(212) 475-5097
41 1st Ave
New York,
NY
10003
40.724255
-73.987738
Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown
What People Are Saying About d.b.a.
The Editor
Katie Heffernan
Citysearch
Deep brown and amber hues spill across this quintessential East Village beer bar as if some of its kegs have sprung leaks. Above the heavy brick and dark wood bar hangs a daunting row of blackboards--chalked full of choices and stretching to the blurry corners of vision. Couples and packs of jovial professionals carry their pints to copper-topped tables, the lone church pew, or the covered outdoor garden in back. Quick bartenders change the rotating taps before your eyes, and can crack open over a hundred international bottles--but beer is only part of the appeal. A veritable wish list of…
03/07/09
5 Stars For Selection, ZERO Stars For Service
by TheGrunk
When you read about d.b.a. there's the feeling it could possibly be the greatest bar in New York City. Then you walk through the door and get ignored by an inattentive staff.
During previous visits this was not the case, but now it seems to be the M.O. of the place. If there was one bartender and the place was packed I could understand having to wait, but when it seems like there are four people behind the bar serving (I'll use the term "serving" VERY loosely) customers and it's crowded, but not packed, 10 minutes to get a beer is far too long to wait. Oh, and while you're waiting you'll watch the bartenders do shots with their friends just to please you even more!
Do yourself a favor, search for other great beer bars if you're looking for great beers and go there. At one time d.b.a. had one of the best selections going, but now there's a bar with a great selection on almost every other corner. Find a place where you'll be treated like a valued customer, not some slob who's stupid enough to throw money away.
- Pros: Drink Selection, Location, Outdoor space
- Cons: Terrible, terrible, terrible service
01/06/09
great selection, poor service
by ernie118
worst service ever...bar is empty and it takes 5 minutes to flag down the bar tender who is having a personal conversation with friends
- Pros: good tap selection
- Cons: POOR serivce, attitude from staff
10/16/08
Beer lovers dream
by DyeYupster
not quite on par with the Blind Tiger but definitely takes second place for beer geeks. gets really packed in summer, but well worth it. alot of really good bars in the lower east side and this is one of them. definitely go by here if you love beer, hop devil (i heard that may have closed tho), east village tavern if you go to the alphabet streets, stanton public, spitzers corner, great bar crawl, & since I live in the neighborhood will I be hitting these spots regularly, yeah!
- Pros: beers beers beers & whiskey!!
- Cons: packed in the summer (but thats kind of a good thing)
The Details on d.b.a.
Look Good:
Want to snag a seat on the patio? Arrive before 10pm, when it closes for the night.
Know Before You Go:
The beer selection rotates seasonally and may even vary on a day to day basis. Call ahead or check the bar's website for details on what's on tap at the moment.
Fun Fact:
d.b.a. also touts one of the coolest jukeboxes around--not for its authenticity, per se, but for its solid catalogue of favorites, from classic rock to punk and '90s grunge.
The Extras:
No need to make the hike from Brooklyn to the East Village; in early 2009 d.b.a. debuted a second outpost in Williamsburg.
Category:
Smoking Permitted:
On patio
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