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    East River Bar

    3.8 (90 reviews)
    InexpensivePubs
    Open 5:00 pm - 4:00 am (Next day)

    East River Bar Photos

    EAST RIVER BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Juke Box

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    the outside of the restaurant
    Alisa J.

    Cool vibe and bar in Williamsburg. The inside is pretty big and I like the outside patio. The decor is fun and there's even a photo booth. It wouldn't accept my card for some reason though so I had to go and exchange some cash with someone for exact change. I heard that you can grill on the back patio so that's cool. A lot of people I was with said it's not a real dive bar and was too nice to be one. I don't think that's a bad thing though. Not a fan of the smells of people puffing weed outside but still a cool place. Also has a pool table inside and service was quick.

    hot dogs and beer on a table
    Sam S.

    Relatively quiet place where I'd definitely enjoy coming to catch up with friends, maybe play some pool or hop in the photo booth. Drinks were fairly priced and there was a good selection. Also they advertised $2 hot dogs but for some reason I was charged $3 for mine. Sadly it was cash only when I went, and I don't usually carry too much cash.

    VibeZ
    Jean F.

    No frills bar that has an excellent backyard. Grab your beer of choice and head outside. I personally love coming here alone with a good book, rolling up my sleeves, taking in the blue sky, vibing out to the distant sound of the J train cruising across the Williamsburg bridge

    Tina C.

    My poetic journey continues at East River Bar to be one of the many feature performers. A separate room on the upper level encompasses pool tables and two wall lighted Bingo boards. The DJ is incompetent who uphold extremely poor sound equipment as the microphone delay lag for the sound skips and is completely off. Technically difficulty, equipment malfunction, stereo on the blink, buffering... blah, blah all emit excuses! Ergo, avoid requesting the DJ to play tracks directly from a CD as the sound is also off for a Concorde to fly over one's head by skipping lyrical versus. I highly advise to bring your own microphone with speakers and stand to avoid the house's ill-advised sound system. There is ample space for a 5-pc band to perform and spectators to root, perhaps even possibly dance. For one glass of Malbec at $7.00 the quality was good lasting all night. No food exist but patrons are permitted BYOF of choice. One unisex facility exist in true dive bar fashion as the wall is plastered with graffiti and writing in all offensive language imaginable, but contains the basic amenities in a relative clean state. This bar sits on a industrial-like street of limited retailers and little to none restaurants/cafes for food options. Prepare to intake food prior to venturing East River Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

    this is what happens outside of east river bar when you close the bar
    BM M.

    Dear East River Bar, I write this as I look at photos from the Saturday before last. I am looking, with horror, at myself in a plastic bag, on the sidewalk, hamming it up for the camera. I am now looking at myself AND my friend, together, in this clear plastic bag, hamming it up for the camera. Good thing I wore those bike shorts under my dress. WAIT -- Is that a leaf on my crotch? OKAY... So, ERB (Can I call you that?), it looks as though you put me in a compromising position. Luckily I have a sense of humor. And an appreciation for a bar that plays awesome music for the dancing, serves up the booze real cheap (2 kamikaze shots for $4.00? Please remind me why I took advantage of this deal. Oh. I was DRUNK.), has BUCK HUNTER and a SIQQQQQQQ FOOD TRUCK! Dude, seriously. This food truck. AMAZING! Yes, I was trashed. But this burger was JUICY! It had BACON! It was SAUCY! IT WAS EVERYTHING I NEEDED...and more. AND BY GOLLY - to my slurry surprise...the fries were fuckin' badass! Seasoned to perfection, the insides melted in my mouth after I penetrated their magically golden crispy exterior. GAWDDAMN! And the truck dudes are fuckin' awesome! They seriously made my night! They listened to a drunk girl bitch about her failing kidneys and didn't outwardly judge me! SUPERB!!! SUPERB!!! THANK YOU...for the good times. And hey, bouncer. You still owe me a game. I'm going to bring the PERFECT SITES!!! JUST YOU WAIT!!! Love, Briana

    Ceramic egg grilling
    Michelle L.

    I am for sure a fan. I walked in here with a bunch of friends on a Saturday afternoon as was like "um, can we use your grill?" and they let us use a big green ceramic egg to cook some burgers. What is not to love? Here's the scoop on grilling here: Generally, you should call ahead to do so. Bring your own charcoal and fixings. Go to town. Drink all the beers as a way of saying "Thank you for being my backyard when I can't have one of my own."

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    10 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Mark G.

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    11 years ago

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    Mark G.

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    Photo of Tim H.
    5
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    17 years ago

    East River is around the corner from where I live. Good draft beers, and I can bring my dog. Decent spot, hit or miss crowds/tunes.

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    13 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    Photo of J H.
    2
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    15 years ago

    Cut the crap out of my finger pre-bar, bartender scoured her first aid kit for bandaids. Felt she deserved a shout out. Much appreciated!

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    13 years ago

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    Page 3 of 3

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    Review Highlights - East River Bar

    The backyard is incredible and drink specials/beer selection can't be beat anywhere in Brooklyn, best happy hour hands down.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    The Commissioner

    The Commissioner

    4.7
    (193 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $

    As someone who has come to this bar regularly to watch Knicks playoff games, I can confidently say…read moreI will never return after what happened during the NBA Finals last night. What this bar pulled was completely unacceptable. They were openly reserving seats at the bar for certain people while telling everyone else they were unavailable. There was no advertised reservation policy, no advance notice, and no opportunity offered to regular customers. Apparently, the only way to get a seat is to know the owner, know the bartenders, or be part of the inner circle. What made it even worse was that my group had been sitting at the bar, ordering food and drinks starting around 7:30 PM, only to be forced out of our seats at 7:45 PM. The reservation signs on those seats clearly stated they were reserved for 8:15 PM. We were paying customers actively spending money, yet we were removed 30 minutes before the supposed reservation time. That is absolutely egregious behavior. I've worked in sports bars and have owned sports bars in New York City. In all my years in the business, I have never heard of reserving seats directly at the bar--especially during a major sporting event. It goes against everything that makes a sports bar successful. Bar seats have always been first-come, first-served. That's Sports Bar 101. I've spent plenty of money here over the years because it was always a great place to watch big games: good atmosphere, sound on the TVs, and a fun crowd. Unfortunately, last night proved that customer loyalty means absolutely nothing. Regular patrons were treated like second-class citizens while preferred customers received special treatment. For a bar that markets itself as a neighborhood sports destination, this was incredibly disappointing, unprofessional, and frankly insulting. If you're planning to watch a major game here, don't assume you'll be treated fairly. Unless you're friends with the right people, don't expect the same experience as everyone else. There are plenty of other sports bars in Brooklyn that understand how to treat customers. After last night, I'll be spending my money there instead. I won't be back, and I certainly won't be recommending this place to anyone. Let's Go Knicks

    The Commissioner is one of my favorite spots to watch a game in Park Slope. The frozen margarita is…read morea standout (and even better with some snacking queso). They've also got a great lineup of local beers if that's more your speed too. It's the kind of place where you can cheer, snack, and sip without missing a play. Darts and photobooth available to round out the fun. Friendly staff, fun energy, and a crowd that actually feels like neighbors.

    Photos
    Photo wall
    Photo wall
    The Commissioner
    The Commissioner

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    4th Avenue Pub

    4th Avenue Pub

    4.3
    (318 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    What a cute bar that has been around for 17 years and just yesterday I stepped foot into it for my…read morefirst time. It was the 17th Anniversary party yesterday as well. They had a bunch of collabs with other breweries so their taps were filled with wonderful selection of cool beers. I got here when it opened grabbed a seat at the bar. I didn't catch her name but the bartender was super nice and we chatted a bit. This bar has two tvs in the bar area and some tables in the back. It also has an outdoor area which I did not get to check out unfortunately. The only downside is, is that there is no food served here. But the upside is that you can get free Pop-corn! If you have not been here before, I would suggest stopping by. By the way whoever does their social media is super great!

    I've stopped by the 4tg Ave Pub a few times now, and it has yet to let me down!…read more It's a spacious spot with a nice backyard area, and has a lot of fun memorabilia around. But the reason I keep coming back - the sheer selection of incredible and unique beers (and reasonably priced for that manner!). Everything from the desthil spicy sour pickle beer to many variations to le chouffe, you can't go wrong! Oh and they have free popcorn as well... tough to pass up! Service has always been friendly and knowledgeable about the beers. I can already see myself back there for the next time I'm craving some delicious craft beer!

    Photos
    Backyard Beer Garden
    Backyard Beer Garden
    4th Avenue Pub
    4th Avenue Pub

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    Fulton Hall

    Fulton Hall

    4.0
    (119 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    A dope cool sports bar. Theres a "first come, first serve" seating however it looked like when it…read moregot later it was sign in method. The energy was more mature which I preferred in a sports bar. Tons of benches, some bar seating and pool tables in the back. Lots of tvs as well, saw all the March Madness games playing. I imagine it would be great for big games. That being said I came to pregame Knicks-Nets and as we got closer to start-time a lot fans came to watch game (very easy walk to Barclays- 10 min walk). The food was solid and service was pretty good. Good beer options, had the happy hour margarita. They are strong! You've been warned.

    Food: 5/5 We ordered the Buffalo Smoked Wings ($37 for…read more24pc), Steak Sandwich ($19), and Classic Burger Deluxe ($17). We were debating between regular wings or smoked and best decision of the night was picking the smoked wings. It was crisp and not too saucy, keeping the wings as the key. Both the steak sandwich and burger were very good and well priced. I wish the burger was bigger though. Service: 5/5 There was only one waitress and one bartender at the time, but service was very quick. We did not have to wait for anything. Ambiance: 5/5 We were looking for a sports bar to eat at before going to the Nets game. Fulton Hall is only few minutes walk from Barclays. It was not crowded at all and was perfect to relax and grab a bite before going to the game.

    Photos
    February 7, 2026; Old Fashioned ($13).
    February 7, 2026; Old Fashioned ($13).
    Ginger mule
    Ginger mule
    Tomato soup with grilled cheese 5/5

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    Tomato soup with grilled cheese 5/5
    McMahon's Public House

    McMahon's Public House

    4.0
    (285 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Was here for Saint Patrick's Day and it was bumping! Energy was at an all time high! It was a bit…read morechaotic but found a seat in like 10 minutes. The venue is pretty spacious they have a back dining area, a big bar when you enter and a full bar upstairs. There's a ton of televisions if you are watching sports as well. They have a pretty deep beer menu which I loved. The food menu is Irish influenced bar bites. We had the wings which were nice and crispy. The center of attention was the waffle fries nachos. You can't go wrong with a potato vehicle to fresh toppings. All and all great fun spot for sports and gatherings. Also this is a melting pot. Various ages, groups, backgrounds, saw a few families. All are welcome. One flaw is St. Patty it appeared that our waiter who was superb was the only one working so it was a bit of chase to close out.

    We stopped in on a whim and this place did not disappoint! Staff were friendly and very funny to…read moretalk with! We always tend to gravitate toward Irish bars when we visit the city and it rains. Comfort food is always a must on a rainy day in the city. We split a chicken Cesar spinach wrap and the famous Irish nachos. Both were phenomenal, the nachos had a bit of a kick to them. Not much but enough to make you sweat. Very close to the Barclays center, walking distance. Highly recommend stopping in before an event or for their upstairs beer garden.

    Photos
    McMahon's Public House
    The McMahons Chicken Ceasars Salad.
    The McMahons Chicken Ceasars Salad.
    McMahon's Public House

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    East River Bar - pubs - Updated July 2026

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