Archive for 'Midtown Happy Hour'

Midtown Happy Hour: Pan, a Hidden K-Town Gem, is Perfect for a Large Group

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

Have you ever found yourself in a quandary about where to go to happy hour when you’re choosing a place for a large group? You want to find a cool place, but you know if it’s too crowded, things can get awkward. There’s nowhere to sit. It’s not great for claustrophobic coworkers. You can’t squeeze into the bar to get a drink. And how do you split up the tab with 8 people? Buy rounds? Surely someone is gonna get the shaft. What about conversation? Can you hear the person a few feet away? Can you even hear the person right next to you? How do lightweight drinkers get food in their bellies so they don’t get too inebriated and embarrassing? There are so many questions begging answers before one can confidently suggest a good spot for a group.

Last week, myself and a few other folks (I won’t mention any names but many of them can be found on this page) found ourselves in this situation. Luckily, I had a great recommendation from Chris. He suggested Pan, a truly hidden gem in Koreatown that opens at 5:00 pm (entrance on 32nd btw. 5th and Madison, 2nd floor) and is so obscure I couldn’t find it listed on Google Maps. Even when I arrived it was a challenge to find the entrance which is not on 5th Avenue as its address on Yelp suggests. Then, even when I was standing at the front door, I didn’t spot it right away because the outside looks like an underground cinema.

Read more »

Blarney Rock Pub Stands the Test of Time

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

Although I try my best to visit bars who haven’t yet received a ML +/- review, upon hearing news from DNAinfo.com that Blarney Rock Pub is in the midst of renovations, I decided to give the 43-year-old establishment a check-in. They’ve already undergone a facelift in the front and anticipate a hair transplant on top when they open their roof this winter when city permits allow. The old Blarney Rock has been well-covered by Midtown Lunch, especially considering that it’s a pub. Nearly two years ago, Mamacita did a +/- write up on the joint, and Donny T. proclaimed his undying love by ranking it as his favorite lunch spot and awarded the pub with a favorite turkey dish honor. This week, I went to investigate the renovations, and how they affected the pre-Blarney vs. post-Blarney ethos.

Read more »

Midtown Happy Hour: The Junction is My Favorite Bar So Far


Midtown Lunch’ers, I’m pleased to bring you this post about my favorite bar in Midtown so far, The Junction. Maybe it’s just my style, or maybe it was just a great day for everyone, everywhere in the world. All I can say is this: The Junction is the first bar I’ve visited as your happy hour correspondent that I couldn’t wait to write about when I got home. It’s a friendly, fun sports bar, and there are happy hour specials every day starting at 11 a.m. and stretching to 7 p.m. A perfect place for a liquid lunch!
Read more »

Midtown Happy Hour: Barcelona Bar Nothing Like the Actual Barcelona

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

A few weeks back, one of our ML readers graciously compiled a list of suggestions for ML Happy Hour in the comments section of a post on Jimmy’s Grill and Bar. The suggestion that really caught my eye was Barcelona Bar (8th Ave. btw. 54th and 55th). I went to their website, where the 4-7pm happy hour specials: $3 Bud Light drafts, $4 domestic bottles, and $4 wells were clearly advertised. It looked like a decent deal. The site described the bar as “A Barcelona-style shot bar in NYC”. Shots. Not my bag, but that’s fine. They must also have all the wonderful things you would find in actual Barcelona, right? Tapas, cava, tempranillo, maybe a little Ibiza-style trance music… can’t wait.

Read more »

Midtown Happy Hour: China Sun has $3 Imported Beers, Free Wifi, and Nice Staff

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

I love finding good deals in unexpected places. When I say unexpected, this time I’m referring to a Chinese restaurant for happy hour. Yep, that’s right. As I scan Midtown for its best happy hour deals, I continue to find great specials in places where you wouldn’t normally look. But they might not be all that unusual. Mamacita covered Chef Yu’s happy hour back in 2009, so the Chinese restaurant happy hour special is certainly not unheard of. I’ve been eyeing China Sun (39th btw 6th and Broadway) for a few weeks, because I noticed when I walked by one day a sign advertising $3 beer, $5 house wine, and $5 wells from 4-7, and another sign advertising free wifi. The beer and wifi caught my attention, so I thought I’d stop by. Kids, I was glad I did.

Read more »

Midtown Happy Hour: Jimmy’s American Grill And Bar Has $5 Drinks And A Big Menu


I’ve been really enjoying covering Midtown Happy Hour over the past month or so, but I’ve found that sometimes it can be very difficult to find what you might call an acceptable ML bar: good specials, good atmosphere, and at times what one might refer to as a dive. In part, it’s because we’ve already covered many of the good bars in Midtown, but also because lots of bars are either douchey or prohibitively expensive, and often both. So, I hope you don’t mind if I get a little creative with my quest and look for deals in places that might be somewhat … unusual. The first to make this list is Jimmy’s American Grill and Bar (6th Ave btw. 36th and 37th), not to be confused with Jimmy’s Corner, a favorite covered back in 2008.

I had passed by Jimmy’s a few times during lunch, and saw it fairly busy with people sitting in the sidewalk dining area. At first glance I thought it was something like a repurposed, privately owned TGI Fridays type of place, I suppose because of the red and white striped awning. I decided to stop by for happy hour after work last week, and I quickly found that I was wrong. Jimmy’s is part diner, part dive bar, and all sorts of odd.
Read more »

A Free Shot for Everyone at Slattery’s Midtown Pub

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

Ever since moving to an Irish neighborhood in Queens, Irish pubs have become very dear to me. They’re a place where I feel at home, I know I’ll get a good laugh, and the drinks flow promptly and without pretense. I noticed that Mamacita included Slattery’s Midtown Pub (36th btw. 5th and Madison) in a list of bars showing the World Cup in 2010, and that made me happy since I watch a lot of football (soccer). But the pub hadn’t received a review from Midtown Lunch. I thought I’d use that as an excuse take the opportunity to check it out.

Read more »

Midtown Happy Hour: La Barrique Bistro and Wine Bar has Unexpected Beer Specials

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

If you’re the type that gravitates toward dive bars, a place that advertises itself as a wine bar might not seem like a joint you’d want to hit. But contrary to the image, many wine bars are more causal than pretentious — the ones I like are certainly not dives, but they don’t have a white tablecloth vibe either. They usually serve cocktails and beer along with their wine, and they often have a great selection of yummy food to accompany their libations. La Barrique Bistro and Wine Bar (39th btw. 5th + 6th) is the type of place that breaks down those assumptions that you need to sniff and swirl expensive wine while discussing grape varietals. Although it tilts slightly to the expensive side, it has an inclusive, free-spirited atmosphere where both suits and shorts are welcome. And if you know what to get, you can actually find a pretty good deal during happy hour here, including not only wine but beer!

Read more »

Midtown Happy Hour: Gabby O’Hara’s Pub is Welcoming and Relaxed

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent posts about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

I’d like to tell you about my pleasant experience at Gabby O’Hara’s (39th btw 6th + 7th) since it doesn’t look like it’s been covered. That may be because “happy hour is all day every day” according to the bartender with $5 domestic drafts, $6 imports, $6 wines, and cocktails starting at $8… I know, I know, not shockingly good deals, but also not gonna break the bank compared to other Manhattan prices.

Read more »

Midtown Happy Hour: Statler Grill Is As Fancy As You Think

Ah, summer. So many things to like. Longer days, sundresses, flip flops, a less crowded Herald Square and the new summer happy hour specials at Statler Grill. Named after Ellsworth Statler, who ran Hotel Pennsylvania in the early- to mid-nineties, the restaurant serves up classic New York prime sirloins and porterhouses, while the menu at the wrap-around bar offers lighter snacks for the after-work crowd.

Read more »