Bruh. Just saw you opened for season and you clearly didn't read my older review! So I repeat: you literally are in very close proximity to four or five of the best breweries in the state and you go with Montauk Wave Chaser IPA? Other Half, Three's, Finback, Wild East, Strong Rope, Talea all within a mile - c'mon now, please do better! That said, had been coming here for years, it is so Brooklyn and such a great vibe, smack dab in middle of Carroll Gardens. Simple and perfectly good food to enjoy. If you're not a beer snob or looking for a "scene" then this is the place for ya! read more

Tiny little dive bar located on Smith Street a few blocks from its namesake canal. The name is clever, and the drinks are cheap. Keep an eye out for specials, such as a recent day when they had $2 Red Stripes. This is a good happy hour/starting the night type of spot. Cash only. read more

This is the bar you go to when you aren't lucky enough to know someone with their own backyard/rooftop. Or when they are out of town, and you can't figure out how to break into their building. They've got a rotating selection of good beer (and bad beer, which also has its time and place) in bottles and cans, as well as a few selections on tap. They've got hot dogs, which, if you're not familiar, are the finest possible product that can be made from the supposedly undesirable parts of a pig. They've got picnic tables to sit at whilst you consume all of these things. It'll cost you more than the backyard barbecue you wish you were having, but not too much more. _____________ P.S. I'm not squeamish, but the bartender last Thursday made me understand why it's supposedly illegal to use your bare hands to garnish drinks. His dirty lime fingers made me not want a lime in my Pacifico. If you know his mom, have her tell him to wash them. read more

Love I love me some none pretentious, outdoor sitting, beer drinking, music listening, hot dog eating days. This place is my jam - super laid back read more

The GYC has been one of my favorite outdoor, summer bars since I first came across it last summer. Almost every time I come here, I have Campbell as my server and he never disappoints! He's super personable and funny and serves us a cold drink right away. I've also enjoyed quite a few great burgers from Campbell as well! It's a bummer that this place isn't open year round, but it makes it even more of a special place during the warm seasons! The prices are great and the service is even better. I would 10/10 recommend this place to anybody looking for a spot to hangout at and enjoy good food and drinks :-) read more

Gowanus Yacht Club - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Big nope to this place. There was one review that I read that summed up my feelings entirely: Could you just try a little? I understand, and enjoy, the whole dive bar thing. It's great. It's simple. It's no-frills. However, this place has one, and only one redeeming quality in my opinion, and that's the outdoor space - it's cool and conveniently-located near the northern Carroll St F stop. Onto the bad: the service is gruff (I mean even the signs posted around this place are caustic - think: "two for one special: buy one and get the second at normal price"), the beer selection is limited and the only ones that are at dive-bar prices are the beers that I would never consider ordering while out (sure, a Bud Light is $3, but am I really going to go to a bar and buy a bud light at a 300% markup?), and you want to think about using a credit card? Too bad, this place is cash-only. I don't have a dog, but if I did, the fact that this of all places would prohibit me from bringing him would be a huge deterrent. Usually, the only "good" beer kegs they have are already tapped, and as aforementioned, they're at normal-bar prices. If I'm going to pay $7 for a Dogfish, you've gotta at least smile while you're giving it to me. All in all, you want dive? Try Union Grounds or Pool Bar. You want outdoor space? Pig Beach. You want both? Ugh, fine, Gowanus Yacht Club might be your jawn. Until I have that specific need, I won't return. read more

Unbeatable prices, awesome draft beer selection and wonderful service. Gowanus Yacht Club is so much fun - perfect for hanging out with friends. Get a beer and a $5 burger or $3 hot dog. Cute dogs hang out here. The bartender played great music, too. We will definitely be back! read more

Boozing outside on the last weekend of the summer! It's a cool little spot to sit outside as if you are on someone's pack patio enjoying a BBQ. Picnic bench seating. Good selection of craft and imported beers. They were having a Lowenbrau special on this night - I have not seen those in years! Nice menu of BBQ items such as brats, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. Easy to get to as the subway entrance is right next to it. Everything is decently priced overall. The bathroom situation is a nasty abomination. Also, what was up with our waitress? Could she be anymore cold and aloof to us? I know she probably hates waiting on all of us drunk idiots having fun while she has to work but get over it already and crack a smile at least. Basically, it's just another low-brow spot in Brooklyn to grab a few cheap beers and a cheap bite while sitting under the stars. Definitely can be a fun spot with friends when out bar hopping during nice weather, but not a place to spend all evening at. read more

Beware of Campbell. If you want an eye roll, poor attitude and cold, barely cooked food with your order: Campbell's got ya! Of course, that's if Campbell even turns on the grill, which he has regularly just not done all summer because, I guess it's just would take time away from him spending time on his iPhone or complaining loudly to his friends about all the money he blew on his new PlayStation. It's almost like the guy is the son of the owner or something...oh wait! He is! From a business perspective, I can't imagine how much money the Yacht Club has lost because of this dude. I've walked in numerous times with friends looking to get some food at a normal hour only for Campbell to come up with some excuse for why he can't make food. So I left. I've also been there and seen other people leave because of this. I can't wait for this kid to stop living at home and ship off to some low-level out of state community college, so we can go back to enjoying our time at Yacht Club. FORTUNATELY, the other employees act like...you know...employees. They do things like their job, are friendly and might even have a nice conversation with you. Love the Yacht Club. But if you walk in and immediately get some attitude from someone who is acting like their mom just asked them to clean their room, maybe turn around and try another day. read more

Wow I loved this place. It's very SF to me. The name, the outdoor mismatched seating, the bartenders, the sarcastic rules, yep, very SF. Speaking of rules, this bar's rules reminds me of a funny story from Zeitgeist in SF. We had a friend who was not let in because she was wearing patchouli. As the story goes she tried to walk in and the bouncer stopped her, points at a sign on the wall that says "No Patchouli" and denied her admittance. This really happened, I promise. The Gowanus, reminds me of that story. Moving on, the name, cracks me up, I honestly thought I was going to a yacht club and could not understand who would want to sail on the Gowanus canal. After all it does have gonorrhea. Ok, so I didn't eat so I can't comment on that but I did grab a much needed beer. We braved the NJ transit to Penn Station. Then we braved the subway to Brooklyn during rush hour with our luggage. Yeah we needed a beer and a chill place to sit. 6pm on a late September, awesome weather. We posted up at the bar and reminisced about living on the east coast. The place is small but what isn't in NYC. You don't come here to get wild, you come here to hang with friends after work and enjoy the nice weather. Oh and it's priced really well for NYC. With that said, what isn't there to like? Nothing! read more

When the GYC first opened it really was one of the best kept secrets of Carroll Gardens. Hot dogs were a buck and the beer was too (served in styrofoam cups). Since then it has become a victim of it's own success, prices have gone up and quality down. Still though, on a (early) sunny May day, sitting down with a friend and having a pitcher and a couple of hot dogs will hit the spot, albeit that spot will run you over $20 now. I still pop in a couple of times a year but it's definitely been over run with yuppy scum. No wifi either. read more

Gowanus Yacht Club - a rare quiet moment, nice. - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Outdoor, grungey fun, in all the right ways. It's basically this fenced off outdoor area on the corner of a street. Seems very backyard, outdoors, make shift. Love it. My hot dog was actually quite good. All the food seemed pretty decent, and fairly cheap. Otherwise, just some good old fashioned fun outside. Casual, chill, everything it's going for, including the ironic name. read more

This is the best bar in all of NYC, let alone BK. Campbell is always willing to go above and beyond for the customers. The beers are cold and the burgers are delicious (JG Melon who?). The vibes are awesome and it being an outdoor bar during these crazy times makes it even better. Best. Bar. Ever. read more

We met up with some friends here for drinks after a run. I'm not sure if one of the owners is from Chicago, but we immediately felt at home with the Chicago flag hanging by the griddle.* To call this place a yacht club is the epitome of irony. Fancy it is not, classy it is not, on the water, it is not. You get the picture. What it is though, is a beach-like little dive bar with a small griddle, veggie-friendly menu and decent beer list. There's a bathroom too; just go down the treacherous stairs (seriously, I'm confident those last few have taken out more than one person). Since there's no indoor space (other than the bathroom), I assume this place closes up in the winter. In the warmer months though, I'd head out here for a chill place to grab a drink. * The flag with the two blue horizontal bars and four red stars. Yes, cities have flags. Really, they do. read more

I dig this place. No nonsense. Just hotdogs and burgers and beers and outside sitting. Not sure what else you could ask for? Oh, pitchers you say? they have those too. Pretty sweet. The service is awesome. The burgers and dogs are grilled right in front of your face. Also, they are pretty well priced and tasty. Me thinks this will be a regular spot for me to hang out and drink. read more

3.5 stars... The one of a kind yachts at this exclusive club in Gowanus are amazing! By one of a kind I mean run of the mill, by yachts I mean cans of beer, by exclusive club I mean open side lot, by Gowanus I mean Carroll Gardens, and by amazing I mean pretty good. So let's try this again. The run of the mill cans of beer at this open side lot in Carroll Gardens are pretty good. This is literally like a small lot next to a deli right next to (literally) the Carroll St F/G subway entrance. It's obviously only seasonal but come the nice weather it's a nice inexpensive place to have a cold one under the warm sun. Note that this isn't a clean and fancy place, it's an outdoor dive with friendly bartenders. In addition to the beer they have a grill and make a small selection of bites (mostly hot dogs and hamburgers) for reasonable prices. If you don't mind drinking cans of beer they have a surprisingly wide selection of cans from $3-5 including some I didn't realize came in cans like Blue Moon. They also have a small selection of drafts ($5-6). The only thing that bugged me is that their "Duff" and "Duff Wheat" is just a joke, there is no Duff beer and whatever keg they connect to that tap rotates. When I went the Duff beer was Coors Light, a rip off for a $5 pint. read more

Gowanus Yacht Club - Drafts $5-6, cans/bottles $3-5 - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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No frills outdoor summer spot. Cash only. Reclaimed wood tables. Cheap beers, mostly in cans. What's not to like? Oh, the table service situation was weird, so just go up and pick up your own beers, you lazy bastard. Bathrooms are downstairs and singular. With an industrial sink outside. read more

This place is exactly the way it looks: an outdoor dive bar with some nautical tones and a sense of humor. Either you appreciate the irony of it all, or you don't. I think this place is ok: decent beer selection like Sweet Action on draft (albeit in plastic cups...ouch!), cheap food ($4 hamburgers, $5 cheeseburgers, $1 dill pickles), and a clientele that seems to enjoy themselves quite a bit. I came here on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the end of August, and the place, which is not very big, was packed. I was a bit disappointed by the uniformity of the crowd, but overall you could do a lot worse (and a lot better too). read more

Came here with N, I didn't feel like drinking wine and I never drink beer - hmmm pretty much left with no choice. Cute little space. We came from a bbq, so we weren't hungry - too bad, we were really curious about their food. read more

A Yacht Club on dry land in Brooklyn? Who'da thunk it? Not many, because it doesn't make much sense, and there's reason for that. Everything here was alright. The beer was good - we got a pitcher and grabbed a seat. The seating was a bit tough because all the seats were taken except for seats in the middle of a long picnic table, which was firmly situated against an outdoor wall. In order to sit at the table across from one another, we had to kindly ask a different group to stand up so one of us could get in. It wasn't optimal. We also decided to partake in a mixed order of perogis, which were OK. I saw the package they came out of after we ordered, so they definitely were store bought. You can also grab a hot dog or kielbasa here, which would probably be better and more bar appropriate than the perogi. read more

Gowanus Yacht Club - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Dogs, burgers, sammies, perogis, and beer (both draft and bottled). Great place to grab a drink and quick bite, especially if you're into something a little different from standard bar fare. Plus the staff is courteous and attentive. Except Joe. That damn Joe. He's no good. read more

Gowanus Yacht Club - Disclaimer. - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Hey you ever been stuck in a stuck up awful gross dirty expensive town like NYC and thought, man I really wish I could go to some little hole in the wall Marina and drink hotdogs and eat IPAs by the 'water'? Look no further, this side yard of a deli turned beer garden makes me feel like I'm at some awful bar in block island or cape cod, which to me makes it a top ten cool NYC spot for sure. I can pretend I am escaping from my 9/10 wife and our 2200 a week cape in Chatham or whatever to get trashed at the local dock, even though I'm in Carrol gardens and kinda still hate my life. Enjoy your quick escape, expect excellent conversation at the bar but please, no table service. If you can't appreciate hot dogs a d beer on picnic tables by the (non-existent)water- avoid. Otherwise drown in nostalgia and surprisingly good IPAs read more

Hidden neighborhood treasure. Outdoor, casual spot with a good selection of beers and a laid back, summery vibe. Perhaps the best kept secret (that's not really a secret) is the $5 burger. It's a perfect choice, particularly smothered with their canal sauce (the yacht club's version of a special sauce). Stop in here if you don't feel like dealing with the dark chaos of a typical bar, especially on a breezy night in August. read more

Some things change. Your neighborhood. Your wardrobe. Your feelings about LOST; what was I thinking? Though some places stay the same....... except their prices! The Gowanus Yacht Club, has been entertaining me for over ten years. I remember traveling to south Carrol Gardens thinking this was the coolest place ever. Not just did they have cheap beer, but they had Duff! Yes, for all you Simpsons fans. They had Duff beer! Cheap hotdogs. And even cheap women. I remember being offered a makeout session in one of the bathrooms downstairs, from some girl. While sketchy bathrooms are my thing, I had to pass on this one. The place looks just as run down as ever. And I mean that in a good way. It's iconic to me. Beaten up picnic benches. Poorly constructed awnings. Chalkboards which look as if they came from a flea market. Love it! Came here for the first time in a while to kick off my summer. It was a hot day, and the place was packed out by 4 in the afternoon. It's not the largest space, so that's not too hard. My bald head desired a spot to block the sun, found it amongst a spot where the tree blocked it. We began to order beers, and I was kinda shocked. The beer prices are no longer a draw. They aren't expensive by any means, but you have to figure for what the place is, they beer should be cheap. They were a bit odd about how we paid our bill. They wouldn't let us pay as we went or order at the bar, which would make our lives and their lives easier. Instead a bunch of people, who all didn't know each other, had to collectively come together, take up time, while others wanted to come in, and figure out the damage. We tipped nicely though I think they could have got more sales in if we could have left sooner. After we left and went somewhere down the block my dad called me. (Silly parents. Phone calls) He was in Carrol Gardens and wanted to tell me about some packed bar he saw. Sure enough it was the Yacht Club. Little did he know, me and my friends made it so. This should be part of your summer jam rotation! read more

Beer? YES Hot Dogs? YES Outdoor Seating? YES Clean Bathroom? NO read more

What a great place to escape the sun with a chilled beer on a hot afternoon or for an early evening pint after work. If you've never heard of it or been here before, its nothing resembling a yacht club whatsoever and let's face it the Gowanus Canal is hardly the setting for one. What you do have is a great little neighborhood beer garden (I think the style is meant to be more akin to a beach bar actually) that serves a wide variety of ales and lagers at reasonable prices. They do have a limited food menu also, more the burgers and hot dogs type stuff that I didnt get to try on this visit but looked pretty good. The overall vibe is Divey with seating on bashed up looking long picnic style tables and they even have table service (as if you really feel you need it in such a small place) .The clientele seemed to consist of local young folks and couples from the area enjoyong the warm weather. Bathroom situation is pretty meh but what you gonna do? All in all a highlighly recommended summer dive! Tip - CASH ONLY (I think) read more

GYC is a beloved seasonal shithole. Cheap beer in a can with questionable BBQ grub. Sit at a rotting table bench and share space with local bearded drunkards in plaid. Again, the place is an absolute shithole. I like it. read more

Sound the trumpets, because I may have found a place where I will go when I'm looking for a chill, outdoors place with a young but not YOUNG crowd with low prices but good variety and not entirely fugly surroundings. My friend and I scampered over here after Lavender Lake (separate review) wasn't helping us get our Friday on as we had hoped to do. In a simple, small outdoor seating area stocked with picnic tables, we easily found two spots to partake in a RELAXED atmosphere totally devoid of scenestering, pretense, and crowding. In a way, this is a dive because of its cash-only status, low-maintenance ambience, and casual crowd, but in another way, it really has the spirit of a parrothead-friendly beach bar (not that there are daquiris or anything) or a campus go-to for alums coming home to their alma maters. It's that "where everybody knows your name" type of cushy place where you could show up in a dress or sweats or a suit and still fit right in. And in fact, my friend and I ran into THREE people we knew there, and there wasn't anything awkward about it...in fact, we were glad to see one another, in that "oh, HEY!" type of way. The patrons of this bar seem unusually healthy and clean for what you usually see around Brooklyn, and the rest of the city for that matter. And by healthy and clean, I don't mean douchey or metrosexual, just to make that clear. One dude was channeling Prince Harry in a navy blue blazer and khakis - poor guy apparently he missed the memo that "Yacht Club" is a tongue-in-cheek nomer for a place where there is definitely no water and no indoors space, really, unless you're looking for the head. Another thing this place doesn't have is FRENCH FRIES; an unbelievable but true fact hammered into our beer-thickened heads by a curt yet patient server who looked and acted like Janeane Garofalo. So midway between my $6 cheeseburger, which tasted all right, like it'd just come off of some neighbor's grill in a mass-thawing of frozen patties, I drunkenly ran across the street to the Rite Aid to get Sour Cream & Onion chips and Cool Ranch Doritos. Anyway, it wasn't the end of the world. I aim to be here many more times during the warm season, but I'll arrive prepared with chips or maybe a packet of hot fries from somewhere nearby. read more

A Summer Tradition Quirky and cheap And gone with the leaves one chilly morning. read more

This not your "typical" yacht club...this is more like the antithesis of it! But it was kewl to have a beer here before going to dinner. It was pretty crowded, and the vibe was relaxed and happy. I liked that. Too bad this place was sooo crowded, it was hard to find a seat. But we did find seats, however, the chairs really did not fit well with the table, so I was uncomfortable most of the time, and so was the BF. They have cheap food, and cheap beer, and a lively young hip scene. I like the fact that they sell dill pickles to munch on ;-) Its a great snack!! read more

Hated it! Yeah - so sorry to rain on the Gowanus Yacht Club parade. The beer wascheap and for the most part the other patrons were cool - except for the screaming kids and dude smoking the nasty cigar. But that place was way too rustic for my tastes. The tables and benches were all peeling, it smelled disgusting, the food from the grill was cheap but for good reason. Dogs and frozen hamburger patties. all the condements, relish, ect were out in the sun not refriderated and I saw the waiter put his fingers food as he dropped it off. OMG and the bathroom! It smelled like what I can only imagine what a bathroom in a subway terminal would smell like. OK - so maybe people do not go there to drink wine but as a whino I was personally offend to so bottles of cheap red out in the sun!! My friend liked it though - so maybe I am just a bit too prissy. This review is for the other prissy people out there - I know I am not alone! read more

Who doesn't love an ice cold beer at such an exclusive establishment! :) love this bar.

I was poised to give this place 5 stars, but then I started reading the reviews below, and I guess it is a little pricey for what it is (plus I had a rat run under the table when I took a first date there... although she was cool with it. it's new york and we're outside, so being cool with it is the right response.) That being said, I've always had no trouble getting a seat here, and while I try and avoid the Duff and the resultant stomach issues, they have some good beers on tap and a crusty, outdoorsy atmosphere that's perfect for brooklyn and for hanging around with friends. Plus its a good place to kill time while you wait for a table at Lucali (which is usually a while). read more

You know when you want to just sit in your backyard with a hot dog and a beer on a summer day...only you don't have a backyard? Well, this is your basic backyard setup - picnic tables, beer and basic burger/hot dogs food. Bare-bones, simple, nothing fancy. read more

I could see how the grime could get you down on a weekend night if it's packed, but I went on a Saturday afternoon in fall, and it was everything I could have asked for. Cheap beer and the kind of cheap food you want to eat while drinking cheap beer. You get to sit outside and soak up the sun and breathe in the aromas wafting off of the nearby canal. Call it hipsterish if you want, but I'm always more comfortable when reveling in the cheap and dirty. It was fairly slow when I came by, but there was still a mix of interesting and friendly people, and a very friendly beagle perched at the bar, trying hard not to lose his balance as the seat swiveled under him. I'm pretty sure he was drunk. If it's good enough for a dog, it's sure as hell good enough for me. read more

I came across this cute little spot thanks to an Unofficial Yelp Pub Crawl. It's one of those spots that you almost miss but when you stumble upon it you're like "why didn't I come here sooner!" Most of the seating seems to be outside, making it a person place to gather and enjoy the sun with friends. I was confused on the table service. You're initial inclination is to order at the bar since there was only one server on a Saturday afternoon. It took a while to get our order in and receive drinks. It was just a busy day and with only one guy, a wait is expected. Their offerings of the alcoholic variety steer towards been and wine. Drinks are affordable, tasty and cold. Food looks good, but we didn't have the time to partake. i would definitely come back to this eclectic little spot! Also, I think this place is Cash Only - so be prepared. read more

On a random walk home after an awesome pizza dinner at Lucali, we stumbled into the Yacht Club. Which was insanely fortuitous, as this joint is exactly my kind of style. Very relaxed. Friendly, helpful bar staff willing to talk beer and anything else. And because of these fine gents, I discovered the location of their other place, the Bearded Lady (actually in my neighborhood), and what neighborhoods should be avoided at all costs to avoid hipsterification. read more

They say that you'll never fail to meet strangers here. It's so true. For me, I didn't think it was that great. I met about 4 people in the span of a half hour that were really just kind of cruel and menacing. Not truly friendly at all. My friend was like, "Well that's brooklyn". No, not really. It's stubby Asian girls or drunk buck teeth who just love to make fun of people right in their face. You guys are trying too hard. Calm down, you're already offending me with your poor breath and wacky facial expressions. I enjoy the layout though, it's like a really decorated version of a summer beach patio. That's about it though. PBR option at 3, hot dogs upon request, bathroom trips probable. right next to the kegs. read more

Super low key spot to sit outside and get reasonably priced beers. Nothing fancy on the menu - think PBR, Narragansett, Estrella Jalisco, Carling, Bud, Montauk. We were there on a Saturday afternoon and there was a happy hour, but it wasn't clear what it was, other than three cans for $12 (and you don't get to choose which three). It can get kind of hot under the tarp during really warm days, but the fact that there are no walls helps the breeze. Bartenders are friendly. People had babies and dogs. read more

So much fun. It's like a backyard bbq in the middle of Carroll Gardens. It's easy to get to because it's literally right off the Carroll St. F stop. The servers were really nice and helpful. I went there for a private party and although it rained a lot for a brief moment, we all had fun. I definitely recommend it for day or night drinking. read more