I used to think this place was okay when it screened movies onto the wall across the street, but after I got pickpocketed here once I've hated it more with every visit. The "lounge" upstairs is an uproariously poignant delusion of swank. Bronx apartment parties are fancier than this lounge. And hey, guys, let's spring for some additional latrines. The lines on the weekends to take a piss require a 20-minute commitment. Save yourself the grief; there are quite a few better dives. read more

If I could give this place -5 stars I would. The bar itself is sticky, stinky and vile-almost like a caricature of a gross dive. The drinks are overpriced for what they are and the worst-the bartender is offensively rude. I'll readily forgive poor service because I'm a normal human being with eyes and powers of perception and the world is not a perfect place where everything happens the way you want it to. Things happen. But when someone is just outright rude and mean for no reason, it is unacceptable. This neighborhood though, and all the bars in it with few exception, is a bro-tastic nightmare nowadays anyway, so I'm choosing to see that as karmic justice. Have fun with the bros. read more

There's just something about this bar. It always has an interesting crowd, and you never know who you'll see there. For instance, last time I was there, I saw David Cross from Mr. Show just hanging in what I presume is his local. It's one of the few places in this town where you can sit on the couches upstairs and actually have a real conversation without having to wake up sounding like Marge Simpson the next day. And the huge windows make it all better somehow. Go! read more

I can't explain why I always end up at 2A when I'm down in the LES, but I'm not that concerned about it. I'm generally happy when that happens. It's usually not too packed, more often than not there's a place to sit and chill, the bar service is fast and the drinks are not too expensive. There's an additional bar upstairs, with more space and seating. read more

This is my new hangout spot on Friday nights, I love the 90's Hip Hop music on the second level. Nice bar to attend.

A solid bar with nice bartenders. I have been here before mostly for crawls like the margarita march. This is a review for the ugly sweater bar crawl NYC on December 7, 2019. I ordered vodka seven the crawl had 4 dollar well specials. The bar was not crazy crowded so you can hear yourself talk. I literally felt like I was in a relatives living room having a holiday party. It was so cozy. read more

micro-swank! plus an upstairs where i enjoyed a dj who spun 45s all night. spent a night here with my crush who went on to crush me. such is life. JCTSFR: 3.01 read more

There was a short guy with tattoos who worked on New Years who started out being really awesome and made me a drink and said "It's on me." Great, but then he turned schizophrenic on me when I tried to buy another drink and leave him a huge tip. He took my chase sapphire card and refused to give it back. He told me there was a 20 dollar minimum and that I'd have to buy a few drinks. When I asked for the card back he started to get extremely hostile, flipped me off and said "I have 9 chase sapphires back here so I can't help you." When his colleague checked the card tub there was just one card there (guess whose it was) but would not return it to me. The girl who was working with him tried to explain to me the situation, which was really baffling to me, and then shortly after called over the bouncer to eject me. I explained the story to the bouncer and he agreed it was bizarre that the bartender was trying to steal my card. As soon as I went downstairs my friend asked for the card and got it back immediately. He said to him "Oh I thought this was his card" and gave it to my friend. I told this to the bouncer before we left and said "Yeah I guess there was just a mix up," as if it's normal to accidentally steal someone's credit card and then kick them out of the bar. The two bartenders upstairs were volatile, incompetent, and apparently thieving, so just watch out if you encounter them. read more

Pretty good drinks, ok service, ok prices. Not too busy. There's an annoyingly bright light under the bar, and if you sit on the bench looking to the person sat next to you it will be glaring in your eye. That's made my mind up when I was hovering on the 3 vs 4 stars border! read more

Hmm I wish I could give a more detailed review but I usually end up at 2A as the last stop in a crazy night so details maybe a bit fuzzy. This is a true dive bar - the bartenders are so sweet and fun. The music is alternative and everyone is housed. I'm not from the area but I noticed a lot of ppl were locals. The reviews here are spot on, it's not that crowded so great place to come w/ friends and drink. If you're looking to ppl watch, maybe this isn't the place for you. I would suggest coming here as a last pit stop in a night of drinking with a group of friends - good times!! read more

2A saved me when I was looking for a dirty cheap happy hour with a group of friends. Drinks 2 for 1 until pretty late. That includes all the draft beer, wine and well drinks. And also, free popcorn. The atmosphere is like a dive bar, but the bar is really clean, spacious and well lit. I will definitely be coming back for the cheap drinks! read more

This place is great, especially on a weekday when it's not super crowded. I totally agree -- upstairs is the jam. They play great music, and Dan the bartender -- he bartends upstairs a few times a week -- is really cool. Very unpretentious spot. read more

I love the atmosphere, it's very relaxing and chill. Lighting is dim, with candles and lush couches and stools that add to the comfy decor. There are two stories to this bar. Drink prices are standard, about $10 for well drinks. read more

Came here last year for my birthday and had a blast. The views from the upstairs are really nice and the dj was on point with the hip hop music. My group also must have got there at the perfect time because we snagged a bunch of couches to ourselves which was perfect for dancing and socializing. read more

Might be my favorite spot to relax on a hungover Sunday morning. Tom makes the best Bloody Mary I've had in the city. The music is eclectic, the bartenders are personable and friendly, the upstairs has some great views & comfy cushions to lounge on and it's never so crowded that you don't have a bit of breathing room. Great place to meet up with friends either before a night out on the town, or after when you need to unwind. read more

I'm not sure what it is that separates this bar form the other bars near here. It's pretty rock n roll, enough action to be fun, not so packed that it's uncomfortable. Probably it's the bartenders, Lana in particular. I love drinking and I love drinking here. read more

If you must go out in the East Village on a Friday or Saturday night, and don't want to get puked on or listen to Lady GooGoo, this is the place to go. Over 25 crowd, eclectic regulars, and a nice variety of music (upstairs is more current and indie rock, downstairs more classic rock). The male bartender upstairs is one of the funniest people I have ever talked to...whether he means it or not. read more

Terrible service the bartender was extremely rude and seemed to be on some kind of drugs. Went on a Friday night, there were only a few customers but the bartender took his time to help and was extremely rude. The bartender wouldn't give out water and wanted to charge $2 for a glass. read more

Always laid back. I've been there a few times simply because it's near home. Every time, it's been a blast (surprisingly!) If you go with good company, 2A is a great place to chill out and enjoy good brews. read more

Not much to say about this bar except don't waste your time going to it. It's only cash for happy hour and my glass was dirty which was disgusting. There are pretty much no lights and it was freezing in there which doesn't make it very comfortable for drinking. There aren't many choices on tap and I didn't see a menu anywhere making it clear what they did have. The staff also isn't very friendly. Again, don't waste your time going to this bar. read more

Nice, relaxed place for drinks. Came with a bunch of co-workers and we had a nice time. Good wine list.

When I was younger, this used to be known as "The Strokes bar". Caught a lot of members of the band that frequent here. But aside from that, it really is a great bar. I wouldn't even go so much as labeling it a dive. It's pretty well kept. The music is good. The environment is relaxing. The drinks are great. And it's 2 floors. So twice the goodness, I suppose. read more

This is a nice local hangout that's usually playing some quality classic rock--great for a chat with friends or a date, it gets pretty happening on weekend nights. I dig the upstairs/downstairs options and some cool views out the large windows of EV. But, be wary of stopping in very late on a random Tuesday and meeting older married men who offer you cocaine, unless that's your thang! read more

After having a nice dinner at Supper in the East Village my girls and I curiously walked into 2A. After passing a cute, divey interior of the first floor, we proceeded into the upstairs lounge. I liked the way the upstairs and the downstairs is demarcated with a classy, velvet curtain, which first of all was a huge plus! The upstairs has a pleasant, panoramic view of the village, complete with comfortable velvet booths. Though I came with my girls, I find the setting to be perfect for a date. The velvet booths were intimate and cozy and the place had such ambiance with tea lights. The music was curated by two lady DJ's. They were playing funk, soul, and hip hop all night and the best part was the upstairs was free for the entire night. Ultimately, we had a great night dancing to great music. The drinks were moderately priced and the bar tender was super sweet. Will definitely come back again! read more

Alice Cooper-Welcome to My Nightmare was playing downstairs. It was too crowded for me to make any real judgments about the place yet, but that song alone has made me decide to come back. And $5 for a glass of Jameson's is a price that's hard to find even in Queens. read more

No nonsense, zero attitude by the bartenders, good music (sometimes even live), solid drinks and decent prices (I've even gotten buybacks here). It's not a cool hip spot, but I prefer the places that don't try too hard, so whenever I am in the neighborhood, this is my bar of choice. read more

Holy Crap, Happy Hour(s)! A friend and I walk into a bar. 2 for 1 drinks! She buys a round (2 drinks), I buy a round (2 drinks). 4 drinks later and I've spent $20, am giggling, babbling nonstop about inane things and stumbling up the street. I'm not one to go out and get plastered, but I assure you... if it's happening after work, it's happening at 2A. Get the Greyhound. Set for the night. read more

Love 2A. The perfect amount of dive bar without fear of contracting an STD by touching the handrail leading to the second floor. Good 2-for-1 happy hour, free popcorn. The upstairs has a great panorama view of the E Village through its wall-to-wall windows. Bartenders will mix you a decent drink, although some of them will give you attitude. Forget about it and drink up -- it's a great place to bring friends. read more

Been here several times. The bartenders are awesome (especially the guy who works downstairs who is almost always wearing a trucker hat). They've always been generous with the liquor and the prices are decent. If you think this is a "dive bar" then you haven't seen a real dive bar. It's certainly nothing fancy either, more like a really good in-between. Had a lot of good times here and this is the go to spot to drink up without breaking the bank. read more

Fun, low key spot with space and easy access to the bartender. Good place to catch up with friends and chat--bad place to rage. Drinks were about $5-6 on average, even for mixed drinks--quite cheap. I was downstairs the entire time and didn't get a chance to see the projector set up they seem to be known for above. I'll be back. read more

When I first moved to the neighb, I would look everyday for the f-ing name of this place so that I get the scoop. Finally I just went & then I wondered, WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG TO TRY IT?! This place is perfect. It doesn't get freaky crowded, drinks are good and there is always a great cross-section of people. Personally, I'm so over the dime a dozen little speakeasy scene & this is like the perfect antidote to places where the drinks are $15 and you "need" a password ;) read more

Alvy might be the greatest bartender ever. So fun and kind. I don't think I would come here without him!

This place is incredible. An old dive bar that hasen't lost its steam. One of my East Village favorites. And make sure you order a Negroni from the ginger bartender, Jeff. I love him. read more

I came to the upstairs bar and had a couple of drinks. I do like the full-sized windows that afford a view of the street corner. Homeless people, crazy bikers and hipsters are part of the scenery of this part of town. The second floor affords some semblance of quietude for conversation, but then the DJ came onboard and had made some really disruptive transitions and questionable volume settings that sort of threw off the experience. read more

Used to come here and do bad things a lot.. The upstairs bar is the best. Super small and private, unisex bathroom. It can get super busy at night so come early and post up. Bartender is mostly quick..well..because theres nowhere for them to go! The bar maybe has 8 stools. There are big couches all over to crash in too. They used to show cool old movies on the building across the way too, which was cool. The downstairs bar I probably sat at once so I cant really comment... read more

Its a dive bar. Drinks are cheap, its dark, the upstairs is more relaxing, as you can look down on the street at those walking by. The bass i ordered was flat. the glass was cracking. not sure if i wanted glass bits in my beer or not. its a dive, don't go expecting anything more or less. drink in the dark and be merry. read more

2A is quickly becoming a neighborhood fave of mine, having only recently discovered its joys: no frills bar, good happy hour (til 8pm), nice bartenders, floor-to-ceiling windows to people watch, two floors with plenty of space to spread out, eclectic mix of music (punk to oldies), varied clientèle (not too douchey, not too hipster, and not too young) and good seating for large parties. we chose this spot for an impromptu get-together for birthday drinks, and even arriving at 10pm on saturday, we had the pick of the top floor! we had about 15 people in all, trickling in throughout the night and never had a problem finding seats. the only detraction was the loudness of the music... felt like i was losing my voice shouting to be heard over it at points. (on the weekdays, the music isn't a problem) all in all, a great fuss-free watering hole when you just want a place to chat & drink with friends and spread out. read more

I've heard some good stories about this bar before it was remodeled (along with the neighborhood) and decided to check it out. It's a good spot with cheap drinks, a diverse crowd, good music, and huge windows to watch the show pass you by. I dig this bar a lot and can only imagine what the view out the windows must have been like before the bistros popped-up and the area was a lot wilder. read more

Wow, this used to be a hangout for me. It's not easy to get here and it's one reason why I know I wont bump into people I know. It burned down about 5 years ago and I think they built it back up. In the day, they would use a projector and aim it toward the building wall across the street and play vintage 80s music. One of a few places that used to play OMD, Depeche, B52s, Level 42, Lightning Seeds and old new wave music. I'm planning to pay a visit again during the summer when it's easy to walk around the area and check out other bars. read more

I can't really explain why I like 2A; it's really not my scene at all. However, I've accrued many great memories at 2A: blind dates, birthday parties, bathroom makeout sessions, and other various misbehaviors. The upstairs bar, in particular, almost always has great music playing. I hope George still works there, because he's got to be the greatest bartender of all time (come to think of it, he's the main reason I love 2A). read more