Milano’s Bar

It’s a good bar, but last time I was there some dude was watching porn on a kindle fire. For like a half hour. And then he went into the back room, so I think he worked there…

I was walking around Houston and found this dive bar. At first my friend was very skeptical of the bar but I convinced her to go in. I love dive bars and I have been slowly touring dive bars in area, this has been one of the best I have been to.
First of all, I was there on a Tuesday around 4 and there were about 5 people at the bar. Surprisingly there was a sax player and bass player playing jazz. The bar is a dive bar. The crowd looked like locals, friendly, but had seen better days.
We ordered gin n tonics and they were strong. I asked the bartender about it and she said that she makes them the way she’d want them made. Amen. They have specials and a pretty good beer selections.
Great bar, not sure I would go on a date there but would definitely go there to have a few drinks.

No, it’s perfect. Been there many times and never disappointed. *This* is (or was) New York.

Walking around Friday night, bored out of my mind. I passed by the only place that looked like it would shelter my type of people and the prices I would be willing to pay to quench my thirst. Right on both accounts. I was greeted at the door by a friendly dog as I squeezed by the narrowest of spaces and found the lone chair next to a woman sending dirty texts to her lover. The place is so intimate that you must get to know your neighbors. As a space opened up, who should be there but a dear friend who cautioned me not to mention his warebaouts online as his wife might find out. Next a beautiful young woman sat next to me and we chatted about our travels. The entire night was totally unplanned and as great as only something so spontaneous could be.

Dimly lit with an awesome selection of beers and spirits. This is what I wanted in a dive bar. The bartender talked to everyone like they were a regular making me feel at home. Get there when it’s quiet because it’s pretty small.

Wow! Cool dive bar atmosphere! Great music, beer selection. Great service by the bad ass super bar maid!

It’s amazing how one person can ruin a good thing. Worst, most horrendously rude bartender I’ve ever encountered. Myself and all my friends were completely floored. I think she thought she was funny… she’s not.
Otherwise, this would be a cool old dive… very NY.

As a Californian who now lives in boston I have forgotten that beer shot combos can be an amazing thing.
So the lady and I see this awesome place and walk in. Order two gansetts and the bartender asks if we want the shot combo. Yes.
And here we are.

Bartender, instead of whining, if you want better tips try not sitting down chatting at the far corner and check on your customers once in awhile.

This place has a classic and quintessential Lower East side feel. I went in there once and some people had the jukebox going and were wasted, selecting cool and obscure songs. They even let me pick a few songs and were friendly. Then there was like a little fashion show runway type thing going on with some hot chicks also… they were joking around but I was into it. Only downside is it’s really small. If you’re looking for fun and authenticity, check out Milano’s bar.

Stumbled into this narrow piece of history recently — just moved to the les and looking for places to go! Well. The bartender… I still can’t remember her name but her hair was blonde and black… Made me the best fucking sangria I’ve ever had! And it was like, $ 6! I’ll definitely be back.

Fabulous dive bar with super friendly bartenders, cheap drinks, a filthy and barely private bathroom, jukebox that we loaded up with early bowie and nin… everything you want in a dive bar. I ordered three double jack and cokes; when the bartender made the third I think she figured I meant business because it was basically a big glass of Jack Daniels. I’m amazed I found my apartment that night, and there are fairly large chunks of the evening in my memory that are lost to antiquity. I think the doubles were like $ 10. Exactly what you want in a neighborhood dive bar.

Yeaaaa milanos. Degenerates welcome. Great dive on Houston. Grab a beer and get weird with strangers

Stumbled in here on my way to back to the Hotel Rivington for a shot and a bathroom break.
Plan on making this a regular stop in NY.

Had a pretty good time at this low key and relaxed bar (at least at the time we were there at around 5 on a weekday). Not a ton of draft options but a decent selection. Definitely more interesting than just a generic Miller/​Bud/​Coors collection. They have a good amount of seasonal beers on tap and in bottles as well. I had a stout which was perfect for the slightly chilly weather and pretty good. The bartender also told us she could make «kick ass drinks» but we stuck to the beer. She was nice but not too talkative and provided some good recommendations. It is definitely not a very memorable bar but the prices are fantastic, especially for the area, and it is a good place if you are looking for a chill spot. I would probably come back here if I am around in the area.

After roaming thru Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo, who doesn’t need a drink? This was the closest dive bar I found near SoHo (it’s on Houston Street, close enough?).
Milano is a über dive — ol’ school cash register, great juke box, lovely bartender with a stiff pour named Michelle, it’s heaven. There is nothing to hate about this place, except for this English tourist couple at the end of the bar flaunting about their lavish shopping spree. #Douchy
If I lived anywhere near SoHo, this joint would be my absolute go to. Picture The Graduate in Oakland without the sriracha popcorn, in a darker setting — out comes your Milano Bar.
Tip: $ 20 min credit card charge.

I never know how to rate dive bars on Unilocal.This is no one’s idea of a classy, nice or romantic spot for a drink, but I’m giving it four stars because Milano’s is a decent dive bar. It’s old, shows it age and is not terribly comfortable – the narrow space barely fits the bar and a row of stools. The service was good and the prices were cheap. If you sit at the bar and squint at the ancient cash register and the 50-​year-​old horse racing photos behind the bar, you might even be able to imagine you’ve stepped back in time – except for the classic rock music being played.

I came in here alone after catching up with a friend who works at a nearby start-​up in Soho (haha, surprise, surprise) and needed a place where I could kill about 2 – 3 hours as I waited for some other friends to meet me for happy hour catch-​up drinkie poos. I wasn’t looking for a pretentious bar, just something that wasn’t going to break the bank and who’s booze selection would satisfy my palate.
I left here with 3 new friends and yes, one of them was the bartender who was one of the sweetest female bartenders I’ve ever met and I’m absolutely kicking myself for not being able to recall her name (my gut says it began with a «J», but MAN, I cannot remember for the life of me!).
Milano’s is a dark and gritty divey bar that manages to make you feel as if NYC hasn’t completely lost its 90s character. After having sat there alone, made friendsies with the 2 gruff men next to me, not at all having been hit on or disrespected and watching the female bartender attend to everyone efficiently and without pretense, flirting or any sort of sugarcoating I felt that this was going to become my home away from home now that this was also my new work neighborhood.
This place is also way cooler than anything that my old work neighborhood of Colombus Circle/Hell’s Kitchen has to offer if you’re just looking for a place to throw a few back and call it a day. She even charged my iPhone at the bar which was awesome because my battery was so low that I couldn’t even power my phone on… #FirstWorldProblems
If I remember correctly (cuz yanno — oy!), the happy hour here really just meant $ 1 off all beers and well drinks. While this may not be the world’s best happy hour, the prices here are so low — especially given their location, I mean SOHO pffffffft — that happy hour prices aren’t even really required here.
For about $ 6 I ordered a tall boy of PBR and it came with a house whiskey shot — and NO the house whiskey was actually NOT bad. Not bad at all folks. For $ 6 I was totally put in my happy place :). The guy next to me also sprung to order Chinese food and even paid for my steamed pork dumplings order — which also happened to be the BEST STEAMED PORK DUMPLINGS I’VE EVER HAD FROM A FAST-​FOOD CHINESE PLACE. For serious. Thin wrappers much? Delicious flavorful pork? Yep.
MAN, I wish I knew the name of the place we ordered from! Lol. Oy. Come to think of it, there is a lot of I don’t remember from this afternoon — which means that Milano’s clearly did their job well. 5 stars for keeping it real, providing patrons with menus to order food and for having actual friendly regulars at the bar counter, I LOVE THAT. I’m sure I’ll definitely be back here and SOON! :D

Despite the divey nature (autocorrect tried to replace with dicey and that is not far off) of this bar, they make a mean dark ‘n’ stormy and the scene is incredible. Really great people watching. And drinks are cheaper than at the fancier bars in the same zip code. This is your everyday bar.
We’ve gotta support the remaining dive bars in this area, lest they go the way of Mars Bar… RIP

There’s no mistaking Milano’s for anything but a dive. Ripped chairs, mismatched light fixtures, photos plastered all over — mercifully, their bathroom’s decent.
The bar’s chock-​full of personality and punch, as is its owner and bartenders. Hell, even the motley crew of patrons I chatted with were all kind of awesome[1]. Whether or not you’re not the most intelligent conversationalist, you’ll probably be jamming to their jukebox[2]. Don’t be afraid to make friends; it’s close quarters here.
Knock back a shot, a bomb, or beers without breaking the bank. They take credit cards[3], and an ATM’s in the back.
[1] Your mileage will vary, obviously. Shout out to the tall Brit!
[2] If only they had room for a live band.
[3] There may be a credit card minimum. If so, I have no idea what it is.