The Brazen Head

As someone who has come to this bar regularly to watch Knicks playoff games, I can confidently say…read moreI will never return after what happened during the NBA Finals last night. What this bar pulled was completely unacceptable. They were openly reserving seats at the bar for certain people while telling everyone else they were unavailable. There was no advertised reservation policy, no advance notice, and no opportunity offered to regular customers. Apparently, the only way to get a seat is to know the owner, know the bartenders, or be part of the inner circle. What made it even worse was that my group had been sitting at the bar, ordering food and drinks starting around 7:30 PM, only to be forced out of our seats at 7:45 PM. The reservation signs on those seats clearly stated they were reserved for 8:15 PM. We were paying customers actively spending money, yet we were removed 30 minutes before the supposed reservation time. That is absolutely egregious behavior. I've worked in sports bars and have owned sports bars in New York City. In all my years in the business, I have never heard of reserving seats directly at the bar--especially during a major sporting event. It goes against everything that makes a sports bar successful. Bar seats have always been first-come, first-served. That's Sports Bar 101. I've spent plenty of money here over the years because it was always a great place to watch big games: good atmosphere, sound on the TVs, and a fun crowd. Unfortunately, last night proved that customer loyalty means absolutely nothing. Regular patrons were treated like second-class citizens while preferred customers received special treatment. For a bar that markets itself as a neighborhood sports destination, this was incredibly disappointing, unprofessional, and frankly insulting. If you're planning to watch a major game here, don't assume you'll be treated fairly. Unless you're friends with the right people, don't expect the same experience as everyone else. There are plenty of other sports bars in Brooklyn that understand how to treat customers. After last night, I'll be spending my money there instead. I won't be back, and I certainly won't be recommending this place to anyone. Let's Go Knicks

The Commissioner is one of my favorite spots to watch a game in Park Slope. The frozen margarita is…read morea standout (and even better with some snacking queso). They've also got a great lineup of local beers if that's more your speed too. It's the kind of place where you can cheer, snack, and sip without missing a play. Darts and photobooth available to round out the fun. Friendly staff, fun energy, and a crowd that actually feels like neighbors.

Photo wall

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Park Slope Ale House

4.5(81 reviews)

1.4 mi•Park Slope

I was yesterday years old when I experienced the glory of the chicken spiedie sandwich at this fun…read moreneighborhood ale house. Oh my gawwwd.... 'Twas served on ciabatta with a side of garlic aioli and the most perfect shoestring fries. I've been here a couple times prior and have always had excellent service and good food/drinks, but this time was especially delicious and the happy host made my friends and I feel so very welcome.

Pretty good service and so cozy, amazing Park slope local place :) Perfect for brunch! It's in one…read moreof the best neighborhood. They serve amazing food and hospitality. Our waiter was so so sweet and friendly. Thank you and we will come back soon.

0.8 mi•Boerum Hill, Gowanus, Park Slope

Dining tables

Burger with a side of onion rings

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Pain Killer

4th Avenue Pub

4.3(318 reviews)

What a cute bar that has been around for 17 years and just yesterday I stepped foot into it for my…read morefirst time. It was the 17th Anniversary party yesterday as well. They had a bunch of collabs with other breweries so their taps were filled with wonderful selection of cool beers. I got here when it opened grabbed a seat at the bar. I didn't catch her name but the bartender was super nice and we chatted a bit. This bar has two tvs in the bar area and some tables in the back. It also has an outdoor area which I did not get to check out unfortunately. The only downside is, is that there is no food served here. But the upside is that you can get free Pop-corn! If you have not been here before, I would suggest stopping by. By the way whoever does their social media is super great!

I've stopped by the 4tg Ave Pub a few times now, and it has yet to let me down!…read more It's a spacious spot with a nice backyard area, and has a lot of fun memorabilia around. But the reason I keep coming back - the sheer selection of incredible and unique beers (and reasonably priced for that manner!). Everything from the desthil spicy sour pickle beer to many variations to le chouffe, you can't go wrong! Oh and they have free popcorn as well... tough to pass up! Service has always been friendly and knowledgeable about the beers. I can already see myself back there for the next time I'm craving some delicious craft beer!

Backyard Beer Garden

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North Pole Pub

4.8(58 reviews)

0.9 mi•Park Slope

Located on a side street, the North Pole Pub can be easy to miss if you're not searching for it…read more With an expansive beer selection, great music (alternative rock blaring at 11pm on a Monday, how can you go wrong) and relatively cheap pricing, it's a must visit if you're in the area after a show at Barclay's Center!

Solid bar that has an incredible draft list and reasonably priced drinks. They also have some…read morepretty interesting "shots", such as a pickled herring and vodka, mushroom and vodka, etc. I ended up getting two of the herring and vodka because I surprised by how much I actually liked it! Def do yourself a service and try it. It's cozy and dark inside, but has outside seating in front of the bar. Bartender was also super friendly. Would go back again!

Herring with vodka, old speckled hen draft, gose sour draft

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Mushroom shots

Nostrand Avenue Pub

3.9(108 reviews)

2.4 mi•Crown Heights

Its a local bar no bites, so a great place to pregame. The bartender was really cool and made good…read moredrinks. I would definitely come back here for a very chill/divy bar vibe.

I live about 4 streets down from the pub, so it's location couldn't be better when I want a quick…read moredrink. Closing at 4am every day is also a huge selling point. I typically get a shot and a beer, but the last time I went I ordered a Manhattan and a slushy. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of both drinks. Another selling point for the pub is the staff. The gentleman that made my drinks was personable and pleasant, while still respecting my space. No matter the time of day, the place is pretty dimly lit. There's adequate seating at the bar and around it, and outside space in the back. I've yet to check out the back space, but I'm sure I will in the future.

Just because I love this mirror

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Hartley's

4.8(84 reviews)

1.7 mi•Clinton Hill

Great little bar! Super friendly bartenders and great drinks. I will be going back. This place will…read morebe my local haunt, especially once it gets old out. Super cozy bar and I enjoyed the crowd too.

Great pints, cool pub. No clue why non Irish music was blasting here, definitely negatively…read moreimpacted the ambience and turned us off from a repeat visit.

Heaven in a glass

Lacing

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Perfection

Fulton Hall

4.0(122 reviews)

0.7 mi•Fort Greene

Great local spot to watch sports, entrance on Ashland Pl. TVs on every wall, each one is probably…read morearound 40" and they play multiple sports including soccer and tennis, with sound. Order at the bar. If seated at a table they will bring the food to you when it's ready. Service is excellent. They open promptly at 12 noon on weekdays. Food is decent. The fried calamari is too breaded and too fried, but it passes for bar food. Rating 6/10 The nachos have a good amount of crunchy chips with a decent amount of toppings including guacamole and jalapenos. Rating 7/10 Seating is spacious and comfortable but tabletops etc can be a bit sticky, like at many other bars. Good sports vibe and energy from the patrons.

A dope cool sports bar. Theres a "first come, first serve" seating however it looked like when it…read moregot later it was sign in method. The energy was more mature which I preferred in a sports bar. Tons of benches, some bar seating and pool tables in the back. Lots of tvs as well, saw all the March Madness games playing. I imagine it would be great for big games. That being said I came to pregame Knicks-Nets and as we got closer to start-time a lot fans came to watch game (very easy walk to Barclays- 10 min walk). The food was solid and service was pretty good. Good beer options, had the happy hour margarita. They are strong! You've been warned.

February 7, 2026; Old Fashioned ($13).

Ginger mule

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Tomato soup with grilled cheese 5/5

The Canary

4.5(63 reviews)

2.2 mi•Crown Heights

Absolutely love this place. I come here from Manhattan for the food, the atmosphere, the staff…read more They always have game on the tvs. Food is stellar.

Overall rating: 4.5…read more Wow I didn't know this place existed, must be new since I've moved out of the area. Very popular & my lower rating is driven by feeling like I was in Manhattan. Sigh. I was missing any form of culture. I ordered the wings which were delicious and yeah, I'll come back if I'm craving. I can't tell if they play folk music which would be cool. I found myself coming during trivia night so it was packed, but the bartenders were really nice.

2.6 mi•Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Bar area

April 21, 2024; French Fries ($8).

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Back seating area

Midwood Flats

3.9(352 reviews)

Always a great time coming here. Grace and the rest of the staff kill it every time. In the past…read moreI've only gotten drinks. But yesterday, I did rhe Boozy Brunch (90min for $40). Definitely worth another trip. I got the Cajun club (w/o tomatoes) sandwich and the frozen margarita. Both were soooo good! The place might be small but it's big on the "home away from home"/chill atmosphere!

Mixed review. I had the Midwood Burger and it was good. My friend had the Buttermilk Chicken…read moreSandwich which he said was somewhat dry. BTW, my friend seldom complains about food. His came with a mound of mixed greens which he liked. Mine came with a small mountain of chips that were a bit oily and not warm. The food took a long time to arrive. The ambiance was dark and I mean really Dark. This is my third food pub I've been to in Brooklyn and none of them have been impressive.

Drafts and Frozen Margaritas

Midwood Flats

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McMahon's Public House

4.0(285 reviews)

0.9 mi•Park Slope

Was here for Saint Patrick's Day and it was bumping! Energy was at an all time high! It was a bit…read morechaotic but found a seat in like 10 minutes. The venue is pretty spacious they have a back dining area, a big bar when you enter and a full bar upstairs. There's a ton of televisions if you are watching sports as well. They have a pretty deep beer menu which I loved. The food menu is Irish influenced bar bites. We had the wings which were nice and crispy. The center of attention was the waffle fries nachos. You can't go wrong with a potato vehicle to fresh toppings. All and all great fun spot for sports and gatherings. Also this is a melting pot. Various ages, groups, backgrounds, saw a few families. All are welcome. One flaw is St. Patty it appeared that our waiter who was superb was the only one working so it was a bit of chase to close out.

Solid Irish pub....i have only been here at lunch (I don't go out at night much if I'm not blowing…read moretrumpet at a gig or rehearsal). In general, I like the mellow / peaceful vibes of outer borough NYC Irish pubs at lunchtime. McMahon's did not disappoint. Solid buffalo chicken wings & good burger. I am also post fries (I will try one or two of yours, but I don't need an order of fries for myself.), so can't comment on the fries. They also make a mean Caesar salad. The Caesar & buffalo wings are pretty much my metric for all Irish pubs. McMahon's would def be in the upper 50th percentile. There are a bunch of negative reviews for this spot on here for when they are very busy, on Barclays Center game nights and / or weekends. I feel like, if you read between the lines, it's people coming in groups when it's busy acting entitled. The staff at lunch has been nothing but courteous, w/ excellent service. Also, very clean inside, & food was good quality / fresh ingredients. There are almost no Irish pubs in this area open for lunch anymore at all - thank goodness this is a good one!

The McMahons Chicken Ceasars Salad.

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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

15 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Brandon S.

12 years ago

I've been going to this bar for about 5 years now. During that time I have Dealt with most of the bartenders there and have always been happy with the service. It's a great neighborhood bar with a great beer selection. But what's with the two Friday night bar tenders with piss pour attitudes and service to match? I've been there twice now while those bar tenders were tending and they were the same each time. They ignore the bar for long spans of time while the mingle with each other. When they do finally take your drink order in the most unfriendly fashion, they tend to walk around having other casual conversations before realizing they still didn't get you that drink. I ordered a last beer and somebody accidentally grabbed it while my back was turned. When I politely asked the bar tender if he might hook me up with another since somebody took mine from the bar he chastised me and told me he wasn't responsible for some one taking my drink. Fare enough, you arent responsible, you are just a complete dick. I wasn't demanding a free beer I just thought the establishment would do what I would do in that situation. After all Its just a beer and an easy way to make your customers want to come back. Instead (the girl backing him up) he decided to do the opposite and now I'm writing this review of their terrible service. When I looked around at the folks around me and asked if anybody else thought the two were complete dicks and I got many confirmations from complete strangers and one stranger even went as far as to buy me a beer. A super nice gesture that shouldn't have been necessary. I recommend brazen head find a new pair of bar tenders to take the helm on Friday nights. My other friends left the bar to go some where else due to it and other friends of mine who I spoke with say they prefer other bars in the neighborhood now due to the same thing. To the owners of Brazen Head, I will be happy to change the rating on this. I just wanted to make sure you would see it. Im generally not the kind of person to go out of my way to write a bad yelp review. Actually this is the first time Ive been inclined. Im not sure how to privately message you so I will answer your question here. Yes, it happened this past Friday night 3/27/15. read more

Amy S.

Elite 8

255

311

270

18 years ago

ick. this place has the potential to be a good bar. it is cute with tin ceilings and a back patio. however, it seems to have a strangely bad odor and seems to be home to weird khaki-ed types and super-jocks. the bartender was snotty for no good reason and i couldn't get out of there fast enough. read more

Bibo G.

15 years ago

The place is nice generic but the staff are friendly the beer selection is average atmosphere is quite what i like but then again is what it is no food to write about the only complain its dirty read more

Javier G.

10 years ago

The brunette bar tender is probably the meanest human being on the planet. She yelled at me for several reasons as if I'm a child.

perry w.

7 years ago

"Me and my boyfriend...." says the girlfriend! WTF?! It's listed as a gay bar! Can't a guy go anywhere in this burg?

Donald B.

8 years ago

Great neighborhood bar with always an outstanding selection of beers on tap. Bartenders are warm and fun read more

Michelle O.

12 years ago

Awesome local bar, free wings on mondays. Very good service and nice people and the location is ideal.

Ross N.

14 years ago

Yay. I was here again recently and it's always the best. You will have a nice time at this bar.

Devin M.

14 years ago

Very good selection. Good wings on Mondays. A dart board, which can be hard to find around here.

Tim G.

185

17 years ago

This is a nice space and the selection of beers is pretty decent. read more

Daniel I.

5 years ago

Its the spot!!! And is open!! OPEN!!! get your drinks!!

J R.

615

13 years ago

Nice laid back bar. Will return.

Sean R.

Elite 24

154

115

13 years ago

Review to follow.

Pat F.

127

14 years ago

good beer list.

Brian C.

10 years ago

Great

The Brazen Head - pubs - Updated September 2026

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Great bartender and nice atmosphere too. The music was awesome and the drinks were perfect. Alright…read morethat's enough complimentary words. Grab a drink here, salud!

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So the first time I went to this bar, I kept being referred to as "Ming." I'm Asian, but my name is…read moreNOT Ming. Recently I walked in late around 3am. There were about 20 male patrons in the bar. The female bartender informed me that she called last call. I said okay, but she said I had to leave. I looked around. There were still 20-25 DUDES sitting around. Long story short--I questioned her, and instead of explaining her reasoning like a normal human being, she called me dumb and said I had to leave. It was weird. She's a lanky brunette woman who apparently works on Saturdays? She obviously doesn't know what customer service means and sadly revels too much on the attention of male patrons. I would've said more to her that night, but I simply felt bad for her. Even the bouncer apologized for her behavior... Edit: I've lived in the neighborhood for over a decade. Wish this could be my local spot, but time and time again it's been proven to harbor the worst of attitudes and behaviors. Below response = indication of the classy staff running the place...

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