Bruar Falls

went for some live music and beers. not bad, not great.

Total dive that hosts good bands for cheap. My only issue is that the sound guy has the music waaay too loud for size of the space, even when full it’s like he thinks he’s working at madison square garden. Don’t forget your earplugs.

I agree with Tha K. I played here, and the sound guy was very late. He was also very nonchalant about everything. He really didn’t help us, and I’m sure he got a cut of our money. He got PAID to be an ASSHOLE.
Other than the back of the bar, the beer is OK and resonably priced.

A year ago, my band played at this venue. The layout was fine, there was a neat backdrop with some kaleidoscope imagery projected onto us as we played, and the bar seemed solid. The one glaring problem was the sound. Why?
THE SOUNDGUY.
We got there at load-​in time and he was about an hour late. When he did arrive, he was utterly rude, and didn’t do much more than put up the mics. When we asked about a soundcheck, he rolled his eyes, flipped his floppy Rufus-​Wainwright like mop and slowly acknowledged us with a flip of his hand — the other engaged in his blackberry or iPhone or whatnot, probably tweeting about how lame it was that he has to help out middling bands.
During the entire set, the monitor mix was abysmal and we tried to get his attention but he was staring at his mobile device the ENTIRE show.
Added insult to injury — he GOT A CUT OF THE DOOR.
The other day, in another band, I had a show. And I’ll be damned if it wasn’t EyeRoll McHipster and his little trusty little LED-​lit sidekick.
Folks, people complain about how there is nothing fresh or new coming out of the NY rock scene. And those very same people are the types of dudes like this who project an attitude that nobody but a select few are worthy of his attention while ON THE JOB, which is to at least monitor the band onstage.
This really breaks my heart because the Bruar Falls owner is decent guy, Frankie Rose is doing a good job of supporting local bands on her nights, and most of the bartenders are nice people. But as an actively touring bandmember, I just don’t see how in a city full of music enthusiasts, this type of sound guy is tolerable — and paid.
Sadness.

Bruar Falls. Often called the Cake Shop of Brooklyn.
Really, it isn’t that much like Cake Shop by any objective standard, other than sharing the same ownership and hosting the same great bands. It’s one floor, ground level, with higher ceilings. No baked goods or coffee as far as I know.
In fact, Bruar has really edged out its Manhattan sibling in terms of shows, on the whole, which is great– I think we’d all rather not cross the river if we don’t have to. Free shows on Mondays via Frankie Rose.
Probably the best place in Williamsburg for smaller shows, and certainly the Coolest.
I always have fun here. $ 3 Rolling Rock cans, $ 4 «The Falls Amber» on draft (rebranded Amber Bock??).
My only real complaint is I’ve encountered weird service here on more than one occasion– bartenders forgetting to bring back your change, or giving you back incorrect change.

Went in for happy hour and was greeted by a very nice bartender. I was committed, at first, to my favorite IPA, but she talked me through the whole beer list and convinced me to broaden my beer horizon by venturing forth into new territory. After a subsequent existential crisis (due to rapid influx of IPA options), I tried some of the ones she described (all articulated eloquently and accurately); turns out I really hate Goose Island IPA, but hell, at least she convinced me to try it. Go her! The margaritas were also pretty stupendous. Nice atmosphere — dark and cozy. Great prices. You should stop here for happy hour.

I stopped by last night to grab a drink with some friends. It was probably the perfect time to do so, around 8pm on a Saturday night, quiet, dark and inviting. My friends and I pulled up three stools at the bar and were greeted by the friendly bartender. A well-​stocked bar, but don’t expect a decent wine list, as they just have one house variety which was a cab and he offered to let us taste it. Nothing special, but not awful either, and at 6 bucks, definitely a good price.
I really dig the environment. The front bar space is separated from the back venue by a velvet curtain. It’s a good concept and allows for people who just want to drink not have to pay a cover. On the other hand, if I were seeing a show here, I’d expect to be crammed into a pretty small space.
Instead of that awful image, I’d prefer to think of attending an intimate «secret» show which would allow for optimal listening pleasure. The kind of stuff that seems to be a rarity these days in NYC. I can dream!

This is definitely a solid venue. I paid a visit to Bruar Falls to watch my friend’s band play a show along with a few other equally impressive and fun-​filled acts.
This place combines a funky bar vibe with a dark, smoky and — dare I say it — slightly worn atmosphere. Perhaps that’s all part of the charm of being located in Williamsburg, which is funky, smoky and slightly worn itself.
Bruar Falls has a nice polished bar, a decent selection of beer if that’s your thing, and a competent bar staff that keeps things moving as the crowds become more and more pressing. This place doesn’t have a whole lot of seating beyond the bar area (although there are a few small tables with votive candles and jangly, yard-​sale style lamps that are charming in a vintage-​type manner), but the seating really isn’t what you come to Bruar Falls to contemplate. The stage in the back of this small bar is where local bands kick it up with some great live music. It gets loud, it gets crowded, and it’s really a nice little spot to check out some great local music for free. It doesn’t do fancy, and it doesn’t need anything beyond its bare-​bones set-​up to give patrons a rollicking good time. Plus, the white Christmas-​tree lights strung up near the stage lend a festively shabby atmosphere to the place, while the delightful tin ceiling over the bar gives an air of elegance and calls one’s mind to old New York.
In terms of drinks, they make a decent mixed drink that costs $ 6, and they also have — surprise, barflies! — a chalkboard menu offering various teas, coffees, cappuccinos and hot chocolate selections. An excellent option for the non-​drinker, if I do say so myself. I was tempted to order something off of this menu — the coffees and hot chocolates were also available iced — but I didn’t, and now I kind of regret the choice. It would have been fun to sit on the giddily tall bar stools, a cappuccino in hand, and sway to some good music. I’m impressed by the fact that Bruar Falls gives patrons the option to rock out with a hot chocolate instead of an alcoholic beverage if they so choose — it is awesome in so many ways.
Since Bruar Falls is a bar and it is within the realm of possibility that you will have at least one drink of something, anything, while you are on the premises, you must be prepared to get up close and personal with one of the two bathrooms. I don’t need to tell you that bathrooms in bars are generally a sight to behold, and Bruar Falls is no exception.
Both of the bathrooms at Bruar Falls are filthy, covered in graffiti, do not have mirrors over the sinks, and smell revolting. But try to make the best of a bad situation and read some of that graffiti while you’re in there. Reading said graffiti while you hold your nose and try to get in and out of the bathroom as quickly as possible can be both funny and horrifying, depending on your outlook on things.
In the first bathroom, the one with the green walls, some upstanding individual named Yoby (really?) informs you that he has «peed on the soap!» Thanks to Yoby, may he be fated to ride the L train over and over and over and over and over again in an endless, mind-​numbing loop, you will find yourself in an uncomfortable quandary. Is Yoby only joking, albeit tastelessly? Did Yoby actually pee on the soap, and is the soap in question that particular bottle of bright pink hand soap that teeters so innocently on the edge of the sink, the one with which you are just about to wash your hands? Or was it simply some past soap dispenser, now long gone from the Bruar Falls premises? Faced with such taxing difficulties, you are left with only two choices: either don’t wash your hands at all (yeech), or wash your hands with soap that was (potentially) peed on by some ass named Yoby. My advice: hit the soap dispenser as fast as you can so that you get a little bit of soap on your hands, drench them in hot water, and run like hell. Thanks a lot, Yoby.
The second bathroom, the one off to the right with the tiled flooring, is little improved in terms of stench and general cleanliness — the toilet seat itself had somehow ended up on the floor when I was there — but the graffiti spoke of nothing that posed a public health hazard, although I will admit that I was unaware that the Revolution Has Begun. Get with it, New York Times!
The graffiti in this bathroom can also be hilarious as well as informative, as in the case of some previous disgruntled Bruar Falls patron, who penned the following missive near the toilet:
«Hey Billyburgers: Just so you know, being snide is so 2007. Go to hell.»
Yoby, my friend, I think he was talking to you.

I went here with an open mind; I really did. But the owner does not clear his beer lines and I was left with a sour, bitter, cloudy IPA. If I were actually a beer snob I wouldn’t have paid for my beer, but I really just want a solid pull, that’s all. It’s not so much to ask for your beer to not taste like crap because of the owner’s ineptitude, is it?

Solid place. In the same vein as Trash Bar (which is right across the street) and Pete’s Candy Store. Pretty narrow, with the stage at the very end. But the size fits for the acts they book, and you could catch some really good shows for free, which is always great. I stopped by just for one band on a Friday, around 10ish… place was packed but not obnoxiously. Didn’t wait too long for a drink. And speaking of drinks, had a DOUBLE vodka + oj for 10. And it was definitely worth those 10 dollars. By the time i finished that pint glass, i could barely make it back to the subway. Would come back here for another show in a heartbeat. Not sure if they ever charge for concerts but if they did, would probably spring for it anyway just because i like the cozy show effect. :)

Great vibe, cheap beer, oddly wonderful/​quirky music lineup. Despite the fact that only the vocals were miked, the sound wasn’t bad. The small room makes you feel like you dropped in on someone’s rehearsal space. I like this place!

A
Café
By daylight
Venue at night
In this spot’s newest reincarnation.

I came to check out this place because my friend’s band was playing that night. Nothing really special about this place but just a typical small hipster band venue in williamsburg. Only real good reason to check out this place if you know of some band playing. Nothing new here

I like this place because it has:
* Mrs. Pac-​Man
* A seedy backyard
* Good weird live music sometimes
* Cheap beer
I don’t like it because it’s so close to home…

Saw a show here on a Saturday night and almost crapped my pants when I realized that Bruar Falls used to be Stinger! Remember Stinger?! Anybody? Anybody?
:listens to deafening sound of your indifference:
Whatever. The more relevant point is that this is a solid dive. The $ 3 rolling rock in a can is so refreshing, I just wanted more, more, more. The show was great and the acoustics too, considering the space really wasn’t made for it. Unfortunately, a herd of dipshits kept talking through the sets, making me cranktown. I gave one girl the stinkeye and she stopped… for a minute. The upside is that the bartenders were solid — we never had to wait long for our drinks and they were friendly.
But I’m still shaking off the surprise of rolling up for a show and finding the grave of one of the Burg’s raunchiest bars.

Cheap drinks (house beer is $ 3) and nice staff. I came here for a CMJ show my friend’s band was playing in, and the space sounds pretty good, even though it is small (not everyone in the 5-​piece band fit on the stage). I would come back.

I’ve been walking past this place for about 2 months before I could convince my friends to leave the Bedford Ave/​North 6^th/​Lorimar G train enclaves in Williamsburg to come check it out. Glad I finally got a chance to check it out and all it’s cool vibe from the outside is only exceeded by the actual cool vibe on the inside.
It’s not a large space, bar in front, tiny stage in back, but that’s all it needs. Cool lighting, cheap drinks ($ 3 house brew, $ 5 cocktails, 2 for 1 happy hour) and they allow you to bring in grub from the many other restaurants in the area, including Caracas.
I held out on giving in the coveted 5^th star, but I have a feeling that this place could end up earning it very soon.

A nice, new (?), intimate venue on the central Grand street corridor in Williamsburg. Went by last night to hear a friend read an excerpt from his new novel. Spoken word events are always excruciating, but I liked the space. Reasonable drink prices (the emphasis is on beer), a cozy back garden and friendly service enhanced my experience, not to mention the extremely attractive crowd. With all the emphasis in the last few years on foofy «bespoke» $ 14 cocktails served by bartenders in little vests, it’s nice to see a new spot open with an unpretentious, inexpensive bar menu. That being said, it might be nice to have more than one option for red wine (Yellowtail? Ugh. For a second I felt like I was at Laguardia, about to board a flight). At least it was served in a highball glass and was only $ 5.

Closed.

Bruar Falls deserves accolades for enabling me to see Chairlift for free. They also get some props for having really good acoustics for such a small space. Whoop whoop, yay, and all that good stuff.
Certain elements of the evening were less than fantastic. Foremost among these was the fact that the crowd would not stop talking during the bands’ sets. Maybe I’m a crotchety old lady, but insolence like that makes me want to start throwing punches (I never have). There’s a talking section: it’s called *outside*. It was pointed out to me that one of the loudest offenders seemed to be either the manager or owner, which made my estimation of the place slide further. Also, the wine (Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel) was one of the worst cheap wines I’ve ever had – sour and unpleasant and without any of those qualities that you look for in a glass of wine – plus it was served in a rocks glass. The well whiskey (Traveler’s Club) met my needs more nicely.
It felt a little less deathtrap-​y than its sister venue CakeShop, largely because it’s all on one level, but it does still have that narrow, danger-​of-​impending-​doom feeling to it. At one point it seemed like we were easily at twice the fire code capacity, but then it cleared out some at about the same time that a bouncer took up his post. I’ll be back because it’s down the street, it looks like they’ll be bringing good acts to the neighbourhood, and I don’t need to drink wine anyway. I’ll just hope that the patrons will grow a little more consideration.