We came here for a drink recently and it was ok. The place was packed but it didn't take us long to find a seat after a big group left. They don't do draft beer but they have several selections of cans. We were there during happy hour (2-7p) and everything was a dollar off. The entire bar seemed to be drinking Modelo that evening. We asked if there was a special for that, but there was not. Modelo was just the most popular beer for $6. The lines for the bathroom were long but maybe because it was so busy. We'd come here again when in the area. read more

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169 Bar is a true Lower East Side gem fun, eclectic, and full of character. The drinks are strong, the vibe is unpretentious, and the atmosphere makes it easy to stay all night. A classic spot that never disappoints. read more

169 Bar - American Near Me - New York, New York

Been coming here to 169 Bar for over 20 years. I live in Miami and work a lot in PA. When in town def stop in. They open at 2 & GUESS what it's FN HAPPY HOUR TILL 7pm!!!! Located in LES come not spend your whole wallet enjoy locals and plenty of down to earth folks. Not the uppy Yuppies!!!! Thanks for always staying CONSISTENT OH YEAH!!!! Def check the bar Empanadas. Being in the BIZ they GET IT!!!!!!! read more

169 Bar - 1800 Silver mixed with FRESH pineapple juice!!!! - American Near Me - New York, New York

Wow...the perfect bar, with the most perfect ambiance. My friend and I were giggling and kicking our feet the entire night. When I close my eyes and picture the celestial gates of heaven, the backroom of 169 Bar appears in my mind. Drinks? Delicious. Vibes? Incredible. But that's not all folks...ever wondered, hey, while I'm out with my friends, I wish we had an anatomically scaled T-Rex mounted on the wall to thrill us? 169 Bar has got you covered. What about, hmm..I love to pray in the comfort of my home, but wish there was a way to conjure the holy spirit over drinks in the LES? Don't fret, 169 Bar has a menagerie of ornate shines for all your holy needs. Or have you ever thought to yourself...pool is great, but wouldn't it be better with a leopard-printed table illuminated by wrought-iron, candlelit chandeliers? 169 Bar has thought so too. If only my friends listened to me the first time I tried to bring them here. Maybe its heaven, maybe its hell, but it's the finest establishment the lower east has to offer bringing you closer to nirvana, and a good time. Would recommend! read more

169 Bar - American Near Me - New York, New York

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I just love this spot!!!!!! The whole crew is dope!!!! Love their energy especially Sunshine Tati!!! One of my favorite female bartenders!!! I need to play some pool in there again soon and get some of that popcorn and other bar snacks!! Good vibes up in there!!!! Even the guy named Lucifer is a good dude!!! 5 star service! Thank you all again! read more

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Popped in on my own and enjoyed the scene. Nice and knowledgable staff. Would try again. Tip: happy hour needs more love read more

I come to this bar every time in nyc. Fun dive bar. BUT my most recent experience there was horrible. My friend spilled her drink on the ground and the bartender called her a c*nt LOUDLY in front of everyone. And then kicked us out ????? SO crazy and unprofessional read more

Not particularity dive prices, but definitely dive atmosphere and decorations, unfortunately this goes for the odd/very forward and uncomfortable service as well. Interesting to see recent reviews and this has been brought up a bunch! Fine for a casual hang, get interesting and cute pics for a short amount of earlier in the night for the neighborhood where you can pop into somewhere better fast. There is a minimum for a credit card, but high drink/shot prices make this easy to hit I guess. I stuck to the canned beer options, which were pretty decent. Seems like more of a regulars kind of place. read more

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Cool dive bar to get a drink and kill some time. I loved all the old school movies they had around the place. read more

169 Bar - American Near Me - New York, New York

Great atmosphere and staff. Laid back. Eclectic crowd. What else could you want or need? Check it out!

Favorite bar!! Fun decorations + colorful lighting. Very chill on the weeknights and more lively on the weekends. Bartenders are helpful - they looked for a good minute to see if they had a good NA beer for me last night (a busy Friday night) and ended up only finding a Guinness. I didn't like it so ordered a Sprite @ no extra charge. I've been hooked since my first time walking in when they were playing Snow White on the TVs. After all these years, it has yet to dissapoint. TLDR: Fun dive bar. Cheap drinks ($10 before tip). Good music + great atmosphere. read more

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I'm never disappointed when entering here. Always great service and good drinks. Love when Sarah's behind the bar. read more

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This bar has a mixed review. The first night we went it was super crowded but not so crazy that it was impossible to have fun.The first night's first bartender was great and nice, it was the second bartender that i had trouble with. The first crowded night was fine, a Friday . Unfortunately, the second night a Sunday I had a very disappointing. The bartender was clearly too drunk to do their job. He was slurring words, mixing up orders, and overall creating an uncomfortable environment. He is a white, tall guy with brown hair and kinda chubby. It felt unprofessional. I hope someone that woks their sees this and fixes the situation. i recommend but maybe not on that night when he is around. We will be stopping by again in a few months for a follow up and video will be posted via TikTok and Insta read more

Super cool dive bar. They have cheap drinks perfect for getting trashed on a budget. The bartender are kind weird....... And

A chill, unfussy dive bar with plenty of seating and strong drinks -- I've been here a few times and it's always a fun hang. As all good dive bars do, they have a pool table in the back. I've always had a good time, would come back! read more

It's very divey, but very cute. The lighting is what attracted us here and the great prices is what kept us. They have a ton of drink specials and you can add a shot with any beer for $3 I'm just gonna say it, the pool table is weird. From afar it's a cool cheetah-print pool table and then you realize it's not velvet, but actually like wallpaper on the pool table? We didn't play, but it wouldn't be your average game... There's a backyard too that was really cute Overall great place to stop in if you're having a night out read more

169 Bar - The pool table - American Near Me - New York, New York

This review is strictly for the Hurricane drink. It was my first time at 169 bar. It's honestly a really cool bar inside, your able to sit yourself. There are no waiters, so you just go up to the bartender and order your drinks. The place would be a good if your into beers and happy hour. However being that it's New Orleans themed I specifically came here expecting to get a Hurricane that would resemble one in New Orleans. The bartender who made my drink did a terrible job, the worst hurricane I ever had. Tasted more like an orange juice with some liqueur which was very acidic. Very rarely do I leave a place feeling like I wasted my money however this was one of those rare times. I only gave them a 2/5 being that the ambience was cool. 2/5 stars, hurricanes are bad read more

169 Bar - a group of people sitting at a bar - American Near Me - New York, New York

Great music. Awesome vibes and good times, every time. Very cool spot in the lower east side.

This place sucks. We are right next door and have passed this place going about our business and it seemed like it could be a cool dive bar. So on this night we decide to check it out and it's only 7:30 on a Tuesday and we wandered in. Casually dressed completely silently walk in and dude just starts saying STEP BACK OUTSIDE STEP BACK OUTSIDE WERE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Door was unlocked and lights were all on with tables and chairs outside with a bunch of people inside by the way. It was really awkward and stressful for me. I don't know what we could have done to possibly offend in the 2 seconds we were inside. They happen to be shooting a movie on our street today so maybe that's why they are "closed." Not sure why it was so aggressive. I have severe anxiety so it was enough to make me just go back home for the evening. read more

Love this place - Great vibes, amazing tequila shots, good music. Great limes for the tequila shots! read more

169 Bar - My boy met an absolute banger of a girl at this bar - American Near Me - New York, New York

Honestly very surprised that this bar has an overall rating higher than 2. The bar is gross and dirty, the drinks are mid and overpriced, and the staff are just rude. A bouncer gave me a hard time because my ID is from a different state so I asked him to scan it (I am 25 btw). He refused to scan it or accept any other form of ID. Really unprofessional and rude. Overall, would not recommend this bar to anyone. read more

The rare two star How does a place even get two stars? I mean... One star we all get. Something absolutely horrible happened, and the place was a dick about it. Five stars, four stars, both make sense. perfect or damn close. Three stars. Blah, nice enough and "at least you tried" But 2 stars? Nothing particularly horrible happened. I mean, did I stand there awkwardly as the one bartender talked to his buddies about some random vape and tattoo shit while the other attended to children illegally drinking at a bar? Yes, but whatever. Was the beer too expensive? I mean a, a little, but nothing crazy. I dunno, I guess this place sucked, really really badly, but just because they suck. They aren't dicks, they didn't do it on purpose. they're just bad at what they do, which given this is a dive bar is pretty fucking hard to do. Isn't that the point of a dive? Yes it's shit hole, but the bartender is cool, the beer is cheap and the music is good. This place is lacking in all three of those categories, but not on purpose. If you're down here, go literally anywhere else, unless you're a fan of complete mediocrity. If you are, you'll love it here, say get to Chad the bartender (I'm not sure what his actual name is, but you'll know who I'm talking about, promise) read more

Exactly what you want in a dive bar. Easy drinks. Impressive cocktails. A good happy hour and even some small bites. You can't beat it. Good on them! read more

169 Bar - PBR - American Near Me - New York, New York

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OHHHHMMYYYYYYYYGaUDDDDDDD this bar has a pickle martini and a $10 minimum for credit card and a cheetah pool table and it's incredible that's all you need to know. read more

169 Bar - Pickle martinis and random man in the background - American Near Me - New York, New York

Walked into this place while my son was busy skateboarding down the street. Super friendly staff and a great crew of people to have a beer and a laugh with...Highly reccomend stopping in for a drink...Playlist unreal too... read more

169 Bar - Bar area...Friendly staff Gode and Vince in the house... - American Near Me - New York, New York

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It's a small bar with good drinks. Some folks refer to it as a dive bar but it really wasn't bad. (Assuming Dive bars are bad). Staff was quick to get your drinks and give you attended when they are empty. We didn't have any food. Decor is very unique and it's worth walking around and looking at it read more

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Place is super quirky. They have cheap drinks, dinosaur taxidermy, and a leopard skinned pool table in the back. The $3 beer and shot special makes it a great place to pregame. This is a dive bar so don't expect five star amenities. You'll encounter all sorts of characters as the low prices attract all types of customers. I ordered a Malibu and pineapple which was good but tough to enjoy being in such a cramped space. They're making efforts to modernize as you can text your order from the tables. The oysters were good and the strawberry daiquiri was strong. I'll certainly return. read more

169 Bar - American Near Me - New York, New York

Nice bar, but the drinks are not dive bar prices. $18 for a jack and coke. They have a lot of cocktails to choose from their menu. Closer to a cocktail bar, in divey atmosphere read more

Horrible service. Bald Bartender was very rude and told me he was in the middle of something when I tried to give him my order. Also made fun of us just for asking for a simple shot. Very rude and will not be returning and telling others to never go either. Do not waste your time here. Not worth it. read more

Love coming here! My face dive bar forever, since they had gogo girls. Get the best service every time from Modesto Tati and Amanda

169's team lost my credit card and then tried to deny that they did - so when I accessed and showed their team in my bank account, they saw a credit card transaction on my statements. This was while I was on my 2nd drink and was not what I ordered as I expected my tab to be open. When I tried to figure out what happened the new bartender named Sean kept telling me my friends took it ( By the way- they didn't - I called them! ) Super weird to open a bar tab for the bartender to NOT REMEMBER OPENING MY TAB UNTIL I SHOW HIM MY BANK ACCOUNT TRANSACTIONS. Great that he remembered after I was showing my transactions. But not great when he told me I had to cancel the card and was NOT nice about it after the mistake. LOOK- I love 169. I have been here for over a decade as after hours being friends and my staff. And I live in the area. The venue has always been amazing. But the recent staff and with how they treat people ON BASIC professionally is going south and I would give it it more a better light a review I'd it wasn't such a horrible experience. read more

Loved this bar! Cheap drinks, great vibes, great food, great music! What else could you possible ask for. Our bartender Jade was a sweetheart and made our visit even better. Now this is a dive bar, so don't come in with expectations. The place is grungy and falling apart but it has character and great people. Next time I visit New York I'll be back for sure. read more

This is a regular haunt for me. Cheap drinks, eclectic crowd, good vibes all around. It's divey and a little broken on the hinges but there is so much love in this place. I feel that every time I walk in the door. (Which is super interesting given the bar's history- look it up if you're interested.) Don't expect the best cocktail of your life, but that's not what 169 is for. Come for a good time. 4.8/5 read more

This is an amazing, reliable dive bar I've been coming to forever. There's always a special worth getting. Text table service if you want it. Quick bites if you want them. Deals, deals and good vibes. read more

169 Bar - Beer shot combo for $3 - American Near Me - New York, New York

Visited 169 Bar during Covid-19 and they have outdoor seating available. Gets pretty busy especially since the drink prices are fairly cheap for Manhattan. Counted 5-6 tables available. They didn't have a few things on the menu like Coconut Shrimp or anything else fried other than Fries. Service was amazing, the guy working was super attentive which is a plus since so many restaurants are limiting their staff too. Great chill spot in Chinatown, worth checking out! read more

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AVOID AT ALL COSTS Would give zero starts if possible. Absolutely awful customer service. Everyone in here is extremely bitchy and the drinks are awful. When my friend had made a complaint, the woman claiming to be the MANAGER threatened to be PHYSICALLY VIOLENT with her. If you're in the area, go to Clockwork instead, where you'll actually receive good service and cheap drinks. read more

It was a dark and stormy afternoon. As the winds whipped up the rain outside, my friends and I sought refuge from nature's battering against our umbrellas and coats. Like a mirage in a desert, 169 Bar's colorful sign called out to us and we quickly made our way into the establishment, huffing and puffing as we streamed in through the small entrance. As we entered, the familiar dive bar combination of bleach and spilled drinks of the past hit our noses. Dark corners abounded, others were lit by the various colorful lights set up throughout the bar. Kitsch abounded. To the right, a painting of a woman with strategically placed googly eyes. Right next to the entrance were two wood mermaid carvings that looked like they once roamed the high seas in the front of a boat. Towards the bar was a functional (and shockingly clean looking) water fountain, complete with a pile of cups. The bar was very clean and organized and not exactly what you would picture when someone says "100 year old dive bar". I appreciated the decor and sense of whimsy. Our party had arrived at an odd time, so there were not a lot of people. We only wanted to grab one drink and rest a bit and so we ordered. The bartender was a friendly, easy going gent who seemed very at ease behind the bar. I wound up ordering CC's Bourbon Mint Lemonade featuring Bulleit Bourbon, Lemonade and Mint. This was served in a nice tall glass with bits of fresh mint in it. The drink is nice and sweet but the Bourbon definitely gives it a bit of a kick. It was also refreshing, and I could not help but think it would make a great summer drink. We headed back out into the thrashing rain soon after, but our respite had been a welcome one. Apparently the food in 169 is well thought of and I made a mental note to try it some time as I said a quiet goodbye to the wooden carvings near the door and exited. read more

There are so many other options for bars to go to in this neighborhood. We wanted to go somewhere basic that wasn't scene-y. We thought it was great when we scored a table outside, since the interior is so loud. But the bouncer had a large group of friends hanging out with him playing music on their phones talking over each other. The one bar tender we had was disgusting, used his gross dirty fingers to fish out olives for our martinis. Just total lack of care. And lots of attitude. Also change your door to the exterior from being a pull open, it makes it hard for people to walk out carrying more than one drink in their hands!!!! read more

Specializing in canned beer, picklebacks and a strong cast of characters in front and behind the bar, 169 is unparalleled in the city when it comes to entertainment value. There is something about the chaotic energy of this spot. Tip the bartenders and stay on Ian's good side. read more

Had a blast coming here! The bar staff was hilarious and had us rolling, in between great drinks and affordable brews.