On a recent afternoon, I decided it was time for another jaunt around Williamsburg to look for more bars to include on my next Williamsburg NYC bar crawl.

Anchored Inn (57 Waterbury Street at Scholes)

Just northeast of the Montrose Avenue L train stop in an Industrial section of East Williamsburg, The Anchored Inn is WAY off all of Williamsburg’s beaten paths.  A laid-back spot with a 12-person bar on the left and booths and hightop tables to the right, Anchored Inn has paintings over the bar and on the opposite wall and, as the name suggests, has a nautical theme (what is it with me visiting nautical themed bars of late?).  The bar serves six quality tap beers and 14 bottles and cans.  Most taps costs $6, which is a bit high for a bar this far off of Bedford Avenue.  Also a limited menu of bar snacks.  A good spot if you live nearby, but probably not worth going way out of your way for.

Bruekelen Bier Merchants (182 Grand Street, between Bedford and Driggs)

More of a beer store than a bar, this place offers dozens of bottled beers for sale and 16 beers tap beers sold by growler.  In addition, you can also buy the bottled or tap beers for on-premises consumption.  There are three picnic tables in the back and a small seating area in the front.  In between lies the bar and a small kitchen, which serves paninis, cheese plates and hot pretzels.   The bottled beer for sale in the coolers is sorted by region.  Going from left to right, the first cooler holds New England beer, the second cooler holds New York State beer, then mid-Atlantic, the south and the western U.S.  The last two coolers have beers from overseas.  The friendly staff informed me that a small outdoor area for tasting beer will be open later this summer.  Except Sunday when it closes at 8pm, the store is open everyday until at least 10pm.

Clem’s (264 Grand Street at Roebling)

Clem’s feels as though it has been around forever.  A well worn bar with dark wood takes up most of the space.  Taxidermy abounds above the bar.  Stools along the windows opposite the bar allow for patrons to people watch along the Roebling street side of the establishment.  There are a few outdoor seats available along Roebling as well.  There are ten quality tap beers, with all three Brooklyn breweries represented.  Definitely a good candidate for a Williamsburg Grand Street NYC pub crawl.

What are your thoughts on these places and my commentary?  Please share your comments here.

Here is where I went on my most recent NYC bar crawl, this time in the southern section of Park Slope (or is it South Slope?).

Freddy’s (627 Fifth Avenue btw 17^th and 18^th streets)

This is the new location of the Prospect Heights classic following its forced closure due to the Atlantic Yards development project.  This new location was the old Ellis bar.  Layout is somewhat similar to that of Ellis.  Bar is on the left with four booths along the wall opposite the bar.  The feel of Freddy’s new location is still laid back and chill, but it’s much larger than the old location.  They have a small outdoor backyard with three tables.  The beer selection is solid with 12 quality taps.

Brooklyn Pub (689 Sixth Avenue at 20^th St.)

This is the location of the former Safe Haven Bar & Grill.  Well off the beaten path, Brooklyn Pub is a sports bar with seven flat screen TVs.  The bar is on the left and eight high-top tables serving parties of two or four on the right.  In between the bar area and kitchen is more seating.  There are six tap beers (including Brooklyn Lager and Six Point Sweet Action) and 23 bottled beers.  A good spot for those who live nearby.

Korzo (667 Fifth Avenue at 20^th Street)

If you are in the mood for Central European food, this is the place for you.  The L-shaped bar greets patrons in front and the kitchen lies in between the bar area and the dining area in the back.  16 tap beers with a mix of European imports and some American craft brews.  I did not have a chance to sample the food menu, but I definitely need to return for that.

Der Kommissar (559 Fifth Avenue at 15^th Street)

This is a sausage and beer bar!  Long, narrow spot with minimalist décor.  A grill in front by the entrance is followed by an seven-person bar.  Two small tables sit near the back of the space.  A chalkboard menu (see below) graces the back of the bar.  The place serves eight types of sausages!  Also had eight quality tap beers.  If you like sausages and beer, this place is definitely worth a visit.  The only other place I know of in the five boroughs that is similar is Wechsler’s in the East Village.

Have you been to these spots?  Please share your thoughts on these places and my commentary on them!

It had been a while since I bar hopped along Grand Street in East Williamsburg.  The other night, I decided to visit a few recently opened spots.  This is where I went on my most recent NYC pub crawl.

Tuffet (286 Graham Avenue, btw Grand and Powers; across the street from Sweet Ups)

A chill, laid-back wine and beer bar with friendly staff, Tuffet serves small plates including various chacuterie and cheese plates (they have cheese curd!).  Six tap beers and about a dozen bottles.  The space feels comfortable with an eight-person bar on the left and four high top tables on the right.  In addition, there are small seating areas in front and back of the bar area and large windows looking out onto Graham Avenue.  Behind the main room, a small hallway leads past the bathroom into a semi-private room that can seat six at one communal table.  A medium-sized, partially covered backyard has numerous tables and chairs.  Appropriately, grape vines cover a portion of the back and side walls of the backyard.

The Drink (228 Manhattan Avenue, just south of Grand on east side of Manhattan Avenue)

Upon entering, I was struck by the homey feel to the space.  Paintings and a small bookshelf on the right wall.  An upright piano sits in the corner opposite the bar area.  Several medium-sized wooden tables with mismatched chairs fill the space in between the entrance and the 12-seat, L-shaped bar, which is in the back, left of the room.  A vintage, nautical theme rounds out the feel.  Beyond the main area, a dark hallway leads to a small, L-shaped backyard.  The bar serves some small plates, along with five tap beers, nearly 20 bottled beers and limited hard alcohol.

LP & Harmony (683 Grand Street, between Manhattan and Graham Avenues)

Not a hard place to miss, the bar has floor-to-ceiling windows facing Grand Street with the bar name and logo painted in the middle of the window.   Two pool tables take up most of the front section of the space.  Further back, the S-shaped bar sits at the back right and three circular high-top tables along with a jukebox reside opposite the bar.  One notable item was the crowd.  Most were not of the hipster/yuppie type that frequents most of the other drinking spots in this area of Williamsburg.  My conjecture is that most were native to the neighborhood.  The bar serves about a dozen bottled beers, no taps and a full liquor bar.

The West Café (379 Union Avenue at Hope Street, diagonally across the street from Barcade)

Café by day, bar by night, this place serves beer and wine only.  But, for a café, it had quite a beer selection!  17 taps in all, including four beers brewed in Brooklyn.  The bar is on the right and tables on left and in back that serve parties of two and four.  There is also a small outdoor area in the back that has three circular tables under umbrellas.  I happened to visit during a free wine tasting event that also included some bread, cheese and two styles of salami.

What are your comments on these places and my description?  Please share your thoughts!