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McSorley's Old Ale House

4 star rating
based on 315 reviews

Categories: Dive Bars, Breweries  [Edit]

Neighborhood: East Village
15 E 7th St
(between Cooper Sq & Taras Shevchenko Pl)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 473-9148
Nearest Transit:

Astor Place (6)

8th St-Broadway (R, W)

3rd Ave-14th St (L)

Parking:
Street
Accepts Credit Cards:
No
Price Range:
$
Good for Groups:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
No
Outdoor Seating:
No
Music:
Juke Box
Best Nights:
Tue, Thu, Sat
Happy Hour:
No
Alcohol:
Beer & Wine Only
Smoking:
No
Coat Check:
No
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3.5 star rating
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Neighborhood:
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"This place is awesome.......its so NYC i almost dont want to promote it so it can stay the way it is.... i would go here if the place was 1…" read more »

315 reviews for McSorley's Old Ale House

Review Highlights   

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"It's an awesome concept, your choices are light or dark beer." (in 118 reviews)
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"Great beer, Great Food and the BEST service in NYC." (in 203 reviews)
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"Since this is the oldest bar in NYC I had to check it out." (in 49 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of Thomas O.

 

0

9

Thomas O.

Arlington, VA

5 star rating
11/29/2009

Usually when people try to find ways to connect with the many generations past that fill up the history of humanity, they go with silly stuff like "love" or "hope" or "industry" or "community." All that's plenty noble, but McSorley's is proof positive that the most obvious thread connecting us to our forebears is the stone-cold belief that every celebration and lamentation demands beer.

Serving up the proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy since 1854, and even letting women bask in God's love since 1970, The ghosts of benders past hang conspicuously in the air here. And why not drink to the dreams fulfilled and broken that have brought us all to this point? If there isn't wisdom, there's at least solace.

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Photo of Javier W.

 

0

13

Javier W.

New York, NY

4 star rating
11/27/2009

This is possibly the oldest bar in NYC. My buddy used to drink here often while attending NYU. He introduced me and I have to say this place is great! There are only two choices of drinks, lite beer or dark beer-all house brewed. The beer is great and you receive two smallish mugs with each order.

They have a couple of sandwiches as well as cheese, cold cuts and crackers for a small price.

I could stay here for hours. The customers here all seem to be in a great mood and they are not your typical Yelper(think they know service/cuisine but never worked and/or studied the industry and falsify their experiences)but people just ready to enjoy beer and history.

A must see if in the area.

Case Closed! " The Arbitrator "

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Elite '09

36

143

Daniel C.

Ventnor City, NJ

2 star rating
11/8/2009

Sorry...I just don't get it.  

I like that the bar has history...I get the concept of simplicity in having only two kinds of beer.  I just don't get why people think this is some kind of "bar heaven".

First...the place is packed to the gills.  Second....it's packed to the gills with meatheads, chest-bumpers & high-fivers.

The beer?  It's just not that good.  On top of that, my bartender was pouring them TERRIBLY.  EVERY beer was half foam.  So, with the tiny mugs they give you....and half of the beer being foam...you get roughly three mouthfuls of beer per mug.

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0

3

Matt M.

Columbia, SC

5 star rating
11/29/2009

If you're looking for a "real" drinking experience, McSorley's is your place.  From the sawdust on the floor, the coal burning stove, to the original tables and bar, you half expect Abraham Lincoln himself  to walk through the front door and ask for a "light." Fantastic.

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Photo of doreen d.

 

7

98

doreen d.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
11/13/2009

Lame on the weekend. Lame during the week.  Tools standing around confused and stupid. I have had many fun nights when it has not been packed, but unsure when that is anymore. This previously fun dive bar is now way too much of a tourist, tool magnet, hot spot.

2 Dark beer and out!

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Photo of Jonathan L.

 

3

45

Jonathan L.

Closter, NJ

3 star rating
11/26/2009

I am a huge proponent of McSorely's and will be coming back here many times. There is really no reason to describe the bar as I can imagine the other 300 reviews took care of it. I can say, however, that I am digging the sawdust everywhere and I am intrigued by the fact that women weren't allowed up until a few decades ago. It's one of the oldest in NYC and it definitely shows. A simple menu and a simple idea come together for what appears to be a gold mine. I can see why people enjoy it, but I just don't see it as some sort of an oasis in a city packed with bars of every kind. It is also unfortunate that I discovered this place so late in the game and I'm sure I come off as one of the new tourists that the regulars are complaining about. oops?

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Photo of Nutster H.

 

3

38

Nutster H.

Detroit, MI

4 star rating
11/4/2009

I would not call McSorleys a dive bar by any stretch of the imagination. The sawdust on the floor persona might persuade some to call it a dive bar, but the place is jam packed at all times.

If you are not drinking at lightning speed, you will be kicked out and replaced by someone who can!!

McSorleys is a must experience, even if it is to come in and slam 6 beers! A great way to get the ball rolling....so to speak!

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0

9

Carl H.

Piscataway, NJ

5 star rating
10/28/2009

SOMETIMES KEEPING IT SIMPLE IS THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT

ITs been around for a million years - ok maybe T-Rex didn't have a drink here, and maybe Eve didn't wash down that rib from Adam* with a Dark Ale, but it's been a historic staple since before prohibition.

The choices are simple - Light OR Dark?  No fruity shots, no swizzle sticks, no uptown drinks with some star-of-the-moment name.
Just Beer... all be it DAMN GOOD BEER!
Served two at a time and by the round, it's the place you go with friends to rehash old memories while creating new ones.
For such a simple place, it's so homey that you can drink here for hours, or until the beer-tender brings you cheeseburgers because just like Mom, he knows when you need to eat.

Hot Mustard with Onions Cheese and Crackers... MMMMmmm - I just drooled on the keyboard.  

An iconic NY Landmark if there ever was one.  Enjoy a few pints, or gallons if you're like me and buck the metric system...
Enjoy a day at McSorley's but don't touch the dust on the chandeliers or you will get thrown out and in good ole Irish fashion you might lose a few teeth too!

*footnote - Eve could not have had a drink here because women were not even allowed in the place until the late 70's.  Ahhh the original Man Cave.

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Photo of Steele F.

Elite '09

9

98

Steele F.

New York, NY

4 star rating
10/26/2009

McSorley's is one of those places that gets a free pass because of its history. Much like Old Yankee Stadium, the memories and ghosts of the place are much better than the actual location, though this isn't ENTIRELY fair at McSorley's. In fact, aside from the suits and meatheads to pack the bar, there is a lot to like about this place.

First of all, know that there are only two beers on tap here: light and dark. Sawdust covers the floor, it's usually jammed, and everything that you can touch usually has at least a light coating of grime and sometimes full-on gumminess. The bartenders have attitude, too, so make sure you know your drink order BEFORE they're trying to explain the difference between a vodka and gin martini. These might seem like negatives, but they are what makes the bar fun: this is what going to a corner bar SHOULD be like. Buy a few drinks, talk with some of the regulars, let your hair down. It's a fun place to be, though not the Valhalla of Irish drinking that some make it out to be.

BEER SELECTION: Two. If you want variety, try the liquor.
SERVICE: Surly and rude. Just like it should be.

Go early or go late. If you go during prime-time, you will wait up to half an hour for your drink.

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19

24

Alicia P.

Altamonte Springs, FL

5 star rating
10/7/2009

Ladies: This is THE review of McSorley's you MUST read.

They didn't allow women into this establishment until they had to. It's 150 yrs old and it wasn't until the 1970's that they finally let the ladies in. While we're more than welcome now,... it was NOT always the case.

Here is why this review MUST BE READ: The ladies bathroom is in the back, on the right, behind a completely unmarked door. The door that says it's the bathroom is for the men. Men will sit at the table infront of the bathroom and watch first-time unsuspecting women walk into the men's room, yelling "GO RIGHT, GO RIGHT" and laughing hysterically if you don't.

It IS funny, but if you want to spare yourself a good moment of blushing and the possibility of seeing some guy trying to relieve himself, you will want to go to the right.  

Oh yeah, and the beer is good. Go there!

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Elite '09

8

113

Erik M.

Seattle, WA

4 star rating
10/2/2009

Tucked away in the heart of a neighborhood that is continually reinventing itself, this 150 year-old saloon is the real deal.  I met some friends here last night for some after work libations, and what can you say about a place that's been in continuous operation since the mid 1800s.  Abe Lincoln visited McSorley's.  It's that old.  It's also dirty, a little smelly, and completely authentic.

McSorley's has their own beer: light or dark, and they come two at a time in little mugs delivered by middle-aged men wearing traditional barman's smocks who have are friendly but clearly will not settle for any shenanigans.  The sawdust on the floor absorbs spills and spit (probably less spit these days), and the walls are a veritable museum of local and national events spanning the last century and a half.  The chandelier over the bar probably hasn't been dusted since it was installed but nobody bellied up to the bar seemed worried about any of the crust and fuzz falling in their beer.

There's an operational coal-burning stove in the front room, and there was a resident cat playing with scraps of napkins as regulars stooped down to scratch its head.  The men's room has a massive porcelain urinal with three basins the size of small bathtubs.

McSorley's is on my must-visit list the next time I'm in the city, and I'm definitely hitting it later in the evening to experience the shoulder-to-shoulder madness.  I apologize in advance to the regulars when I drag my tourist(ish) self back through those swinging doors.  I promise I won't drink all of your beer or make a mess of the place.

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Elite '09

10

49

Stephanie M.

Philadelphia, PA

3 star rating
11/10/2009

Well, if there wasn't a line and the place wasn't packed every time I walked by, this might be my sort of place. For historical purposes, it's worth a visit or two every now and then. If you do wander in, there are only two kinds of beer - light and dark (I prefer the dark) - and served two at a time (the mugs are small). FYI, the service is on the rude side, so if that bothers you, this might not be a good place for you.

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Photo of Suzanne G.

Elite '09

63

199

Suzanne G.

New York, NY

4 star rating
10/13/2009

This is a crazy place!

It's pretty crowded, and the random decor is covered with dust, but it's so much fun!

The two kinds of beer they serve (light and dark) are both delicious, but I have no idea how they calculate the tabs. I came here with a large group on a Saturday night, and surprisingly the manager found us a huge table to sit at. He kept bringing us armloads of beers at random until we asked for the bill. He gave us a sheet of paper with just a dollar amount on it... who knows how many beers we had! It wasn't super expensive, so we were fine with it, but it just seems a bit strange.

It's definitely a fun place to bring out-of-towners... there is no other place like McSorely's!

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5

78

Regina L.

Sunnyvale, CA

5 star rating
10/15/2009

There is nothing about this place that I don't like.  Cheap drinks and sawdust all over the floor.  Everything is sticky to the touch, and makes me feel like I'm at home.

I've been here a few times to meet a friend, and it's a great place.  I just want to cozy up in a corner and get hammered until I can't feel feelings!

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Photo of Laura A.

Elite '09

99

122

Laura A.

New York, NY

3 star rating
9/15/2009

Lets say that I haven't see you just wash what will became my 2 jars of beer, in one of the huge barrel full of...  clean water?

that you just dry it with "that" Kitchen towel.

Lets say that I skip the fact that I can not move

that I can not talk... just jell

that I can not hear .. I'm just being jelled

that there is no music.

Lets say that I really like the beer. I do.

the black one

that I got 2 with 1 order.

Lets say that you guys are funny, friendly and nice.

Lets say that the prices are same as in 1854.

And lets say that I'm living in 1880, wild wild West(-East)....and that I am in the most popular "club" of the city.

Lets say that sometimes I can go to McSorley's.

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Photo of Devin O.

 

7

20

Devin O.

Austin, TX

5 star rating
10/7/2009

McSorley is definitely one of my favorite bars.  If anyone ever visits the city, I tell them this is one of the places they have to hit before they go.

My one and only experience with them was awesome.  I spent the day half-lost, trudging through downpour and got message from a friend who I hadn't seen in a few years, to meet him and another buddy there.  This place was just what I needed.  Cheap great beer in tiny mugs, warmth, tough-love hospitality, history and complimentary cheese, crackers and onions.

If I lived next to the place, I think I'd turn into an overweight alcoholic.

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0

5

David R.

Bellingham, WA

4 star rating
10/13/2009

Officially went towards the top of my favorites list. I love the atmosphere. and how could you beat the history.

I went with my sister, brother in law and girlfriend. We got off on a bad foot by sitting and then going up to the bar and trying to order. Before we could get a hello out of our mouths we were told to sit down. Then the guy came over and asked what we wanted to drink. My brother in law finished us off with a "What kind of IPA's do you have?".

 I figure there are acceptable and unacceptable type's of rudeness.
Where I live in Bellingham WA you get arrogant the unacceptable, arrogant, hipster rudeness. At McSorleys you get the acceptable "this is a bar that has survived since 1854, so deal with what you get or kick rocks" type of rudeness.

 The beer selection is light and dark. I liked the light more then the dark. 2 small mugs makes 1 serving. The cheese and crackers consist of cut up cheese, thinly sliced onions and a package of saltines.

 I'm looking forward to the day when I get to go back.

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Elite '09

77

347

Andreas H.

New York, NY

4 star rating
9/7/2009

So I have lived in the city for only 3 months and I decided it was about time to visit McSorley's.  Since I had a few buddies in from out of town, it seemed like the time.

The Superb:  One of the most friendly, funny, and genuinely NICE bartenders I have ever encountered.  Decent beer at great prices.  The atmosphere and history of this place is simply fantastic and it makes you wonder how many hundreds of thousands of beers have been consumed there.  Everything is wooden, there's sawdust on the floor, and dust on the chandelier.  I loved it.

The Average:  Full of tourists.  Yes, I suppose I was one too, but there were wayyyy to many "gawkers" who were in the way and not drinking anything.

I will definitely be back, but this time not on a holiday weekend.

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27

48

Victoria D.

North Beach, San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
9/30/2009

Standing next to a darling man that looks like JFK....sliding my feet on sawdust, loving every minute of this place. and again, EXACTYL what I was waniting during my trip. Cute males, awesome beer tenders, very very old charm, conversation with a total stranger that ends up with a huge hug and a kiss.
I swear I am getting an apt.  here!
LOVE YOU  and THANK YOU !!

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Photo of kelvin L.

 

9

94

kelvin L.

Brooklyn, NY

4 star rating
9/14/2009

Not still the same but when you get people in a tight space who love to drink it makes for a great ambiance even though the beer is less than stellar "artois".

Pros no wait for the toilets
Cons Impossible to move around and the hygiene of their mug washing technique

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Elite '09

33

94

Erica F.

New York, NY

4 star rating
9/18/2009

It seems that this place is never not packed. Every day I try to go there I go an hour earlier than last time, and it's still packed!
My boyfriend and I finally decided to just suck it up after all we'd heard of the past and present. It was maybe 4pm and the place was packed, but some of the people outside warmly urged us to go in anyways.
It was coincidentally 9/11and the bar was packed with Navy, Army, Fire, Police and Out of Towner men and women, and retirees of all the above. There were bag pipers, the retired fire men biker gang.... and us.
It was actually a really enjoyable atmosphere. Everyone was happy, lots of hugs and laughs.

It was nearly impossible to get to the bar, but the friendly Joe's in front of us ordered us 2 rounds and passed us back 4 mugs.
The mugs are small, but they're only around $2 a pop. You don't have to make any major decisions, because your 2 choices are Light or Dark McSorley's. I personally prefer the dark. It's a good decision to get 2 rounds at a time, because it may be a while before you get back up there.

Yes it's always packed, but it IS the oldest continuously opperated saloon in NYC, and it did a good job of maintaining that feeling. Just go

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9

57

Pete G.

New York, NY

5 star rating
11/4/2009

There is no better field trip for us Wash Heights folk than to head down to LES and get some light or dark. This place reeks of old New York. From the sawdust to the prohibition pictures on the wall to the ladies' room that is essentially a closet. To make it a great night, go with a loud group of guys so they know you mean business, get there earlier so there are tables, sit down, order a large cheese and crackers (and we're not talking fancy pants brie and gruyere here... this is a slab of white non-descript cheese, a sleeve of saltines, a pile of raw onions to throw on top, and the house made fire hot mustard to slather all over it) and go to town on light and darks back to back all night long. You definitely won't be diasspointed heading to this joint. Had about 40 people there for my bday last year and its definitely in the running to happen again. THE BEST!

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Elite '09

380

358

Sammy S.

Alameda, CA

4 star rating
7/27/2009

We shimmied in here for a drink of the light ale and asked a table with about four empty seats if we could sit and rest our tootsies. As the table's resident hose beast shot us dirty looks and told us that people were coming to meet them, a fellow with scraggly hair and an apron (I believe he was wearing an apron, but I could be wrong) zipped by us hurriedly, and while still walking, holding what appeared to be 250 beers in both his hands, told the snooty table wench that we would indeed sit down and they would indeed move their preppy asses out of the way.

*swoon*

How I love New York..

I love the brutal honesty. I love how rudeness is fought with rudeness. I love in your face opinions of your person. I love that while jay walking, you can scream back at the policeman honking and throwing obscenities at you.

New York is refreshing for a California girl used to pedestrians who obey signal lights and being polite to yuppies on bluetooths in Starbucks.

And if New York is refreshing, then McSorley's Old Ale House is refreshing right along with it.

This grizzly pub or alehouse has been in business since 1854 and has obviously made a name for itself in the history books of what once was New Amsterdam. The place is warm and rowdy, packed with large groups of intoxicated folks watching sports, playing games and drinking ale (light or dark. That's all they've got, so if you feel like you need a kettle greyhound with a twist of something something, go the fuck elsewhere).

I can see myself spending hours here, slamming back half pint after half pint into the wee hours of the night. Sadly, we were gals on the go and my hot New York minute was up after we finished our drinks.

I will remember you and your foulmouthed bartender fondly and wish and pray for the day a Californian can actually speak their mind (except you Berkeley hippies. I don't care so much about hearing your piece) and be able to put a snobby hipster in their place for the sake of getting to use swear words in public.

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Elite '09

22

123

James H.

Brooklyn, NY

3 star rating
7/27/2009

McSorley's is both the best and worst bar in NYC.

From 12PM-6PM, McSorley's is amazing. It's quiet, people keep to themselves, and the beer flows fast and cheaply, and the food isn't just edible, it is enjoyable.

However, after 6PM, McSorley's turns into a fucking nightmare. Yuppies and tourists at every turn, no room to sit or stand at the bar, and drunk assholes spilling beer everywhere. Not to mention that there's such a rush to pour the beer, it's usually about half foam.

Also, hilarious that someone referred to McSorley's as a diamond in the rough. WHAT ROUGH???? EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT THIS PLACE. ITS A FUCKING TOURIST TRAP.

So many other awesome bars in this area, I just don't understand the appeal of a night out at McSorely's.

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Elite '09

362

121

Brice P.

New York, NY

4 star rating
7/28/2009

This place smells like stale beer covered in sawdust. If you head in there for lunch, you'll find some good bar food but be a bit overwhelmed by the smell.

This is a drinking bar. Get some friends together and get there early enough to elbow out a table. Be prepared to drink a lot. Once you take over a table the drinks just keep coming. If you don't drink fast enough, the waiter won't leave a spot open on the table from all the short glasses. If you do drink fast enough, the same thing will happen. Go with it. Drink your beers, do some loud clanking cheers, and embrace being in a dirty grungy bar that has barely changed in a hundred years (aside from letting in women 30 years ago....but not putting in a women's bathroom for another 10....).

This is one of those necessary New York experiences.

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1

8

Jarrett T.

District of Columbia, DC

5 star rating
9/24/2009

Summed up, light or dark.

McSorley's is not about having options, and that's why I'd go back or reccomend it to others in a heartbeat.

You're greeted with a musty beer spilled on the floor aroma the second you enter the joint, and the decor of the bar matches the smell. Old goodness.

My friends and I were at the bar for about 2 minutes before diving into our first light/dark, and the manager asked us if we wanted a table. A quick survey told us he was crazy, until we said sure, and he grabbed 4 chairs and sat us down at a table with complete strangers.

The night just got better as quality convo ensued, beers were shared, and we made new friends. Not to mention the fact the guy serving us carried 16 beers at once (a beer is defined as a 2/3 full small mug) which were slammed on our tables all at once.

All in all, I loved the dive atmosphere, from the nasty bathrooms down to the less than steller glass cleaning. But hell, pour me a dark and I'm a happy man.

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13

81

Jon E.

Culver City, CA

5 star rating
7/21/2009

Probably the best night out I had in NYC when I was there.  A buddy of mine is going to NYU law next year and all I had to say was, "There's this bar..." "McSorleys?"  "Dude, how'd you know?" "That place f*cking rocks."  I really wish there was something like this here in LA.

You'll feel like a champ when you post photos on Facebook with 18 empty glasses in front of you but the secret is they're small and are filled half way.

I'd give it another star because our group met UN interpreters who were Asians from Belgium.

Go with dark and come ready to socialize.  We spent about $80 for 3 people and we all left relatively tanked.

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Elite '09

85

221

Steven C.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
8/20/2009

NYC's oldest running bar eh? Since 1854. That alone is a good amount of hype but to be honest I wasn't sure what to expect when I popped in here. The place itself is pretty small and feels like any other grungy divey bar but with sawdust on the floor, service wasn't rude as others have mentioned.

What it comes down to: $4.50 for 2 glasses that total up to be a pint, light or dark ale choices only, shared seating in between the two rooms, and hella loud talking. You pretty much have to shout to talk to anyone near you.

The beer itself wasn't particularly special but it's supposedly home brewed. I wouldn't go out of my way in the future just to visit this place on second thought, more of a "been there and done that" type of thing.

The walls contain lots of history on them and if the person your talking to is inaudible since its fricking loud in here, take the time to peruse 155 years of history plastered all over the walls, just wow.

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Elite '09

4

72

Ian S.

White Plains, NY

5 star rating
8/26/2009

I remember one time back in the day I was staying with my uncle, who lived in Jersey City at the time. The year was 1995 and I was 11 years old, unfortunately too young to drink. It was also the early days of the internet and, more importantly, the internet review site. So, my uncle, who is a pretty tech savvy guy, was showing me this brand spankin new website called http://Citysearch.com. I thought it was so awesome...I mean, imagine what you had to do before this to find funky neighborhood bars and restaurants. Anyway, my uncle suggested that we use this fantastic website to plan our outing that night and that's when we came across McSorley's.

I distinctly remember all of the adults immediately deciding to go to McSorley's. I also distinctly remember arriving outside the bar and reading the sign on the window: "We Were Here Before You Were Born." So, we all sat there just looking inside at the sawdust covered floor, chandeliers with about 12 inches of dust stacked on top of them, and the rowdy patrons kicking back mugs the signature light and dark beer. Unfortunately, the responsible adults made a responsible decision to leave and decided that McSorley's was no place for children, but the seed was planted.

Today, I return to McSorley's semi regularly to continue a long standing drinking tradition. When I'm sitting at the bar, I always wonder who else was there before me. I like to picture Mark Twain guzzling McSorley's dark by the gallon or Abraham Lincoln double fistin in the back. Who knows if these guys were really there but this place rocks for letting me daydream. I also like to glance around on the wall at all of the old school junk, like an NY Times cover page from the day the Titanic sunk. Looking at stuff like this helps me imagine a more boring, simpler time when there were no internet review sites.

So, my point with the whole little kid story kinda ties back into what is written on the front window: We were here before you were born. I mean, I remember that place from more than a decade ago but they were there long long before that. Most bars don't even last a decade, let alone 150 years!  Now I'll be the first to admit that am a total sucker for this historic culture type stuff but c'mon, 150 years?!? I sincerely hope that this bar is open for another 150 years so my descendants can pound beers there for generations to come.

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4

20

Shaun D.

Belmont, CA

4 star rating
10/25/2009

Great dive bar!  I don't think anything has changed in there since they added the female restrooms in the '70's.  Only two beers served, light or dark, simple as that...

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Elite '09

27

617

Matthew E.

Brooklyn, NY

3 star rating
9/1/2009

This is one of the oldest bars in the city and as a historic NYC site (est.1854), attracts a lot of tourists. McSorley's only serves 2 beers, light and dark which makes decision making a breeze. They come in small thick mugs that only hold about 8oz so when you order they give you 2 mugs, but they usually do it in such a hurry that they don't end up being completely full. The prices at first glance seem low but you get so little beer that the price works out to the same as any other dive bar in the city. The place is usually packed most nights so don't expect to get a seat. They do have a small menu here but because I couldn't get a seat I didn't bother trying to order anything.

Yes this place is cool because it's over a hundred years old and hasn't changed at all (except the prices), but it's a little too touristy and overrated to be worth going back.

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Christa M.

Anaheim, CA

5 star rating
9/16/2009

So when I found out that a couple of my favorite men in all of history  Abe Lincoln and John Lennon have passed thru Mcsorley's swinging doors I had to come and try a beer.  Then I found out that women were not allowed to drink here til the 70's, they serve only 2 choices of beer (light or dark) and that it is the oldest drinking establishment in NYC, I was on the next subway back to the Village for another night of fun.  The best way I can describe McSorley's is that everything about this bar could possible give Tom Waits material for a whole new album.  Needless to say, my bro thanked me for looking this place up and dragging him out for another night on the town. Cheers to McSorley's and the best damn cheese plate I have ever had.

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Natalie B.

Long Island City, NY

4 star rating
9/27/2009

My only mistake was coming here on a Friday night. It was so packed I literally couldn't move. I tried the light and dark beer and had to bolt, I was feeling claustrophobic. However, I loved both the beers and thought the bar looked amazing. I'm going to try to come back on a Monday or earlier in the evening because I hear the cheese plate is divine.

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Sam B.

Manhattan, NY

5 star rating
8/14/2009

I think that they should ban all technology from this place. No cellphones, ipods, electronic watches, or headphones. The most technically advanced thing you should be allowed is a pocket watch (on a chain preferably). You should also refer to people as "patriots" or "yanks", and drunkenly sing Yankee Doodle whilst sloshing your mugs of beer together. This may seem like I am ranting and getting ahead of myself, but rest assured, once experiencing McSorleys you will only back me up on this. It just seems appropriate.

Next time I go I plan on wearing a 3-piece and a top hat. I cannot grow a very good mustache, but I will glue one onto my face. So if you see a well dressed yank with a curling mustache singing about macaroni, that is me.

(btw- When you order one beer, they give you two - its like a dream)

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Paola C.

Rye Brook, NY

5 star rating
7/8/2009

How could you beat 3 old school pint glasses for $7 that never changes!  Ive been here during a late happy hour and in the middle of a hot afternoon... both times in the summer... both times, the characters in here were absolutely great!  

I havent had any of the food but for offering a cheese plate with crackers in this place, i give them major props!  Plus the amount of dust and sawdust all over the place will make you crack up!

All I have to say is you can't knock it till you try it and you have to go at least once to the oldest bar in NY!!

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Jackie D.

Glendale, CA

5 star rating
6/25/2009

WOOHOOO LIght or Dark?

This place only has two types of beer and they brew it themselves. Honestly, this was one of the funnest nights in NY hands down. You walk into the crowded, loud bar and immediately you are ready for some fun. The tables are all family style, so you get to sit with people you dont know , which is half the fun!
Definately come here with some friends. Round after round they keep em coming. One order, they bring you two small pints. Both together equal one pint probably. The cost is $4 for two, which is CHEAP in NY. Between the three of us we had about 16 beers, a hunderd laughs, met three rounds of fun people and had a blast!

The server is a old man named Timmy who is awesome and quick. He serves the whole place!!!

They dont have much of a menu, maybe three things to eat. A ham and cheese sandwhich is all i remember, but you dont come here to eat!

Its a great time and I cant wait to go back to NY and have a fun night out.

GO FOR THE DARK!! YUMMY

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Dustin L.

Hoboken, NJ

5 star rating
8/27/2009

Had my first official corporate happy hour at McSorleys during an internship and got tuned up.  

Bar takes you back 100 years when bars looked like a cross between a butcher shop and a hardware store.

Order ten beers and the barkeep will deliver in one shot, hit up the kitchen for great bar food and sing some irish pub songs.  Feel free to break out a jig.

FYI - Dont ask to turn the tv on, the bartender will put you in a giateen choke.

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Meg N.

New York, NY

5 star rating
8/27/2009

I can't help but love this place.  Light or dark? Yes please.  2 mugs at a time?  Bring it on.  A plate of cheese and a sleeve of saltines?  What more can you ask for.

Maybe I should be more biased against a place that didn't let women in until the 70s but they treat us well now so I can forgive them!  The old Irish bartenders are always good to us, making sure we get a table and moving us around as more and more of our friends show up.  I don't think I've ever had a bad time here, and I don't think I've ever left sober!

Just one thing to note- cash only!  I can't tell you how many times we've had to go to the atm cause we over spent our cash pile.  (Very easy to do!)

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pat b.

New York, NY

3 star rating
6/6/2009

It had been a looooong time since Ive been in a genuine dive.

Then BAM.  Its right there.  Across from a church, where I figure all the alcoholic priests go after listening to everyone else's sins. (and hey, can you blame them?)  

Its only natural that my out of town family actually requested this wondrous place I had never heard of.  I'm not surprised.

(Thinking aloud) Am I being an uptight bourgeois douchebag by wondering if they'd at least fill my cup more than 3/4 full?

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Eureka S.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
10/14/2009

My favorite drink standing bar in NY. A local guy recommended this place and I was not quite sure if this place is good for dinner. It is not good for dinner, it is a great place to mingle with your friends with a choice of Light or Dark Ale and Cheddar cheese. I will come back.

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