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    Finback LIC

    4.5 (32 reviews)
    ModerateBars
    Open 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Finback LIC Photos

    FINBACK LIC ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Finback LIC

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    Esther R.

    Good space, good bear, good vibes! Would recommend checking this place out. Lots of seating & drinks were decently priced.

    Jedsada Y.

    I've been drinking Finback beers since the OG Factory days almost a decade ago, so seeing them open a dedicated taproom right here in LIC is honestly a dream come true. And wow--Finback LIC absolutely delivers. And then... DUMPLING UP LIC. Whoever decided to pair Finback's beers with Asian comfort food deserves a medal. Wontons, noodles, rice bowls--everything hits that warm, savory, comforting spot. It's the perfect complement to their bright, expressive beers. We came around 130pm when the taproom was not too crowded, which made the whole experience even better--laid-back, spacious, and relaxed. Naturally, we ordered a lot of beer and food, and everything was excellent: Spicy Cucumber, Woodear Mushroom, Pork + Shrimp Chili Wontons, Mushroom + Veggie Chili Wontons, Ginger Scallion Chicken, Pork Gia Jiang Mien, and an amazing lineup of Finback beers from Seafoam to Katabasis, from crispy lagers to their more experimental mixed-culture selections. Finback has always held a special place for me, and this new LIC taproom just reinforces why. Exceptional beer, great food, chilled vibes, and the kind of creativity and craft you can only get from Finback. Can't wait to go back again--and again.

    Basically half of the entire food menu
    Carla H.

    This place rocks. Finback LIC is what happens when the venn diagram between a legit NYC brewery and a Queens Chinese food microkitchen comes to life and smashes it out of the park. The ambiance there is fantastic with a big airy space and friendly bartenders. They got Ween on the radio and Mets games on TV, what more do you need? If you were thinking .. hm how about draft beer (or cocktails) and Chinese snacks, you're in luck. Beers are excellent of course (I had a sour and a stout, both great), with about 20 drafts to choose from. Onto the food... there's a chef in the back just absolutely cooking. The spicy cucumbers were crisp and had a Korean Gochujang zing to go along with the Sichuan style prep. The Pork zhajiangmian was savory, oily, and delicious. The wontons had big chunks of shrimp in it, nested in a hearty broth. The sticky rice was fantastic, with mushrooms and sausages. All FIRE - bold flavors, big portions, and incredibly authentic for what is technically "bar food." The noodles and wontons in particular are must-orders IMO. It's one of those spots I almost want to gatekeep, but also, it deserves hype. Come for a game or trivia, and leave wondering why every brewery doesn't have a pop-up kitchen in the back.

    Lauren S.

    What a nice little discovery in the neighborhood! This place could be just a brewery but it offers great cocktails and wine too. But they also serve some great food at affordable prices. The shrimp dumplings with the added noodles, it had no business being this good. It was on par with places I have had in Chinatown. Chicken and rice was also good. Cucumbers and the funghi were a great addition to balance out the meal. This is a great spot for a quick drink or a quick dinner!

    Bar area
    Erin H.

    I visited Finback Brewery for a happy hour with coworkers. I'm not a beer drinker, but most of the menu was focused on IPAs and stouts. I ordered the Paper Tiger, a gin-based cocktail with aperol and amaro. The glass was small, but the flavor was good and it was pretty generous with gin. The kitchen wasn't open during our visit, so no food this time. Service is bar-order style. The atmosphere was lively with lots of people hanging out after work. The space has high ceilings and a cool industrial look. We were able to find tables to sit, and the place was clean and well-maintained. Prices were average with no happy hour specials or discounts. Overall, maybe I'd visit again. It's a solid spot for drinks after work, but nothing too standout.

    Jillian B.

    Was pleased to see Finback while walking around the neighborhood with my husband- they have great stouts! The stouts were consistently good, though it's worth noting they don't do flights and I couldn't see the prices of each beer posted anywhere. Each glass was around $10ish (within a few dollars here and there).

    Kristina N.

    Really appreciate having a brewery like Finback on this side of LIC. The menu has plenty of beers, cocktails, coffee and even dumplings to choose from. Service was friendly although the bar was a little backed up. The place was busy on a Saturday, but it was still a chill spot to catch up with friends. I had a couple of DIPAs and they were good. I'll be back!

    Ryna D.

    Really nice brewery and space in LIC! We were meeting some friends in Queens and I was coming from a nearby gallery so this was a convenient spot to get together. Loved the beer! Great space and friendly staff! They didn't have food at the time but they do let you bring in any outside food so we had tacos delivered and it was a great night!

    Wontons and pork gia jiang mein
    Gab G.

    Finback is a great addition to this area of LIC! No issues finding seating at around 5:30 on a Friday. Beers are fantastic (duh) and the food is really solid. I tried the pork gia jiang mein, pork and shrimp chili wontons and mushroom and veggie chili wontons, with the pork gia jiang mein being the top highlight. I need to return one afternoon to try their cold brew!

    Marilu S.

    Finback LIC is such a vibe. It was a great first time checking out this brewery. I came here after dinner with my boyfriend and we shared a bottle. I happen to go on their trivia night and it was pretty entertaining seeing the people around me playing together and answering some tough questions. 10/10 rec and I would recommend coming to this brewery in LIC

    Jan P.

    Soft opening. Friends and family. New beers. New merch. Just as amazing as the other 2 locations (Glendale and Brooklyn). Czech-style dark lager (4.2%) is amazing. Beautiful color, smooth from start to finish. Apricot fresh (close to a sour, but not) a saison with apricot and chamomile (5.8%). The house blend coffee stout (7%) is made with their own Invisible force coffee. There are 4 different BQEs to choose from. So hard to decide which is better so why not have them all? Only drawback is limited street parking but the R train is right here and there's a parking garage across the street. For their actual opening they will include wine (yum) and cocktails with their house-made gin, vodka and tequila (not sure they make it, but it's super). Happy to have another Finback for the FinFam to hang out in!!!! Thanks guys.

    Beer Menu
    Matthew L.

    Finback Brewery is a craft brewery that opened in Queens, New York in January 2014. It was founded by business partners Basil Lee and Kevin Stafford. Lee is a licensed professional architect, but he had a passion for drinking craft beer. He home-brewed for a few years with his friend and fellow craft beer aficionado Stafford (a graphic artist), and then the two decided to pursue their dream of opening a craft brewery in New York City. They first tried to find a location in Brooklyn, but multiple deals fell through. Finally they were able to secure a location in the Glendale section of Queens. Originally they were going to call their brewery 'Narwhal' until Sierra Nevada Brewing Company released a beer with the same name. Then the partners were inspired to name their brewery 'Finback' after a real finback whale became beached and died in Queens in 2012. Lee and Stafford struggled for so long to secure their location that they too sometimes felt like a "beached whale". In spite of the fact that the brewery was a solid 30-minute walk from the nearest subway station, lines soon began to form around the block for their can releases. Finback's mission is to brew a variety of different beer styles with great flavor and complexity from quality ingredients and small batch artisanal brewing. A second location opened in Brooklyn in March 2020 and a third opened in Long Island City in December 2023. I recently visited Finback's new Long Island City location while I was cycling around NYC. I was trying out a number of Brooklyn and Queens breweries and pizzerias and Finback was my sixth and final stop of the day. Finback is one of my favorite breweries and I've already visited their other two locations. Located on the ground floor of a luxury apartment complex, the LIC taproom is somewhat hidden. You're likely to walk right by it if you don't know that it's there. The only signage is a modest neon sign depicting the outline of a finback whale. The interior, designed by Lee himself, was very nice. To differentiate it from the other two locations, Finback LIC aims to put a focus on the production of mixed-culture beers highlighting New York State fruits and other local ingredients. I grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered a sampler flight consisting of "Whale Watching" (Double Dry-Hopped Double IPA), "Decade Caviar" (Triple New England IPA), "Barrel-Aged Red Velvet 2021" (Barrel-Aged Imperial Pastry Stout; collaboration with Mikerphone Brewing), and "Decade: Coconut" (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout). I loved all of them, but the stouts were my favorites! Overall, I had a really nice experience at Finback LIC. I'll continue to drink their offerings for years to come.

    Warren A.

    I love beer and we came here because they also have a cocktail selection for my wife who does not drink beer. The service was amazing and we will definitely be back to try more. Of your not sure of what you like they give samples as well.

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    1 year ago

    Good beer and pleasant environment. Bartender was very nice as well. Good spot we found by the hotel.

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Great staff, great service, great product!! The taproom is in a nice location, very good ambiance and vibe.

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    2 years ago

    Fantastic beer and lovely humans --great addition to the neighborhood!! Pop up food is a treat

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    2 years ago

    We had a great time with our friends here along with great beer, I highly recommend it :).

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    Review Highlights - Finback LIC

    We came around 130pm when the taproom was not too crowded, which made the whole experience even better--laid-back, spacious, and relaxed.

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    THE HUNTRESS whiskey n' wings - Purple Rain, Purple Rain!

    THE HUNTRESS whiskey n' wings

    3.8(263 reviews)
    0.3 miLong Island City
    $$

    This place is a gem for sure. It sits in an old prewar building on the 1st floor. I had no idea…read morethis place existed to be honest. I don't know why I thought it was closer to astoria. As soon as you walk in you get that speak easy vibe with hip hop, real hip hop. The lights are so fun with hanging candles. It was giving Harry potter vibes. :::bathroom alert::: Look as soon as I went into the elden ring bathroom I lost my mind. If you're a gamer you know what I am talking about. Fans of game of thrones, boy oh boy do they have a treat for you! A throne toliet, geeze I wish I had to poop at that point, lol. I went to the second bano to see what it was, I was not disappointed. For the wings, I wasnt too impressed to he honest. Very bready with white sauce, I've had better. The service was really fast, very pleased with that. My friends indulged the whiskey flight, it looked really fun. I wanted to partake but thats too much whiskey for me. The peach and cream sour was delicious! I could see myself coming back. Had a great time and loved the space.

    This was my first time visiting the huntress in long island city and it was was such a good…read moreexperience and honesty il will definitely come back. So they have decent amount of the beers and cocktails and food choices they also have a fun little thing in mystery cans the staff picks and gives whatever they choose. They had a bunch of different wings burgers since I'm basic I got a wing flavor called it's literally just bbq lmfao and I'm ok with it's white Alabama sauce wings and their so so good . And for me wings and beers make the perfect combination I definitely highly recommend coming here especially if you are in the area please check out the huntress it's an enjoyable experience. The ambiance is chilled the bartender slash server's are friendly it's overall great experience so i highly recommend coming here I definitely see my self coming back here another time.

    Photos
    THE HUNTRESS whiskey n' wings
    THE HUNTRESS whiskey n' wings
    THE HUNTRESS whiskey n' wings

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    W XYZ Bar

    W XYZ Bar

    4.4(8 reviews)
    0.2 miLong Island City

    I had a pretty good time here. At 10:30pm they were packing up. Then stopped serving hard liquor at…read more10:45pm. The tap didn't wanna work. We had no choice but to use the bottles. Love the bar stools at this place tho, they have backs and the chair is cushioned! I appreciate a good back to a barstool. I ended up coming a few days later and the vibe was much better. The bartenders must have just been tired from their previous shift that one Thursday. They were really great on a Saturday. The happy hour is pretty nice $5 for shot and $10 for a marg. ::bathroom alert::: Very inconvenient when you're at the bar. It's like a maze getting down there. The bathroom is clear tho, I'll give them that. They were playing live music for like 90 minutes. There was literally no one at this bar on a Thursday night, so much for thirsty Thursday. Theres a section off to the left that has a pool table and connect four. On a Saturday night they are playing Spanish music, most people know Spanish music and drinking is super fun!! I can totally see why this place doesn't have a lot of pictures. I don't see how a lot of people wouldn't it is cozy. At the end of the day this places prices are reasonable for this area. They get the five stars because the music was good and the prices were good. $7 for an ipa isn't so bad.

    Small bar inside aloft hotel. Friendly servers. Convenient after a day of exploring NYC.read more

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    W XYZ Bar
    W XYZ Bar
    W XYZ Bar

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    Soothr - Dara Citrine

    Soothr

    4.2(128 reviews)
    0.3 miLong Island City
    $$$

    12/10! Food and service was incredible. We got the drunken noodles (chicken Ki) and the green curry…read moreNuer toon which was cooked perfectly. We look forward to our next visit.

    While the restaurant itself is beautiful and most of the dishes we ordered were good, it's quite…read morepricey--especially considering there are equally strong Thai options in neighborhoods like Elmhurst. The main reason I'm writing this review, though, is about the service. We were a party of seven, including a toddler who became a bit fussy toward the end of the meal. To be fair, he was making some noise--but the restaurant itself is already fairly loud and buzzy. When we tried to order dessert, our waiter told us there was "a dessert place down the street, Spot Dessert Bar, also Thai-owned." The comment felt odd and, frankly, like we were being encouraged to leave. Shortly after, he returned to say the toddler was being too loud, which led his mother to take him outside while we waited for our dessert (thank god they allowed us to order some! :| ). I understand that the noise was occasionally disruptive, but if a restaurant provides high chairs, it signals that families are welcome--and young children can get restless. Given that we spent close to $600 for our party, the situation could have been handled with more tact and courtesy. We started the evening satisfied but ultimately left disappointed. I wouldn't go back because of this experience.

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    Soothr - Dining area

    Dining area

    Soothr - Duck Rolls

    Duck Rolls

    Soothr - Prawn Khao Soi

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    Prawn Khao Soi

    Finback LIC - bars - Updated May 2026

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