go back again. We went there with one of the yelp offers and a couple of friends. The deal made it a very affordable evening and the service was pleasant. The menu is limited to mostly standard bar food and as I said before was average. We ordered nachos and sliders. I prefer places with bigger menus.
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Review from Dave H.
2/15/2011 5 photos
Not a bad place to relax with a pint.
Thought I'd been everywhere in the East Village, but apparently I missed Dempsey's. Considering how close they are to the train, I probably ran by them a dozen times. Still, even walking by, their front's easy to miss, just another pub. If you're in the mood for Irish fare, you'll do better elsewhere, but if you just want a burger or wings to go with your beer, they'll do.
Grub talk aside, you're here to indulge in libations. Have yourself a glass of mulled wine - perfect for cold weather - or knock back shots. Last I was here, we took down a mix of shots, including one named after a rat in a skull. Or something like that. The shots rabbit punched me in the liver, but missed my wallet; Dempsey's isn't cheap, but they're not terribly expensive, especially compared to other Manhattan drinkeries.Listed in: NYC Drinkeries
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Review from Queen L.
New York, NY
6/16/2011 3 photos
Pros:
- Live music Tuesdays.
- Great service and beer selection.
Cons:
-None.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Atmosphere:
I went here on a Tuesday night around 11pm and the place was very welcoming with LIVE Irish music. The music is what really made me curious to know what the place was all about and really gave a great feel to the place. (Live music every Tuesday). This place is filled with people of all ages.
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Service:
We sat outside since the weather was perfect. The service was great. Our waitress took our order with her Irish accent and we were followed up with constant greetings from other waitresses who were not serving our table, but still wanted to make sure that we were having a great time. We ordered spicy buffalo wings as a appetizer which was yummy and the skin had a little crisp to it. The beer that I chose was the Abita Purple haze which is a sweet fruity beer, oh so yum. My friends and I had a great time and even played "Black and Red" a beer game, an app that can be downloaded on the iPhone. Let the games begin!! =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note:
I give this place a 5, not for the food. I give it a 5 because of the great service and the live music.Listed in: Visiting New York?
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Review from Sasha B.
4/3/2011
I've had a few sunday fundays here. and I recently watched the Final Four games here last night.
Nicer, upscale Irish pub with a very friendly staff.
I've usually been able to secure a table here for 4-8 people on sunday for football fairly easily. If you're there at kickoff you should be fine.
You can beat the $15 buckets of 5 domestic bottles. I am a big Coors Light fan, so I love it. Add a small order of wings for $5.
The pub food is pretty good as well. Overall, a great place to watch a game and drink some beers and eat wings.
I was there from 530 - 1030 last night for both games and the bill was only $50/each with food and many buckets haha. -
Review from Carina C.
Jersey City, NJ
6/2/2011
The bartenders/servers are all pretty nice (and Irish). You can easily score a seat outside if you go early enough, but inside is not too bad. Last time I went, they played Jack Johnson nonstop (negative for me).
The food is decent. Nothing over the top or spectacular. They always seem to have different drink specials, which are worth while. Overall, it is a fun place to hang out with some friends. -
Review from Amal D.
2/6/2011
I had mixed feeling about this bar. We came here on a Sunday night so it was pretty empty and whoever was there were aged 40+. In come the kiddos (yours truly and fellow Yelper Lil Debz) all hyped up about the sign outside that read "$15 for 5 beers" and as budgeted as we were, that was a steal! Coors light handed to us in a bucket filled with ice and keeping our brews cold and ready to chill. Fast forward a bit, older guys were getting pretty drunk.....not good when you're the only young chicks in an empty bar on a Sunday night. You could just hear their who-am-I-guna-hit-on radars going off! Awwww damn! Besides the super drunk, Tiger Woods-looking soccer coach guy lecturing my friend and I about how we need to have a better attitude going into bars so guys can hit on us, it was definitely a good place. And it got MUCH better when those drunken old enough to be my dad guys left the pub.
As my friend knows, the music was definitely NOT my kind of tunes. The bartender asked me what I listened to (Sinatra girl all the way!!!) and a few minutes later, one of my fave Sinatra songs filled the room. Thanx Brendan! Awesome bartender by the way! -
Review from Debra E.
1/31/2011 2 photos
Ok.. music here is indie meets top 40 on weekends. But
Sunday they were blasting Phoenix, Klaxons and Arcade Fire.. Pretty much I could've played DJ because my Ipod had all that on there. At approx 8pm.. expect $15 for a bucket of 6 beers I think or 5?! Can't beat that.. either way. Food didn't try. But Brendan was awesome and he charged my cell for me and gave us tips for other restaurants. Didn't try the food but I would go there for a HH or Sunday chill day.. even a saturday perhaps. Tons of seating and the bathrooms aren't that bad. Oh yeah conveniently located near the F train!! -
Review from Giacomo C.
New York, NY
4/9/2011
I was here only for about an hour yesterday, but I loved the atmosphere and beer selection. It's a very relaxed place, where u can mingle with ur lover or a friend.
Hannah was very welcoming and made our stay memorable.
I need to get back here, especially during their wkend brunch, which I was told is pretty good!
:-) -
Review from vanessa v.
Portsmouth, NH
4/7/2011
During the World Cup extravaganza, I occasionally found myself at Dempsey's, whiskey in hand, at 8am. Along with about a thousand other unemployed, loud people. I went to a lot of bars for the Cup, but this was definitely the most die hard, obnoxious, and terrifying of them all. It was also beyond packed and seemed like the grungiest of all bars ever. When I saw them on the list for Yelp Drinks, my friend and I laughed about it... and then decided we wanted $3 whiskey.
We walked in yesterday and, lo and behold, it's actually a pretty nice bar when you can see the floor. The bartender was pleasant, the whole place smelled like delicious nachos, and I could actually carry on a conversation at a normal speaking volume. It's not really a dive bar, it's a bit too polished (and spacious) but it is an Irish pub, and I love me some Irish pubs.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll be back to Dempsey's. And not just for a few more $3 whiskeys tomorrow. -
Review from Ashley L.
Updated - 3/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Finally got to come back here and I was very pleased. Despite it being St. Patrick's Day and crowded the second time I came, I was easily able to get drinks at the bar.
+1 for ALL really friendly bartenders!
+1 for $7 Smithwicks pints and $6 well-drinks ($10 irish car bombs)
Bathrooms are small and there was a line...but everything else makes up for that1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/9/2010
I was pretty buzzed by the time I got here but it was pretty quiet on a Thursday night around 1 am.… Read more »
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Review from Jill M.
Manhattan, NY
2/28/2011
Went last night (Sunday 8pm-ish) for Oscars and the Knicks game. Very cozy and comfy.
The bartender was sweet, if a little too busy, and the food was actually really good. It was a Sunday, but it still struck me as pretty empty for Oscar night. They had a bunch of big TVs, and we had a really good time watching both the Knicks and the Oscars.
$10 for a beer and a burger. Pretty unbelievable. With a good beer, the burger and fries came out to $4, and looked like something that should cost at least double that. Chicken fingers were awesome.
I'm going back. -
Review from Heather M.
New York, NY
3/25/2011
Came here on a cold, wintery March night. Walked into a spirited group of musicians playing Irish fiddle tunes. Fun! Created a great atmosphere, apparently they do it every Tuesday night, no fee, and anyone can play with them (hopefully only decent musicians attempt this.)
We sat at the back and drank our dranks. To be honest, the cocktails were subpar at best. I had a margarita that was so and so and some horrid Vodka Pom drink that really had no flavor. I guess the drinks were stiff but I expected more from $12 cocktails.
Plus it was extremely hot inside even though there weren't that many people. Think they could have turned down the heat as it was pretty intolerable. Wouldn't probably come here again unless I want to hear music. -
Review from Jackie W.
Richmond, VA
1/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
How did I end up here? That's usually what I say at the END Of the night. Or the morning...
But I digress.
A friend of mine told me about this pub crawl... We didn't really make the whole crawl. Just to Dempsey's. Why we picked this place? It matched the time we were planning to go out.
Needless to say, the drinks were fair priced and the bartender smiled. That in itself was enough to me to give this place 2 thumbs up. If I drank more in the city, I would drink more here. -
Review from Alice C.
11/14/2010 1 photo
A good, chill bar with very reasonably priced drinks.
Pretty quiet on weekday nights, with sports or something playing on the TV. The place is a lot fuller on the weekend, though it hasn't been too ridiculously packed when I've been. Seats at the bar, and a table or two (or three?) as well.
Overall, the best part is that it's cheap and chill, without being grungy at all. -
Review from Joseph H.
Brooklyn, NY
11/2/2010
We stopped into Dempsey's on a Monday night. A good friend of mine just moved to the east village so we were bar hopping. We ended up getting stuck here for the rest of the night.service was great and attentive. Drinks were very reasonable my bill was $30 bucks for 3 goose n sodas and 2 jameson neat.
There was a going away party for an Irish couple and as if out of nowhere a guy appeared behind me singing Irish drinking songs and some other well known hits. Three different guys grab the guitar and jammed for about 3 hours. Amazing NYC moment and I m glad I was a part of it.
This might be the new local bar when im in the east village. -
Review from Krys K.
Manhattan, NY
8/24/2011
clear views of TVs, outdoor area, food was cheap, pitchers of sam adams, and solid trivia(wednesdays) - awesome
The place was divey but good divey, not a dump. Apparantly clint dempsey's bar, which explained the soccer on TV. -
Review from Lauren M.
Brooklyn, NY
8/27/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Dempsey's Pub is your standard Irish Pub. They have good specials, good food, and a fun atmosphere. I've been here a couple of times for trivia, which is always fun. Get there early and spend the extra time thinking of a creative and witty team name, you can even win a prize for that!
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Review from Tina C.
4/19/2010 3 photos
In continuation of mingling to expand my network as a prolific poet writer I came here with my newfound fellow prolific poets/friends for dinner and drinks. At the rear of this pub houses one pool table. Yet to my complete utter dismayal Dempsey was really a let down for the very limited food options and over-priced cocktail drinks. The renowned ethnic Irish entrées of: Irish stew; skirts and kidneys; soda bread boxty, coddle, and colcannon were disappointedly not listed on the menu. As a typical pub, despite of not having any relations to Irish culture, Dempsey's does not offer Shepherd's Pie. Service was slow to somewhat inattentive as the cook or chef botched on a chicken entrée for dryness which hardened and lack taste inedible for a newfound fellow poet/friend, which the complaint reversed to a come-back of a substitute burger.
Irish Rogue in the Theater District is a far much better Irish pub with the whole nine yards options for food and drinks. The music did not have Enya or U2 but soft mellow Celtic music. Thankfully Guinness was proudly served at Dempsey's yet when inquiring for Irish Car Bomb shots the waitress ignored my order requests or pass off for lack of knowledge of what it entails. -
Review from J O.
New York, NY
2/15/2007
I have a confession to make: I love getting tipsy in the afternoon. Not frequently, and not because I'm a lush, but just because I take great pleasure in doing things I feel I shouldn't be doing.
Yesterday, due to the snow, our office closed at three, leaving me three hours to hang around the city until my hair appointment at 6 pm. My first thought was to have a coffee, until I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to get tipsy in the afternoon. Hurrah!
I happened upon Dempsey's haphazardly and entered because of their advertised two-for-one happy hour. I was one of two customers and the only woman in the place. But for $4 I was able to stay warm for an hour, get tipsy on two pints of their own beer, listen to old men with heavy New York accents tell jokes (always fun for a girl from Ohio), and eat free day-old Dean & Deluca sushi (cooked) given me by the only other customer. He said he gets it the night they're getting rid of it because he works next door and he keeps it refrigerated. Didn't make me sick, anyway. He's at Dempsey's almost every afternoon, so if you're feeling lucky, stop by around 4 pm for some free old sushi and good beer. -
Review from Andrew M.
New York, NY
5/18/2008 ROTD 10/29/2008
I'm afraid I'm going to have to dump a bit on Dempsey's, in spite of the love fest that precedes me. I'll start with a few brief remarks on the food and drink, and then comment on the Friday evening scene a bit.
The menu is fairly decent with a fair array of pub fare. The prices are also pretty reasonable, so these are good things. I ordered the quesadillas, mentioned by some below. The good part of the quesadillas is that the portion is pretty generous. Most places give you just one tortilla filled with cheese and other items. Dempsey's, however, provides two and it's under ten dollars. The quesadillas also come with three additional toppings to work with: guacamole, pico, and some sauce. All in all, this is actually a decent offering as either a large appetizer that you might split, or as a meal itself. On the downside, I felt like the flavor was a little lacking. Not bad, just not there at all.
That sort of typifies the menu in general, in my opinion. As a general proposition, "pub grub" and "unexciting" food sort of go hand in hand and that's not necessarily the worst thing in the world. Perhaps this is a little unfair, but I tend to expect slightly above average food from Irish pubs as compared to typical bar food offerings. I'm not sure why, perhaps it's because a number of Irish pubs have a slightly more restaurant feel to them and the kitchen offerings are accordingly a slight step up. Dempsey's, I think, is fairly typical bar food and perhaps a step below what you can get at some other Irish pubs.
The beer offerings are solid, if standard, Irish pub fare. I like something a little lighter and crisper when I'm eating stuff like quesadillas, so it was Harp for me the other night. But they have the usual array of Guinness (of course), Smithwick's, a few required crappy American macros, and a couple others to round out the taps. So that's fine. The bartenders were pleasant and friendly, if a little slow on the uptake when it came to keeping my tipple topped off.
On food and drink alone, Dempsey's is a perfectly good, if mostly unremarkable bar. A good place to go on any given evening (or afternoon if you're ducking out of work or class) and the prices aren't unreasonable so it'll be a bit easier on your wallet than many East Village options (save perhaps, Cheap Shots, if that's your sort of thing).
Returning to the crowd, and one reason that I'm knocking it a bit, owes less to Dempsey's itself and more to the "scene," such as there is. I was prepared to weep for humanity after watching the tragicomedy of human interaction taking place. A curious mix of obnoxious students, fratty 20-somethings, and prowling cougars populates Dempsey's on busy evenings. The intoxicated woman in her mid 30s sitting next to me was being physically compelled by her married friend to kiss the bartender, even though she didn't want to, which I thought might actually happen for a minute (the married woman did the honors herself an hour or two later). Interpersonal drama ensues. The former was also loudly encouraged by the guys sitting on my right to "show your tits." I actually thought this might happen as well; not quite. Girls Gone Wild: The Later Years.
A couple of the guys were law students, which explains their clever offers of pro bono work. Get it? Pro bono? A lousy pun that wasn't funny the first time got played out in several variations over the course of about five minutes. I wanted to puncture my eardrums with a pen: it would have been less painful. Perhaps this experience also helps to explain a recent article suggesting that lawyers no longer hold the social esteem or class once conferred by their profession. Although anyone who has spent significant time interacting with law students won't be surprised: we've known this for years.
This sort of thing might actually be desirable to some. Perhaps you read my description and think "that sounds awesome" and in that case, I suppose you can just upgrade my rating to four stars and plan accordingly. Realistically, I don't actually mind going to Dempsey's from time to time, but the busy evenings are, well, ridiculous. And maybe that's not so bad sometimes either. -
Review from Jason C.
New York, NY
10/18/2006
So its a pub. I went with some friends for a little bar trivia on Wednesday, and learned this, "we will not win, ever." They've got some hard core trivia types in there, and despite being a fairly coherent, over-educated group of four, we came in fourth (out of ten.) That's right, slightly above the mean....er, median.
But eyeing our competition tells the whole story, there were tables of 7 or 8 (good luck splitting the prize, folks) and then the table of trivia superheros sitting front and center. The Dow opened at $39.18 (back in 1896) and you 'guessed' $40? the only way I'm that smart is with an internet connection near by, and even that comes up short sometimes. Oh, and pitchers of Yuengling are $15. -
Review from Kevin A.
3/2/2007
WARM PUBBY GOODNESS
Dempsey's is one of my favorite East Village Pubs. It's a great place to grab a pint and throw some darts. Bring your A-game though, because there's only one board and you'll likely have to challenge the current occupant. -
Review from Brooke J.
Wantagh, NY
7/11/2011
I went this passed Saturday to celebrate my birthday with friends. It was disgustingly hot and absolutely no a/c. It was not fun at all. I would definitely not go back here. The drinks were okay.. but the ambiance was terrible. Would not recommend this place at all.
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Review from Dan S.
Brooklyn, NY
10/2/2008
We hit this place for the first time after celebrating my birthday with dinner at Brick Lane and enjoyed it. Although we weren't even aware that it was Trivia Night, so the place was completely packed. We also didn't know that said Trivia Night started at 7:30, so when we were given forms to fill in the answers, we were already a good 20-30 points behind everyone else.
But that's alright because we will definitely be back at Dempsey's for trivia. It is a fun atmosphere and the trivia participants are really, REALLY competitive. I mean down to the point where they pack trivia books with them! Maybe we'll get a consolation prize at some point.
Anyway, to back up what cass said, the part about this place that is especially good is the fact that you can get pitchers. It really can be hard to find a nice, comfortable place like this where you can just plunk down $15 for a pitcher of Yuengling and you are good for the rest of the night, so if that's your thing, you should definitely come here.
I didn't try the food, I assume it's typical pub fare (the fries seemed popular), they have a pool table and a dartboard and they have plenty of TV's and I believe they show NFL Sunday Ticket, so that's something to keep in mind for the weekends.
Overall it's a pretty sharp crowd who goes there and it's a good place to just take it easy and not have to pay Midtown prices for drinks. -
Review from Ian R.
Long Island City, NY
8/21/2007
What a wonderful pub!
Dempsey's was just recently renovated and still reeks of varnish which is the only slightly negative thing I can comment on(thought I happen to enjoy the smell myself).
The beer selection is great, including their own delicious beer brewed by Red Hook brewery .
The service is out of this world, including an incredibly friendly and attentive waitress who is very generous with the comps and seems to remember everything thrown at her.
The seating is ample, the vibe is friendly and the crowd is young.
It may be just a pub, but for those of us who love pubs, this one is a gem.Listed in: No Happy Hour Required., Shhh...
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Review from Amy S.
Brooklyn, NY
9/23/2006
I usually avoid the East Village on a Saturday but I hit a pals B-day bash here and I was not impressed...well actually the $3 PBR in bottles did impress me but the white-bread crowd did not! A dude was actually wearing a bow tie.
Anyway as far as Irish pubs go, I found this place to be boring but we did get a table on a Saturday night so I cannot complain too much. -
Review from Preeti B.
Brooklyn, NY
5/27/2008
This place is always a riot; it seems to attract such a random mix of people, which makes for a lot of comedy. If you need a meeting place in the EV, close to the train -- this is your joint! There are plenty of TVs to catch games at the bar and in the back out of the way. I must say that I liked the bar better when you could order in any food from the hood, before they opened their own kitchen. Greasy bar food is not my thing though...
Oh, and I agree with one of the postings, a few of the bartenders are a bit "skeaz-i-flirty" (especially the ones working late). But, hey - that could be a good or bad thing, depending on what you're lookin for, ladies! :-P
Nevertheless, I pop in every few months to meet friends for a few beers and a ton of laughs! -
Review from Anna L.
Astoria, NY
2/12/2008
I absolutely love Irish pubs. Especially, dark, lively one with a great selection of beer and cute bartenders charming you with their sexy accents. None of that beer pong loving, popped collar sporting young crowd from New Jersey on a Saturday night, please.
Dempsey's has everything I want from a bar. It became my favorite place after beloved Rocky Sullivan's, where I accomplished most of my under-aged drinking back in the day and grew tremendously as a person (or an alcoholic), closed down in August of 2007.
Recently, their kitchen reopened. And while they don't have a wide selection of dishes, what they do have is delicious. Mmmmm, sweet potato fries!! More importantly, they have a great happy hour during weekdays. 4-8 pm buy one get one free on draft beers. Come on now, two pints of Yuengling for $5 (and tip) in the East Village is a great deal! -
Review from Aileen M.
Brooklyn, NY
6/19/2011
Always a good time at Dempsey's. They have an abundant selection of bar food and drinks at a good price. There's always room somewhere, even on a Friday night. The nachos and french fries come in this huge bowl, the never- ending serving can easily fill up the drunks.
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Review from Amanda S.
Brooklyn, NY
10/13/2009 7 Check-ins Here
One of my favorite bars, honestly.
Where can you go, where after a few weeks of coming in on trivia night, the waitress sees you walk in and immediately has a cold beer waiting for you at your regular table before you even have a chance to sit down?
If we miss a week and come in, she greets us like we're her long-lost relative.
Happy hour consists of buy one, get one free beers, they play good music, have great trivia on Wednesday nights (even though Janet is ridiculous-if you've been, you know what I'm talking about), have an incredibly friendly staff, and they have great food.
$5 gets you a giant basket of crispy fries served with three different dipping sauces, which is always our go-to food. The sliders are also great, as well as the macaroni and cheese.
Just a solid, great bar, fun to hang out and just chill. I recommend weeknights, though. Weekends can get a little crowded and annoying. Weeknights are definitely more low key.Listed in: Somebody's Watching Me...
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Review from Ilan M.
Manhattan, NY
5/28/2011
I was here with two groups of friends, one left and magically the other appeared. With the first group of 6 people, we had 6 pitchers between us, and with the second group I only had 1 pint. This place is fine, nothing special, typical pub with pub beer and a small selection of craft beer. At $6 a pint, sitting outside, peopling watching on wonderful 2nd avenue, I was in a good place. The only problem with my experience was one of my glasses was chipped. No big deal as the waitress replaced it for me without hesitation. She did offer to pour my remaining beer from the chipped glass into the new one (which I thought was odd - maybe she didn't understand why I wanted a new glass to begin with), but I told her I rather not. No biggie.
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Review from Abigail M.
Brooklyn, NY
4/1/2009
So the website says: "Everyday from 4pm - 7:45pm except Saterday [sic] and Sunday enjoy Happy Hour buy-one-get-one and on your second round get a free bowl of fries."
The buy-one-get-one-free deal is real, however the free fries is apparently only on Thursdays and Fridays. However, the bowls are huge and pretty cheap, $5, for the amount you get out so it doesn't hurt too much to buy your own (especially since you're getting a free (or half-priced, depending on how you look at it) beer). But false advertising still sucks.
The website also says: "Tuesdays: Enjoy traditional live irish music at 8:00pm. All musicians are welcome."
This is true, actually. And there were tons of musicians, most of them with Bodhrans. I'm not a connoisseur of Irish music, but I did recognize the song that was playing during the steerage party in "Titanic." (Are you noticing a trend of me liking some savagely cheesy movies/tv?). It was fun background music for carousing.
There are plenty of places to sit. I recommend the alcove near the Employee's Only door. Especially the wall opposite said door, it vibrates (I think from the hand-dryer in the men's bathroom). And what Irish bar would be complete without bartenders with accents? None, I tell you.
