Best hot dogs and popcorn in town, enjoyed by the roaring fireplace. Owner is friendly and beer is always ice cold. read more

The Checkmate Inn - View from Main St. - Beer Bar Near Me - Setauket, New York

Chill spot to hangout with friends, the owner is the best- super personal and cares about his business. So much space to invite all your friends to meet up. Love to support local spots and can't wait to go again read more

Facts about the mate: * Sweet fire place * Cheap juke box * Cash only * 2 dart boards * Staff is cool * Popcorn machine * Vibrators in the claw machine * Tables inside and out * That means you can drink outside * Cool shit on the walls It's the staple dive bar of Setauket that's been around since the 70's. Ya just can't beat it! read more

The Checkmate Inn - Angry orchid and Heineken by candle light - Beer Bar Near Me - Setauket, New York

What can I say about the 'Mate besides it's my most favorite bar in the history of ever. One reviewer said it was like "dive bar nirvana", and they were spot-on. It's a house in the middle of a residential street -- hidden gem if you don't know where to look. Roaring fireplace in the winter, outdoor drinking in the summer, crane machine with love toys, darts, Deer Hunter, jukebox and hot, fresh popcorn. And they're open till 4 am. The drinks are strong (and cheap), and they have a pretty decent beer selection -- something sure to please everyone. The bar area is tiny so most people grab their drink and move on. Same friendly faces without that need to dress to impress like at other bars down Port. read more

I have driven past this bar for almost my entire life and have always been very curious about it. I finally got around to checking it out last weekend and it was a pretty cool bar. The part that made it stand out to me was the darts! If you wait around long enough, people will give you a turn. There seemed to be a decent amount of older people here but there were also a few my age (22ish). It is a very small bar and you are even more tightly packed than a typical bar but the night I went it wasn't too bad. I sat around at the tables for a bit waiting for darts to free up and talked a bit with my friends. There was a large variety of music playing, from oldies to very current, it was a solid playlist. Overall, I would definitely visit again most likely some time in the summer because there is also a sitting area outside. read more

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Cool dive bar built out of an old house. They have a crane game machine there and they used to fill it with stuffed animals and various adult things. The last time I went there i didn't see any adult things. Oh well, maybe next time. read more

Awesome dive bar! First off, it didn't open until 7:30pm. Good beers, no food (except for the fresh popcorn), they have a fireplace, jukebox and/or live music and an awesome bartender. The bar area is smaller, has room for about 10. There are a few tables, mostly standee area. The place has a video-game hunting machine and a crane machine with a personal massager(?!?!?!) as a prize. Very clean for a dive bar, and I hear it stays open super late. I had a great conversation with the bartender and if I'm in the area again, I will definitely return. read more

Good beers on tap, a small bar with one television for college studens and local business owners alike. The bar spans into an outdoor patio overlooking the street with heater to extend the season. When it gets busy the circulation comes from the center bar, were you are close to other people and can really rev up a conversation with the locals and need to wait for your Guinness to be poured. Reminds me of traveling far, and needing to rest for a moment read more

Place is still a shit hole and the bartender/ manager thinks he is the all mighty. What a Dick! Bathrooms smell like crap and the beer is warm. Better off at the Bench or Velvet Lounge.. read more

This place is very disappointing. It's cool that it's in a house but the servers and bartenders are mean. My drink was very weak and I feel like I paid too much. If you want to hang around front boys and sorority girls go here. LOL read more

Ah, The Checkmate Inn. I can't leave a partial review for this place, I'm biased. I can't even begin to tell how many great nights I've had here. Should be the model for all dive bars. Buck Hunter, darts, and other games they rotate in. I'll just say, cheap beer, cheap drinks, awesome staff, and the best bar popcorn this side of the Mississippi. It's a great place to start or end your night. Go often and everyone will know your name and your flavor. Make sure to hit the Halloween party on the Saturday before the 31st, It's always a blast. An absolute gem in the middle of the woods in Setauket. read more

If you like jerking off, you'll love this bar!!! Never felt more at home. Honestly go here.

As a fan of dive bars, I love the fact that this little place is minutes from my new home and has an awesome beer selection. Dogfish on tap with some other usual brews, and a good amount of bottled microbrews. Staff and patrons friendly and made for a nice visit. Will return. read more

I get the impression that this place has the potential to be crowded with Stony Brook students but I have never really experienced that. I do feel a wee bit like a towny when I go here. But anyway. They have darts. Karaoke. That game where you are shown two pictures and have to circle what makes them different. And a popcorn machine so you can stuff your face with the salty goodness for free. Once you know the bartenders they are more than happy to comp you drinks. For a low key night at a fairly fun-filled bar, I recommend venturing away from the Smithtown scene and going to Checkmate. read more

It's just fun. It's the bar equivalent to the gym to which you can go and exercise in your pajamas, not some $400 sports suit. Real fireplace. Need I say more? read more

Very down to earth bar. It is literally a home converted to a bar. I have enjoyed in the past coming here with friends to have a few drinks with some complimentary popcorn. The crowd the goes here is generally older, but is mixed with a variety of age groups. read more

This place is a great dive bar -- they only take cash and there isn't a huge amount of space, but that's made up for in their beer selection. The folks that work there are friendly, and it's a great place to hang out. Way better than the other options around town. read more

If you want to spend a nice evening alone or with a company, never go to this bar!!! We have visited this bar twice with my wife and this was the worst bar we ever saw in our life. The beer is so-so, but the public really makes it feel like you stay at some inadequate bar with the average IQ level of visitors being at the level of 70 or less. Not to say that there are aggressive visitors as well. Actually the only reason why we went to this bar was b/c a friend of mine told us they have two dart sets, so while drinking beer you can play a bit :) But in reality it seems that there are the same people staying there all the time, so it's almost impossible to get ahead of them in playing darts. And even if you succeed then 5 minutes latter the bodyguard would come and ask to share darts with others even if you waited for half an hour before. Also there are not enough tables and chairs neither inside nor outside, so unless you are lucky you will end up staying in some corner and watching other drunk visitors playing endless darts. No Fun At All! BTW last time the same stupid bodyguard told us we have to leave b/c some other people started pushing me. And at my explanation that we were merely sitting he told us it would be difficult to kick the other 10 people outside even if it is their fault, but it is easy for him kick the two of us out... VERY DISAPPOINTED! read more

Nice dive bar in a quiet part of town that draws local crowd. Had an indoor and outdoor area and is open late. Had a few dart boards and arcade games. The beer selection is not bad but nothing crazy. A nice spot to hangout in the neighborhood. read more

I have not been here in a few years but have very fond memories of this place. Another reviewer described it as "dive bar nirvana". I like that description. In other words, get your ass to The Checkmate Inn and have some drinks. read more

The Mate. It is a weird place. If on your first visit, you look around and feel like everybody knows something that you don't, it is true. It is very much a "locals place", a lot of the same faces there regularly. An odd mix of uplifting/inspiring and lonely/depressing depending on what happens to crawl out of the walls on the night you attend... There is a fireplace, darts, a claw machine, games, popcorn machine, jukebox, more outdoor seating available than indoor seating... Good beer selection, bartenders friendly. Only one bathroom for women and a long line on a busy night - there is one bathroom for men too, but it is utterly filthy. Women, use it if you dare. Super old building, sometimes you may have the feeling that the ceiling will crumble and fall on you. I haven't seen that happen yet in the 10 years I have gone here. If you are looking for quiet, weird, down to earth, and a little creepy, then go on a week day night. If you are looking for busy, bustling, exciting, squeezing through a crowd jammed into this tiny place, then go the night of a Holiday like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. There are often bands playing live around the Holidays. read more

What can I say about The Checkmate, Its a total hole in the wall bar the completely rocks, Great people, great beer, awesome music. I've seen everything from brokers and wedding parties to dead heads and dogs roam through that place. Every time i'm there I wanna sing Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar" . Winners and losers, chain smokers and boozers, yuppie, bikers, early birds and all nighters etc. If you haven't been there.... Go! read more

great place to go after hours, they stay open late. good to go with a group of people bar area small but average size place . they have darts ,mostly local people and industry people head there late nite after work, most everyone good buzz or will get one quick with cheap shots. read more

This bar is a hidden gem. I have lived in the Stony Brook area for about two years and I have found the local bars to be severely lacking in personality. This bar has personality and lots more. Highly recommended. read more