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Don Pedro
Rating Details »
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side90 Manhattan Ave
(between Boerum St & Mckibbin St)
Brooklyn, NY 11206
(718) 218-6914
- Nearest Transit:
-
Lorimer St (J, M)
Montrose Ave (L)
Broadway (G)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
9 reviews for Don Pedro
Yes, the music does sound like its being amplified through a transistor radio. Yes, the drinks are made with something just this side of butane. Of course the food isn't top-notch. The service is almost deliberately terrible and last time I was there the bartenderess took time out of her busy texting schedule to snub me in front of my friends. I will add that the naugahyde booths are perpetually kind of skanky, the doormen seem humorless, and that I'm always fairly certain the cops are going to bust the place at any minute. I frankly don't think the word "ambiance" has any business being on the same block as Don Pedro. And it's as close to heaven as any place in East Williamsburg comes.
If you want to be comfortable and sip professionally mixed drinks and listen to music that is appropriately amplified, you should go to Duck Duck or Sweet Ups. But if you want to take a chance on getting your soul saved by the blistering out-of-control rage machine that is rock and roll and cheap booze, or if you want a fresh plate of $2 flautas, then join me at Don Pedro any Friday night. We'll get saved together.
Don Pedro is cornering the market on places that feel like dive bar storage rooms, and it's kind of awesome. The front bar is nice and pours a strong cocktail - friends were asking them to be diluted if you can believe that. I had a couple drinkable bar wines at a mere $5 each, the bottle was fresh.
The back room is complete with punishing obstacles at groin and shin height that go unseen in the dark. They are mostly chairs and daytime accoutrements crammed to the sides, but there may have been a dwarf or two cavorting about and gesticulating wildly in inconvenient places.
The sound was decent enough and I like that the crowd is inherently forced to be near the stage. I thought I saw Ric Ocasek there, but then I was also drinking too much 5 dollar wine. I hope to see more intimate shows there soon, and so should you.
I love music. I love dive bars with small stages that cater to the no-name bands of their city. I love going to watch a startup trying to make it big by playing their heart out to a crowd of 4 people.
And I'm not usually picky about the venue...in fact, pretty much never. It's a dive music hall...what more do you really need out of it than the fact that it delivers music?
Don Pedro's I guess somehow sunk below that low bar.
*Bathrooms: there was a designated women's room but guys, including those that worked at Don's, were freely using it at their will.
*Music: the venue just didn't hold the sound very well. Overall it was too loud or there was an echo that bounced back a sort-of 'twang' to every note.
*Crazy woman at door: she was more entertainment than anything...but definitely high on something.
Bar: Not a large selection of beer, which I feel would be sold the most.
What I didn't mind: the eclectic decorator who chose album covers and music posters to throw up on the wood walls, the friendly bartender, the no cover if on guest list (be careful with the crazy on this one), the hipster vibe, the chill atmosphere.
Also slightly out of the way from public T, and kind of in the middle of nowhere.
Don Pedro's held some fantastic shows in the past...not for a while...we'll see what happens with that. But I saw some of the best bands around here.
Okay, wait. Nevermind what I have to say. Robert Pollard set foot in this (now) institution. He remained here for a couple of hours. Yes, he left early. But, whoa. And he's getting up there, you know.
Love the dank, smoky basement. Watch the dripping pipes overhead.
And this is weird, but I always got a kick out of the scantily-clad, oversexed, never poured a drink/popped a bottle cap bartendresses. It's okay, girls. You're having good times being oggled. I'll wait.
I liked Don Pedro.
Went to see my good friend play a few weeks ago. Youre very close to the band but its intimate, not awkward.The sound was decent. You could also sit at the bar, or the seating across from the bar, in the first room. Drinks were fair enough $7 Makers Mark. Lost a star for not being close enough to the subway.
Came here for a friend's show this past weekend and I was really disappointed. The ambience was fine but the drinks were terrible. I wasn't expecting much but they were the most awful I've ever had, save the night of free whiskey at 205. Both my rum and coke and my friend's gin and tonic were nearly undrinkable. I have no idea what they used, but damn. It must be the cheapest alcohol on the block, and I'm really not picky. I would have been much happier ordering a PBR, at least I know what I'm getting.
OK, I know you're supposed to suffer for your art..but even for inane over-the-bridge "hey, we wear leg warmers..only on our arms! crazy!" mentality, they take all the "vice" out of "service" here. Going here for your drinking wants (or needs, if you're an alcoholic) is like going to the mob for your imported extra virgin olive oil. The bands usually more than make up for the "hey, no..for real..over here..I've got a ten-spot for you oh high and mighty bartender" selective blindness, but I wouldn't even call it a "dive bar"..it's more like an awesome place to see garage bands and loud crazy rock that happens to have a collection of cold PBR cans for sale. Usually, a smuggled 22oz. from the friendly neighborhood bodega will solve this issue, but on this particular night we arrived early to buy some records at Crypt down the street, only to find they'd closed shop, so after some Cuban food, we ended up parked right at the bar, on the high van couch type thing at the end. Our first round of the "gut rot" special...can of Pabst and well shot of whiskey for an Abe Lincoln, went fairly well..and a generous 40% tip was left to make sure he remembered us. Unfortunately, it seems that there were more bartenders than patrons that night..and he disappeared, only to be replaced by Ms. Tattooed Party dress who had a mouth that rivaled the PA for loudness. "OH MY GOD, REALLY??!!" was exclaimed no less than ten times during our stint at the bar as her Williamsburg pals regaled her with tales of whatever passes for gossip these days. At one point, she actually came over to us, put a chair down, and sat two feet away with her back to us and put her feet up on the beer cooler (we'd been trying to get round two for twelve minutes, without being blatant "HEY BARTENDER!" assholes about it)..Wonder Deb finally said *ahem* "I'm not getting drunk off this empty can" and she spun around and said, and I quote "oh, it's dark over here and I didn't see you..just get my attention next time you guys want a drink"...we still tipped her, on top of the money we had already put out for the long lost bartender #1, and she half-squealed "wow, is this for me?!? All of this?". No doll, the tiny cartoon daggers coming out our eyeballs were for you. All of 'em.
I came here for a metal show once. The music was good, people rockin'everywhere, and after a few beers, I didn't manage to retain that much else.
I had just come here after a day of interviewing, so I forgot my folder with my resume's by accident. The next day, they actually called me to let me know they kept it for me to pick up. Extra points for that!
Spanish restaurant by day, hipster hole by night. With a good sized performance room, $3 brews, and a smoky basement (plus a front bar area with room to sit), this is a thoroughly decent place to see a show. Of course, you have to trek to East Williamsburg and enjoy Todd P productions. Not to mention the risk of your legs being cut up by an ill-placed rusty bucket. Guess those are the breaks when you're being all hip, though. Good times!
