The East Side Company Bar

12/30/2007 Posted by trd0428

This is hands down my favorite bar in the city. The bartenders/waitresses are friendly and the cocktails are unbelievable. This is a cocktail bar. They have a very limited supply of liquor/beer brands. They are all top notch, but don't go here looking for a johnny walker black on the rocks, or a grey goose martini. It gets very crowded on weekend nights, and the drinks do take a while to make. So if you are looking for a 3 dollar cup of swill, go elsewhere. If you are looking for a fantastic cocktail to enjoy with a couple of friends, look no further.

10/23/2007 Posted by nuyoguru23

Walked in on a Friday night, for a friends gathering and surprisingly is wasn't too crowded. I went all the way towards the back to meet up with the friends you had already been waiting there. it was nice to see how long the place actually goes back, into the back room which could easily hold a party of 30. <BR> So, It's a party and i wanted a drink... the back was crowded with my friends, so i decided to go to the bar and order my drink... no big deal considering it was a cash ONLY spot. right? wrong.... As i look at the menu at the bar, the bartender barks at me that there are menus at the back tables. I explained that i did see any and just wanted to see what liquor they had available, she again said, angrily, that they should be there and i need to order from the back. Now, i was was in a mood, but I proceeded to head back the back room to order my drink... it took about another 10 minutes before someone came back and even took anyones order. After i ordered and more people showed up, the heat from the stuffy room got disturbing due to the lack of ventilation. as the party grew and the service grew worse, the entire party decide to relocate to a location that can better suit our size and had service to match. I just wanted my drink, but i guess you can no longer or at the bar any more. Stop being pretentious just because you are in a cool location and be better to the customers.

Pros: nice location, looked kool inside

Cons: bad service, could not handle a large party, rude

04/28/2007 Posted by penfold

esco is a great place to chill. the saturday i went with friends it was quite busy, but my boyfriend and i found it to be a great date spot during the week. we have been back several times. the staff are friendly and the place is well kept. if you are into crafted cocktails this is the place.

Pros: great drinks

04/24/2007 Posted by tylersloan

It is obvious that the owner must have given the reviews for this hole in the wall. Yes, it is tucked away. So tucked away that I thought the two men standing in front of the door were probably dealers and not employees. It felt like a furnace upon entering the bar...and that was just the entrance! The dive is so small and cramped. I've had more room riding the subway during rush hour! The staff is extremely rude but I would be too if I had to work there. Do not ask them for wine, cranberry juice or any other drink expect the 5 on the menu. A full drink is 3/4 full with lots of ice. Although, the ice came in handy since I was sweating. Did I mention rude employees?

Pros: none

Cons: rude staff, limited drinks, felt like a furnance

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/23/2007 Posted by jillmae

After reviewing citysearch's rating on this place (9.6), I was looking forward to going there. However, once I stepped foot into this place, I completely REGRETTED it. First of all, you bump in to at least 3 people when you walk inside, which is not difficult to do when the place is 4-feet wide. Secondly, the heat was blazing, even though it was 60 degrees outside, which made the place feel more like a sauna than a bar. Thirdly, the list of cocktails are extremely limited, since they don't serve cranberry juice, shots, and their drinks are extremely watered-down. Fourth, "DJ" is misleading as they barely played any music. Fifth, the bartenders were really rude for no reason - I guess I don't blame them b/c I'd be the same way if I had to work in that dive. Lastly, make sure you wash your mouth with soap before you walk in because if you say a curse the owner kicks you out. Overall, I give this place a 2.6.

Pros: Nothing.

Cons: EVERYTHING.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/23/2007 Posted by flips4evr

Pretentious, overpriced and a DIVE!!! Do NOT go here. It is tiny, and we kept getting rude remarks from the bartenders. "No shots, we're a classy place" "Please do not hang coats here" "please do not stand here" Ugh. Waay to pretentious, considering the place is a dump. Plus drinks are $10!! This is about $5 too much per drink for this neighborhood.

Pros: None

Cons: Expensive, Pretentious, Tiny

01/29/2007 Posted by af6000

The ambience is very nice and their drinks are great. I'm sure the service can be good on some nights, but the bartender I had on Saturday night was so rude. He was one of those bartenders who refuses to look in your direction when you want to order a drink or pay your tab, even though he's not doing anything else and the bar is practically empty. When I said "Excuse me" to get his attention, he snapped "What?" and seemed completely exasperated to even have to bother with customers. Despite the fact that the bartenders can make a mean cocktail, there's no reason to treat customers that way.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

11/13/2006 Posted by misskaren

If you can manage to find it, it's totally worth the trip. It has a nice warm vibe inside. No pretense. Bartenders were very nice and accomodating drink-wise. (ie: tell'm what you like and they'll fix you somethin' snazzy and spectacular like you've never tasted before) I had one of their specialty drinks ... a Fiji or Fuji something-or-other. It was a kiwi/cucumber concoction.... I called it "Bath and Body Works In a Glass." (no soapy aftertaste ;-) I was there w/a bunch of friends and it was a really great place just to hang out and chill. Great music, too. I'll definitely be going back to this lesser-known little treasure. Oh, one other thing.... don't spread the word around too much. we wanna keep it a secret :-)

Pros: drinks you won't find anywhere else; fresh fruit in drinks; great service; cool atmosphere

Cons: no room to dance :-(

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

10/25/2006 Posted by pfdavidson

I went out on a date about a week ago and we decided to head over to T.E.S.C. after we couldn't get into Milk & Honey. Probably could have waited but figured we'd try out this spot as it is the same owner. I'm glad we did. The drinks were awesome. They made a great Black Rum Mojito and a really nice ginger beer fruit drink for my date (not a big drinker). We had a small booth for 2 towards the back which was very romantic and cozy. A great night with decently priced drinks (might be pricey for the neighborhood, but not by NYC standards in general). I will definitely go back again and again.

Pros: Romantic, Great Drinks, Good music

Cons: A little out of the way (which really isn't all that bad)

09/12/2006 Posted by lachaussette

The cocktails are great and reasonably priced. I went early on a Saturday evening and the atomerphere was very relaxed. I liked that there was no sign; it definitely felt like a hidden spot. The decor is very cool and the seating is comfortable. My only complaint was that the bartender was rude when it came time to pay. One bartender didn't know how to deal with credit cards, so it took forever for the other bartender to find time to help. When I asked where my card was after 10 minutes of standing around, the bartender snapped at me and said that I had to wait. Finally, he gave someone else my card and charged me twice as much as I owed.

Pros: Great quality drinks. nice atmosphere

Cons: Incompetent and rude service