Duke’s

Hey Ave C! Yeah you. Come over here a second. I want to thank you right quick. You remember me right? I lived between you and Ave. D for two years, I was the guy with a perpetual smile on his face because he knew he lived somewhere special. And two years later, while I’ve been pushed out across the East River I still think about you. I do, I swear. And whenever I have visiting friends and they even mention the East Village, well, I take them past all the bullshit, through the park (where I point out where my dog humped with reckless abandon), and end up comfortably numb in your warm embrace. I’ve always loved how honest you were with yourself, and while things are looking a little less divy of late, you’re still one of my favorite stretches of land on this island. So thank you for being you.
As for my review of Duke’s, just substitute Duke’s for Ave. C in most circumstances in above review and you’ll get the point.
A few words of advice though. This is a cop bar at times being as though it is literally across the street from the precinct, so don’t be a dick. Also if you’re into pool and plan on playing just write your name on the chalkboard and wait while the regulars run shop. And smile, friendly people get friendly interactions.

I’d like to give thanks today for Duke’s, which is everything I want in a Saturday night bar. While almost every other joint I would normally hit up [during the week] is jam-​packed with clowns, at Duke’s I don’t despise the fact that I am out on the weekend.
It’s busy, but I’ve got plenty of room to shoot pool, play a little Buck Hunter, and actually carry on an audible conversation with my friends. And you know it’s a neighborhood joint when they just store all their beer in plain sight. Seriously, there are just cases of beer stacked up all over the bar. I like that. Shows trust.
Cash money only, yo. (Their words, not mine.)

Duke’s is a great dive bar located on Avenue C. the bartenders are very friendly and nice. This also has an outdoor garden and it is highly recommended. The crowd is real and mostly local or friends with locals. There is a pool table and a few video games as well.
if you are nearby, stop here and have a cheap drink. I would count this among my favorite dive bars in the east village

Awesome no pretensions bar.
Kind of reminds me of being home in Virginia because it’s so relaxed.
Unmarked so I never knew the name until I looked it up on Unilocal!
Just look for a blue door bearing the numbers 129.

Great dive bar.
Perfect change of pace from the rest of Manhattan

This place is great — we ended up here late one night. It is what it is — nothing fancy, but they have suepr inexpensive drinks and are just down from Summit so that was a nice change after having been somewhere pricier.
I was actually with a group of people who included some from overseas and one had a questionable form of ID. They got all in a huff because they wouldn’t serve him, but it made me like the place more. She looked at him directly and calmly yet firmly said she didn’t care other places served him, she wasn’t putting herself on the line for him. This place has charm.

Duke’s is just your average, hole in the wall dive bar in the East Village. There are no thrills and nothing special about this place. They have PBR’s for $ 3 a can. One of the televisions was showing some black and white movie while the others were showing sports. There are a few really worn out, ugly looking couches. They also have an outdoor «beer garden» in the back, but for some reason they don’t open it until midnight, according to the sign. The bartender was friendly and quick with getting a drink, but I only give this place two stars because there was simply no theme and just didn’t do anything for me. Their jukebox was broken (it looked as if it has been broken for long time with tape all over it) and they streamed in some soft rock/​mellow music via satellite radio instead. This bar would probably be a good place to just sit down and drown your sorrows away without being bothered by anyone. Otherwise, there are far better choices for dive bars in the East Village. Duke’s simply isn’t worth the hike from the subway in my opinion. It ain’t a bad place, but not really fun either.

This bar was our safety bar for over a year before that retarded/​bitchy bar woman denied us service and downright insulted us for no justifiable reason. Way to lose over half a dozen paying regulars, lady.

Duke’s is the kind of place you order in because you can’t think of anywhere else. It’s dependable comfort food, and you always know what you’re going to get.

Safari buck hunter, pool table, and cheap pbr’s…hmm — i’m noticing a trend of my review’s.

I am intrigued by this bar. Yes, it dirty especially the bathrooms. But its got character especially the patrons. Some grungy and some decent or a mix of both. Great subjects in someone’s next novel. The patio is somehow cute with it’s gutter and barrel tables. Yes, some of the boys here aren’t bad looking. The bartender with a long curly beard was real sweet.

A really perfect neighborhood bar, a pool table with friendly players and an unassuming bartender with a precocious beer selection who makes strong cocktails which taste exactly right, rail or not.
The music is neither implausibly hip nor boringly rote and played at a volume where conversation isn’t hard — even on a Friday night. It’s just the right combination of drinks, atmosphere and friendly people.
Apparently there was a minor issue with zombies but it’s been addressed.

Disclaimer: this review is biased. I love Dukes, even though its a dark dive – or at least would like to be – it has a good heart. There’s no trailer trash chic, just a good neighborhood joint, with the world’s best bartenders, a cozy backyard and functioning pool table.
I will defend Duke’s to the day I die. Word.

Nice low-​key neighborhood bar. They have $ 3 PBR all the time, but I got an Octoberfest for $ 5. I guess that’s considered cheap even on Avenue C these days.

im completely veteoing duanes review of dukes as a redneck bar unless it has changed dramatically in the last couple years. ESTAS LOCO DUANE? when i lived kitty corner from this place and basically was here, hmm, every single day, it was almost all dominicans and puerto ricans, but lower east side/​east village 2^nd and 3^rd generations. we were students and blue collar workers and it was the least pretentious bar, even as euro trash bars opened just down the street and the coffee shop on the corner i so loved became an australian restaurant/​bar (WTF?). dukes, even though it wasnt called that when i first went, will always be the first thing i think of when i think of nyc.
te extrano

Duke’s is a very unique redneck bar. Something I wasn’t expecting in NYC. I guess there is a little bit of everything there. I was able to watch a game while I ate in one of the booths which is cool. The only downside is that they happened to be out of what i wanted originally, so I had to make another choice. I would definitely go back when I am in the city again.

Duke’s is a cool place to go to during the week. I’d say, especially these days, avoid the weekends.
Once upon a time when I lived around the corner it was my old stand-​by. I haven’t been in Duke’s in awhile. Maybe because Duke’s is best described as a neighborhood bar. I don’t live around the corner anymore and I have bars just around the corner from me that are about the same.
Drinks are cheapish. Laid back place to hang with your friends, not a scene. And there is pool, darts (I like throwing the darts and seeing where they land… watch out people) or nudie photo hunt to keep you occupied.

Duke’s is everything you could want in a dive bar.
an unmarked door.
on ave c
pool table, darts, buck hunt, nude photo hunt.
a bartender with huge tits
and pbr on tap.
the crowd is what you want, its local and the added bonus of the cops across the street.
its a standby when your in the area and you just want to chill with your friends and have a beer in a relaxed down and dirty atmosphere

I’m surprised this place hasn’t been reviewed before… maybe because there isn’t too much to say about it? On the C, or «Duke’s Bar» as its patrons refer to it, is a pretty cool dive bar in East Village: pool table and video games, friendly neighborhood crowd, friendly bartender, relatively cheap drinks (though not dirt cheap). Nothing too fancy, but not too grimy either (and the bathroom was surprisingly clean). I’m not too sure why my friends and I ended up there, but it’s not a bad place to hang out for a while and chat with your friends over a couple of beers.