Back Fence Bar

The last time I went back in September of last year, this place was closing and was not the same place I remember. There weren’t a lot of people. Those that were there seemed to be mostly tourists and not a lot of people were having fun. It also seemed pretty dirty — a lot dirtier than I remembered. I guess it doesn’t matter now because it’s closed, but its a disappointing way to remember it.

After working a normal day, then running home to change, heading downtown, fighting the mobs of tourists & foreigners to get to Muji Soho (see my review), finding & buying what I needed, then fighting my way back to the relative silence of the village, I found myself desperate for a drink & air conditioning on that 90 degree day. I also found myself on Bleeker, right outside the Back Fence. So I went in.
The AC hit me right away, as did the live music coming from the corner. I felt at home. It’s the type of place where Christmas decorations stay up year (s) round. The taps were dripping sweat. There was a local at the end of the bar who brought in her very strong-​smelling dinner. And I loved it.

To start things off, their live music was ok, but not worth the five bucks cover in my opinion. I did like the dcor though and our waitress was super nice. The drinks were fairly priced, it is a good place to chill but nothing special, until…
At one point a group of 40-​sth white-​girl-​wasted-​cougars came in and started dancing. Some guy in the bar actually started chatting with one of them until he got cock blocked by one of the cougars. Really wished they hitted it off though, what a shame. All and all, it was fun, def would come back at one point.

Went at the end of a night and liked it!

Came here after being treated like crap at Wicked Willy’s. Our server was super hospitable. It’s a basic bar but I’d go back in a heartbeat based on our great server. ’

Well that was awkward.
I stumbled into the Back Fence Bar while waiting for my girlfriend to finish a work function. First, in order to get a seat you have to order at least two drinks. Wanting only one, I stood at the bar and had a negra modelo draft for $ 6. I looked around and the bar seemed like a typical dive otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly, a guy from the bar went to the stage, picked up his acoustic guitar, told a strange story and started playing Journey’s «Don’t Stop Believing.» I was at a loss for words. I thought only Philly’s frattiest bars did that. Wrong, clearly.
At the moment the guy picked up his guitar about a half-​dozen 40 somethings walked in, and I realized it was time to go. I finished the beer, tipped the bartender (who gave me the wrong change by $ 10 initially), and was gone.
Bottom line: If you need a beer, it works. If you’re having two you can have a seat. But if you want a nice bar where you can comfortably hangout, look elsewhere.

My mother used to tell me this old Spanish saying growing up: «lo barato sale caro», meaning «what’s cheap, becomes expensive». I think that my recent visit to the Back Fence fits into this phrase perfectly. In all, it is a regular dive bar, and I happen to like dives very much. They have a good beer special that essentially motivates patrons to purchase two domestic beers for $ 5, or $ 6 for select imports, per person. The main problems at this bar have been covered by some of the reviewers – bad service, no flexibility to sit where you want (this is only after a certain time, however), etc. – but on the particular Saturday night my girlfriend and I went the problems mushroomed. First, I must specify, a core of what made this night a disaster was not only the poor service (every employee, with the exception of one waitress, appears, and acts, as if they hate every second of their jobs), but the «diva-​esque» middle-​aged acoustic performer who mocked, bullied, taunted and disrespected the audience. The set of cliché ‘70s and 80s top 40 radio songs, was followed by long rants mocking the audience, demanding tips and taunting patrons who were chatting amongst each other and/​or not paying attention to him. At the beginning it appeared as if we were in a bad comedy show; responses were limited to uncomfortable chuckles. Some patrons, including a group of three guys who became the cusp of his taunting for watching the Packers game, left. What I didn’t understand was why he was so irritated with the crowd. The bar was not particularly packed, people were generally nice and they tipped quite generously. His main qualm, he confessed, was the endemic cold that all of us have, but I fail to see this as a justification for his behavior since it seemed that he was exaggerating. The hyperbolic element of his complaining is best illustrated when a young woman attempted to squeeze through the tiny aisle near the stage and barely bumped into the mic, which slightly tapped the curmudgeon singer. Naturally, he reacted as if he was punched in the face, stopped playing the song, and went on a full flown attack towards an audience member who laughed because he thought the reaction was joke. He was not alone; we all thought that the reaction to the mic incident was an attempt at physical comedy. The tirade went on and he yelled that he was bleeding, which, of course, he wasn’t. You could cut the tension with a knife and silence filled the air. He finished the song nonetheless, packed his gear, and continued his fit towards the man that laughed and the woman who bumped into the mic (she actually stormed out of the bar in tears… I’m being serious). Naturally, they both left along with their dates. Their nights were ostensibly soured by the experience. In fact, all of ours were since a portion of the bar got up and left. While recapitulating this episode on our way to the subway, my girlfriend told me that she felt so uncomfortable throughout this cat’s set that she was afraid to get up to go the bathroom because she feared she would become his target.
I’d like to think it was an off night, but the reason I am giving the bar a bad review still comes down to the service, which was rude and neglectful throughout the night. After the debacle with the singer, I closed my tab and the server gave me a bill that had twice as many drinks as I had ordered. When I confronted him, he treated me like I was an idiot (I only had three drinks, so I was far from being drunk). He kept on convincing me that he charged me the right amount, until I physically had showed him the empty glasses on the table of what we drank that night. Tired of arguing, we came to a resolution and I still believe the tab was too high. Again, returning to my mom’s old saying, «What’s cheap, becomes expensive» (perhaps a corollary can be made, «what appears cheap, is actually expensive»). People around us seemed to have the same problem, and they were all treated in the same way. Lured by the promises of cheap liquor we all ended up leaving deeply annoyed, and I suppose this should be a lesson to be learned: a bargain may be deceptive.
The only reason that I am giving the bar two stars is because I have been here before, and I was lucky to have been served by the only waitress who is cordial towards her customers, otherwise I wouldn’t even give it one star. After the latest visit, I doubt I will come back here again.

My friend works here so I can not help but being biased and I have not even been here a lot, only a few times. I do like the atmosphere here and I like that is a place for local musicians to try out their stuff, it give us other folks a chance to listen to something else than what is constantly playing on the radio which is pretty much the same these days. I do appreciate adversity in music.
The drinks prices are the same as anywhere in this area but they are very well made and my friend usually gives a few on their dime so i am a bit spoiled that way. The bartenders are always friendly and good for a little chat so this is a true local dive.

Great spot for a dive bar with great live music. Tiny spot, the staff is great and the bouncers let us forgo the $ 5 cover at the door. This will be my new go to place if I’m looking for something chill in the village.

Came to drink here one cold night in January for some late night cold ones. Live music was blaring, no one was caring, and for a wednesday night, trying to get up for work the next day was daring. Good people, good service, solid bar all around.

This place brings back memories of Hermosa Beach/​Manhattan Beach dive bars like Shellback. Home away from home. The band was mildly terrible, the drinks were cheap and the bachelorette party by the bar was entertaining. Lots of seats to sit and relax which is nice but if you can’t get a table there isn’t a lot of room to stand which is annoying. Great place to go if you wanna chill with friends or get a little rowdy and dance.

This is an awesome place to end the night. The live music never disappoints — this is definitely a bar with character and stands apart from other dive bars in the city. The drinks aren’t glamorous, the space is cramped, no dancing allowed which is actually hard to resist given the great music, and the bathrooms are horrendous, but boy will you have fun here. The owner was in the bar last night and bought everyone shots. Love it here.

THE WORST service I’ve ever experienced! Drinks are watery, space is jammed, it’s a dive bar, so I don’t expect much, but the man taking our drink orders was utterly impossible to communicate with, was rude to us, forced us to move, and refused to let us pay for the entire tab in one go with one credit card, instead insisting that since he had rung different tabs up, they all had to be paid separately. Honestly a nightmare and not worththe visit.

Is it a great bar? In a city just full of them it would be tough to place this one in the top 10, 20, 30, probably even 100.
Oddly shaped, interesting table arrangement, you are sharing what little space there is with everyone. The «Stage» instead of being in the back where all can see and the band can spread out is in the middle of the wall for some reason… oh and it is the size of a trap door… with some of the acts that are on it I wish it was sometimes.
All that being said, I have never not had a good time here. Not sure how to explain it, but you know what they say, the company you keep, not the place you’re at… or something like that.
Also not a bad way to kick off any night, since it is in the heart of the village, just a few steps from some of the greatest bars on Bleecker, and just a 5 minute walk (depending how many drinks you have had) from the east or west village.
Give it a go, before it’s gone. Word is this year will be its last due to NYC rents. Another one bites the saw dust.

One of the last of the GREAT character bars of NYC will be closing in the Summer of 2013. Rent going through the roof. What a shame…
I have been coming here for 30 plus years. Back in the day the old man who owns the place was the bartender. He was great. Friendly. Treated you fairly and right. He is now semi retired.
This is a no frills bar. A beer and a shot kind of place. The way you see it now, is the way it was 30 years ago. This is not a club with dancing. This is not a CBGB. This is a place were you can year some good to great copy music any night of the week. No cover, except on weekends.
I will miss this old time place. The funny thing about this place is that a large portion of their crowd has been coming here on and off for years. Always steady.
Happy trails partner…

My absolute favorite bar in the entire world!!! It’s like one big sing-​a-​long with all the songs you want to hear. They no longer have peanuts!!! Big disappointment. And I heard they are closing soon :(

For a bar in the heart of the village this place is a little sad.
Some may say it’s quaint or folksy but I stand by sad. It attracts a slightly older crowd and while the prices are decent and décor are decent, they’re kind of kidding themselves with the live music.

If I had a gun, I’d shoot this place 21 times! It was that extraordinary!
This past Saturday, four friends and I stopped into this diamond– in-​the-​rough after a 1pm mass at the Church of Magic Time. We were seated immediately and welcomed with peanuts and live music.
There is no formal dress code and Back Fence welcomes all 21+ patrons and hamsters. The bartender was pleasant and detail oriented. Our drinks came as ordered and there was never a bad pour! I also learned that there seems to be no real difference between grapefruit juice and pineapple juice. (Who knew!) Also the drinks were SO cheap… almost felt free! We tried to get ahold of the bartender a few times to make sure our bill was correct.
The live music was definitely different and unlike anything we’ve heard before. I learned that anyone with a guitar and vocal chords can hop on stage to play during the day. As long as I’m not outbid on ebay, I may be back to perform this Saturday!
The other patrons were friendly and even shared their food with us! It is not every day you are given a fruit basket! Now I know how that girl feels in that Sundrop commercial! (
)
The only element that could make this place better is a Martin marathon on the TVs. Who watches college basketball in March?!
**highly recommend!**

From the table next to us ordering drinks —
«I’ll have a martini and she’ll have a cosmo»
«What? You’ll get a beer and a shot»
«No, that’s not what we ordered»
«What beer do you want?»
«But, but…»
«Beer and a shot»
That is the attitude here which I actually find quite amusing. Back Fence is one of those old time live music institutions that are a dying breed here. Sawdust on the floor, peanuts on the table, grouchy waitress (watch out for the old lady she is a pip!) beat up little tables and chairs, small stage where local and regional singers and groups perform. Mainly a beer and shot bar — no foofy drinks here. Mainly, the whole place is beat up looking! I think it adds to the charm. Bathrooms are pretty bad too.
No dancing. Not a nightclub. Just a good divey type place to kick back, down a few, and enjoy some live music. That is what makes this place — the performers. You never know what you will get, but all are pretty decent. If you can deal with a little grunginess and a little attitude from the servers a good time can be had here. Ya gotta take it in stride!

I stumbeled into Back Fence this week after a long time away, and gosh, well I was reminded instantly of how much this place RULES.
It is a dive, a bar with probably 10 seats and somewhere around 20 or 30 tables with waiter service. The place has an overall musty-​sawdust feel to it. Each table and a few positions at the bar have bowls filled with salted peanuts. The peanuts go perfect with your whiskey or beer that you’re throwing back, and when at the Back Fence, one is encouraged to spit the peanut shells on the floor.
The next item of business to discuss is the music. This place has a different band (either 1 or 2 man) that plays nightly. They serve up classic rock covers and it’s completely appropriate (or maybe I am just always drunk) to yell out suggestions like, «PEARL JAM!» or «VAN MORRISON!»
Weekends there is a cover ($ 5) but weeknights it is a lot less crowded and still a great amount of entertainment. It feels like a honky tonk, so don’t be suprised by the pin stripped Wall Streeters that frequent the ‘Fence. If you’re typically not into a bar with a lot of hyper-​masucline Finance guys, think again and give this place a shot. Before you know it, you’re all singing at the top of your lungs to «Free Falling» and asking each other why you don’t come here every week.