Midtown Happy Hour: Murray Bar is A Sports Bar With A Twist

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, we hit up Murray Bar, (34th St. btw. Madison and Park). A sports bar at first glance, Murray Bar seems to have something for everyone. I could just picture Stefon from SNL saying, “This place has everything…”

It’s different because it feels both like a purply-lit club and a sports bar. It has sports memorabilia. And it serves food. And it has pool tables. And a fireplace… and Gatorade mixers. So, there’s a lot going on there.

But one of my favorite parts about this bar is the uber-friendly staff. There was both a guy and a gal working behind the bar, and regular patrons seemed to love them both and were drawn in by their banter. We were brand new, but were treated very nicely at the outset. You’ve got to love that about a place. I also really liked the diverse and relaxed crowd.

They have happy hour specials, too. $4 wells, $4 house wines, and $4 drafts, but it was Bud only. Boo. A Brooklyn IPA was on tap but we thought it tasted somewhat flat and quite different from bottled Brooklyn IPA.

Seems it hasn’t been around long as the earliest Yelp review is in January. I also learned that Murray Bar has great reviews on Yelp… but reading them I noticed something that will leave our readers feeling scandalized… they have been accused of promoting SHILLS by offering free drinks! The horror! Now, I’m not sure if this is true, but I would love to hear what Midtown Lunchers think about it!

The + (What someone who likes this place would say)

  • This place has everything, so it’s good to bring a group so everyone’s happy.
  • Happy hour specials aren’t too bad.
  • This bar has more of an American vibe; I’m kind of tired of Irish pubs.

The – (What someone who doesn’t like this place would say)

  • It needs to decide what it wants to be – is it a sports bar or a club?
  • I like it when a bar has at least one beer special that’s not Bud.

Murray Bar, 58 E 34th St, (between Madison Ave & Park Ave) (212) 213-8864

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