10/24/09

Too much hype, not enough quality.

by saml01

We were were let down when we found out they were only serving 25% of the items on the menu because they didnt prepare their winter menu.

I know beer, and I know how beer should taste. Something was wrong because all the beer we ordered was flat and tasteless.

Service is slow, and when you need a check or want to order extra you are left waiting because one waitress is hosting more tables than she can handle.

My friend ordered the beef goulash, and by the time we got outside she was puking her guts out. She was the only one that had the dish. Im sad to say I think it looked better on its way out then in.

I regret going, but the only thing that didnt make me want to cry by the end of the night was the cheap check.

• Pros: Cheap
• Cons: Bad food, flat beer, slow service, and food poisoning

04/28/09

BEER GARDEN BABY!!!

by GeneK11105

Where else in NYC can you sit outdoors in huge beer garden with a 1000 other people, drinking great hard-to-find eastern european beer for a good price? It's about 2 blocks from the Astoria Blvd subway stop off the N train...Friday and Saturday nights are crowded if you get there after 7, but always a good time. The crowd is pretty easy-going and mixed but mostly people in their 20's and 30's. I live 2 blocks away and been here like 50 times at all times of the night and I've never ever seen one fight ever break out (or maybe I just too drunk to see! lol) The pitchers this year are now $15 (up from $14 last year), but that's still good for about 4 pints in a pitcher- a great deal! There's a bar inside, and at nights they open one or two bars outside in the Garden too if it gets really crowded for easier drinking access. It's more of a place to hang with friends than a meat market but its easy to meet people from everywhere. The Staropremen beer's my favorite...on tap and cold.. delicious! Ignore any negative posts here, they're mostly from clowns and amateurs. Bring some of your buddies, get a couple pitchers, enjoy the crowd and weather and have an awesome time!!!

• Pros: Great beer, easy-going crowd, I live 2 blocks away
• Cons: None

02/18/09

It's still fun, no matter what

by eatingtheworldinnyc

Warm-weather place to be, even if it does get a bit crowded these days. Still great prices and great outdoor garden for drinking pitchers with friends. There is always a restaurant, although I have never eaten anything here besides the sausages available at the outdoor kiosk grill, which are excellent (if a bit expensive). A side of humongous seasoned fries ($4) is a steal!

08/26/08

Great beer/atmosphere, don't recommend the food

by wisebrain

Skip the food, it's expensive and not very good. The beer is awesome though and it's a very social easy going atmosphere.

• Pros: Atmosphere
• Cons: Food

07/29/08

How I miss those days

by IrishGirl15

This place is amazing. it is such a great time we keep going back regardless of the fact it is becoming more and more like a tourist attraction. Before this place was written up on sites and in magazines, you could go there on a Friday night find a table, get a beer in a reasonable amount of time, and actually hear what the person across from you was saying without yelling. The food is great and if you like to meet new people it is the best place to go. I just wish they would make a night where only Queens and Brooklyn residents would be allowed in.

• Pros: Great Beer, Good Times, Lots of Laughs
• Cons: To many Non Residents

06/13/08

The best outdoor bar in New York

by amolsarva

On a warm night, there is no better place to take a group of friends. Wide open, boisterous, friendly, fun.

05/25/08

Ignore all bad reviews!

by smithra12

I've never not had fun at this place, and I kind of doubt it's possible. You know about the huge drinking playground and reasonable prices, but what really makes this place special is the cross-section of people who hang out here. On any given night, you'll run into college kids, school teachers (me, for example) corporate types getting to know their colleagues better, huge Eastern European families, and maybe even your favorite great-aunt. The shared seating at picnic tables guarantees that you will mingle with them all.

So, wear whatever you want, get to the ATM, snag your table early, and prepare for something different and more fun than you'd imagine.

05/11/08

I Miss Prague

by dancendrink

I love coming to Bohemian Hall because it reminds me of my days living in Prague. Sitting outside, in the sunshine, drinking excellent Czech beer, eating yummy klobasa and rye bread, and having good conversations with friends and new acquaintances. That said, I recommend going on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon around 3, when it is easy to get in and there are shorter waits for pitchers/food. I've been a few times on a Saturday night, and it requires real patience, first in line to get in, then for beer, then for food, then for the bathroom. Pitchers are very reasonably priced for the selection of quality beers on tap, and the grilled food really hits the spot. Also try the fried cheese dish on the restaurant menu, it's excellent! A downside is the location as Astoria is a stretch from a lot of neighborhoods in Brooklyn/Manhattan if you don't have a car. But I'm just glad this gem isn't deeper into Queens. It's definitely worth the trek.

• Pros: Beer selection, Grilled food, Huge outdoor space
• Cons: Location, Long waits on weekend nights

11/18/07

PITCHERS!

by medusa315

I've only been here twice--once during the summer, once in the close-to-winter fall. Both times I enjoyed myself. The outside is gorgeous and a reason to go on its own, even if you hate beer. But if you LOVE beer, you'll love being able to get a pitcher of some good Euro beer for $15. That pans out to about $4 a beer, which is a steal to Manhattanites. Just gotta get yourself out to Astoria for this.

• Pros: hoegaarden on tap
• Cons: if you drive, i think it's hard to find parking

08/06/07

Avoid on Weekend Nights

by Burlington Tom

Despite living close nearby, I've only been here a handful of times. It's not that I dislike the outdoor beer hall atmosphere, or the fact that it's a great place to meet up with a bunch of friends, or even the NYC-priced beer. It's the crowds. I highly recommend NOT coming here on a Friday or Saturday night in the summertime. All four times I've gone at night, it's at least a half hour wait to get inside. Once inside, lines to get beer seem just as long! It is also apparent that the security guards highly dislike their jobs. Odd incident last time there: while in wicked long line, witnessed near physical altercation between one security guard following after an angry patron , who was screaming obscenities. The other security guard, holding back his coworker, left the entry gate unmanned, allowing most of the line to pour in, further frustrating both guards. By the time we got to the gate, the party in front of us allowed us to go first, since a friend of theirs was yet to arrive. The security guards, not understanding what just happened, got in our faces about cutting line. I wouldn't have mentioned all this, but I've heard the same from friends, and the other review, so thought it necessary. My advice: watch "Soup Natsi" episode of Seinfeld and treat guards with likewise respect.

• Pros: Outdoors, Great for Group of Friends
• Cons: Weekend Night Crowds + Frustrated Guards = no fun for anyone