Kitschy Bars
Updated: May 30, 2009
Is that same-old New York nightlife scene growing tiresome? It's easy to find yourself in a rut, whether you sip martinis at red-roped boites or share pitchers of beer at wood-paneled pubs. When you want to mix it up, head to one of these quirky bars for a boozy change of pace. They may be gimmicky (think Disneyworld on alcohol), but youre guaranteed to walk away wasted, with a good story to tell those friends that were too stodgy to come along.
(Photo: Zombie Hut)
Go Campy
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Jekyll And Hyde Restaurant And Bar
Read Reviews91 7th Ave S, New York, NY 10014 (map)
Sure, it's a tourist trap, but if you come to Jekyll and Hyde in a light-hearted mood and with the right group of people, the bar can provide some seriously stupid-silly fun. Animatronic skeletons pop out from the walls, and ghouls, mad scientists, butlers and French maids serve as both the entertainment and the wait staff. Mixed drinks are served in skulls while shots come in ultra-kitschy syringes, and the beer menu includes more than 100 varieties. That said, having more than one round at Jekyll and Hyde is probably more creepy than kooky, so your best bet is to start out here and then move on to a neighboring West Village spot.
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Lucky Cheng's
Read Reviews24 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009 (map)
It's best to come to this Lower East Side institution with a large and open-minded group of friends--and by "open-minded" we mean people that won't mind being surrounded by drag queens. It's $32 per person for the Pan-Asian prix-fixe dinner, but it's well worth it just to see the elaborately costumed cross-dressers put on a cabaret show. Expect to be mocked by the performers from beginning to end, but don't take it personally; it's all in good fun. The drinks may be on the weak side (and no one comes just for the food), but you're here for the kitsch factor. Order a round of shots and get ready for post-cabaret karaoke.
Otto's Shrunken Head
Read Reviews538 E 14th St, New York, NY 10009 (map)
Luau-meets-dive bar at this casual East Village hangout, which specializes in rum concoctions served in tiki cups so campy you'll be tempted to pay the extra $5 to take one home. Scorpion bowls large enough for four are served aflame, while other drinks glow in the dark. Dried grass hangs from the ceiling, the walls are draped in vintage Hawaiian tapestries, and the bar is cluttered with '50s kitsch like masks and hula girl statues. Beer is cheap and the bar hosts live music nightly. Try your hand at Buck Hunter after a few scorpion bowls and see how good your aim is.
Rodeo Bar
Read Reviews375 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10016 (map)
Tie your horse to a hitching post, tip your cowboy hat and say howdy to your partner as you enter this honky-tonk themed spot. A horse trailer bar, a stuffed buffalo, lassos and longhorns, and Texan road signs will transport you out of Murray Hill and straight to a Southern roadhouse. But what really sets this bar apart are the surprisingly good country acts that perform live in the back room nightly. So, settle in with a margarita or beer and grab a handful of free peanuts--don't worry about the shells; just throw them on the floor--and if that doesn't sate your appetite, order some of Rodeo Bar's lauded Tex-Mex and proceed to drink yourself into a stupor.
Tortilla Flats Restaurant
Read Reviews767 Washington St, New York, NY 10014 (map)
On weekends this over-the-top Mexican restaurant and bar feels like the dining equivalent of a pinata. The rowdy, post-collegiate crowd downs pitcher after pitcher of margaritas, shots and bottles of beer. Stop by for Sunday night trivia, bingo on Monday and Tuesday or hula hoop Wednesdays; it's just as fun but the mayhem is a bit more organized. With free tequila shots for the winners, you'll feel like youre on spring break in Cancun in no time.
Trailer Park Lounge
Read Reviews271 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011 (map)
This Chelsea bar looks like trash--white trash, that is. There's an RV built into one wall, a tacky tiki bar built into another, and the rest of the place is covered in so much campy memorabilia that you could play a game of "I Spy." You'll spot Dolly Parton figurines, photos of Tammy Faye Baker and "fat" Elvis, a collection of National Enquirers, the front seat of a '68 Oldsmobile, plastic pink flamingos and more. Cans of beer chill on ice in a bathtub and the tiki bar serves punch-packing blended drinks. If you've got reason to celebrate, Trailer Park even serves champagne in a can (yes, seriously).
Zombie Hut Inc
Read Reviews273 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (map)
If the over-the-top tiki hut decor doesn't make you forget you're in Brooklyn, the signature drinks will. Between the torches, fireplace and flaming cocktails (everything from shots to "bowls" for four), something here is always on fire. Fortunately, it's never the bamboo walls, surfboards or wooden masks, all of which add to the bar's island-hut feel. The flames' glare illuminates the bar's board games and crossword puzzles, but these activities never seem to last long: Everybody gets shipwrecked pretty quickly here.
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