C.J. Cullen’s Tavern

There are some drawbacks here, such as off the beaten track in terms of downtown New Rochelle and lack of a kitchen, but as far as comfortable and friendly bars, it is a fine example of a great tavern.
Perfect for causal hanging out, no matter what or where your next destination is. And while I did say it is off the beaten track, it isn’t that far from North Avenue, Main Street and the marina.

Cool place to hang out. Went there on a late Saturday night at like 2am. Bar was pretty empty. There was maybe 4 other people there besides me and my friends. Didn’t really mind though. The bartender was very nice and the drinks were good. As someone else said, the parking does suck.

Listen…
I’ve never been here before in my life. I just stopped in for some pre– St. Patty’s day drinks (7&7’s), and it was an ok in-​between bar.
Meaning, I would come back for a couple of drinks if I had an hour to kill. The prices were reasonable and the bartender was a sweetheart.
Parking was a nuisance, but that’s was New Rochelle is good for.

4.5 stars…
I was explicitly told not to review this bar as it would allow others to discover an otherwise hidden jewel in New Rochelle. I’m sorry Lauren please forgive me, I have a sickness and can’t not review the places I’ve been. There are worst addictions, right?
C.J. Cullens is a great clean dive with plenty of elbow room any day of the week. The fact that this place is virtually empty all the time might be a big pro or con depending on your preferences so just be aware that you probably wont be picking people up, meeting lots of new friends, or people watching here. They’ve got darts, pool, occasional live bands, photo hunt (though not erotic), dirt cheap drinks ($ 3 for some drafts), most likely buy backs, and a really nice bartender. They even have awesome specials like all you can eat corned beef and cabbage on St Patty’s day. They have booths and I heard they have a kitchen but as of now they don’t serve food. The electronic juke box unfortunately is $ 1 per song which is outrageous so I’ll let other people pick the tunes but otherwise there isn’t any negatives about this wonderful neighborhood bar.
I almost forgot the best part of CJ Cullen’s! They have a breathalyzer machine you can use before you leave. It’s 50cents and you use a normal disposable straw to blow through and takes less than 10 seconds to tell you your BAC. I’ve never seen this in a bar and there’s so many reasons this is awesome. Whether you’re using this responsibly to make sure the person driving you home isn’t drunk or just making bets to see who’s drunker this is the best thing I’ve ever seen in a bar, every bar should have one!