212 East

The drinks are well priced and strong. The Moscow mule was $8 and got me properly tipsy. They also have flavoured mojitos or all sorts of basic/flavoured cocktails for $8. The music is solid. The tables only last 45 mins when they’re busy. By 10:30pm on a Saturday in March there was a 30 minute line.

I don’t know a better restaurant. So affordable, food is so good, great service good music TO GO DRINKS?! They’re perfect

This place is AWESOME. Happy hour or not, the drinks are cheap, delicious, and strong. The DJ was KILLING IT Saturday night. It is actually so FUN!!! The music is a vibe, but it’s not too loud. You can still have a convo I adored this spot. Good munchies and food appetizers. Right in the east village. Perfect perfect spot to spend time with friends. Lunches mojito was bomb

Really amazing place. Servers like takashi, and insoo are so sweet and nice. Good food and amazing drinks. Mike is also an amazing and helpful bouncer 💪

This is my second time visiting this place. I felt like the first time the food was much better. It could have been that it was late night. My coconut shrimp was burnt. However they took it off my bill. I liked how they had music playing the entire time, it was very lively.

Great food, music and atmosphere! 8 dollar drinks which are strong for the price and the tapas are very large portions. Great atmosphere, staff and drinks and food for the price. They even gave us free shots at the end! Definitely recommend!

Beautiful place that I can visit every night and try something new. For a place hidden under some scaffolding it always has a line after 8pm. Hostess are all nice people and the drinks are great, you can take them to go! It would be a shame to gatekeep because 10/10 would always recommend !

Great drink prices, love coming here with friends for a pregame vibe. Tables are very close together so great opportunity to eavesdrop on other peoples conversations. Food is yum good portion sizes.

Always a fun time here. Some of the cheapest cocktail prices I've ever seen--maybe in all of NYC. I like the Tokyo Ice Tea because it's sweet and literally green. I enjoy the bar food here too. Relatively good and easy to share. Great place to end (or start) the night with a group of friends. My waiter was attentive and fast as well.

Literally a gem. Cheap drinks, cheap food (that tastes good), service is great and fast as well. Go-to spot to pre game for a lot of people. The place is a bit small, so you may not have much space to stretch out because someone may be immediately next to you. But, it's a bang for your buck. Be mindful of the days or time you go there, because it may be a bit of wait. Totally worth it though.

A hidden gem in nyc! My friend recommended this place to me and I stopped here before a night out. The line was very long, but they told us we would get seated in 10 minutes and that was true. What makes this place unique is how cheap the drinks are- honestly haven't seen any place beat these prices. I didn't try the food but will be back to try it. The place is loud, which makes it good for a night out but probably not a place to go for a nice dinner. There was a time limit on the tables, but everyone was extremely friendly and made our experience there fun. Overall, a great spot to grab a drink!

Unfussy, no-frills spot. Wonderful place to drink--drinks range from $3 straight liquor shots, $4 flavored shots, to $6-7 cocktails. Everything is decently strong and the interior & vibes are conducive to a great pregame. Loved the interior, service was nice if not too fast (but they're busy, I understand it). Will definitely be bringing friends back here & I more than appreciate my friends for bringing me here and not gatekeeping, because the prices are AMAZING. Did not try the food but can vouch for the drinks, especially the green tea shots!

10/10 vibes for a pregame or fun dinner with friends. Music is always good and attracts a fun & young crowd. The price point for drinks is chefs kiss especially for the area. The food isn't the most amazing gourmet meal you'll ever have but is still tasty and gets the job done especially when you're turnt from the shots

CHEAPEST COCKTAIL PRICES IN NYC!!! WOW amazing place! They have great food and fast service. It was a little loud, but I really liked the music they were playing and the drinks here are so worth. The price is so low, and they have so many different kinds and flavors. I heard it gets pretty busy on the weekends because it's a great pregame spot, but I came on a Sunday and the line was just starting to form. Would definitely recommend the sweet potato fries!

The perfect place to start or end your night in New York! The wait isn't too bad , and they get people in and out very efficiently without making you feel rushed. The most affordable place I've ever been to in a Saturday night in NYC. The drinks are strong so be careful! They food is amazing but honestly after a few shots it doesn't take that much to impress me. The music is great, everyone is so friendly and you'll definitely leave with a friend or two!

Best pregame spot ever. So affordable and i love the vibes. If you like loud music & a younger crowd, this place is for you. The calamari was delicious and only $10. The drinks were pretty sweet but got me going & they were only $8.

Good prices for drinks, good prices for food. Excellent service and really nice staff working there. Popping music playing too. There was a decent line waiting to get in though.

3rd year in a row visiting this gem, 212 Hisaes please never go way. Yes, this is a college bar with cheap food and drinks but it can't be beat. Fantastic service and cheap drinks that stack up and really turn your night around. Noticed a sort of dip in food taste since last year but whatever still an experience and steal all on its own. 212 Hisaes you will always be famous

Cheap drinks and a great time. Literally have only been my drunkest at this place. Shoutout to the bouncer, Ray. Love that dude.

The food, the service, the pricing, the MUSIC!!! Enduring, definitely come try it because I'll be back for sure lol

Great price drinks and a chill place at night. Recommend to go with friends and food is good

Great ambiance and friendly service. Came here for happy hour with some coworkers, and there was ample seating. The waiter came by to refill water multiple times, and the food arrived in ~10-15 minutes after ordering. The drinks were a good price, and the food had l good portions given the prices in NYC! We sat near the window with a view of the street. The food was pretty good as well. The "Big Plates" come with rice and salad, so the Korean Beef was a good deal.

Cute place to drop in if you're waiting for your dinner reservations. Drinks are fairly cheap and strong. Many choices for appetizers & everything comes out quickly. The inside wasn't too busy for a Friday night and the all day happy hour is what got us through the door.

The white wine sangria was ok. The maraschino cherries were a nice touch. The teriyaki chicken I ordered was drowning in sauce. It was a little too much.

I can see why this place gets long lines during the week especially located so close to NYU and some of its dorms. The drinks and food are cheap, and the service is quick. Screwdriver was stronger than I thought it would be considering it was only $6. Super sweet, but I expected nothing less. Fries were pretty good, a little bit on the soggier side but seasoned well. The portion is generous too. They limit you to an hour at the table, but that's enough time. Cards are charged a fee, so make sure you have cash if you want to avoid it. Tip was also automatically added even though we were only a party of 4.

Super cheap drinks but they're weak, super young college type crowd and you have a time limit on the table which we didnt know

Such a solid place for cheap drinks and small eats! Most drinks were under $10 which was so surprising. Officially found my favorite alcoholic drink here for $8 strawberry mojito and would come back regularly for this! Quesadillas were average and tequila was $2 good price I'd say if you can get past the taste it normally is. Can't wait to try more cocktails here though. Definitely worth a try. Such a popular place during evenings.

I absolutely LOVE this place! All of the drinks were amazing and STRONG! The food was hot and super tasty! I mean delicious! This is kind of a hidden gem to me! My best friend and I will be back often! Also this place is SUPER AFFORDABLE! A real bang for your buck! The music was also great! The waiter was so sweet and attentive!

First all off this place says it's tapas style but this is not your normal tapas spot. Like tapas time 5, they're bigger than we all expected. We ordered the teriyaki chicken wings, veggie dumplings, veggie spring rolls, ginger shrimp, kimchi fried rice and fried chicken. Whooaaaaa! It was so much food! Every single bite was delicious i loved the wings they were my favorite. Yo, they have happy hour all night. We ordered lychee mojitos, which were really good i must say. Then i ordered a passion fruit margarita also delicious. Absolutely recommend, you'll leave there full AF!

Drinks are mediocre and watered down but cheap. Be very cautious! My party of two had a 18% gratuity added and we weren't notified of it. I ended up overtipping and didn't realize till a few days later. I ended up tipping around 46% on mediocre service and drinks because we didn't notice the extra charge.

If you're looking for strong and cheap drinks, this is definitely the place for you. We came on a Friday night and there was a wait to get in, but we were able to skip the line since we were okay eating outside. The drinks are huge and have lots of alcohol in them, so be careful of how much you're drinking! We were able to order a Lychee Mojito ($7), Strawberry Margarita ($6), Long Island Iced Tea ($7), Bahama Mama ($7), Green Tea Shots ($4 each), and Lemon Drop shots ($3 each). The flavored cocktails were decent, but the alcohol taste is definitely overpowering. The basket of fries were also pretty crispy and were a nice bar food to eat with the drinks!

Food was horrible. Vodka was cheap. I woke up with a headache the next day, after only two drinks. Thankfully, I was in good company. I won't be returning.

If you're looking for cheap drinks, tasty food, and a good time, this is the place to be! They have a line that goes out the door so would recommend coming slightly earlier in the evening. The crowd tends to run younger and the decor inside isn't anything special, but it does what you need it to do. The restaurant is good for smaller and larger groups, but I would suggest coming with a smaller party to be seated quicker. They have Asian bar food that's filling before a night out and a ton of tasty drinks, too! I got the Kimchi Fried Rice, Egg Rolls, and Fries to share and everything was honestly delicious! I especially loved how flavorful the fried rice was. Even with 2-3 drinks per person, this place didn't break the bank and it was the perfect start to our night!

Everything so affordable!! Amazing happy hour deals and the food is so cheap. It's a bit of a line to get in but everything we had was great.

incredible every time we go! i've come here every week (at least) for roughly 5 months since i moved to nyc

Perfect, and perfectly priced with authentic J pub food: Run by Hisae, an older Japanese from Hokkaido who's had a number of her own establishments in NYC prior to this place. Go here for J curry, not those chains. The service is good: It's run by a J person so no fooling around in that department! The clientele veers young (weekend nights NYU students during the school year) though there was a working-class Gen X couple near us as we arrived. One star off for the excessive use of plastic straws (all drinks including the water) with no option to refuse and the limited vegan/vegetarian selection.

I love coming here when I'm looking for a cheap drinks spot. Drinks are large but sweet - not consistent on the alcohol amount though I think. I've had nights here where the drinks are super strong and others - not so much. Food is cheap and satisfies those junk-food-post-drinking cravings. The line gets pretty long so start your night early here. Dark ambience, feels kind of like a college bar, and it's loud.

Cheap shareable eats and drinks! I recommend the kimchi fried rice and the popcorn shrimp! the drinks are also strong :)

I love going here to pregame. The drinks are all $6-7 and they work for sure. The appetizers are under $5-8 for HUGE portions. My fav is the Tater Tots ($5) and Calamari ($8)! There's a 3.99% credit/debit card fee so bring cash if you can. We ordered the Adios and Strawberry Mojito for drinks and we got Tater Tots, Calamari, and a Kimchi Fried Rice to fill ourselves. We underestimated the portions and couldn't finish it all. The place isn't the cleanest/cutest inside but the food is bombbbbb especially for the price. The only thing I don't really like would be how packed and loud it is inside but that just goes to show how popular it is!

Food was alright, drinks were good and cheap, weird though. I paid in cash, they assumed that they could keep the change when gratuity was included, and then when I asked for change back they gave the wrong amount. I'm not gonna fight over $3 but it was not right.

Service is good. Good food. But the place is loud. Not for a date. Friends out for drinks and food, yes. Reasonable prices.

Absolutely love this restaurant. Delicious food and drinks at a cheap price?? Count me in!! It's a very dim and lowkey place which is perfect for a night out with your friends. The staff was so nice in recommending us drinks and dishes. Keep in mind they don't do reservations and they're very popular at night. The portion of each dish was also great. I had the chicken quesadilla (a little dry but can't complain for the amount of food I'm getting at this price ~12) Definitely will be coming back again!!

Came here for cheap drinks and food before an event and it did not disappoint. The line was so long to get in - it is across the street and it grew longer down the street as we waited. I got kimchi fried rice which was huge for under $10. Drinks range from $3-$7 which is also insane because they would've been sooo expensive elsewhere in the city. The vibe with the loud music, dark lighting, cheap drinks reminded me of a college bar haha. There's an H-Mart around the corner if you want to buy snacks if you get hungry in line. I'm guilty of buying a pack of kimbap while waiting haha. My friends and I had a great time here and then we went on our merry way to the event!

If you're looking for a good pregame or hanging out with friends then this is the place for you. This is definitely for a younger crowd (located near NYU) so if that's not your vibe then I'd get it. I heard about this place because my other friend said that there were really cheap drinks and boy was she right. While the tequila shots were $3 and was about as bad as swallowing medicine, the mixed drinks were pretty tasty at around $5-7. You'll definitely feel it depending on what you get. We got the mojitos. When my friend and I came it was around 9 and jammed packed. We thankfully were sitting closer to the end because it was so loud. Don't be here for a first date because you won't here a word they're saying. They had some pretty decent food that was also well priced which I wasn't expecting. They had tapas as well as full plates. We ordered the tapas which were honestly full plates and thank goodness it was because for $5 we got more than one thing! Service was pretty average considering how busy it was. But they were helpful. I'd recommend it overall. 212 will get you to where you need to be, whatever that may entail.

I have no complaints. Unbeatable price. Our server was FANTASTIC. He was so sweet, chill, and impressionable. Portion is JUMBO. This place is a high key throwback to college with the price and portion. The atmosphere is casual and Asian fusion. I love the vibe. The fries are absolutely fantastic and well salted. I can't wait to come back and try everything else. The drinks are totally up my alley since I love sweet and honestly a great size for what your paying for. If I had to nit pick it be that I wish they would use reusable cups and utensils... the paper waxed cup and plastic utensils is quite odd to me but very wasteful.

Strong and cheap drinks. Not necessarily good but their drinks were extremely cost effective and get the job done. A fun pregame spot with a group of people, definitely the cheapest alcohol prices I've witnessed in the city. There's a line to get in on weekend nights but it moves quick as they have a 1 hr limit per table. Didn't try the food.

Like literally every other review, I'm gonna praise Hisae on their drinks. They get you completely smashed for less than ten bucks every single time and to do that despite COVID + a looming depression... this place is a real gem. Food's okay, salty. Drinks are wonderful and I plan to try the entire repetoire eventually. One thing I want to add that I don't see others talking about is the environment. It's small, bit cramped, and people are loud, the menus are made of cheap paper and microsoft paint. The crowd's age is around 18-24. You won't feel classy coming here, and honestly, you shouldn't care - Hisae is for getting messed up on a budget of paperclips and lint -- embrace it!

A great place for cheap drinks! Got the coconut curry chicken and my pallet was loving it. It is not your typical Japanese curry but still delicious! Overall, the food and drinks were super good with great prices. However be prepared for a one hour time limit. I think that is the primary thing I disliked considering I'm a slow eater and drinker. Nevertheless, the technique is understandable considering how popular this place is. A one hour time limit is a great way to minimize, if any, wait time.

I was so excited to try this place out, but the experience was so terrible, I truly would never go back again. Just because it's a strong and cheap drink doesn't mean you should put up with ridiculous service First, you wait outside for an hour and a half in the cold. Whatever, but after the "it'll be 45 minutes" doubled, can't say I was too happy We go in, after 15 minutes someone finally decided to address us and we order drinks. I got the cosmopolitan first, and no less than 30 seconds later a server CRASHES into me, he falls and almost knocks me out of the seat. I get a cold "sorry" and he runs away, half my cosmo on the table. Left to clean up the mess and half a drink gone, we waited another HOUR before our next round of drinks because there truly is no one there to serve you. We asked for waters, never got them. Ordered fries and dumplings, only got the fries. And then, 2 rounds of drinks in when we should been 3/4, they bring us the check. 4 hours wasted and not even a slight buzz. It's not worth the cheap drinks, or the terrible service.

*4.5/5 Take me back!!! Finally some cheap (but not nasty) alc!! 212 Hisae's officially got me hooked on amaretto sours. The line is long on a weekend night but it's worth if you tryna have fun but not break the bank. My teenage brother can make a way better kimchi fried rice than the one I ordered but no one comes here for the cuisine anyways. Fries were good tho. Pairs great w the $3 shots here. I want to go back

Drinks are 4 stars. Food is -2 stars. I've had food here that was way too salty that I could not eat it. Drinks are affordable and cheap though.

Came here because a friend wanted to get blackout drunk and this place had cheap drinks and food. We ordered a bunch of drinks and appetizers and everything came out incredibly economical - I've honestly never seen alcohol so cheap in my life in a major city. I can see why friends tell me this place is dangerous; even though the cocktails are like $6 or $7, they are mixed with a generous portion of hard alcohol. Highly recommended place to start your night out if you're not looking to pre-game at someone's apartment.

Time: June 2023 I went here with friends on a Saturday night around 7:30pm and the line was already out the door. The wait for a table of 8 was around 20-30 minutes, which was not bad most of your party had to be here in order to be seated. The inside was dark and loud, and tables were a little dingy, but it was passable. Service was great, but the food and drinks did take a while to come out (it was really busy though). We got food and drinks, all of which were incredibly affordable! They also had a huge selection of drinks and a sizable list of food options. All the shareables/food was $8, and mixed drinks ranged from $6-9. Shots were only $3! - Kimchi fried rice: the rice and flavoring was okay, but the kimchi was great! There was only kimchi and a light sprinkling of onions as toppings. It was a good filler before starting to drink - Potstickers: the dough was pretty thick and the filling was smaller, but the taste was decent! - Calamari: this was made pretty well and I loved the sauce that you dip into. The dipping sauce was more savory-- like sweet & sour sauce with an accent of soy sauce. It was fried well (crispy, but not overly crunchy) - Shots: lemon drop (strong, sweet), green tea (medium strong, sweet). I estimate the drink strength based on how much of the alcohol I tasted. - Cocktails: tom collins (weak, but less sweet; although brownie points for having that on the menu!), lychee mojito (strong, but the lychee masks it well), tokyo iced tea (medium strong, very sweet) Overall, I'd say the food is okay, and the drinks were good (slightly watered down). I would come here again (and again) because it is a great spot to pregame and not break the bank.

Came here because i saw reviews saying the food was cheap and kimchi fried rice portion was huge, and I was not disappointed. I got takeout for the first time two days ago and had to bring my friend back the next night to try their drinks- the drink prices looked great so I had to come back to see how they shaped up. The drinks were excellent- we got lychee and mango mojitos and they were strong without tasting it! There were many people hanging out and drinking and the vibe was very fun. The kimchi fried rice is my new fave and the ginger shrimp was also delicious. The bouncer was very helpful and nice and I was able to order takeout from him directly! Great food and drinks all around- will definitely be making this our regular spot!

Excellent service, great food and a peaceful feeling behind the hip atmosphere. I highly recommend this place for a good and affordable dining experience. The food, place and servers have a great energy.

Can't go wrong with 212s. It used to be the spot back when I was in highschool and it has remained one of my go tos now that I'm an adult. You can't beat their prices, the drinks are strong and cheap. Those bartenders do not skimp. Only reason I took a star off is because they took the edamame off the menu, the fried calamari's recipe must've changed and our waitress had a stank ass attitude. You really shouldn't be working in a bar if you can't handle a few intoxicated folk. Rolling your eyes at paying customers and quite blatantly too, is far from cute. You never know who's watching. Anyway, their tada chicken is my favorite thing on the menu and the best drunk snack. Solid spot.

great ambiance great prices, food was great, location great, people staff fashion amazing