Howl At the Moon

I always have a great time at Howl at the Moon. It is the perfect place to have a few drinks and sing along to some great songs. They have talented people performing as well as strongish drinks so it’s definitely a good time. They are always having raffles for parties that have great drink specials. They are really easy to plan parties with as well.

My fiends and I celebrated Cinco De Mayo here this year. We loved the live music and the nacho station they had set up was an added perk. Even with the drink specials for the night, prices seemed a little steep. It may have just been that they upped the prices because it was Cinco De Mayo but I found that sharing the margarita bucket ended up being a pretty good deal for everyone.
All in all, definitely going back on a regular night (not an event) to see what prices are like.

I’ll admit, when I first got invited to a happy hour that a friend had won here, I was more than a little skeptical. I’d heard vague grumblings about the place before from a handful of friends about it joining the ranks of bro-​tastic spots like Buffalo Wild Wings within the heart of Times Square, and it definitely didn’t sound like winning a happy hour was a particularly exclusive feat. There had to be some catch, right?
Wrong. Turns out I had one of the most fun Friday nights in recent memory at HATM. First of all, the happy hour (no matter how liberally offered) is a sweet deal. No cover, $ 3 drinks, and a free buffet of impressively non-​sketchy bites. On our night, it was fried rice, orange chicken, and spring rolls accompanied by unlimited fortune cookies, but I hear it rotates nightly.
Also, the musicians are crazy talented– especially when enjoyed from a slight distance of the dance floor frenzy. This place seems poised to become the slightly hipper Ellen’s Stardust when it comes to discovering excellent talent just shy of Broadway. They bounced between «The Thong Song,» «Bye Bye Bye,» «Tubthumping,» and «Shut Up and Dance» with tremendous alacrity — not to mention swapping instruments mid-​set. And not once did the band take a break in the 2+ hours I was there.
I know I’ll be anxious to spend another Friday night at HATM in the near future, and will be crossing my fingers I get one of those «congrats you won a happy hour» emails myself!

Being one of my regular bars, it really pains me to watch the quality at Howl at the Moon drop. Since the first time I was here, I have always relied on this place to always have decent and sometimes spectacular live music. In my most recent visit, I came on a Saturday night, a bit after 12am, and experienced one of the biggest off nights I’ve ever had at Howl. I would have understood the band quality if it was a random weekday but on Saturday night, you have to have your best performing band out.
There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with the venue itself, the drinks are still fairly priced and the crowd was pretty varied. I do remember the balcony being closed however, which had the best view of the entire dance floor, and one of my favorite spots to sit in the bar.
Hopefully, the band was just having an off night. I’m looking forward to having this place reclaiming my go to spot for live music.

I came here for a birthday party over the weekend. The music was great! There was a rotating group of musicians who seemed to be having a great time playing songs and taking requests. Seems they were cleaning up with tips, too, so I’m sure that was part of why they were having so much fun. The birthday party got us a happy hour drink menu that was half price. Pretty limited, but $ 4 drinks in Midtown on a Friday night? Sign me up. It wasn’t too crowded, and there was the upstair section that was pretty empty. Plenty of room for dancing.

I’m starting to think that I’m not special. Not just because my mother would wake me up each morning by saying, «You are not special. You’re not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else.”*
But also because I had a friend win a happy hour here, and it seems like we weren’t alone.
Whatever, though. It doesn’t matter how Howl At The Moon got us through the doors, because once we came in, it was a good time. Not because of the happy hour benefits (no cover, ½ priced drinks, free buffet food), but because of the performance.
Having lived in New Orleans for a few years, I’m no stranger to piano bars. Believe me when I tell you that the musicians they have here are stunningly talented, and are well worth the trip to Times Square. They aren’t just awesome on the piano and the mic; the dude that ran around on top of tables flawlessly rapping Eminem ALSO got on the guitar, the drums, the sax… these people know how to entertain.
So get over there, hang out under a giant disco ball, have a few drinks, and rock out. The food is just A-​OK (we had mac salad, onion rings, and the fried shrimp that one of us accidentally threw at a neighboring table), but the entertainment is top notch.
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*My mom looks a lot like Tyler Durden, too.

Excellent service. Food menu is very limited though.
The live band was awesome. So entertaining. Do you guys know everyone in the band can do almost everything. One moment someone is playing piano, next they are singing, or playing drums, or saxophone or a guitar solo. Mind blown!!!
And the crowd is very good. All office people after work on a Friday night jut chilling. 0 tourists!
Definitely coming again.

My night here was one of the most enjoyable I’ve had in NYC in a while. The band is so impressive because they’re incredibly talented musicians who switch instruments. They can play pretty much everything from the B-​52s to Disney to Kanye and literally everything in between.
I came for a party but missed the window for me to get free entrance, so we were charged $ 5 cover. I believe it gets to as much as $ 10. Drinks were pricey. I got the world’s smallest and weakest vodka soda for $ 10 and a good sized cider for $ 8.
There’s a smaller second floor with seating and you can see the band pretty well still. A good size dance floor on the main floor. The bar was big and I never had trouble getting my drinks quickly from the bartenders. The staff was otherwise very friendly also! Highly recommend.

I had so much fun here.
The live music, drinks, and atmosphere are all amazing. Everyone that comes here is looking to have a good time, and it’s very carefree. The downstairs level is where everyone dances, and the top level is like a balcony which is great to just sit, relax, and watch everything that is going on downstairs. There was also two bachelorette parties while we were here and numerous other groups of people.
Drinks are a bit expensive after 10, but before then we got ours for half off. I’m not sure if it was because we were with a party or if that’s just the norm. A waitress also frequently comes around with shots. So pace yourself.
A definite great spot for a night out.

Had the best time dancing to the live band take 90s requests on Friday. very gifted musicians.
Will be coming back!

I’ve been to Howl at the Moon in Philly last year and really enjoyed my experience there. I’m all about live music– all the performers were so talented! Real impressive and such a change of pace from the sea of clubs, bars, and lounges we’re so used to going to.
Once I heard they were opening up A HATM in NYC, I knew I wanted to learn more. I browsed the website and signed up for a free Happy Hour Party. Lo and behold, I won one not long after!
**Shoutout to April for helping me book my Thursday Happy Hour a few weeks ago! She was great. So helpful and responsive. Answered all my random questions and even followed up with reminders close to the date. Thanks girl!**
I strategically chose to book the night before Good Friday since my office was closed for the holiday and I knew my other city-​based friends would show for a drink closer to the weekend. Happy hour included free admission, free buffet and half off drinks? OKAY HOWL! I didn’t have much buffet food, but I did appreciate jalapeño poppers making a guest appearance at the last hour! Needless to say, we had a great time! They played some Top 40, some old 90’s throwbacks (#TBT), etc. I hope someone wins another happy hour so I have an excuse to make it back sooner than later!

Although there are plenty of bars and lounges around midtown to choose from, Howl at the Moon is the place to go if you’re a fan of hanging out with friends over drinks while enjoying awesome live music. My friend and I visited with no expectations, but were both blown away by the energy and talent of the live band. In particular, we both fell in love with Debbie, who killed it with her flawless voice + performances on the piano AND the drum set. According to our server, every one who performs here plays at least 3 – 4 instruments. Their musical talent really showed as they effortlessly transitioned from songs like Stairway to Heaven to Baby Got Back. They also do song requests and seem really receptive to the crowd’s feedback, so I’d imagine the atmosphere to vary depending on the customers that night.
In general, this spot seems great for private parties or casual meet-​ups. The ground floor where the stage is at is spacious and perfect for larger groups. There’s also an upper balcony area with a private bar that overlooks the stage, which would probably be more suitable for more private, intimate events. Bartenders and servers were awesome. All in all, a great visit.

Really wanted to dislike this place. On the face of it there are all the elements of things I should hate. It’s in Time’s Square, they’re playing music of varying quality, there’s some cheesiness to the concept, etc…
Nope, loved it. Loved every single thing about it. Went here for a Unilocal event and we literally shut this thing down. Didn’t wanna leave…
If I had to sum it up, if you love music (and I know you do), and you love drinking (hey, who doesn’t), then this is the place for you. We’re going again with a group next week. And we don’t really even do repeats for the most part.
It was that much fun…

I’m not sure if Howl at the Moon is considered a dueling piano bar or just a live ensemble of Rock Band performers.
Came in to chill out (and let my Halal Guys digest) and walked into a ruckus of music anthems. I wouldn’t typically go to an establishment like this but I was opened minded about it. There was no cover that night (mid week) and only the bottom floor was filled with people. There’s a segment of the population that will love this place. I was there mid week and it seemed to be a tourist place where everyone was either singing, dancing at their table, or drinking from a large community drink.
Advice — If you’re just tagging along, howl at the moon can be a good experience if you indulge yourself in a cocktail. or two.or three.

I like it! I was NOT sure what to expect and for me that’s never fun, I like knowing exactly what I’m doing or where I am going. This place was just great.
It’s a live music venue, where the super talented band plays hit songs… they don’t just cover one band or one genre… they play everything! We heard a little Beyonce, a few 90’s classics… they Whipped and Nay Nay’ed…I even requested a song (which you can do and isn’t frowned upon here… super cool because you literally can’t do that anywhere anymore). I wanted to see if I could throw them off and chose «I Like Big Butts.» They killed it, it was so good, I almost died.
The drinks are reasonably priced. The venue is large. The bartenders are so sweet and nice. Bathrooms are super clean and the staff overall was just awesome.
The only problem I have is that I wish it were in another location in the city! It’s near Times Square so there’s a lot of foot traffic, but what can you do… I’ll tell ya, trek across the city and go. It’s a fun time!!!

I looooveeeeeee this placeeeeeee. How did I not know about this place earlier? Think I may have to reserve this venue for my birthday next year… ;)
AMAZING live music played by insanely talented people!!! These performers play more than one instrument, so throughout the show, you’ll see them switch places and start playing something else… insane. There are two large grand pianos, a drum set, and some guitars/​basses hanging on the walls. The performers also have so much energy and personality, they really like to interact with the guest too :) They take requests!!!
While I was there, I was on the second floor where there’s a lot of seating by the balcony (it’s like a ring with a gigantic hole in the middle that overlooks the stage); looking downstairs, I saw that most of the tables were actually reserved, cutely taped off with yellow caution tape. Everyone definitely looked like they were having a good time, several of them celebrating their birthdays. Performers also take note of that and make special dedications!
Can’t wait to come back to enjoy the live show!!!

«And now, here’s Wonderwall.»
That was basically the most fitting quote for my experience at Howl at the Moon. It’s a fairly new «dueling» piano bar in Hell’s Kitchen. Has your typical song request system, where you put in your song requests with an unspecified amount of money, depending on how badly you want your song to be played. The selection ended up being mostly top 40, with the smattering of 90’s rock and pop hits. White people eat that s*** up.
Came here for a friend’s birthday party, and managed to get inside without having to pay a cover. Also, it was half-​off drinks from 8−10pm, which was pretty impressive. Beer selection was good and well drinks were only about $ 4.50. Definitely a good start to the night. The place had a very Midwestern vibe to it, mostly because of the number of country songs requested, the mostly down-​dressed Caucasian crowd, and the number of woo-​girls celebrating their birthdays or bachelorette parties. You can also decide to observe the mayhem on the second floor level, which is much more laid-​back.
The live band was very high-​energy, and actually very good singers. I was pretty impressed they were able to belt out the songs they were able to such as Sia’s «Titanium» or The Weeknd’s «Can’t Feel My Face.» Overall, very impressive.
One thing I didn’t much care for was the hip-​hop covers of songs like «Get Low» and others. Just really didn’t capture the essence of the original song, and it just felt wrong. It felt like the time the wheelchair kid on Glee did the cover of «Empire State of Mind» and my nose started bleeding profusely, as if it were a sign from God that a wrong was being perpetrated against the hip-​hop universe. Just saying. Oh, also the coat check was quite disorganized and it took us about 20 minutes to get our coats back, so I’d recommend not checking your coat if you can help it.
In all, the place isn’t really my scene, nor a neighborhood I frequent, although I did have a lot of fun, it’s not ultra-​crowded, and the drinks are cheap if you go at the right time. Highly recommended as a cheap (er) alternative to karaōke, and no limit to how many people you want in your party.

Imagine the most fun wedding you’ve ever been to. Now imagine that fun can be had every night of the week alongside cheap drinks and unlimited onion rings and deep fried shrimp. That’s what you’ll experience at Midtown West’s Howl at the Moon.
I can see where it’d be easy for people to write this off as lame. It’s in Times Square and has plenty of cheese factor. But if you’re able to form your own opinions and aren’t swayed by the same friends who think Tame Impala suck now because they play main stages at summer music festivals, you’ll probably have a blast. The HOTM musicians are all super talented and can play every instrument on stage. If you don’t take yourself too seriously, you may even find yourself dancing (gasp!) when something silly like Chubby Checker’s «The Twist» gets played as an instant request.
Let your hair down, have some fun, and check out Howl at the Moon if you’re sick of the same ol’ hang.

I would tell you to check it out immediately but I’d like to be selfish and keep this hidden gem to myself. So I’m posting this 5 star review? lol
But seriously his place has a great band, they take requests ranging from Grease soundtrack to Eminem and it’s like they know every single song you throw at them. Very enjoyable to listen to them! Lots of room for dancing on the floor if that’s what you’re into! They have a pretty decent drink menu which includes big buckets filled with various liquors that can and should be shared amongst a few friends.
I came here because a friend won a happy hour here. Def a good place to check out with friends! right now it isn’t too crowded (I’m here on a Thursday night) but I’m sure as word gets out at how cool this place is, it will start to get crowded! so get here soon!

So I had Howl At the Moon bookmarked in other cities so I am so glad it is now in NYC. I am certain you won’t find another place like this in NYC, the concept is just so great to me. A very welcoming staff, buckets of alcohol, and an extremely talented live band who plays your song requests. What more can you really ask for? I mean, maybe lower prices but that is to be expected as it is in the Times Square area. I went last night (Friday) and there was free entry (not sure if this is always the case).
The evening was very lively and this is honestly a place where people of all ages can come and enjoy themselves. The drink buckets are $ 38 and I personally recommend the «sex on the moon.» Appetizers are a little on the small side ($ 15 for nachos) but unexpectedly good. All the bartenders were nice and you could tell that they enjoy their jobs. The live band was very entertaining and played various genres of music. They also draw in a lot of crowd interaction and are super talented. My overall verdict is that this is a great addition to the area.