Located at 180 West Street in the northwestern edge of Greenpoint, Achilles Heel is part café/part bar. From the outside (see first photo below), this address feels as though it’s been a bar for decades, with Achilles Heel being the most recent incarnation. It’s out of the way, but worth your while. Cocktails, friendly staff and laid-back feel. Next time we’re in that section of Greenpoint, we will return to Achilles Heel.
Located at 106-11 71st Avenue in Queens, Forest Hills Station House is a combo sports bar & beer / whiskey bar located just north of the elevated Long Island Railroad Forest Hills stop. Half the space is taken up by the bar area. On either side of the bar area is seating offering two-person high-top tables. For beer, the offerings include 16 taps with a mix of NY regional beers and some craft brews from other parts of the U.S. The spot is not too spacious and has sort of a Manhattan or Brooklyn feel to it. Either way, something different for Forest Hills. Another beer bar or two in this nabe and we’ll have the makings of Forest Hills NYC craft-beer crawl.
Located at 84 St. Mark’s Place in Brooklyn, Die Koellner boasts to be the only German beer hall in Park Slope. This spot offers over 20 mostly German tap beers. It’s spacious with a dozen or so communal tables that can seat at least ten patrons each. Staff is friendly and the German fare is solid. We look forward to a return visit.
Located at 3612 Broadway near 149th Street, Harlem Public is a solid beer bar offering 16 tap beers and another 20 or so out of the bottle/can. The space was about medium-sized for a Manhattan bar, not too large or small. While we did not try the food, the menu looked promising. Add in the diverse crowd and friendly staff and we look forward to returning to Harlem Public.
Located at 590 Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Tap House is a beer bar along a stretch of Myrtle Avenue that is developing quite a Brooklyn NYC bar crawl. This spot is the anchor for such a crawl. It offers 45 tap beers, which include a nice mix of local and U.S. craftbeers. The space is filled mainly with communal tables, so it’s almost doubles as a beer hall. There is some cool Brooklyn themed mural on the wall at the back. Brooklyn Tap House also has spacious outdoor area on the eastern side of its building. Picnic tables and a bean bag toss are available. You’re lucky if you live nearby and can get to this spot easily. Otherwise, it’s quite far from the nearest subway stop. Either way, it’s worth a visit.
Located at 19-33 37th Street in Astoria, Singlecut brewery consists of a sizeable taproom area, along with the brewery in the back of the building. During our visit, the taproom offered ten of their own beers, most of which are named after famed guitarists. The taproom is open Wednesday through Sunday and tours are available on Saturday (3pm and 5pm) and Sunday (4pm). If you’re taking the N train to get to Singlecut, you will have nearly a mile-long walk from the Ditmars Blvd station. But don’t be discouraged. This brewery is worth going out of your way for.
Located at 24 Reed Street in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Crab isn’t really a bar (though it has a sizeable bar area), but we had such a great experience there, we want to review it anyway. In the good weather, Brooklyn Crab is a summertime, outdoor 3-level seafood restaurant/bar. It’s really not something you expect to find in Red Hook. Brooklyn Crab has several different sections, including two bars, two outdoor seating areas and a mini-golf course in back! The beer selection is so-so, but let’s face it, you’re not coming here for the beer selection, you’re coming here to eat. Do yourself a favor, when you’re done at Ikea/Fairway, get thee to Brooklyn Crab. Heck, you don’t even need Ikea/Fairway as an excuse to visit Brooklyn Crab. You can make it the only destination of your day.
Next time you’re strolling along Manhattan Avenue, check out this relatively new hipster spot at 706 Manhattan Avenue.
For a quality beer selection (36 taps of mostly craft beer!) and some gastropub fare, check out The Flying Pig at 70-28 Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens.
Located at 383 Carroll Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, Lavender Lake is another off-the-beaten path spot that you must visit. The feeling of the spot is slightly more Williamsburg than Carroll Gardens. Lavender Lake is mostly bar, but there is a small dining section as well. Also, a sizeable outdoor backyard. Beer selection is small-but-solid, with 8 quality tap beers. We look forward to returning.
