Wednesday, October 27th, 2010—Bar 290
Day 290—Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
169 Bar
Okay, while Googling around, I think I found a real hidden gem that I’m amazed escaped 365 Bar co-pilot, Al. It’s called 169 Bar and is located in Chinatown. From what I’ve read it’s kind of a combination dive bar and somewhat tiki bar and it’s been on the block for decades. Sounds like a winner, let’s go see.
Here it is, the 169 Bar, looks promising, let's check it out.
I love it already and plenty of seats at the bar.
And super-cute Kaley serves up a beer. Kaley just moved here in June from Miami. Miami? Hey, Al, do you know her?
Cheers!
The bar in all its cyan and magenta lit-up glory. A beautiful sight!
There's lots of knick-knacks and trinkets hanging behind the bar.
And here's a few of them, Chinese currency hangs above a skull and next to a bar sign.
They have a nice canned beer selection. Colt 45? Where's Billy Dee Williams when you need him?
Oh, he's right here! It works every time...whatever the fuck that means!
The TV's show vintage movies, here's one with Dino from the '60's.
Steve was the other bartender on duty, here he's posing behind the bar with Kaley.
Some of the draft beers available at the bar.
Festive lights hang from the ceiling and masks hang over some of the foliage in the area opposite the bar.
There's booths in the side room for comfortable seating.
Which is exactly what these three were doing. From left: Mike, Brian and Fiona.
There's a pool table in the back room.
And not just any pool table, a leopard-skin pool table. Too fucking cool!
Here's Crystal and Tiffany who were chilling out in the back room. They work as waitresses nearby at Noah's Ark, stop by and tip them heavily if you can. And now a word to their boss, Ziv. Hey Ziv, give these two women a raise for the love of sweet corn! They couldn't pay their bill and quite frankly it was a little embarrassing watching them wash dishes behind the bar to pay for their drinks. Come on, step up to the plate, Ziv!
Meanwhile, back at the bar...
Steve is pouring shots for the bar.
Cheers from me and the bar!
And history is made as we get the first quadruple flip-off from Kaley and Steve! Goodnight, everybody!
Review
The 169 Bar has been a fixture on this Chinatown block for over 80 years and was formerly nicknamed, “The Bloody Bucket.” Inside the bar is lit up with festive low-lit lights and the space combines the best aspects of a tiki bar meets a dark, dive bar. The bartenders are friendly and the crowd is mainly regulars from the neighborhood and beyond. There’s lots of kitsch and kaboodle on the walls and behind the bar with disco balls hanging over vintage posters of Billy Dee Williams hawking Colt 45. The back room houses a leopard skin pool table with Godzilla art on the walls and a fish tank with a lone fish swimming in it. The music is ‘60’s soul, jazz, pop and Harlem swing. Go-go girls dance in the bar on weekends and DJ’s and live music happen regularly.
169 Bar has a large selection of canned beer including: Pablst, Schlitz, Genesee Cream and Colt 45. Some of the specialty cocktails include: A Hellboy Margarita, Pickle Martini, Frozen Pina Colada and Bourbon Mint Lemonade. Happy hour runs from opeing till 7:30pm with three buck cans of beer and a shot, two buck bottles of Bud and Jameson and Jack shots going for four dollars. Sunday’s they offer three dollar shots and 12 ounce canned beers all night.
They also offer a limited food menu including: Vegetable or pork dumplings, salted shell peanuts and popcorn. The bar is owned by former New Orleans and New York City musician Charles Hanson and it’s apparent that he’s taken a nice slice of New Orleans atmosphere and transplanted it to Chinatown in New York City.
169 Bar
169 E. Broadway (Near Rutgers St.)
646-833-7199
-----------------------------
Bonus Photo: Brooksy Relaxing Down Under With Another Item From The 365 Store!
Aussie follower and commentator David Brooks, a.k.a. Brooksy has sent in another photo of him with another item purchased from the 365 Bar Store, which is maintained by in house artist, “Boris.” Here’s the photo and the caption he sent in. Cheers to you Brooksy!
Got another photo from a party at my place on the weekend, as you can see, all the important elements are featured: Me, 365 Bar Crawl Beer Cozy, Coopers Pale Ale and a beer gut!
6 References
Reader Comments (26)
A truly great bar,,,the one that almost got away (thats why you are the captain),,,and its so perfect. Anytime its tiki meets dark dive you know its really good. Great to see Matt Helm up there instead of a ballgame (for a change). Marty you picked a top ten here. Oh and Kaley, you are cute and with that long middle finger you are even cuter.
WOW! Black Label AND Schlitz! Suhweet. Hey, this place looks great, with all its colored lights and monsters and leopard print pool table and all. Made even better by nice bartenders and friendly patrons. I would love to visit 169 for a vintage flick with some canned beer and popcorn. Just brainstorming here, but Steve and Kaley, would you mind inventing a Raisinets shot beforehand? It would make my night complete.
TO BROOKSY!
Oh Wow double cuteness on finger happy bartenders!
I soooooo want a leopard skin pooltable.
keeping track of the stuff you need to go back and get me Martster?
@Gidget: I have a list and maybe next year I'll do a guy gets 365 items from bars for Gidget!
TO BROOKSY!
Wow, I had no idea that place existed (and I have only a vague idea of where it is, even after looking at the map). I definitely have to check it out. Nice find.
Looks like kitsch heaven in there! And that leopard skin pool table...another Tony Montana Cadillac moment! Any place with a T Rex mounted on the wall is all right by me.
I agree with Al the co-pilot, definitely top ten bar! How could you not have fun in a place like that? And I love the Billy Dee Williams poster! And a quad flip-off! Love it!
P.S. To Brooksy!
@marty, yep, sorry mate but i'm gunna have to kick ya arse & take a couple of Buds off you on that leopard skin pool table....& 2 buck Buds?! you littl' beauty!!!! thats gotta make a bloke happy....
@Brooksy, good onya mate ya got the trifecta 5 days out from Cup day, Beer, Bar Crawl & Beergut!! cant get any more Aussie than that!!! (now i'm gunna have to study the field for the 3x B's & have a punt next tuesday).....cheers Brooksy!
@Clacky, have we got rid of you yet?????? goes without saying but i hope you've packed a jar of vegemite for marty????...when i head back i'm gunna buy it in the tube & pass it off as Kraft's new 30+ sunscreen when i get to the beaches in South Carolina & Miami, should be good for a giggle...
@Gidget, can i be ya doubles partner in the pool comp?????...we'll take out the cash, not a prob'!!!!
169 Bar is a find and a half! What an amazingly cool place and I adore the friendly bartenders and the nice looking patrons. Love the Godzilla that is brilliant! The atmosphere there is so very cool.
Great find Marty!
By the way I am curious what is that tap beer on the end it looks Russian or something.
Would you care for a Dom Perignon 85?
How 'bout some Colt 45!....
What the fuck is Colt 45? I want....more than one. It looks like the type of beer that could give you a nasty hang over.
@365: All systems go! I'm confident that I'm gonna put in a good effort at the bars mate. I'm feeling fit as a...pickle. I've been training hard and I'm what I'd call "Piss Fit"
@Fitzy: Harry Connick Jr would love vegemite sunscreen!! I'm still on home soil mate. Shannon and I are in total holiday mode but she's still got a couple of days of work to get through....I've got band practice and rehearsals today, boozing with mates on Friday, a house warming and play a gig on Sat (we're performing an accapela tribute to The Screaming Jets!)....Fitzy, It's all happening!! We're Staying in Sydney on Sunday night and flying off on Monday morning around 10:30. So I'll have to make a quick post at the hotel before we leave....I'll be in that game of stick on the Leopard skin pool table!!
@Brooksy: It's about time we saw the beer gut....ya legend! Gotta love the Coopers pale ale. It truly
is a nice drop. What's with all the microphones in the background? We're you doing Karaoke or doing some stand up?
@fitzy: The bet is on, mate! Get over here and get ready for an ass-whomping on that table, shitlips!
@Tiki Bar Susie: I was wondering about that beer too, I should've asked!
@Tim Clack: Colt 45 is a nasty rot-gut malt liquor. And it does deal a bad case of a hatchet in the head the next day!
@everyone: Work really fucking sucks tonight! I'm ready for a beer or 10 already!
@Fitzy and Clacky - Melbourne Cup only a few days away, but Derby Day on Saturday is almost as good. Wished I still lived in Melbourne so I could be there, but alas, I'm here in sleepy old Adelaide. Will be having a few punts (bets for you americans), and certainly a few beers over the next week or so.
Good spot with the microphones in the background!! We had a disco party at my place for my daughter Siena's 7th birthday. Nothing like about fifteen 6 and 7 year old girls screaming into microphones for 4 hours!! A few Coopers were needed during and after to get me through the day. If I hear another Kesha or Miley Cyrus song in my life I'll throttle someone!
@ 365, Brooksy, Tim Clack and Fitzy; Well I did it! I've finally given in to the nagging urge to try a genuine Vegemite sandwich that I've been curious about ever since the Men at Work song came out. I've ordered a jar of it on line, I'm gonna make some toast the moment it gets here and smear some Vegemite on it, take a bite and report this culinary experience exclusively on this website. I've read that the taste is considered unique, it's full of vitamin B12 (Marty take note) and it makes a good marinade for beef. I wait with baited breath for my purchase to arrive...used brewers yeast, eh? This is going to be interesting.....
@Jaws - remember, it's an acquired taste. Looking forward to hearing your reaction after you take the lid off and have a sniff.
@Jaws: Send in a picture for sure!
alright...where to fucking start...tim take what 365 said about colt 45 with a grain of salt...colt is a fine brew...okay granted some mornings that horse on the can or 40 feels like it not only kicked yur ass but also yur head—hell maybe that day/night you had your head up yur ass—and granted the ol' lady—read wife—would not allow it in the house...blah blah blah...enough rant off topic bs...yeah i am sipping a colt right now...blame any of my unintelligible post on it...169 gets my vote 'cause of colt...don't know a local gin mill that offers it...damn few liquor stores or markets...off topic again...169 gets my vote 'cause of the colt offering...hey 365 is "jeff" the fish still there?...you did not mention him...Just wundering...nice stop nice "salute"...
brooksy...looking good ...KOC
rr
@Jaws: Better still you could send in an artistic impression of your reaction.
My suggestion is to let your toast cool a little before you add the butter. Don't go crazy on your first time. Less is more for new comers. I've never heard of an American that has enjoyed it but good luck mate. Sometimes if I've had a few too many beers I'll finish the night with a cup of tea and vegemite on toast....great way to prevent a hangover.
@Raginrr: Even though it sounds like a rough drop, I'll still give it a bash. Thanks for the tip off!
I'm gonna handle the vegemite thing 365 style,,,with a series of photos that I'll e - mail to Marty. I'm going to try it on toast, and then I'm going to glaze a beef rib with it and broil it. From some descriptions I've heard regarding the taste of Vegemite, it just might work! I just finalized my purchase on line. There are some rumors that vegemite sales are banned in the U.S. because the Department of Agriculture and/or the FDA has problems with the naturally occurring folate in Vegemite. Well see. So far, so good!
@raginrr: I'm going to contact the Colt people and see if you can replace Billy Dee as the spokesman! There was a fish there, but I don't know if it was Jeff, could've been Wanda for all I know.
@Jaws: What the fuck does "folate" mean? I thought that was a word for a sexual act!
@ 365 It's naturally occuring folic acid high in vitamin B12, it's found in Vegemite and apparently our government has some issues with that. Go figure.
might know 365 would work in a sex angle...hell he has been known to fixate on bare knees...KOC
rr
@raginrr: Ha ha ha! Those were real beauties too!