I like this place a lot because it is by my apartment. It is the only inexpensive bar south of the bridge in that area. You can bring food and grill there, which is awesome. You can bring your dogs, which is important to me. It has a patio. The juke box is great. this is my new favorite hangout. read more

Standard place to grab a few beers and hangout with friends. They have pool and buckhunter and an above average jukebox. What separates this bar from some others is the great back yard. It never really gets too crowded which makes for a great laid back atmosphere. read more

This place was fun a few years ago. Not so much now. The place was dead and it was Saturday! The music sucked. I decided to give it three stars because the bartenders were nice and I used to have fun and it could have been a weird night. Minus 2 stars because TLC was playing. read more

I love it here. Granted, we come for the games of St.Pauli (the German Soccer Club located in Hamburg). The people there are always fun - haven't met a bartender there I didn't like. And there are 3$ PBRs on tap! (and other beers), and you can BBQ in the Backyard! All you have to do is ask, to make sure there is a grill available and be courteous enough to buy your drinks there. If you really want your own drinks (that special rose you have been wanting to try with Brats...), you can tip the bartender nicely and they might even keep it in their fridge for you Would I go all the way to Brooklyn for this if it wasn't for the games? Probably not. But every time I do go, it feels like coming to see friends! Wish it was closer to home! read more

This bar was quite satisfactory. The drinks were full flavoured and the service exemplary. The crowd was deeply engaging and eclectic .... and quite a number of random stories had me in cohorts, I would feel comfortable to recommend this establishment to all concerned with living life to the fullest. Ahoy read more

Kinda off the beaten path... the bar itself is ok... pretty cheaop They have a great out door patio which I really liked Also, They have a BBQ area which was kinda cool read more

This is a dive bar with lots of character. There is a disco ball to weird things up a little and the floor looks like it could do with some TLC so it stays firmly in the dive bar category. What wins me over is the inclusion of a pool table. You could do a lot worse when in Williamsburg. read more

so one day my roommate finally up and quit her job, after threatening to do so for about 2 months. clearly, a celebration was in order! after some furtive googling/yelping/city-searching, we stumbled across a bar with a crazy happy hour deal (something like, $2 beers, or whatever). it was in our neighborhood, so we sauntered over there. we arrived to an empty bar. a randar guy was standing outside smoking a cigarette (he turned out to be the bartender). my roommate whispered "no one is here, let's go." but i knew better. anytime you go to a bar and it's empty, you're practically guaranteed some kind of free drinks (you can quote me on that). the bartender told us to go inside and he would be with us in a minute. and that's where a lifelong friendship began. andrew (bartender) gave us so much alcohol starting at 6 pm, that I was literally still drunk in my 10 am meeting at work the next day. his friends all came by, and, while watching the state of the union speech, we played crazy drinking games which involved taking shots of tequila and beer. how much did this little endeavor cost us? $15 for the 2 of us. for about 7 hours of steady drinking. I can't guarantee prices like that for everyone, but this bar is CRAZY generous with free drinks (*note: one time i went there, and a random bartender i've never met gave me a free drink just because I had an Obama sticker on my bag) Basically, this bar is the chillest place ever. it's always a good place to chat with random people - all that free-flowing alcohol puts everyone in a great mood. always. it has a back patio, and once they hosted a food festival there! and, andrew is the nicest, coolest bartender I've ever met - so much so, that we now hang out with him in settings other than east river. seriously. go to this bar. drink lots. make friends. have fun. go home. repeat the next day. read more

When I'm in the mood for good music, laid back crowd, cheap drinks & a night of fun with close friends and no hassles this is my go to spot! I love East River Bar! I have worked and enjoyed the posh & happening nightlife scene in NYC for 6 years and I have to say the most fun I have ever had is at this low key dive spot in Brooklyn! Why do I love East River Bar? Well I'll tell you why! 1) It's a laid back bar you can dance the night away at! No strict rules, no pushing and shoving your way through crowds. The dance floor is all yours! And when I say dance the night away at I mean dance your ass off, bug out, act silly, bring back those old school moves..just let loose and have fun! 2) Mix Crowd, No Judging at all. You have your hipsters, locals, punk, posh, skaters, preppy, hip hop, young hot thangs, old smooth guys, geeks... everyone really 3) Huge outside area to lounge and enjoy great convo with friends 4) Great music! I've only came on Fridays but it's always something fun. One time it was reggae, another it was old school hip hop, 80's, FUNK! I mean..REAL GOOD MUSIC! (That is sometimes hard to find in NY, surprisingly) 5) Great group of regulars. Every time i go I make a new friend. Everyone is very laid back and welcoming. If you just want to entertain friends or maybe your on a first date and want a great place for convo, a dark spot you can cuddle in, bug out and dance, play pool, or enjoy a beer on the patio.. then this is your go to dive spot in Williamsburg. Free to get it, easy to get to and never overly crowded. You might even see me shaking my little tush on the dance floor. Petite Treat has moves ;o) read more

The plethora of perfect simple dive bars in Williamsburg is totally out-of-control. This place is a great example of just that. Nice outdoor space with BBQ and views of the bridge and smells of the dirty water. Perfect place to go when you just want a beer, def a neighborhood place. read more

This was a perfect spot for my friend's going away party last week. They have a large outdoor area with a grill, and if you bring charcoal and food you can grill away. The bar was fairly empty and we were able to take the space over. They have a good happy hour deal with $3 drafts until 8pm, and the music selection was great. Good spot, good times. read more

Honestly, This bar is hands down the go to place on any day!. I walk home usually stress free after the cheap affordable strong drinks i`ve had to forget a bad day i had at work, The crowd is mellow and just here to relax. Chris (one of the bartenders) is cool, down to earth guy. I really can`t ask for more. I wouldn`t really come on a weekend to party here because the weekdays are good for me, besides the fact that it`s not a party bar, All the outsiders come on weekends and it just doesn`t feel as natural and the laid back place i see it as, but deff try it! everyone has their days. It`s a local dive bar for me, nuff said! read more

Extremely chill and really fun. Spacious, cool crowd and cool bartenders. My friends openly smoked weed in the outdoor area, so if thats your thing, it seems like a perfect place to do it. Its a great area, I will be exploring much more of it very soon. read more

friday night is disco night at east river and i have to say, i enjoyed myself. the cheap beer is cheap (imho this is important!) company is chilled out and the garden hangout is a nice addition. i usually don't do anything in the 'berg just cause i can't stand the neighborhood's "too cool for school" attitude, but i was actually pleasantly surprised! also had a first date here which could be the reason i'm writing this positive review...?! yeah, it was a good night! count me in for another round! read more

a thing i like to do is walk home over the williamsburg bridge. now you may say, "molly! you live in greenpoint! isn't that a stupid thing to do?" well, fuck you for saying that cause i think it's fun. anyway, i like that you can peer down as you are coming down on the williamsburg side of the bridge and see into the back yard at east river bar. some fun random meetups with friends have been started with the following text; "i see you in the patio at east river!" read more

I've been here a few times, but recently had a bad experience. I will never come back here. The people who work here are extremely rude. I was served a drink in a disgustingly dirty cup and when I asked the bartender to make a new one, she refused. I showed her the part of the cup that still had someone else's lipstick on it and then she made a new one, but was so rude about it. Ive also seen the bouncer be really rude and aggressive with people. Not a place I feel comfortable going to anymore. read more

Well, the backyard was nice. Felt really organic (let's just... throw up a metal fence!) and everyone was buzzed in a good way, and the spring breeze was a-breezin', but man, once you step back inside you feel like you're in upstate New York (not in a quaint way, in a hick town way) and the beer is in plastic cups (no!) and the people there have horrible, horrible, painfully bad taste in music. So, not a place I would ever go out of my way to get to, by any means, but if someone is having a backyard birthday party there (my experience), it's okay for one or two drinks. Just ok though. read more

I need to offer a couple of disclaimers to start off this review. I used to come to the East River Bar years ago because a friend of mine from college bartended there and never charged us for drinks. That said, this bar has the friendliest group of laid back patrons I've ever encountered in Brooklyn. I remember chatting up some dude who had just moved to BK from Hawaii who was looking for a band to link up with. Told me some funny stories about the Hawaiian guys he had grown up with and then we probably drank some whiskey, split a cigarette and we went our separate ways. So, yeah, if you're in the neighborhood stop on by and chill out for a bit. You won't regret one bit. read more

Wish I could give zero stars. Came in here with three friends on a slow Friday night... only a couple of other people in the place. We seated ourselves outside for less than 5 minutes and the bouncer came over and told us to get out (he's a tall white guy with dreads). It was so random and he had such an odd affect that we thought he was kidding at first. So, we stayed. Then he came back less than a minute later and said to get out because we weren't drinking. On our way out (bc who tf stays after someone is so rude?), we told the girl bartending and she was not at all concerned. I'm wondering based on these other reviews if it's because I was there with a group of black and brown girls. Please deny this racist establishment any more income and enjoy any of the other amazing bars in the neighborhood. read more

Okay, I swear this bar is like a different bar every time I go. Nonetheless, I've enjoyed every time I've gone, I mean, come on, the DJ played The Cure, then Ashlee Simpson, then ODB? Everyone was dancing, and happy. Oh, did I mention the drinks? The drinks were mixed impeccably. The best whiskey sours I've ever had in Brooklyn was at East River Bar. I don't find myself usually this far down, but if I do, I like to check out East River Bar. read more

Terrible, rude old lady bartender ruined my otherwise wonderful evening on Wednesday. After looking at other reviews here, I see many other people have dealt with this person. Would not recommend to my friends and would not return here. read more

We had a work bbq here and it was tons of fun. Bartenders were extremely friendly - and we were able to chill out back grilling our food, looking up at the wburg bridge, and enjoying each other's company. Drinks are cheap, interior is spacious and dive-y enough to keep crowds away. I'd be back - especially for another afternoon using their grills. read more

The space is really spacious and very welcoming. I think they may have had video games, I know they had a pool table. There's a massive outdoor space with picnic tables and lights almost directly under the bridge, but it was surprisingly peaceful and quiet. On a Saturday night around 11pm the place was still mostly empty, but the music was seemed to be gearing up for the weekend crowd. read more

Dope little bar, with a bangin patio, good music, and a friendly staff. Everyone knows I'm not a bar guy, but places like this would change my tune quickfast. Did I mention pool table and cheap drinks, too? read more

So I came to this bar and I had my skateboard not knowing that a bunch of cyclist hang here how insecure I felt at the moment but then out of no where there was soccer on the screen playing and realized that it was a st Paulie head quarters I could not decide if I was at mars bar or a sports bar in midtown or queens actually the staff was pretty great and up forward no one was mad at me thank god I even got to leave my skateboard behind the bar cuz the bike parking was cool the next morning I woke up and for some reason I wanted a vodka drink buy a bike and play soccer or better said futbol god bless this place I will def come back skate or bike? - robey read more

It was mainly empty, with a generous happy hour (micro-brew beer for $3 till 8 PM), $1 play Buck Hunter, and nice seating and decorations. I am considering giving it a 4th star, but it's not a bar I'd go out of my way to go; just one that I'd be happy to have a few blocks from where I was when I wanted a drink. read more

Very chill place. We walked in grabbed a few seats at the bar, very open space so even it's crowded you can't really tell. They have pool tables in the back with a DJ, and in the summer they have an open area in the back. The bartenders are great!! You'll never go thirsty here, they are quick and very sweet!! read more

This bar has most of the things I'm looking for: cheap strong drinks, fun games (pool and buck hunter), and plenty of space. This place is never packed because it is pretty large, especially when you count the outdoor area. The bartenders are nice enough, the outdoor patio area has a grill that would probably make for good times when the weather gets better, and the crowd isn't too awful (a feat for Williamsburg). My only gripe is that the jukebox is always broken, so the music selection is sometimes pretty bad. read more

Place is SOO much fun !! The drinks are amazing !! and the PRICE !!! Everyone is so friendly i had the best time in soooo long there ! And I went with the boyfriend !! read more

I don't really get the clientele here, but I'm pretty sure I'm down with this place. I really just like anywhere with a backyard and this one reminds me somewhat of Pies and Thighs (RIP), so there's that nostalgic reason. Not too hard to get a seat either. When I went there were all these old drunk people dancing to 80s new wave hits on the jukebox. I danced a little to "Take Me On" and bounced. Good stuff. read more

Great neighborhood bar with a pool table and decent prices. Smoking allowed in their patio. Easy listening music. All you need to hang out any night a week. read more

I love this bar! I live on the block so that helps but I'd travel for this place. Great music, cheap drinks, pool table, and huge outdoor space out back with a grill you can use if you're in the mood for a backyard BBQ with 100 of your closest friends. Bartenders are some of the nicest in Williamsburg. Also looking at the painting of the lion when you walk in is an instant mood booster. Places like this are exactly why I love the south side so much. read more

Wow! As someone with a high tolerance for idiocy and flagrant disregard for human respect, I am for the first time surprised at not only the condescending attitude, as well as illegal policy-skirting I experienced. I was denied entry first due to my service dog, and second because I defended myself, albeit emotionally, to the crude and brash bouncer who refused to look at my paperwork. I was then met by the manager, Leila, who not only wasted my time, but proved her uselessness further by researching and verifying my paperwork only to deny us entry due to my previous insistence of enforcement of proper service dog law in NYC. One star is 5 too many for this hellhole of air waste. Don't bother, you can play a game of pool and get a shitty swill drink elsewhere. Update: Mark, thank you for your attention to this incident. I would love to discuss this with you further to ensure that your staff is well versed on this. However, what is equally as important is the matter of your staff treating guests in a cordial manner, and I do hope you're able to rectify this clear difference between your values and theirs in whatever way you're able. read more

New fav' bar in Wburg. On a quiet week night, it takes me back to East Village early 80's. Rough around the edges, somewhat off-kilter with that hint of potential danger in the air. Would've made a great location for After Hours. Bartender was bawdy, but friendly, and knew her gin. Ten points there. The huge doorman was menacing at first, but ended up a gentle giant - even when he had to retrieve the drunk dude who hung out in the bathroom for an hour. Could imagine it's an excellent venue for a private party - red padded booths, vintage bingo markers on the walls, kitschy dj booth, pool table in the back on raised floor. Large outdoor patio has a retro urban feel - complete with ashtrays overflowing with ciggie butts and colored carnival lights. I hear you can bring your own meat to grill. Bonus. Off-nights good for us. Don't think we'd dig the weekend "who can wear the geekiest glasses" scene. read more

Two Of The Dopest Female DJ's I Know, DJ MixxTress & DJ Lil Miss Dolemite Will Be Spinning Here Thursday, March 14th. Fan F'ing Tastic Cant Wait... Woo Hoo! East River Gets A Thumbs Up For This... Besides The Good Vibes, Cheap Drinks & BYOBBQ, Can't Get Any Better With Great Music! Love It... read more

This is my favorite spot in the area. Every time I come here the staff is totally helpful and friendly. It's a divey aesthetic so if you don't want that feel there are other places for you. There's pool, a huge back yard, cheap drinks and fantastic service. And to the people who got thrown out wondering if it's a race issue: it's not. I'm Latino and I hang with friends here of every background and lifestyle. Maybe it's just you. I wouldn't come here with my friends if it were otherwise. read more

Favorite bar in Brooklyn, great-friendly-chatty bartenders and local down to earth bike messengers. Great vibe, lots of space with backyard.

My experience here as a native New Yorker, who has been in and around Williamsburg my entire life was disgusting. I try to avoid writing bad reviews and only do when I feel as though others should be warned so here it goes: Last night was one of my friends birthday party at Bembe (an amazing spot by the way completely recommend it). Her husband left Bembe early and waited for us here at the east river bar. We left and came over and meet him here where he had been drinking for hours. The place was embarrassingly empty and I guess this made the bouncer upset... as soon as we found her husband and sat down and took of our jackets ect he said we needed to buy a drink. We explained we had planned to but to please give us a few minutes he walked away only to return in less than 5 minutes. When he returned again he explained that we needed to buy a drink ...stunned and confused we looked at each other and the empty bar. It didn't make sense the place was empty they had space and we genuinely wanted drinks soon. We didn't know what to say so sat silent he said listen if you are not going to drink you need to leave. We tried to reassure him again when he became intrinsically angry and said LEAVE MY BAR angrily calling me a broke ass bitch. This then got my friends angry who he also called names. not one of us called him any names or threw any personal insults at him, but he attacked all of us. As he called each of us a bitch in different contexts, I turned to the female bartender knowing she surely wouldn't be ok with a male treating females like this. I said to her I don't know what we did but I am sorry do u hear him? she said listen you haven't bought one drink from me yet. I was in stunned and just had to walk away .. We had planned to buy a drink at some point however had only just arrived at the bar no more then 10 minutes before his name calling . As four females (husband in the bathroom) we didn't know how to feel about a big bouncer who kept returning and hounding us that we drink alcohol. I have never been so disrespected and attacked in my life. Additionally him attacking my best friends added another element that frankly broke my heart. I worry for other females who might go here and strongly encourage they don't for their own safety. I have never ever been treated so horribly by a stranger and the establishment that allows this is shameful. read more

At first, I thought maybe it was just my beer, kinda flat. Then I asked my friend Dave how was his beer, his reply was, "kinda flat". Then I asked my friend Ken, same reply. Ok, something is wrong with the tap? Asked the Bartender as a matter of factly to see if something is wrong, his reply, "Oh that's just how it is..." No you dumba$$, beer is not suppose to be flat. If you don't know, just say you don't know. And don't forget, there are plenty of other bars in the area that pours proper pints of beer, carbonated or nitrogenated if you're having Guinness. read more

i love this place. several times it has served as the perfect jump-off point to a night out with a big group of friends, and thankfully it's big enough to house an amalgam of people. super chill, somewhat away from the fashion parade of bedford avenue, and it has an outside area too, even though somehow you can smoke in here. good music and cool bartenders. i very much dig this place. read more