Midtown Happy Hour: Peter Dillon’s is a Grand Central Hideaway

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 don’t know anyone who actually commutes to and from Grand Central Terminal. But if you do, I’m sorry. Working in Midtown, you’d think I’d be used to the pushing and shoving hoards, but I can’t. I can never get used to strangers invading my box (which is far more intrusive here than by my Herald Square office). That said, Grand Central commuters, if you haven’t discovered it already, you have a retreat around the corner, should you choose to use it.

A good place to lazy around with your coworkers after a tough day at work or like the couple sitting next to us, to meet a Match.com date for the first time, Peter Dillon’s lack of offerings is what makes it better for me (and my fellow cash-less readers). Because they do not have a kitchen, you are able to bring in or order food for delivery to the establishment.

We ordered two pies (one plain, one Genova – provolone, parmesan, mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese) from Previti (on 41st Street at Lexington Ave), keeping the night’s costs low.

The mood on Tuesday night was pretty laid back. There were a couple of guys we befriended at the pool table and a few friendly faces scattered throughout the bar, including a group of hilarious (quite possibly intoxicated) ladies on the other side of our table.

Happy hour includes $4 pints of Stella, Blue Moon and Bud Light Monday through Friday between 5 pm and 7 pm. Additionally, $4 shots of Jameson, Jager, and Cuervo are available all day and night, making this place slightly more “dangerous.” (The ladies I mentioned before were taking advantage of this weekly special.)

The beer/liquor selection in this dimly-lit, dark wood-covered bar is overall, pretty standard. Nothing out-of-the ordinary, but you can get your typical Jack and Diet and Kettle and Soda STRONG. My friend came from the gym about an hour after us, and I’m pretty sure she caught up to our level of intoxication after drinking just half her glass.

The only gripe our group had was that our glasses seemed to always be empty. Our waitress, though very cute and very nice, seemed to care more about whomever it was on the other side of her text messages than us. In no way is it ever good to have 7 empty glasses at a table. That said, towards the end of happy hour, we wised up and ordered double drinks, making me feel like I was 21 again…which I guess, isn’t such a bad thing.

Peter Dillon’s, 130 E 40th St (between Park Ave & Lexington Ave), 212-213-3998

3 Comments

  • I absolutely love this place the couple of times I come through midtown for refreshments after work. The folks are good natured, the bartenders pretty speedy and the waitresses very friendly and courteous(quite surprised to hear about your disapppointment on that front honestly). Highly recommended.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    so beautiful place. love to visit there.
    parfum pas cher

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Nice timing, just hit this up Friday before the Mets / Yanks. The bar was not crowed (every seat was taken but there was plenty of standing room). And we had the same empty glasses thing happening. It also took quite a while to get our waitress to show up with the tab.

    Prices were great so it fit the need.

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