Eat & Drink
Originally published on Tuesday, 18th November 2014
NY DIVE BAR TOUR
Rachel Harrison, Co-Founder of Lion & Lamb Communications NYC and Williamsburg local for the past 11 years, has put together this little dive bar / local bar tour for us. The below five bars are all within walking distance and perfect for a Saturday night visit. Hop to it!
Start at: Bushwick Country Club
Weirdly, this is no country club. They call themselves “craptacular.” They’re right. There’s mini golf in the back. Kind of. The putter was broken… probably more than once, but it works well enough for a tipsy game of mini golf. These guys invented the most delicious shot in the world, the PickleBack. DE-licious.
Lady Jay's
Owned by the former pastry chef at WD-50 and current owner of OddFellow’s Ice Cream and Empire Mayonnaise, Sam Mason seemed to open this bar as his own clubhouse, where all his favourite people could hang out. No pretension, no cocktails. It’s pretty much just beer and whisky. Last year they built a beautiful backyard, making it a little fancier – but not much. It’s a great place to come with friends and meet some locals. Most of them have tattoos.
Ba’sik
Lots of beards, knit caps, leggings and hoodies in the local neighbourhood bar. These guys mix up a mean cocktail, but also have great beers and are happy to line up shots. It’s a mix between a high-end cocktail bar and your favourite dive bar. They also have delicious food – hot dogs, sandwiches and salads. Just an easy place to hang out.
Rocka Rolla
This bar just opened and it’s probably one of the best bars in Williamsburg already. It reminds me of Williamsburg 10 years ago. Its retro authenticity is awesome - and it’s real. The owners and most of the tattooed, denim-wearing employees have lived and worked in the hood for years. There’s a food truck in the back, a pool table in a tiny room on the side and all the drinks are served in schooners.
Extra Fancy
This is kind of an upscale dive. The owner, Rob Krueger, comes from the award-winning Employees Only, but decided to bring a much more low-key bar to Williamsburg. You can get great cocktails, great beers, great food, but it all feels casual. The bartenders dance around a lot (I may have danced on this bar), and there are singalongs at the end of the night. It’s just an all-around fun place.
