Pretty awesome neighborhood dive bar. Just the right atmosphere and the drinks were good, too. We didn't try the food, as we were just killing time waiting for the rest of our party to show up so we could go to dinner. If i lived nearby, this would likely become my hangout. read more

*based on food/dining experience only: pretty disappointing. in my 25 years of living, I've learned that its really hard to fuck up nachos. Throw some crappy cheese on a plate of chips, nuke it and voila! However, abilenes managed to serve what i can only describe as a cold pile of unmelted mexican ingredients. maybe they forgot to cook it? but i also got a grilled cheese, which is another item thats pretty hard to get wrong. but yeah, it was also cold and not melty. (i think we can all agree that the quality of grilled cheese and of nachos that makes them so appealing is the melty-gooey cheesiness. both lacked. yuck.) also, the bartender wasn't even a little bit nice. but i generally don't hold that against the establishment itself- but its worth mentioning. this place gets a +1 for serving Pimms Cup and Sweet Tea vodka. but definitely not going back for a meal. read more

A bar/restaurant/hang out spot. It is very laid back and good food. I am not sure how much Bonnie's Grill has to do with the wings here, but Bonnie's Grill rocks and the wings are delicious. A spacious place to have some well-priced beers and tasty bites. read more

This experience started off so well, then died off. We came on a Sunday afternoon and found the perfect TV next to a fireplace with couches all around. We were able to catch two afternoon games here and enjoyed the beer selection along with Wings and a Cuban sandwich. All orders have to be put in at the bar after 4pm, so that's fine. The Abilene Cubano could use a little more work since the meat was just too sweet. We received two slices of pickles with the sandwich and about a forkful of coleslaw. Good thing we ordered wings as well. The wings were a good size and good portion. Thinking we can keep the experience rolling, we stayed around til the 830 game. Then the TV's went off. We checked with the bartender and was informed TV's don't come on after 8pm. NO GAMES AFTER 8PM. Well, that just killed it for us. No Sunday Night Football here, go elsewhere! read more

Love this place. Very relaxed and their food is pretty good. I like that they have a lot of board games so you can play scrabble with your friends. I like that they serve brunch on Saturdays since Buttermilk Channel doesn't. I've been here a few times and I've always had good service. I have never been here at night, but I would love to go one of these days :) read more

Loved the look and atmosphere. Unfortunately, the service was bad and the chicken sandwich and chicken wings were dry. Our server came up once for the order, never took another drink order or filled up water. And then came back to ask to drop off the bill. I would have forgiven this service if she was super busy but she sat at the end of the bar with her phone the whole time! I will go back and try another item on the menu. Change my review if my next experience is better. read more

1st things 1st.... SUPER dimly lit. very homey atmosphere. outdoor seating is nice. decent beer selection. cocktails made fairly well. I didnt eat there, but hope to. I'll be back and reevaluate. but over all, I like it. read more

Molotov beno...I'm sorry I'm being told that's not what I think it means. I any case, this place is great! This isn't just your run of the mill "bar that also happens to serve food" bar kinda bar, but instead could be mistaken for a "food establishment that allows your to get drunk on their property" kinda place. Thus far, my choices have run the gamut. I've been mystified by the brunch biscuits and gravy, tantalized by the burrito, and fullified by the crazy burger with the cheese in it (no, not just the cheeseburger you bimbo. It's a loosy or something). And def try the raspberry vodka lemonade. Really tasty during this "cold winter" we've been having here recently. And all at a price your wallet won't get mad at you about. read more

Most disappointing brunch experience in a long time!!!! Wish I could turn back the clock and pick somewhere else! Waste of calories, money, and time. Ordered scramble with egg whites and looks like soggy cheddar cheese with barely any egg whites - drowned in awful sauce. Only redemption were the good fries but that's easy to do and tasty when hungover. Biscuit was dry with nothing but packaged butter and jam to put on it. Service was awful. I asked for something and took 20 min to get it and was already finished with meal. Horrible! Avoid! Only come for dive bar drinks. read more

Abilene - As depressing and sad as it looks!!! Scramble with egg whites drowned and awful. Fries ok though - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Best Dive bar Overall In neighborhood With boardgames, live music, and cheap cocktails. read more

Carroll Gardens...what a nice area. Great view from the windows, which were all opened. We had breakfast and it was great! The people who worked there were really nice, as well. read more

They serve Bonnie's Grill wings! And their Fried Chicken Sandwich is amazing. And their drinks are fairly priced and generously portioned. We enjoyed the Bloody Mary and Margarita. Happy Hour is a plus. I was very satisfied. I'm still thinking about that chicken sandwich. So happy to find this place. I will be back, it will be great. Well-done! read more

Who doesn't love a dive bar with a decently friendly staff , some good nachos (only wish there was guacamole...) ?! Always a chuckle of a sidewalk sign too, which is appreciated on a stroll through the neighborhood. Great local spot. Plus, board games if you're into them! read more

Does what it says on the tin. Keep things simple. Good place to stop and have a jar and a shot. Chilled out atmosphere and the music doesn't make you head for the door. I can't say anything for the food apart from the selection is the expected array of fried stuff/quesadillas/burgers etc. That said, it is so dark in here that I don't know if you could see what you're eating (which might be a good thing in my opinion). read more

BRUNCH! We went to Abeline on some insider info that they were now serving brunch, and were happy to be some of the first people to sample it. The bloody marys are ridiculously good, and served in pint glasses (sort of a reversal of the old Woody Allen "terrible food/small portions" complaint"), which made up for average coffee (Hey, it's a dive bar, so perhaps our Gorilla expectations were a little off base - this was more like Spider Monkey coffee). The brought us out a pair of cinnamon doughnut holes as an amuse bouché, which were large and tasty. My ladyfriend had the biscuits with sausage gravy and eggs, which were awesome. The biscuits aren't the big flaky variety, but the spicy smoked sausage in the white gravy more than made up for their lacking. I had the Belgian Waffle, which was proper - yeasty, sweet and dark brown. The side of bacon was OK, stuck together and a little bit eh. But this is nitpickery - to pull off a solid souther brunch offering on day 1 is commendable, and we'll be back to try the chicken and waffles and sticky finger french toast. Prices were a little high for it being a dive bar, but worth it. Go! read more

I'm sorry Abilene. Your vibe is so great, and I like the people that go there, but in the end you serve food and drinks, so you get two stars on those. For a place named after a Texas town, it's surprising I had the worst margarita in New York (and that's a feat) here. Take rose's lime, mix it with tequila, serve. I'll try to drink anything I'm served, but with that mixture, impossible. Beers are okay, food is pretty lame. Again, maybe I got overexcited about the Texas roots of this place (even if they are a little indirect), and ordered the Tex-style breakfasts a couple of times, and they're pretty meh. Big bummer 'cause I would kill for a proper breakfast burrito in this town. read more

Utterly average bar that you probably won't end up at unless you live in the neighborhood. Spacey, not too loud, local clientele mostly with $6 beers/$10 cocktails/standard pricing. Not terrible, just utterly like every other bar I can go to, ever. If you don't live in Carroll Gardens I don't see why you would be here. But service was nice and had good space for groups. Ciao read more

Great happy hour deals. Awesome crispy chicken sandwich. Fries pickles were a little tasteless -- not the best batter.

Beer selection wasn't perfect for me but cocktails were good and waitress was working so fast and hard to make everything better.

Save yourself the trouble. The drinks and food are just ok, but the service is HORRIBLE. I live in the neighborhood and there are so many other great bars and restaurants in this area that are deserving of your time and money. I came with some friends to get dinner and drinks during happy hour. We grabbed a table and waited at least 15-20 mins for the server named Tyranny or Tearney or something. I had to run to the bar 3 mins before happy hour ended just to get drinks. When we finally flagged her down to take our food orders, she was super snappy and unfriendly. She took another table's order first even though they sat after us, she didn't bring waters, she took 2 out of 3 people's orders, and she didn't clear away the appetizer dishes, so we had to bus our own table just to make room for our entrees. Meanwhile, we kept trying to grab her attention and she was too focused on looking at her phone or talking to the other bartenders. The food was decent, but the negative energy made it taste less than pleasant. This place is a big NO. read more

Not a dive bar... Food is not good at all... But I just really like going here. Bartenders have always been cool to me and my friends. Good "go to" bar..... So go. read more

Cozy little spot in the heart of bk. Great beers on tap. The pulled pork nachos are the Best nachos ive had in the city! Its a bummer that the place gets packed on a weekend night. Also I was really bummed that after 4pm they no longer have waitstaff to serve your food. Its a one man show in a packed bar!! The bartender does it all; takes orders, pours drinks, and serves food! WTF! I had to get up and go to the bar in the middle of my meal to get another beer!?? Major BUMMER!! Comon fellas! I know the economy is weak but hire a F'in waitress for weekend nights!!!! They do have board games available to play while waiting for your drink or if you bring the little ones :) read more

Usual spot so I am here often. However, last night the bartender "Marissa" RUDE. Extremely. She was on her phone all night, when we asked for a drink she completely ignored us, so we asked if she even worked there and her response was "no". WTH? read more

Went twice in a row for Saturday Night out with friends then Brunch next day. My friends and I ordered the Nachos to share and it was huge and enough for 3 people. The resto is pretty chill, laid back and unpretentious. During brunch, we all had a pint of mimosa for $8 and their selection of brunch dishes are well priced and well portioned. We seated outside and it was great to just chill with friends and people watch on a sunday. We will be back again!!! read more

It has all the trappings of a typical dive bar. Well, except for all the babies.

i wish they had better beers on tap. abilene will give you a handful of beer choices along with a decent bar food menu (burgers, nachos and the like). the selling point for me is the outdoor seating, which is why i go back in the warm spring and summer months again. and again. and again. read more

Thank you Abeline for helping me find your competitor a block away! Tonight it was a frosty walk home and I stopped into this local bar(n) for a nice spicy hot Bloody Mary. Though not my usual end-of-day type drink the heat of it all sounded so comforting, and a friendly bar was a nice thought. Upon ordering, however, all was not so comforting. I was given an expressionless stare from an unattractive and bored looking bar maid, along with the discourteous comment "no...no Bloody Marys after six". When I demurely asked if there was any tomato juice so I could perhaps just make one up myself she retorted.."no....it"s all in the basement. (Subtext......I am not going out of my way for your F------- Bloody Mary ) What to do? Order something else perhaps? But looking at the place and the face on the bar maid gave me the inspiration to say "Okay, thank you anyway" and walk out the door. To my delight, just a block away was another pub called Hanleys. I very cautioulsy asked the server there if it would be alright to order a Bloody Mary and she responded she would be happy to check. With a smile on her face she came back to report it was fine and within a few minutes she was handing it to me, still all smiles. Thank you, Shoshana, and I will say, once again, thank you snotty barmaid at Abeline for showing me what Ableline is about. Next time I'm in the hood I will steer clear and skip across the street drinks and pub food with Shoshana at Hanleys! -B.J read more

Dear Abilene, Oh, how I adore you. What, with your boardgames and your reasonably priced hooch and your lovely staff and your amazing music selection and your ample seating space. You really know how to get to me. Many nights have I spent in your warm embrace, drinking Guinness or bourbon and playing rummy or Trivial Pursuit. Feels like home. But, y'know, with beers on draught. In fact, now that I think of it.... if no one else has asked you yet, Abilene... would you go to prom with me? read more

This is literally one of my top two favorite brunches in the city. You probably wouldn't expect the food to be incredible, because it is literally a dive bar with a patio. The mimosas are $7 and come in a huge water glass with a straw. There is Scrabble and board games, and the women's bathroom has a note written on the door- something to the extent of "Hey LADIES, get funky!" My roommate and I both ordered the Western omelette, and the only qualm was that she felt it had too much cheese. Which is a complaint that will probably never escape my lips. Otherwise, it was to. die. for. I just made grits because I'm fantasizing about it and am tempted to walk down the street and sit outside by myself with a book and knock back a massive mimosa or two. The grits were PERFECT- exactly how they're supposed to be done. Perfect consistency, perfectly seasoned, it made me proud, add some of their delicious hot sauce and you're golden. But then pair that with the cornbread, and a cheesy omelette with avocado and jalapenos and you are going to lick your plate then pass out on the Scrabble board. I'm so bummed we're first trying Abilene at the end of the summer, but now we have a perfect place to nosh and day booze indoors during the winter! read more

This used to be the place to get a drink in the neighborhood with the locals or friends, but in the past year or so it has become the an unbearable kids-zone. You can't come in here when the sun is out because: -It is over ran with kids running around without a parent nearby to govern them -Strollers taking up the common space, making walking up to the bar, bathroom, etc a maze. -Whining parents that the music is too loud or racy, which it isn't, sorry that a Metallica song is playing at 8pm and not an Elmo song. -A common problem now is that a two adults will take up a 4-top, and then put their 2 kids at another 4 top so they don't have to sit with them and take up extra space so other folks can't get a seat. Maybe the tags should change from Dive Bars/Lounges to family restaurant? Also the food- particular the burger has gone down hill the past year. Once a solid/surefire order- it now taste like a cheap grade beef option. Stick to the fried stuff- thats safe. Glad they still have the cheap beer/shot option. Until then- see you there after 10pm. read more

Friendly neighborhood spot. All the bartenders are great, and the food is better than you would think from a local bar. Cool outdoor seats in good weather too. Oh and its open 11AM-4AM. Nothing else in the area is open anywhere near as long. read more

one of the few places (if not the ONLY) in the hood that isn't swarming with a-holes. i like it here. and the bartenders are cool. read more

It didn't take long for Abilene to become one of the best bars in Carroll Gardens, though, considering there aren't many haunts in it's immediate vicinity (it being closer to the BQE than to Atlantic Ave) it makes sense it wouldn't get too many gatecrashers. The mood is usually fun but chill, people show up to hang out with friends on the couches, at tables and some prime outdoor seating in the summer, rather than stare at the game (no tv's!), play drunk buck hunter, or karaoke. The beer list is solid with few surprises, but in the winter time they serve up some nice hot drinks for those nights that you can't feel your hands. The staff are friendly, and there's decent bar food served late and priced cheap so they won't fault you for coming straight from work for happy hour. But sometimes you just can't make happy hour after work, so you've got to love their midnight happy hour on weeknights? Some bars just get me, you know? I do have to take off one star for the occasional annoying music that spins on their turn tables on weeknights. Usually the only person interested is the one spinning it, and since it's never very upbeat (think 1920's blues/folk records), it can make the bar a bit too chill, if that's possible, but it's still totally forgivable. UPDATE: AHH! Abilene has a TV! NOOOOO! My favorite dark, chill bar was covered in a strange, eerie, bright blue glow last night. The bartender said it was for "special occasions", but we all know where this is going. I'm not a tv prude, I watch as much Law & Order marathons as anyone, but Abilene's tv-less-ness was one of it's great qualities. Not every bar needs the game on (or the debates - politics & religion, people, golden rules of bars), especially a social place like Abilene. I go to Abilene to get away from the tee vee. Please ditch the tube! read more

Great addition to the neighborhood. Very laid back, very reasonable prices, super friendly staff, accommodating to boot -- great about letting us have a birthday gathering here, bring a cake, etc. not scene-y at all. I especially like it in the summer when the windows are open. And they play excellent indie rock -- the upbeat stuff, not the super depressing stuff. read more

Meta Analysis on Bloody Mary's- So, I hosted a 30th bday surprise brunch for my boyfriend at Abilenes and it was fabulous! Exceeded my high expectations. We had about 24 people and many of the other brunch spots I inquired at said 'NO way" at having that many people. The owner of Abilene called me personally and was super easy going and accomodating. He allocated the back corner for us and it worked out perfectly. My biggest requisite was that the bloody mary's be serious and the bartender assured me they were. We arrived, everyone started ordering food/drinking and the bloody mary's started coming out and they were over the top excellent. Tons of stuff going on, which i personally think makes an awesome bloody. I actually brought a jar of Ricks Picks Smokra to put in each of the bloodys and the bartender was totally cool about that too. Almost everyone ordered food and it all started pouring out of the kitchen and was awesome. Huevo Rancheros were my pick and they were great! There's grits on the menu, which you can't beat. Overall a top notch experience. Highly recommend eating/drinking/enjoying abilene's. Comparison note: The next day we had brunch at Prime meats (which i've eaten at before and it was really good) BUT this time... the bloody mary's were aw-FUL. Way too horseradish-y. Like drinking from a sweet jar of horseradish. We'd def choose Abilene's over Prime meats next time... read more

Happy Hour Bloody Mary is top notch, im addicted, great atmosphere, very clean bar, the bartender who served me both times was on point. It was not crowded at all the times I went so the vibe was relaxed and intimate. Plus they serve Bonnies Grill wings so if you are not going here you should start. I wish I had the money to drink bloody marys here everyday... read more

I've been here a few times but last Sunday will definitely be my last. After tipping the red haired bartender twice she had the audacity to literally call out to the bar that " you better leave me a tip!" I was with 3 others who had already tipped the waitress for the meal and we also already tipped her twice. I would never short any service worker!!!!! She is a spoiled entitled brat and can't believe anyone would let her represent their business. Never again!!!!!! read more

Great place, great beers, decent bar food, cool staff. Nice to sit outside in the warmer season.

had brunch here over the weekend, just walking by and it looked cute on the outside (we didn't really realize it was a bar) the breakfast was pretty gross and the waitress was a total biatch... or maybe just retarded, not sure. anyway my boyfriend orders an omelette and says 'no bacon' but it came with bacon. then when she brought it back out, the omelette was undercooked. then he asked for Salsa, and she brought hot sauce. and didn't refill our water once. it might be an OK bar, but don't go here for brunch, it's nast. read more

My favorite local bar! If you are looking for a decent beer selection, cozy ambience, great bar food, and a laid-back atmosphere, then this is the place. It's a no frills local rock n roll bar where you can get dinner and a drink on the cheap. It's also a great place for an afternoon beer and lunch with free wifi. Service and food have always been great for me. I'm glad this spot doesn't really appeal to the yuppies- there are plenty of other places they can go and yelp about. Abilene is the best! read more