BLOCKHEADS 322 W 50th Street Btwn 8th-9th Ave

BLOCKHEADS @ 50th Btwn 8th-9th Ave




    HOLY MARGARITA!!!! Yes I know,....They have stuffed monkeys for a logo, but don't let that fool you! This Bar ROCKS! If you like sitting outdoors (Yes) and if you like drinking (double yes), than this place is for you. Nothing says summer like a hangover....or wait..I meant "nothing says summer like a Frozen Drink" (virgin or alcoholic..its summer, and its hot outside). This place Blockheads located in Midtown Manhattan (there are also 2 other locations) offers the perfect summer drinks. there are 2 others in Manhattan yes, so whatever your neighborhood there is one close by..

1563 2nd Avenue
New York

499 Third Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York

   But those aren't as fun as this one, This one is smaller than two School Busses inside (just not as yellow) and there is only one bathroom (plan your drinking accordingly, but if you do happen to wait in the extremely long line, that is a great way to make friends...you'll have so much in common...you both drink..you both have to pee....its a great starting point for a conversation). The outdoor area is where the magic happens, there may be a wait on the left side but the right side is public seating, meaning first come first serve (or snipe a table out from under others by arriving ath the back side of the place at the staircase closest to 8th ave :) suckerrrrs!) Also, a little added bonus for smokers, in NYC you can't smoke at a restaurant..or bar...buuuuuuuuuuuuut...on the "Public Seating" side, its considered a park/public/seating area...that means you can light up on this side and order drinks and appetizers, you just cant order main courses, for that you have to be on the other side...I know confusing..but if you want a drink, that happens at any part of BlockHeads. 

Now that we have all of that out of the way, I would like to talk about the drinks...Margaritas (either frozen or on the rocks)..this place is home to the $3 margarita...no that's no typo..its $3 American...(and so begins the "drinking on a budget" campaign). The fact of the matter is this, the margaritas are good..but if you drink like I do (I.E. a drunken' sailor on leave in Las Vegas) it will not suffice your appetite for the booze, rest assured I have been known to solve this problem with a $3 shot of tequila! YES that's right, the order should go as follows "A Margarita with a shot on the side please ma'm". Once this arrives pour the shot into the "Rita' and enjoy a tasty strong beverage, then..."repeat, repeat,repeat until you can't read" (that should be on a T-Shirt). Blockheads also offers free Chips and Salsa (I love this place) to go along with the wonderful drinks you will have. The food is also excellent and offers a true Mexican/American style cuisine of tacos burritos,nachos, *chicken fingers (*American) and *burgers (*American).

Next Question, is the food good, answer "Yes it is", they do close earlier than most places in NYC so Sunday you will be finished by 10pm and all other days are fun til 11pm. I have closed this bar down before numerous times and most of those times I arrived as soon as they opened, most of the time they are very friendly (before the drinks and shouting and bathroom lines), but when this place fills up they are understaffed for the flow of people, so drinks start to take longer and longer (make friends with a waitress and walk inside to where the bar/drinks are made and you will never have this problem) and last but not least lets not forget a few Tips from thisBARrocks.  $3 Ritas + $3 Shot = Amazing Rita !!(there are different flavors ((black flower is the BEST)) but if you are on a budget just get the classic, flavor prices increase the cost of the drink by about $2, but they do make it taste less like licking the floor after you have had about 10 of these babies) Free chips and salsa, talk nice to the waitress and these will be bottomless for a fun filled day of drinking and chips, and last but not least the bathroom line, ***** SHHHHHH-- there is a secret bathroom outside in the world wide plaza building, there is a security guard with a yellow vest on walking around in the park area, be nice to him (extremely nice because you are probably drunk at this point) and ask him if you may use the restroom, (DO NOT ASK IF THERE IS ONE..he will lie to you, because you are a drunken' boozed up buffoon and probably slurred the words "Baffroom") he will guide you to the Southwest corner of the park where there is a metal door in the side of the building with an amazing bathroom inside...but shhh, if too many people find this out there will be a line over there and people will hate you!..

-thisBARrocks.com

Raccoon Lodge (BAR) Warren street @Church

59 Warren Street
(between West Broadway & Church)
New York, New York 10007








    If you find yourself stumbling through Tribeca looking for a cheap dive bar (Yes, there are a few and I plan on writing about all of them), then look no further than the Raccoon Lodge (aka "the Cooner"). As you enter this bar, there are a few questions you should be asking yourself, first (1) "Have I had a Tetanus Shot (2) "How drunk do I want to be?" (3) "Am I going to make it home tonight"

I'll keep this short and sweet, THIS IS A DIVE, I'm not trying to fluff the cake on this and have you show up here in a suit and tie looking to meet a swimsuit model, I'm sure its happened before to someone...but not you..and definitely not at this bar..., It has a unique style with all the fun artwork(Junk) on the wall, they have a pool table (nice!) and a Punching bag machine (hit a high score and win a beer!!"C'mon be a man and look like a fool too"). Beers (pints) are at $4 and PBR's are $2.50 cans (YESSSIR' the Dive Bar Beer of choice!). This place has been down here for 30 years and hosts daring after work wallstreet Gordon Gecko's and also a handful of construction workers, firemen (Off-Duty... of course...Wink-Wink..there is no such thing as a drunk fireman), hipsters, and after hours restrauntors..(waiters)..all looking to cut loose, have a good time, and drink cheap @$$ beer. So if you are any of these people, or would just like to try it...come on down and get good and drunk like everyone inside!

thisBARrocks.com

Reade Street Pub Btwn. Hudson and Greenwich

 Reade Street Pub
135 Reade St., New York, NY 10013 

(Btwn Hudson and Greenwich)

      Let's go through all the things that make a bar great...Beer (check), TV's (check), Food (check),  People (obviously its great to have a good mix and a diverse crowd..check), Juke box (Music..check)...what more can you ask for? how about crayons and white paper table cloths to draw on (CHECK! This may sound lame until you're about 6 beers deep and feel like drawing a masterpiece onto a bar table while your friends all scowl at you...), or how bout a beer only found at this specific pub? That's right, Reade Street offers its very own house brew (I think its "Red Wolf" which was owned by Anheuser Bush and is now extinct on store shelves but somehow can make it to pubs as a house brew) It has a beautiful Amber taste and is infact reasonably priced, pitchers are around $15 and pints of other beers average around the $4-$6 mark. 

   In a neighborhood where $9 barely buys a glass of wine or a bottle of sparkling water, it's a rare treat to find this comfy local bar still running and thriving in Tribeca. Reade Street isn't spectacular (to rich obnoxious jerks who think that the more they spend the better it taste), but it's affordable (always a plus), dependable (like your grandmothers Buick), and for the right mood ("drinking at a bar" mood), its a great place to go in Tribeca. Darkly intimate (because its where a Dive meets a nice neighborhood takes it out on a date, and this is the bastard love child they conceived and hid in lower Manhattan), filled with a number of fun collectables (JUNK) like baseball caps, model trains, strange artwork, banners and old pictures. There is also a jukebox mixing Sinatra(New York New York), Lynrd Skynrd (Sweet Home Alabama), and Prince (you have to know prince...come on' guess a song...its in this Juke box), Reade Street also has a fireplace that warms the bar in the cold months, Nine quality taps (featuring a sunny Reade Street Ale...maybe Red Wolf...maybe..) combined with 25 bottled options so that you may diversify you beers and taste. There's also an extensive food menu (burgers, fries, fish and chips,....salads??). The Bar hosts tv's so you can catch the local NY teams when they play (NICE!). When you leave this spot to find another in Tribeca you will immediately realize that you are downtown and not all bars can be as Cheap and fun as Reade Street Pub..(That should be on their website....or a bumper sticker...at least a saying..) Overall this place is a 7 out of 10 for a top notch place to grab a pint and catch up with friends, the people here are friendly and they even have a *FREE*-MASSIVE (think trick-or-treat style) bucket of hard candy by the door to grab a few and take with you on your drunken travels. If you are a smoker ( don't quit, no one likes a quitter...) there are benches out front of this pub to sit, smoke and chat with other cancer loving addicts...If you find yourself downtown...and thirsty...Reade Street Pub is definitely a cool place to stop in!

thisBARrocks.com-

History of Whiskey

What is that Golden delight with a kick that we find in bottles and love to see in a small glass with iced cubes? Yes folks we are talking about Whiskey. The reason I wanted to write this post...well..reasons...are simple, Whiskey is the STAPLE of most bars (heck..ALL bars). Whiskey is one of those things that when people talk about it, ears perk up. No great bar story started out with everyone eating salad and drinking mineral water...oh no...Whiskey is a drink that Country Musicians, sad lonely people, fun awesome people, smart people, dumb people, and yes...DRUNK PEOPLE appreciate. Most whiskeys start the ball rolling at 40% (80 Proof) and go up from there (Such wonderful and strong bastards like Wild Turkey at 101 and a rare reserve WT at 108.2 keep the fun at a higher % )

Whiskey didn't start out (when it was created) as it does today...in fact it was much different... The earliest certain chemical distillations were by Greeks in Alexandria in about the 3rd century (AD), but these were not distillations of alcohol (pretty much they didn't know how to use it to party..Yet). The medieval Arabs adopted the distillation technique of the Alexandrian Greeks, and written records in Arabic begin in the 9th century, but again these were not distillations of alcohol (still using it for noble purposes and not "Rocking"..boo-hoo). Distilling technology passed from the medieval Arabs to the medieval Latins, with the earliest records in Latin in the early 12th century. The earliest records of the distillation of alcohol are in Italy in the 13th century (Gotta' love the Italians, where they love wine, the Irish love Whiskey) where alcohol was distilled from wine. An early description of the technique was given by Ramon Llull (1232 – 1315).Its use spread through medieval monasteries (Praise It!), largely for medicinal purposes, such as the treatment of colic, palsy, and smallpox,...still not to enjoy and consume..

Distillation spread to Ireland (DUH) and Scotland from the European continent in the later medieval centuries.Because the islands had few grapes (" Dis Ain't Italy") to make wine with, barley beer (IRISH BEER) was used instead, resulting in the development of Whisky...So this is why you have two different types of whiskey...Scotch Whiskey (Scotland) and your Irish whiskey (Ireland.."top-uh-da-mornin') There are also the great rye whiskeys and grain whiskeys in the US that were created here because the creators (Jack Daniels) probably admired the "Golden Drink" from across the "Pond".

Now, You're probably asking yourself "Is that True?"  " Is That Real?" "Is That how Whiskey was Invented"..."Is That how this wonderful (potent) beverage got into this small glass?"...Well...how the hell should I know (I'm probably Drunk), but I will say (slurr) this, it makes for interesting bar conversation, but if you do some research (why would you), this is the most common "type" of answer I can find, take it for what its worth ($ not much $ ), go out and start admiring something that has been around for CENTURIES! Shoot it in a shotglass, have it in a mix drink ( Jack-n-Coke anyone?), or drink it neat (like a real man)...savor it and drink responsible...responsibly....responses..responded...I think its responded... drink responded and answer the bartender when they talk to you...
-thisBARrocks.com

 (Potent) delight got into this small glass

George Keeley's Amsterdam Btwn 83rd-84th

GEORGE KEELEY's 485 Amsterdam Ave Casks: 1 | On Tap: 19 | Bottles: 14 | Cans: 5 Whats that smell?? It smells like Popcorn...the only thing better than popcorn when you're kicking back a few brews is....(drumm-roll)..FREE POPCORN! I want to make this bar short and sweet but also keep my point "EXTREMELY CLEAR"...extremely...I'm serious... This bar is a host to great food (burgers, wings and fries, typical to most bars), but more importantly an insane amount of beers (Many you have NEVER EVER heard of...ever) .When you walk through the doors and smell the wonderful pop-corn (free), you will notice the empty ( I say "re-purposed") Jameson bottle border at the top of the front and left wall of the bar. The ceilings are high and (like most NYC bars) the rest room is in the back (1 person at at time so you have to plan your "Give-Backs" accordingly folks..there are (2)-one for women and one for men). There is also a dart board, and on St. Pattys this is a fun stop as they have Bag-Pipers (Erin go Bra!) This place is cool on a Thursday Friday and Saturday for sure but also not bad to stop by for a rare pint during the early work week. There is also a Beer Club ("say WHAAT'") that is really interesting if you are up to try many beers from all over the world each time you drink ("I Fear No BEER") and there is also a dart league (which most small NYC bars have, but this is a cool spot to play and try the fun brews) So, if you like trying new things ( some people don't...and those people are "lame"), but if YOU do, and one of those new things happens to be BEER...then you owe it to yourself to try George Keeley's on the upper West side. All this typing is making me thirsty...so to re-cap..George Keeley's is a beer drinker's bar (flat out, this is not the bar to go have a Martini- or a Sissy "cosmo" if you like Jameson shots (who doesn't) and chasing it with wild and tasty beers this is your bar).  If you enjoy expanding your tastes and trying beers from all over the world there is no place else to be.  There is usually a good sized crowd buzzing (drinking) up at George Keeley's. There is pretty much something for everyone (POPCORN!) Check out their Darts Page if you want to test your skills, or Join their 100 Pints Beer Club!(if you think you're cool enough) . Overall, I give this place an 8 out of 10, some beers are pricey (up to $12) but in the same respect the atmosphere and alcohol content are great enough to enjoy the overall idea of an "Irish Pub" on the Upper West Side. Now, it's time to crack open a few brews and g to work -thisBARrocks.com

Joshua Tree 3rd Ave. Btwn 34th and 35th

JOSHUA TREE (BAR)

Address: 513 Third Ave. New York, NY
Tel:             212-689-0058       - Fax: 212-779-4499
Business Hours: Mon – Fri 11:00 AM to 4:00 AM-Sat - Sun 10:00 AM to 4:00 AM


There are a few interesting things you will note about Joshua tree, (1) the interesting name (2) the interesting style, and (3) The people that go to this bar.


    Now a lot of reviews out there will talk about this bar being a college/post grad scene. You will find that a lot of people think this bar is a "Frat Boy" "Deutsche Bag" type of place. Well, I am here to tell you on behalf of thisBARrocks they are 100% RIGHT..But only partially. 

This bar hosts a nice menu for wings and burgers, if you want your average run of the mill bar food and this is in your neighborhood, this would probably be the place to go (its close,.. it doesn't mean its the best, but in terms of convenience it's not a bad choice)

This bar is host to numerous plasma tv's and projector screens. They take NY Sports very seriously, look to stop by here during a Yankees or a Giants game and you will welcomed with open arms (unless you are wearing the other teams jersey). I would call this a sports bar and nothing more, sometimes there are DJ's and the dim lit bar gets packed like a "Miami Vacation" suitcase. It is a fun spot to have a drink but I personally wouldn't hang here all night, it IS worth a pit-stop though. Bartenders are friendly (some very attractive, others...not so much) and the prices are reasonable (for NY at least). This is not a place to take a date but maybe a place to take a group of fun loving drinkers. If you want to re-live those fun college days of stale beer, packed rooms, and (cheap) young women..(cough cough) Who wants that anyway??


-thisBARrocks.com