JJ Bubbles

One of the tiniest bars in Bay Ridge – and one of the oddest – is actually… well, if not one of the best, at least its a darn good epitome of the style of bar that it is. And that is, the prototypical «old man’s bar». You’ve heard of these; and many places are erroneously labeled as such. But JJ Bubbles is actually one of them. Bonafide. Genuine article.
For instance, there’s a prominent dart-​throwing area. It is the centerpiece of the space. Even more so than the rest of darts-​preoccupied Bay Ridge, the ‘regulars’ in here are obsessed with darts. The bar itself: there’s only two taps. Bud and Bud Light. Obviously there’s bottles too – plenty – but yeah when a bar only has two draughts… draw your own conclusions.
Next: as you rove your eyes around the rest of the joint, it strikes you that this bar owns a collection of bric-​à-​brac large and crazy enough to rival any nearby antique store. Every conceivable spot has something wacky dangling from it. Everything is frayed, worn, cracked, peeled. Old brass fittings (hooks, handles, knobs, railings) that have been buffed so often they will never have a shine again. Now, we men like this kind of thing. You know how we are. Non-​fussy. ‘Knocked-​about’ doesn’t faze us.
Still…this is just not a place to find females. I can’t imagine any woman feeling comfortable even setting foot in here. It’s just not dainty enough for them. It looks like it only gets a sweeping or dusting, once-​per-​month. Now, while I’m sure that’s not true (the place IS well run) it does sorta resemble a true «man’s den” – slightly musty, with yellowed/​faded paneling and worn-​out furnishings everywhere.
It is a hoot, though. Sailor’s and hunter’s regalia just everywhere (the type of gear women despise). Duck-​decoys. Female nude table lamps. GIlt-​edged mirrors. Stuffed boar’s heads. Juggling clubs. Gargoyles. Collections of mounted European beer trays. Dozens of beer steins and mugs hanging from the ceiling. Starfish, stuffed blowfish. French foreign legion officer cap. Old tubas, cymbals, trumpets. Pictures of Teddy Roosevelt and Marilyn Monroe; faded prints of can-​can girls or 1700s landscapes.
But there’s plenty of positives, too.
~First, its one of the few bars where the TVs are not *directly over* the bar itself. What a relief! They are in the corners, where you can view them ‘if you wish’.
~There’s a flip CD jukebox which is surprisingly great And what’s more, the bartender is okay blasting it at *full volume* even past midnight. Clapton, Zep, Stones, Dead, Kinks, Who, Allman Bros, Skynyrd, Black Sabbath; Patsy Cline, Sinatra, Dino, & a wide array of Motown & du-​wop. Could hardly ask for better.
~Bathrooms are surprisingly clean and fun. Old-​school accouterments.
~Cash only transactions. Yes, I consider this a ‘positive’. (Keep your daddy’s plastic for Century21).
~Occasionally a few 20smtngs do party here, and they behave themselves a bit better than what you find in the fist-​pumping Pourhouse across the street.
~They have Evan Williams bourbon here; $ 7 shot comes with can of PBR.
Bottom line: it is a sweet little laid-​back, cozy kooky nook. Can’t deny its unique – even if lazy– charm. You can come in wearing your grungiest clothes and no one will bother you (or even look twice). A very comfortable, warm, quietude in this place. Not a romance bar at all. Very unassuming and unconcerned with the world outside. Just a snug little hobbit-​hole for regular joes to crawl into and pull the door in behind them. A place to escape from the daily beat-​down that we all get from New York. I like it. I endorse it.

JJ Bubbles was established in 1978 by JJ himself. This an very popular bar with the neighborhood locals and now the 20’s crowd. Drinks, draft beer, imported and domestic beers, and wines are all reasonably priced. You can take a friend or a date there and enjoy the
comradeship/​folksiness for a Jackson or two. The décor will fill your eyes with glee for endless
hours. Two HDTV’s usually have your favorite sports team playing and snacks are plentiful. No food per se and Bubbles loves cash but ATM’s are close by. Darts are the game and many teams from Bubbles were the champs over the many years under the same family ownership.
The staff is ageless, friendly and as versatile as the Bay Ridge neighborhood. The main
ingredient in it’s success is it’s homeyness. At 79^th St & 3^rd Ave, your commute is easy so come
on down to Bubbles.