Old Town Bar & Restaurant

Know what you want, simple as that. No mixologists or pretentious bartenders, just a good environment. Knowledgeable bartenders with some great stories. Bar food and typical drinks from a bar opened pre-​1900.

I lunched at Old Town Bar & Restaurant on 5/​18, a joint that is divier than Greg Louganis. I sat at a table in the bar area toward the rear of the bar, not in the distinct dining area. The wood on the table was peeling off.
I ordered a Bacon Cheese Burger which came with fries ($ 16.50) and a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, one of the many excellent draft and bottle beers the restaurant offers. My server took my order politely and efficiently, albeit a bit coolly. My meal arrived promptly. The Bacon Cheese Burger arrived medium as requested. It was fairly good but, for $ 16.50, the burger seemed a little small. The fries were competently made, tasty and not greasy.
Although you can get a good burger here, there are better options in the Flatiron, Murray Hill and Kips Bay area.

Great place to stop in for a beer and quick bit while wandering around the concrete-​jungle. Rehydrate with a cold draft and Refuel on some fireeeee nachos!

Where to start. I am still completely flabbergasted at the way my friends and I were treated yesterday. I was in town from Chicago; my friend was in town from Atlanta. I wanted to hang in the Union Sq. area and we both had friends who live in NYC who wanted to meet up with us. Enter Old Town Bar. I sit down and order a Captain and diet. My friend asks what kind of ciders they have, the bartender says what it is, and describes it as a dry cider. My friend didn’t want that, so she started with a water. My NYC friend showed up and ordered 2 vodka somethings. Her NYC friend showed up and ordered a water. My friend and I get an appetizer. So between the 4 of us, we’ve ordered 3 drinks and an app. The bartender swings by after a half hour and explains to the girls drinking water that if they want to sit at the bar they have to order a drink. I TOTALLY understand that, buuuuut he was a total dick about it and basically berated us. My traveling companion said, I tried to order a cider, and he yelled «WE HAVE CIDER» (but it was one my friend likes). So we said, okie dokie, we’ll leave. My NYC friend and I cashed out, and I see that my teeny tiny Captain was $ 12. I get its NYC, but come on… and (more importantly) I’m super pissed at how he treated my friends, so I tipped him $ 1 and wrote on the check «Highway Fucking Robbery». NOTE: I would NEVER had said anything if he hadn’t been so incredibly rude to us. Also, please note, that both girls drinking water were going to tip him a few bucks for the waters. But after the way they were treated, there was no way they were going to leave any money. Soooo… the bartender takes our receipts, and as I’m walking out, he yells to me to «go back to Kansas». This was obviously in response to either the «Highway Fucking Robbery» comment or the $ 1 tip. Believe you, me… he’s lucky he got $ 1. So I responded that I’m from Chicago and am used to jacked up prices, but he was a dick and that price was actually ridiculous. So he told me to go back to Chicago, to which I responded «you obviously need to get laid». A lot of this is not verbatim except for the «go back to Kansas part», and there was a lot more back and forth, but you get the point.
That all could have gone way better, on both ends. But I didn’t react until this bartender had already been rude to us a few times (basically…he started it! Whaaa). All I know is that I hope that bartenders life isn’t as miserable as he made it seem. Oh! And I also know I will never… ever…go back to Old Town Bar. Which bums me out… it’s a super great dive in NYC… And I live in Old Town in Chicago. Alas… c’est la vie.

I often take my date here because of its ambience. Love it

This is a cool little dive bar with great drinks and good food. It’s a little more pricy than I’d like but not terrible. It’s a chill and laid back environment. Perfect for going out with friends after work or on a Friday night.

Great spot to post up and chill with a beer or two while you’re waiting for something or someone or to go someplace. Also recommend to go to if in need of a place to drinking in the area but don’t want to be felt put upon for not being dressed up or, in my case, having biked from Brooklyn. All walks of life fit in here, no need to be fancy.

I came to eat here last Monday and right after I finished eating a turkey burger with Swiss cheese, I got super nauseous. An hour of feeling nauseous I couldn’t hold it anymore and threw up everything I ate ;(This was a really bad experience I’m not going back there again, but I really do like the vibe unfortunately the food :’(.

Food was pretty good, service was fine, bathrooms clean.
Started feeling sick, almost ready to vomit, managed to finish off my meal but not my beer.
As soon as I got outside, I was a new man.
Don’t know what the heck, all I know is I felt like a million bucks before I got in and again the moment I walked out.

Want a slice of REAL NYC? This is one of those genuine rare gems. Can’t call yourself a New Yorker if you haven’t at least stopped by for a pint. One of my all-​time favorites.

Great vibes
Its what I picture old Manhattan was like !
The bar is adorable. Great friendly service.
And don’t judge a book by its cover, my Cosmo picture make look like a small drink but booooyy does it have a kick to it !! Love it !

Our bartender was attentive and made us feel welcomed. My Manhattan was the best I’ve ever had. The wings he gloated about where very good but I went to college in Buffalo and I’ve had better. This place is old and salty; women go all the way upstairs to go to the bathroom. I recommend you stopping by this bar.

Great Dive in the middle of Manhattan.
Cozied up to the bar for strong drinks, interesting conversations and great bartenders. One of those rare places you instantly feel at home. Worth a look if you are searching for a relaxed, nondescript place to have a brew and rest your feet.

stopped in here after my boyfriend found it on thrillist as a must try spot for buffalo wings in the city. it did not disappoint!
this bar has been around since 1892, and not much of the interior has changed. lots of wood with booths lining the opposite side of the bar on the entry level. we ventured up the staircase to what seemed to be the dining room area. both the bar and dining area were crowded and we were able to secure one of the last open booths.
my bf got a large order of wings and i got a burger with bacon & cheddar. both were super tasty! i really enjoyed the wings, they were super crispy with the perfect proportion of buffalo sauce. the burger was simple, but full of flavor. you could tell it had been cooked on flat top that had been around for quite some time!
everything here is average price for city. our bill came to slightly under $ 50 for food and two beers. they seemed to feature quite a bit of local draft beers downstairs as well. and they also sell pitchers, which is always a win in my book.

Went here on december 17^th and had my card run twice. The owner, Gerald, will not take the time to find the charge to refund me and I have called several times. He claims that I have the wrong date… Because it is a debit card i cannot block the charge.
Never have I been treated so badly. The customer service at this place makes me shocked they are still in business. I will not be back after being so disrespected.

There is very little not to like about this place. Old school, from the bar to the bathroom. The bathroom looks like a scene from the Godfather minus the box and chain toilets. The crowd in on the older side, which is fine by me as I do not like noisy bars. I like peace and quiet while I soak. Beers are on the whole are very good. Taps are fresh and selection, while not huge, is on point. I’ve had apps at the bar when I have been here and they are always good. The Fried Clam Strips stand out, the platter was absolutely huge, I barely finished it. Friendly bartender, great with recommendations. There are not that many bars in the area so this is always my place when I am in the area.

Great place to grab a beer and some appetizers if you’re in the area. Also nice place to meet a friend to catch up or a casual date.
It’s definitely more of an older crowd because of the location (old is also relative but I’m in mid 20s.)
Liked the laid back vibe and the bar has TVs so you can watch sports or whatever else is on.
My only dislike was the bathroom stalls. It’s kind of hilarious but they aren’t very effective at giving privacy. You’ll see what I mean. Was an ongoing joke throughout the night.

Stopped by last night with a friend of mine to catch up and I heard good things about this place so we decided to check it out. Instead of the noisier bar area downstairs, we went upstairs and got seated promptly. It’s your typical bar in NYC, nothing special about it with pretty typical bar food.
We ordered the calamari to start off with and i thought it was pretty good. The cocktail sauce they gave had a hint of spice to it which I liked. I also ordered the bison burger with swiss and mushrooms with fries on the side. I couldn’t tell the difference between the bison and regular burger but it was cooked the way I wanted it and I enjoyed it. Wouldn’t mind checking out happy hour deals they might have moving forward.

Why is this place like an ancient institute of learning?
Because it is old school!
This really is a throwback bar. Walking inside is like walking into a time warp. The bar, the dumb waiter, the giant urinals in the men’s room. It’s all vintage and very cool.
Service was friendly when I was there on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The beer selection isn’t broad, but there’s a nice variety of quality beers (and also your Bud and Miller if you’re not too particular).
I enjoyed the vibe and the space.

I’ve been going to Old Town on and off for the past 5 or 6 years. When the recession started in 2008, it seemed like this was the place to be for post-​layoff hurrahs with friends and old co-​workers. Things have improved since then, and I have had more pleasant reasons to visit.
They have excellent burgers and sandwiches, albeit I’m not sure if they justify the price tag. However, the ambiance can’t be beat. It has an authentic old timey-​ness that everyone can appreciate. I guess in hindsight this was the perfect place to commiserate with colleagues over lay offs. If this place could survive the past hundred years in NYC, we could survive the economic downturn.