The Clonard Opens at 506 Grand Street

An Irish pub has arrived on Grand Street! The Clonard Bar opened just a few weeks ago and is already a warm and welcoming neighborhood hangout. Owner, Kieran, is from Ireland himself and a seasoned bar owner and manager who is taking on this new venture after spending some tenured time at another pub in Brooklyn. The new bar, currently decked out in holiday cheer, is already bringing good vibes and a little taste of Ireland to our corner of the city.

A solid draft selection and tasty eats make The Clonard the perfect spot to post up with a beer and burger during the chilly winter nights. As the pub continues to grow, stay tuned for more events, and specials. They’ve already got a great happy hour and weekly trivia night! Make sure to stop by this tavern next time your out on Grand for some food, friends, and fun.

Grab a drink with a "Pour Writer" at Thompson Brooke

Literature + cocktails: Writers take over the bar at Thompson Brooke for “Pour Writer” events

Menu from a previous “Pour Writers” event with Ann Brashares

Banter with your bartender may never be more interesting. In an ongoing series, Thompson Brooke invites prominent authors to take over bartending responsibility for the night. Most recently, Michelle Ruiz Keil took the helm, who’s debut YA novel in May All of us with Wings won her critical praise.

Next up is A Series of Unfortunate Events author Daniel Handler, who writes often under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. Other notable authors such as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author Ann Brashares and author Andrew Ridker of New York Times editor’s choice The Altruist. Each Pour Writer has their own specialty cocktail for the night, Ridker’s was Gin & Generosity and Brashares dished out Manhattans.

Thompson Brooke is a New England style tavern famous for their oysters located at 631 Grand Street. Brooke Costello, who also founded Brooklyn catering company Red Table owns the restaurant and hosts the “Pour Writers” series.

Follow @thompsonbrookerestaurant for updates on the series, and catch Handler behind the bar with delmonico cocktails on Wednesday, October 23rd from 8-10pm.

Landline opens with games, trivia + happy hours

The bar at 790 Grand Street is your newest spot to hang out or compete with your friends

The eastern end of Grand Street near Bushwick Avenue has a new bar joining the neighborhood. Landline opened last week looking to fill in a gap as a place to relax and hang out in a part of the district where only a handful of bars currently live.

The 4th iteration of a popular Brooklyn bar family, Landline comes from the founders of Uncle Barry’s in Park Slope, Watershed in Carroll Gardens, and Moot Bar in Clinton Hill. Landline thus serves as the natural extension of the business into the growing East Williamsburg community.

Their drink menu aims to satisfy all patrons with equal parts beer, wine, and cocktails, and the happy hour until 7pm takes $2 off most choices. The beer list is refined and has critic favorite craft brands like Maine Beer co and Cigar City, and a rotating line of local Interboro brews to come.

If you’re the competitive type, Landline is also the spot for you. A shuffleboard table greets you when you walk in, a dart board claims a place in the back, and the bar hosts original trivia every Wednesday at 9pm. The prize for winning is a hefty $50 off your tab.

Stop by Landline at 790 Grand Street and follow them @landlinebrooklyn. After that, look out for Landline to participate in future Grand Street savings programs + events.

Retro themes line the bar like rotary telephone wallpaper

Carneval opens at 507 Grand Street

The “carnival” themed bar + grill brings bright costumes and Latin food to the neighborhood

The Latin fusion restaurant opened this August

A new colorful and fun bar + grill, Carneval, opened its doors on Grand Street this month and is already shaping to be a neighborhood mainstay. Serving as both an ode to the Latin culture of carnivals and the Latin heritage of the Williamsburg neighborhood, Carnival was opened by Mike Cruz, who grew up in Williamsburg, for the local community on Grand Street.

Carneval states that their goal is to “bring great food, creative drinks, culture, and fun to the vibrant Williamsburg Brooklyn neighborhood” as a way of “showing love, pride and loyalty for the neighborhood that raised us.”

The restaurant combines its themes of Latin carnival culture and its Williamsburg roots seamlessly. It’s decorated thoroughly with masks + costumes hanging on the wall and a mural of a “carnival” taking place on the J train emerging from the Williamsburg bridge that acts as the eatery’s centerpiece.

The food menu shares flavors from various cultures, as it was inspired by Cruz’s own global travels, ranging from tacos to yuca to penne a la vodka. The cocktail menu offers the same variety and color at an affordable price of $10 and a daily drink special. Brunch is also available for a prix fixe cost of $40 with complimentary mimosas and sangria for 90 minutes.

Carneval requires no dress code, but it certainly offers every other theme to either make you nostalgic of Latin carnivals or eager to see one yourself. It’s ode to the Williamsburg community that it calls home is genuine to Cruz’s own local upbringing. Experience what the Infatuation calls a “perfect for a party that ends with you swinging by the next day to pick up your credit card,” or go any time for the great food and atmosphere.

Mural on the back wall connecting the bar + grill with Williamsburg’s Latin heritage

Happy 14th Birthday Bushwick Country Club

The neighborhood watering hole is celebrating on Wednesday, June 19th

The event will have free oysters + barbecue along with a champagne toast.
photo courtesy of DrinkedIn

As many descriptions of Bushwick Country Club note, it’s neither in Bushwick or a country club, but this staple bar has been on Grand Street for 14 years this Wednesday.

You can still celebrate in summer country club fashion however with free oysters, barbecue and mini golf on a 6 hole course in the backyard. The spot has a photo booth and arcade games as well, but beyond the extras the main draw has seemingly always been the sense of home Bushwick Country Club provides the neighborhood. The bar goes extra miles to create a sense of belonging, even creating country club “membership” cards for regulars.

BCC has also made a name for itself over the years, inventing the now well-known “pickleback” shot in 2006. So celebrate everything Bushwick Country Club has brought to the neighborhood over the past 14 years with a champagne toast and a shot with pickle juice for the chaser.