Came in on a weeknight to have a Brooklyn lager and pass some time. I love the vibes here, it feels cozy from the lights but cute and vintage at the same time. I love that they have board games too, I'll have to bring friends to play next time. I love a bar with an activity that isn't just drinking. The bartender seemed very comfortable and friendly with the people who appeared to be regulars. Great neighborhood bar. read more

Commonwealth - Brooklyn lager - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Commonwealth is located on Brooklyn's 5th Ave, which TimeOut magazine recently named the coolest street in NYC (https://shorturl.at/OXC4r). It's a buzzy, quirky neighborhood spot with a loyal and diverse following. The vibe is equal parts warm, welcoming, dark, and spacious. Exposed brick and hardwoods make it a loud space, but the ambient lighting softens the overall feel. There are shelves everywhere lined with action figures, dolls, stuffed animals, vases, books, - an abacus?!? - and board games like Scrabble and Monopoly. There are also pinball machines. An old-school jukebox is located in the back in between the unisex bathrooms. All the selections are handwritten giving you a sense they are SERIOUS about their music! It features everything from Velvet Underground to The Doors, The Ramones, and The B-52s. The bartender's choice includes a steady rotation of rock, punk, and dance-pop. If you're thirsty there are 16 beers on tap, a few beer and shot specials, domestic and imported bottles and cans, wine, and several signature cocktails. Espolon and Jagermeister are popular here. There's a brick patio in the back with picnic benches, Christmas lights, heating elements, and a center seating area with a full-sized umbrella. A wooden picket fence surrounds the space. Service is excellent. The staff is eclectic and friendly. I love listening to their stories and they're a big part of what makes this place so great. read more

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Friendly, great service, nice ambience. If I lived in the area I'd be here all the time.

I went here last Wednesday night, it was pretty dead. I opened a tab for a round of drinks, and I guess when I closed out, the bartender gave me the wrong card back but I didn't notice. Even though I told her my full last name and also gave her the first three letters of it. And there was hardly anyone there. I've tried to call them to see if they still have my card since I don't live in the neighborhood and really don't want to go all the way over there if they don't have my card, but every phone number they have listed anywhere on Google or yelp or Apple Maps is inactive and disconnected. I've also reached out to them via instagram but have received no response. Incredibly frustrating. read more

If you like to jerk off all over your money, then you like to Commonwealth. Get it. Get it. This is pretty cool trendy bar with expensive drinks right in the middle of Park Slope and if you like bars and you are near Park Slope, it's a good choice. I'm not into bars or alcohol so it wasn't really my scene, but it's a pretty cozy and liberal and friendly choice of watering hole in a fancy neighbourhood, so I'm glad it's here. read more

Commonwealth - Common baby light my fire - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Glad they reopened. Disappointed in the service. Friend waited a good five minutes for a drink in a near empty bar with TWO "bartenders". Proceeded to get charged more than double for my drinks bc they didn't understand how multiple tabs work. A bit of a letdown. read more

Fun bar with board games, pinball, and free popcorn! Grab a beer and shot special, watch some TV, and shoot the shit with the bartender. Otherwise, get a fancier beer (but still do those other things). read more

Not sure why it took me this long to write a review of this place as I've been a frequent for about 6 years. This is where I learned how to drink different bourbons and spirits past Hennessy. Junior in particular has always been the reason I go back, the most solid Manhattan I've tried unsuccessfully to imitate for years now. There's always a legit beer list, they have my favorite Mexican beer, Modelo. The place is adorned with nostalgia, in particular a Yoda behind the bar that I've been plotting for years to steal, a Pac-man arcade, two pinball machines, backyard for the summer, or winter if you're immune to the cold. Free popcorn, a jukebox, bathrooms denouncing the "orange" in office. Not sure what else you could ask for, definitely the most solid "bar" in Park Slope. read more

Commonwealth - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

There are those dive bars that make you feel pretty cringy, other ones that you go to where you don't feel safe or sanitary, but I didn't get that from Commonwealth. It's honestly a vibe of its own, I would say it's more than your local dive bar in south slope, maybe even a type of second home or pilgrimage type of place. The classic toys are all arranged across the top of room looking down at you and into your soul kind of like a ritual, perhaps you are the sacrifice that is being made? Anyways, I'm totally not a local but while visiting Brooklyn I fell in love with this place and wanted to go back for another round of the fruity flavored ciders. I had a strawberry cider that had the perfect balance of sweetness and alcohol. The ciders were the perfect night cap to an eventful evening, the bar tender was super sweet, cute young lady compared to myself. They have an outdoor patio as well, it was a bit too chilly for me to enjoy during that day but perhaps one day again soon I shall return to pay tribute to this gem of a find in Brooklyn. Cheers to Commonwealth! read more

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I've been coming here for a few years, and I love this place so much. Stellar jukebox, A+ happy hour, big backyard, cool bartenders that warm up to friendly regulars, and of course, free popcorn. Leaving this review specifically today, because I witnessed the bartender handle an aggressive, rude customer with an unruly child in a very levelheaded manner (much more level that I would've). Funny thing is, I've seen plenty of parents and families with well-behaved kids, and the bar staff is always friendly with them. I was really impressed by how the bartender handled the customer situation, and it reminded me why I love Commonwealth: If you're respectful and chill, you'll get great treatment here. If you're an entitled, aggro Park Slope parent...you'll be shown the door. And that's a thing of beauty. Keep being amazing, Commonwealth! I can't gush enough about this indispensable neighborhood watering hole and its incredible staff. read more

This is my favorite bar in Park Slope. They always have a cocktail that appeals to me, whether it's the rum punch with three kinds of citrus juices available in the summer or the raspberry lemonade with vodka available in the spring, both of which are $6-$7. The booths are comfy, and the outdoor patio is a decent size. You can also get food delivered here. read more

Commonwealth - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Continuing the drinking here, I like this place because it's pretty no frills, laid back bar with a good amount of taps, a lot of good whiskeys and free popcorn. We showed up before things really kicked off so I was happy that we could get seats right at the bar and I got to drink beer get popcorn-a bunch of free seasonings! Oh and the jukebox is one of those CD ones where it seems like every selection is a burned copy off of someone's old CD collection. A relaxed place where I could carry on a conversation really not bad at all. read more

Visited Commonwealth with friends on Saturday evening. A decent dive bar, but it has a limited music selection and the outdoor area closes early. Quality: Commonwealth is a pretty standard dive bar with a few unique factors. They have a large outdoor patio, as well as some added sidewalk tables, they have several pinball machines, though I didn't see many people utilizing them, and they had a few local craft beers to go with standard domestic selections. Quantity: They serve up an assortment of simple and strong cocktails. Value: $12-$15 for Cocktails. Ambiance: Commonwealth is a dive bar located in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. They have two outdoor areas, a large deck with a massive umbrella in the center and some tables set up along the sidewalk. Both are smoker friendly, so expect cigarette smoke throughout the night. Inside the space is arranged a little strange, but it may be to create distance between guests during COVID. There are a few scattered tables and a few pinball machines near the path to the back patio. They also had a jukebox, but it is almost entirely hard rock and heavy metal. Crowd: On Saturday night a large crowd gathered, but as soon as they closed the outdoor patio, it emptied quick. Service: The bartenders were fast and efficient. Parking: Limited street parking in the area. read more

4 dollar beers. Good vibe. Very Chill. I will be going back---not to pick up a gentleman caller---but to drink some beers with friends. read more

Typical dive bar. The outdoor patio is a pretty decent size which is a plus. Bartender was pretty rude.

My first impression of this place was eh. Service was not the best but I waited until I went a few more times (by accident) and I must say that i'm sold on this being a pretty solid place. Whether it is for afterwork drinks or a quick drink on Saturday nights, this place is pretty great! The serve Dub pies which have changed my life and they also have a self service popcorn station which is awesome. The drink prices are not bad at all on both weekdays and weekends. Since they serve savory pies aka food, it would be nice to have a real plate to eat off of but hey, drunk me did not complain. read more

Commonwealth - Thai pie - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This place has a great happy hour Strong drinks Good music Just go! Anthony is a great bartender, took care of us before we even realized we needed it! read more

Commonwealth - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Came here for a reunion with some friends and had a great time! Reasonable drink prices and FREE POPCORN!! I absolutely LOVE this idea! We could not get enough - eating, laughing and seasoning! They also had board games and a pinball machine! I don't remember much, just remember that it was fun and isn't that all that matters? I'll be visiting again veeery soon! :) read more

Not bad. Not bad. Pretty cool interesting place. Super dark. Excellent popcorn machine, you can make it make devil pitchfork spicy if you're into that. Pretty chill. Music is meh... Temp is okay. Liquor is liquor ... hahaha I'm not a beer drinker so I had the wine ... would come back. I like it. Bartender is nice, friendly. read more

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I love Commonwealth. And I can't put my finger on exactly why. Basically, this bar is a mash up between a sketchy dive bar and a classy bring-your-date-here bar, and there's something about that that charms the pants off of me. Commonwealth has A LOT of awesome brews on tap. A bunch of which I had never heard of, which is how you know this place is legit. The seating isn't too shabby. In addition to barstools lined along the bar, there are several tables with benches against the opposite wall of the bar. But, don't fret, if wooden benches aren't your thing, there are plenty of chairs to go around. The environment is super low key. This is, by no means, a queer space, but on the night that I went there were two ladies makin' out at the bar. And no one looked twice. Love it. A few other folks were getting their kiss on [including me, yeah!], but no one was skeezy or tacky about it. I'm into that. We didn't eat here - but it's nice that they offer food. Sometimes you just need a little somethin' somethin' to soak up all of that booze. The bathrooms are nice. Two single-stalled beuts towards the back of the room. I love having privacy while I pee. Especially when I'm drunk. The only thing that was a bummer about Commonwealth was that when my date spilled her drink as she was picking it up to transport it from the bar to our table, instead of comping the new drink, the bartender made her pay for it. Eh. I've never been in the company of someone that spilled their drink at a bar, but as someone who used to work in a coffeeshop, when someone spilled their goods, the embarrassment of having done it was payment enough --- they always got a replacement on the house on my watch. Maybe the protocol is different when alcohol is involved, but I still thought that it was kinda crummy. But, all in all, this bar is pretty stellar. read more

Friday night: After poking our heads in every single bar on 5th avenue in search of someplace that wasn't a total sausage fest, this is the spot we settled on. It's great place for groups to gather, or if you are like me, a great place to act as wingman for your brokenhearted friend who needs someplace to stick it. There were tons of single ladies and mans trolling about with that sexy twinge of frantic desperation hanging in the air around their pretty heads. It's a nice bar with luxurious lanes, convenient for running away from weirdos that try to tell you how hung their sad friend is. Also, the bathroom didn't smell too bad so you could theoretically hide in there for as long as you need. When you are wingmistress as I was, all your drinks are free, so I cannot comment on the price -- but bourbon sure is delicious, as you all know. Unfortunately a sexy lesbian started touching my leg and I could not effectively complete my duties. I looked up and Sad Friend was nowhere to be found, whahapppened? One thousand apologies, sir, perhaps next time I can remain focused under duress. read more

-Great neighborhood bar for Park Slope folks. -Heard of the spot before but was never here until last Friday!!! -Great time out here getting drinks on the block out in the Slope. -Commonwealth is the place to go in the this area, drinks are cheap during happy hour. -Got some Brooklyn Brewery Brown ale beer (it was $5 for bottle). -Also, had some Red Stripe beer and Brooklyn Brewery draft beer. -Dark and Stormy, I heard was really great. -FREE POPCORN, that is a big popcorn maker here and it is actually good. You serve yourself and can put OLD BAY (crab type seasoning) or Curry sauce too on the popcorn. -Had a great time here with about 20 people, many shots and beer was ordered the whole night. -DEFINITELY would head back here in the future, especially to get the happy hour specials and get some more of the free popcorn. Great crowd here too, just surprised so many people ordered Miller High Life beer instead of many other better tasting beers. -Someone tell me, is that considered the new PBR, people now only order Miller High Life who think they are cool or hipster. Price 4/5 Location 5/5 (not too hard to get to from Manhattan) Food 4/5 (Didn't try the regular food here, but popcorn represented) Service 4/5 (Pretty good service) Ambiance 4/5 ( Some cute white girls in the house, but kind of alot hipster, one Kreayshawn looking chick right near me was really friendly by the bar to the right, haha) read more

Well it was "The Bar," but I think Black Horse Pub beat it up and stole its lunch money. By lunch money I mean drunks. By drunks I mean me. read more

I once went here on a date because they had outside seating and let my date bring his adorable bulldog in. That was the last time I saw Commonwealth sober. Commonwealth is just far enough away from my apartment that it would never occur to me to start there. It has since been a stop on many blurry pub-crawl nights and every time I just vaguely remember saying "I've been here before! I love this bar!" Four stars because I am 100% sure that I am pleased to be there when I'm very drunk. That's all I can really tell you but: I think they have a good beer selection. I think this bar is frequented by friendly locals. I think this bar has board games. read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review for Commonwealth! The epitome of a neighborhood bar, Commonwealth exudes comfort and ease -- no stress, no pretense, no foofie nothings. Commonwealth's strengths lie in in its low-key atmosphere, where you can have a great catch-up conversation with friends in the back garden or the bar. The jukebox is a little silly at times, but I'd rather that than bad. The bar has a pretty nice selection of liquor -- whiskeys are ace -- and a decent beer list. From the guys that brought you Great Lakes, Commonwealth accomplishes what Great Lakes tried to do a bit further north: be a relaxing, friendly neighborhood bar, and that's all you really need to be. read more

Dark & Stormy o rama, great clock, super service, and summer patio awesomeness. Loved this place. Served up a mean Dark & Stormy (i had 3 i think), and a few good beers on tap. Spent half the time inside the bar and half the time on the patio - loved the innie-outtie options. Inside, they have the world's greatest Ho Chi Mihn clock on the wall... I can't do justice to it in a description, so you'll just have to look for it when there. Was barely disappointed when they couldn't make THREE of my drink requests in a row (no mojito, no Pimm's Cup, no orange whip). The bartender, who was really excellent, stated kind of proudly that "we don't muddle here". ok. But a bar serving up killer Dark & Stormy's should just as easily be able to throw together a mojito. In any event, this place is worth your while, esp during the summer months. read more

The vote seem to be fairly solid all across the board. Great juke. Great prices. Even greater staff. and one helluva umbrella on the back patio... read more

Y'all, I don't understand the recent hate for Commonwealth. Clearly people haven't been drinking enough, which we all know sprinkles glitter over reviews and colors them like rainbows. One of my biggest beefs with bars is size. Maybe I'm an undiagnosed claustrophobic (probable), or over-worrier (more likely), but it's nice to be able to move around without worrying about which drunk mess is going to bump into you next, spilling your drink over the side of your glass and onto your crotch so it looks like you're either: A) a bad aim, or B) rushing without taking care of those last few drops. Anyway. Commonwealth is plenty spacious, especially with the outside patio now open. Drinking outside is just so much better. That's why that thermos I take to Prospect Park is filled with "grape juice." Yes, the bathrooms are labeled as "Some" and "Others." But I don't know why anyone would stop to wonder which one they should go into. NEWSFLASH: They're private. If bathrooms are private, there's no need to separate them by sex. Besides, they're not the nicest bathrooms inside either way you cut it. Break the seal, and move on. I've always had attentive and nice bartenders. One was really apologetic for "making me wait," when I had only been waiting for her to pour someone a beer. I thought her concern was genuinely nice, not to mention rare. Try their Moscow Mule. Ginger beer and vodka, mmm. And absolutely get their Bloody Mary. And for the record, I am only writing this a little hungover. Do you see rainbows or glitter or puppies yet? read more

Ryan and Riff are my favorite bartenders in Park Slope. They're both super nice, super hot, and super at their jobs. Go visit them on Saturday night, and tell them Victoria sent you, and that she loves them more than anyone or anything in the world. Seriously, do that. read more

As I age like fine, I have also become as lazy as they come. I enjoy traveling a maximum of a 10 block radius to get my drink on; however it was my friend's birthday so I headed over to Park Slope and I'm so glad I did. We went on a Saturday afternoon and sat in the backyard. There's a good number of tables outside and lots of magic inside. They have a delicious popcorn machine with several different seasoned salts for your liking (curry, old bay). They are fans of tagging in their bathrooms since the walls and door are all covered by slate. Here you can write all your drunken epiphanies for the day or just regress to your childhood self and write and/or draw profanities. When we first arrived, there was only 1 bartender and tons of folks there and he really held his own. Kudos to him for also making a kick a$$ rum punch. Apparently they just added it to their menu and hopefully they keep it. Love you Commonwealth. You're my new Park Slope Boo. Don't take that lightly. read more

Of all the drinking establishments we ventured into while in Brooklyn, Commonwealth was definitely my favorite. The drink list was excellent and included several drinks with my favorite liquor, St Germain. Throw St. Germain in a drink and I am a happy girl. The bar was dark and comfy with a nice relaxed feel to it. I could hear my conversation without having to shout and my drinks were strong. Basically, Commonwealth is a good time. read more

Commonwealth is so grand it makes me go all literary. Ode to Commonwealth: A Haiku from Stephanie: In summer, your patio Brings way too many Reasons for drinking And here, an e.e. cummings-style poem just for good measure: commonwealth your (intoxicating) beauty runs deep as the jukebox stocked with modern lovers -and shatner Kisses, CW-- Stephanie read more

Oh hey, perfect bar! I know we just met but you Sexy and I'm drunk* *could this be love? read more

This is definitely my local. And it's the first time I've been so close to such a great one. There are 3 things that make this bar a classic. One, the jukebox is utterly fantastic. Amazing variety of only good music. What taste! Two, the patio is large with a nice, chummy vibe. Three, the bartender makes a great martini. Minus 1 star for no food, but at least you can bring your own. Most importantly, Commonwealth is unpretentious without being pretentious about it. This is the whole reason I chose Park Slope over hipper than thou Willamsburg. read more

I lived right around the corner from this bar last summer, so needless to say I hit it up quite often. Excellent jukebox. Excellent service. The drinks are fairly priced. No complaints. This joint has a nice feel to it. There is plenty of seating and there's also an outdoor patio. I used to like to come here in the early evening for some reason... read more

One of the best parts of moving to this new area of town is trying out all sorts of adult establishments in order to find a new "Bar" to call my own. Commonwealth is in the mix because it's got a great patio area, most of the restaurants in the area know it (so when I order food to be delivered, they know where to go) and the crappy beer I love (Bud Light, ftw) is cheap and plentiful. I haven't designated it The Bar yet, but it's in the running. read more

Commonwealth makes a mean Dark and Stormy. It's where I first fell in love with the drink, and to date, it's still the best one I've been able to find. I've yet to really make a whole night of it here at Commonwealth, but it's been a fantastic spot to grab a quick drink, whether it be on a quiet evening or as a last stop in Brooklyn before I meet up with friends in Manhattan. You see, when I plan on crossing the river for some debauchery, I almost always carve out some time at Commonwealth for a Dark and Stormy. It's my lead-off hitter, I guess you could say. It also has your typical Brooklyn back patio, but as of late, it's been nice just to take advantage of the AC when you can. Their bathrooms are labeled "Others" and "Some", so choose wisely. Lastly, I love their jukebox. You'll have to search a while for what you want because it's essentially a bunch of mix-tapes with index card-like track listings, but that just shows the effort that was put into compiling a solid collection. It's like lookin' into a music-lover's cerebral catalog - the hits, the misses, the critically acclaimed, the unheralded, the familiar and the out-there. Last time we went, we got carded at the bar, which isn't the most unpleasant thing to have asked of someone in their mid-twenties. The bartender said he had to be cautious lately because there's been raids in the area targeting underage drinking... and because his boss was sitting next to us. We turned to some unassuming dude to our left, and sure enough, he gave us a smile and a raise of his glass. If that isn't the definition of a neighborhood bar, well then, I don't know what is. read more

This place has a great back patio with a view of the street, so there's extra cross breeze. That's a serious plus as the days heat up. Anchor Steam on tap. It's a bit of a trek for me to get to, but I liked it enough that I'll probably be back again a few times this summer. read more

Good place to read the paper on a saturday afternoon. Nice booths and good atmosphere. However, at 2am drunk hags lurk around. Stick with daytime. read more

The patio is where it's at... Seeking an outdoor space to throw a few beers back on a warm late summer Friday night, I dreaded the overloaded patio scenes running through my head. However, we were in great luck. Commonwealth was filled just enough to be festive, but with a table for 4 outside...just waiting for us. No table service, so you'll do a bit of running back/forth to the bar, but c'est la vie. The Christmas lights are a nice twinkly touch, the beer is cold and relatively cheap. A few Kolsch, a Smuttynose IPA, a Yeungling...and we were well prepped for our dining adventures. (Elsewhere). Commonwealth has no food (except I did notice some sort of meat pies you can order at the bar? Methinks not), but seems like everyone had carry out/delivery and all was suited well. "The Nicest People Bring Their Glasses In." I must be nice! A great stop for a pint outside. read more