(212) 475-5097

41 1st Ave
New York, NY 10003 40.724255 -73.987738

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Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown

DRINKGOODSTUFF.COM

Last updated 1.24.11

Category:

Restaurants, Bars & Clubs, Brew Pubs, Bars & Pubs, Whiskey Bars

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Bar & Pub Special Features:

Notable Beer List, Happy Hour

Bar & Club Special Features:

Outdoor Seating, 21 & Over, After Work

Smoking Permitted:

On patio

What People Are Saying About d.b.a.

Featured Review

Katie Heffernan

Contributor

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…

Editor's Tips

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.
ambiance
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. generally love the LES bars for its relaxed and friendly atmosphere but THIS BAR WAS NEITHER OF THE 2, I have never met any more ruder waitresses/bartenders in my life.
  2. GREAT beer and atmosphere
  3. Great location and I love coming here early in the week or on Sat/Sun afternoons to sit in the garden.
  4. No need to go here - there's about a million other great divey beer bars in the east village and this one is not only nothing special, but likely to leave you feeling like you've paid money for rude service and mediocre atmosphere.
  5. huge beer selection -- fun place to go on a first or second date to 'test out' your new mate's ability to chill with different people in an interesting space.
  6. like the ambience of this place, but there's a deep contradiction between the friendly, low key, decor and the attitude of some of the bartenders.
drinks
75.80999851226807% positive
  1. 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
  2. Dont wear nice clothes b/c they'll probab;y et ruined by either the chairs or some "Real World" hopeful spilling 'some weird beer' on your trousers.
  3. Do yourself a favor, search for other great beer bars if you're looking for great beers and go there.
  4. The bar staff in this place is pretty stupid and slow but the beers are fairly unusual.
  5. Management: Look, I'm sure your bartenders are nice people, but there are times when I'll stand there at the bar waiting for a beer and they're chit chatting, BSing, moving *very*slowly and basically ignoring patrons.
  6. decent beer.
  7. No wait, no problems with service and a huge beer selection made it one of my favorite bars from the first time I went.
  8. Then, if you order a bottle of beer advertised on the chalkboard and they'll try to give you whatever other beer will not require a trip to the basement to find.
  9. the place is really cool, diverse crowd hanging out, tons of beer, although very few on tap, u can get a bottle of pretty much anything belgium or german.
  10. It's a great East Village bar with hundreds of different drinks from beer to whiskey to single malts, to vodka's etc.
  11. Drinks were ordered but the manhattans were the worst we'd had; the beer was fine.
  12. Although the beer selection is awesome and relatively reasonably prices for the city, the quality of the service can suffer during the busier hours.
  13. Great beer; slow service
  14. Great beer, new choices weekly
  15. GREAT beer and atmosphere
  16. Love all the new and unique beers available.
  17. No need to go here - there's about a million other great divey beer bars in the east village and this one is not only nothing special, but likely to leave you feeling like you've paid money for rude service and mediocre atmosphere.
  18. mean, it's a cool bar with an outdoor patio and one of the most impressive selections of beer from all around the world.
  19. tend to agree with others who have given poor ratings recently to what was once a really good drinking and socializing bar.
  20. I've always loved this bar and will continue to love this bar.
  21. aparently the service is bad- they did seem like a bunch of grumpy moody bitchy unfriendly ladies but they got me my beer when i asked for it, but again the place was not very busy at 2pm on a sunday, but by 3pm the garden was filling up, it was 65F outsi
  22. Great beer choice slow service
  23. That way you can order your drink and by the time your friends arrive, so will your beverage.
  24. huge beer selection -- fun place to go on a first or second date to 'test out' your new mate's ability to chill with different people in an interesting space.
  25. While the drink selection looked promising enough, I couldn't justify spending any money here b/c the staff was so rude from the moment we walked in, starting with the miserable, moody bouncer who set the tone for the rest of the limited time we ended up
  26. It was as though the bar was being run by bitter ex-girlfriends.
  27. Despite a mostly indifferent & cliquish staff, DBA is an excellent place to go with friends to enjoy spectacular beer, scotch and conversation.
  28. If you are sitting in the outdoor garden, which is a nice backyard, expect to wait for your drink.
  29. 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.
  30. -- Other than the staff, the place is a great place for good beer (changes weekly) and other great drinks as well.
  31. The bar isn't overpriced either.
menu variety
75.0% positive
  1. huge beer selection -- fun place to go on a first or second date to 'test out' your new mate's ability to chill with different people in an interesting space.
  2. great selection, poor service
  3. While the drink selection looked promising enough, I couldn't justify spending any money here b/c the staff was so rude from the moment we walked in, starting with the miserable, moody bouncer who set the tone for the rest of the limited time we ended up
  4. 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.
  5. they have an amazing menu and do it so right here they even have a backyard garden when the weather is nice.
  6. Although the beer selection is awesome and relatively reasonably prices for the city, the quality of the service can suffer during the busier hours.
  7. the place is really cool, diverse crowd hanging out, tons of beer, although very few on tap, u can get a bottle of pretty much anything belgium or german.
  8. They always have the best selections and of course the best of the usual.
  9. The crowd sucks, the tap selection is no where near as good as it once was, and the wiatresses and bartenders are just mean and horrible, with the exception of the lovely Renée.
  10. Great beer, new choices weekly
  11. mean, it's a cool bar with an outdoor patio and one of the most impressive selections of beer from all around the world.
  12. No wait, no problems with service and a huge beer selection made it one of my favorite bars from the first time I went.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. -- Other than the staff, the place is a great place for good beer (changes weekly) and other great drinks as well.
return potential
0.0% positive
  1. As long as they have a psychotic bartender with a nasty temper, I will not go back.
service
41.90000057220459% positive
  1. aparently the service is bad- they did seem like a bunch of grumpy moody bitchy unfriendly ladies but they got me my beer when i asked for it, but again the place was not very busy at 2pm on a sunday, but by 3pm the garden was filling up, it was 65F outsi
  2. Great beer choice slow service
  3. The bar staff in this place is pretty stupid and slow but the beers are fairly unusual.
  4. Despite a mostly indifferent & cliquish staff, DBA is an excellent place to go with friends to enjoy spectacular beer, scotch and conversation.
  5. No need to go here - there's about a million other great divey beer bars in the east village and this one is not only nothing special, but likely to leave you feeling like you've paid money for rude service and mediocre atmosphere.
  6. Bartenders are extremely rude and feel entitled to a tip.
  7. While the drink selection looked promising enough, I couldn't justify spending any money here b/c the staff was so rude from the moment we walked in, starting with the miserable, moody bouncer who set the tone for the rest of the limited time we ended up
  8. Really bad service.
  9. The crowd sucks, the tap selection is no where near as good as it once was, and the wiatresses and bartenders are just mean and horrible, with the exception of the lovely Renée.
  10. As long as they have a psychotic bartender with a nasty temper, I will not go back.
  11. great selection, poor service
  12. To be fair, when business is slow you can have a friendly conversation with the staff and some generous pours, but don't count on it.
  13. very bad service
  14. Yes, I must say, I agree with the reviewers about rude bartenders.
  15. generally love the LES bars for its relaxed and friendly atmosphere but THIS BAR WAS NEITHER OF THE 2, I have never met any more ruder waitresses/bartenders in my life.
  16. The staff was not only inattentive but just plain rude - the bouncer at the door especially so - shining his flashlight in faces and being, well, just plain rude.
  17. No wait, no problems with service and a huge beer selection made it one of my favorite bars from the first time I went.
  18. However, the service is slow; some of them are downright rude.
  19. know this place before the summer rush and I really like the staff and know they are doing their best.
  20. The last time I went, the skinny little bartender with the beret was not just rude, she was horribly mean.
  21. -- Other than the staff, the place is a great place for good beer (changes weekly) and other great drinks as well.
  22. But avoid Thursday nights and the busier times as the service can get pretty slow.
  23. bad service
  24. waiter/waitress. It's one of our favorite spots to hang out.
  25. Management: Look, I'm sure your bartenders are nice people, but there are times when I'll stand there at the bar waiting for a beer and they're chit chatting, BSing, moving *very*slowly and basically ignoring patrons.
  26. why do bartenders think a snotty stand offish attitude and bad service is somehow "cool?
  27. The staff is just downright slow, rude, and uninspired.
  28. huge beer selection -- fun place to go on a first or second date to 'test out' your new mate's ability to chill with different people in an interesting space.
  29. Great beer; slow service
  30. In short, only go to this place if you are genuinely into masochist mistreatment from pretentious staff.
  31. Although the beer selection is awesome and relatively reasonably prices for the city, the quality of the service can suffer during the busier hours.
  32. This place is not only a dump but the service is horrible.
  33. great space lousy ass service
  34. tried to like this place but the service is awful and the bartender was outright rude.
  35. like the ambience of this place, but there's a deep contradiction between the friendly, low key, decor and the attitude of some of the bartenders.
value
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. The bar isn't overpriced either.
  2. While the drink selection looked promising enough, I couldn't justify spending any money here b/c the staff was so rude from the moment we walked in, starting with the miserable, moody bouncer who set the tone for the rest of the limited time we ended up
  3. Find a place where you'll be treated like a valued customer, not some slob who's stupid enough to throw money away.
  4. huge beer selection -- fun place to go on a first or second date to 'test out' your new mate's ability to chill with different people in an interesting space.
  5. Although the beer selection is awesome and relatively reasonably prices for the city, the quality of the service can suffer during the busier hours.
  6. No wait, no problems with service and a huge beer selection made it one of my favorite bars from the first time I went.
  7. Prices, although increased lately, are still great for what you are getting - just avoid the overpriced Corona's & Amstels which help keep the good stuff inexpensive.
  8. To be fair, when business is slow you can have a friendly conversation with the staff and some generous pours, but don't count on it.
  9. No need to go here - there's about a million other great divey beer bars in the east village and this one is not only nothing special, but likely to leave you feeling like you've paid money for rude service and mediocre atmosphere.
wait time
18.75% positive
  1. The staff is just downright slow, rude, and uninspired.
  2. Great beer choice slow service
  3. As long as they have a psychotic bartender with a nasty temper, I will not go back.
  4. However, the service is slow; some of them are downright rude.
  5. The bar staff in this place is pretty stupid and slow but the beers are fairly unusual.
  6. Great beer; slow service
  7. But avoid Thursday nights and the busier times as the service can get pretty slow.
  8. To be fair, when business is slow you can have a friendly conversation with the staff and some generous pours, but don't count on it.
1 Star Rating: Poor

12/08/10

Dont Waste Your Time....

by Beenitty at Citysearch

I love beer, and love beer bars.

I'd never read the horrible reviews about the service at this place, sadly they are all true.

In a city as great as New York, there are a myriad of places so much better than this to spend money.

Want Great Beer in NYC? Few Suggestions

Manhattan:

Blind Tiger*

Against The Grain

Brooklyn:

Spuyten Duyvil

The Gate

Barcade

*must visit, you wont be sorry

1 Star Rating: Poor

10/19/10

Avoid the tattooed bus "boy"

by Arsenal70 at Citysearch

I've been going here off and on since the mid-90s but it's definitely seen better days. The selection looks great on the chalkboards, but good luck hearing if it's actually in stock. But the cask ales are great.

Unfortunately the bar staff hate their jobs and are notorious slow. Worse, the bus "boy" (who's in his 30s and look pretty burned out for a job that requires no brain power) who I accidentally bumped into when it was crowded physically threatened me in front of tons of people. They really don't care for your business one way or the other.

That said, try their new Williamsburg branch which is very relaxing. Too relaxing perhaps as there's never anyone in there and it might not last long.

1 Star Rating: Poor

03/04/10

Don't bother

by anonK at Citysearch

I ignored the negative reviews and regret it. Went with a group of friends primed to enjoy a night of bourbon. d.b.a. was pretty empty on wednesday night, which was good, but it had that sour fraternity basement smell of beer and piss. Drinks were ordered but the manhattans were the worst we'd had; the beer was fine. We moved on and had the late arrivals meet us elsewhere.

  • Pros: it was open
  • Cons: everything else
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/07/09

5 Stars For Selection, ZERO Stars For Service

by TheGrunk at Citysearch

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
1 Star Rating: Poor

01/06/09

great selection, poor service

by ernie118 at Citysearch

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

The Details on d.b.a.

Place Categories:

  • bad ass service
  • great spectacular beer
  • rude bar staff
  • really good socializing bar
  • like place
  • rude bartenders
  • like outside garden
  • great drink
  • still great prices
  • great jukebox
  • great location
  • mediocre atmosphere
  • great space
  • great divey beer bars
  • enjoy conversation
  • enjoy scotch
  • like ambience
  • nasty temper
  • really like staff
  • great outdoor garden
  • terrible barstaff
  • sucks crowd
  • friendly decor
  • best selections
  • cool offish attitude