"Even if you don’t know a soul, you’ll feel as though you’re among friends at Pony Up. Ringing with laughter and music, the barroom bustles with people whose only agenda is having a good time for a long time. True to the vibe, the cocktails are just right: creative enough to pique curiosity, approachable enough to deter overthinking. Signatures include the brown butter-washed Old Fashioned, a chaser of beef jus for a shot of George Dickel, and tiki standards like the Missionary’s. About 20 beers and half as many easy-drinking wines by the glass keep things well rounded, while a selection of bottled Champagne encourages splurging at the wickedest of times, going for half-off as of 11 p.m. nightly and all day Sunday. Pony Up combines all the you-do-you nonchalance of a dive bar with all the craft of a downtown destination. Nothing like crushing a bottle of grower Champagne in your hoodie and Converse." - Ruth Tobias
