Pete’s Candy Store

We had seen this place on multiple blogs about the place to be in Brooklyn for New Year’s Eve. We didn’t want to go to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. We got there around 9 and found a table in the back (looked like an old train car). The cocktails were good and reasonably priced for New York. They put on a fun show with local musicians. Fantastic. Best time ever. Fun atmosphere. Young crowd. We sang and drank all night.

Went to Pete’s for the first time on New Year’s Eve. It’s an old candy store that’s been converted into a bar. Great vibe, drinks were well made, and the place was crowded enough to be interesting but not to the point where it was claustrophobic. Really excellent spot.

We came here because we heard Pete’s trivia night was good, and the whole experience was mediocre. The quiz itself: not well organized, not well presented, and not very fun. Nearly every question was a you-know-it-or-you-don’t, involving no thinking or reasoning. Over half the points were about SNL cast members or murderers. Plus, the space was not conducive — the front was noisy with people at the bar, and the back room was ridiculously cramped. It was hard to hear. Bleh. I have no idea how this one ends up on lists of the best trivia nights in the city.
The food was not very good and took a long time to come, and the drinks were just ok. Offerings of both were extremely limited. They couldn’t make a mojito.
I suppose if you live nearby and want to drink beer and eat a not-​actually-​grilled grilled cheese sandwich, it will do the trick. For everyone else, there’s no reason to go.

Located in Brooklyn this slick small suburban bar has some local beers on tap and an interesting cocktail menu. By interesting I mean I only recognised one or two of the ingredients in each of the cocktails on the menu.
I had the one with ginger beer in it, I think it was called category six or something like that. Thanks to a Unilocal check in offer at the time I went I also got a well shot and the Whisky wasn’t too bad either.
The bar is lined with seats and tables along the wall giving space to walk through to the back room where they sometimes have live music playing
The staff were very friendly and helpful with talking about the cocktails and beers on tap to make the choice easier
Nice relaxed vibe going on

Nice size front room. Narrow back room where the band was set up. Excellent cocktails… I had the flying nun and it was SUPER! The place got crowded but not uncomfortable. Low key … Dimly lit and awesome!

I actually really like this place. I’ve been here a few times with my boyfriend, since it’s in a good area and an area I hang out in a lot. They’ve got great prices and a good drink selection. The bartenders are always super nice and friendly. It’s got this cute little music space in the back where I have seen a couple of shows. A great place to take a date or have a mellow night out for sure. It’s nice to have a place where you can randomly check out some good local music, and there’s not many places to do that in this cozy setting. Stop in if you are in the area for sure. The vibe and atmosphere is great and it’s an overall good time whenever you are hanging out there.

A surprise place, for the working man.
If you don’t mind to go outside your comfort zone, don’t mind windy Brooklyn, Pete’s is saturated in low lights, acoustic sounds and cheap beer. They have couches and darts. Some nights there’s live music.
Waits at the bar; are three chaps deep. They needed an extra bar back. Revel in the borough’s rowdy, rawness.
Girls here were pretty and shy. Good convos, not like Midtown snobsters.
I’ll be back.

Great bar. Love the space in the back for music, and overall seems pretty relaxed and unpretentious.

Attended an event here last night and was really pleased with the experience. There is ample seating in the bar area and lots of tables, too. The beer selection is pretty decent, and the food menu looked good (definitely want to get a meatball sandwich next time I’m there!). The bartenders were very friendly.
The star of the show was definitely the performance venue towards the back, which was narrow but modeled after a train car. There were about twenty seats but more people crowded in. The stage was small but surrounded by beautiful lights. A very intimate performance experience. I’d definitely come back for another event!

This is a really cool spot for the area. There are basically three sections. When you first walk in you have your regular bar area. If you can get a spot that’s great and it’s an easy way to enjoy your night and watch all the Williamsburg regulars that show up. Just beyond the first room is the music area. They do well in keeping the noise separate. There was a concert going on but we weren’t interested. Down a hall running along the music section leads you to the outside patio area. This is very nice and a good place to go and relax.

Good for: live music surprises, cheap/​awesome beer & shot prices, outdoor section, cool bar.
Pete’s is simply the best, better than all the rest. My friends and I stumbled upon Pete’s when we couldn’t get into an UMO show at the Warsaw. Haven’t looked back since. Bands come and play in a room that looks like a train car. The outdoor space, which is a quiet Brooklyn backyard, is really sweet and treelined and christmas light smattered. One time, we left the Lower East Side just to hit Pete’s. That’s how serious things have gotten.

Neat dive bar with cheap bear, a back room for performances and an even more back back outdoor area for… being outdoors. The sandwiches look pretty good too.

There are so many things happening all at once at Pete’s Candy Store. Once you go in, there is the bar/​sit-​down section. Tried the Kimchi and Buffalo Chicken sandwiches and they were both pretty good, and that’s coming from someone who hates kimchi. Who would’ve thought it goes well with peanut butter?
Then there’s the small and intimate music venue section where a crowd of about 20 people can watch random weird musical acts.
And then there’s the pretty outside garden in the back.
Super relaxed and laid-​back place without the snobbery of other Williamsburg venues. I’m into it.

There are some places you choose not to return to, for fear of never again finding the magic that so captivated you the first time. Pete’s Candy Store is one of those places. I doubt I’ll go back, solely for this reason.
Small and insignificant from the outside, you’d never know that there is a virtual time capsule hidden deep within Pete’s belly. At first glance it is just a bar that is silly and boisterous like any other. If you manage to make it past all that you’ll be treated with a tiny tunnel of a performance room. Dimly lit, with industrial accents that are visibly remnants of another time, you wonder how on earth this place has remained unknown to you until now. You make your way toward a row of seats on the side and tuck yourself in, doing your best to disappear. At the front is a raised platform that is set ablaze with antique stage lights. This is where the magic happens.
On schedule for the night is Tanbark, a lovely trio from Minneapolis who is ethereal and down to earth at the same time. Chloe, the lead singer, has one of the most unique voices I’ve ever heard. «Bridge» is by far my favorite, and I’m still on the hunt for a downloadable version. It’s not the kind of music I seek on my own, but I’m so glad I found it at Pete.
Come aboard. This is the last train to nowhere. Only your thoughts will travel, to the good times of yesteryear.

I’m a big fan of Pete’s. Their trivia nights on Wednesday are super fun — I came here solo and the guys leading the trivia were very friendly — in addition to the other patrons. I got the mozzarella sammie — honestly, nothing to brag about. Pretty lackluster and didn’t have a lot of «umfh» to it. But besides the food, everything else is great! The live music area is also great; very intimate and the sound isn’t a bunch of jarbles.

Out in Brooklyn for the night and my partner in crime didn’t like any of my cocktail bar suggestions in the area. Instead, a beer garden was presented. I squinted my eyes, clenched my chin and dismissed that option with a wave of my hand. Pffft. I thought to myself. «This girl is getting her ginger beer on tonight. I want a a Moscow mule, dammit!» Where can a girl with an itch to scratch get it without the cocktail bar vibe? Ah! Pete’s candy store was the compromise.
Inside was a bit dark, dated (see: hip in williamsburg) and not too crowded, until the soccer players from the nearby park rolled in. Service was friendly and they had a few cocktails etched on the chalk board. I was hesitant at first, but It worked out to be a decent venue as we met up with friends and subsequently wandered into the back garden. It was a nice, bright space sans the smell of piss and cigarettes (okay, perhaps my expectations were not high). Had it been less crowded I would have loved to setup a tabletop or card game at one of the tables and hung around. Surely we’d make new friends after a couple of rounds of cards against humanity…
Their Moscow Mule game was lacking. One drink too sour, one barely boozy. No copper mug. Too much rushing. In hindsight — I probably should have taken advantage of the free shot w/​yelp check in.
The music section/​venue was neat as it was a smaller room off to the side packed with groovin’ warm bodies. I liked how the band was in a separate room than the main bar area and the back patio. Sort of like «a choose your own adventure» type bar.

I thought this was «Pizza Candy Store.» Not only was I wrong about the pizza, but there is clearly no candy here. So bring your own candy. Bring your own pizza too. Why not.
So no candy or pizza, but a friendly community vibe welcomes you in. People that dont know each other are talking and smiling and sitting close to each other. We’re not in manhattan anymore, and this is appreciated.
Bring your kids. Bring your wife. Bring your grandpa. Wear a cowboy hat. Shave your kid’s mohawk here.
There’s live music. Super cozy. Free shot with a check-​in.
EDIT: I guess I was drunk when I wrote this, but this place was fun. Went midday Saturday for an acoustic show and it was a good time.

What an extraordinary excellent place to go to. I had always wanted to visit this place but since it is a «Bar» I was a bit hesitant because I am not much of a drinker. One day I called and they told me they have live music everyday from 4PM to 12PM. The first time I went, I couldn’t get a space inside the music room, it was packed, I had to be by the little hallway, the music was soft and pleasant, however I left too soon, too many people, it was a weekend. Then, I decided to give it another shot on a Monday after work. I went with my dirty work clothes to a bar… lol
So for that night, I was able to see 3 live music artists, Matty, Jamie Drake and someone else.
Matty was really, really great, his songs were sooooo fcking touching, it brought tears to my face. Good thing the lighting was dark and people couldn’t notice that.
The Jamie Drake was fantastic, my God ! her voice is lovely, the best of the best for that night and moment, she really took me somewhere and gave me some healing in some magical musical way. She is also in a play in the city. I just love the way she changes her voice naturally with different tunes.
So that was an amazing live music free show, can’t get any better than that for what I believe is the best Brooklyn spot right now. What else can make this Bar any better?, … well, the crowd is mature, not too many 20’s patrons there. People are there to enjoy the show and not all over you at all. As a female alone in a bar, I really felt comfortable and enjoyed a great time alone.
The bar space is a bit small, so you can expect a few people bumping into you frequently.

Nice little venue to see and listen to live music. They have a good format that keeps it interesting.
There’s a small menu of panini style sandwiches, a full bar and a very friendly staff.
The music set is in a pretty tight space with good acoustics. They pass a bucket to tip the musicians. A good time and its not going to break your budget.

I didn’t order anything from the bar so my review is based on the event hosted at this bar.
First — it’s not a candy store. why is it called a candy store?
Second — there seems to be a space for guitars to meet up here and audition?
Third — they have a backyard and groups meet here too! This is like a hidden meet up joint.
I came for the vegan bbq on Sunday evening and the green machine burger was off the roof. How do I describe this? This is the BEST burger I’ve ever had. It’s so moist, flavorful and you can taste the grill. It’s perfect. Pesto sauce yum.