Recently went back here! The drinks are still cheap, there is no limit when you use your credit/debit cards, and the tacos were still amazing but man oh man maybe I wasn't as drunk as the first time I went here but this place is literally crawling with horny men. I got the meat market vibes the first time but this time I really saw it lmao So if you wanna hook up at the end of the night, especially if you're a girl then Union Pool is the place for you :p If you want to chill I say still come here, drink cheap beer, dance awkwardly to the weird music mixes, and have a good time! read more

very hipster kind of place.. love the outside and the taco truck thats inside the outside of the bar is an excellent idea especially when the tacos are soooo good the dance floor area is also pretty cool.. i would of given more star but it gets so dark musty and crowded that you prefer to be outside but during the winter what will happen.. regardless i had a good time when i went there but probably wont be back read more

Union Pool, I love you already. Huge space (but it gets PACKED), dance floor, great back patio, and a taco truck for all your drunk hunger pangs. (We got tacos and queso and then went back to the bar for more drinks, it was a pleasant stop.) I also really love how many bathrooms they have, so the wait time is pretty minimal. (The tiny sinks were surprisingly adorable.) Also, getting a drink at the bar didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. The bartenders here really hustle. I had a really good time here and will def be coming back. read more

3 stars because a ton of people love this place, which is relevant cause its insanely packed all the time. Shouldering through a crowd of hipsters is not my idea of a good time but my roommate dragged me here, thats what i get for hanging out with a 24 year old. Anyways, i'm sure this place is fun, just not for moi. read more

Saw Akron/Family here the other night and thought this was a really cool joint. Fire pit, taco truck and concert, OH MY, of course it gets crowded! I didn't think the concert venue was too crowded b/c it's not often when you do see a non-crowded show anywhere. The tacos are to die for. Drinks are a bit pricey if you aren't drinking the PBR. Overall a really cool space I definitely want to come back to. read more

Pretty cool place to hang out. Went on a crisp Friday night. Perfect night for a bonfire. Interesting people good tacos. A little disappointed by the price/size of the tacos, but they tasted great. Will definitely find myself there again some time soon. read more

Decent after brunch drink. Wasn't bad, quiet but it's a Sunday afternoon after all...

I like coming here for an early evening drink to chat with friends, but when the clock hits 10, this place sucks. Overly crowded with people and it becomes a shouting match between you and friends. I seriously couldn't hear my friend standing less than 12 inches from me. read more

My first reaction is "They have a website? How Brooklyn can they really be?" but then I remembered this bar had a taco truck inside the venue and jameson/PBR combos for like $6 a pop. My kind of party. Apparently they have live music to which is just another positive point. There's a small indoor area but it's the giant outdoor terrace that's the best part of this place. Grab a picnic table and a taco and get to drinking. Definitely need to hit this up in the daytime too. read more

maybe it's just cuz i was expecting crowded sceney dingy fighting for drinks. but beautiful outdoor wood patio and tables pretty full bar at reasonable prices pretty okay tacos (shrimp are definitely good) but i went on a sunday afternoon. i guess it gets crazy other days? read more

Great shows in an intimate space, decent beer and a taco truck in the backyard. Did I mention the taco truck?

this is maybe one of my favorite bars in all of brooklyn. a hefty claim you may say, but let me tell you why. awesome music, lots of 1950s-60s dance parties and doo-wop, indie dance, old school hip-hop. dark lights. attractive funky people. good vibes. the outside area with the fire pit is SWEET, and the taco truck is a fun little gimmick. i also love the venue space here (or dance party area when no band is playing). through random unassuming doors, you go into a very dramatic, dark and sexy stage/floor space. all kinds of music for cheap, from rockabilly to indie crap. fun fun fun. the bathroom line can get long, but it's ok. the people are friendly, lots of eye candy, cheap beer, awesome tunes and general dark sexyness make this bar a go-to staple. also, my friend tells me this is the spot to go find a hook-up after 2am. read more

Awesome deck area complete with outdoor bar, fire pits, and a taco truck. 2 for $5 Bud heavys kept our entourage double-fisting. Great for beard sightings, hello urban woodsmen! read more

Quite simply, this is just a clutch spot if you're bar crawling through Billyburg. Yeah it gets crowded as shit, welcome to NYC, and yeah the hipsters stink, welcome to B'burg; now get over it or get out. The bar area is a weird combination of a dive/sit down, then off to the back and right in a separate room is the dance floor and then you have a nice outdoor space where the greatest taco truck in Brooklyn is parked! To be 100% honest, this is what keeps me coming back. Just like E. Vil' in the city has Pomm Frites, well B'burg has El Diablo! read more

I spent several hours at this bar where I met up with some out of town friends. The bartender was a friendly guy and was really hustling. I enjoyed the outside patio area. They had some good beers on tap. The DJ was playing a really eclectic mix of music inside. Like many reviewers, my favorite part definitely the El Diablo taco truck. I got two chicken tacos. Very authentic tasting (I am from San Diego and know my Mexican food). Draft beer price was $7 which is pretty average for New York area. If I was not meeting my friends there I don't know if this was a place I would spend that much time. Not really my crowd. Overall, a good experience. read more

came here last night and it was pretty crowded, but I could still move comfortably. I love the outdoor space & the el diablo taco truck is AMAZING. like seriously, I've never had a better chicken quesadilla in my life! the drinks are reasonably priced & there are hipster hotties everywhere. count me IN! read more

I have been to this bar a couple times but this was the first time I saw a show at the venue part. The venue itself was quite nice, the stage was made to look like it was encased in a vintage picture frame. The sound was good and there is a long bar on the right hand side of the main room. The left side of the room held some portraits a-la the era of Marie Antoinette. I would definitely come back for another show. Once you leave the venue you must navigate through the chaos that can be Union Pool on a Saturday night which is usually a lot of younger people, smoke, and of course the taco truck. read more

I came here last summer and didn't spend a lot of time here. The courtyard out back is pretty sick though, except when it's jam-packed with people making it uncomfortable to just stand. I'll definitely have to come back and try again though. read more

echoing the statements of others, this place gets pretty freakin packed on weekends and the garden, while a nice alternative, is really freakin packed. and filled with smoke. i'm not so sure about the out of control hipster factor but my perspective may be skewed as i call my home hell-ay. only thing else i have to add is that the dj working when i was there put together a pretty good mix of electro, hip-hop, classic and indie rock.' definitely worth revisiting. read more

This place is a bit overrated-- I found myself sitting around and kind of bored here. Its a great concept-- an old pool turned into a bar-- but I felt like everyone who was there was .... just there. $2 beer was a plus, and candles go for a nice ambiance. A cool place to check out and have a beer or two, but don't make it your destination for the evening. read more

Good bar, but in the summer it gets uber crowded, which can either be a good or bad thing, depending on what you're looking for. The outdoor patio is great, though -- tons of space and even some seating room. If you're new to the area, it's a good place to meet new people. read more

This place is entertaining if you enjoy looking at young people and drinking beer. The deck area was nice but ultimately the whole experience is lifeless and lacks character. read more

oh, union pool...you're starting to grow on me. you're still a meat market, and the bartenders don't put enough liquor in my gin sprites...but during the week, you aren't a horrible place to be. guess UP is a grower and not a shower. read more

Great outside area with a fire! Cool venue room with an old timey stage, boring front bar area with photo booth. Cheap beer. Tons of "attractive" people being "awesome" but it's an overall good time every time i've been there. read more

I'm a fan of Union Pool. HUGE backyard! and tons of people there on a Friday night. We were all feeling the music, and got to dance without creepy dudes bumpin and grindin yo ass. Maybe becuase the place emits a more hipster vibe. I had a lot of fun though.. It was a good stop at the end of the night. I shall return. read more

Crowded and kind of pretentious, but nonetheless, I've only ever had fun nights at Union Pool! Ridiculously cheap drinks - $2.50 PBRs - and a taco truck out back. I can't not like a place that has a fire pit. read more

This place is great... first coming in you think its a regular oridinary bar but walk further and you have a backyard area with a TACO TRUCK , then to the right theres another entrance into a mini stage/ theater where live bands perform and they have a old fashion PHOTO BOOTh that was great read more

I loved this place. Granted by the time I got here it was the end of the night, we were drunk, and the people watching was incredible. I could end every night here. read more

Big. Huge. Gargantuan, if you rock the classics. Diner meets Tiki bar meets food truck meets rock venue. And let's not forget the luscious... well, if not luscious, at least spacious (and those Christmas lights!) outdoor garden. With a taco truck in it. Perfect to combat the late night munchies which inevitably creep in after one too many a drink. I guess one could argue that Union Pool is essentially an overgrown dive bar crammed full of hipsters - and they wouldn't be too far off the mark (hello? this is Williamsburg) - but this place is so big and varied, which is a really vauable asset in NYC, that you can just bounce around like a crazed ping-pong ball until you find the right niche. Yeah, it has a live music venue too, and no, it's not in the same place as the garden and the indoor bar/ diner: it's actually yet another space. As I said, huge. read more

I rock that Taco truck like my first girl after prom! Two dance floors one inside the main bar area as you enter and a 2nd towards the backyard. It's a "HIP" place so thats the crowd. Just a pit stop for me. I like tacos and I two step so screw the dancing. Close to the L and the G (ghost) trains. read more

Union Pool blew my mind. Hip hop room. Dance room. Outdoor area with a fucking TACO TRUCK! Tecate's!

This place had really fun vibes. They have a heated outdoor atrium where they serve hot alcoholic drinks and a very reasonable price! I had the hot buttered rum drink and it was pretty tasty. Interesting mix of customers of all ages and backgrounds. I definitely want to come back! read more

Zeitgeist of the east coast. Big bar, big patio, even a small place for bands to play. Good dj music (rockabilly, rock-n-roll, even some old country). Great place to end the night if yer in Brooklyn. read more

union pool. sigh. it really is going to be a herculean task reviewing every restaurant or bar i have an opinion about. i should have gone 2.0 way earlier, i guess... union pool. i got kicked out of here on halloween. i was dressed as indiana jones and it was the end of the night. more on that in a later review of waikiki wally's. they have a photo machine and bathrooms that have seen some sights, I am sure. and 2 PBRs for 5$. ahhh, union pool. read more

Great outdoor area....a rarity in cramped NY. But why no car bombs, guys?

Been twice, once at peak hours on one of the last warm (ish) Sat. nights of summer and once last Sat. in the middle of the afternoon (ahem). Loved it! Especially being from Portland, I felt right at home. So yes, quite hipster, but not in an annoying way (if you can believe that). No, somehow, it manages to walk that line and lean on the side of awesome--maybe it's the 2 PBRs for $5, or the BEST bloody mary of my entire life EVER, or maybe just that everyone was really really friendly, even in a crazy crush of people! Thumbs up! read more

I'd honestly give this place the five stars.... as much as the bartenders lack bartending skills, this place makes up for it in atmosphere. Huge back patio, amazing vibe and (when I was most recently there), a Louisiana funk and soul band that knocked my socks off. Is there plenty of room?- yes. Are there cheap drinks?- yes. Is there a smoking patio?- yes..... I'm sold! read more

Great place to go with a big group as it is basically 3 separate bars, with 3 separate vibes in one, so there's really something for everyone. The first room you walk into has a standard bar vibe with some tables along one side and area to dance in the middle although not many people were dancing the night we came. This room seems to serve primarily as the thoroughfare to the most interesting part of the bar, an outdoor area with a taco truck. This is a big area with a [cash only] bar. It has a deck with a bunch of long picnic tables so plenty of area to sit. Between the drinks, number of people and heatlamps it still felt pretty warm despite being ~40 degrees outside. The third room has a stage, and is set up as a small concert venue -- the night we went there was a pretty cool folky funk band playing. The only downside of the bar were some of the drinks, had a hot whiskey drink that I wasn't that impressed with, but that's to be expected. This is more of a place where you want to go with a group, grab some cheap beers and a few tacos and potentially take in some local live music. read more

Frequent the taco truck in the courtyard at the back and chill on the wooden benches or firepit rim. Dance to live music in the back room, and check out the photo booth. read more

This place is pretty cool. Hipster central, but hey I can't talk. Pretty crowded on weekends but the patio is a nice refuge from the inside. The few times I've been the Dj's have been pretty good as well and if I have enough drinks I'll even dance! They have some good deals on beer but sometimes as a man you can get overlooked while waiting to order. There is a taco truck outside along with a fire pit that is pretty rad. Also the photo booth is awesome. Long lines for the bathrooms at some times.... Overall its a great time, I always stop in when I am in Brooklyn. read more