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30th Ave (N, W)
"Going by the 5 star definition, it really is as good as it gets. Studio Square lived up to all the hype and more. You really can't believe…" read more »
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I was excited to try this place, since it's got a ton of good reviews. Decided to go there for a date, which can be iffy for a first visit. You're never sure of noise level, appropriate seating, etc. Anyway, it sure exceeded my expectations. Inside, it's cozy and inviting. The lights are dim, but it's lit in a warm way so that you can see what's going on and check out the menu. There seems to be ample seating, but it was pretty crowded on a Sunday at 8pm-- which speaks to the popularity of this awesome bar. We grabbed two extra barstools, but after a few minutes, our super affable waitress helped us switch to a little table by the bar. The service was amazing. I wasn't sure which of their local beers on tap that I'd enjoy, but the waitress gave me a great suggestion and it was delicious. I'm looking forward to going back to try the food, it smelled great.
Definitely my favorite Astoria/neighborhood pub so far. It is a bit overpriced for the neighborhood, but hey, you're paying for the ambiance and the local food/drinks I guess? I will DEFINITELY be back. And the date went pretty well too ;)
Great place to get a beer and maybe a burger in Astoria. A nice selection of beers on tap; I've been loving Kelso lately! The food is a bit overpriced but it is all really tasty. In particular, the fried pickles, grilled cheese, fries, and of course the burger. If you like spicy then you should enjoy the McClure's pickles they use here; made in Brooklyn, they are very flavorful. I'd been looking around in grocery stores trying to find them, with no luck, but it turns out you can by a jar directly from Sweet Afton. Again, WAY overpriced ($12/jar), but what can I say I'm a sucker.
The ambiance is very chill with a nice little patio space in back if you show up early enough. The staff have always been extremely friendly, especially the bartenders, very cool guys.
Sweet Afton is a pretentious looking bar without the pretentiousness. That's a good thing.
Came here last weekend with some fellow Yelpers and we had a little game night going. It was a lot of fun and the staff was really cool. The food seemed pretty good. I liked the fried pickles... then again I like pretty much anything fried.
I'd come back here, even if it's not really in a neighborhood I hang out in too often. But I liked the vibe, I liked the beer selection, and everyone there seemed really cool.
Sweet Afton reminds me a lot of Stanton Public. Great beer selection, more geared towards the serious and not for the faint of heart. This place would be Stanton's older, more refined-yet-punky sister, sitting cross-legged on a bar stool dressed in skinny jeans, cashmere and pearls, puffing on a Camel 9. No, there is no hot manager here, but there is Chimay on tap, which to me is like 5 hot, smiling Stanton Public managers standing nekkid all in a row.
It is a wonderful space, but most of all, I appreciated the grilled cheese sandwich, with a choice of cheeses, including GRUYERE, and the option of adding caramelized onions (a resounding YES). BEST. GRILLED. CHEESE. EVAR. And next time I am not sharing with you vultures.
The cornerstone of the American judicial system is the whole innocent until proven guilty thing. Therefore, Sweet Afton gets 5 stars until it stops serving Chimay.
This place has a disturbingly large amount of 5 stars. It was really cute, but didn't 'strike' me as in love at first sight, so I'm going to hold out for now ...
A friend took me here (i.e 5 star reviewer) and the ambiance was awesome. Small but quaint, pub-like but not too dingy. From what i recall, it's a super small menu, everything locally produced, blah blah. The fried pickle was awesome. Then again, my hips probably don't agree but that's ok. Mac-n-cheese, also stellar. It had bacon bits or chunks in it, kinda interesting. And the burger was also up there.
So food wise, it was great. Health-wise? Probably not the lowest in calories but hey, it's bar food!
This is a very chill spot to hang at. They have large open windows out front; which provides great air circulation (esp. on a humid day). Inside, the theme is natural wooden planks and industrial-sheik.
The staff is typical 'Queens Natives:' Pretty, accommodating, and knowledgeable (hmmm.., maybe Queens isn't so boring after all!)
My friend chose this place as host to Yelp Game Night. And?, good choice Josh R!
This place is good for groups. There are benches, stools, booths, and bar stools throughout. There are areas for small parties, and areas for large ones (I like versatility in design).
This place also serves munchies. My notable favs:
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- French Fries
- Fried Pickle
One Minus, our drinks weren't served upon coasters. Condensation water from all of our drinks left our wooden table soaked.
I've come here about a dozen times so far and it's always fantastic. It's much roomier than one of its Manhattan counterparts, Wilfie and Nell, and the music is always good. The bartenders are all incredibly friendly and helpful, so even just sitting by yourself at the bar for dinner is nice. Yeah, I'm that creeper.
They have a great beer selection but my favorite is the newly unleashed pumpkin ale for its odd no-hangover effect. I used to drink the Arcadia but man, that made for some bad mornings.
The food is all good, but I'd recommend the grilled cheese with onions and the fried pickles. Go for it, you health nut.
Weeknights are the best in my opinion, when it's only half full, but weekends are fun if you live in Astoria because you get the good crowded bar feel with a ten minute commute instead of that dreaded 45 minute platform wait.
I'm totally sweet on Sweet Afton.
Awesome selection of beers on tap: Kelso, Abita Amber, Chimay... mmmm to many to remember. (Maybe i need to drink less next time!)
Sweet Afton is the kind of bar that feels comfortable and neighborhood-y without being a "town-y" bar. The crowd is friendly and so are the bartenders.
And yes, the rumors are true: The fried pickles are definitely as good as it gets!
Astoria, you have arrived. I don't know whether to be happy or sad about this. This place is as cool as any bar I've been to. Great crowd, nice atmosphere, good beer selection*. Service was out STANDING. I don't think I've ever interacted with a waitress that was so nice and attentive without being over the top.
The burger was out of this world. I'm not a big "fancy burger guy" but had to try this one. It was juicy and delicious. If you find yourself debating whether to get the bacon or not. Do it. It's the smokiest bacon I've had on a burger. Really good stuff.
I'll be back here to try some of their cocktails.
*Although I was intimidated to buy my standard Miller Lite for fear of looking like a dork.... like that helped at all
keep it simple and to the point.
Best Bar In Astoria. Best beer selection and actually good food.
As you can tell from the other reviews, this place is pretty cool. I think it's pretty cool too. But you don't need to hear from me the reasons why this place is great since they're the same things that everyone else wrote about basically. So I'll just write about the reasons why I DON'T like it and why it's lacking that fifth star for me. It's kind of nit-picky.
*The fried pickles are not all that. They have SO MUCH batter on them that its more like eating a pickle inside a doughnut than it is eating a FRIED PICKLE. Naw'mean? The dipping sauce is very good though.
*Cocktail glass sizes could be a bit bigger.
*The music selection is very good, but, and this is a weird request coming from me, but the sound could be a bit louder. Or if not louder, more fuller sounding? More speakers around the whole place I guess.
Ok, that's it from me. Moral of the story? Go there.
Awesome bar in Astoria
The space is well designed and there are a number of tables and booths if you want to opt for wait service. The bartenders are HOT and the wait staff is helpful and friendly. They even serve comfort food like burgers, mac and cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
There's a good sized and pretty diverse crowd on a Saturday night, though very few single guys. I'd love to go back on a weekday.
OK, Ok. Let's get this out of the way. It's not very "Astoria", that's for sure, but that doesn't mean it's not something that Astoria needed.
I love the Sweet Afton. Friendly and fast service (even if the asking-names-thing felt a bit forced from my server) and delicious cocktails and food.
The spicy cherry margarita is not f'ing around. It will burn the crap out of your mouth and make you want more in the same sweet sip. The pickle martini is salty heaven in a glass, with a spicy kick at the end that will make you it's slave. The red lemonade was so good I had 3 when I really only meant to have 1.
Get the fried pickles. Don't even think about not getting them. The burger was amazing (got the Irish Cheddar and Bacon) but I felt the bacon was slightly too smoky for my tastes.. then again, it WAS a Sunday and I'd already had a LOT of bacon that day. The macaroni and cheese my boyfriend ordered, however, I couldn't stop eating.
Plus the place looks good. The only complaint I had was that it was way too bright where I was sitting in the back.. they must have read my mind on that, though, 'cause the lights were appropriately dimmed.
All in all, Sweet Afton is an awesome bar worth your time. So quit whining about the Brooklynization of Astoria and just go get a drink already.
Stepping inside Sweet Afton and you're transported to a cute, cool bar in the Lower East Side.
Unlike any other bar in the neighborhood - it was well-lit, had a noticeable lack of dark mahogany wood walls, and no flat-screen television in sight! The decor was rustic and arranged in a way that was conducive to having conversations.
The beverage selection was varied and delicious, especially their cocktails - the Miller's Martini and Spicy Cherry Margaritas are recommended.
Food was also very good - a burger to rival Bare Burger (down the street), plus fried pickles and hand-cut fries! Best of all, their ingredients are "local" (in a tri-state kind of way, not only Astoria).
With all that going for them, it's no wonder they're a beacon for the cool, young, and hip in Astoria.
Let me first say that I am very happy to see the appearance of Bareburger and Sweet Afton in this neck of the woods. I used to live on 34th st. in 05/06 and there weren't any places to get a great burger, a great beer, or both at the same time in that immediate area.
Sweet Afton has a decent tap selection- nothing stupendous or unusual; it's a small selection of what's becoming standard for more and more NY bars, guinness, a couple of germans like Spaten or Weihenstephan, plus a local like Captain Lawrence. If you are a real beer geek this place will not impress or teach you anything new, but it's reliable. I had a delicious Captain Lawrence Pale Ale on my visit.
I was underwhelmed by the food. I ordered a burger with onions and Irish cheddar. The burger was not that big and overcooked. The size of the burger wouldn't have seemed as bad if the bun wasn't so big- I think it was a little mismatched. I got a side salad which I know is not the best thing to judge a place like this with, but still, I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised. The salad was iceberg lettuce with pieces of bacon on it and a couple of tomato slices. The burger, the salad and the beer ran me 22 dollars, before tip. Considering the amount of the food I got and the quality I think this is pretty damn steep.
My main complaint is that if you're going to open a burger place literally UP THE STREET from Bareburger (which is pricey but the burgers are huge and RIDICULOUSLY good), you have to really bring it and compete a little.
Sweet Afton is basically a bar with a chilled out atmosphere and a good beer selection, but overpriced and only slightly better than average pub food.
My first 5 star review and it's well deserved.
The fried pickles with the dipping sauce is a perfect combination of savory and salty. It's a great appetizer that is guaranteed to get your appetite.... zer-ed. or something.
The mac&cheese with bacon was gooey and delicious and the burger was grilled to perfection. Best of all, all of it is local.
The specialty cocktails were delicious - but can quickly add up. The cups are full of ice and not that strong. But hey, I figured it was my first visit and should give them a try.
My next visit, I'll stick to a few beers and the limited food... but give it all a try. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu.
You know, I would have thought I would have been more resistant to the further Brooklynification of Astoria that is heralded by the arrival of a place like Sweet Afton, but I can't help but be damn glad that we've got a classy new drinking establishment to call our own.
This bar is so spectacularly different from all the other sports bars, ethnic sports bars, and old man sports bars that Astoria is "famous" (and by famous, I mean not famous) for, that you can easily forget where you are after a few of their extremely high end micro brews. But worry not! Once you step outside, you won't have to worry about cab fare anymore, even if you were convinced you'd need to chose between suffering through late night train hell, or beating the last twenty bucks out of your wallet for a taxi.
So relax, step back inside, and use that money to buy yourself another beer with a cool sounding name - or better yet, try their food.
Yes, besides the ambiance and the borderline pretentious beer selection, you're in for quite the treat with Sweet Afton's menu. The center piece of which is their namesake burger which boasts some increasingly common LaFreida beef (not a bad thing though), and uses it to excellent effect. The burger is excellent, although it is dwarfed by its (delicious) bun, and comes without any fries, which is a trend that really needs to be nipped in the bud.
But the secret weapon on the menu are the Brooklyn Pickles that are featured. Somewhat spicy and completely delicious, these godly green bad boys kick up your burger, and if you dare - will start your meal off right if you treat your arteries to some fried pickle goodness.
One weird quirk to the place though, is the candles they have lighting up the bar. I wouldn't expect the casual patron to notice this, but they are using Jewish Memorial candles - which are designed to burn for 24 hours in memory of a deceased loved one. Something tells me this is not an intentional decorating decision, and they should probably be replaced ASAP - or at least take the labels off of them!
Despite that, Sweet Afton is really a godsend for the neighborhood. Finally, a night out in Astoria isn't just a question of "the beer garden", "the beer garden", or "ahh screw it, I just got Pulp Fiction in on Netflix". Now we've got Sweet Afton - and Sweet Afton's got me.
BIG fan here...
At the recommendation of my sister, an Astoria resident, we checked this place out last night. From the minute I walked in, I knew I'd like it. The decor is phenominal. It's cozy and warm, smart and stylish. It's tough to get hip design to feel welcoming and they hit the nail on the head here. Props to their designer.
Moving on, the beer selection is great. I stuck with Chimay, an old stand-by that I love on tap. They had some other interesting draft beers that I'm looking forward to trying.
There is a small-ish outdoor patio in the back. Smoking is not officially allowed back there. The furniture is really nice stained comfy wood and the lighting is nice. The waitstaff is super helpful and adequately attentive.
Food. Wow. I was impressed. The menu is small and things do not come with "sides" but I thought what we got was well worth the price. The fried pickles, as has been stated before, were off the charts. Spicy pickles coated with a light batter and fried...Taste sensation. Their grilled cheese was great too. I'm looking forward to trying the mac & cheese next time around.
The crowd grew as it got later in the evening so I'd assume it's pretty busy on weekends (we went on a Thursday). Go now, though, because this place is bound to get crazy popular in no time.
Microphone check.
Am I in a commercial? Is there an alcoholic product being pushed, here? Are ALL these people enjoying themselves - yes they are!
Walk into any spot, of any type, in any neighborhood, any longitude and most latitudes - and smiles or laughter are usually indicative of a good time. 'Sweet Afton' is just that - a good time place. The bartenders are on their game, the warm woody interior and antique light fixtures set your beer in a different time, one where 'Bill the Butcher' might appear just around the corner. That being said, you might have to look for said Butcher, 'Sweet Afton' is bigger than it looks.
The place was packed. I wanted a 'Hoegarden' - they didn't have it, but the bartender set me up with something like it - the name escapes me, I'm sure he'll recall the next time I ask. Gin and tonics, just right. He introduced himself. Good times.
For a neighborhood going through a somewhat awkward transformation - Sweet Afton offers a nice watering hole were old timers and recent transplants can drink themselves in a friendly, fleshy amalgam. Yum.
Could be the best bar in Astoria...really nice decor, super friendly staff, good music (I never tire of The Smiths) and amazing drinks. The Red Lemonade & the Old Fashioned are standouts. Yum! The food is really good, too. Starve yourself all day so you can stuff your face with the mac & cheese and the deep fried pickles. Trust me, you won't regret it.
So far the crowds have been cool...not too many hipsters or trust-fundies. I'm hoping this just stays a fun neighborhood bar, and the scenesters don't ruin it like they have the Beer Garden. Time will tell, I guess. Until then, this is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Nice to have a new GastroPub pop up here in Astoria so close to my apartment! Great ambiance, and the two times I've been since have hosted a nice, mellow crowd. Service is relaxed and friendly, and I have to say, the food is awesome. Just what you want with the nice selection of draft beer...REALLY good burgers and Mac-N-Cheese, but, let me tell you, those Fried Pickles are my new french fry replacement.
I even tried the Dirty Pickle Martini (I don't usually mess with the "dirty" in my Martini) and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to swig it down and even ordered a 2nd. Though not a fan of McClures pickles out of the jar, something different happens to them when they are sliced and dropped into an icy-cold vodka martini or lightly-battered and quick fried!
This combined with the great mix on the JukeBox got me to declare it my new regular spot the moment I walked in.
There is a lot right with Little Afton, the décor, the ambiance, the staff, and the pickles... good god those Brooklyn pickles! But there are also a few things amiss. The place is pricier than most, there were no buy backs after almost 3 hours of drinking, and the burger is expensive and too salty for my tastes. For $8 that burger should be perfect and come with a handful of fries.
In fact all the food at Sweet Afton seemed a little stodgy. Small portions and a lack of accompaniment. Food here just seems a little plain for the price. By the end of the night I was a little surprised by the bill. It was 10-20% higher than I expected.
That being said it's a great place. I liked it a lot. I would take friends here and dates... I'm just not going to become a regular.
I love the location, wood decor, great size and tasty drinks. While I was sipping on a vodka/soda, my friend asked for a rum whatever, and the bartender pulled to the side a minute, thought it through and put together a masterpiece. And it didn't break the bank. That was definitely a pleasant surprise. the bartenders are extremely friendly and willingly take each drink seriously.
The wood gives the place a local feeling coupled with excellent music choice. I would love to see this place when its not as packed. It's still in its first week or so, I'm sure theres some elevated premiere crowds involved.
****4 stars - I really like this bar. As I say this....I just hope it doesn't become too Williamsburg. :( I can handle a few handle-bar mustaches but not much more
With Astoria's booming and growing nightlife, you need a bar/pub where you can relax a little, have a tasty cocktail, and some delicious grub once you are done taxing yourself at one of Astoria's beer gardens.
Thankfully, the purveyors of Bua in the East Village and Wilfie & Nell in the West Village have hopped boroughs over to Queens to open up Sweet Afton.
The ambiance is very familiar to the previous two successful ventures. Why mess with success? There is exposed brick, nice wooden tables, dim lighting, and most importantly a friendly and pleasant wait staff and bartenders. Unlike the other two, Sweet Afton has a large patio area, perfect to soak up the New York sun.
What sets Sweet Afton apart from other Astoria drinking establishments is their wide selection of speciality cocktails. I was able to sample quite a few of them, all delicious. But try the Applejack Collins. It's like drinking your juice box in elementary school, but with alcohol in it. Also try the Spicy Cherry Margarita was perfect for a warm day with a perfect little bit of habenero kick to it.
What will keep me coming back, aside from the above mentioned reasons, is the food. The Sweet Afton burger with bacon and Irish cheddar is simple amazing. Also the beer battered pickles are maybe some of the best bar food I've ever had.
So will this stop my almost weekly trips to Bua? Not at all. All it does is give me a place in my home base of Astoria to drop in either before or after a night out in Manhattan.
Every time I come here I feel like i'm at home. Tonight when I was there, you can't help but overhear snippets of conversation like "we'll be back - we live around the corner" and you can tell that it's quickly becoming a neighborhood staple even though it hasn't even officially opened.
The staff is incredibly inviting and friendly and they make you feel like you want to be a regular here. The bar's spacious and even has an outdoor space and has all the cozy feeling of a bar without the pretentiousness. Even though I live just a block away from sister bar Bua, I find that I want to make the trek out to Astoria to have a beer to two or three or their great cocktails (the Applejack Collins is amazing) and get one of PJ's burgers or the mac 'n cheese. The food options are really a bonus to the establishment and I fine myself suggesting Sweet Afton to everyone I know. It's a great addition to Astoria.
I went here last night with a few friends and I would have to say that I am impressed.
I am an Astoria resident and also a beer geek. One of my favorite bars in the neighborhood is Sunswick. I've been to both Bohemian Hall and Studio Square but they both can get crowded and noisy on the weekends.
Most of the other bars around town are ordinary pubs that serve Guinness and Smithwicks or lounge type places, there are a few "old man" bars that do not appeal to me.
I had the Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold and I had an Irish cheddar cheese burger which was fabulous. The food tasted so fresh.
I also found out that the owner is installing a cask engine besides the regular taps that they pour beer from. Now this bar is going to have a cask that is going to be tapped from a hand pump. (Like how they serve beer in Britain)
I'm definitely coming back to this place.
Loved the ambience...closest thing I've seen to a Manhattan-ish bar and crowd in Astoria yet. Only tried drinks, which were a-ok. Going to come back for the mac and cheese and bartender who was loving my out-of-town friend.
Finally an awesome bar that I don't have to travel to enjoy! I now have a great spot to share with my Brooklyn friends, who rarely travel north, and it's not a beer garden! I went last night, which apparently was only their second night open. Great indie/Brit Pop music (Joy Division, Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Franz Ferdinand). The service was a little slow (I can't complain) but their staff are so friendly and helpful. The food was delicious. We tried the heavenly fried pickles, the perfectly cooked fries and for the main dish we all had the burger.. MMM so salty and buttery.. will definitely be craving this every time I am hungry...
As for the drinks, we only stuck to beer. They have a great selection on draft and our waiter explained to us that they have a special "beer of the month" that rotates, well, every month! We tried a Kelso Pilsner which apparently was only brewed for 50 kegs. The Kelso Nut Brown and Lighthouse were equally satisfying.
Sweet Afton also tries to buy local; their pickles are from the LES, rolls from a Maspeth bakery and beer from Brooklyn. It's nice to know that their business is also supporting the community.
SO at the end of the night I was the one who got to walk home while my friend called a car service. I promise to come back, as did my Brooklynite friend!
A very warm, cozy bar (thankfully with no TVs!). My two friends and I started with the fried pickles just because everyone here said you had to try them. Truthfully, the though of fried pickles was nauseating but they were pretty damn awesome.
We all got burgers and they were tasty, cooked perfectly and a good size. Maybe a little pricey but nothing crazy. The fries were also excellent.
Both waitresses that helped us were friendly and professional. We'll definitely go there again.
One negative...I dont' drink on a "school night" so I got a soda. My tap water is fizzier than their soda. But still 5 stars as I'm not going to knock a bar that has a huge beer selection and great food for bad soda.
Very nice to see something like this in Astoria. Enjoyed both the bar food and the beer selection. Tried a bit of my girlfriends jalapeno cherry cocktail which was also excellent. Staff is super friendly and definitely worth checking out.
Went here Saturday evening for the first time. Really terrific place! As others have said, it initially has a little Brooklyn Hipster vibe... but that fades very quickly. Sure... the soundtrack is pretty "indie" (they were playing I'm From Barcelona when I walked in) and the menu is quite Brooklyn-centric... But really this is just a comfortable bar to hang out in.
I was in the mood for some whiskey, so I had Rye Old-Fashioneds. Delicious! Not too sweet, just right. Garnished with a little orange slice and crushed cherry. Just the way I like it! The list of beers on tap escapes me, but it seemed to be a good selection. I know Guinness is on tap, and I'm guessing the bartenders actually know how to pull a pint. My friends just went down the list of specialty cocktails and tried everything... Apparently they were all great. I'm not too into sweet drinks.
The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Always there when you need something, but not hovering over you waiting to leave. It was full the whole time I was there... a steady flow. Seemed like it was starting to get more crowded when I left around 9 or so.
And the food... small menu, but GREAT food. Everything looked awesome. We had fried pickles and mac and cheese. The mac and cheese with scallions and bacon was about the best M&C I've ever had. Delicious!
I walked past on a Wednesday evening after dinner with some friends, and remembered that I'd heard quite a bit of praise about this place since it opened, so we went in to check it out.
Quite lively for a Wednesday night - and the bartenders had a nice playlist of music going.
The bar is beautiful - great wooden furniture, ceiling beams, and lots of attention to detail. We sat at the bar at first and then moved to a cozy corner table that opened up as the evening wore on. Lots of candles everywhere... it is definitely the sort of place I could comfortably stay in for hours at a time (although I can imagine it being a little overcrowded on the weekends).
I had heard a lot of people complimenting the beer selection, and my friends enjoyed it as well - I'm more of a wine and cider girl, so I was quite thrilled to find out that they have bottles of Magners behind the bar. I peeked at the food menu and must remember to return to try the macaroni and cheese sometime, because it sounded yummy.
Definitely a place I will come back to - and bring friends to - again.
Come here for the fried pickles cuz they're great. They have a bit of batter on them but they still taste good-good. Especially when you dip them in the spicy mayo or ketchup or mustard. Hell, they taste good if you dip them in beer!
Mac and Cheese, burger...eh..okay. Not the greatest but okay.
Cheese platter...avoid. We got that and was like..where's the rest of it!? Oh well..
Drinks are good here too. They're following the cocktail trend. Hmm..i wonder when bacon flavored bourbon will be introduced on the drink menu. I've had most of their specialty mixed cocktails - Red Lemonade, Sweet Tea, Dirty Pickle Martini, AppleJack Collins....geez no wonder i stumbled outta there everytime.
Beer selection is not just your typical bud, budlight, amstel light and now the staple heifwezen biers on the roaster. They also had an interesting selection of local breweries. They had one from Pleasantville, NY (i forgot the name). Overall you won't be bored with the selection, unless you're a certified beer geek.
Service...awesome! Need i say anymore really? Staff is very friend, super cute and very accommodating.
Place/ decor...yes. It does not feel like you're in astoria. Yes. It is quite different from the other Astoria bars...thank goodness. Very similar to places you've been to in W/E Village, LES and hipster infested part of Crooklyn ;0P
Vibe...laid back and doesn't have obnoxiously loud music blasting. You hear the music in the background but not blatantly loud that you have to scream over it. If you want music to be a little louder, go to the greek bars around there. You'll get your fill of it.
It is just a place where you wanna go with a group of friends and just have a chill nite. No need to dress up and there's no dancing..unless you're wasted.
Overall..it's a recipe for success for the sweet afton. Decent food, good vibe, nice decor, good drinks and cute & friendly staff. You can't go wrong :0)
I've been dying to try this place since it opened and finally made my way here yesterday. The food was delish. I got the fried pickles and the grilled cheese and sweet tea cocktail. I LOVE fried pickles and these were different than any I've had before - kind of a tempura batter and so tasty. The grilled cheese was perfect and cut in to fours! My fiance was still hungry after his grilled cheese so he ordered the mac and cheese. I was all 'oh i'm too full to have anymore, but i'll try a bite." Lucky for me the waitress brought two forks; I couldn't stop eating it! The ratio of cheese to pasta was fantastic - way more cheese than pasta. So happy to have a cozy bar like this in Astoria. I will definitely be back.
It's one of my most recent regrets that I moved out of Astoria (my old apartment is three blocks from this place) just a month or so before Sweet Afton came around. It's so good that I might've considered staying in the hood just to have this be my local.
Yes, the bar feels like a transplant from that overhyped borough south of Queens, but they've also done a good job of making it feel like a part of the neighborhood. While the staff, decor and food are as good as anything you'd find elsewhere, there's an utter lack of pretension that is completely refreshing, from the second the guy with the warm Irish accent checks your ID at the door and calls you "darlin," (but not in a creepy way) to the way the staff comes around to check you have everything you need without smothering you.
We went on a Sunday night, and the bar was just full enough to feel social but not so packed as to feel claustrophobic. We ordered with great excitement a couple of cheeseburgers and the fried pickles, and were not disappointed. I have paid $8 for burgers much less delicious elsewhere. The pickles lived up to the hype, although my only gripe is that for $4 they could've thrown in a few more - the tasty goodness was over all too soon.
Bonus points for being located directly next to Seva, hands down Astoria's best Indian.
With the slightly hipster-ish vibe, the reclaimed wood, the mixologist drinks, and very cool music, you might mistake this little joint for something more likely to be found in Brooklyn or Manhattan, but NO! it's Astoria!
Love the vibe, it's non-pretentious unlike so many Euro joints in Astoria. The food is excellent - or at least the burgers are. The fried pickles are pretty salty.
And the drinks are oh-so-very-tasty! Captain Lawrence beers, spicy cherry margaritas, and mixed drinks served in retro / 1960's / MadMen looking glasses.
The menu is limited, but seems to be carefully crafted. Looking forward to becoming a regular!
I really can't forgive forgetful and disingenuous service. Considering Sweet Afton's obvious hipster appeal, I expected maybe ambivalent but competent service. I welcome that. Zombie/Robot waiters welcome, as long as they get the order right. A waitress that takes 20 minutes to get me a beer -- delivered it with a sort of Ain't-I-the-sweetest!? 'Here you go!' -- and then forgets what else I ordered.... That's just shitty.
The food and drink selection are good for Astoria bars (but no where close to the beer selection you can get at Euro Market on 31st!). Really, I only docked this place a star because of the service, but if I go there again, I will try to sit at the bar and avoid this waitress.
pickles, how i love thee.
i'm not sure what the big deal with pickles is these days but i am a FAN. the dirty pickle martini is my new most favoritest drink. i think about it during the day and dream about it at night.
i really can't comment about the beer selection or other drinks (although thumbs up for the sweet tea cocktail) because all i want are dirty pickle martinis. so there.
the food... okay. the fried pickles are delicious. i will have to modify my take on the food after i try the burger but my general opinion is that the food is moderately priced because you just don't get that much of it. so i'm on the fence. $8 for a burger, a la carte, in astoria? meh. i'd rather drink my DPMs and then go to petey's. (or the taco truck.)
but the ambience and service - spectacular! sparse and rustic and spacious. a great place to be. cute outdoor patio although i'm not a huge fan of "kitchen window" as my view. and yes, the staff is hot.
two thumbs up! definitely going back. (for the DPMs, of course.)
burger good
a little small for bun
temperature a little off
lost flavor over time, started out juicy in five minutes lost flavor.
fries are good
overall ranking: B
This is just what Astoria needed! The food is great and the staff is friendly. I visited last night and ordered the grilled cheese with caramelized onions -yum. You have to try the fried pickles, they are spicy and the dipping sauce is delicious.
Birthday Person Drinks Free!
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