Cocktail Bodega

I came here with some friends and had the following:
Birthday cake smoothie– semi sweet smoothie with alcohol
Superfruit smoothie– you can really taste the vodka in this
Acai antioxidant– was bitter. I didn’t like this at all.
Don’t expect this place to be a cocktail bar. All the drinks are smoothies blended with alcohol, instead of cocktails that taste similar to smoothies.
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Protip– You order all your drinks at the counter. My friends and I sat at our table for a while waiting for a server before realizing our mistake.
There’s also a small dance area in the basement.

Since hearing about Cocktail Bodega, I’ve been dying to come and try it out for myself. Liquor in your smoothie? Sounds like a good time to me. Great in theory, but sub par in practice.
I came here last night with a group of 5 [including myself] around midnight, we had no problem getting a table. The atmosphere is typical LES, hipsters and model-​types with the DJ playing 80s/​90s songs. There’s a long bar [where you order] with ample seating, though getting the bartenders attention can be difficult if its busy [which it kind of was when I was there].
DRINKS: I really wanted the Coconut Mojito Smoothie, but they were out of mojito [minus a star on the review right there]. Instead I had the Bloody Mary Smoothie which was decent. I think I prefer my Bloody Mary’s served in the traditional form rather than smoothied. It was really spicy and garnished with a sad looking lime [Lime? Really? THATS the garnish of choice?]. The texture was off, it was all around just meh and definitely not worth $ 13. [Why so much? The extra labor? The liquor in a smoothie? The name of the chef? Location?]
I tried my friend’s drinks too, The Tequila Immune Booster [tequila, carrot juice, orange juice, ginger, and vitamin C] which was also meh, it was kind of grainy, like the carrot wasn’t fully strained through.
Maybe next time I’ll create my own juice/​smoothie, it’ll probably taste better [I hope] and its cheaper [$ 11].
FOOD: My friend and I shared the Kimchee Reuben [$ 9], which was actually better than the cocktails. It came out scolding hot. The ratio of meat to kimchee was perfect and the dipping sauce was delicious! I believe it was their take on the thousand island dressing. The bread it came on was toasty and buttery. Mmm.
Someone at my table also got the Jerk Chicken Satays, which looked really good as well.
I guess I’d come back again and give it a shot.

Honestly, I’m surprised this place got such good reviews. I was very disappointed when I went. Went on a thursday night around 7:30 and the place was dead. My friends and I ordered drinks, 3 of the 4 of us decided to make our own… we chose our liquor and fruit juices… they were all SO bland. I’ve been to many juice bars in the city and these weren’t comparable at all… and for $ 11 a piece I expected more. The liquor was not high quality either, and they took FOREVER (15 mins) to make. Annoying considering the place was empty. The specialty drink tasted better but for $ 13, I’d rather go to a high end cocktail bar like Huckleberry and enjoy what I’m tasting.
The ambiance and décor also left alot to be desired… it was dingy and smelled like grease. I actually came wanting to order food but after seeing how the place looked and the quality of the drinks, I decided against it. To make matters worse, the bartender overcharged us for our drinks and ran the card on tab before we realized it.
The only bright side was the bar in the basement where we got a free round of shots… regardless, I won’t be back here anytime soon. Bummer, because I really like the concept!

I have been to Cocktail bodega several times now. Another one of Matt levine’s genius spots. Sons of Essex and Cocktail Bodega are my two favorite spots in LES. It’s basically a juice bar that sells liqour smoothies with an underground club sort of theme downstairs that gets pretty busy at night.
The Good:
I have tried almost every one of their drinks and I can’t pick a favorite one so I just alternate everytime I am there. Acai Berry smoothie is sort of my favorite I suppose.
The Cuban Quesadilla is absolutely delicious
Waffle fries are worth it
The Bad:
Not sure if i found any flaws. I sometimes have trouble getting service quickly at the bar if there are many people but in general they are very good and the bar tenders are very friendly.
Definitely deserves the 5 stars. it stays true to the LES style.
Hard to really get an understanding of this place from reviews. Definitely go and check it out for yourself. It is worth it. Don’t worry about the look of the place. The place plays true to the LES style.

Interesting place; it reminded me of a diner while serving cocktails as well. There are TVs and there is a Foosball table which makes the top floor a laid back place. They played hip hop music but it was definitely not the top 40 kind. When you walk in, you are met with an immediate grease odor that lingers on you even after you leave. It probably means that their food is pretty tasty if they use that much grease.
You order your drink at the bar and then bring it back to the tables yourself. There was a good amount of tables so no waiting for a place to sit. The drinks were $ 13 a piece so I expected them to be good. They are known for their smoothie cocktails so I ordered a Coconut Mojito smoothie by recommendation from the bartender. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed by it.
After I ordered it, the bartender turned around and proceeded to pour my drink from what seemed like a slurpee machine and within 2 seconds, handed it back to me. At $ 13, I guess I expected a bit more mixing. But what ultimately disappointed me the most was the taste. It tasted like a water ice with a hint of mojito. I didn’t really taste any coconut or alcohol.
Not happy with my drink, I decided not to order any more. However, my two friends were very happy with their Gin Hulks (which wasn’t a smoothie) and ordered more. One of my friends got the Bloody Mary Smoothie as her second drink and after trying that one, I have to say it was quite delicious. It tasted a bit like a spicy shrimp cocktail.
There is a lounge downstairs, which we tried to go to. However, for some reason when we tried to go to the lounge from the exit in the back of the first floor, the bouncer told us we had to walk outside and all the way around to the same exact doorway. We thought that was a bit ludicrous so decided not to check out the lounge after all.
I probably won’t be coming back for drinks but I would love to try their menu sometime. Their waffle fries looked really good and they had a Kimchi Reuben on the menu which sounds very interesting.

You know when you’re all, «I should give up drinking, because it’s so unhealthy.» Then life smacks you in the face and says, «Drink fruit with your booze, you novice!» Well, thankfully I stumbled upon this spot, and I believe it is the saving grace for us health nuts — here’s why:
COCKTAILS: I had five — yes five — Apples and Oranges. It only got old on the last one, too. My friend said it tasted like juicy juice, and I agree. DE-​LISH. I am very sad that I discovered the Bloody Mary Smoothie on my way out the door :(:(The bartenders were funny and just mixed the drinks so quickly. Love that.
FUN: They have a foosball table! Maybe I liked that so much because I am a foosball champ. Either way, I always enjoy having something to do whilst drinking. I didn’t go downstairs, but it looked awesome from my peek.
PEOPLE: Okay. This spot really attracts a variety of people from awesome to totally gross. I mean you’ve got the young groups for fun, and then there are the olds. The olds being 50+ people who dress like they’re 25 and try to get in on your action. Strange. Then, there were the fake gangstas who were totally rude and degenerate, talking about girls in the place like objects and being mouthy with the bouncers (who let them stay — btw). I just don’t know about the vibe here. Maybe it was an off night, although it was a Saturday so I’m not forgiving.
Bottom Line: The people make this place a 3 instead of a 4. If I could get a smoothie to go… well, let’s just say I would be slightly tipsy after the gym instead of protein-​ing it up.

Had the most glorious time here.
Friendly doormen and bartenders who are excited to serve you. And for good reason — these are the most inventive, tastiest drinks I’ve ever had while out in NYC. I ordered the Jameson brown sugar banana smoothie, which was served in a wine glass and contained 2 shots worth of liquor and was sweet in the natural way, not that cheap, high-​fructose type of sweet. It’s obvious that a ton of thought went into the specialty drink menu.
But wait! There’s a downstairs club, too. The DJ played everything from Avicii to Jay-​Z to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so at least ²⁄₃ of the crowd was dancing at all times. The only issue with the space is how hot it got down there. Not a good sign, considering it’s winter. Hope they put in an A/​C before springtime.
New personal goal: try every smoothie on the list.

It’s an interesting idea, alcoholic smoothies. If you’re not into that, there’s a bottle of Glenfiddich 15 which you can have poured neat. –1 star for doing that in a plastic glass.
–1 star for being so greasy inside that I smelled like I just got off a shift at Wendy’s. Seriously, vent that stuff out better.

I wish I can come here a lot more often. Chef Ruble did a great job with the menu. Some of my friends and I went and ordered all the items on the food menu.
Everything was delicious and we ended up ordering everything on the menu again.
My all time favorite things on the menu were the Curry Shrimp, Mango Salad, Waffle Fries, Kimchee Ruben.
You must also try the spiked fresh juices that they have. The juices are strong and delicious. I tried the healer and the replenisher. The drinks are a little expensive but well worth it.
You will not be disappointed.

Went here last night for the bf’s 30^th birthday. Was a GREAT time — great drinks, food, music (hip-​hop /​modern), dancing. Drinks are a bit steep but they are strong and are the ‘healthier’ choice of alcoholics.
Ross (GM) was super accommodating and the free shots were awesome. If you want a chill place and a good time I 100% recommend this spot.

This has got to be the best idea EVER. Smoothies with Liquor is practically the most enjoyable experience. I’m not a huge drinker and sometimes you just want to have something refreshing with a little kick and Cocktail Bodega has it! The drinks are good for you and help you take the edge off of your hard day at work too. Or maybe you want to start your day off with One… shhhh… I won’t tell!
The drinks run about 13 – 15 $ which is a little steep but that’s normally how much drinks cost uptown anyway. And here the liquor is good and strong. I can’t really drink more than one, because I’m a pansy. I’ve had their Kimchi Rueben sandwich which was tasty too. My friend had the spare ribs, they were $ 2 each and they were gUUde.
The place is a decent size and I like the open windows during the spring and fall. It’s a nice place to relax and feel the breeze.

I feel less guilty drinking alcohol here.
Cuz I get my vitamin C, vitamin E etc, calcium… you name it… when I drink here. Fruit smoothies + alcohol = cocktail bodega. That also means that its easier to get drunk here because it tastes so good.
I had a hard time deciding on what drink to order. The cashier helped me decide by naming the more popular drinks. I decided to try the Healer’s Lemonade: cucumber, vodka, cucumber juice, ginger lemonade, mint leaves, muddle cucumber, lemongrass.
Even thought it cost $ 13, it tasted way better than some $ 20 cocktail of water, water, more water, and more water, a few drops of cranberry juice, ONE drop of vodka, and red food coloring.
The cuban sandwich quesadilla was good, but slightly spicy. I would like the try the watermelon sandwich next time because I am curious to know what it is. Is it a watermelon in between 2 slices of bread?

The smoothies were interesting. If you like good strong drinks using un-​compromised top shelf liquor, you will love the Cocktail Bodega. They are extremely friendly and all about customer service. When I mentioned that I wasn’t a fan of one of the pre-​prepared drinks– after a taste profile of sorts-​I was given a sample of what the bartender thought I might like, and I did. I had the mint, coconut, pineapple mojito– which was fresh and crept up on me. They make it in bulk, because it’s popular-​the bodega mojito can be found swirling up front. :-)
The waffle fries and food selection are very good. Everything is served on a stick, so you can share and eat easily. I had the wings, jerk chicken, curried shrimp, fries and more fries. They have juices and soda if you ask.
You can talk to friends, watch the game and enjoy food and drinks in laid back cool, but clean and classy venue.

This was a great time here. I was here last week for a CMYE: Cocktails for a Cause. Had some great drinks, I am not gonna lie. Wow, a great review too for my 800^th review. I still remember my first review after all this time: Nice Green Bo in Chinatown.
–Got the «Energy Memory Punch» (rum, mango nectar, mint leaves, orange & pineapple juices). Seriously was a great drink, and I am not usually a fan of paying $ 13 for a drink. This one had just the right amount of alcohol and some nice taste to it.
–Ruggy did a good job with this one, some of the profits were donated to Hurricane Sandy relief. There were some nice shots of alcohol to be had here too, with every drink that night, one free shot was given. Vital Vodka Shot was a nice one. It was a combination of Ultimat Vodka, Ginger, Lemon, and Cayenner Pepper. Malibu Multivitamin Melon Shot was a really good as well. That shot had some punch to it as well but my pick is try the Vital Vodka. Next time, here I am definitely trying the food. Smoothies are also served here for $ 13. I sampled the Patron XO Frozen Smores icy cocoa in a shot, it tasted like pure perfection.
James Brown Sugar Banana Smoothie was sampled in a quick shot and in a few sips. Great drink, check that one out as well.
–There are other option as well other than the main special drinks like The Gin Hulk or Tequila Immune Booster, you can make you own drink (mix of liquor with two choices of Fruit or Vegetables). There are also non-​alcoholic drinks available in drink or smoothie form for $ 6.50. There is also the club downstairs: Cocktail Bodega U, that features the giant stripper poles that were mentioned late thursday night I believe it opens. It was a monday when I was there so it was not open, but I got to take a look and walk around downstairs to see the DJ booth.

HOLY SMOKES! …So let me get this straight — for one easy payment of $ 13, I can get a day’s worth of nutrients and a healthy punch of alcohol, all in a delicious fruit smoothie or juice?! What’s that 800-​number again?
Jokes aside, this place rocks! Some of us Unilocalers came over here to enjoy some unique drinks and patronize the LES area post-​Sandy, and with all the vitamins being poured, I think we all felt a bit less guilty about skipping out on the gym! I ordered and sampled the «Energy Memory Punch» (rum, mango nectar, mint leaves, orange & pineapple juices), «Rivington Street Replenisher» (Absolut pear, agave nectar, coconut water, cucumber & lime juices, and ginger), «Healer’s Lemonade» (Effen cucumber, cucumber juice, lemonade, mint leaves, muddled cucumber, ginger, and lemongrass), and the «Gin Hulk» (gin, apple, cucumber, lemon & spinach juices). All four tasty juice drinks were served chilled with no ice in a standard highball glass.
On the flip side of the paper menu, patrons can order smoothie-​based drinks. Our gracious organizer and NYC Unilocal CM, Ruggy, was putting back a «Jameson Brown Sugar Banana Smoothie,» which tasted like a deliciously liquified bananas foster… awesome! All the drinks were equally impressive, with a perfectly balanced blend of juices and alcohol that (if you’re not careful) will certainly creep up on you as the night progresses!
Steven and the rest of the Cocktail Bodega staff were great all night, offering recommendations, and throwing our group some nutrient-​dense shots to accompany our already potent drinks. The posted pictures should give you a good visual of the upstairs space, but they also have a downstairs area for the busier nights. Music was pumping out the several speakers, and the iPod playlist was a nice upbeat backdrop to the football games playing muted on the flatscreen TVs above the bar.
Although perhaps a bit pricer than what most are used to, this place makes up for it in its uniqueness. They have a handful of kitchen items as well, but we didn’t eat here this time around. I’ll definitely be back soon enough though!

It’s the alcoholic Johnnie rockets.
For some reason, this place reminds me of lunch break during high school. This could be either really good or bad depending on how many friends I had to sit with during that 6^th period. The food comes in those classic paper checkered sheets, but is surprisingly unique with their choices of adding a bit of a classy spin to the normal burgers and fries look. I personally thought the kimchi quesadillas with the dipping cheese was extremely tasty.
My favorite alcoholic smoothie after trying all of them is still the Jameson Brown Sugar. It’s a large portion with a good amount of alcohol and a very tasty mix of brown sugar and lemonade. It’s recommended that you take your time to prevent the brain freeze, which gives you more reason to sit around talking about all those things that matter in your high school lives.
I’ve tried most of juices and I think the portions are a bit too small for it to be actually healthy or to justify the $ 13. For the juices, I would rather add alcohol to jamba juice and call it a day.
Just like in high school, if you can get a group of friends together and just sit at the end of the day and hang out with some not-​too-​loud music playing in the background, you’ll have a good time. It’s a nice and neutral dating spot, and I could see it working for an expanding niche.
If you drop by, hit up my friend James G. He’ll make sure you have an enjoyable time.
I must admit that everything has a retro-​hipster twist to it. It might not be the right place for you. Keep an open mind :).

Not a good experience. Came here Friday night at 9pm
1. Bar guy is an angry angry man who greets questions with a snarl.
2. Drink price on menu 13 — actual price 14 — ask why — get told angrily it’s TAX!
3. Place smells like grease and smoke — shit extraction fans — your clothes will stink after 30 mins here
4. Order a drink that is billed with acai purée — comes without it — ask why — get told it has it — point out that acai is a very dark purple but the drink is beige — get told ‘oh we’re out’ and a look that says shut the f**k up
5. The décor is beyond terrible. The shopping baskets above the bar with the plastic fruit are beyond cheesy.
In summary, 14 bucks for a shit drink and a worse attitude, and come out stinking of fried food. First and last time I come here. Recommend to avoid.

I have a question for you (yes, you):
Q: Who’s the loser when you combine nature’s finest blended candy with man’s finest distilled version of said candies?
A: Um, nobody.
Srsly (could have used vowels, but I really need to emphasize how serious I am), I’ve attempted to spike my Jamba Crunk Juice on many occasions because I tend to lean on the degenerate side of the sandy line, and each time, it’s been a miserable experiment. Thank that God fellow someone finally came along to help fuel my already alcoholic tendencies by infusing the wholesome goodness of artisan juices and smoothies with boozy delights to raise the bar on the emulsified fruits game. Bananas, brown sugar, and coconut water were already a palate pleasing trio by themselves… but when you take it to the next level with a heavy hand of Jameson, it’s the stuff dreams are made of. If only Charles Bukowski’s pickled liver didn’t implode, he’d be the Duke of this pop stand in no time.
If you were ever a regular at 205, you’ll be amazed how different this place looks. It’s like a homeless guy took a shower and threw on some harajiku attire. The transformation is really incredible!

This place is AWESOME! What a find! We were hanging out at Bantam (formerly known as Stanton Public), which had an amazing space (but no crowd — literally only one other group of 10 people that bought a few bottles), and we wanted to find a place to get our dance on. Luckily we had some go-​getters in the group that used their GPS-​enabled phones to locate high energy watering holes in the area. The choices were either The Box (burlesque bar and show) or The (Cocktail) Bodega. Earlier in the evening we were at Pianos (classic favorite), which had just OK music and a really weird crowd so we were now (1AM) in the mood for something super fun.
The girls decided against The Box so we ventured next door to Bodega. Some of our friends had already ventured over while we were finishing off our final shots of Jack at Bantam, but when I walked over, I had no idea what was in store. This place looks like a 50s diner on ‘roids — super bright and happy looking. The host at the door told me he thought my friends went downstairs to the lounge. I already thought just from face value that this would be yet another bust. As we walked down the dark stairs to a graffiti decorated door, we heard nothing but the thud of a hard hitting subwoofer.
When you open the door you get hit with a mist of the smoke machine and the DJ is playing the hardest hitting southern rap slash house mashups. This place was rockin and immediately your body goes into a dance trance. The drinks are expensive for this type of place, basically $ 10 for a shot or beer. There are poles available for your pole-​dancing desire as well. We didn’t stop dancing or sweating until 4am and didn’t realize that 3 hours passed. This place is great and I hope they keep up the good work.

When I first heard of Cocktail Bodega, I was intrigued. A place where I could combine my two favorite things: muscle milk and Jagermeister? I’m sold. Ok, so maybe those aren’t really my two favorites. But I truly was intrigued. And not just because Thao thinks I work at Jamba Juice and inherently love all things smoothie.
The night Tiffany and I went, there was a solid but manageable crowd of people, and a general atmosphere of excitement. The bartender commented favorably on my Vegeta shirt as soon as we reached the bar, so the proceedings looked promising. Wanting something a bit more substantial than one of the many cucumber juice based concoctions, I ordered the Acai Antioxidant trendy thing. The alcohol was, as expected, imperceptible; aided by the fact, no doubt, that it was an acai flavored vodka. Quite good. Tiffany opted for a Papaya Soy milk less trendy thing. In her words, and with my sampling concurring, it was mild but good. The prices were a bit on the high side, but given the amount of fruit you receive and the generous nature of the bartenders, the drinks aren’t likely to evoke buyer’s remorse in most. What will likely ellicit remorse, however, would be the act of venturing downstairs.
The bright, almost sterile main floor is not flattering for the certain class of people I like to call «Girls who don’t believe in pants, but really ought to, because, damn.» But in seeking to escape them, heading downstairs would be a mistake. Putting aside the fact that it still smells rather strongly of paint, there are four stripper poles in a deceptively small area. One lonely stripper pole beckons to none but the drunkest of patrons. Many gleaming stripper poles create an atmosphere where debauchery is implicitly encouraged. These are not people you want to see drunkenly saunter around a metal rod. Thankfully, the relative openness of the main floor means that the strange cattiness and entitlement of other LES bars are at a minimum.
The only other thing missing from the experience was fare from the kitchen. Though food was as of yet unavailable, the menu certainly looked creative. I’ll likely be back, if only to try the kimchi reuben.