Shoolbred’s

Oh man the buffalo wings in these spot is frecking awesome, not to mention they got a pretty good selection of beers and wine to choose from. Atmosphere was calm and chill and the bartenders were pretty cool. Soon be back for some wings.

This place has been a solid happy hour standby for the past few years; in that span of time, nothing has really changed… and it doesn’t have to. The simple and effective «buy one get one free» drink token system works like a charm and makes for one of the more reliable happy hour systems in the city.
If you buy a drink (think well or draft) between 4 – 8 pm, you’ll get a token which is good for another drink of similar value. Good thing with this system is that you can transfer your token to someone else who has the good fortune of knowing the generous version of you… or (in theory) you could stockpile tokens so that you can drink for free for an extended period of time (tip not included).
The bites here are pretty tasty as well. Lamb tacos are quite the (pleasantly) surprising bite, and my friends have sang the praises of the burger (on English Muffin) and chips. I’ve got a couple tokens around in my room somewhere, seems good enough reason to come back to this place sooner rather than later.

Initially I was thinking Shoolbred’s ‘might’ be lame. Came here the other week hesitantly for a friend’s ‘I’m in Nursing School and never get the chance to drink anymore outing, so let’s drink!’ He picked the spot and it was pretty cramped inside due to happy hour that doesn’t end until 8pm. A wonderful thing I might add in the city. The weirdest part when I arrived was that I came in and the bouncer just stared at me but said nothing, made no gesture, no indication of anything. I honestly wasn’t sure he was a bouncer because he was dressed like any other dude in the bar. I kept walking back towards where my friends were and he apparently followed me. He still said absolutely nothing but just stood behind me and creeped me the hella out until my friend indicated «I think he wants to see your id». Why not say that? Why act stalkerish and creepy? That’s not your job. Only bad thing I have to say about this establishment and how packed it gets.
The ambiance is very gothic Scottish roasting in front of a roaring fire in my castle kind of setting. Something I like quite a bit. I looked at the menu and wasn’t crazy about anything in particular on tap. Most of the beers sound pretty over-​priced — $ 8 – 10. Although, the happy hour situation is a 2 for 1 deal on well liquor and anything on tap. Okay, I’ll be spending $ 4 – 5 per drink which is like any other happy hour in the city. I ordered a Prosecco wine on tap, which is something different. They filled that goblet full like I was King Henry VIII. Slurp. A friend later bought me a drink and then I had gotten a Delirium Tremens (which is a steal). The only steal you may get out of this place is buying an inferior drink and then switching it up with a beer that is worth normally $ 8 – 10. So in the end I felt like I definitely got my happy hours money worth. Though, the couple making out and slobbering on top of each other in front of the roaring fire kind of soured and put a damper on my whole King Henry vibe going on.

I went here on a few first dates and I found it’s a great place to meet someone for the first or second time. It has a decent happy hour so you (or your date) do not have to invest too much cash if either of you aren’t feeling it. Also, I like the selection and always have dealt with very nice bartenders.

Cozy narrow with a fireplace, if you find a seat here, you’re golden. It’s a tavern with a relaxed atmosphere, where you can converse.

You came once and oh… you’ll definitely come more! Happy hour is great and atmosphere is warm and cozy. It has a FIREPLACE which is perfect for cold weather

Very quaint and casual place to hang out with friends and have drinks! They have seasonal cocktail selections and daily happy hour among other things. Seating is limited and it can get crowded pretty quick, but there are some couches by the fireplace that are perfect for snow days.

Great fireplace, but when I was there they left the door open and it was freezing everywhere but directly in front of the fireplace! Otherwise an awesome place with great décor, decent prices, good beer selection, and an awesome location.

Absolutely loved this place! Walking around the east village on vacation with my husband, stopped in because I love a cozy, dark bar. This place did not disappoint! Beautiful fire place area, stained glass, candles, I loved the entire vibe. The bar tender was very nice and she talked beers with us, making sure we knew about the buy 1 get 1 special. I could have stayed for hours… I think I found a new favorite nyc bar!

pretty good Happy Hour, and you can take your little wooden token with you and use it next time!
really cute décor, it reminds me of my parent’s basement back in the 80’s — dark and woody and a little fireplace… very cozy.
we sat at the bar, and all around us, people were on first dates. weird. but cute.

5 stars for the aforementioned positive about this place, but minus 1 star for cost, not during happy hour; therefore,…after several great visits, this place is a solid 4 star East Village bar.

3.5 stars. I’m giving it the extra .5 because as past reviewers have noted, the décor/​ambiance here really make the place. There’s nothing particularly exceptional about this bar, so I’ll keep it short… ish.
Came here at around 11 on a Friday night while waiting for a table at Booker and Dax. First surprise: it was NOT busy. I suppose being located 2^nd ave. and 12^th st. makes Shoolbred’s «off the beaten path» as far as East Village bars go, but it’s a stretch to call it «removed». All relative. Anyway, it was quite nice to find a seat immediately in this cozy little den.
Like I said, this place really nails it on the ambiance front. It’s kind of a hybrid between ski lodge and old white man’s study back in the day. Common denominators there: a fireplace and comfy arm chairs. I mean, I can only really speak to the ski lodge comment, but it just seems like a place where some established aristocrat comes to smoke a cigar and ponder his wealth. BUT: I don’t want to mislead you. This place is anything but pretentious. It’s just homey in the best way possible — especially on a chilly fall/​winter night. So seating-​wise you’ve got a basic bar setup up front, some seats lining the wall, and of course, the coveted arm chair spots.
I think I’d probably bump this up to a full 4 stars if I had gone for happy hour, but overall I wasn’t particularly impressed with the drinks. They’ve got an okay beer list, I suppose, but it’s nothing remarkable. I just got a gin and tonic ($ 9), which was fine. A-​OK, as Unilocal would say.
Come here if:
–You want a fairly chill date spot that’s intimate without being romantic. I mean, if you really think about why we love warm, dark and cozy environments, it’s because they mimic the womb. So if you take that one all the way you could say it sets up the baby-​making mood. Otherwise, just go with my first sentence and ignore the unnecessary analysis.
–You want to catch up with a couple friends. Unlike a lot of EV bars, you can actually here yourselves TALK in here, which is often an underrated factor when going out in NYC (we’ve just become used to having screaming matches as conversations a lot of the time)
–You’re simply looking for a laid back environment after frequenting some of the rowdier spots in the area

Laid back bar with a sofa and fireplace area. Kind of dark and dreary but friendly bartender and great happy hour, 2−4−1 beers.
Check it out.

came here w/​girlfriends on a weeknight and sat outside– great outdoor seating for drinking and people watching along second ave! I wish we hadnt missed that 2 for 1 drink special that ends at 8pm. will definitely be back to do that!
the fireplace inside looks cozy for a winter night as well :)

From the outside, this place is unassuming. Other than a big, red neon sign bearing its name, there’s very little about the exterior that gives clues about the kind of place behind the front door and dark windows. I’d passed it many times to and from work, and never really gave it a second thought.
After wandering around for a while on a Thursday night looking for a place to get drinks, a friend and I saw some people coming out of Shoolbred’s and decided to give this place a try. The interior is much more interesting; stained glass, antique light fixtures, and old photos made me feel like I’d stepped back in time, but the crowd is pretty young. They have a decent selection of beer and liquor, and the bartenders are attentive, so we didn’t have to wait long for drinks. Mixed drinks are decent, but a little weak. Note, though, that this place is pretty small and seating is limited. Also, the music is WEIRD, to say the very least. For a place that attracts 20– and 30-​somethings, it makes me wonder who made the executive decision at Shoolbred’s to play 70’s-80’s love songs, creating a middle school dance vibe. But, hey, if there ever were a place to be experimental, LES is it!

A coworker of mine suggested I visit here for the day after hitting up the VegFest a few weeks ago. SO happy he did because it was pretty awesome!
I can only speak of the atmosphere, the service, and the drink specials. Well, as everyone else has already mentioned — 2 for 1 drinks at happy hour! EVERYDAY. Happy hour. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Yerp and until 8pm. I think that is pretty awesome considering it is in NYC and you’re already spending a ton of money on everything else. I met some friends there who enjoyed their lunch meals, but I can’t say much on it.
Not much seating, it is a very small bar. One cozy booth hidden in the back, bar seats, couches around the fire, and the few tables against the wall. It’s a hipster atmosphere with low lighting and fireplace. I enjoyed it and I would definitely visit it again for a drink with friends.

If I’m going to base my review for Shoolbred’s off the bar itself and the fact they only have one bartender during their (very) busy Happy Hour, then they would receive 3 stars. However, since they have such a great Happy Hour deal, I will instead give them 4 stars.
Shoolbred’s starts out with a very narrow bar area that extends to the back and eventually opens up a bit more. In the back there are a few tables with waiter service. I managed to squeeze into a spot up front with some friends at 4:30 on a Saturday which was somehow still ridiculously crowded. Their cocktail list is impressive and includes such drinks as a Hot Toddy and Mulled Cider. Their beer list is so-​so but with their happy hour, it’s worth taking advantage of. All well drinks and beers are buy one get one free until 8PM. That’s a pretty sweet deal, especially in Manhattan. Once you get your first drink, you are given a token to use toward your following.
Overall, I understand the crowd but a part of me still doesn’t see the whole point. Yes, it’s BoGo and that’s great, but the bar itself is just okay. I appreciate the hooks for purses and coats, especially during the cold winter months. But the one bartender managing how many people is a little crazy. The bartender also didn’t speak or seem hyped up to be working such a crowded place but okay. I would come here again for another round of buy one get one.

I came late on a Friday night. The bouncer was friendly, which was a good start.
Inside was so crowded and cramped, I barely had any space to stand. There were some seats but none for us. Everyone in the bar seemed to be friends for some reason, maybe it was a high school reunion? Well, I left.

came here based on reviews. was not impressed. In a good pub I feel enveloped into the din and it is easy to stay. But not this place. It wasn’t enveloping. it feels fake. its for college kids. As soon as my friend arrived we were planning our departure. I gave my free drink token away.
They do have a fireplace. on that alone it could be awesome. but I find more real warmth at real dive bars without fireplaces than at faux-​dives with fireplaces.

+ Cozy bar
+ Fresh squeezed grapefruit for the greyhound
+ Bottles of alcoholic ginger beer
+ Wonton chips at the bar