Turtles all the way down

Went here on a Saturday night and there was a terrible bartender (white guy with long blonde hair). Overall I had a really disappointing experience at this bar. The bartender was not only inattentive but also rude. We waited a long time to be served, and when we finally ordered, he seemed irritated. When several patrons politely asked if he could change the music, he flatly refused and made it clear he wasn’t interested in accommodating any requests and directed us to the jukebox. Once we went to the jukebox and requested our songs he would skip over the ones he didn’t like and when I complained, he offered to give me my money back for skipping the songs. Absolutely unprofessional! The drinks were poorly made, and overall, the service was just terrible. Won’t be coming back—there are much better places with friendlier staff and a more welcoming atmosphere.

This is a fun spot! Divey but not in a pretentious way, good beer selection, shuffle board table, and there are turtles! Cute outdoor patio as well. Every first Sunday of the month they apparently have turtle races? Will need to come back to confirm.

Went for the turtle races and had fun. A little too packed but it is as a great time

Came here to see turtles and saw turtles. Fun neighborhood dive bar. There's an additional backyard area too.

One of my favorite bars in Brooklyn! They have a wonderful shuffleboard table, ATM, water cooler for easy water access, and lots of great seating around the bar. Lots of views, a fish tank at the bar, great music playing, outside patio and an awesome turtle tank with two very active turtles. Really a treat to visit! They have a great selection from high quality drinks to wonderful deals such as 4 bucks for a 24oz draft Budweiser. 7 dollar boilermakers! It's really a wonderful place! I mean they have turtle races how can you resist!!?!?! Riff was my bartender super welcoming and a breath of fresh air to talk to!

Tuesday night chef the best tacos and burgers ever with vegan options

The staff at this place screamed at me over the microphone because I didn't understand the $2 raffle ticket process for the turtle racing as well as instigated and encouraged harassment from other patrons in front of the entire bar. The girl supervising the turtle racing was cursing at me to get out of the bar and asking for people to remove me physically. So many people were yelling at me that my partner and I ran out of the place. I came to this place for a fun time and to watch the turtle racing with my partner but was shocked that a place with such a great premise would treat people with such disrespect and hostility. I felt so uncomfortable.

I call this "Brooklyn's Best Low-Key Gay/Lesbian/Everybody BAR". In the early hours you can enjoy the sounds of alternative rock and 90's alternative music. You can mingle and toast glasses with Bushwick & Bk's lighter skinned folks. Then in the later hours you can turn up and get a lil ratchet with a lil trap music and Bk & Bushwick's more artsy/fartsy Brwn skin crowd. Literally the best laid back chill dive bar around! There's also a super chill outdoor lounge in the back ... perfect for sparking blunts and networking. Not to mention... they actually have 2 large Turtles living in an aquarium in the back ... so dope! Come alone or bring friends... either way, you'll definitely meet new folks here! It's sooo easy to socialize here ... everyone's so chill and approachable!

Turtles is always a good time fr. This is a true dive bar, but the vibes are always great. The servers are cool and match the aesthetic of the bar completely. It gets super packed on the weekends. They don't sell food, but if you want to hang out and grab a couple drinks as a meeting spot, or even an after the spot drinks, this bar isn't a bad choice. They also have turtle races! How cool.. the turtles are named ja rule and Ashanti lmao... It's a cool neighborhood bar, and I'll be back lol

This is a great place that serves up fast drinks, great music and always has a fun crowd. The bartenders are always friendly and even the turtles are smiling.

Decided to go here after an event at the weylin because of the name, and they had turtles. This is a pretty cool hipster dive bar with a mixture of people on the Tuesday night we went.It is part of a group of bars in brooklyn which owns Lucky Dog, Skinny Dennis, Rocka Rolla, George, Horses and Divorces, Jack's Tap Room and Do or Dive There is a variety of beer on tap. However, my favorite drink is the alcoholic frozen coffee drink they have, which is served in the old school greek coffee cups. It kept my buzz going from the event I just had attended. The bartender was friendly we did not have the other one mentioned in prior reviews. We were told they did not have food at the time, but they suggested a Mexican place to Uber eats from. It was a great suggestion since we needed something to soak up the alcohol. There is a small shuffleboard table in the front, which we played as the night progressed. Turtles plays an ok mix of current top 40, hip hop and trap. There is a jukebox in back where you can play songs you want.;) Things to know. Not sure the exact time the patio closes, but around 11 to 12am we were told we couldn't go back. There were a lot of people in the bar. This may be in respect to the noise level for the neighborhood. As for the turtles, there are 2 turtles in a tank, which were cool. We kept trying to see if there were more turtles in the patio area but were told no. Found out later they have turtle races. There is a fish tank near the bar in front. I could not make out the fish from where I was sitting. What does the name mean? There was an astronomer giving a lecture and an elderly woman shouted out to him the world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise. The scientists tried to refute her by asking what the tortoise stands on, she replied, "It's turtles all the way down." In essence, the name stands for the concept of infinite regress. May have to come back and check their Instagram to see a turtle race if I'm in the area.

This place has the most rancid and unwelcoming vibes. The girl who runs the turtle racing was so out of line and disrespectful to the patrons the entire night. I came here last night because my friend had told me about the turtle racing. Unfortunately, I misunderstood the raffle ticket system and thought you only bought one if you wanted to bet money on the turtles. According to the staff at Turtles all the way down that means I deserved to be screamed at and singled out in front of the entire bar and told to "Get the f**k out and go to the back ". The girl on the mic instigated other patrons and staff harass me and said to "Take her to the back" which made me think hands would be put on me if I didn't leave. She called me and my boyfriend "racist" for not buying raffle tickets even while I myself am a black woman. I left before I got to see the turtle races because so many people were screaming at me that I definitely didn't want to buy a ticket or spend a second longer in the place. It's so unfortunate that a place with such a fun premise is so unwelcoming and uncomfortable.

I was there last night ( valentines night )with a group of people, one of the bartenders wearing red shirt and red hat, treated us very bad, we all work in this industry, I ordered a shot for my friend, so I got it and gave it to her and the bartender started yelling at me for no reason, we where like 10 people and we were closing our tabs as we order. He thought I was gonna leave without paying a shot ?? It wasn't even busy and he was very very rude to me and my people. Very very disappointed. He even called the security to kick us out !!! Unbelievable!!! Even the security and one of the bartenders apologized for this ' Bartender ' behavior.

Service was choppy due to the amount of people in the bar and it being a rainy day. Would try again I seen the frozen coffee drink and it sounds like a must try.

Got invited there by a friend. Great time. Drinks are affordable, and they are not stingy with the liquor as they are strong. Vibe is nice as it is a good mixture of different races. Music was bumping. Service was fast and great. It is now one of my go to spots.

TLDR: unkind treatment of animals. This bar has actual turtles - which seems cute - until you realize they are playing extremely loud music through a powerful PA system, set up right next to the turtles tank. Turtles are sensitive to sound. responsible owners are wary of even playing the TV at loud volumes near their turtles. These turtles are exposed to blasting club volume music regularly. This is not a responsible or humane way to keep these animals. TATWD: please! remove the turtles from your bar!

I don't usually leave bad reviews for places but this bar is ridiculous. I have a valid Florida ID but because of a scratch on the back of my card the security guard is not letting me in. My card is obviously real and the security guard at the front let me walk into the bar multiple times using the same card but each time he would threaten me, saying that he's not going to let me into the bar anymore because my ID doesn't scan. Today I tried to walk in and get a drink and he denied me access even though I have a valid drivers license. He was extremely disrespectful and obviously was targeting me because he doesn't personally like me as a person. He even went as far as to refuse to type my drivers license number into his little machine to prove that my ID is actually real. It's a damn shame because I actually like this bar and would have kept coming back if not for this individual working security at the front. This individual was working security on Sunday night July 28th. If I could give this place a 0 star review I would.

This is definitely an interesting place with a fun dive bar vibe. Great bartender! Nice to have the outdoors if it gets too crowded inside.

This bar is the like bar in Star Wars or the movie Blade Runner. Just a bunch of random characters with stories stopping by for a drink. It has a magical vibe to it so don't ruin it with any bad juju. Just like the name, at the end of the day, we're all just turtles all The way Down.

I was so happy to hear that this bar is operating during covid, you cannot be inside but to order drinks and walk outside to the tiki bar tent area. The drinks are delicious as always, I started with what I know as a Chicago handshake, a Miller high life and a shot of whiskey. We decided to shit outside and catch up for a bit it was a nice but chilly day. So I decided to get a tasty hot toddy which was perfect! It great this bar was able to pivot during a difficult time, thankful for the change to visit and can't wait to go back again.

Okay, biggest problem here is the music truly becomes something I often try to avoid. Truly terrible current top 40 and the worst of trap & hip-hop of current times on weekends. Also the crowd gets heated and grabby during those hours. Heads up

I was recently aware of the additional fee on my bar bill. This charge was because of credit card use. There was no public notification of such a fee. Because I live in Bedford Stuyvesant, this is a way to take advantage. If I lived in Park Slope or Brooklyn Heights or Fort Green this fee would not exist. This is a form of predatory extortion.

Nice vibe for a bar in Bed-Stuy, nice decor, nice crowd for the most part - the youngsters were mostly outside in the backyard. Great inexpensive selections which are "not happy hour, but all the time" prices. Enjoyed myself and would definitely come back again when in the neighborhood.

This place is great! If you're looking for a loud party to end the week on a Friday night, TATWD is the place to do it. The DJ is amazing, the bartenders friendly, and the door guy knows what's up. He was looking out for my partner, saying "I think that guy is eyeing you" and she said, yeah that's my boyfriend, which I thought was pretty awesome. I'll def come back to TATWD to party!

Love this place good drinks better vibes always a blast can get packed on weekend nights weekday afternoons are a gem

Yupppppp 5 muhhhhfuggin stars baby!! My dad is a regular here and he's been talking about this place for months and I've been extremely busy but finally, I have arrived. I LOVE IT HERE! The bartenders Riley and Tom are so personable and attentive. The vibes are chill, positive, and inviting. They even have a patio out back for whatever activities ya'll are into... lol. They greeted us with a yummy bowl of chips. Errrrrbody love chips. I had my basic tequila soda and white claw and I was satisfied. You can tell the customers here come often and really enjoy this place. Conversation was excellent AND our glasses were NEVER empty. I will be back and I totally recommend. Drinks are yummy yet inexpensive. The music is soft rock and the atmosphere is, well, whatever you want it to be. You're welcome. AND- me and Riley took a shot together and before we did it he removed one of the glasses because it was chipped... most bars don't give a damn. I love ya'll so much

I know that you're trying to be a neighborhood dive bar. Your drink prices are affordable and that's a wonderful thing, but do something about the bathrooms being disgusting. Real neighborhood "dive" bars respect their customers enough to clean them adequately. Also, consider addressing customers cutting one another off in line for drinks. I was waiting 10 minutes to order a beer before some dude cut ahead of me to order cocktails for him and his girlfriend. Neighborhood bars should be about mutual respect and community. I guess that's the feeling I'm missing at Turtles.

Turtles used to be a super cool and chill place to grab drinks. Suddenly after the pandemic, it's become the worst bar ever. Firstly, they up-charged their drinks and their service is terrible. Moody bartenders, incorrectly charging. The cleanliness of the space is subpar, toilet paper Al over the floor, drinks from previous patrons at the bar, tables, patio. Speaking of patio, they used to have a 11pm curfew and after the pandemic, they are in the patio until 3am which is absurd for the surrounding neighbors. I will not be one of their patrons due to their gentrification and lack of respect to their surrounding neighbors and disgusting behavior. So sad because it used to be one of my favorite bars in bedstuy. I'll take my business elsewhere. Tysm.

Turtles All The Way Down is a cute, chill bar with reasonable prices, a mural and lights in the backyard, and live turtles inside. I'll definitely be coming back.

Great neighborhood dive bar with a punk edge...and fish / turtle tanks. Cheap drinks. A LOT of beers on tap. Great backyard. Mini shuffle board. Friendly staff. Will be back many times.

The bartenders are mercurial. Who knows why they ignored me at the bar? The place wasn't busy at all, and I'm standing there practically waving a $20 bill in their faces. No soup for me I guess. Whatever. I find this stretch of Malcolm X Blvd to be kind of dreary anyway. The jukebox has a really limited selection, and it's not curated very well either. This chain of bars is going for a Williamsburg circa-2004 vibe, but that's a very tired style in 2023. There's a weird mismatch between this style and the location of the bar as well. I don't think the black patrons, or many of the non-black patrons, are into that.

Very cool dive bar with a great vibe. The bartenders here are always rad and it's definitely a good place to chill out with some friends. I highly recommend popping by and checking it out.

It's a good bar. Yes, it's a "hipster" bar (which shouldn't automatically be taken to mean "white"; there are certainly black hipsters) in a historically black neighborhood. The bar staff seemed welcoming to anybody as far as I could tell. When I walked in around 11pm on a Saturday, I saw a self-segregating group of patrons - white people on one side of the bar and black people on the other side of the bar. It's was weird and indicative of the tensions in the neighborhood. But I noticed as the drinks flowed and music played, people began to mix. The atmosphere got very laid back and casual. It has a good jukebox. I'd go here again. Just an aside....the staff needs to clean the fish tank. Those fish are not getting enough oxygen. That's why they're hanging out right at the surface the whole time.

The hipsters and gentrifiers of this side of BedStuy have been waiting for a dive bar of their own...and it has been delivered! It's very much in the same aesthetic as Do or Dive and a couple others bars with the same owner group as I was informed. I immediately got that vibe when I walked in and the bartender confirmed that. She was cool to chat with and inviting. I had passed this place before and popped in later one evening but didn't care too much for the vibe or lack there of, however, when I finally committed to coming in and staying to have drinks I still didn't care for the lack of vibe or the music but the drink prices keep you content. It's not unlikely that I wouldn't stop back in.

Visited this establishment this past week and as I am aware the neighborhood has become gentrified there are still some of us black folks in the neighborhood. I always try to patronize local business in the area but this establishment just isn't worth it. I love a good dive bar but the service or lack of at this business is disgusting. My sister was in town for the week and we decided to do a mini bar crawl in the neighboring area and this was our first stop. Upon entering we weren't sure if we were to show our vaccination cards or just take seats as their was only one bartender on duty and he seemed to be doing a zillion things. Through passing we greeted the bartender and asked if we needed to inform him if we wanted to sit in the backyard he said no. We wanted to give him leeway as he was a lonely ranger but then it became quite Obvious he was not interested in serving us as numerous other white customers entered the establishment he continued to disregard us at the other end of the bar. When we finally did approach him inquiring on if he was ever going to take our order before he served yet another group of white customers he tried to argue we did not show him proof of vaccination. Not only did we notice he asked none of the other patrons this, upon entering we informed him we wanted to take our drinks outside. He went on to make our drink never apologizing to us for the lack of customer service but we noticed he continuously apologized to the group of white women who we interrupted him from skipping us once again. To add insult to injury the drinks were disgusting. I will not be patronizing this establishment again. Visited twice and both times my experience was unpleasant. I don't think it can get any worst than this last experience.

Please get new bartending staff. Not sure what to say other than someone was served who was standing behind me while I stood there with no drink and attempting to order a low life. Bizarre experience feeling like a ghost for 10 minutes on a chill Thursday night at a bar that wasn't very crowded. I never got the drink by the way. After two more people were served immediately next to me that showed up after I did I just left. Otherwise, not a bad vibe. Everyone that works the door has been friendly and barback staff is good.

I don't usually spend time writing reviews. My credit card stated I was charged double. I emailed them and asked for a refund. No response. I reached out to their IG message. Somebody responded and said she would forward the message to her manager. No response. I have contacted them a couple of more times. No response.

love coming in here when in the area. Chill vibe. Sometimes packed. People from all walks of life local and around. All around good music. anything from rock to classic 90s hip hop. Sometimes with Deejays. Cool little backyard. Closes at 12AM tho. Try the coffee thing. whisky mixed with a choco-vanilla frosty topped with coffee grinds. 7 bucks!

Visiting my daughter, from LA. Fancied a brew, while she's at work, and found this place. Apparently only about 6 months old. Walking distance from where my daughter lives!! All but a little bit of construction happening, it didn't spoil the cool vibe. Great music being played....good bit of funk...including some Sly and Family Stone, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings....stuff I don't always here these days. Really good music. Now the important piece.....the beer. So far had a good pale ale and IPA.....from two breweries not available in LA. I'm a happy camper!! Last, but not least....the two people I met, Jessica and Steve.....warm and friendly....and genuine. Wish this place was down the road to me back home.....I'd be living there. ;-) So, in summary.....this bar is excellent....loved it.

Whenever I'm in Brooklyn, this is my favorite dive! Easy, cute & cheap drinks with turtles everywhere! Bingo nights come through for the win :)

I'm not sure how much bourbon was in my bourbon ice tea.... just that it was delicious and just what I needed at the end of a long work day. I think this is a cute bar for meeting up that is finding its legs in the community. They will need to figure out what their thing is. Like for instance the other local hipster bar (who shall not be named here) has cookies at midnight every night so you know that you can get tipsy and have a snack and go home. So what their 'thing' will be is yet to be seen. It is a cute place though with great service, comfy environment, fanny packs (dear God why are these a thing) and a wicked mullet.

I have never felt more at home then at this bar. Mikey, Linda, Xavier, Zac, and the rest of the staff always take care of us. Free party mix and outdoor seating, friendly bouncer (Bruce), and accommodating barbacks (Jarred) always make you feel like you're welcome and at home here. I couldn't ask for a better place to celebrate a long week or unwind after a long day. Also, these guys helped me throw the best surprise birthday party for my wife. I cannot believe how incredibly helpful they are. If you're in Bed-Stuy and you are looking for your new local, this is the place to be.

My description for this bar is: blandly hipster. It's the dive bar that you've been to before but that's not a problem. The drink prices were reasonable so one star for that. Two more stars for the cheap jukebox and the patio. This is a decent place to pregame or to end the night.

Comfortable, relaxed atmosphere, affordable, prompt, quality drinks, and probably chillest staff of any bar in Bedstuy. Mikey Linda Jared Riley Xavier and Zach are more than just people I look forward to seeing Saturdays and Sundays, they've become some of my closest friends! PS. Yo, X! .. how come I didn't see you Sunday?

Had a wonderful time, and despite not wanting the night to end I don't regret a single dollar I spent here. Chill vibe, heated back yard, two cute turtles, and speedy service. Our group started pretty large and kept growing throughout the night. The bar accommodated us with additional seats and the bartender in the back took care of us with speed and grace! 10 out 10, recommend.

Immensely great place. Prices are good and the staff is super friendly. They have a nice backyard space as well. Clutch for COVID. Only downside was a "no smoking" sign that no one paid attention to.

Great neighborhood hang out (one almost desires to make it a well kept secret). Solid selection of beers. The staff are welcoming. A diverse neighborhood crowd fills the place with happy banter and good vibes.

A favorite neighborhood bar with one of my favorite neighborhood bartenders--shout-out to Jared! He always makes sure I'm taken care of. Great drinks, great atmosphere, a killer outdoor space, and a fucking old school jukebox. You can't ask for more.

This bar is a gem! I've lived (off and on) in Bed-Stuy since 2012. The neighborhood has drastically changed. Just like all city changes, some are good changes and some are bad. Few times have I walked into a bar and felt this welcomed. Even just a "hey, how are ya" from the bartender is all the warmth it takes. But coming in here, it's not just me, this is everyone's neighborhood bar, and the bartenders are welcoming to everyone who comes in. Just like all dives, you get some troublemakers once in awhile. The bartenders handle the trouble with class, and talk to everyone on a human level, without saying something like "get the f out", like what happens in far too many dives in Brooklyn. They talk to everyone with respect. The cute tatted bartender on Saturdays taught me about the "turtle juice" shot they do, and now I can't do a shot of anything else! It's too good. And the bartender Linda? She's a great dancer behind the bar, and the kindest of souls. Anyway, come for the good vibes, stay for the good vibes, and leave feeling like it's a second home.

So I came to this particular bar to just kill time before I go to work because I don't have to be to work until 9pm and I literally live around the corner from here. Ok so I understand that bed study is going through this gentrification faze. I really dont care but I came just wanting to enjoy a corona which they don't have for 6 bucks instead of 2 at the corner store. Anywho long story short the bartender seemed very unwelcoming, she acted as if they didn't have a Corona I wouldn't stay... no I'll take wine. No smile nothing, she blatantly waited for me to have an attitude about nothing cause what all black women have an attitude? I honestly don't really like the vibe, apart from me being the only black person here. My suggestion is if you're black in bedstuy on MalCom X skip this bar you'll just get an unattentive bartender. Depending on what color your skin is. I will try this place one more time and see if the interaction or vibes are different.

By far one of my favorite bars in Brooklyn. Dog friendly and great drink prices. The patio is perfect and the bartenders are always great....not to mention the music. Xavier keeps me coming back, huge fan.

Local hang with a nice outdoor area, the drinks are moderately priced and the bartenders are nice. They also have LIVE TURTLES and FISH which is pretty awesome.

There are a lot of pointed comments about the hipness of this bar, which if you've been to Do or Dive, Rocka Rolla, or Skinny Dennis you'll quickly realize is part of that family of bars, but honestly it's just a decent place to get cheap drinks, and it happens to be decked out in beer memorabilia, and maybe that draws a certain crowd. Anyway, I got to check this place out on a Sunday night, and it was perfectly low-key and had a diverse crowd drinking at the bar. The space itself is narrow, with lots of seating at the bar, and a decent sized backyard that I did not explore considering it's freezing out. The bartender was friendly and we got our drinks shortly after sitting down. I think they also serve some bar type food, but nothing too fancy. I could see this place getting packed on a Friday or Saturday night, so off nights are better if you are looking to drink alone or complain more! I'll be back because who doesn't like cheap drinks and rock and roll?

Cool, quirky dive bar (I mean that in a positive way- I love dive bars!) in Bed Stuy. Also, the Stephen King-related name is pretty dope. Would recommend for chill drinks, pet turtle on-site, and shuffleboard!

Great bar, despite the fact that the whole place smells like one dude. Love the shuffleboard, love the coffee cocktail, love the jukebox. Ring catch game in the backyard is maddening. The Simpsons arcade game is modded so you get 30 lives which is great but it means games take FOREVER. Cozy place!

Fun bar with a great patio (patio closes at 11), cheap good drinks, and a fun jukebox! There's also some games and you can bring in food, which is great bc there's a ton of good food in the surrounding blocks!

Couldn't conceive of a better bar. Best cocktails, kind service, and a stinky pit bull service dog.