- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
The Woods
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
120 reviews for The Woods
Review Highlights
"Taco truck in the very spacious back patio."
(in 34 reviews)
"...fun, lots of cheap drink specials, great music, huge..."
(in 4 reviews)
"awesome food in the back patio."
(in 8 reviews)
Loading...
120 reviews in English
-
Review from Christina Q.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good music, I did not have any problem with getting drinks from the bar. That could also be due to the fact that I always tip my bartenders and I order easy straight to the point drinks.
Good looking people although I think this would be more fun during the week and you won't have to elbow everyone.
Remember this is in Williamsburg so expect that type of crowd. -
Review from Ricky R.
Brooklyn, NY
1/30/2012
taco truck out back. hipsterish young professional crowd. cheap drinks. newer indie jams, old pop/hip hop favorites. large back patio. decent dance floor.
i don't club/dance much so i'm not the best source for these kind of places. one of my good friends however is a real life "hitch" (seriously, that's his job) and goes out 6-7 nights a week.
here's what he had to say about the woods.
(also, he'd give the woods 5 stars... i suppose that's worth noting.)
...
"the woods is low-key but not a dive, low-key is vastly underrated"
"im telling you, the woods is my fail safe! it's always there to save the day and make me look oh so good."
"yea yea it's far from everything, but i find its remoteness a positive. A) because people have to trek out to the woods, it becomes their destination and not just a random stop B) its seclusion helps keep skank and bro at bay."
"because you know everyone will be at the woods for awhile, you have lots of time to figure out who you want to get to know. once that someone is found you can A) chat them up at the bar, B) do the playful/sexual dance routine on the dance floor, and/or C) calmly get to know them in the relaxed patio setting... so many options!"
"the woods has the perfect 'meet people' setup man... god i love that place"
...
so that's that.
all in all, the woods can be an intersting spot. dress down, drink up, keep expectations low; good times will be had. -
Review from Tash R.
Manhattan, NY
1/8/2012
Had my birthday here on a Friday night and we all had a great time. We arrived early to get a prime corner spot - we were a little worried after seeing the place completely empty but a few tacos and a couple of hours saw the place fill up quite nicely.
Great space, cheap drinks, delicious/cheap food, great night!
Only downfall would be the horrendous toilet line once the place was packed! -
Review from Taylor J.
Tarrytown, NY
1/27/2012
A heartfelt thank you to whoever decided to put that taco truck out back. You know that expression the sum of the parts is greater than the individual? Certainly true here at The Woods when the individual parts are cheap sixpoint ales, picklebacks and truly delicious tacos. Chasing the former with the latter = nirvana. Just a heads up, that enclosed semi-heated outdoor pavilion is not a refuge to escape the sweaty noise of the bar's interior, but rather a convenient place to exile the smokers. That leaves you with 3 choices: freeze outside on the picnic tables, risk collisions and possible spillage of beer/tacos inside or grin and bear the smoke. All that said, I'd still come back for the tacos :)
-
Review from andy m.
Rochester, NY
1/24/2012
I just wish that the music wasn't any good so only a few people would come and I could purchase beer faster! Things are so much better when you are in a homogeneous group of people. Actually, I think Im just going to stay home and search blogs for obscure music torrents. Everybody knows that there is a universal inverse relationship between quality and popularity.
-
Review from Ali M.
Astoria, NY
12/4/2011
Why are there so many bouncers? Imagine Union Pool if there was a big, glaring bouncer every five feet giving patrons the death stare. Yeah, kind of a mood-killer. And I didn't see the necessity. Are they just an accessory to make the bar appeal to the LES clubbing crowd that seemed to make up the population here a good deal more than I was expecting for Brooklyn?
The bartenders were nice, and the whole design of the place is pretty cool, but those were the only positive things I could say about it.
Otherwise, it was just mediocre music and unattractive guys who get indignant and offended when their aggressive approach to an uninterested woman is rejected (c'mon, grow a pair and accept a "no" like a man and move on to the next girl - there were certainly plenty others there that night!) -
Review from Laura M.
Brooklyn, NY
12/6/2011
OKAY. OKAY.
This is one of those bars that comes to mind when a friend from out of town is visiting Brooklyn and wants to experience Williamsburg at its "finest" and also loves to dance. That doesn't mean you wanna go.
On a Friday or Saturday, this place is so crowded you can't walk from front to back without losing all your friends and wasting valuable drinking time. The bathroom line is always obnoxiously long as well. Any time i go here I find myself sitting in the backyard only so I can breathe.
My MAIN issue with this place is the bartenders. I've been here at least 5 times and every time, myself or a friend of mine has had serious issues with at least one of them. They are just fucking rude. My friend ordered something, was given something else, and very politely said "oh im sorry! i ordered something different!". The flaming, bitchy bartender glared at her, and replied "I am not fucking deaf, I know you what ordered", and then refused to switch the drink.
I will probably find myself in here again on a week night, or early on a weekend for some bizarre reason, but am I a fan? No.
And yes, I am a Brooklyn snob. -
Review from Susan s.
9/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The couple times I've been here, I wanted to have the time of my life, just like the rest of my friends keep telling me about. I have yet to experience that. The first time I came here, I tried the tacos. They were OUT OF THIS WORLD good. I love the chorizo and beef ones!
Its been pretty empty the couple times I've been, but I never went on a weekend so I could be wrong on the amount of people that come through here. One night they had karaoke and it was HORRIBLE. I wanted to run out as fast as I could. Its a huge space and there was nowhere to hide.
The bathrooms are filthy and disgusting! Unisex bathrooms? EW -
Review from Alexander M.
New York, NY
9/10/2011
The Woods can be uncomfortably crowded on certain nights but it has a great off-the-beaten path location, a beautiful outdoor deck and amaaaazing handmade tacos and burritos served at the little kitchen in the back. The scene is pretty attractive but sometimes kind of odd... The bartenders are overall nice but there aren't nearly enough of them. Prices are good, especially for cans of some cheap beer you've never heard of. There is a cool stage in the corner by the DJ that is the location of choice for the crowd's rowdiest dancers. Perennial line for the bathroom kind of sucks.
Dancing and tacos. -
Review from Liz C.
8/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Ah, Williamsburg's version of B-Bar, The Woods, knows me well.
It knows that despite jumping on the bandwagon of hipster disdain, that I've also, to a lesser degree, jumped aboard the hipster bandwagon, and that I want to show off my shapeless new-old vintage dress and nursing home kicks.
It knows that even though I roll my eyes at the very mention of its name, I'm game for indie-pop-bopping; $3 cans of cheap beer; and a big, outdoor space for taco-munching and cigarette-smoking.
And it knows that no matter how many times I duck out early, I'll be back.Listed in: The next stop is Bedford…, Dancin' the Dancy Dance
-
Review from John C.
Brooklyn, NY
8/23/2011
This isn't a totally bad review of this place. I'll explain.
I've been religiously frequenting this bar for over a year now. Its probably the closest thing that Williamsburg has to a dance club and it used to be one of the neighborhood's best kept secrets. That's debatable, but I'm pretty sure its location played a huge roll in that. A year or so ago this place was just full enough. Lots of energy. Now it smells like poop and you can barely move. Yes the taco truck is amazing. Good luck getting food.
It now seems that this place is at least 50% bridge and tunnel and maybe 25% aggressive male tourist. Until recently I lived on North 5th and Kent. The Woods is on South 5th and Kent. I used to count on at least 5 people outside my apartment every night of the weekend and thursdays asking me where the woods is.
It's just gotten too crowded at this point. I'm a little disappointed honestly. It used to be such a great bar and now I can't think of one place more likely to put me in a horrible mood. The bartenders look like they're about to have a panic attack most of the time. People push their way up to the bar. It's extremely tense.
Also this place is empty during the week nights. Going there on a Monday night is kind of creepy honestly. -
Review from Ron C.
The Woods... The name is very catchy I must say. Before going in I was thinking of picnic tables, bushes with an outdoorsy feel. I was more than half right.
Once you will notice that the place is pretty spacious. Enough space for you to dance and have a good time. Bar is located on your right and bathrooms are on the left. There are stools at the bar and a couple of tables on the side.
It's a bit dimly lit in the bathroom area. I noticed that the locking mechanisms on the doors are just like in Airplanes. It has the Vacant/Occupied sign once locked. In order for me to see what's available without pushing the doors in I used my phone. (I love my iPhone4!)
The backyard part of The Woods is AWESOME! It's very spacious. wooden tables and booths and a roof. To top it off they have a Taco Truck. The grilled steak is cooked to perfection and seasoned well. They give a lot of meat for your buck.
YOU HAVE to order a Pickleback here... It's probably one of the best ones i've had. You also have to get a Tecate to wash it down! The pairings go hand in hand.
This is one of my newest spots to hit up in Williamsburg!!! -
Review from Patrick C.
Brooklyn, NY
12/9/2011
Williamsburg....so bear that in mind before going here.
DJ plays good music most of the time.
I guess this is Union Pool for South Williamsburg? -
Review from Katie S.
Manhattan, NY
11/28/2011
We didn't try the bar's actual food, just the cheap Mexican stand out back. I am convinced that the cheaper and dirtier a Mexican place looks, the more authentic and delicious it probably is. I was pretty full though so I just got the chipotle chicken taco. Delicious. If I had been tipsy I would probably be scarfing down three more of these and/or a burrito. My friend then proceeded to order us $6 Tequila + Tecate shots which are dangerously cheap and strong (tequila always messes me up without fail) and 5 min later I was at a happy buzz. I'm not a one shot wonder but tequila's always got a peculiarly stronger effect on me. It was a weeknight though so it was a bit empty. Seems from other reviews it's a bit more hoppin' on the weekends. I was with two guys so it was okay, but if they weren't there the place probably would have really creeped me out.
-
Review from Aleksey K.
Brooklyn, NY
11/28/2011
I came... I saw... I left.
-
Review from Matt S.
8/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
After my girlfriend went to The Woods with some friends, she roped me in to visit some other friends on a Saturday night. Located on South 4th and basically Kent Avenue, it is sort of out of the way from our North Williamsburg environment, but she promised that The Woods would deliver.
When we arrived and were carded by two mean looking security guards, we entered to a larger than expected bar. Instantly we jumped for a shot & beer ($6) combination then found friends in the back. The backyard area is very large with tons of seating, maybe too much seating because if you're standing, your butt is probably dancing in someone else's face. Even though I wasn't able to grab a taco, it is there for your convenience in the back as well.
After midnight struck, it seemed The Woods went from having 100 people to 300 people and I wasn't able to move anymore. The dance floor area, which is larger than you might think when you first walk in, was becoming so crowded that dancing wasn't even possible. It was time to leave, but for the hour and a half I spent wandering around The Woods, I was content. I will be back to dance. -
Review from yo sub k.
6/17/2011
Into the woods,
It's time to go,
I hate to leave,
I have to, though.
Into the woods-
It's time, and so
I must begin my journey.
Into the woods
And through the trees
To where I am
Expected ma'am,
Into the woods
To Grandmother's house-
This ain't no grandmother's house. -
Review from Samantha M.
Fresh Meadows, NY
8/14/2011
Abundant Hipsters
If you don't mind the smell of hipsters, this place is great. But beware: it is packed on the weekends and the DJ is GOOD so you will want to shake your rump you will probably get some hipster sweat on you. But if you don't mind a little of that, you really can have a lot of fun here. Heard they have a taco truck in the back, but didn't have the opportunity to try it. Anything goes as far as clothes. Young and energetic crowd peppered with some real weirdos. Will go back because the music mix was diverse and the dancing was carefree , but will try to avoid Fridays due to how packed it was. Also some girls had a slap fight and it changed my life. -
Review from Emily B.
8/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I think this might be the only place that exceeds Union Pool in sex drip factor. The minute we walked into this place we had 3 people fighting over buying us drinks! The whole night was like dodging dudes hitting on us (only because I have a boyfriend, my friends loved it) and it's nothing to brag about... everyone there is talking to everyone.
Definitely a great place to go to dance. Love the outdoor area, their taco truck rules the williamsburg vicinity as far as I'm concerned and just might have the best drunken cheeseburger ever. -
Review from Jacob S.
Brooklyn, NY
8/3/2011
The mexican food stand out back is FIVE STARS.
However, besides it being an unholy clusterfuck on the weekends, they do not offer any kind of happy hour specials without food involved.
Also, if you leave your card they will run it for $20 even if the tab was $4. This is not an acceptable business practice. -
Review from Dana B.
12/30/2011
long bar, loud music, backyard. good time.
-
Review from brianna s.
San Diego, CA
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place would have been 5 stars except for two things...
The bartender spilt my pickelback shot on me, before I could even take my shot. Though he did replace it, I smelt like the terrible combo all night!!
I loved the feel of the bar, kind of grungy and divey, just how I love my bars. I was so excited to grab some mexican food in the backyard taco truck... But my expectations fell short when I ordered some nachos, thinking I was going to be getting melted cheese and tortilla chips, instead I got some round Tostitos and nacho cheese. Being a San Diego native, this is a no-no from a 'mexican' taco truck!!!
Next time I find myself in Brooklyn, I will be back... I love the feel of this bar. -
Review from Sei S.
Brooklyn, NY
8/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've only gone on the weekends when the Bedford Ave crowd dominates the scene. Not that that's a terrible thing[?] But the DJs have always been on point with old funk and r&b and... I dunno, the dancing was lukewarm at best. Instead of people's bodies having sensual encounters, the dance floor energy was more like being at a DMV, on a line of polka dot dresses and super low-V necks with James Brown's "Soul Power" playing.
But the backyard is spacious in a beerhall kind of way, and the mexican food stand is great for when you've purchased too many $6 Bud+Jim Bean. -
Review from Re M.
Williamsburg, NY
5/14/2011
Friday night = the greatest concentration of ugly people per square foot
old school music
go if you are either drunk or under serious influence of substances...or, if you dont like to dress up, and is all about jumping and dancing like nobodys watching to old tunes.
Lot of regulars and groups.
Maybe it is just not my kind of place. Might be good for hipsters or alternative people though. check out and see. Cheap drinks. Didnt try the food. -
Review from Hazel A.
Los Angeles, CA
4/28/2011
Let me start by saying I think I may actually have pulled a pelvic muscle from doing the twist and mashed potato. My boyfriend and I are visiting from L.A. and started the night off with an 8-course meal at Fatty Cue's (compliments of 'big sexy'), another restaurant which I HIGHLY recommend (see my review), with the excitement of spreading some news 'NYC-style' in our chill-tastic west coast bellies. Following more whisky and pickle shots than I can remember (hey-we don't have these in California), we hastened off in a dark Lincoln, which I can only assume was a high-class cab, and arrived at The Woods.
Here is where the night when awesomely awry. I had to check my wallet the following morning to (A) see if my credit card and ID were still there and (B) see if I had actually spent any money. Yep. I had. On some more pickle shooters of course! This place was hopping. Music was fantastic FOR THE MOST PART. I was digging the old school tunes (Chuck Berry, James Brown) and was surprised to learn I could recite all the words to Splish Splash at the top of my lungs. It was a 60's mod/rock extravaganza, complete with a bevy of your peers (not your parents) doing the twist and guzzling cheap cocktails.
Now, I'm not one for dance clubs. I usually prefer super seedy dive bars where Tom Petty and Allman Bros are playing on the jukebox (see my review of Rudy's), but this felt like a modernized Austin Powers dance party and definitely not something easily found in L.A.. Suffice it to say, I was really into it.
After sweating it out to the oldies, the music started to, err, shift. I don't really remember now, but I think there was some hip hop in there and some other weird rock sh*t that our group wasn't really feeling (they should have stuck to the classics), prompting us to head out back to the outdoor patio/picnic area where my gloriously tipsy friends and I sat and chitchatted. All was good until my friend accidentally dropped his full bottle of beer on the concrete while in the middle of telling a dramatic story that no doubt required a left hand flip movement. We figured that bottles breaking was a good time to cut out.
All in all, a fantastic experience (thank you pickle shots!). Great ambiance and music, rad outdoor vibe (reminiscent of Verdugo Bar here in L.A.) and overall a damn good time to be had by all. -
Review from Sean S.
6/8/2011
Damn... my first attempt at searching this place on Yelp turned up nothing (blame the iphone app devs). So I was all excited and all set to churn out another FTR, but alas my hopes are dashed.
But I did really like this place. For a happy hour that lasts until 10pm, it's kinda worth the bike ride over the bridge, that and a little heavy lip locking is enough to motivate me to do pretty much anything!
The place - large and spacious
The people - local and sexy
Outdoor garden - check
Dog friendly - check
Draft beers aplenty
The garden in the back is actually a bit like a beer garden, but with less riff raff goings-ons. Of course this was Tue night so who knows what the weekend brings.
Oh I almost forgot, they have food in the back. All out of quesadillas, I ordered a veggie burrito. My expectations were low, and so I was wildly surprised that this here burrito they brought me was tasty, full of spinach and rice, a bit of cheese and some zucchini to round things out. The hot sauce was superb, and while I'm at it, I think I'll spoon feed my date! -
Review from Stephen B.
Manhattan, NY
8/10/2011
This bar POPS!
Drink specials, yes! Dance parties, yes! Decent crowd of aspiring young people, yes! I'm a regular now :) -
Review from natu p.
Queens, NY
7/26/2011
I love this place so much. get there early with my friends to grab a table and eat some reaaaaalllllyyyyy good tacos and burritos. the drink specials are the best! the music is so much fun... especially since everywhere else all you here is electronic/house. it gets crowded after 11 but thats when you're feeling super awesome and want to meet new people.
the people.. friendly, interesting , attractive.
i should just write a bad review to keep this place under wraps.
the only negative part is its hard to get to...but im the fool that lives in queens... and i will travel to get to the woods!!! -
Review from Jonas M.
2/20/2011
Like Alicia Silverstone's character in Clueless, I was initially unimpressed by the party in the (South Williamsburg) Valley. This South Williamsburg boite might as well be located in the woods, as it is inconveniently situated in the midst of industrial warehouses and artists lofts flush against the East River. The Woods took an old commercial space, put a bar with plastic cups and pastied mermaids in the middle, and added an air hockey table in the back. My friend commented it looked like a Chuck E. Cheese that had just got robbed.
As easy as it is to make fun of hipsters (probably the one thing that brings all New Yorkers together), looks are deceiving. About one-and-a-half rounds in, we saw taxis and gypsy cabs rolling up in the spot. Slowly but surely, the bar became a shitshow. The music shifted from (name your indie darling) to 90's old-school hip-hop. A random dude started to shoot Silly String at the bartender. Some dude poured us shots of Southern Comfort. And everyone started dancing like frenzied fans on stage at a Girl Talk concert.
Unironically, I had a really great time at the Woods. -
Review from Brandon Z.
Ridgewood, Queens, NY
3/6/2011
This place falls under the "cavernous warehouse" category of North Brooklyn bar, with a backyard and taco truck ala Union Pool. Around 6-8 good beers on tap.
Thankfully, I've only been here at off/early hours, so I haven't experienced it in full shitshow glory. -
Review from Briana M.
Updated - 1/7/2011
I actually had a lot of fun here last night.
But please, hire a better DJ. There's no way you can get away with playing Third Eye Blind's "Never Let You Go" for a group of people dancing. Especially not after some 80's beatz.Listed in: I am a drunk.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
8/26/2010
a joke
(on the weekends) Read more »
-
-
Review from A D.
Brooklyn, NY
3/19/2011
Not a terrible place.
Had a great time when I was here, staff seemed a bit odd but okay. I could see this place becoming a real hot spot for debauchery...and I'm down. -
Review from James S.
Brooklyn, NY
8/20/2011
One of my absolute favorite weekend evening bars in the city. Good DJs blasting tunes to dance to and cool people just looking to have a good time. Out back there's a taco truck, which, by 2AM you're going to be happy is there. Inside the drinks are cheap and most of the bartenders are fast and helpful. Pickleback shots are one of their specialties, and they happen to be my favorite. My only word of advice, go there with a crowd and get there before 11:30. This place is PACKED by midnight.
-
Review from Tracie S.
Edison, NJ
7/18/2011
From what I remember this was a fun place. I came here on a thursday after work and it was super crowded..I was there so long that me n my girlfriends were the last ones in the bar probably. I ate some tacos, I think. Bullshited with some creepy foreigners for a good hour. Before I knew it I was on the 5 am train back to Jersey. OOps!
-
Review from mario c.
Brooklyn, NY
1/8/2011
I recommend this place either a chill Wednesday night or a Saturday night with a "good" dancing crowd. (DJ on Fridays sucks)
Good outdoor patio with some ridiculous tasty mexican tae-kos.
Plus $6 Tekates's and a shot of whiskey can't go wrong... I mean, it will end up bad, but it won't seem like a bad idea at the time. ;)
Enjoy!! -
Review from Caroline K.
Astoria, Queens, NY
1/20/2011
I like this place. I like you, Brooklyn. I like to dance. I like... the retro music, cute DJ, cheap beer for $3, and a good crowd for the most part.
I wasn't a big fan of how crowded it got - it was packed from midnight 'til whenever people here fall asleep. Granted it was a Saturday night.
Well I like to start my day early - as the proverb goes, "The early bird catches the worm." So I left early before the late crowd and enjoyed whatever sleep I could get. -
Review from James L.
Somerset, NJ
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty good vibes here. Nice liquor selection and dance floor. Got pretty crowded but the people here are pretty chill. Good for a large group to just hang out here on a fri nite.
-
Review from Jon A.
Brooklyn, NY
5/26/2011
Good stuff:
Tacos are dope
Often great tunes for dancing
You could probably bone down with minimal effort
Bad stuff:
Their liquor is obviously watered down. Like they don't even try to cover it up. (I'd probably give this place a four if it wasn't for that)
Crowd has kind of fallen off over the past couple years, but as Williamsburg itself gets all LES like, I suppose more striped button-down shirts are to come. -
Review from Matthew L.
New York, NY
2/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I want to love this place. The venue itself is great. Cool decor, a yard to whisk away your hookup of the night to, chill bartenders and cheap drinks. However it's kind of a Jekyll and Hyde depending on the crowd and DJ that's there.
The first time I went was a great time. It wasn't too packed and the people there were super friendly and just wanted to dance. The next time it was balls to the wall with people; I couldn't turn around without knocking into someone. Something must've been in the water that night because several people were talking shit and trying to instigate fights with my group, which in itself was pretty comical because I was with a crew of 5 dudes and we're all big.
I'll definitely be giving it another chance since it's 5 minutes from my house. I just hope the douches aren't there next time. -
Review from Brock B.
Brooklyn, NY
2/2/2011
Went last night for the first time. The night started with a bang as a dude I was walking with slipped on the ice and dislocated his shoulder. I knew at that point the night would be interesting.
Three hours later, I realized that this will be my new bar. Great music, great atmosphere, cheap drinks, and cool patrons.
I was on the back patio at some point, but I don't remember anything about it. I am paying for it today.
