Great Place to hear live music! The staff is very professional and pleasant. The food and alcohol is pretty good for the prices they charge

I bought tickets for a concert at Drom and we showed up not aware that everyone in the group needs to be over 21. I understand that this is a bar and I understand the need to be strict, but the treatment of the staff was so hostile and degrading that we left very disappointed. I was super excited, but after this experience I would never go back. read more

Not bad for a small club in NYC the food was ok the service was pretty good. I'd probably go back.

I don't know who the people on Yelp are who like this place (as their sticker proudly proclaims on the door) are but it's certainly not me or my husband. We went this evening to see one of their events (a comedy/burlesque show that was apparently the inaugural event of the group that had it). My criticisms here will be limited to the venue vs. the performance. For one thing, my standards on such matters are much higher than that of the average person. I also believe those criticisms should be directed elsewhere. Despite this being a one star review, there were a few good things about this place: the lighting and general decor (dark & dim, which was fitting for a show themed around burlesque & "nerd comedy"). They also had a decent sized stage that seemed to be a decent space for your average band. I also noticed that when I walked in, they did have a basket of condoms available to take. A business that is cognizant of and encourages safe sex does get some points with me. I also did not encounter the truly horrendous service or treatment I read about in previous reviews, though I fully prepared for it. However.... I did not appreciate the mandatory policy of getting food if you wanted to sit at a table (which I'd been told over the phone only applied if you reserved a table). First off, there was almost NO ONE there. I understand those policies being present if paying customers are coming in & you need the space but...there simply weren't any. What the hell?!?!? Later in the show, the host even said "Hey, come sit at the tables so you can be closer to the performers." I commented to my spouse that if we weren't being extorted to sit there, then we would. We were relegated to the bar when we refused to order food there & were pressured to order. Thankfully, the bartenders did not pressure us to order drinks. Why, you might ask, did we refuse to get food there? There was no sanitation grade posted. I grew up in NC & live by the ethic that if you're not posting a sanitation grade, it means I'll be taking my life in my hands if I eat your cuisine. No, thank you! If it's not an A, I'm NOT eating there & I don't care if my purchase alone makes the difference between your going out of business that night or having enough money to pay your rent. I also HATE places that put mandatory gratuity on their menu, regardless of how many are in your party. That tells me the server is not going to give me good service & will slack off. At best, it says to me that they only consider themselves worthy of that minimum & even if they go above and beyond, there's no incentive to give them any more since they've already got 18% out of me (which is not below average by any means) just for showing up. Considering prior reviews of this place on food, service, high pricing & the lack of tap water, I had no interest in buying a piece of bread here. I would never give 18% or even 2% for the bad service I read about in previous reviews & I would dare any manager to try making me tip for bad or nonexistent service considering it's illegal to arrest or detain anyone for refusing to tip in NY state. Second, I don't feel the venue supported these performers. As the show was nearing the end and I assume a band playing later arrived, the place got louder behind us with people from this show and presumably others arriving to see the band. I saw no effort by employees to make loud talkers shut up & give those performing on stage some basic respect. As someone who knows professional performers, it really ticks me off to see people who most likely have less talent than a piece of white paper talking over stage performers others have paid good money to see. While I didn't personally experience the base service I read about, I would not return to this venue due to the questionable sanitation grade & policies designed to make the patron feel unwelcome. If I wanted to feel unwelcome, I could just go hang around some fat women with low self-esteem. read more

The band gets 5 stars, they were amazing. This review's for the actual venue. Located in the LES with plenty of street parking, which was great. One star for that. Also tickets were only $10. Woot. However, the show didn't began at 9 pm and they made everyone wait outside, which was sort of a mess. The security guard was super nice however. That's where they get another star from. The problem with the wait also is that it bleeds into the wait of those waiting for the sushi restaurant right on top of DROM. They took those who bought tickets already and were supposed to be waiting at "will call". What happened was someone with a printed out list went through and checked each person into the concert one-by-one, which took a while. Then we ended up waiting outside until 9:30 pm so doors weren't open until then. My one friend was told over the phone a few months ago, she had a table. Yet when we called to change the reservation, we were told tables were first come, first serve. When the waitress came out to let people in, it was completely disorganized. We were up front and center but she put some "friends" in front of us, who proceeded to let OTHERS jump in front of us. The waitress / hostess told us that it's no longer 2 item minimum for tables but instead 3 item minimum. So ...she made that new rule right then and there out of no where. Then she was very rude about how it better be alcohol or food because each person required a $10 minimum to sit down. Okay, maybe this should be organized neatly and informed to everyone prior?! My friends walked away and when I turned to ask them if they definitely wanted a table or not, the hostess snapped at me like I was wasting her time. So frack that, we opted to not get a table. The place packed up quickly. The bar's on the other end from the concert stage. There is really no sitting area unless you are far from the stage with not much of a view of the band. Beers start at $7. Pretty standard list. The bottle water I paid for was only a little colder than room temperature, which pissed me off a bit. Grr. The crowd itself was alright. Some dbags here and there. There was definitely some illegal drug activity in the crowd, which was a bit annoying. Thankfully, the band was out of this world and I had fun watching them (even if they came on stage 50 minutes later than they were scheduled to perform). read more

The 2011 NY Gypsy Festival here! A friend was having a birthday celebration here and the band playing was Montreal-based SoCalled. It is a mix of hip hop/funk/puppets/gypsy. It was high energy music and I found myself shaking my bon bon to the grooves. I had an awesome time. The venue itself is spacious and can accommodate 350 people. They book a wide variety of shows and DJ sets. I am so bummed that I just missed DJ Rekha's Bollywood Disco set. They have great artwork on the wall and the gin and tonic I had was stolid. I would love to come back and see the Tarantella gypsy show. Who doesn't love being bit by the spider? read more

Went here last night for an event. Good size,no seating. Staff decent enough. Sound system very good. I don't drink. I bought a small bottle of water. $5.00.... No,so sorry bartender...I was not able to tip after that.... I'd already paid $25.00 to get in... It wasn't a $25.00 club or event. $10-15.00!would have been more reasonable...... Would I go back? Probably not. read more

Apparently asking for tap water (after buying multiple drinks) is not allowed according to their bartender. They aggressively refused us water and charged a $9 minimum for a bottle. The venue wasn't even busy. Insane bootlicking behavior read more

Well, I can't give more than two stars for this place, even though the group I was there to see was the excellent Hazmat Modine. It was the first night of the Gypsy Music Festival, and they were preceded by a very good combo called Sway Machinery. Because there was some confusion as to when Hazmat Modine would start, I got there for the 8 PM set; naturally, they went on at 9. I had run there from my volunteer job with my packages and had to stand for an hour with nowhere to put them; in fact, I got dirty looks from people because I wouldn't set them on the floor. I wasn't about to order food, simply because I hadn't seen the menu and didn't feel like paying $15 for a green salad; all the tables appeared to be reserved anyway. I don't drink, although I suppose I could have gotten water from the bar. I didn't want to miss their set, and wasn't in the best mood when they finally took the stage; because I was standing the whole time, I ended up leaving early. The last show I went to that I wasn't allowed to sit, I also had to go home early. Nothing personal, but I did pay the cover; why don't we get to sit? read more

DROM - Music Venues Near Me - New York, New York

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For Gypsy Fest this year, I decided to make dinner reservations in advance so that my friends and I can enjoy food and drinks during the show while sitting down. (They have a mandatory food policy at tables.) I made a reservation for a late dinner at 10pm for a show that starts at 11pm. A week later when I went back onto the event page to buy advance tickets, it turned out the show was canceled! When I had called Drom the week before, I specifically said I was going for a late dinner because of the show. When I called them to confirm whether the show was canceled, they said it was but there were tables for the show at 8pm which I gladly took. Why they didn't notify me about the cancellation is beyond me, but I didn't continue to question it when I saw how poor the service was during dinner. First off, 18% gratuity is automatically tacked onto your bill so the servers have no incentive on improving their service. Secondly, when their computers went down they stopped serving altogether. We couldn't understand why they couldn't use pen and paper until the computers came back on. Other minuses: They were out of manti but the two orders we asked for was left on our bill. It took an hour for our desserts to come out! If it wasn't for the performances (which were great, as usual), we would have left to go to any one of the hundreds of great eateries in this area. Next year, I'm just going to stand. read more

Fraud company, they cancelled an event and they didn't refund my tickets. They don't even answer my emails, I will start a formal complaint process soon read more

"WHO ELSE WANTS LIGHTER CAKE -- IN HALF THE MIXING TIME?" This is a definitely one of those quirky East Village places. And not in a good way, which is the same for a number of establishments around here. Some things don't change even as East Village has gentrified. Although for some reason, Velma's chest seems to become more pronounced over the years on Scooby-Doo. Saw an amazing artist here from Africa, with a really unique instrument. Really good, and that is the only reason this place is getting 2 stars. However, because of the incompetence at work here, only 5 other people watched this show besides me (and one of them was my date) The only redeeming characteristic about this place is the space itself. It is dark, decorative, and dramatic. It is salvageable. Unfortunately, the people here are not. The worst service. It took forever to get waited on. Terrible, unfathomably bad expensive drinks. My date ordered a recommended Cherry Bomb thingy and I ordered a dry, Tanqueray martini. Hers was sickly sweet cough syrup and mine was tangy and awful, like they had mixed sweet vermouth in a 2 to 1 ratio with the gin. If management is reading this, the bartender needs to be fired. The food was average for a club, but less than that for a restaurant. It was dropped off like laundry at our table, and never for the staff to return. The mandatory 18% gratuity is obviously needed as no none would ever tip. I can't believe that bars with this bad service and food actually exist in NYC. I would expect this bar to be in Ohio, 30 minutes outside of Cleveland. Really, really bad. I think my fellow Yelpers have been off their meds when reviewing this one. Perhaps they need to get out more. read more

Enjoy the nastiest bartender in the city at this sh*thole. I purchased tickets on the Drom Website to the Klezmatics for my husband's birthday. I opted for seating, which was $10 more per person without a note on the purchase page that actually to get seats, YOU NEED TO THEN PAY ANOTHER $20 PER PERSON MINIMUM to sit. So $40 plus tax and a minimum of 18% gratuity. I already paid extra for the seats but this was irrelevant. When I asked the manager/bartender if, since I couldn't afford another $50 for the evening, I could get a refund for the extra $20 I paid for the seating I wouldn't take, she said NO, IT'S SOLD OUT. TOO BAD. So we stood while the drunkards behind us were louder than the band and dancing in a circle into us. Not the bar's fault for the inebriated group, but also no one gave a crap about anyone other than to keep people liquored up and bucks filling pockets. Drom needs to indicate the minimum price on their purchase page. Beware. Will never be back. read more

It's a good place. We sat near the stage and the sound was great. Food is a bit overpriced and not very good, which is expected I guess. Service was good too. read more

What a shitty place. Our event was supposed to start at 10pm, doors didn't open until 10:35, the performer Teoman didn't come on stage until 11:35pm. After intermission a group of idiot 21year old girls shoved their way in front of me and my husband. I asked the girl to please step aside because we've been there the last hour and a half. She pushed me, I got the bouncer and he did nothing. They proceeded to push my husband and knock Into him as hard as they could. Thank god this all happened in the last 3 songs, I didn't have to deal with their nonsense for too long. The bathrooms were filthy and I paid $18 for 2 freakin beers. WORST VENUE EVER read more

After our initial Valentine's day plans fell through, I bought last minute tickets to catch "The Love Show" at Drom. I'd never been here before and had never seen a burlesque show before but I didn't have too many options left so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. The place was spacious. For a burlesque show you gotta spread out the chairs a little bit so that the dancers have space when they come on to the floor. I would say there were about 80 people in attendance, with lots of standing room to spare. Thankfully it didn't smell contrary to what you may read in some of the other reviews. I do think depending on what event you're attending, this place could be a hit or miss. We'd already had dinner so we simply got an order of fries to munch on. They were cut super thick and void of any seasoning....basically they weren't good but at $7 a pop we finished the whole basket with the assistance of 2 huge ramekins of ketchup. The service in general was okay. The waitress was friendly and for the most part kept checking on us. Though I got the feeling the management here isn't too keen on organization. The show started a half hour late and there was some confusion about how people were to be seated. There is a coat check in here for $2 when you enter. I suggest you use it cuz they don't have spots inside for you to throw your coat on. The show itself was pretty good. Plenty of skin, singing and dancing all made for good entertainment. There was one girl in particular who had impressive moves and sick abs to boot. My wife and I kept staring....at her abs of course! I'm curious if the show was on par with what Drom usually brings in - if I see another interesting event here, I might just come back to satisfy my curiosity. We left right after the show and I think we got lucky with our experience. The love gods took mercy on me that night. read more

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The waitress was rude, the food was greasy, and the fruit salad wasn't fresh.

Let's just make a preamble: the place is nice and cute, and the show we attended was a lot of fun. Hence, the extra star is due to that. Because quality of service and of food/drinks were definitely worth one star only. First off, we were told that there was a "minimum two drinks per person" on the top of the ticket cost, then this thing changed to a "$20 minimum per person". First and foremost, though, we ordered fries and we basically never received them. After 30 mins, I ask to the waiter, and he tells me "no problem". After another 30 mins, and me wondering where the fries were, I get looked at with an attitude and he says "are you kidding me? We brought you TWO buckets of fries!". Before losing my patience, he doesn't even take the time to apologize and sends us the long desired food, more than one hour after. Cherry on top, I wanted to leave a lower tip but no - apparently (on the top of the ticket, minimum per person and bad service) there was a 18% minimum gratuity charged for a PARTY OF 2! Sad I won't be back because the shows and venues are nice, but service is really terrible. read more

Came here for a concert on Saturday night.  We had to wait outside in the cold for a good hour plus before going in, even though we were there when the concert was said to begin.  The interior is really nice.  Although it looks like it going to be dark going in, the ceilings are actually quite high and the place feels spacious for being a basement.  The lighting is perfect and the sound quality is also pretty good.  The bar area is also really nice and lit up well.  I enjoy the entry area because it creates a space where people can take a break or talk, without leaving the venue. The artist I saw was Teoman, a Turkish singer. read more

DROM - Music Venues Near Me - New York, New York

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I am totally up for paying a premium price for a premium place but those two things do not coexist at this spot. I've visited several times, unfortunately the bartenders aren't warm at all whether is packed or empty, the place always smells slightly old or musty and the female manger, or whoever it is that is the rude one acting in charge.... man oh man..... After a night of dancing, my friend and I are standing not too far away from the stairs that lead to the entrance of Drom, where the female manager comes blazing out only to yell and degrade the homeless man that was sitting quietly near the staircase / not in the way nor was he bothering anyone. After she berates him, belittles him and essentially calls him every demeaning name under the sun, she proceeds to go next door into the pizza shop to advise them to never give this homeless man food. To where they just stare at her bewildered. There's definitely a theme at this establishment where leading with kindness is not their motto Won't be returning nor would I ever recommend this place. read more

I'd rather eat cat fish out of a sewer than come to this venue again - rude staff. Even if Zoe Kravitz invited me herself I still wouldn't come. Do better! read more

I've come here twice for Schtick a Pole in it. The show (comedy and pole dancing) is great but I wish they picked a different venue. It's $25 cover at the door, and there's a minimum 2-item order. The food is so overpriced. I got a kale Caesar salad that was $14, which was basically a few unchopped kale leaves and some pieces of tomatoes sprinkled with parmesan, no even croutons. We also got the $12 avocado toast that was a SINGLE PIECE of toast. Wtf is that?!? And they automatically include a 18% service charge for a party of two. Who does that? Just rude. read more

I came here for a live podcast. It's a fine event space but there are some things I'd do differently. The space between tables is sort of small making it difficult to maneuver during the show (to go the restroom, perhaps?). The cocktails are fine but the wine glasses are very small. It'd be comparable to a champagne flute. I had sparkling moscato in the pic. My experience was worsened by a waitress named Magdalena. I ordered the quesadilla, it came to my table cold. I asked her to warm it. The taste of it was still not good even after the warming. I asked her to send it back and take it off my bill, she told me no. After speaking with a manager, the quesadilla was removed from my bill and Magdalena proceeded to ask me if I was STILL going to pay for the food! I ordered another cocktail instead. When she brung it to me, she slammed it on the table. If the 18% gratuity wasn't automatically added to the bill, she wouldn't have gotten a tip from me AT ALL. Pro-tip: eat before you go. read more

DROM - $12 glass (looks more like a mini champagne flute) of sparkling moscato. - Music Venues Near Me - New York, New York

What an excellent venue for NYC bands. The ambience, the sound system, exposed brick, big bar and stage made for a terrific atmosphere to take in some music. The food though, was Unremarkable. It was standard bar fare but pricier. And, I don't know why but the night I went, there was a band and virtually no one in the audience. I felt bad for the band. Don't they promote the artists? I give them thumbs down for failing to get an audience in the room for that fantastic band. I did like the old fashioned photo booth-- hat was fun. read more

Suppose to be on 1st Tier which means I paid the top price and suppose to be right across from the stage according to their layout. However I was seated on the upper stage and side view. I don't like dishonesty. They should of offer partially my money back but now they got this one stat instead However the food was amazing and now waiting for the amazing singer. read more

While the drinks weren't too expensive and the floor space for live music was large. The sound was also good. And good wasn't so bad. But the bartenders seriously took advantage of the patrons. I opened a tab, gave my credit card and ID as requested. But when I closed out my tab, it had a spot for a gratuity. But it was not indicated to me that a gratuity was ALREADY added. So I was tricked into double tipping. The next night I returned for night two of the two night event. I asked for an itemized receipt after they ran my card and the bartender handed me a receipt which the prices didn't match the amount ran on my card. The bartender also took the pen and scratched out information about the gratuity being added so I would add more. Im read more

I have been coming to Drom for over ten years. I have seen excellent shows, and the manager was exquisite. Everything changed! The last two times, it was a terrible experience. The behavior towards the customers was unpolite and very rude from the service and the manager. They overcharged me without reason. The waitress didn't show at our table for 2 hours, and they decided to charge extra. The wine selection is undrinkable. I even didn't try the food. Unfortunately, if they don't change the service and manager, that place is intolerable. So sorry for the owner and the work they have been doing over the last years, but they will not recover if they continue being so unpolite with the customer, and I will add toward the own team. read more

Solid! The space is large enough for a few hundred and the dance floor is just separated enough from the seating areas so it's easy to take breaks or chat. Gritty romantic vibe. Great sound quality and the sound is even throughout the venue. No hassle at the door, no dress code, you do you, quick service from bartenders. Fills the gaping hole in my heart from Webster Hall's closure. +100 points for the DJ playing moombahton! read more

What do you Mean you RAN OUT OF PLATANOS???? Ok so let me set the scene. I will preface this by saying that the band was amazing and that is the only reason why I gave the venue 2 stars instead of none at all (if that were possible). I went here last Friday night to see Cuban Jazz with Cuban Pianist Jorge Luis Pacheco with guest star Jose "Pepito" Gomez around 8:30pm. This venue is in a basement in Alphabet City and really gave you the old "LES Dirty feel" of seeing live music in NYC (in a good way). We went downstairs and got seated in the WORST place ever!!! I mean, I could see the band if I could see through the huge support beam in front of my face. Not to worry (sarcasm), the mirror behind the bar served nicely to let me see the band through its reflection. Plus I guess they were trying to save some money on the air so they left the door open...... FREEZE...... ummmm thanks.... Logistics! This is a huge component of any venue. Who thought it would be a good idea to have staff running around in between the support beam and my table to and from the kitchen? Queue the scene of bus boys running by me with huge buckets of dirty dishes over my head.... Not Cute. Also venue......tell your staff to stop knocking into the tables and chairs........ I counted 4 table spills (thankfully not mine) and at least 12 people annoyed. Also train your staff! 9 people coming to my table trying to take away my half consumed club soda so that my friend has to purchase another one, not ok. Now to the worst part. The ticket purchased said "Latin Dinner includes Rice & Beans, Roasted Chicken, and Sweet Plantains". When we got our food and while it was a pretty ample portion we noticed something shocking.......... there were no plantanos... Weird right? So I asked the server it they would be served separately. He seemed to stumble over his English so I switched and asked him in my Colombian Spanish. Immediately he told me that we were not going to be getting any. Ummmm........ why? He told me that the earlier show ate them all but that he could give me salad. What do you mean you RAN OUT OF PLATANOS???? Ok. Couple of things wrong here. #1). I'm Colombian, don't promise me platanos and then don't deliver. That is the best part of the meal. Plus, you waited until I NOTICED a 1/3 of my promised meal was missing and I asked before you said anything? #2). Are you kidding me? The show was pre-purchased, you are telling me that management can't count how many dinners were ordered for the earlier performance and the 8pm and compensate accordingly? #3). If you are going to skip on the best part of the meal ensure the rest of it is good. The chicken was dry and disappointing and the rice and beans were ok. Now the MUSIC! That was truly great. Guest star Jose "Pepito" Gomez was really wonderful to listen to and the rest of the band played beautifully! We had a great time listening to the performance. Even in a bad venue, the company is what really makes the night! read more

Ok, upon walking in I saw a "They Love us on Yelp" sticker on the door. Well, Drom, I HATE you on Yelp. Upon walking in, you are confronted with a small lounge with some cool couches in it, and one side of the bar. I liked the look of the place, but hey, don't judge a book by its cover. The main room has a tiny, instrument cluttered stage, the other side of the bar, a small lounge-y area up two or three steps, and some regular tables on the floor. If you're not willing to pony up some cash for the sanitation grade-less food, get used to standing or sitting at the bar. Even when the place is partly empty. Next we have the men's room. Just because your club has darkened lighting doesn't mean the bathroom should too. And the underlit, black painted closet-like toilet stall looks like a good place to be raped. Seriously, I expected some toothless rednecks to push me in and have their way with me. Also, if you're a performer at Drom, expect no respect. The next act was coming in as the one we went to see was ending, and they talked over him. Did the staff or waiters say anything? Nope! Bottom line: NEVER GO HERE. read more

**This Place is Everything That is Wrong with New York Today.** I was here once before for a show and be warned, you will be charged extra if you want to sit down. Really!! And the staff are not nice about informing you. So I just called to see about stopping by to get a ticket for another show and had such a frustrating conversation. The folks who pick up the phone talk in circles, barely speak English and act like you are bothering them by daring to call their place of business. And I found out (after asking three times) that there is no box office - you have to purchase your ticket online which includes a $5 fee! Oooh, I wonder if I get to breathe some extra air for my $5. I definitely won't get to sit down. That's asking way too much! Yes, I am being sarcastic, but this is all true. I am a lifelong New Yorker and I am actually embarrassed by this place. Reading the other reviews, sadly, I am not alone. read more

This is a tough review to write. I would give 5 stars for the amazing, out of this world talent that put on fantastic shows here. I always have and always will support art, especially music and dance. I love DROM for keeping this space open for the many talented people that come through NYC but this place itself is lackluster. DROM suffers from the same ailments of other lower Manhattan venues. Overpriced drinks with 2% alcohol. Poorly cooked food for insanely high prices. Customer service? Hmm hit or miss either way be prepared to have gratuity added to your bill. This is actually a place where the live entertainment is worth the cover. Most nights only cost $10 admission which is very reasonable. Although DROM fails in the restaurant department, I do highly recommend it to see live entertainment. I want to see this place remain available for NYC artists but they have to improve on their bar/restaurant service. read more

Went to Drom for a Cuban band and though the band was amazing ... Drom is lacking. There was supposed to be a buffet served but there was not much variety for the food. There were too many tables which really blocked the ability to get out their and dance which seemed to be confusing for what the point of the place should be. Finally one of the staff was SOOOO drunk that it was upsetting. He walked around the floor and ran into everyone in the process. For a straight show, this place could be good place to go (though over priced) but if you have any desire to move a bit, this is not the place to be. read more

1) I don't speak/understand Turkish 2) This is a Turkish bar/lounge that often has live Turkish music 3) The band was absolutely AMAZING even though I couldn't understand any of the words (since I don't speak Turkish) I'm also pretty sure I was the only person in there who wasn't singing along but the band was absolutely AMAZING. This place has a laid back atmosphere with AWESOME decorations. I forget what they were called but I had two AMAZING drinks...... one was some blue concoction served in a champagne glass, and the other was some mixed drink that had brandy and pineapple juice........ yummmmyyy. I'd def like to go back here again read more

SO BAD! Bad service, sketch neighborhood, let guests stand and wait in the cold wind for no reason, and the lights on the main stage went off unintentionally for what, like 5 times in an hour?! Gosh if Drom doesn't have the capacity and capability to organize a large live concert event, please don't. You guys are just ruining others lifetime to earn the dirty money. And fyi, I think you are lucky to have such amazing audience and amazing artists to be there. SHAME on you that this place sucks so much. Cuban food was okay just felt cheap, but they dare to overcharge so much for horrible drinks. anyways peace out, never again. read more

We waited 45 minutes for our bill, sent it back because it wasn't accurate, then were given a bill WITH GRATUITY INCLUDED (for our three-person table, and the first bill had not already had gratuity included... hmm) that they then OVERCHARGED our credit cards for. I called for a correction of the charge multiple times and emailed to no avail and am currently disputing through my credit card. So, poor service and a rip-off to boot! read more

Not unlike the Highline Ballroom, DROM is a dark, high-ceilinged place with multi-level seating to ensure a good view of the stage...in exchange for the crap food and blah drinks that they force you to buy, which is a TURN OFF no matter how awesome the event is that you're supporting that night. Again, I really believe establishments would double their revenue by simply presenting better offerings. The space is more intimate than the Highline Ballroom, though; like an eighth of the size. The pocket of elevated seating at the side of the stage is the way to go if you can beat the crowd there, but prepare for a bit of a neck ache from constantly turning to the side. If you can, turn your whole body to face the stage, not just your head. Saving grace here is perhaps the service. Quite friendly and not as desperately pushy as that of other forced minimum spots. I ended up drinking two bud lights for like twenty bucks (exaggerating only a bit) because it was the most economical way to fulfill my obligations to the establishment. By the way, my poor mom (who accompanied me to the show) left her really expensive prescription eyeglasses there...I don't fault the staff for not finding them, but DO find it inappropriate that they never ever ever answered her phonecalls. Even worse, when I called them mid day to try to help Mom out, they DID answer, and knew all about her messages! Girl on the phone said, "Oh, that woman who kept calling....yeah, we know about her." It's like (a) that "woman" is my mother, and you can call her Mrs. Jung, (b) if you answered just one of her fucking calls or the one message she left, she wouldn't have kept calling, and (c) if there's a small storytelling event with a small and trustworthy audience and a woman leaves her glasses there, how is it that those glasses of a particular prescription go missing by the next morning? They weren't even fashionable to the type of clientele who frequent this area of the city, so I doubt that they were stolen. I feel like the glasses are still on site, but DROM just hasn't gotten it together to do an earnest search. I'd go bust in there and rifle around myself, but...I don't want to go there again! Just like every other dank, underground (but not UNDERGROUND) bar along Aves A,B, and C, this is another spot that can wait to be visited. read more

This is one of the best live music venues in the Lower East Side. We went here a couple weeks ago to see the monthly Church show. When I arrived there was a mixed group of people smoking out front. Some of them were going to Drom and some of them were waiting to get into the Japanese spot on the ground level. The entrance is down a flight of stairs that looks questionable, but it's no more questionable than any other divey, underground LES spots. Once you get past the hostess, the space is very impressive in comparison the entrance. It a large live music spot with high ceilings, a decent dancefloor and plenty of places to sit. You have to order food and/ or drinks if you sit at one of the tables, but I like food and drink so that's not a problem. The crowd for Church is diverse in terms of age, race and sexual orientation. The music was an inspiring mix of funky electro classical hip hop jazz. I know it sounds weird, but it worked. The audio visual system was impressive, the energy in the room was good and the overall effect of the show was very moving. Drom creates a vibe that captures New York nightlife culture at its best. I highly recommend it. Have fun. G read more

I came here for LucidNYC, which is an event where there are few speakers who speak about things that matter to them, and people are supposed to meet each other and discuss. I enjoyed this space where it was held. It definitely didn't feel too formal and it had a more casual feel to it. The space is huge with high ceilings which you wouldn't expect since this is a basement space. You have to walk down a set of stairs outdoors to get to the entrance. For the first hour of the event, a jazz band was playing on stage while people were getting situated and ordering food and drinks. To sit in the lounge or at a table, there was a 2 order minimum per person. Luckily, from 7pm-8pm, it was still happy hour. So I ordered a $5 vodka cranberry. The people at my table ordered a brownie, and 2 sandwiches (one was the chicken panini and the other was the spicy beef panini). I wanted something more substantial to eat but once I saw what they got (they ordered before me) I didn't want to order it. The chicken panini was too cheesey and the beef panini "was street meat." The brownie with ice cream was alright. None of these things actually look appetizing, the sandwiches also didn't come with any type of sides (both were $14). Either way, I ended up ordering chicken wings ($10). Surprisingly, they were delicious. I ate all of it. It came in a bowl with a side of some type of spicy sauce and dressing, plus celery. The chicken wings were so crispy and crunchy. It was amazing. I was definitely happy with my order. read more

I was at Drom to see a friend's band. While the venue has that cool downtown vibe, the place is a rip! It's one thing to have a twelve dollar door charge, but you go in and what is it exactly are you paying for? Because the only seating is either in the lobby or off to the side; where you have to order a two drink minimum. So, you mean to tell me that to come in I have to shelve out 12 bucks, then spend another twenty bucks or so just to sit? What do they charge for using the rest rooms too? read more