Day 225—Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
McAleer's Pub (Originally headed to Amsterdam Ale House)
Okay it’s Sunday, so that means I’m off for a nice Sunday dinner in a bar. And I didn’t even have to pick the bar where I’m eating. I got a donation and a nice message from Ryan Borho who’s not only another ex-Peorain living in New York City, he’s both the son and nephew of two old friends of mine, Dane (his dad) and Jim (his uncle) Borho. I’ve drank many beers with Dane and Jim (and their brother Scott), so now it’s time to tip a few brews with a member of the next generation of Borhos!
Here we are at the Amsterdam Ale House on the Upper West Side.
It's jam-packed in here and no seats at the bar, looks like we're going to have to improvise. I decided to wait outside for Ryan.
And here he is, Ryan Borho. He's got that mischevious Borho look to him alright!
We walked a few blocks up and found McAleer's Pub, a place I used to go to when I lived on the Upper West Side.
This looks more like it. I haven't been in this joint for over a decade, but it hasn't changed one bit. It's a well-known watering hole on the Upper West Side.
And Nas the friendly bartender quickly supplies us with beer.
And here we are, two rubes from Peoria who found their way to the Big Apple.
Ryan settles in at the bar as I make my rounds to take photos.
The first thing I notice is the tin ceiling, always the mark of a prime location.
As you can see, there's a large selection of draft beers available.
Here's a shot from the other end of the long wooden bar.
The bottles behind the bar are nicely lit, I always like that.
There's nice vintage photos hanging on the wall.
Here's a nice shot of the Flatiron Building located close to where I live. It's one of my favorite buildings.
There's tables and chairs for full-service dining opposite the bar.
Every month there's a selected beer special. This month you can get a Boddington's draft for three bucks, not a bad deal!
Here's a view of Amsterdam Avenue from the front of the bar. A summer rain shower is pouring down outside.
And Michael, who's just arrived at the bar was caught up in it. Here he's holding his well-deserved beer after braving the rain to get here.
Alright, the condiments are out, that can mean only one thing...Sunday dinner's on the way!
I got the sliders and fries...
And Ryan got the house cheeseburger plate.
And now in a Goofus and Gallant moment, Ryan poses with his burger in a most-Gallant-like way.
I, in a moment of pure Goofus-dum, shove the burger in my mouth as the picture is clicked. Delicious!
A great night was had with Ryan and I thank him for joining me on the crawl. Great to know that a Borho is here in town and you'll be seeing him here again before this is all over. On the cab ride home I experimented with some flash-less photos. Zing...
Zang...
Zoom! Goodnight, everybody!
Review
McAleer’s Pub has been a fixture on the Upper West Side since 1953 when cousin’s John and Frank McAleer opened the place up. It’s the oldest family-owned and operated pub on the Upper West Side. It’s mainly populated by regulars, although the bartenders and staff treat everyone with a friendly attitude. In 1994, the NY Post named McAleers one of the top ten places to meet someone according to a poll they took. The bar is wooden and spacious and tables line a brick wall opposite with full service from a waitstaff.
McAller’s has a full bar and a good selection of 16 ounce drafts and bottled beers including: Yuengling Lager, Sam Adams, Hoegarden and Boddington’s. Iced buckets of bottled beer are available for 21 dollars. Every month there’s a discounted beer of the month to sample. And there’s daily shot and beer specials at the bar and if you order two pitchers of beer you get a free double order of wings.
In addition to the wings, the menu also includes: a half dozen varieties of burgers, a decent selection of soups, salads and sandwiches and entrees such as, Bangers ‘n Mash, Salisbury Steak, Chicken Parmigiana and Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese. One of the meal specials is the Monster Burger Platter which is a 16 ounce burger served on a toasted Kaiser roll with sauteed onions, three cheeses, bacon, lettuce, tomato, then topped with diced jalapenos and a homemade spicy mayo topping. It’s served with a generous helping of french fries for $20. If you clean the plate you get a free McAleer’s Pub T-shirt. Order the extra-large, because that’s all you’ll fit into after all that food.
McAleer's Pub
425 Amsterdam Ave. (Near 80th St.)
212-362-7867