Reviews & Ratings for Ship of Fools

07/17/08

One of the best bars on Second Avenue

by vhurtado

Living on the Upper East Side has its privileges. One of them is being close to an outstanding bar/restaurant that is staffed by pros. I've enjoyed my experiences as a regular to this establishment since February. Super waitresses Marianna, Irina, Daria, and Claire are friendly and highly efficient at their craft delivering great beer, drinks, mouth-watering burger platters, spicy buffalo wings and other delicious treats to your table. Kelsey and Julia, two of the most capable AND pretty bartenders there, are also amiable and deliver the goods before you with a genuine smile. You will find very little reason NOT to leave them overly-generous tips!!

Besides the great food and alcohol, there are tube and flat panel TVs positioned everywhere inside the bar to satisfy every sports enthusiasts taste. There are even two big flat panel TVs facing the outdoor part of the restaurant. The staff will change channels upon request.

If you're running around with a crowd seeking a dimly lit, roomy spot to hang out in the wee hours of the morning after 1 or 2am, Ship of Fools is the place to board.

A couple of cons: Happy Hour. There's only a measly one dollar difference between happy hour and the non-happy hour periods for their selected beers and drinks. Also, stay away from their overpriced, frozen Margaritas. If you wish to down a high-caliber Margarita try Mustang Grill, located less than two blocks from the Ship of Fools.

During the substantial times I've spent there, I've heard of no complaint about the service or food offerings. Other than the above small pet peeves, this establisment comes highly recommended for bachelors and family folks alike.

• Pros: Pretty staff!!
• Cons: They could work on their happy hour!!!

06/06/08

Ultimate Sports Bar

by NYgal85

Finally found a legitimately cool sports bar. The crowd, the atmosphere everything was great. I've never seen so many TV's in a bar, the food was phenomenal, you can sit with your friends or easily mingle, which for me was the best part - because the crowd was actually very cool, friendly ,and fun! The ultimate sports bar!

01/24/08

Drinking is not a spectator sport at this Upper East Side bar, where patrons are nearly outnumbered by TV sets.

by Kara Zuaro

With more TVs than the local electronics store--there are more than 40--the Ship's vaguely nautical theme is outdone by sports, although the map-print wallpaper and model clipper ships (along with beer-bottle lights strung over the bar) work with the motif. Leather-backed booths and starched white tablecloths exude an air of class. Multiple dart boards, several pool tables and video games offer the sports-watching crowd some hands-on entertainment.The friendly clientele is predominantly male, though fruity specialty drinks like frozen margaritas and very sweet sangria seem to be a concession for the women who do stop in. Single-malts are served regularly, but the inflatable football hanging from the ceiling is a reminder that this ain't no ritzy lounge; it's a sports bar, through and through.

09/22/07

Yeah Sports!!

by littlelisa2

Well,we went here with some friends on the nicest night of theyear, it was that perfect weather between summer and fall, and I figured we'd be cooped up inside. Boy, was I wrong. This sports bar has an outisde seating area that has 2 big flat screens so you can still watch your game. Needless to say, I was hooked. Then the food came..and I'm a believer!!Our waitress was really cool too, joking around with us and the table next to us. I will deffo be back!!

• Pros: great atmosphere, great staff, great food

08/24/07

Only for Fools

by sto1967

Went there with a friend and decided to eat/drink at the bar. The bar person didn't know what they had on tap and had to ask another person. The main bartender was a loudmouth who didn't seem to on top of things. She seemed more interested in some guys sitting at the end of the bar who just had a few drinks. She talked too loud to the point that were were going to ask her to lower her voice--there weren't that many people in the bar. The wait staff also seemd to be totally inexpereinced, they didn't even know where they kept the utencils for eating.

We finally asked for the check and paid. They gave us change w/o singles (a ten and a single), thus we had to ask for change. If you want a tip, give the change in singles to make it easier to leave a tip. Food was good, but the service and attitude seemed very focused elsewhere. We got the impression they must have fired everyone, except the loud mouth bar tender (slight Russian accent) and just got some people off the street. The upper East side seems full of these "frat-boy" bars.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Staff inexpereinced, loud mouth bar hostess

06/19/07

Best Sports Bar on the UES, Period.

by cobraman332

"The ship of fools is an old allegory that has long been used in Western culture in literature and paintings. With a sense of self-criticism, it describes the world and its human inhabitants as a vessel whose deranged passengers neither know nor care where they are going." I have no idea what that means, but THIS Ship Of Fools is the best sports bar on the Upper East Side... period. Tons of TVs, friendly servers, cheap beer, and good food are a lethal combination in this land. And it's consistent... every time I'm there I get the same good service, the same beer, and the same bar food. Other bars in the area also have lots to offer and sometimes Ship Of Fools is too crowded to handle, but for catching a Yanks game or just having drinks with friends, you simply cannot go wrong here. I promise I am not getting paid by anyone to write this, it's just the truth. If you visit Ship Of Fools, unless it's too crowded to get inside, you won't be disappointed.

• Pros: Best Sports Bar On the UES, Lots of TVs, Cheap Prices, Good Service, Good Food -- Consistent!
• Cons: Crowded During Big Games...

04/08/07

The City's Sporting Hub. You name it they will play it.

by likuid144

Ship of fools is a great place for Hockey Fans, especially Canadiens. They'll put on any game you want and their 20+ tvs attracts a lot of die hard sports fans. The food is decent and the beer is cheap. The bartenders are great as well.

• Pros: Great Service, Great Atmosphere, Good Crowd

04/04/07

Good Sports Bar

by rob28

We had a good time at this sports bar. The place had plenty of TVs and all of the games. The food and service were good. The bar also had dartboards, pool tables and plenty of other video games too. The bar had bar seating and table seating as well. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place.

03/21/07

Cool hang-out spot

by smiley_in_nyc

I went to SOF on St. Patty's Day w/ some friends and needless to say, it was packed but what bar in NYC wasn't on this day, right? lol I arrived at about 5ish. It started to empty out in the late evening but there was still a good amount of ppl there when I left about about 11:00. Overall, the drinks weren't too expensive and weren't weak, the food smelled delicious, the service was great (waitress serves you if you were lucky enough to grab a table) and the music selection was a little bit of everything which was a huge + too. The only negative was - I was charged a cover ($10) just to get in the place which I wasn't too happy about especially in a place where I had to squeeze in through a crowd of at least 100 heads just to use the bathroom downstairs (which also had a long line). I don't know if this was just a St. Patty's Day thing. The wait at the bar to get a drink wasn't too bad as long as you made your way to the front.

• Pros: Good selection of drinks, lots of TVs, music for everyone's taste
• Cons: cover charge?, long line to the bathroom, extremely crowded

09/27/06

Great atmosphere

by aburtoniii

A place where you can go and relax and just feel comfortable and have a good time. If you want to go somewhere and let yourself have a great time than this is the place...