Convivial, lurid, free. As soon as I walked in the bar I was greeted by strangers who became friends. Wildly energetic, fun, unpretentious bartenders. The ideal crazy, neighborhood bar in Brooklyn. The appetizers were bomb and the beers are always great. It's a great place to hold birthday get together and drink with new and old friends. It gives me every reason to live and love Brooklyn. read more

The Levee - Happy Birthday to my one and only Eddie Sugar Andujar - American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The Levee has replaced Union Pool as the place where hipsters go to breed. This can make for some amusing people-watching on crowded Friday and Saturday nights. A month or so back, I saw a delirious couple playfully slap each other near to the point of unconsciousness. The girl's glasses went flying, they made out for a while, and then begged each other for more slapping. The Big Buck Safari game is calibrated such that the green gun shoots a little high, but I'll play anyway. The food is bad--really bad--but nobody comes here for the Frito Pie. The lowbrow drink specials & free blow pops are where it's at. David Allen Coe on the jukebox is the icing on the cake. read more

The Levee - American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Awesome spot. Cheap drinks that are strong, cheap snacks, board games, and a pool table. Unique crowd, good music. Open late, til 4am. I wouldn't venture to Williamsburg just to go here, but it's a great bar nonetheless. You can get a good snack for under $5. Tortilla chips with queso, frito pies, hot dogs, a sloppy joe, popcorn, and other stuff I can't remember right now. I got a generous portion of tortilla chips and queso for $4. The drink selection is pretty impressive as well. Many different bottled beers, many I've never even heard of. And their drink specials were great. Particularly their 3 mixed drinks, all served in a pint glass, $7 a piece. They filled a pint glass with ice then filled it up 3/4 of the way with liquor and topped it with the other ingredient. I tried all 3. The Beam Cream - Jim Beam and Cream Soda. Tastes good, lots of Jim Beam flavor. The Dreamscicle - Stoli Vanilla and Orange Soda. Tastes amazing. Doesn't taste alcoholic. The Gatorita - Tequila and Lemon-lime Gatorade. Tastes like a lot of tequila with not much Gatorade. I don't like tequila too much though, so I'd stick with the other 2. They also have the Sportsman Special ($4, bottle of beer+ Shot of Whiskey), the Texas Two Step ($5, bottle of Lone Star + Shot of Tequila), and the Frat Boy ($5, bottle of Buddweiser + Shot of Jager). Cheap drinks, cheap snacks, and games will keep me coming back here, most likely to start off when heading to other Williamsburg attractions. read more

Great hang out spot. Dicey. Gets a little loud and sometimes gets a little packed, but you're guaranteed to have a fun & interesting time. The drinks are cool, nothing is over the top, you've got free cheese balls and an awesome selection of board games. Not a place one can easily get bored at! read more

The Levee - Cheese balls, strange cocktails and connect four? Deal - American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My favorite bar in Williamsburg. The bartenders are always so friendly and unpretentious (hard to find around here) and there's something for everyone - include a great sour (my favorite). And pool and games! Best part is of course the free cheese balls and twirlers. Come here when Radegast has a huge wait as always, or just come here period. read more

Three words: free cheese balls. That's all I really have to say to get you here. But in case you need more, I'll go ahead. The outside is great, especially in the summer. Benches, tables, and a big connect for game all make it great for groups. The music inside can get loud, but it's part of the scene. Inside, there's a pool table and big booths for you and your friends. Lots of great beer on-tap and bartenders that know about what they're serving. You can't go wrong with a visit to the levee. read more

The Levee - Inside - American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

With so many choices of bars in the Williamsburg area, it can be totally mind numbing on where to spend your time. The Levee is a totally SOLID choice and definitely one of my favorites!! Came here on an early Friday evening. Wasn't jam packed but was decently filled. They have a great cocktail menu and attached are great prices. My favorite was the Dreamsicle. Vanilla Stoli and orange soda. $9 for a pint glass of that. Drinking the Dreamsicle is addicting. Like liquid candy. You can totally lose your focus that hey, this is alcohol here, so watch out! They had a cute little dachshund there that was all bark and no bite. A real cutie. Their jukebox is a great mix of different types of rock. Bathrooms were pretty clean. The set up of this place is great! The bar as soon as you walk in. Then to your right, there's a room with booths, a pool table a hunting video game, etc. In warmer weather, to the right of that, you have a great outdoor space with picnic tables and a giant Connect Four in the wall. My friend and I took our drinks and the complimentary bowl of cheese balls (YES!!!) out there and had a great time. The people are super nice. Makes for a great environment. Can't wait to come back! read more

The Levee - Dreamsicle (Stoli Vanilla and orange soda) and free bowl of cheese puffs. Hot damn! - American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

We came here last night for a few drinks..we had one round and then immediately Exited!! ...OverCrowded, Obnoxious Patrons, OverCrowded, Obnoxious Patrons, Overcrowded...!!! Not my cup of tea!! Umm, No thanks!! read more

Ok. So it's the weekend before pay day. You have like $30 to your name. You wanna go out have fun and not have to dress up. Welcome to The Levee - were drinks and bar snacks start at $3, PLUS free indiviually wrapped Twizzlers and unlimited cheese balls rule. Ladies - don't come here expecting to meet the man of your dreams...maybe your next ex boyfriend or guy in the morning you will be like "WTF I need to get the F out of here now" and gentleman don't be ridiculous and make sure you buy any girl you see here that's hot a drink - hello they're like $3 and with the specials like the Texas 2 Step ($5 for a Lone Star and a shot of tequila) your chances just might get better if you do. Not gonna lie I live around the corner so this place is kind of becoming a staple. If you happen to BE in the Williamsburg area - totally stop by but don't make it a mission to check this place out. ***Added bonuses: patio, juke box, Buck Hunter (at least I think that's what it's called - I don't play f'ing video games), a pool table and TONS of board games (my personal fav - Connect 4). read more

Great dive bar. Kinda cold bartenders but dirt cheap drinks and chill energy makes up for it. Not pretentious at all which is hard to find in this area.... read more

Born and raised in The Bronx. I'm as anti Brooklyn as it gets. Went once on a Monday and definitely going back. The bartenders were great. The food options are subpar in my opinion but I was there to drink so it doesn't bother me. A true dive bar with a clean bathroom. Hard not to like it. read more

I love using yelp to find great places. I love more when I stumble across a fun little spot randomly (don't tell Yelp). After a full day of team building a small group of my team stopped in for a few drinks. It was a wonderful little spot. 1. It was not crowded. I love when places are not crowded. 2. They had games. I love when bars have games because I love games. 3. They had great prices. 4. There was also a very cute doggie there which makes just about anything better. This list might not be long, but part of the high score is fact that I don't have any complaints. read more

There are two things I'm good at: drinking and board games. The Levee is the perfect place for someone like me. There's a bar...And there are games. Granted, they don't have Sam Adams (we've discussed this issue of mine in some of my other reviews) however they do have a decent selection of other beers to choose from. There are also pinball games (Avatar), shooting games, and Jenga. Our table chose to get ourselves wrapped in a Jenga tournament. I personally believe the games are there simply to make the patrons look like fools after they've had a few rounds and are attempting to push blocks out of a tower without making it collapse. But regardless, it's a fun place and you're bound to meet a few interesting characters along the way. read more

it's a hipster bar in williamsburg. SHOCKING. the levee is chill though, cheap beer, pool table, erotic picture photo fun (spot the difference in 80's erotica!) I also got to watch my friend try to pick up a girl who unbeknownst to him was 7 years older. She was not amused. read more

Levee facts: Back patio outdoor entertainment, closes at 11PM Free cheese-balls, twizzlers, blow-pops, and board games to play Buck Hunter, Pinball, pool, darts = multiple activity options Booths, tables, bar, separate rooms, dim lights, divey scene, lots of people Sportsman special: beer w/can cozy + shot for $4 Fairly unpretentious, every-time I've come I've made new friends Conclusion: Cheap drinks Fun atmosphere Weekends are crowded read more

This is a bar I can get down with. Stumbled in while waiting for a skate video premiere. They have a pool table and an awesome happy hour on drinks that are already super cheap. The grub is eccentric and served until 4 AM. It's such a simple place with so much BOOMBOOMPOW. You can also order a tequila/Gatorade concoction and a Frito pie. Or popcorn. Or a PB&J sandwich. They also have a jukebox. And when I was there, there were bowls and glasses filled with candy and Twizzlers! read more

This is my new favorite bar!! My best friend and I came here on a Friday night around 1am and fell in love with the place. Maureen is literally the best and is the reason why we're going to keep coming back. Not only was she super sweet in a genuine way, she also saved us from seedy men at the bar, and is a PB&J champ. Her, the cute doggie, and the bomb drinks are the reasons why we're going to be regulars. I will say the place seemed a little sketchy from the outside, but once we got inside it was a totally welcoming atmosphere. read more

I've been here a few times, even before I lived in NYC. It's a dive bar for sure and it has all the feels of one minus the disgusting everything and sloppy drunk people. They have a great selection of hard alcohol and a nice selection of beer. I tried my first stout here (woot woot)! The free, endless cheese puffs are a win-win too. They play classic rock and metal, which I love. They have a ton of games in the back - checkers to scrabble to arcade games you name it. Staff is always friendly and accommodating. read more

No pretention, great music, $4 beer-and-tequila specials, vegan sloppy joes, a pool, table, board games, and unlimited cheese balls? I'm not sure what more anyone might want in a bar! read more

The Levee - Free Cheese Balls! - American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I really don't know what to think about the place. We wanted to check it out cause we got a bit bored in Radeghast when the music was over. It is a dive bar, dark and noisy. They give you a bowl of cheese balls which could be great if you like chemically flavored artificial non-food. On the bright side, they have huge selection of alcohol, friendly service and we get play our music on juke box. I think they give you koozies if you get a bear but I am not sure. They are definitely displayed on the bar. Overall, it's a good dive bar, I'm just not a fan of it especially if there are so many awesome places right next to it. read more

The Levee - Complimentary Cheese balls and koozies - American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Super chill bar in Brooklyn. We came here super late night and the bartenders were so friendly. Cold beers and yes, it is correct, unlimited cheese balls. Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy! read more

Dropped in this past weekend, and I had the absolute best time there. Especially, with the current situation and set up. I'm glad to see that The Levee is doing great and just wanted to praise the service my friend and I received. We had such a good time Saturday that we came back on Sunday. We didn't catch the other servers name from Saturday but Justin remembered us and served us on Sunday. Both great! read more

Great, fun, lively, friendly place. It's technically a "dive bar" but they go out of their way to bring you a bowl of cheese balls, even if you're a dork like me, sitting alone in a booth, doing work. Nice outdoor space, wide array of games, jukebox, pool, a great place to chill. Warning though: it gets loud and jam packed during certain times. But it's everything a neighborhood bar should be. read more

Situated in the heart of one of Brooklyn's most expensive neighborhoods, The Levee is a dive bar that stays true to its dive bar image. It's pretty loud, grungy, and not to mention one of the cheapest places to drink in Williamsburg. I've been here a couple times with rather large groups and have always had a pretty fun time. It's not sceney, nor do I feel like everyone is competing to look more hipster than their neighbor on North 5th. Everyone is just trying to have a good time, which is definitely not always the case with bougie Williamsburg bars. To start off, the drink menu is huge, but not overly complicated - they have a shit ton of beer/shot combos for less than $10. Once you have your very cheap drink, there are a bunch of booths to sit and play jenga (the bar itself is pretty large.) All of the blocks have a dare that other patrons of The Levee have written, so be prepared to call your mom, flash someone across the bar, or text a complete stranger about some drunk nonsense. They also serve cheeseballs in a bowl for free, a perfect pair for your gatorade and tequila drink (real thing.) If you're not feeling Jenga, they have a dart board as well. I most recently came in on a Saturday night around 11:30pm-midnight and it was pretty packed. it's usually like that on the weekends so expect the whole place to be loud and messy. But hey, that's what makes this place The Levee. read more

Perfect if you're looking for a dive bar-type of evening. It looked small from the outside but it had a back room that opened the space up and had a lot more seating. They had a variety of drinks, a single pool table, and board games behind the bar to choose from. The bartender I encountered seemed nice enough for how busy he was. It was within walking distance to several other bars and food joints so it's easy to bar hop and grab food before, during or after. The only downside, was the bathrooms were pretty gross, but I might go again. read more

This is the great dive bar you've been looking for in Williamsburg. Some drink specials like the "Texas Two-Step" Which is a lone star and a shot of tequila. They have Shiner Bock if you've been missing that from your time in Austin like me. Has an outdoor area. I went early so it wasn't crowded but, it is small so I'm sure it fills up quick. Table games like Jenga and free cheese puff balls. $15 dollar card minimum so stay awhile or bring cash. read more

I am a lazy person, so I am thrilled that this place is literally around the corner and across the street from my apartment. Especially on weeknights when I feel like some beers and cheezballs but I don't particularly feel like expending any energy. They have great drink specials, like the "Frat Boy" and the "Sportsman". This is where I discovered that one can mix vanilla vodka and orange soda and end up with a seriously delicious drink that is so easy to consume that if you're not careful when you re-create it at home, you'll make all your underweight girl friends barf. But it's so good that they'll keep drinking it. (It's called the Dreamsicle at the Levee...tastes like a creamsicle but gets you druuuuunk!) They serve crap food for cheap, which I haven't eaten yet but probably will in the near future. They have a pretty damn nice selection of beers and liquors...you can order a glass of Chartreuse on the rocks for about $6, I believe. Great prices, too. Their jukebox is incredible. They have everything from Neutral Milk Hotel to the Misfits, with Hank Williams and T.Rex in between. If you ever see some dorky brunette chick in the corner quietly rocking out to "Gimme Danger" by Iggy Pop or "Underwear" by Pulp, that's probably me. I like to grab a seat somewhere, suck on a free Blowpop, or mouth a free Twizzler, while alternately sipping my Texas Lonestar and watching tall, skinny guys in tight pants play Buck Hunter with serious skill. Sometimes I will bust out the Jenga and think about calling one of the numbers someone has scribbled on a block. I love this place. UPDATE: I have tried their crap food. Specifically, the Frito Pie with Meat Chili and the Sloppy Joe's. They were $4 and $3, respectively, and just about what you'd expect, but in a good way. Also if you get into the Chartreuse, you are in for trouble. If you want to do it, I'll join ya. read more

I left here extremely plastered. Then I got Lost. Then I went back, and ate a chilli dog and a sloppy joe. And i won Jenga, against my nemesis, Garrett p. read more

My now-BF, then just friend, told me that all bad things in Brooklyn are blamed on the Levee. This may or may not be true, but any place that has $3 tequila shots can't produce good things afterwards. My story: These $3 tequila shots are what changed my friend into my BF as this is where our 1st kiss was. Damn $3 tequila shots. This is also where my BF got my little sister shit-faced drunk for the 1st time in her life & she threw up in one of the booths (sorry Levee). Their bar snacks are the bestest. Twizzlers. Cheese balls. Blow Pops!. I never knew all this junk combined with multiple tequila shots tasted so delicious. They have board games! Jenga while drunk is very fun. It's the only dive bar I've ever frequented more than once. It's a dive bar you should frequent more than once. It gets the job done & you have still have $$ in your wallet @ the end of the night. The best, most unique thing though has to be the chalkboard. You can buy drinks/shots for a friend today & they will write their name on the chalkboard + whatever you bought them. When said friend comes to the bar on a later date, they can claim it. I haven't tested this out, but it seems like a cool idea. Then again, you might be paying for a drink no body will get. Who would know? read more

This is a dive bar so I suppose gnarly stank bathrooms come with the territory. But when I first walked in I noticed the entire bar smelled, so its not just limited to the bathrooms. It smelled like pits and socks and I kinda felt reluctant to drink from the glass my drink was in. The patrons are understandably hipster the music selection definitely caters to that demographic. I honestly do not think there's one song in that juke box that's made after the 90's. On a nicer note they do have cheese balls but I didn't try it. read more

The Diet Coke @ The Levee was below average. There was to much carbonation, not enough syrup and this gassy beverage gave me exactly that. I instantly got a terrible case of flatulence which completely turned off the young lady I was with and pretty much eliminated any chance of me getting to motorboat her ample bosoms. Not drinking alcohol is supposed to give me a distinct advantage over my drunken counterparts. Well not on this night . Thanks for nothing Levee ! read more

Do you like craft cocktails and molecular gastronomy? I mean who doesn't? But not most days. Most days you want to fight that nasty assed L train nightmare out to Brooklyn and sit at a nice friendly bar with cheap drinks and free cheese balls. oh and maybe a cool dog....and pool....and darts...and games....and some sort of fucking garden I was too lazy to look at cause I was having too much fun sitting at the nice sunny bar sipping boilermaker specials and eating cheeseballs with my girlfriend. Yeah go here....it's a great bar with a great staff. Or you know go somewhere else and be less happy...I don't really care I'm not your fricking dad....I'm just old enough to be him..... read more

At five minutes past four we were forcibly removed from the bar (pretty annoying as we were the most inoffensive customers going and would have left in two minutes anyway)- the beers we had purchased 20 minutes before were pulled from our hands and thrown on the floor . They were rude, the staff were extravagantly sexist and frankly I wouldn't put up with it for a bar that smells like urine. They are all about the money and couldn't give a shit about their customers. Genuinely had an awful experience. read more

Levee is everything anyone could ask for in a dive bar, including the Very Important Cheese Balls. It's strange that the beer specials are all beers that I've never heard of (Lone Star???) but they're pretty good and they have things you know, too, like Budweiser and PBR. Oh, and there's Frito pie. Do you know what that is? Go get some, either way. Their patio has worse hours than my bank. read more

My mouth tasted like the rusty back end of a tailpipe.....but I was still ready for what was in store. I was dressed in my Halloween's best on this strangely warm October 31.........ladies dressed as Gaga drafting their best poker face and Wild Things strumming along Berry and N. 6th..........wild eyed and darting for the Max that would eat them. so. Turning a blind parrot eye I pass gothics and stroll gazers with gypsy eyes and lantern bags making their way towards Greenpoint as I ventured south and galivant passed lawn gnomes and the occasional werewolf hipster. Finally at the Levee, (would it break?).......a flash of my I.D. and an order of the best beer ($3) my paltry checking account can buy ensued as I knew it would. Straight to the bathroom where I check my zombie eyes and contemplate the vampire teeth floating in the toilet water. I take a sip of my beer and pray to the Pumpkin god that the Pagans will take me to my seat. And Prince's little red corvette drifts me there from jukebox accelerations alone and I can't seem to get the miniature sized Butterfinger bars and Snickers in my stomach fast enough. Headbands and overalls all collected elbow to elbow......the lone girl without a costume but convincing us she went as an American Apparel princess.......no label...no problem. I strike a pose and order another beer....and another......and another. It's a dead man's party.......and I can't ask for more........so I leave my body and lurch out the door....the bouncer giving me a quick shove like a mummy all outstretched and persistent. I grab my cigarettes...the box ripped up from the take out put back during the last hour ago pocket chain smoke. 3 cigarettes left...just enough to get me through till bed. I pick one up and light it but there's nothing. Looking down towards the bottom of the butt I see a tiny tear and frustrated, I flick it away. 2 left. Ration time. I look left......then right.....no cabs in sight. I light one more and watch a bodega dim its lights for the night. Nothing good happens after 2am anyway. read more

Don't care how played out people say this place is. they have a pool table and a cool bartender. a decent jukebox. and whiskey. i use to go here many a saturday or sunday afternoon and sit at the bar with a book or listen to the awesome bartender's woes about women. good times. if you like a dive bar, i recommend. IMPORTANT NOTICE: ATTENTION! stay far away, as usual, on fri/sat nights. unless you want to get into a fight, be dryhumped by prepubescent boys and/or nudged by jealous girls. read more

Five bucks for "the sportsman" - a PBR and a shot of Beam. Four dollar whiskey gingers at happy hour. A sign on the wall that says beware of loose women and pickpockets. A wide variety of non-pretentious afternoon drinkers. Cheesey poofs instead of peanuts. Yeah, I like this place. I really like the whole atmosphere of The Levee - totally laid back, dark, kinda sexy, inviting, and really down to earth. We rode our bikes here for a few afternoon drinks the other day, and I'd absolutely come back. The drink menu is extensive, the shot/beer deals are hilariously named and wonderfully priced, and while we didn't order any food, it all looked like really great bar food (and from what people say, it is). Wait, what's this? Now that I read a review that says there are ten dollar pitchers of Yuengling, you KNOW I'll be back. read more

I've been here on more than a couple of Saturdays. The first time around, a GIGANTIC drunk grabbed my sweater and I punched him in the chest instead of his red, sweaty face because, well, I couldn't reach past the pot belly. The second time, the bouncer/ID-checkin' machine made a snarky comment when I pulled my jacket from underneath his foot: "Nobody says 'excuse me' anymore, they just grab their shit and apologize." Wait...what? I understand that when you were my age you respected your elders while walking five miles (up hill both ways) to the local watering hole, but lighten up. So why three stars? Because at the end of a terribly boring and stress-laden week, all I want is BEAM & CREAM. $6.50 for a pint glass of Jim Beam and Cream Soda. It's sweet and delicious and the surprisingly high alcohol-to-soda ratio will make you leave your favorite ring on the bathroom sink (but then you'll panic a few minutes later and find it waiting for you...if nothing else, Brooklyn Hipsters do have respect for material goods). My love of Cream Soda is equal to my love of crappy bar food, and this place has it in spades. Free Cheese Balls! PB&Js! Bologna and Cheese Sandwiches! Microwaved Popcorn! Sloppy Joes! Goes well with their specials (Sportsman Special: a can of Black Label and a shot of Evan Williams for $4) and other lady-targeting house drinks (Dreamsicle: Stoli Vanilla and Orange Soda, also $6.50). Speaking of girls...though I have never gotten laid as a result of any night that included this bar (probably because I'm too distracted by Mr. Beam and Orville Redenbacher to bother with getting my schwerve on), it's important to not underestimate the number of great-looking guys that come here on the weekend. Rack 'em up! Just not, you know, ON the pool table... read more

Never wanting to go to the same place twice, we headed this way for drink number three. Walking in it felt pretty divey, but we thought we'd grab one anyway. I asked mr. urban woodsman aka bartender if he can make a really good margarita. He kind of looks at me like that wasn't a *cool* thing to say, and says he makes 'em how he makes 'em. Alrighty... whatever that means, i'll have one and my friend a beer. Shortly after we're chatting with some people at the bar, harmless banter, and the bartender yells over at me, hey margarita!!?? Like that's my name. Uhh... wow. Walking over I think to say something smart, but I just the soft power response... Those cards are a pain to run aren't they, slows things down I bet?! Yeah, he grumbles. Guess we're the type of bartender that likes to be grumpy. Whatevs... Fun time for the few moments we were there, but he ruined the vibe so we left without finishing our drinks. They weren't that good anyway. read more

Here are my thoughts on the Levee... Decent beer selection... Good! Cheap pitchers... Great! Buck Hunter... Yes! Good Jukebox... Key! Pool table... Bonus! Boardgames... Yay! Umlimited free cheeseballs and blowpops... Woot! And yes there is your typical hipster crowd, but I find them extremely entertaining to watch so I'll be back to play here again for sure. read more