Viewers Rate NYC Bars
"The collective knowledge of some of NY's most prolific bar flies"
To submit a rating of a New York bar, click here
Note: The opinions expressed are those of individual surveyors, and are not necessarily the opinions of MurphGuide Entertainment

Listed Alphabetically: This Page: J

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Comments - Mature well dressed crowd and slammin' house music. - J.F.

I think the bar is a good place to hang out with friends. The ever fabulous DJ Ferrari is off the hook! The bar staff does an excellent job. The place is happening and much better than any of the bars uptown. I will definitely miss it when I have to go back to Scotland in next year. - C.M.

Great place!  The best martinis ever.  Music and light are just great.  Great to hang out with small group of friends. - B.K.

Great place. Friendly atmosphere. Crowd know how to party. Music is slammin'. - H.
Add your review

Comments - This is a bar/restaurant frequented by local office workers, tourists, and theatergoers of all ages. The second floor is sometimes rented out for private parties. There is live music and dancing upstairs at 'Jack's Joint' on certain nights. The bartenders are friendly and efficient. The prices are reasonable. 
 The bathrooms are adequate. - T.K.

$11.50 for a martini?? At happy hour?? Please put three $$$ under the listing for this place. If I had wanted to pay that much I would have gone to a fancy place on Madison Ave. RIP-OFF. - B.B.
Add your review

Comments - Formerly known as Mustang Jack's. Popular Irish pub, the Times Square sibling of the Penn Station area bars (Harry's & Sally's). It gets very crowded on Thursday and Friday nights. Long bar with partitions. The bar area spills into the dining area (this could be trouble). All ages, mostly after-work and commuter clientele. (It is between the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Penn Station). Friendly and efficient Irish bartenders. Reasonable prices. Bathrooms, located in the basement, are OK. - T.K.
Add your review

Comments - Service is good and quick. Music and atmosphere is rocking. Watch it from major hunters, such as Arthur Carmel. - A.M.
Add your review

Comments - Nice place with decent eats and great, live entertainment. The band on Saturday nights can entertain you 'till dawn if they'd let you. - V.S.
Add your review

Comments - What is Jake’s dilemma? So many men/women/beer (pick two), so little time! Huge selection of beers, plus fun and games: foosball, pool table, darts, split level lounge with couches in rear, and a downstairs bar featuring an acoustic guitar player some nights, or available for private parties. Jake's attracts a young crowd, and can get too crowded on weekend nights. - S.M.

Jake's dilemma is that his bars stinks. Get a better juke box. - B.B.

Decent beers on tap, cheap beer, good service, fun people...What's not to like, go and enjoy. - I.A.

Happy hour Monday thru Friday, 5 -8pm (half price drinks). Crowded, young, fun bar. DJ, darts, foosball, TV's, pool table. Reasonable prices. Bathrooms in the basement leave something to be desired. - T.K.

Possibly the worst place I have ever been to. I will never go back there ever. - B.J.

Booths, stool-tables, and a cool backroom with couches, noshing on free shell-your-own peanuts makes this an average time-passer. Darts, pool, foosball and a DJ most nights. Wanna get rowdy? Bring your fisticuffs-there's always someone with something to prove looking to go a few rounds. DING! DING! - J.S.A.

The dilemma here is that this bar is just plain awful. The staff is rude and conceited, the crowd is lame, the music is dull...all in all, I'd rather clean a nasty public toilet than return to this vile place. - K.C.

A total dive full of mainly very young males. Beware of the "special beer buckets" - it's the bartenders way of getting rid of the nasty bottles of beer no-one wants to drink. On the positive side, there are free peanuts to shell and leave on the floor though. - B.C.

At least the bathroom wasn't the worst I've ever been in. - E.C.

What a dump, so out of keeping with the other bars along this part of Amsterdam Ave. Don't bother visiting Jake's, you can enjoy a beer anywhere else. - D.N.
Add your review

Comments - Jameson's is one of those bars that you could just go to not knowing anyone and walk out of their with a new group of friends.  The bartenders are quick and their drinks are excellent.  The DJ plays all the latest music.  The bathrooms are kept clean.  However, there is only one stall for the girls, which can get a little crazy. - L.S.

Great atmosphere and place to hang out. Bartenders so nice and friendly. Liked it a lot! - D.J.

Like its next door neighbor (Murphy's) and its across the street neighbor (Clancy's), this pub is a relief from the younger, louder, darker, more intense bars in the area. Bathrooms, located in the basement, are OK. All ages, mostly after-work patrons. - T.K.

Much more of a mix of an older clientele at this bar than you'd normally find at the bar on 2nd Avenue, although with the youth oriented bars, nearby, that's not surprising. The old people must need somewhere to go. They drink their wine, and scotch, and whiskey, and discuss soccer and rugby. All well and good, but if you prefer football and beer, then don't go here. - A.S.
Add your review

Comments - The Java Shop is a bar/restaurant. Despite the name, it serves much more alcohol than coffee. It also sells t-shirts and sweatshirts advertising itself. Get the picture. Overpriced drinks. Very much part of the tourist industry. The bathrooms are OK but located in the basement. - T.K.
Add your review

Comments - Two floors - bar area and tables on ground floor. Dart board, TV screens. Dark oak wood bar and brick walls. A bar (which is sometimes rented out for private parties) and restaurant on the second floor. Reasonable prices, good service. Bathrooms (located on the second floor) are adequate. - T.K.

JD's is a nice mid-town bar perfect for a post-work cocktail, or mid-day lunch. A fireplace in the winter adds to the homey atmosphere.  Upstairs room with bar available for private parties. Has been around a lot longer than many of the other bars that have popped up and become more popular in this neighborhood in the past five years. - S.M.

I was very disappointed with the service here. The waitress showed me and my friend to a table and we were then told by the manager that we had to leave that table two hours later because someone else wanted it - despite the restaurant being half empty at the time. In any case the food is brutal, the bathrooms filthy and though it has an Irish flag hanging from the window, there is nothing Irish about this place, certainly not the hospitality. - B.I.
Add your review

Comments - Dark, spooky them bar and restaurant. Entertainment includes talking wall hangings, moving bar stools, smoke machines, waiters in costume, and bathroom doors hidden in bookshelves. A bit hipper than its mid-town sibling, but still just as crowded. Part of the Eerie Entertainment franchise that also includes the Slaughtered Lamb. This one, like the others, includes and extensive beer list, and beer by the yard. - S.M.

Great theme bar – try to find the bathrooms in the hallway of books. - K.D.

This bar had been a favorite of mine to hang out in until recently. I was involved in an accident that one of the waitresses was responsible for, and what I got was not an apology from the manager (lets call him "Bob"), but a bill and threats of being thrown out. This man was the rudest and uncompassionate people I have ever encountered. Be warned - If you go to this restaurant, leave your human decency at home and instead, bring your own first aid kit. - R.R.

Dropped in on Tuesday just before closing to get a late bite on the suggestion of my tour guide. I was very disappointed. Though I was intrigued by the horror/scifi theme the staff was exceptionally rude, portions to price ratio was insulting. I ordered the fish & chips at $14.95 and was presented with what amounted to three Mrs. Paul's fish sticks. I also ordered the spinach salad at $11.95 as an appetizer but was surprised to find no bread provided. Don't waste your money!
P.S. The only major credit card accepted is Amex. - S.N.
Add your review

Comments - This time, they’ve gone too far. Continuing the trend of turning W. 57^th Street into theme-land for tourists, this uptown incarnation of the village original is everything typical of the trend. Tourists line up to get in, merchandise is shamelessly hawked, and the whole family has a grand memory of NYC. The bar inside is nice and small, with J & H’s trade-mark large international beer selection. Five floors of different themes, with gimmicks galore on each floor, and a creepy elevator ride. Go once for the experience, and come back if this is your bag. - S.M.

We had to wait on line to get in for about 30 min's to find out most of the tables were empty inside. A-hole bouncer made my husband wait outside on line - even after I came out to get him. Food was ordinary and overpriced, service and "security" was lacking. - C.P.
Add your review

Comments - This spot was specially designed for the beer guzzler in you. With its tremendous buckets of beer at 12 ounce prices, this is one of the best bargains in the city. Although you feel like you’re drinking in a warehouse, Jeremy's, near the Brooklyn Bridge, is tremendously popular, especially for those young Wall Streeters a few years out of college. Has an outdoor beer "garden" in warm weather. Everyone who drinks in New York should go and get "bucketized" at Jeremy's at least once in their drinking career. - S.M.

This place has the best prices in Manhattan and is an excellent after work spot for the downtown area. Hidden away from everywhere, underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, this bar only serves draft beers in 16 or 32oz. Styrofoam cups. It's a great place to start out a Friday night for a cheap buzz. - D.C.

Little-known secret except among Wall Streeters who are getting off the night shift (currency traders & such who deal in Japan market) and fishermen or merchants doing the same: 32 oz. buckets of Coors for only $3.75, 10am - noon. - L.D.

Great place to go for a happy hour beer or six. Interesting mix of Wall Street suits and police (the NYPD plaza is four blocks away). Great cheap beer in big cups, and fried seafood best enjoyed after three cups or so. - P.T.

Great beer at great prices. If you don't mind drinking in a garage, a great place for after work. Good mix of Wall St. and more blue collar types. Jeremy and all the staff are the friendliest and best I've seen in NY. Only regret is the beer garden abuts the dumpsters! - S.C.
Add your review

Comments - J.G. Melon, a small pub & restaurant, is an old stand-by for upper eastsiders.  Pictures of melons and checkered tablecloths decorate the dining area. Small bar serves an older crowd of regulars. Good spot for a beer and a burger, or a late night drink and snack. - S.M.

J.G Melon's is a great neighborhood bar. It is the perfect place for that eye opening "bloody" with a greasy burger & cottage fries.. Small place but worth the squeeze at the bar or back tables. - B.C.

Add your review

Comments - Great oasis in the middle of bar hell! Jimmy's is the best bar in Times Square. I'd heard that Jimmy used to run a boxing gym upstairs. Though not terribly roomy, the bar's walls are covered with boxing memorabilia, with pics of him with boxing's greatest. The service is terrific, and the drinks are surprisingly cheap. (Jimmy himself bought us a round!) Even the juke is sweet. It's packed with blues and Stax stuff. The TV's, unobtrusively placed in the corners, feature, you guessed it, boxing! All this, yet an easy place to carry on a conversation without feeling overwhelmed. Makes every other bar in the area seem even worse. ESPN Bar? Puh-leeze. Go to Jimmy's. Dynamite! - S.G.

Great bar just east of Times Square. - D.C.

One man's junk is another's antique. Depending on one's perspective, this is either a classic or a dive. - T.K.

This is a true example of the "old Times Square".  A classic New York bar with great character.  Jimmy, the owner, has built a shrine to the sport of boxing, with generations of memorabilia on virtually every square inch of the walls in the narrow bar. He or his wife can always be found overseeing the bar, chatting with customers or playing checkers in back with the regulars. Friendly bartenders make you feel welcome. Two of them Laura from Vancouver and Anique from The Netherlands, have been featured in Kevin Fitzpatrick's New York City Bar Pal's website. - S.M.

This is a really good bar.  The boxing paraphernalia is awesome.  You could spend hours in there drinking beer and looking at the pictures on the wall.  The staff always made sure to check and see if we needed another round, and Jimmy strolls around the bar, making sure everything is okay.  Did you know he fought Floyd Patterson?  That's pretty cool.  I caught a football game in there and it was friendly but kind of quiet.  I'd love to go to watch a fight.  Definitely check this place out. - J.C.

Oasis is the best word for Jimmy's. You could spend all your life looking for a bar like this. It is very small with great (and beautiful) bartenders. Edie and Laura are my faves! It is right on W.44th near Virgils BBQ. You have to go there if you're near Times Square. - M.K.

Best place in Times Square - hands down. Very friendly staff and a cool place to lay low. The boxing pics on the wall are the best. - M.W.

Totally sucked, hated everything about it. Lacked just about everything including character. - H.S.

Could be better, could be worse. Most people coming here will leave thinking could be worse. Friendly atmosphere, reasonable draft beer prices, and the fact you can watch a game here without having to shout at the guy next to you makes this an enjoyable place to come. - B.C.
Add your review

Comments - This is a low key bar/restaurant near the Broadway LIRR station. It seems to draw a mixed, local clientele. Well lit, it features several TVs, video games, and a jukebox. The prices are reasonable and the service is good. The bathrooms are one-at-a-time. - T.K.
Add your review

Comments - Two pool tables, a dart board, TV’s, and a back room……Giddy-up! - J.R.

Get afternoon Barkeep Ritchie started on politics---Hours of free entertainment. A monologue to outdo the best Late-Night talent! Great blackened steak, too. - R.F.

Great place to watch NFL games on Sunday in midtown-east area (Usually 6 different games are on).  You can actually find a seat and the fish n' chips are great. – C.S.

TV's, 2 pool tables, dart board, video games. Good after-work buffet. Bathrooms are adequate. Extensive beer selection. Friendly and efficient Irish bartenders. Reasonable prices. - T.K.

I love Jimmy Walkers! The bartenders are crazy...so watch out. They have been known to turn the hose on naughty girls. - S.34
Add your review

Comments - Great stuff all over the walls, cheap beers ($1 mugs), a great jukebox and a steady stream of characters make this place worth the trip out to Bay Ridge. -E.J.

Great place anytime of the day. Gets really crowded after 10pm, especially Thurs-Sat. Great atmosphere and lots of tricks from the friendly bar staff, don't bet alot! Make the trip to Bay Ridge, it's worth it. - M.P.

The place is great.. I mean, they have interesting stuff all over the walls and the atmosphere is great. Definition of old school BAR- and the beer is cheap $1 mugs. - J.S.
Add your review

Comments - Formerly Beefsteak Charlie's, this is another new Times Square theme bar. It opened in December 2000. Joe will be broadcasting his radio show from this spot. It features a high ceiling, an oak wood bar, a dining area, several TVs, piped-in Jazz music, and pictures (mostly in black and white) of Joe interviewing various celebrities. They expect to draw heavily from the tourists and theatergoers clientele. The prices are reasonable and the service is good. The bathrooms are adequate. -T.K.
Add your review

Comments: A swanky place with a loungy atmosphere and pretty people who don't mind spending $7 on well drinks. - S.A.

Great, great place to see a band. Whether you're at the bar or at a table, there’s not a bad spot in the house. Good food, too. The only draw back is the limited beer selection - I had to drink a Bud, grrrr! - J.M.

You can never go wrong at Joe's!!!!!
Add your review

Comments - Formerly the Rod & Reel, this is the brighter upstairs neighbor of Bub's. Some features of this pub are: several TVs (one large screen) for sports viewing, darts, bar shuffleboard, and a jukebox that plays old tunes. It draws more summer visitors and fewer locals than Bub's. The music is not blasted. The prices are reasonable (watch for the specials) and the service is good. The bathrooms are adequate. - T.K.
Add your review

Comments: Very spacious open bar, and extremely well-lit. If you like dark, tiny bars, this is not the place for you. Definitely worth checking out. - J.M.

Once again, this neighborhood has a lot of bars that I like. Irish pub, well lit, TV's, outdoor garden, the music is not overbearingly loud. Good clientele of various ages. Reasonable prices. Friendly and efficient bartenders. Bathrooms are adequate. - T.K.

Smaller no-frills bar compared to some of the others that in the area. Has a nice outside porch area. Bland interior and draws a diverse crowd. Bathrooms are small and could use some work. Other more interesting choices in the neighborhood (Proof, Rodeo Bar), more of a laidback feel. - A.S.
Add your review

Comments - FUN! Loud, trendy bar that attracts a hip after-work crowd. Lots of plus's - Good tunes, nice bathroom, and great big doors that open up onto the street in the warm weather. - J.M.

Noisy, crowded mid-town bar that has added life to this section of Third Ave. Two bars, one in front, one in rear. Plenty of TVs to watch the current sporting events. Steel topped bar. Serves slightly better than bar food. Owners also own Mercury Bar on Ninth Ave. - S.M.

Nice place for day time food and drink.  Come happy hour, packed with young [women] whose daddy's pay for their Murray Hill flats. - J.C.

Good, young clientele. Many TV sets for sports viewing. East side cousin of the Mercury Bar on Ninth Avenue. Front and back bars. The front window is open in nice weather. Reasonable prices. Good service. Bathrooms are adequate. - T.K.

Great place to get some good grub, have some drinks and watch a sporting event.  There are also a nice amount of attractive women there, but are, of course, too good to talk to anyone!!! -W.Y.

Good place for drinks, sports, food, and just about anything else you look for when going out. As night comes the place picks up, as well as the crowds, but a polite atmosphere. Only complaint - for an Irish bar they ran out of Harp when I was there, and it was only 8pm. Give 4 stars out 5. Great meeting spot for friends. They have great selection on the jukebox, and of course, plenty of U2. -S.B.

Solid bar that stands out, along with its next door neighbor Bar 515 on the strip of bars on 3rd Ave. between 33rd & 37th St. Two bars, big screen TV's. Food is okay, standard pub fare. Place is usually crowded, but not overly so. - A.S.

Ok..all the other reviews were pretty good so I feel bad [but] I figured I must let you bar goers know: I went on a Friday around 8pm and the bar had no vodka. My friend had to ask for 3 different drinks because they didn't have anything...and the crowd, especially the guys, were sketchy...maybe I went on a bad night, but the service was fine and the decor was good. - N.W.W.

Too damn loud for a little hole in the wall bar. Food was decent. Bar area is too narrow. Tries to hard to be trendy. M.P.

Maybe it's that we got there when it was raining or that we got fairly late, but the crowd was pretty dead. It's a nice place to hang out with friends. I'm not sure about meeting new people because everyone knows each other already but, it's a cool place to bring friends for a drink or for a date. One knock is that they didn't have some of the drinks that I usually drink, such as Coors Light. I may go again I just have to pick the right night. - M.W.
Add your review

Comments - The Joshua Tree/Mercury Bar partnership now have East Side and West Side "branches" of both establishes. The new Joshua Tree is located on Restaurant Row. It has a roomy bar area and a mezzanine. There is a dining area in the rear. In addition to theatergoers, it will probably draw a clientele similar (lively, thirtysomething) to the Mercury Bar which is located around the corner. The prices are somewhat expensive and the service is good. The dinner menu is pretty good. The bathrooms are adequate. - T.K.

Just like it's east-side neighbor, but with a longer stock of draft beers/ciders and more screens for watching the games. A welcome change to the neighborhood. - A.S.
Add your review

Comments - It's a popular, bustling (crowded) bar/restaurant (more restaurant than bar) that seems to draw a good, "yupper" West Side clientele. Space is tight. The prices are reasonable and the service is good. The beer selection is somewhat limited. It is difficult to reach the bathrooms (which are adequate). – T.K.
Add your review

Comments - Josie Woods is a subterranean Greenwich Village pub and restaurant that attracts the nearby NYU crowd. Has video games, two pool tables, an excellent '80's jukebox and a real wood burning fireplace. Serves basic pub fare to help soak up your inexpensive drinks priced for the college student on a budget, including a different happy hour special each weekday, lasting from 4 until midnight. Has 12 beers on tap plus cider. Opened in '99 in the former Boo Radley's. - S.M.

Formerly Boo Radley's, it's an underground (literally) NYU bar with a daily happy hour. It features a jukebox, pool table, video games. Good service. Reasonable prices. The bathrooms are adequate. -T.K.

Great bar for sitting, talking, and enjoying the atmosphere. The price is decent also. - M.M.

Okay, a bar is a bar. And I should know. But Josie's is outstanding for service. The bartenders really get to know you, the busboys are constantly shuttling between the bars, the tables and the pool area -- picking up empty glasses, bottles and full ashtrays. The bouncers know their stuff and all of the above adds to the fun you can have there. - K.M.

This is my new favorite spot to hang out on the weekends...The NYU crowd enjoys cheap pitchers, 2 pool tables, a dart board, and a pretty decent Jukebox...The crowd here is fun and certainly knows how to drink. The bartenders are always friendly and ready to serve you. Highly recommend checking this place out! - D.M.

Comments - Irish bar in East Village should make it. W.M.

Cool bar for a few beers, or to get blasted. Yankee games are always on and live music on different nights, but still basically a drinking man's bar with a good juke, sawdust on the floor and plenty of cool pictures covering the walls to check out on your way to the bathroom. But don't come hungry, as there is no kitchen. - J.P.D.

JP Warde's is an Irish Pub newcomer trying to make a mark in the E. Village. One of the nicest staffs compared with any bar in the area. The decor is interesting to say the least, combination suburban basement and Irish country fair. - D.M.

A very laid back joint in the East Village. The staff usually have a fun time and bring that across the bar. Some cool pictures on the wall. - J.D.

Laid back comfortable place, really cool staff, very friendly, always a good time. - L.L.

JP Warde's has a warm atmosphere. The crowd was nice looking and fun. No food, but plenty of good drink! - S.A.

Drink prices are good. Nice pint of Guinness. The place is comfortable with good bartenders. - J.D.

Love it! Finally... a decent Irish pub in the East Village. Take those few steps north of Houston Street and you'll find a bar where you can actually see the person sitting next to you, you can actually have a decent conversation with the friendly bartenders, and you can have a no-bullshit good time without getting harassed by jackasses. Leave your bad pretensions at home. I knew this was a fun pub when the bartender started doing shots with me & my friends. - K.B.

Was there for the anniversary. I think I passed out at around 10, don't rem much. What pieces I can piece together was that the place was humming all night. 
It was great crack and we were all treated to JP (the owner) get totally wasted by 11 o'clock and leave without his new wife. - J.D.

Found this place around 5:30pm on a Friday when I was looking for decent place to hang for an hour or so and wait for a friend. Lots of attitude in the other places nearby, but wandered in here and the two patrons were having a good time chatting with the barkeep, while Tom Waits blared on the house system. Just my speed. About seven hours later my friend and I wandered out, after having dinner delivered to the barstool and after meeting lots of people. Have been back more than a few times, and it is always good for a few hours of hanging out, conversing, and sucking pints of Guinness. Don't worry about the lack of food - just ask for the pile of menus they keep behind the bar, and order the fish & chips from the place a couple of blocks away. - K.O.

Add your review

Comments - A small, low-key bar/restaurant in the NEW Times Square area, it draws mostly theatergoers. Friendly and efficient bartenders. Reasonable prices. Bathrooms are adequate. - T.K.
Add your review

Comments - JT's is a great after work place with really friendly bartenders who still know what a buy back is.   Karaoke on Wednesdays and DJ on Thursdays gives it a little more than the average restaurant/bar joint.   Mostly after work crowd and regulars who are friendly and love new faces. - L.T.

A long, narrow bar area. It seems to have an after-work/Grand Central commuter clientele. As the name infers, it is primarily an Italian restaurant. Reasonable prices. Good service, good bathrooms. - T.K.

Great burgers & spicy fries. I get lunch delivered from here all the time. Timely and yummy. Sometimes they don't give ketchup though which annoys me a lot. - K.H.
Add your review

Comments - Formerly Bistro 26,the Polo Grounds and the Coach, this bar/restaurant draws a decidedly older crowd. It features several TVs, mellow piped-in music, and a high ceiling with fans. The prices are reasonable and the service is good. It closes at midnight. The bathrooms are more than adequate. - T.K.
Add your review

Comments - A tiny, NARROW, mirrored bar. It draws a mostly after-work clientele. Prices are reasonable. - T.K.
Add your review

Comments - A very quaint Irish Bar, but don't let that fool ya, lots of regulars and a few great bartenders go a long way to make you feel comfortable. Now if they will only get rid of the Moby and add some AC/DC to the juke the place would be PERFECT!!! One person bathrooms sometimes means a wait, but not unbearable. - R.H.

This is one of the best places to have a drink with a mate or to go with your lady. It is a quiet and reserved on a Sunday after night.  The juke box has one of the best selections around. The size of the place is perfect for intimate conversation and you can feel the Irish atmosphere in the air. - K.K.
Add your review

Comments - Just went to this great bar in the west village in NY. Junno is a great host and mixes the most fantastic cocktails like a natural. They do great food too!! The atmosphere is chilled and informal. Nothing is a problem here. Check it out!! - M.W.

Comments - Formerly the Sand Bar, I guess the renovation has made a difference. It seems to draw a different clientele than it did several years ago (It was a sleazier crowd). It now seems to draw a decent crowd. The prices are reasonable. The bartenders are friendly and efficient. It features several TVs, a pool table, darts, video games, and dining/cocktail tables. The bathrooms are adequate. - T.K.
Add your review

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Don't just read them, send one in!
Click here to add your own reviews...