10/09/09

TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT

by nycgrl10

This place has really made a bad move by hiring the new General manager Dianne. She is extremely unfriendly and RUDE and nothing like the manager Michael from when the bar first openend. I would not host a birthday party in this location -- merely to spite her. Even though the location is cool - the music is great- Dianne will be responsible for this place to loose a lot of future business.

• Pros: good music
• Cons: awful manager

08/12/09

Best New Live Music Venue!!!

by nytrash

This is the last great rock 'n roll venue in New York! The fact that people are only just now finding out about it makes it a great secret, usually when bars become too well known in Manhattan they start to lose their cool. The Bowery Electric is a great place to hang out, drink and rock out to live music or great DJs!!

• Pros: Very cool scene, lots of great rockbands, happy hours...

07/26/09

Never go back

by DD3546

Literally, this was the worst night out since moving to NYC in 2001. After having a great dinner with a friend in from LA, our party agreed to go to Bowery Electric for someone's "birthday party". After reluctantly waiting in line to enter, we descended into the revolting trifecta of bad 80's music, college freshmen drooling shots all over one another and acting rudely without abandon. I felt like I had wandered into an episode of NYC Prep, but everyone had been roofied. You couldn't pay me to go back and I advise you keep your distance.

Why do I have to give this place one star to publish?

• Pros: Frat boys regurgitating in street
• Cons: Bad music, unremarkable people

04/29/09

LOVE

by msk22

I love this place! I love the openness of the upstairs... and awesome sound system & set-up downstairs (especially for live bands). I have never had an issue with the staff or bartenders.

My only complaint would be the back room (upstairs) on weekends - this is typically over populated by birthday parties. My advice would be stay away from the back room and you'll be fine.

• Pros: seating, drinks, 4 bathrooms, staff, location
• Cons: birthday party crowds (see details below)

04/21/09

Nothing special

by HonestReviews27

Came here for a friend's birthday. If we didn't have the backroom reserved, I would have left within 10 minutes. The front of the bar was extremely packed, getting drinks took forever until we got our own waitress in the back (who was good and quick). Bathrooms are just right in the middle which makes the crowd even worse. Apparently there was a dance floor downstairs, but it was too crowded for them to let anyone else in. Given the amount of bars in the area, don't waste your time..there's nothing electric about it.

• Pros: Decent music
• Cons: Crowded, small, poor layout

04/20/09

ALIVE! with the element of surprise!

by lisapalace

I like going to the Bowery Electric more than most places right now in Manhattan. There is something about a place that comes alive and this is the kind of place that does that. There is the upstairs bar, long and large and wide and beautiful with great soft lighting. There are small cozy sitting areas around the club and always the best rock'n roll music playing. The crowd is a unique combination of interesting locals and entertainment type people, perhaps a screen face here or there, a musician or 2 and other walk of life professionals looking for a good vibe room where they can lose a little inhibition over a cocktail. It's down the block from the newly opened Bowery Hotel and within a block or 2 of the B-Bar, the Bowery Poetry Club and John Varvatos's rock'n roll clothing store at the former CBGB's location.The downstairs room is wonderful...with a stage, brick walls, benched seating framing the dance floor and a cozy bar. There is always something going on here!! Whether it's a cool rock'n roll dance party with great DJ's, packed and vibrant, or an unexpected band playing on stage. Thursdays have been exceptionally fun lately.

Sometimes I like to come here early, so I can just enjoy a drink in a cool viby open space with some great songs in the background. The wines are better here than in most bars. Later, a few people will start dancing upstairs to the music. It's relaxed, sophisticated, unpretentious arty, real and unpredictably good.

• Pros: Just off of Houston on the East Side!
• Cons: Not lit well out front!

02/15/09

great low-key happy hours

by AbbyZo

I've only been here for the earlier pre-9pm hang in the upstairs bar, so maybe that's why I love it and the last two reviewers were so unhappy? On multiple Saturdays and Sundays and the occasional weekday, I've encountered a fairly sparse but friendly bunch of people at the bar, and sometimes small groups in the comfortable nooks. Bartender very friendly and attentive. Good music, low attitude. I've brought friends who aren't in the area often and they've liked it too. No complaints here - I'll keep visiting & bringing friends.

• Pros: nice bartender, attractive space, good music
• Cons: sometimes music is a bit loud, for the early times when there isn't much crowd

02/10/09

DON'T DRINK THE WATER! JIMMY = WORST BARTENDER IN NYC

by tg484

The bar is pretty generic and poorly designed. It's long and narrow so when it gets crowded it gets awkward quickly to move around. Bathrooms are in between the private party room so to get through you have to get by a bunch of people in line to use the bathroom. Huh? Moronic design.

What put me over the edge with this spot was that I was asked to leave because I was drinking water at the bar. I am not kidding! Not only did the bartender, Jimmy do a poor job when I was ordering alcoholic drinks (slow, bad mix, rude), but when I ordered two glasses of water for myself and a friend I took one sip and Jimmy says, "could you get away from my bar?" I looked at him puzzled, wondering if I heard him right and said "I'm sorry, what?" Then without hesitation he points to a bouncer and points to me. I was no longer welcome seemingly because I wasn't ordering drinks he could charge me for and I was taking up valuable space at his bar. The bouncer was incredibly nice and noticeably confused as well as to why I was being asked to leave. Saddest part of this story is I was there with a party of about 20 people who left with me when they heard what happened and were disgusted. Jimmy's stupid mistake cost him a lot more business then just one person drinking water who he thought he'd kick out quietly.

This was certainly a first for me in my bar going experiences. Maybe Jimmy had a bad day? Maybe he confused me with someone else? I understand he is there to make money and I at the time wasn't ordering expensive cocktails, but this was unethical. I will NEVER go there again and will be surprised if this place lasts even 12 months. There are a million better bars in the area. Don't waste your time at this dump. Instead, check out Bowery Poetry Club across the street, B Bar where they sometimes show movies and if you want to dance Happy Ending on Houston. I hope my review sheds some light on this place and saves you the time of finding out for yourself why BE is worthless!

• Pros: Near Gemma which is a fantastic restaurant.
• Cons: Bad drinks, rude bartender, bad design, gets crowded easily, bathrooms in middle of dance floor?

12/13/08

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME

by rvm1111

This place is a joke. Don't waste your time UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. The manager is a bully and will kick your party out if you're standing in the wrong place.

There are way too many bars to go in the area that you should NEVER feel compelled or tempted to waste your time at such an utterly horribly run establishment.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Management is a joke. Place is not worth your time. Spend your money elsewhere.

10/29/08

Great Atmosphere

by kenanmcd

I had a spectacular time. It has a great atmosphere and cool vibe. I will be frequenting the Bowery Electric.

• Pros: Ambiance, Service, atmosphere, vibe, great crowd.
• Cons: none