Radegast Hall & Biergarten

113 N 3rd(@ Berry)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
http://www.radegasthall.com/

For our first Williamsburg bar review, we might as well go with the best one. This is my favorite bar in the city right now, no doubt owing to the giant steins and communal drinking atmosphere. Radegast is split in two, with one side having a gorgeous solid wood bar that snakes around the center of the room, surrounded by booths and tables tucked into every available corner and serviced by expert bartenders dressed in white dress shirts and black ties. A very classy affair on this side. Your choices are pints($7), liters($13) and pitchers($18) of the 10-12 rich and tasty Central European beers on tap or about another three dozen beers in bottles. Your faithful reviewer is a particular fan of the Hofbrau Dunkel, as his roommates can attest to times when he has mumbled "Dunkel....Dunkel..." in his sleep. A full bar is available, but frankly you didn't come to the Biergarten to drink Jack & Coke(you know who you are). No, you came to pick up a pint and walk to the other half of the bar, where two rows of wooden beer hall tables run the length of the building. This is where the real drinking happens. Seating is generally tight which makes it easy to make new friends and drinking buddies. At the rear of the building is a grill where bratwurst, weisswurst and many other types of schnitzels and kraut are available until 2am. There is a full menu available of German and Czech dishes from the kitchen until 1130. Prices are a little steep(~$10 at the grill, $13-$18/entree from the kitchen), but its not likely you will notice when you are fork deep in kielbasa and sauerkraut. Up above the Biergarten room is a glass celing with louvers open in the summertime that let fresh air in and beer breath out. It also creates a cheery atmosphere in the afternoon, with lots of sunshine. The music of the establishment generally tends toward traditional German oompa "Lets invade Poland" tracks with the occaisional dance tune thrown in. In the end, this is not an everyday bar, unless you make 100k/year, its more of a destination bar(as in, I feel destined to go every other week). A great place to start off the night with a couple liters of fantastic brew.


Atmosphere- 5
Between the music and the giant beers, it makes me wonder why my ancestors left Central Europe. Oh yeah, all those wars....

Clientele- 4
I heard someone call it "fratty" and I have noticed more collars recently, but mostly its a mix of people who like drinking beer, aka my people.

Value- 3
Ordinarily $7 pints would get an angry penguin, but the beer is great. The grill could be cheaper as well.

Location- 5
There are plenty of other bars a stones throw away, and its 3 blocks from the L.

Service- 4
Waitress(Beer Wench?) service is strong, but suffers from packed houses. Bartenders are consummate professionals.

Overall Bar Penguin Rating- 5 penguins

Buttermilk

Fifth Avenue and 16th St.

South Park Slope

Brooklyn 

I like bars, I drink a lot and I am fussy. Buttermilk has been my local go to spot in South Park Slope since I moved to the neighborhood. This place is a great no nonsense spot to grab a couple lagers and harp with the locals about ConEd price increases. Buttermilk pulls off the low-light, beat up furniture atmosphere of a classic dive but without the putrid stench of puke and stale beer. Its comfortable and friendly, usually with a few regulars posted at the bar and a scattering of hipster types around the various tables. They have a great selection of board games and if you start to feel frisky you can annihilate some elk on their big buck hunter pro machine. On most nights the bartender controls the tunes but several nights during the week they have special vinyl nights where they play only country, blues, etc. Also one thursday a month a Johnny Cash cover band plays and you can get up on stage and let your inner Sue out with them. Finally Buttermilk has several weekly evening promotions, the best of which being $3 Yuengling's on Wednesdays from about 9-Midnight. This is the place I go for my relaxing midweek beer but it also has potential for serious weekend drunkenness. 

Location- 3

It depends where you live, for me its a great location. It's near the Prospect Ave stop on the R but it is on the end of the slope for all you punks living down north.

Value- 4

The beers are standard $4-5 and shots vary but are affordable. $3 Yuengling night is easy on the wallet.

Clientele- 4

You probably wont meet your soulmate here but you get a good mix of people. Everyone tends to be laid back and minds their business.

Atmosphere- 3

Good dive vibe with some unique seating options.

Service- 2.5

Sometimes the bartenders are busy outside smoking and talking to their friends so you have to wait patiently for you beer, if you say something about it be prepared for a showdown and dont try to get out of it by challenging anyone to a "Boob off" cause it wont fly.

Bar Penguin Review - 3 Penguins

2x4

2x4
2nd Ave and 4th St (imaginative, huh?)
East Village

This is one of the legendary bars of the East Village in my eyes. Its dirty, smelly and loud, but you can still get a can of PBR for $2. Everytime I've been in there, there always seems to be a healthy mix of people. Bikers, goths, preppies, hipsters, jocks and everyone else seems drawn to this rowdy bar where the bartenders like to dance on the bar and might even toss a pint glass at you. Ask if you can be the 475,932nd person to take a beer bong out of the funnel they have behind the bar, no extra charge! I dont think Ive ever gone into this bar without seeing a pile of vomit outside with the bouncer remarking, "Another satisfied customer!". While the dirty bathrooms are not so nice, I enjoy the rough edges of this place, and the wanton enthusiasm for inebriation is positively inspiring.

Location- 5
Right in the heart of the action.
Value- 3
PBR is cheap, shots not so much. Stick with the girl that brought you and enjoy that Blue Ribbon flavor.
Clientele- 4
You never know who is gonna be in here, but you know they are here to drink.
Atmosphere-4
Loud enough and dirty enough to keep it from 5 penguins, but very festive.
Service-4
Never had a problem getting a drink, and the ladies dance on the bar. Win-win!

Bar Penguin Review- 4 Penguins

Bar 4

Somehow, they screwed up the one thing you HAVE to get right


444 7th Ave(@15th)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bar 4 on MySpace

For my first post, I will review the bar closest to my house. Theres not much to say about this place, other than the Guinness tastes strange and sour. And you cant see inside. And there is an annoying procession of wannabe Bob Dylans playing on stage most nights of the week. The TV, while occaisionally playing Mets games, is often tuned to some avant-garde silent movie or something from Japan. The atmosphere seems like a strained dinner party most of the time, as the lean-back couches and low coffee tables kill any intimacy in the main seating area. The foosball table is nice, but squeezing past it to get to the dog kennel-esque area where you can smoke while continually imbibing is not so. I guess thats a bit more than not much. The shining light of this place is the padded benches covered in pillows in the back corner near the bathroom, where one can recline, sip a drink and lament the downfall of the local watering hole. Overall, its a whiny hipster bar that doesnt particularly grab my interest, but will still do for a quick pint at the end of the day.

Location- 3
6 blocks from 7th Ave stop on F, but plenty of retaurants and funky places around.
Clientele- 2
Did I mention the hipsters and singer-songwriters?
Value- 3
Typical pint prices($5-6) and the whiskey is reasonable($5-6).
Atmosphere- 1
Foosball and Guitar Hero nights wont redeem the "too cool for school" vibe.
Service-3
Decent mostly, but I was kicked out once because the bartender's friends showed up and it became a private party.

The Bar Penguin Rating- 2 Penguins