Matthew S.
Yelp
This is a bar with an identity crisis.
The faux-dive schtick isn't working. When a bar tries to brand themselves a dive, they've missed the point: dives are about not trying.
They've got vintage beer paraphernalia randomly sprinkled throughout the place, a few yard beers in cans, and other random standard-issue cliches. They've also got a decent tap selection, which I appreciate but doesn't fit the schtick. To add to the confusion, the beer prices are spendy. I didn't try the food, but the menu was littered with options and prices you'd expect at a gastropub.
The main bar space itself is pretty nice, in an old, narrow 39th St building that used to house a tight Minsky's knock-off. Off to the side, though, is another space where you can find the largest tables in the place. These are next to the kitchen door, though, so you can only sit on one side of them, and you face the march of food into the bar.
There probably isn't much they could do about the location of the kitchen, but the "patio" further makes the interior space even tighter, surrendering it to an outdoor space that seems too small to serve as a real patio. Instead, it seems to be a glass-enclosed smoker fishbowl, where we all have the joy of watching people indulge in their unappetizing habits.
The final straw in the identity crisis? There are way too many TVs in here. I hate TVs in bars, but I'll forgive one or two behind the bar. Here, they seem to be wanting to add sports bar to the identity as well. Given the small space and the prevalence of the TVs, they are more distracting than usual and take away from the vibe.
So, if you want to go somewhere for a well-curated beer selection, there are great beer bars to choose from. If you want a great restaurant menu, you've got a ton of options next door. If you want to relax in an unpretentious dive, you should go to an actual dive. Want to watch sports? Go to a sports bar! This bar tries to be a little bit of all of those things, such that it can do none of them well.
