St Marks Ale House

08/02/09

Never go to this place!!

by reichstejn at Citysearch

First off let me note that I am 21 and of age to drink. My ID was issued in Texas because that is where I lived when I receieved it and am up in NYC only for the summer. I was denied into the bar for a supposed "fake" ID. He also denied my friend who I was with who was also 21 with a legit ID. He never tried to make sure it was completely legit. He looked at it for a second told me no and informed me I needed to try harder! How do I try harder with a state issued license. I will never return to that establishment ever again and if you want friendly service when you want to relax and drink a beer, I would suggest to not go to this bar!

11/02/08

So much potential...wake up, management!

by 75believers at Citysearch

The closest true Chicago Bears bar is Gael's on the upper east. This place is literally wall to wall with Bears jerseys, and has the potential to be THE GO-TO BAR for Bears fans that dont want to go all the way uptown.

The waiters all told us that they couldn't get the sound for the bears game on and that it would be on two or three little screens in the corners of the bar.

A real joke. I'm a die hard, life long bears fan. I WILL NOT be going back to this place until they wake up and realize who their customer is. Seems like a clear example of a business that should just be shut down.

• Pros: Excellently equipped for sunday football
• Cons: A bar that doesnt' listen to what its customers are SCREAMING at it.

10/29/08

Great bartenders, good drink selection, tons of TVs

by jackod at Citysearch

We've been stopping by the ale house for a little over a year now. Great place to go to watch a game or just hang out on a Saturday night. They have so many TVs and if you ask nicely they never seem to mind finding you a spot to watch your game. Not the cheapest bar I've been too, but the staff is so friendly they make you want to come keeping back. The waitresses are cute, but not always the quickest getting your order, so try and sit at the bar especially if Danny or Brian is working.

• Pros: Great neighborhood-y bar in the East Village.
• Cons: $$$, don't give a ton of buybacks

10/12/08

A disgrace to George Halas...

by tcaruso34 at Citysearch

This is supposedly a Chicago Bear's bar, but there is absolutely no way of knowing this from the atmosphere. There was only 1 television in the entire bar with the Bear's game on, and when we asked the manager if the game could be put on another television, we were quickly shot down. Not only could we barely see the score of the game, but our waitress came straight out of the depths of hell to make our experience even more unenjoyable. I'd seriously rather watch the game at O'hare airport. Trust me, any high ratings that you read about this place came directly from the owners themselves.

• Cons: THUMBS DOWN! Save yourself!

10/01/08

BEAR DOWN CHICAGO BEARS

by rissyris at Citysearch

One of the best places in New York to watch a Bears game on Sunday. The place is so packed with fans wearing Bears paraphernalia you would swear you were in Chicago. For fans of other teams, you may have better luck at another bar if your game is at the same time as the Bears.

Food isn't amazing, but the jumbalaya is always a good go-to on the menu.

• Pros: Sea of Bears fans, cheap beer.
• Cons: Food is nothing to write home about.

11/27/07

Wonderful bar, good food, you leave content

by jennjbn at Citysearch

Some friends and I came by this place by accident and it has become a staple in my after-work life ever since. Everyone I've taken to this place adores the muchos nachos platter, the cocktails and ale service. The bartender is always great, the TVs nice and switched to every game you could imagine, the only thing is the music is a tad loud, but it's a great mix of alternative, hard rock, old school grunge.

Most times there is only one waitress and she is usually stressed so you may wait a bit for your order, but the more experienced brunette is very attentive to your drinks needing a refill. Best time to go is during the weekday and when school is out of session. Not frequented often by the NYU crowd but definitely a mix of younger men & ladies as well as those in their 30s.

Decor is very plan with mahogany toned wood all over and Marilyn Monroe & James Dean on the bathroom doors to differentiate the ladies and mens rooms.

Love St. Mark's Ale House! Love it, love it!

• Pros: Great food, good drinks, nice staff, great music
• Cons: Sometimes the waitress can be a bit tardy in taking orders

10/01/07

Terrible for Sunday Football. Good bar but terrible and hypocritical television management...simply awful.

by robinson_sukha at Citysearch

They print off what they claim to be an iron clad road map to the games and tell their customers not to 'cry about the placement of games because we will not move them'.

They put the NY Jets behind the bar on ONE TV so only 4 people can watch - this bar is in NYC!!! THEN they put other random games on prominent screens (two TVs with Browns/Ravens?).

THEN, about 1/2 way through the 1pm game they do the unthinkable. Every TV in the place is changed EXCEPT for the Jets which is still buried in the corner causing a minor riot. They have a huge projection TV which they moronically tune to the 'Red Zone Channel' so you can't get any semblance of what is going on in any specific game. They need to get the remote away from the guy in the white shirt and figure out how to watch Sunday football in a bar.

I left distraught and violated. I found myself so bewildered that I had no desire to watch the 4pm games and ended up jamming out to a drum circle in Washington Square Park.

Its a shame because the place is set up well for football, they have good beers and food.

• Pros: Food, beer,
• Cons: Television mind scrambling

"St. Marks Frat House" would not be too much of a stretch.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
For a worn wood-and-brass place with 24 tap beers, sports-boasting TVs and memorabilia in every line of sight, and a framed print of Belushi in his "Animal House" days, this bar surprisingly attracts just as many gals as guys. The college-aged patrons like it because they can afford to eat and drink--even buy each other drinks!--in spite of student loans. Life-sized cut-outs of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe guard the bathrooms while a mural of socializing monks covers the back wall.

The Draw
Pints are the passion, though some offbeat imports come in bottles. The food? Well, the fried apps are cheap and they'll soak up pints with the best of them. Beyond that, ale's the point. If groups can't get a table right away, there's plenty of room to hang out and wait.