Delightful to be in a bar where the bartender hustles. And is nice. I guess I have been hanging out in too many snooty places lately and Abilene is quite the breath of fresh air. Would be five stars but the seating is abysmal. Be cautious. All the chairs inside are on their last legs. One of the guys in the bar last weekend fell splat on the ground when his chair gave way underneath him. He wasn't that big of a guy. The bar stools teeter totter on bent legs and the seat part does not sit horizonally even. You find yourself pitched forward on your perch, one buttock higher than the other. Get a table outside, save your bum and enjoy the nice weather. read more

Food and drinks have always been good here and they still are. But on top of that they have possibly the best COVID safety in the neighborhood. Online menus. Sanitizer on the table. Masks all around. And servers wait for customers to mask up before approaching table. read more

I have been here quite a few times and each time it was pleasant. Food is deliciously. However we had some trouble with Victoria ( Manager) We waited over an hour for our food we asked what was taking so long and when the manager came over she was rude and an attentive to our needs. read more

Dive bar. I love this place. I come here with my dog on Sunday's or holidays and have always had great service. Drinks are good. Food is just OK. But love being outside and just chillin' with my dog. I can see why people are saying some waitstaff is rude. They are prob right. I just have never had to deal with it. Every time I come it's been a good time. read more

Abilene - They allow dogs outside - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Came here with two friends who live in the area. We called prior to ask about the brunch menu since it wasn't posted online (the girl who answered sounded annoyed, I only asked if they had pancakes & a breakfast burrito) Once we were there, the food was fine but the service wasn't. The girl who took our orders and gave us our food couldn't be bothered by us. She said she was too busy to help us with the check and then proceeded to talk to her colleague for five minutes behind the counter doing nothing. After she told us "we are slammed". Not the type of service I want if I'm paying for the food. Beyond disappointing because we weren't annoying, we weren't rude & we didn't ask for much. read more

I really like this place. It's a great casual but trendy bar with a nice, spacious out door set up. The food was pretty good, the service was great and drinks were good too!! Get the chipotle margarita ... yum read more

I love this place. Wonderful service, great bar food, lovely outdoor seating, relaxed crowd, and excellent Covid safety protocol.

Brunch is a sport in New York. Sometimes it's worth the headache, most times it's not. If you don't want to deal with lines, egg dishes that you can make in your own home for 10X less money, or the kind of people that were probably stranded at the Fyre Festival this weekend, you should probably put Abilene on your radar. It has the look and feel of a dive bar, but with an impressive brunch menu that won't break the bank. Most items are under $14, and instead of a poached egg on a sad English muffin, you'll find several interesting and tasty options to choose from. I went with the fried chicken, biscuits, and gravy and it was definitely the smartest thing I did all weekend. Huge portion, and the biscuit was essential for soaking up the oozing gravy that smothered the dish. If you can eat the whole thing, god bless your triglyceride levels. You're probably better off splitting this with your brunch mates instead of giving your cardiologist a heart attack. They also boast a great bloody mary, but depending on your preference for heat, you may need to add a healthy dose of hot sauce to kick it up a notch. read more

Victoria took care of us and she was great. The food was also fantastic. Had crispy chicken sandwich, excellent. Go here. It's good.

I had their huevos rancheros, and I have to say that I'm a fan. First of all, fried egg on anything is delicious. Second of all, I love brunch items. Third of all, the meal came with beans and salsa and sour cream. It was really tasty! I came after realizing Buttermilk Channel had almost 1.5 hour wait to get inside. After waiting for half an hour, my stomach was growling loudly enough to persuade to find another place to fill it with some food. Thank you Abilene for being there, when my tummy needed something yummy! The decor was retro, like I felt like it was a game trivia events occurred there or that it was like open for bar at night. There is ample seating inside and outside. My friend claims that the bloody mary here is excellent. I'm not sure, since I didn't have any. read more

Brunch review: my breakfast burrito was just fine - not bad at all, but nothing to write home about (except that as an LA snob who recently transplanted, it's still sadly one of the better bfast burritos I've had in New York at all). My friend's eggs benedict looked...kind of gross. Maybe she enjoyed them, but the sauce was thick and gloppy and not very pretty and benedict-y. BUT THOSE BLOODY MARYS, THOUGH. So good! Apparently there's a splash of Guinness in them? Whatever they are, they're perfect. Not too spicy, and the vodka pour is reeeeal strong. Plus the service is lovely here, so would absolutely return. read more

The best way to describe the food here would be spectacularly mediocre, the burgers were literally something you'd get at a second rate shake shack, the wine was just bad, do they serve Carlo Rossi by the glass? And the beer was ok, I guess. The phenomenal thing is it's busy... which is a hard WTF, maybe the outdoor seating is nice, so the 2nd star for that. Anyways, there are MUCH better places to eat brekkie, lunch or dinner in the neighborhood so do yourself a flavor and go there. read more

Nice little place with outdoor seating on a quiet but interesting street. They enforce social distancing, mask wearing when servers come to the table, and hand sanitizer and spray is at each table. Good brunch menu on weekends.... I love the breakfast burrito and Belgian Waffle. Be sure to grab a cup of coffee Sol across the street and walk around the neighborhood in f you are coming from Manhattan. Great antique store a couple doors down called Yesterday's, which is the reason for our visits. read more

My GOD, the bloody Mary's. They come in a PINT GLASS, y'all. And cost less than your average beer. That is enough to get them four stars from me, but maybe I'm just an alcoholic. When someone recommended this place to me for brunch, I was not expecting a dive, but it absolutely did not disappoint. I dragged my ritzy aunt and suburban mother for a Sunday meal, and all of us were impressed. I had the best biscuit I've had in ages (and I'm from the South), and although they ignored my request to put the eggs on the side of my biscuits & gravy, I still inhaled it. When we got the check, my aunt literally asked the waiter to make sure that he had charged us for everything -- that's how cheap it was. We all rolled out of there sufficiently sated for a Sunday. Abilene, I'm coming back for you. Perfect winter nosh spot. read more

Abilene - Bloody Mary. In a pint glass. Whut. - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Great prices on drinks, good happy hour too. Bar staff is friendly and attentive A good fair bit of outside seating and is in a really good location on Court St. not too busy. However, the food has become absolutely inedible. Made the mistake of going with a group for brunch, friend ordered 2 eggs, and that's exactly what she got, 2 fried eggs on a plate, with nothing else, and I mean nothing else. It's too bad but by and large the food quality has slid down to low rate 24 hour diner style. As for the bar part, I do go there a lot as it's got great seating outside and the drinks are reasonably priced with good service. Great place to go just for drinks, avoid eating there. read more

Abilene - Stella! - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This is a terrific neighborhood bar, complete with all of the characters you would expect, and then some. The bar is professionally run by great bartenders, who are attentive and nice. I would recommend this place for an after work drink, or just to stop in for a quick beer. read more

Nice place however, some things the owner must consider: No glass shards in my friend's lager Be clear about what is or isn't on the menu e.g. bbq wings or bbq sauce No sangria (its summer folks), really? Wait staff, bus staff, not friendly, cordial, or inviting I guess my expectations were too high for my 1st Happy Hour ever in Red Hook #Disappointed read more

This is such a cute little bar. I really liked the decor. The service was great the the food was tasty. The drinks were good. My job frequently comes here for happy hours. read more

COVID review, they have a nice large patio and are clean and efficient. Super nice staff, thanks for serving through the pandemic!

The manage ( Victoria ) is extremely rude and has no work ethnic at all. I posted a review about my experience 2 years ago about how bad my service was . I decided to give this place another try when this rude so call manger scream at me and said she did not like my review and i was not welcome there So much for having a opinion. Not even trying to ask me what happen read more

Great food, service and atmosphere!! Awesome for kids!! And dogs!! My oldest daughter said she had the best quesadilla ever! We also ordered burgers, a salad and onion rings that were excellent. The choice of draft beer was also very good. Highly recommended. read more

I have always enjoyed the food , vibe and drinks here whether it was brunch or late night. I go quite frequently, but today I write this review because they were giving my out free meals to essential workers . I took advantage because with everything going on this allowed me to sleep an extra few hours and still have a delicious meal prepared for me . Very classy of you guys to do this much appreciated as always . Can't wait till you open back up. read more

Second time that I was going to visit this place. They denied me to sit at the bar because I could not produce a Vaccination card. The food wasn't amazing the first time and the beer was warm, so I wasn't going to argue. Go down the street to court street tavern. Excellent place read more

Cool spot, and if you catch Lamont as your waiter then it's a GO!!! Good food and swag service always demands a shoutout! Thanks Lamont.

Met a friend for Sunday brunch on a blustery cold day. We sat outside-- due to the current rate of COVID infection--while there was a heat lamp, unfortunately the shed offers only mild protection from the windchill. Service was attentive. I had the eggs Benedict and my friend asked for a made-to-order vegetarian dish. The Hollandaise sauce on the eggs was cold but not sure if that was due to the kitchen or the below freezing temp. outdoors. I would go back again but in warmer weather. read more

I really want to like Abilene as it has such Great outside space and also a big bar with loads of table space, but unfortunately it is just that a basic dive bar with tables and basic food, Good cocktails and ok beer choice. Basic food at restaurant prices. Atmosphere ok. I got the Cobb salad and coffee and it was $16. If you are looking for beer and more beer then this is your place, not really a destination lunch spot. Sorry :-( read more

Abilene - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I used to think place was pretty good - cool people, outdoor casual spot with nice bartenders and wait staff. Not any more. Now baby strollers aren't just jamming the side walks in Carroll Gardens, the aisles in the stores and also screaming in upscale restaurants, but they've now claimed their space at Abilene. We were in there at Happy Hour to have a drink and sit outside and have a cigarette. It's one of the few places that you can do this and is consistent with Abilene being a dive bar. Never before has this been a problem. Until this evening. I should mentioned we always sit far away from any children sitting outside (throwing their food on the ground and crying) just so we don't infringe on their clean airspace on Court St (you know the street?The main thoroughfare connecting to the BQE?). In any event, the waitress very unapologetically said to us "the people over there have asked you not to smoke because they have a baby". I looked down and couldn't see them. I looked further all the way down about 7 tables away and said, "that baby all the way down there??" and the waitress looking annoyed with me said, "yes". First of all, she should have been gracious and more apologetic about it. She was flat out rude. Secondly, the kid with her dad were really far away from us. Why take your child to HAPPY HOUR at a dive bar and then complain about people far far away from you smoking a cigarette outside at a bar? I know these parents are attempting to feel "cool" and pretending they can still hang out and go to happy hour and all, but really, to interrupt and ruin someone else's after work drink because your baby smells smoke is really just self centered, arrogant and flat out LAME. Leave your babies with a sitter or at the very least don't be so righteous and self important if you bring your kid to a BAR. Abilene, make a smoking section if these parents are always acting like this. I can't imagine we are the only people that have ever run into this issue there. read more

Worst brunch ever. 45 minute wait for French toast (they were not even busy, 4 tables max). Heavy metal music blasting to the point of headache. Waitresses never check on you or refill your coffee till you complain about wait time. And the worst part? Freaking toast was not even good. Skip, skip, and never look back. read more

The happy hour can't be beat. Hello, I had whiskey sours for $4. And no, I didn't flaunt that it was my birthday either. ps- their nachos looked yummy and I can personally vouch for the fried okra (gasp!!), which was crisp to perfection and not oily at all, served with (of course) chipotle mayo. Yum. Score. Happy Lisa. read more

i think abilene is a fine place to have a drink. on a bright corner of court street, it has a charming, vaguely down-in-the-mouth garage sale outfitted feel to it that makes me feel strangely comforted. on a freezing day i had hot spiced rum and cider and that was exactly what i needed/wanted. i am a bit of a brunch snob, maybe, because i really did not like my rather simple breakfast. scrambled eggs were strangely wet and sludgy, grits (which i am generally not a fan of, to be completely fair) were pasty and lukewarm as well as devoid of flavor. corn bread, how does a place manage to ruin cornbread? at first taste, it was somewhat caramel-y and i was hopeful. then i kept chewing and realized hope is for the foolish, at least as far as the food here goes. dude got the biscuits and gravy and it looked a little frightening (and apparently tasted scary, too). come here for drinks and board games. admire the light fixtures over the bar that i covet. get cozy and get drunk. just don't get brunch. read more

Abilene - Dive Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I've been living in this area for two years now and this has become our go-to neighborhood bar. Solid liquor selection, decent food, late hours and close to home. Almost perfect if it weren't for the piss poor service offered by "Marisa". We walked in last night without wny acknowledgement whatsoever. She was actually texting for 5 minutes before I asked her if she worked there to which she replied "no". Two seconds later, she proceeded to serve someone else. Okayyyy... When I asked her what the problem was she stared at me rudely and said "what do you need?" I felt like I was having a stare down with someone who wanted to fight. Again I have no idea why. I told her that I thought she was rude and it was inappropriate. She didn't care. She went to the other end of the bar where her friends were and continued to serve them with a smile for the rest of the night. It's service like this that makes me wonder why certain people work in the service industry. It's also extremely disappointing to be treated like s*** at an establishment where you regularly spend good money. I've turned a blind eye to some of the bad service here before but last night really upset me. This woman was beyond rude to everyone except her friends. The guy next to me said she'd been acting like that for two hours... Unnecessary!! Definitely won't be coming in again unless it's to speak with Marisa's manager. Twt. read more

I've been coming to Abilene at least once a week for the past 4 years mostly because of its super laid back vibe and great company. I can peacefully work here during the day, with open access to wifi and plenty of good, comfortable seating indoors and out. It never really gets too busy and the music is pretty decent for the most part. The staff can be hit or miss. Keith is warm, welcoming and absolutely hilarious. It's too bad he's only down to a shift a week--it's just not the same without him. The rest range from courteous and polite to downright sour, inattentive and rude. You never really know what you're gonna get. The other reviews pretty well nail it. Still, I keep coming back. The beer is cheap, options are good and the experience has been pretty consistent over the years. It's really a great place if you don't set your expectations too high. It is a dive bar, after all--a welcome sort of venue considering the comically gentrified nature of Carroll Gardens these days. Of all it's great qualities, the one thing I caution is the food. Which explains the low rating. Don't go near it--it's HORRIBLE! Especially if you're a vegetarian. The majority is deep fried; salads are mostly scraps of old wilted lettuce; the portobello sandwich tasted like it was cooked in its dirt, with about a half cup of mayo drowning it into the too small piece of bread which its slides off. You get the point. It's a mess. Come for the bar and the good vibes. You can't go wrong. read more

I love this fucking bar! But please don't go there because it can get crowded especially when I wanna go there so please leave room for me cause I love it there!!! But seriously, it is pretty cheap, warm, sometimes loud but fun and the bartenders are the most fucking friendly people ever! I was there one night when it was both the bartender's birthdays and there was so much joy and love in the air, I swear I saw a unicorn frolicking with a carebear behind the bar! The food is really really good and they have a lot of beers and some really good cocktails. And they are cheap! Go check it out and fall in love.. just not when i want to go! We can have joint custody. read more

These wack negative reviews make me giggle. Is this place a destination for our-of-neighborhooders? Maybe not. But if you live in Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens, looking for a decent beer selection and a menu that offers yummy pieces of fried chicken cutlet in any number of incarnations a good drunk fried-food lover could dream up, look no further. One of the bartenders is a fire-breathing nightmare, but the rest of the staff (if a bit languid) is a group of angels. The fact that I live around the corner is a blessing and a curse. More of a blessing. Yeah, full blessing. But don't ask my fat ass. Ok bye. read more

I'm not prone to writing a negative review, so I had to think before expressing my opinion. Similarly to many around the area, working at home during Covid means time to have a little outdoor drink and meal. I hadn't been to Abilene in ages, and visited twice in the past few weeks. Since it's just me, I lean towards less busy hours, and I'm not there for a long while. Anyway, my last 2 visits were great. Nice staff. And to support local, I tipped above 20%. So today, I stopped by just around 4ish and sat down as usual. The person there completely ignored me. I waited, then got up to leave and did not even receive as much as a word. Is there some other protocol I missed? I dunno, perhaps it's just not for me. read more

I dig the vibe at Abilene. The seating is spacious and comfortable, and I love the Sixties throwback decor and furniture. The bartenders are on their game and everyone always seems to be having a good time. The music is either great or terrible, but it's always amusing. My only complaint is that the kitchen closes at 11:00. That just seems kind of early for a bar that caters to such a young crowd. Still, it's a classic neighborhood staple and our first destination when we're doing the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill thing. read more

Never heard of this place and I was a bit hesistant to enter, but after walking around for about 15 minutes in the area and couldn't find a bar to have a drink, we decided this was going to be our final destination for a pre-dinner drink. The place is spacious, with many seats, and a nice-sized bar. At about 8PM on a Saturday night, it had a decent amount of clientele but not packed. Just the way I like it. They have a few beers on tap: Bass, Blue Moon, Blue Point, Brooklyn Lager, Guinness, Sierra, Six Point IPA, Stella. A decent dive bar, with good music (Radiohead always wins me over). I was interested in the fried pickles and carrots, but that has to wait until another time, didn't want to spoil my appetite for dinner ;-) read more

Abilene is a deceivingly large space with curb seating, where you can enjoy their marvelous cocktails whilst people-watching. I didn't have any of their food, but it looked like a decent menu. Of course, they do Bloody Mary's and brunch as well. Maybe next time! read more

I had previously stated that I agreed with someone about the staff being unfriendly. I have since changed my mind. Maybe I was here during a few bad shifts, but Anna is usually here these days when I come around, and she is AWESOME! I really like her, and she is so sweet & accommodating! The food is so good too, and we seem to hit it off! I'm sorry for the past good/bad review! This is my go-to spot in Carroll Gardens! Shout out to the food and to Anna! read more

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Abilene Bar has a hometown, coffee shop atmosphere. There are a bunch of vintage dining tables and a couple old couches. The music is good and there are board games. It's just a great neighborhood place to get together with friends and crochet or play Dominion or do something else nerdy like that. They seem to want you to stick around, and their staff is nice. Also! They have a great veggie burger. Price-wise, it is about the same as everything in the neighborhood: $6 beers, $10 burgers, no free sides... That's just the way it is around here. read more