Peter McManus Cafe

Elite '08

63

395

Mahua C.

New York, NY

Standard. Everything about this place is standard. It's not great. It's not terrible. The service is mediocre. The food is edible. The booze flows freely though, and that's a good thing.

It's your typical corner bar. I guess if it becomes your regular hang out spot then it could be fun. (Though I lived in Chelsea for 5 or 6 years and it never became my haunt.)

It's probably worth keeping in your back pocket if you're in the hood and want a place that's a little divey and not a gay bar.

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Elite '08

15

140

Kristin T.

Brooklyn, NY

This is a great place to go to watch a game, have a burger after going out drinking with friends, or even to come by yourself for a drink to watch some real NY characters.  This is the place all dive bars should be modelled after.

I honestly don't know how the prices stay so low here, given the neighborhood this place is in.

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Elite '08

141

957

Victor L.

Brooklyn, NY

The problem with this place is not the bar itself. It's a good pub-ish institution, where locals who aren't fixed on the more chic scene in the area go to when they just want big beer, big outside voices, and very little inhibition.

However, this place has some of the shadiest people ever. People who really got left behind. There was this "actor" Adam, who was there by himself but tried to talk to everyone (I guess he lives in the neighborhood, I saw him at the Spotted Pig being sleazy). He's got this intense unblinking stare, neck length hair, greasy disposition, and probably has an unmarked van somewhere. I couldn't forget it, because he had the nerve to ask me if I could buy a beer for him. What was he a hobo? The bartender cussed me out for even considering to buy "the asshole at the bar" a drink. It was a deserved lashing but I didn't buy anyone anything; he should have just kicked the guy out and not brought me into it.

We closed this bar out, which was fun; it was about 4:30am and we ran into these German folks who lived in the city. The wife in the group, Jennifer, gave me her number because she felt like I would be good for her Asian friend who was 33 (I was 21 at the time). She's like, "you're a little young, but I think you guys could hit it off". Our friend Eric S., fluent in German himself, ended up actually hanging out with them after we all left, and got lost trying to find his way home, and it was well into the morning before he found his residence.

The bar itself is a sign of strength; it's old and cracked and splintered, but somehow has a sheen to it, a sign that those are just nicks and bruises. It stretches all the way to the back, with tables and booths along the left as you walk in.
It's well lit overhead lamps cruise toward a warehouse like look at night.

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Elite '08

64

199

Rachel D.

NY

This place has it all.  And by "all" I mean an outrageous, androgynous local drunk who played maudlin tunes on the jukebox and danced in her seat while mumbling, and occasionally yelling, unintelligibly.  The staff were unperturbed.  the Sox were winning, so it was all good.

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Elite '08

17

119

David M.

Brooklyn, NY

A long old dingy oak bar that wraps around a mile and a half (or so it seems when the bartender is chatting up the regulars up front).  The handful of flat screen TVs is like lipstick on a boar in terms of style, but functionally, I'll take it.  What a great place to watch the Mets.

A sore thumb in Chelsea's eastward crawl into the Flatiron, and not a lick of haughtiness.  This remains a great place to drink good beers, peppered with obligatory shots of Jamesons' and conversations with people who were drinking here before you were born.

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4

68

rebecca m.

New York, NY

McManus is only slightly less seedy than I expected based on the reviews on Yelp... And boy do I love seedy. We had a bunch of people meet up here for the Giants NFC Champ game. We got there a little early and grabbed some tables in the back with no problem. There were plenty of flat screens to watch the game. We had table service, which was very nice, and the food was typical bar food - greasy, but it hit the spot. After the game, the juke box got crankin' and there was a great mix of everything from Bowie to Green Day to the Police. We had a blast here and will make it a more regular stop for sure!

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18

36

Brian S.

New York, NY

If you've ever said to yourself "I would like to hang out with ex-cops, aspiring comedians and alcoholics" this is the place for you.

There's no pretension here because that would be absurd. The bar is lit with fluorescent lights, so if your date is not attractive this will be well highlighted. But don't bring a date here - this bar is as romantic and sexy as Carrot Top in a tuxedo. It's not a date bar. This is the bar you go to when your buddies come visiting and you want to go somewhere and drink a lot and talk about what makes your wife mad.

One thing I like about this place - every third beer or so seems to be on the house.

The crowd consists of folks like Old Drunk Regular, former SNL cast member Horatio Sanz, Huge Alcoholic Lady, and lots of kids who think taking $300 classes at Upright Citizens Brigade makes them hilarious.

I like the place, though 65% of my friends will not come with me. When you're in the mood for a quintessential drinking bar, this place works just fine. Why they call it a cafe is beyond me.

Do not eat here.

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Elite '08

331

368

Kate K.

San Francisco, CA

The mark of a good bar on a good night out is that I can hardly remember it to write about the next day.

This was my experience with Peter McManus Cafe -- referred to as "McM's" by all my friends in NYC.

What I do recall is that it was the only bar in NYC that I went to where the drinks weren't outrageously priced.  And, that it is dark and loud and smells like wood and beer and has that great neighborhood bar, locals only vibe.

This is the favorite hangout of students of and performers at the UCB (which is just a few blocks away) - making it not uncommon to see bunches of SNL people hanging out doing shots and oggling girls.

I liked that it was a "shot-n'-a-beer" bar, as opposed to another club trying to emulate the SITC bullshit w/'tini this and 'tini that.

Lovely to be a girl and go into a bar where ordering a Rolling Rock and a shot of Jamison's is looked at as respectable as opposed to strange.

Also, sitting at a table in the back (covered w/a red-checked table cloth) made me feel like an important, important comedy person or a gangster.  

Sweet.  I always relish moments where I can pretend that I'm the Godfather.

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8

11

Nate S.

New York, NY

Peter McManus is a local.  It's one of those dark Irish bars where it's a lot of cops and firemen.  But there's a curious element to it too because it's a local for improvisors from the various improv theatres near by(UCB, the Magnet, the PIT) too.  So it's not uncommon to spot various comedians from time to time.  Sitting in the booths in the back.  You'll want to commandeer one of the three prized circle booths in the back.  And not just because they're cooler, but also because the center two regular booths have wonky seat backs.  You'll be battling the person behind you for leverage.  

It's not a fancy nor girlie place, so I wouldn't suggest ordering your "White Zin"  or apple martini.  Think more like Martini's in It's A Wonderful Life!("Mister, we serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast.")  Get a beer(try the McManus ale).  Or a highball.  If you hang out, you're going to get a buy back.  

Some things to note:  McManus is a Yankee's bar.  And most important, never ever bring your drinks from the bar to the booths in the back.  You'll get a scolding from your waitress and they'll no doubt point to the big sign on the wall.  You are forewarned!

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Elite '08

277

1313

Irene F.

Morganville, NJ

Not a cafe, first off. Seedy little Irish bar in what seems like a really strange place for it to be. I got some dirty looks for ordering a cranberry-vodka..c'mon, I didn't ask for a freakin cosmo!! Just not a beer or a shot. Odd crowd, lots of much much older and much much drunker people...and it was 9 PM. Type of place I expect to find in Woodside, not Chelsea, but I needed a drink and they had one for me, so I can't really complain. I doubt I need to come back here though...if I want a true Irish pub experience, I'll head to Queens (yes Sam, Queens...tremble!! and then come with me!)

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