Came here for an early birthday lunch today. I was generally unimpressed. I had a lemonade & a turkey burger and my coworker had the Tuna burger. Lemonade was bland. Turkey burger: The patty itself was semi moist but lacking any real flavor and they added 1 piece of a portabella mushroom (what was the point) and some onions. The bun was some type of wheat and unremarkable. The sweet potato fries were kickass. I could of eaten a whole plate of those. The tuna burger was disgusting according to my coworker and she said they put so much wasabi on it that it was almost inedible. I"m really only giving it two stars for the fries and the location because its good for people watching and it's shady. Though the bar chairs are uncomfortable, especially if you have short legs like I do. Total bill came to $40 plus tip. read more

The Beer Bar - Turkey Burger w/ Sweet Potato fries - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Loud and local, this place is frecuentes by the midtown working crowd. It's the Grand Central area official watering hole. It's always fun to see this crowd. Very lively and rowdy. It has surprisingly light chairs. You gotta lift to believe! read more

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100% straightforward, beer in plastic cups and I'd imagine pretty chilly if you were outside during the winter (but they do have an indoor section). Still, great people watching in the summer as it's right on a corner for Grand Central Station. Open air section opened in nice weather, and chips and wings look good. Nice place to catch up after work for those in the area or waiting on a train. read more

The Good: + I've sat indoors for happy hour and was able to grab a table and hang out. + Appetizers are not bad: mini burgers, fries, tuna tar tar, calamari, etc. The Bad: - This place is the jumpoff for young whipper snappers and fugazi ballers, aka business types in stuffy suits. That means no seats outside on a Thursday after work. This also means a lot of dudes. - Service suffers due to the crowds. The Ugly: -- I've had a company holiday party here. I woke up and didn't remember a damn thing. Thank goodness my camera was secured. -- If you walk in here expecting a seat, you better come early or don't come at all (no where to stand). IFHTP 3+ read more

Moseying in here you'd think you'd actually see a whole bunch of beer on tap since it IS called, The Beer Bar. Rather, they have like four beers on tap. Ummmm....instead, their "better beers" are sold in bottles, and you'd have to ask the bartender for what he has available so that he can actually serve it to you. A little weird in my opinion, but at least we were able to figure this out while we were there. We each propped ourselves up on the bar and happily tried out a number of craft beers. The bartender was amicable and very informative. He knew his beer and explained each as he poured. Prices were reasonable. Not sure if I'd be back though. It's a toss up. read more

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This place is really 3.5 stars but will round down to 3. Great spot for a quick drink after work on a nice evening. No happy hour but $10 but a 23.5 oz beer isn't too bad and food is okay. There is a draft there due to the buildings so be prepared on a windy day. And it gets pretty crowded after work, mostly with suits. read more

We met two customers for lunch at 12:30. We actually entered through Cafe Centro, but were seated in the Beer Bar. I have sat outside for a few beers after work on the deck, but we were seated indoors. It was fairly loud (and not that crowded) due to tvs being loud, and had to to have an intimate business conversation. Please see my blog for more details and reviews. Server was Claire, and she was friendly and efficient, but had a lot of tables to watch. It was a challenge to get a drink refilled. Food arrived quickly and was really good. We stayed until 2 pm and the place emptied out as time went on, but it was still hard to have a conversation between the four of us. I thought it was over priced and would not return, although the food was good. I WOULD return to the Deck outside for beers for sure. 4 drinks 4 burgers Total - $105.82 read more

Big space, but seriously last call 10pm? Went last night, and had to look for another place to go afterwards. Arrived at 9, and the bar outside was still hopping, so I'm sure it's a good place for drinks after work. read more

Always wanted to check this place out. Love that it's right by Grand Central and is shaded by the bridge. Just a very happening spot. Great to grab a beer with friend's after work. Abita Purple Haze and Alegash White are my recommendations. read more

I just stopped to grab a beer before my train. It's a nice outdoor spot. Lots of tables and a small bar. Since I just wanted a quick drink, I grabbed a spot at the bar. They have a good selection of beers. I got a Sam Adams Oktoberfest. It was $11, for a plastic pint cup. Even in Midtown that's kinda ridiculous. The bartender was fast and courteous. I didn't have time to get food or anything. Honestly though, I should've just grabbed a beer at the myriad of bars in the area. It would've been half as much. read more

With outdoor seeting the place gets pretty crowded after work & chances are u will b left standing. Nice beer selection & they offer regular drinks as well. Best deal seems to be on the beer for around $9 a cup , a lil pricey but at LEAST the cup is pretty big & u get ur money's woth ! Mix drinks go for about $12 or so this was the price for the Jack & coke , not terrible but u get a decent drink. On the food , we had the calamari appetizer good to share nice taste. The burger was good as well as the chicken sandwich & fries. When standing by the bar if u r not eating , they give u chips & salsa , as well as pizza bread to munch on nice treat simply because after a few u need something to help balance u out. Not a bad place to sit & enjoy a few drinks & a quick bite. great on nice days & even bad days as long as the weather cooperates since the area its covered. Review#100 read more

The Beer Bar - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Beer in plastic cups. Wine in plastic cups. Comp chips & other stuff. Friendly staff. Nice to be outside on the early side of after-work before it gets overcrowded. Sports on the flat screens. But those stainless steel stools screeching on the marble floor tiles. Oh hell no!! read more

The Beer Bar - in plastic cups. Blue Point Toasted Lager, New York, NY - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

OMG, The Beer Bar was actually cool. It's beautiful and everyone who works here seems like they are very proud of it. Incredibly flavorful and nutritious. Staff ensured that everything was alright. I will do it all over again. read more

Gets really crowded around 6pm or so but it is a great place to meet your friends after a long day. If you are a guy looking for gals find a better spot, but if you are a lady looking for a gent then take your pick because it is swarming with the suits. Also a good spot if you are stuck down in Grand Central for awhile waiting for a train. Come up out of the earth and sit outside for awhile with a cold beer and decent eats. read more

This spot is conveniently located directly underneath my current office. In the summer/warmer times, it was definitely the most convenient place for after work (does not necessarily mean happy hour, it is still finance) drinks and such. I wasn't a huge fan then, as it was always overcrowded and hard to get decent service as one waitress per solidly packed square mile just doesn't cut it. Now that it is colder, and the beer bar has moved indoors, and fewer folks are stampeding, I am liking it more. I know, how antisocial. But you go ahead and spend 12 hours at work and on the phone trying to get people to do things, and see how social you feel afterwards. I'll be back (obviously, I work upstairs) but I think i will relish it more with fewer people, particularly aside from the ones that I genuinely like. Hi Iris :P read more

Note: this is a review for the outdoor bar, not the food. Beer Bar's set up is deceptively appealing. A monstrous cooler piled high with ice, surrounded by metallic hightop tables haphazardly scattered around what is arguably some of the most expensive and lovely real estate in the city. There are plenty of barstools to go around, and the cooler-slash-bar has all four sides open for ordering. And then you stop in for a cold one. The appeal quickly turns to disappointment. The bar works in theory, but not in reality. All four sides open = no apparent ordering priority. Wave your hands, hold a twenty like a flag -- heck, you could probably flash the barkeep -- but it'll still take you long minutes of staring them down before you get your drink. (And it definitely annoys me that I'm expected to tip the guy who did nothing more than fish my bottle from the ice and pop the cap with an opener. But I digress...) Minus a second star for the beer. Great selection, but sadly lukewarm. There's a reason why it's called "stopping in for a cold one". I see piles and piles of ice, but these taste like they've been sitting on the loading dock all day. Seriously, the beer carts at GCT serve colder -- not to mention cheaper -- libations. Minus star number three for the lack of waitstaff. The hightops and quite a few of the stools are either wet or sticky with dried up liquor. There are empty cups and trash everywhere. I understand that it gets busy, but come on, people. You are steps away from GCT and you don't have the staff to prep a proper happy hour?? Am I expecting too much? Probably. But this is NYC. I can take my money to any corner in midtown for a beer. It's not that Beer Bar is that bad -- it just promised way more than it delivered. Sigh. read more

This is a great bar for a quick after work drink. The burgers are pretty good, although I don't really come here to eat - I come here to drink my work troubles away. It can get crowded and you might see your boss if you work close - it seems to be a group-friendly atmosphere if you call in advance to reserve a table. They have a very nice beer selection (as they should with a name like that (reminds me of a quote from "Wayne's World" - 'The Shitty Beatles, are they any good?....' After work, it can get crowded, so if you need a quick shot of something - my advise is to hit the bar inside. read more

This is a review of the Beer Bar, not Cafe Centro or the food. I have been here a few times with friends after work for a drink in the summer. It really is one of my favorite places to get an after work drink when its warm out. It's completely outdoors , basically a roof and no walls. It's nice to be outside with a drink after being in an office all day long. The bartenders are really friendly and it's easy to make conversation with them while waiting for a friend to show up. I like all the seating, you can usually find a seat, although you will have to wait 5-10 minutes. We can usually snag a seat at the bar, and then its easy to keep the drinks flowing. This is a good midtown bar for, like I said, after work drinks. I wouldn't hit this place up on weekends or anything, but it's cool to meet friends, especially if you or someone you know needs to take a train home from Grand Central. read more

The food is indeed A-OK. Not spectacular, but fine. The four reasons Beer Bar is worth stopping by: A. Delirium Nocturnum beer. The brown ale is like CANDY. And it's 8.5% potent. That's twice the strength and seven times the taste of a Bud Light. B. The mini baguettes you get when you sit down. While I was waiting for my lunch companions to arrive I almost stole their mini baguettes off their plates and wolfed them down before they noticed. And I wasn't even hungry, just covetous of the perfectly delicious bread. C. Nestled next to the French restaurant inside the MetLife building (Cafe Centro), Beer Bar is a casual place to grab a bit. D. If you're into staying sober at lunch (I pity you), they serve sodas and iced teas in enormous TGI Friday's margarita-sized glasses. For serious-- get your caffeine on. read more

So I actually wanted to go to a rooftop bar, but the heaven's decided to unleash their awesome power on me and my friend - so that wasn't happening. We ended up scurrying to this place and as Jacqueline S. mentioned in her review - ladies, if you are looking to meet a guy with a decent job and wears a suit, this is your ticket! The only downside is that they run in packs. Good Luck! After being ogled by after-work suit crowd, my friend and I made our way to an empty table and proceeded to wait...and wait some more...and then we finally got a waiter to order a beer...and then we proceeded to wait...and wait some more...and only after we started to bang on the tables did our beers appear. And so on and so forth. So, pros: - Outdoor seating - Right next to Grand Central - Good selection of beer - Cute professional guys Cons: - Expensive - Slow-as-Molasses service - Lots of ambient street noise - Soggy-a$$ french fries (brrr) I wanted to give it a 2 1/2, but I bumped it up to a three because it is a pretty decent space for an after-work kind of thing. read more

LIVE WORM IN SALAD Yes, you read that right. One of my friends had a live green small worm crawling around in their salad. She thankfully handled it well. The waitress was in shock and asked if she wanted another. She opted for the safer burger. We got her meal for free, but I was a bit surprised we didn't get the entire meal comped. Dead bug - free meal, Live bug - free for all. Would have been my preference as a store manager. Its tied to the Cafe Centro which throws into question their food as well. I work upstairs and have taken clients to this restaurant given its convenience. I believe I will go elsewhere given this experience. read more

Way too crowded. Overpriced. Slow service. Beers were nice, cold, and refreshing, though, and it's a convenient location. read more

Met with a friend for some food and drinks here. I work close by so I often walked by to see a jam-packed after work happy hour crowd especially on the sunny days (but it's covered so rainy days are fine too). We got there when the happy hour crowd started to disperse, so it wasn't hard to get a table. The bar wasn't really overly crowded either so we got our drinks really quickly. We decided to get some food while we were there and the sliders and quesedillas we ordered were decent. They also had a full wait staff that constantly made rounds, cleared empties, and kept the flying paper napkins, cups, and menues at bay :-). They have a huge selection of beers and wines, but this is definitely a happy hour spot, as a previous yelper mentioned last call is at 10 PM and by 11:30 they asked us to wrap up so it's not a place that you can hang out in the evening. Prices were average for most NYC places, but it would be a spot I recommend for happy hour and work events (if you work in midtown). read more

I've never tried to sit outside, there are more comfortable outdoor venues, even in Manhattan. It's a dependable lunch spot, good enough to bring a client (although not to impress) and moderate enough to justify forking over your own money. Burgers are generally reliable, although on recent visits I have tended to plump for the Chop-Chop salad. The crab cake sandwich or grilled salmon are other alternatives that pass muster. If you want a starter calamari is the way to go. The beer selection is pretty prosaic for these times, but they are well handled. read more

Today was my third sub-par meal at The Beer Bar and I was finally moved to write a review. Last summer was my first introduction to the Beer Bar - we ate in the dining room. I ordered some kind of chicken salad. I don't know what I actually got - it was some big, $24, tasteless, gloppy pile of mess. The atmosphere and service were pleasant. A couple of weeks ago I went again. First we tried to sit outside, which is mostly bar chairs. I hate bar chairs, because my feet do not reach the little bar, so I just sit there, up in the air, dangling. Fortunately - or so I thought - my companions were cold, so we moved inside. These chairs were even worse - they have low "arms" made of metal which dug viciously into my legs the entire meal. Again, the atmosphere and service and even the food were pleasant this time. Today's meal, however, was the last straw. Again with the seating. We sat outside, but in "regular" chairs. These are made of slippery metal and have no back support, so I could not sit upright. I ate my meal while reclining backwards - I'm sure that was appealing to other diners. This time both the service and food were major issues. Our waitress stopped by to let us know she'd be with us in a minute. She was, and took our drink orders - 2 coffees and 4 teas/sodas. The coffees arrived right away. The teas - well, we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited - long past the appropriate time for ordering. FINALLY the drinks arrived and she asked us if we would like to order, which we did. Dying of thirst at this point, I sipped my tea -and it was the raspberry-flavored kind, which I hate and did not order. I was so thirsty however - not to mention the fact that I was out to lunch with my new boss - so I didn't mention it. The food finally arrived. My co-worker had ordered a sandwich, but substituted a salad for the fries. She got what she ordered. I ordered a sandwich, but substituted sweet potato fries for regular fries - and got a "salad". They soon brought a side of sweet potato fries - enough for a couple of us to share, which was nice - but I tried to eat the "salad" as well..and there was NOTHING on it. Not a drop of oil, or vinegar, or any kind of dressing, or parmesan. It was just a pile of warm, limp greens. This delightful repast was followed by a long wait for the check, at the end of which we just decided to chase down someone else for it. You'll have to drag me kicking and screaming back to the Beer Bar to get me in there again. read more

Great location, good drinks but get here early. Cool spot for after work. There's some limited seating, so seriously, get there early or walk around looking for a spot. It's all about location, location, location. I think this place is below the Metlife building? It's very close to Grand Central. The bar opens up to street, so there's lots of standing room (and there's lots of people standing) if you can't get a table. I got a beer. It was a beer: cold, crisp and refreshing. I'm not sure what they have on tap, as I didn't actually order this time. As for food, there's some big fries that taste pretty good; served with a side of something saucy, slightly sweet, maybe a type of thousand island dressing? If you're around, this is a good place to spot off for a drink. read more

Decent place to meet people after work if your subway lines converge at grand central. Beer selection is very good. ordered some sliders (ok) fries (good) some tuna tartar thing (good). and the free chips and salsa were good, as were some little free cheese bite things. If I was waiting for someone or something at grand central, i'd go back again. The crowd: mid thirties, early forties suit-types. guy to girl ratio: 4:1. The one person who ordered wine didn't care for it at all. read more

$5 for an ice tea and they charge for refills. No thanks. Was a regular customer....until today. I found out today that apparently I'm the only one they don't charge for refills because I had a conversation with a manager about it earlier in the summer and the margin they make on refills of non-alcoholic drinks, he agreed that they should never be charging for refills. It has been inconsistent over the summer on when we were charged and weren't charged. Plenty of other restaurants to go to that don't charge for refills. read more

Found this spot as I was walking to a meeting and was excited to finally try it. This place is great on a beautiful sunny day as it offers an outside bar. They have a wide selection of beers on tap, cocktails, and wines. Their food menu is your typical bar options such as fries, calamari, wings, hot dogs, etc. If you check in they actually offer you a free appetizer! The outside is very spacious. There are a ton of tables and a lot of standing space. This place is great for large groups or even corporate events. My only issue with this place is that service is way to slow. It would take forever for anyone to take orders and even longer for a drink to come. Overall, I think this is a decent summer spot. I would be back here for drinks again if its a nice day. Hopefully service is better next time. read more

Went here for the burger, and thought it was ok. The meat was a little tough, dry, and lacked flavor. It seemed like it was already cold by the time it arrived at the table. It comes with bacon, cheese and fried onions, but those all did little to change the flavor of the meat. I really liked the fries, though. Small and perfectly crispy - just the way all fries should be. On the plus side, the wings are great. It's a small plate of about 7-8 wings, but they are pretty big and drenched in sauce. The wings are medium/spicy - I am not sure if you can request different levels of heat because ours just arrived at the table. The service was decent and the atmosphere is pretty loud. Great beer list, too. I would probably go back just for the wings and skip the burger. read more

You need to get there before 5pm, to get a decent seat. If you do, you're in for a good night of drinking watching the pedestrians walk by on Vanderbilt or watching all the groups of finance guys "bro-ing" out together. The beers are expensive ($8 I think), but they are served in 20 oz cups so that makes up for it. The service can be slow at times (have fun flagging down your waitress). But I've spent a couple of enjoyable evenings after work. Not a great place, but it's nice way to spend some time drinking outside. read more

Escape the corporate landscape with a beer at this outdoor bar located in the midst of Midtown East. Hightops are scattered along the corner of 45th Street and Vanderbilt--get there early to grab one, because the after-work crowd descends early when the weather is warm. Or, sample the Cafe Centro menu for before 4 when the scene is less congested and more working-lunch. read more

The Beer Bar - people sitting at tables in a restaurant - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This is the obligatory right by work place for me. So I go there from time to time to drink outside when its nice out. Tip: I discovered the beers ordered inside are like twice the size as the ones you get outside...can't remember if they are the same price...but i'm pretty sure there is beer arbitrage on the menu :) In the restaurant, been there a few times, try the mussels...menu is a bit pricey and mussels are the cheapest...you get a huge portion easilly shareable for two...and they are really good...and they come with pretty good fries too. read more

This place is a great spot to grab a beer, but what really made it was our server Dave! He by far makes that place! He was not only friendly and attentive but had us cracking up! Can't wait to come back and see Dave!! read more

Sometimes when I have meetings in Midtown with colleagues or clients, we decide to go grab a drink and continue talking shop, so you always need a few reliable "go-to" spots that have good service, decent apps and aren't too crowded after work. The Beer Bar that is part of Cafe Centro fits that bill. I went here with some colleagues that come here a lot with clients. It is a nice little space, but not too small, the service is very good, they make good drinks and there always seemed to be a couple of tables available. There is nothing overly fantastic about this place, it just is a reliable midtown spot to go with clients, IMO. read more

Not bad. This place is frequented by Finance types who work around Park Avenue. It's usually quite crowded, but the service is good. I like that they also have non-alcoholic options and food. read more

Due to arriving in NYC on a cold, rainy day, we did not want to venture far from our hotel (Hyatt @ Grand Central) so we had lunch here per a recommendation. I ordered an oriental salad of some sort and my friend ordered a burger. While both meals tasted fine, there was not much to remember about the meal except.... the iced tea. Yes, their fresh brewed iced tea is refreshing and tasty (blackberry flavored), but OMG $4/glass?!?! and no refills. My friend asked the hostess "could you top us off" while we waited for our check and we were brought 2 new iced teas and were charged for them. Our server was not so sympathetic with "most people that come here know that" and "we brew it here" as her rationalization for us spending $16 on iced tea. We should have ordered beer. read more

Been to Beer Bar a few times after work over the years...it's a nice open space with television to watch sports on if you want, or some seating further down if you want to sit down and munch on some finger foods. I've usually just had what's on tap previously, but they actually have a decent list of fall lagers. I wouldn't say much about the finger foods - they're pretty average quality - but if you are interested, the quesadillas are pretty solid. There's really no other reason to come here unless you work in the area and want to grab a drink with some buddies afterward, but it's an alright spot. It gets pretty damn crowded in the summer and late spring/early fall, so it's not always easy to find a spot...which, in that case, just head across the street to Vander Bar or down to Naples' outdoors seating area. The convenience is hard to beat here, though. read more

Coming in from BK to meet friends for drinks, Beer Bar is usually where we decide to meet up, especially in the fall/spring, when we can sit outside and enjoy a couple drinks outside. It's usually packed, but not to a point where you can't find a place to sit with a small group of people. The service is pretty great, to a point where some bartenders know that I enjoy a glass of prosecco and have it ready for me by the time I get settled. And the manager has almost always come by to make sure my group is doing all right - top notch! As far as food goes, I never really come here for anything other than after work drinks, but I have had the steak salad once, which I'd definitely recommend. read more

I think I've been here at least 6 times. Technically it's on Vanderbilt Ave and 45th, for those inclined to look. If you haven't been here, it's a hopping after work spot with legions of beer guzzlers in suits come 5pm. I personally enjoy it for a quick lunch alternative. I've tried quite a few of the menu items, and they're tasty but not spectacular so don't expect it to be mind blowing. However, I should remark that the burger is worth a try if you're in the mood for a rather large lunch without hassle. read more