The bartender Victor was also amazing!! Very kind and friendly and super cool. That's the type of bartender you want! read more

Boat Bar - Pin ball machines. The middle one might be broken or just really sucks but the other two are great. - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Overpriced drinks and unsafe space. A really good place to go to get harassed and bothered all night while getting ripped off. Not even going to spend time on what a disaster the bartender is. read more

Most bars and restaurants close pretty early in this neighborhood, but Boat Bar is the only one that stays open until 2am. It's your typical dive bar as expected with a ping pong table in the back and arcade machine games in the front. As you can tell from the name, there's a sea theme going on here. We came here to grab some drinks for the night. Mixed drinks were $12 while beers were $8, pretty normal pricing. Everyone here seems to be regulars or locals. Good spot for drinks when nothing else is open. read more

Randomly stopped by here after a long drive for a drink or 3 lol, got there around 2am & didn't stay long they were closing at 3am. read more

Boat Bar - Beer & wine - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The bartender is a joke. The bar was empty and reason for it. Will NEVER be back. The pool table doesn't work. The bartender had extra balls behind the bar. When he realized that it was the machine that was broken, he put the balls away. I went back to the bar asking for the extra balls since the machine was broken. He throws the $2 back at me when I asked for the balls that were missing saying "I don't want to put those in because they'll get stuck". Did we want the $2? No, we wanted the balls that he was hiding to play the stupid game. Then he proceeds to try and kick us out using his friend who was acting a security guard who responds with "I don't work here. I'm his friend. You better get out". As if that threat was supposed to do something? What a sad excuse for a bar. No wonder the place was empty. Don't waste your time or money at this garbage establishment. To top it off, out of 6 drink orders, he managed to screw up 2 of them. LOL! Try harder! Hopefully COVID will close the doors of this spot permanently too! read more

What a great bar! Came in for cocktails and a game of pool. The bartender was helpful enough when the pool table didn't release the balls. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would be a total regular! read more

I haven't been here in over 15 years. But when I went I always had a great time and came away with stories. Plus the beers and drinks were cheap even for the 2000s. read more

Damn the female bartender here yesterday at 2am was such a b***h. My friend and I ordered two gin n tonics, asked for a straw, and she shoved the box at us across the counter. She threw the check at us too, but we still tipped her because she definitely needs it more than us. Get an attitude check honey because every establishment you work at is getting a bad rep because of you! read more

Your bartender on the Monday night shift, ASHLEY is really bad at her job. As someone who is also a bartender, I think it's really tacky to get really wasted behind the bar and not give proper service. I had to ask her three times for a drink because she was so busy chatting it up with her regulars that tip her 100 dollars, so she feels that everyone else doesn't matter. She then accused me of not paying for my drink and took my picture which made me feel highly uncomfortable and told me to get the fuck out of her bar. She let this woman basically prostitute herself in the bar and I let her know what was going down and she just completely ignored me. Even my male friend was uncomfortable with this woman. Ashley is bad for your business and I will not be going in to Boat any longer. read more

Female bartender Wednesday night kicked me out because she didn't like a PRIVATE conversation I was having. She tried to police my conversation because it involves two female patrons who I had struck up a conversation with. At first the two women were receptive and even friendly, we exchanged names etc. But one of the women did not like something I said and said she was "done with this conversation" to which I shockingly walked away back to my associate. I began telling him what happened and how rude these women were to me, in private, and the nasty bartiofc interjected by first saying "some women don't like to be hit on", defending their actions towards me. I was surprised she used "hit on" because I was no aggressive at all and made no sexual advances, I merely started a conversation in a bar which is common. I defended myself by pointing out that they could have been more polite in voicing that they would rather be alone aside from being nasty and dismissive to me. The bartender started basically yelling at me to "drop it" repeatedly, then said that this was "her bar" she said I was being loud (I wasn't) and even other patrons took my side. Despite this she began closing out my tab and asked me to leave based on nothing. I was not disruptive, i was not loud, and I'm a PAYING PATRON TOO. The female bartender then told me to leave with the unfinished open drinks I had, to which I pointed out to her that I could be ticketed for, so I stayed and finished my shot and beer while she looked away and avoided eye contact. As a patron if I am not causing a commotion I should be able to talk with my companions about anything I want, my personal conversation should not be policed or controlled by someone I am paying to serve me drinks, they do not have the right or power over me and that's what made me angry the most, the female bartender's sense of entitlement. I'm pretty sure had gender or racial roles been reversed she would not have gone out of her way to interject herself in my conversation, and definitely would.not have been so moved to act in such a rude manner to a paying patron. I was told she works Wednesday and Sundays and needless to say not only will I not go on those days, but I may avoid this dying relic of a dive altogether in the future. I will not be giving this hole anymore of my hard earned money. read more

Trying to post lots of reviews so that my 1-star review doesn't look fake. Haven't been here in 10 years, but I'm sure I had fun. The last time I was there, some hipster d-bag yelled "Get back on the boat" at me. I had to ask him what he meant bc he obviously wasn't being racist. ...he was being racist. Admittedly, tho, so there's that. Anyway, I remember this place being a good time. I'm old now, and no longer go places that are a good time, so I guess I'll never know for sure. read more

Great neighborhood divey bar! Cheap beers and good selection for drafts! They also have a full bar if you're into stronger stuff. Couch in the back and retro arcade games. I liked the candle light atmosphere to end up my saturday night after a concert at the barcleys center. Kudos on the playlist!great choice in indie/shoegaze music;) Will def come back read more

Boat Bar - Inside-cool candle light vibe - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Let's see we decided to go there because it was open late. Now we weren't sure how it would be, the drink selection wasn't big at all the bartender was so sweet and respectful. They don't have much of a selection but they make up for it as best as they can. Now the regulars that is a whole different world one regular was so nice he saw I ran out of cigarettes, he offered me one of his but I didn't smoke that brand. After maybe 30 minutes he walked in he had bought me a pack of my brand, so let's say this place is great when u want a place to go that opens late read more

I love a good dive bar. Seriously, I make a point of finding them everywhere I end up; be it San Francisco, San Juan (yes, there are dive bars in San Juan), or Dublin, I like nothing more than finding a stool in a rundown joint serving up cheap beer, full of local characters (to be fair though, what's not to love). Boat Bar is no exception, it was love at first pint (insert cheesy sitcom joke music here). Honestly the only reason it's taken me so long to write a review of this gem of a dive, is that I normally can't remember being in here (far and away one of my favorite night cap bars in Brooklyn). Walking up to Boat Bar, you'll notice the row of red nautical themed lights a-calling you in. listen to them. Especially listen to them if it's between 5-8, as you'll find some of the best draft beers you could ask for being served for 4$ a pint (we're talking Sixpoint Bengali, and Blue Point Toasted Lager). Once inside, you'll be struck by the wonderful rundowniness that is characteristic of all great dive bars: The place is old. And dirty. And I love it. If you make it in early enough, you'll have your choice of a 70's style chair by the window, it's equally old counterpart at the bar, or a few benches in the back. If I had to choose, I'd pick the bar, but only because I like being as close to the source as possible (this also affords me the opportunity to get to know the bartender, another of my favorite pastimes). The jukebox is broken these days, but you can still play a round of tabletop pacman, people watch, or drink yourself into a coma for a really reasonable price (you know, the classics). This place is a must visit; come here to wrap up a solid night of drinking on Smith for one of the best night cap spots in the borough. read more

Boat Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This is the fun bar. The one with cheap, strong drinks. The one where you go with a group. The one with the good jukebox. The one with Buck Hunter. The one where you can get sloppy. The one with the good happy hour 'til 8 pm ($3 beers!). The one where you could have the best Tuesday night of your life. The one that can get way too loud on the weekends. The one where you can run up a tiny tab, and they don't get mad. The one where you left your tab open like an asshole. The one where people don't get pissed at you for knocking their drink over, they just laugh in your drunken face and then you become best friends for life when you buy them a new one. read more

Wow, I thought I knew Smith St. and all the regular places to drink, but once again, my mentor/guru shows me a place I didn't know about. Apparently, Boat Bar has been here well before the area was considered hip and cool. We've been stumbling around BoCoCa for the evening, eating dinner, attending a holiday party, and this is the third stop of the night and it's not even 11pm. I enjoy simple places with decent ambiance and good beers. Decor is rather interesting. There's one mannequin leg hanging from the wall, and the lights in here are all different colors, dimly lit, reminds of modern day brothel lighting? Drinks are fabulously cheap, you can't even get those prices at happy hour in Manhattan. We've been drinking quite a bit all night, and we aren't spring chickens anymore, time to slow down. We both settle on Blue Point Toasted Lager ($6/pint), solid every time. There was a Ms. Pac Man cocktail table and I was tempted to play, and maybe I will the next time I come here... Nice way to end the evening, having a beer with a kindred spirit, the place helped to make my weeknight wonderfully fun and fulfilling. read more

After a recent Yelp event Julia B and I decided to head out on Smith Street for a little bar hopping. Not looking for anything major on a Thursday night we were just looking for a spot to grab a cheap beer. Boat Bar fit the bill. Dimly lit Brooklyn dive bar. Cheap beer on tap. No flat screens. Good jukebox. Big Buck Hunter. Graffitied bathroom. Little toys, Pez dispensers, and assorted nick-knacks on the shelves behind the bar and on the walls. Seating in the front and in the back. I guess you could call this a no-frills dive. Mellow, no pretension, and to the point as it does not try to be projecting any kind of an image other than saying "come in here and drink". Pretty decent beer selection on tap - Anchor Steam, Blue Moon, Lagunitas IPA, Brooklyn, Kelso, Blue Point, Genesse Cream Ale, and Six Point Sweet Action - all in the $5-$6 range for a pint. Heck, Genesse was $3 a pint! Some domestics, imports, and cider in bottles ranging $3-$5. Cheapie cheap! I think if I was here for happy hour I would end up blackout drunk! When we walked in it was fairly empty around 11pm and the bartender was nowhere to be found. Some guy at the bar said she went out to smoke. I guess she trusted the regulars in there. When she came back we quickly got our beers and engaged in deep but fun conversation. We were told if we want to run a tab it is a two drink minimum. Hey, no problem! We were in no rush, and we were thirsty! Sixpoint Sweet Action for the win! Cider for Julia. Life is good. read more

My last review was over a year ago, and I just wanted to pop-in and say that Boat has become a regular spot in my bar life. (Notice, I'm not saying, "I've become a regular at the bar." That would suggest I have a problem. And, I don't. I really really don't, okay? Just ... just ... stop it.) Anyway, this place is better than ever. It's been looking cleaner and cleaner lately. Cleared, near-sparkling counters, and orderly chairs and tables, with always-clean sofas, etc in the back. And I love all the soft red lighting. Just really warm and welcoming. Cozy, if you will. My lack of a star last time was due to a less-than-enthused staff, but more often than not, there are smiles upon entering nowadays. Here, here! read more

I went in for a couple of drinks on a casual night, and it's a great no frills place to just sit. Also, whenever I go past with my dog, they have fresh clean water out on hot days. One of the (owners?) even put some ice cubes in it the other day. Anywhere my dog likes is good for me. read more

There's 1 bar tender in there that's a real Prick! He buys this kid a drink Last night then throws it out and gets mad at the kid for asking for another one once he notices the drink is gone... he proceeds to Yell at the kid calling him out for asking for a drink. He Made everyone in the bar feel uncomfortable... real Douche bag! Even made me feel bad! I won't be going there ever again! 1 Star!! read more

Dive bar is an apt description. They have: -Buck Hunter (but not HD) -Metallica pinball -a broken credit card machine -an ATM by the bathroom. -gin drink specials -uncomfortable but cozy booths -loud music read more

I want to say how much I appreciate a good (reasonably attentive) bartender on a Monday night, three working pinball machines, decent but not obnoxiously loud music, and most of all: a fucking beer list I can understand and order from without pondering and pondering. Make no mistake, I appreciate an obscure craft brew as much as the next hipster, but was super relieved to see good, plain beer listed here, good booze for shots (displayed super clearly in a well-arranged array of varied, yet not overbearing bottles), clean bathrooms, straightforward vaccine requirements, etc, etc. TLDR: damn solid bar, smartly run, can't wait to get back here. read more

I keep finding new reasons to like Boat. This is what I had: 1. Cheap drinks 2. Strong cheap drinks 3. Friendly bartenders 4. Plenty of seating 5. Fireplace 6. Jukebox 7. Bathroom graffitti 8. Overall ambience 9. Low CC minimums and then yesterday I find out that every Sunday is "art day", where they set out a bunch of art supplies so you can let your inner drunken Picasso flag fly. And then they hang up all your drunk art on the walls. So make that #9. read more

Boat Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

To quote another recent reviewer: "When the fuck did Boat start employing juvenile angry little pieces of trash like this girl? Im glad shes (apparently) gone, but she also disappointed as said she is only getting transferred to one of their other bars. So.... guess that's the last time I'll visit boat or any of their establishments. Disgusting." That about sums up my experience tonight. Idiot, immature bartender who ignored me and my friend for at least 10 minutes when we sat down Once we finally got her attention, she said she didn't know how to make a margarita, and acted like it was a burden to be asked. Then my friend negotiated tequila on the rocks with some salt, and she shrugged and walked away -- without asking what I wanted -- to stuff her mouth with some food and chat up some other people at the opposite end of bar, showing zero effort toward making the one drink we managed to order. After about 5 minutes, I walked down to add my drink -- a bourbon on the rocks, and she looked as if I had asked her to kill herself. I finally was just like, nuff attitude and asked if it was a problem to make our drinks or did she prefer to toss around annoyed looks. At this she point she was highly offended, and I said, well, you've been ignoring us for like 15 minutes. And she maturely came over to where we were sitting and said, oh, you want to see what ignoring you looks like, and stood in front of us -- mind you, this is the first time she had been to our end of the bar the whole time; she didn't come over to us as my friend had to shout her drink order from 5 feet away -- and said I can just look at you and ignore you all night. At this point, it was obvious she was drunk. I told her she was acting like a child and was bad at her job and she started screaming, do you hear that everyone, I'm bad at my job. Anyway, suffice to say, she was an unprofessional, moronic clown, and I've never seen such behavior from a bartender in new york. I've been going to Boat since it opened and have probably spent 1000s of dollars in the joint, but as long as they're employing children, I'd be hard-pressed to go back. read more

Love this bar, one of my favorites, especially in my neighborhood. It's a total dive but it's comfortable and cheap and those are two magic words in my book. Sadly they used to have pinball and they no longer do. They still have pacman, golf, and buckhunter in addition to a small selection of board games. The real reasons to come here are the laid back friendly atmosphere, the lounge area in the back with couches and an electric fireplace, and the prices. All beers and well drinks are $3 until 8pm, every day of the week. We're not just talking Bud Light here, this is one of the best drink deals in the city. After 8 drinks are reasonable at $4-6. Skip the more sleek but pretentious Camp next door and come here. They outside of the bar isn't marked, just look for the blue lights, it's on the same block as the Bergen St F/G stop, you have no reason not to come here. read more

What a great dive on Smith. Dive? Punk bar? Whatever you want to call this place, it's f***ing awesome. Unmarked exterior, dark interior, KILLER jukebox. Where do I sign? I've been here, ahem, a lot. A Jameson and a Genesee'll set you back all of $9...and they're often served to you by an attractive woman with tattoos and sometimes even a smile. Points. This place can certainly get busy, but it's rarely loud or crazy, just...busy. However, I can say that the busy times are usually later in the evening on Fridays/Saturdays (like, midnight - 2a) so get here early, grab a seat at the bar and bring cash (they recently started accepting cards, but I like the cash-only feel so screw it, there's an ATM by the well-graffitied bathrooms). This is a secret gem on the street of Smith. Go, bring a friend, but don't tell everyone. read more

Boat Bar is a no frills spot in which you can make your own frills in. No fancy cocktails or fancy decor. They got beers, liquor, an maybe some low brand wine if you dare ask. Oh but a jukebox and pinball, definitely down for the pinball. It's been a neighborhood staple for a bit and I hope it lasts. I've had memories here and may have lost someone as well. You should make some here as well. read more

As we walked out of this bar after a bad experience, the bartender (I think his name was Dan) shouted at us to "write a yelp review" so felt compelled to write one. When we walked in, one of our group waved at a second bartender (which he knew) and Dan thought we were trying to get his attention and got offended for flagging him down, which was kind of strange but we thought we had apologized and explained what had happened. Weird thing to apologize for but we tried. When we went to order a second round, he brought the waving thing up again and before we could really explain (again) Dan was refusing us service and actually took my beer. With no other choice we left instead of getting that second round. Things escalated very quickly. It was such a bizarre experience and won't be going back to this place again. read more

Boat Bar was a place that we recently visited while we waited for another bar to open up. It's a small place that appears to be VERY retro. The chairs and tables in the front looked like they were straight out of the 70s (not that I was around then but I've seen photos). Behind the bar are string lights. There is a chalkboard that lists the beers on tap, as well as the happy hour prices. CHEAP happy hour, which is always appreciated. The only issues I had with this place were 1) the door doesn't close unless you close it behind you (this made for some chilly moments) and 2) it's VERY dark in here. read more

Not sure I get the hype surrounding this place. I love a good dive, but this one seems to be filled with pretentious folk as opposed to the usual nice neighbors. But at least the beers are cheap! Bartenders don't seem too friendly either, if you want better service/cheap drinks go to Henry's during happy hour just down the street. read more

My friend and I walked in last night and we both immediately loved the vibe of the place. It reminded us of some bars back home. That's where the good stops though. When the bartender finally came up to us, my friend ordered a beer and I ordered a soda water (which never showed up). She freaked out when we ordered and asked to see our IDs. We both turned 21 earlier this year and look young so it's not uncommon for us to get carded when others aren't. I'm assuming because my friend ordered a beer and I ordered soda water that she only freaked out on my friend but proceeded to SCREAM at her saying she needs to see a secondary ID with the same name on it. My friend happily complied and pulled out her debit card. While screaming at her, she called my friend "so dumb," "stupid," and others. I was so shocked and couldn't believe she was actually yelling. It was later in the night and I could tell she was visibly drunk but the way she treated us for our age was ridiculous considering we were actually 21 and not using fake IDs. It was frankly super embarrassing since the bar was packed as well. It was super ridiculous and I never did get my soda water. After about 20 minutes, I finally got her attention again and ordered a beer. read more

Peter D. had it all right. Intimate in a friendly way not 1st-nature to these here parts Good and affordable Beyond the above? I had to ask the name, and that's both fun and cool, though irrelevant. There is a good tap rotation. Most importantly, people were having a good time, myself included. And that right there, is good business. Well done, Boat Bar. See you again soon. read more

Common theme with a lot of these reviews: the woman bartender is drunk, while at work, while handling the businesses money and liqour assets. She is supposed to be the responsible one. Man, these owners truly don t care if they don't get rid of her and fix their image. read more

Tonight I asked the bartender if he knew how to make a grasshopper, he told me he wasn't going to make anything and then said "are you even 21" when I told him I was 22 he responded "it shows" and walked away. read more

I was looking for a good dive bar to just relax and chill before meeting some friends in Williamsburg and this was a perfect place. Perfect dive bar decor, grungy, a bit dirty, old school pin ball machines. Cheap drinks at happy hour but so good. Love it! read more

Solid dive with a round-the-clock shot and a beer deal. Arcade games in the front, pool table in the back. Always an interesting mix of people as well, and the bartenders have always been welcoming. read more

Um, so where do I start... I'm pretty sure this is a nice bar and everything but I feel like it's a bar for maybe just guys or people who've been coming here for 20 years. Right from the time we entered, the bartender made me feel like we didnt belong here. So here's the thing, I'm not this classy lady coming from the suburbs or anything. I just cant drink beer because I have a gluten intolerance. I wish I did love beer but sadly my body doesnt agree with it so if I come to dive bar and ask for something other than a beer, I dont think I should be snubbed for that. My sister ordered a beer anyway. Also we were two women who over came here after a long walk to the park. We felt that they wanted us gone cause we didnt have a guy accompany us. I asked for the menu to see if they had any non beer options and the bartender got pissed. He told me he had no menus. That's fine, maybe I'm ignorant because I dont know how this bar works and I apologize. I've lived in New York City for over a decade and this is not the first time I've been to a dive bar. The bartender complained and fussed about me to the two customers sitting 2 seats next to me in the bar counter that I asked for a freaking menu. That is so not cool dude. We tried to be friendly to the bartender and asked him about the polaroids in the bar, he quickly gave us the history and rushed to stand next to his regular customers. In my experience bartenders are usually chatty, patient and nice. I've been in Brooklyn a long time and everyone has always been nice. He just gave my sister the impression that Brooklyn sucks, now she ll always ask me to come to the city. I'm not sure if they wanted us gone because we were brown, or two women coming alone, or we arent regulars or maybe the bartender was shy but I've never felt more unwelcome ever in Brooklyn. Im hoping that it was due to the last two reasons. This is New York City where everyone who's anyone is welcome anywhere. The 3 stars was because the drinks were huge, strong and good but I wont be coming here every again. read more

Ahhh, I do adore a good little dive so this little spot made me do a happy dance. Nothing exceptional but the neighborhood dive vibe is alive and well here-they have 2 pinball machines in the back which I totally loved. The bartender who helped me out-I didn't catch her name but she had a lovely accent and short dark, curly hair. She was kind enough to offer my husband and I a taste of drafts she suggested after we told her our beer preferences. Prices were EXTREMELY reasonable. I nearly fell out of my chair when we closed our tab at the end of the night! Seating is a bit too scuffed up in the back-I like a good, loved and worn couch but the one here is basically being held together by duct tape. I think if they can shell out some $ for a new old couch, it'd be awesome. Happy drinking! read more

The bartenders at this bar are just great. I go on all different nights. Its a great dive bar that is welcoming to all in the community. Its dark, a bit grimey and touched with graffiti. There's lots of wood and dark wooden furniture. It is dark in there in general. The clientele is ecclectic. There is no single type of client in this place. That is what makes it cool. Different social types all interacting with each other. What could be more quintessentially Brooklyn. Nearby there are some good eateries. Come give this joint a try and you might run into me there. read more

[Cue me sporadically bursting into (quietly) singing The Lonely Island's "I'm on a Boat," featuring T-Pain. (sorry about the swearing, mom.)]* There are no airs at this bar and this is why I love it here. Well, that and the world's nicest bartenders work behind the bar. I don't think I'd sprawl out too comfortably on the couches though, because who knows when they've last been cleaned. But, isn't that part of the charm of a dive bar? Yes. A group of us wandered over here on a Friday night after midnight and it wasn't crowded at all. As others have previously noted, the jukebox is legendary. Seriously. It's as if your best friend made you a mix tape (aw, I miss those!). My friend M. and I got dizzy while tilting our heads reading all the various scrawled song titles on these mostly mix cds. We had fun singing** Billy Bragg's "Greetings to the New Brunette" and ending the evening (sadly saying goodbye to my friend M. who lives in Europe) serenading each other with the Smiths' "Half a Person." Aww. Good friends + cheap drinks + Boat Bar = good memories. *Really, look it up on you tube. I did the hand gestures and everything. No, this joke didn't get run into the ground by me and my friend J. No, because I *never* do that. (sarcasm duly noted). **And no, my friend and I were not the douchebags who drink and sing loudly at the top of our lungs much to the chagrin of the other patrons. We are the quiet drunks who sing quietly. read more