Bouncer dressed like where’s Waldo for Halloween tonight is a problem for a small business like this. I walked in with a few girls and he was hitting on the customers inside I did not see anyone in the front of the door so I walked inside. I thought he was just some big goofy Halloween dressed older over weight guy talking to younger girls. As I got though the door he started getting aggressive super weird because he’s a lot shorter than me and I’m not an aggressive person. He asked for ids I thought he was being funny but still reached in my back pocket to accommodate him. That’s when things got really weird he started acting aggressive so I turned around to leave because I don’t want to hurt this bully so I said I’m gonna just leave.. That’s when I asked the girls I was with to come he decided to follow me out screaming have a good day just so we are clear it’s night time! This place should really watch who they hire because clearly they don’t! You have been warned stay away from this place!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Brian Reedy
Great vibes, friendly staff and crowd. A reasonably priced, well-made Manhattan, something in short supply these days in the easy village.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Alex P
Bartender pressured me to tip by withholding my water.
Of course, having received that service, I didn't tip. In retaliation, the bartender had me leave. I happened to be the only mixed race person there among whites so that's suspicious but she may have been dealing with lots of no tippers that day too--not to excuse her behavior, of course.
Matias
Terrible service by the bartender
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
Alex C
Bartender pressured me to tip by withholding my water.
Of course, having received that service, I didn't tip. In retaliation, the bartender had me leave. I happened to be the only mixed race person there among whites so that's suspicious but she may have been dealing with lots of no tippers that day too--not to excuse her behavior, of course.
Jay Cee
I'm mostly here to point out how funny the last review is by M*tthew Arm*nd*. If you peep their profile they do nothing but give negative reviews that are not substantial or credible I'm sure. Big Bar is a staple of the neighborhood that has been around for ages*. Anyone who has been there knows it's not any of the things they described and I'm sure their experiences is coming from some other place of hurt and they decided to make it Big Bars problem. It's actually kind of funny. Maybe Google what defines a Dive Bar and come back with your findings. Big Bar has been and is a forever home for many from all walks of life. An affordable, charming hole in the wall where everyone is welcome. It's a major low key connector for the underground music scene where some respectable legends choose to chill. They have the most leveled turn table in the game and the decor is made up of stuff the local homies gave to the owners. What is more dive than that? The owners came from nothing and are beloved community members. That's some real neighbors vibes. Maybe Big Bar is just for proper NYers and ppl with a NY mentality.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Matthew Armanda
Big Bar is hard to miss with its bright red interior lights shining onto the sidewalk, but when you walk inside you’ll have wished you did miss it.
I recently had the displeasure of stopping by this ‘dive bar’ and it was an experience I won’t soon forget—unfortunately. This bar harbors a particularly rancid vibe. Everything from the bar tender’s hall monitor attitude, to the Gen X clientele sitting at the bar top, to the bald man in a bright blue sweater standing outside holding the door looking to start arguments. It all meshed into a miserable, spoilt, and rank experience. This self touted ‘dive bar’ is a total disaster from start to finish.
The atmosphere is dreadful. The space is cramped and awkward. The decor is tacky and lacking grace. It is all too evident that they tried too hard to come off as this trendy, relaxed, dingy dive bar but you can feel how incredibly gauche and trite the ambience really is. The supposed "dive bar" charm was nowhere to be found. Instead, it felt more like a sterile and sanitized version, where an older crowd can live out their dreams cosplaying being a patron at a dive bar. Without actually having to step foot in one. The raw authenticity of a dive bar is nowhere to be found here. Instead what you will encounter is a travesty of such magnitude that it defies the very essence of what it seeks to embody. Stripped of any genuine character, it is a desolate void. Big Bar’s ambiance is a facade. A cheap costume masking a soul devoid of grit or character. Stepping inside, the sterility of the place struck me immediately.
But it was the customer service that truly revealed the rot at the core. At the helm of this charade was a bartender whose demeanor is a chilling specter of authoritarianism. Her presence fills the room and adds to the festering of a putrid environment. We did not get her name, but she is a heavy set brunette woman with glasses and nose piercings. She made comments that were teetering on discriminatory and seemed to convey a covert racism. She was abrasive with a patron over a seemingly arbitrary qualm. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear other patrons share a similar experience.
The libations, one might hope, would salvage some semblance of a good experience, but they were as soulless as the decor. The drinks are underwhelming and bereft of any skill or care in their making. They didn’t seem to have any thing of substance worth drinking. All the bartender had was well liquor and flat beer. And in a location filled with other options that have better drinks and a more refined atmosphere, we did not stay long.
In sum, this Gen X haven is truly a pit of despair and disappointment. This establishment is a blight upon the landscape of nightlife. A soulless simulacrum devoid of the grit, grime, and charm that define a dive bar. It feels more of a sterile tomb and I would implore seekers of a genuine experience to look elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Nicola Davies
Very cool vibes! Cash only! Great service
polarisdude21
This is where I used to DJ my vintage vinyl records. In 2016 after my seafood delivery shift one night I wanted to toss a couple back before hitting the sack for the weekend so instead of my usual Holiday Cocktail Lounge visit (best bar with no windows btw-also a big bouncing souls fan) I gave this place a try after walking by on the opposite side of 7th one day seeing two signs in the window “open mic Fridays-Bring Your Own Vinyl Monday”. My test cocktail at the time for all my NYC bar visits (spirits permitting) was always a Tom Collins Bombay Sapphire. I stepped inside the red spaceship with the sounds of the Easy Rider soundtrack not coming from an ipod but from a little record player in the opposite corner of the entrance across the parlour floor. A man with a cool hat was sitting down looking at a milk-crate filled with LP’s. “This might be my new favorite place.” I thought. He was the bartender for the night and I ordered my cocktail and he passed the test it was made deliciously. He tomd me he was the owner. Stefan was his name and after a little bit of time he told me all about both the open mic and the BYOV night. It sounded like Mondays were gonna be my new haunt to extend my weekend from 3 days to 4. In my apartment at the time I had a bunch of 45’s I never spun in college bc I was too busy. I looked over to see a neon Red Stripe beer sign which is my all time favorite beer. People, when I tell you this beer was ice cold I could feel the tempreature drop in my body after sipping on the coolness of not only this drink but this vibe of the bar. Stefan and I became friends once he discovered my deep taste in music. I became somewhat of a resident DJ there every week as a volunteer to help bring a following and keep the guests satisfied. The family grew and soon local celebrities heard the music was good on Mondays so the word got out. I spun there until 2018 when I moved out of the city. Believe me when I say, this place was like my little heaven on earth, my home-away-from-home. I make it my base of operation every visit to the city now years later. No checks or credit cards, cash only. The best bar in the city and the best the Ukranian Village has to offer. Total strangers can become your new friends if you buy the ticket and take the ride. Life is worth living to be here.
Dietary restrictions: I recently quit drinking so they can make and also have available virgin and N/A options on beer and cocktails
Parking: Park on the street
Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs everythings one one level two restrooms and booths available
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Noah C
Bartender assumed I was a no tipper and kicked me out for it. She conspicuously withheld my water, then immediately asked/pressured me to tip.Of course, having received that service, I didn't tip. In retaliation, tge bartender had me leave. If it matters, I'm mixed race.
Best bar atmosphere in NYC. Bartenders and regulars are all super cool, and drinks are cheap. Cash
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Diane Santoyo
The manager is amazing she really went above and beyond. I appreciate you so much! Thank you for your amazing customer service.
Angela Kim
Super cozy and cute. No wait despite NYE weekend but still busy/lively. Love the red lights. Bartender was alright / weird vibes. Maybe they were tired / had cruddy customers before me. Just had a glass of a house
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 3
Mason Speier
a nook and a half
Charis Brakatselos
Really cool small bar with a very pleasant vibe and kind rewarding
Bouncer dressed like where’s Waldo for Halloween tonight is a problem for a small business like this. I walked in with a few girls and he was hitting on the customers inside I did not see anyone in the front of the door so I walked inside. I thought he was just some big goofy Halloween dressed older over weight guy talking to younger girls. As I got though the door he started getting aggressive super weird because he’s a lot shorter than me and I’m not an aggressive person. He asked for ids I thought he was being funny but still reached in my back pocket to accommodate him. That’s when things got really weird he started acting aggressive so I turned around to leave because I don’t want to hurt this bully so I said I’m gonna just leave.. That’s when I asked the girls I was with to come he decided to follow me out screaming have a good day just so we are clear it’s night time! This place should really watch who they hire because clearly they don’t! You have been warned stay away from this place!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great vibes, friendly staff and crowd. A reasonably priced, well-made Manhattan, something in short supply these days in the easy village.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Bartender pressured me to tip by withholding my water.
Of course, having received that service, I didn't tip. In retaliation, the bartender had me leave. I happened to be the only mixed race person there among whites so that's suspicious but she may have been dealing with lots of no tippers that day too--not to excuse her behavior, of course.
Terrible service by the bartender
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
Bartender pressured me to tip by withholding my water.
Of course, having received that service, I didn't tip. In retaliation, the bartender had me leave. I happened to be the only mixed race person there among whites so that's suspicious but she may have been dealing with lots of no tippers that day too--not to excuse her behavior, of course.
I'm mostly here to point out how funny the last review is by M*tthew Arm*nd*. If you peep their profile they do nothing but give negative reviews that are not substantial or credible I'm sure. Big Bar is a staple of the neighborhood that has been around for ages*. Anyone who has been there knows it's not any of the things they described and I'm sure their experiences is coming from some other place of hurt and they decided to make it Big Bars problem. It's actually kind of funny. Maybe Google what defines a Dive Bar and come back with your findings. Big Bar has been and is a forever home for many from all walks of life. An affordable, charming hole in the wall where everyone is welcome. It's a major low key connector for the underground music scene where some respectable legends choose to chill. They have the most leveled turn table in the game and the decor is made up of stuff the local homies gave to the owners. What is more dive than that? The owners came from nothing and are beloved community members. That's some real neighbors vibes. Maybe Big Bar is just for proper NYers and ppl with a NY mentality.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Big Bar is hard to miss with its bright red interior lights shining onto the sidewalk, but when you walk inside you’ll have wished you did miss it.
I recently had the displeasure of stopping by this ‘dive bar’ and it was an experience I won’t soon forget—unfortunately. This bar harbors a particularly rancid vibe. Everything from the bar tender’s hall monitor attitude, to the Gen X clientele sitting at the bar top, to the bald man in a bright blue sweater standing outside holding the door looking to start arguments. It all meshed into a miserable, spoilt, and rank experience. This self touted ‘dive bar’ is a total disaster from start to finish.
The atmosphere is dreadful. The space is cramped and awkward. The decor is tacky and lacking grace. It is all too evident that they tried too hard to come off as this trendy, relaxed, dingy dive bar but you can feel how incredibly gauche and trite the ambience really is. The supposed "dive bar" charm was nowhere to be found. Instead, it felt more like a sterile and sanitized version, where an older crowd can live out their dreams cosplaying being a patron at a dive bar. Without actually having to step foot in one. The raw authenticity of a dive bar is nowhere to be found here. Instead what you will encounter is a travesty of such magnitude that it defies the very essence of what it seeks to embody. Stripped of any genuine character, it is a desolate void. Big Bar’s ambiance is a facade. A cheap costume masking a soul devoid of grit or character. Stepping inside, the sterility of the place struck me immediately.
But it was the customer service that truly revealed the rot at the core. At the helm of this charade was a bartender whose demeanor is a chilling specter of authoritarianism. Her presence fills the room and adds to the festering of a putrid environment. We did not get her name, but she is a heavy set brunette woman with glasses and nose piercings. She made comments that were teetering on discriminatory and seemed to convey a covert racism. She was abrasive with a patron over a seemingly arbitrary qualm. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear other patrons share a similar experience.
The libations, one might hope, would salvage some semblance of a good experience, but they were as soulless as the decor. The drinks are underwhelming and bereft of any skill or care in their making. They didn’t seem to have any thing of substance worth drinking. All the bartender had was well liquor and flat beer. And in a location filled with other options that have better drinks and a more refined atmosphere, we did not stay long.
In sum, this Gen X haven is truly a pit of despair and disappointment. This establishment is a blight upon the landscape of nightlife. A soulless simulacrum devoid of the grit, grime, and charm that define a dive bar. It feels more of a sterile tomb and I would implore seekers of a genuine experience to look elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Very cool vibes! Cash only! Great service
This is where I used to DJ my vintage vinyl records. In 2016 after my seafood delivery shift one night I wanted to toss a couple back before hitting the sack for the weekend so instead of my usual Holiday Cocktail Lounge visit (best bar with no windows btw-also a big bouncing souls fan) I gave this place a try after walking by on the opposite side of 7th one day seeing two signs in the window “open mic Fridays-Bring Your Own Vinyl Monday”. My test cocktail at the time for all my NYC bar visits (spirits permitting) was always a Tom Collins Bombay Sapphire. I stepped inside the red spaceship with the sounds of the Easy Rider soundtrack not coming from an ipod but from a little record player in the opposite corner of the entrance across the parlour floor. A man with a cool hat was sitting down looking at a milk-crate filled with LP’s. “This might be my new favorite place.” I thought. He was the bartender for the night and I ordered my cocktail and he passed the test it was made deliciously. He tomd me he was the owner. Stefan was his name and after a little bit of time he told me all about both the open mic and the BYOV night. It sounded like Mondays were gonna be my new haunt to extend my weekend from 3 days to 4. In my apartment at the time I had a bunch of 45’s I never spun in college bc I was too busy. I looked over to see a neon Red Stripe beer sign which is my all time favorite beer. People, when I tell you this beer was ice cold I could feel the tempreature drop in my body after sipping on the coolness of not only this drink but this vibe of the bar. Stefan and I became friends once he discovered my deep taste in music. I became somewhat of a resident DJ there every week as a volunteer to help bring a following and keep the guests satisfied. The family grew and soon local celebrities heard the music was good on Mondays so the word got out. I spun there until 2018 when I moved out of the city. Believe me when I say, this place was like my little heaven on earth, my home-away-from-home. I make it my base of operation every visit to the city now years later. No checks or credit cards, cash only. The best bar in the city and the best the Ukranian Village has to offer. Total strangers can become your new friends if you buy the ticket and take the ride. Life is worth living to be here.
Dietary restrictions: I recently quit drinking so they can make and also have available virgin and N/A options on beer and cocktails
Parking: Park on the street
Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs everythings one one level two restrooms and booths available
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bartender assumed I was a no tipper and kicked me out for it. She conspicuously withheld my water, then immediately asked/pressured me to tip.Of course, having received that service, I didn't tip. In retaliation, tge bartender had me leave. If it matters, I'm mixed race.
Restaurantji Recommends
Best bar atmosphere in NYC. Bartenders and regulars are all super cool, and drinks are cheap. Cash
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
The manager is amazing she really went above and beyond. I appreciate you so much! Thank you for your amazing customer service.
Super cozy and cute. No wait despite NYE weekend but still busy/lively. Love the red lights. Bartender was alright / weird vibes. Maybe they were tired / had cruddy customers before me. Just had a glass of a house
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 3
a nook and a half
Really cool small bar with a very pleasant vibe and kind rewarding
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
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