SideBAR

From the outside Side Bar looks like the perfect place to spend a Sunday night and watch the game. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The service was inexcusable. Our waitress, Kaitlyn, was absent minded and non present. Out of being here for 2.5 hours, we’ve seen our waitress for 15 minutes. We were served the wrong food and it took about an hour to get the right order. Unacceptable.
We asked three different people for a manager only to be told that he’s not available to see customers AND that it was OUR fault for choosing to come to a sports bar during the playoffs. Yes. OUR fault.
Ultimately, the service may have come down to poor management, but excuses and outrageously blaming the customer are not the solution. Our problems could have been resolved, but the fact that the manager chose to hide in their office rather than rectify the situation is mind boggling. What happened to the needs of the customer being first? Cannot make it back to this establishment.

I went for the first time with two friends yesterday, we looked up the place online and thought it was cool until the moment we arrived. I presumed it was still happy hour time because it was so crowded and no one was there to tell us where to sit, I had to go to find a waitress so she could accommodate us there. Anyway, everything was going well until our waitress (dont remember the name unfortunately) came to our table and not sure if she was new or what but definitely her service was very lame, she recommended us the Wednesday special because «it is so special» and when we asked her what is special about it and she didn’t know, she said «i dont know, they told me to tell you that». then we found out that the special included a well cocktail or shot of the day, I asked what I could order with a well cocktail and her answer was «i dont know. anything on a cocktail that is well, anything you want but well» i was like. «wtf is she talking about?» then she didn’t know what was the shot of they day either, beer was not cold enough, the drinks were not good, they gave us a bottle of hot sauce which was out-​dated because the taste was horrible and at the end when we asked for separate check she brought it all in one receipt, took hours for her to process our payment and when she came back with our debit cards she gave us some sort of birthday sign up card by saying «amm this is for you. it is for. aam well i dont really know what it is for, but you fill out» i think if you are bringing someone new to to serve at least you should train them or make sure they are doing their job right. I would not go again.

Go to this bar if you like:
— $ 6 bud lights
— watching major sporting events with the sound off because it’s not a «private event», even though the vast majority of the bar is there to watch the event with sound
— being forced to listen to the early 2000s bar mitzvah circuit playlist instead of the game sound
— supporting crappy businesses on primo real estate

This place reminds me of Hooters, just located in Union Square and called SideBar.
The waitresses are young and all wear a blue bodycon. but hey i’m not complaining, my server was nice and pretty.
Ladies, just be warned, there will be multiple tables of thirst guys trying to make conversation.
Besides that, SideBar has pretty good specials, don’t ask me what they are because apparently everything on the menu was wrong. The waitress told me on Wednesday they have all day well drinks for $ 6, and a huge sangria pitcher for $ 60 including food bites.
Ordered a whiskey coke, i’m pretty sure it was just all coke.
But the tater tots!!! So crispy and delicious and only $ 4!
Come here for the tater tots!
You might be confused by the ambiguous menu, «happy hour» deals, pretty girls in tight dresses. But none of those matter. Tater.tots.

Worst food worst service. I asked if they had buffalo chicken tenders the bartender said yes. She brought me chopped Chicken cutlet bartender seemed overwhelmed with 3 people in the entire place.

$ 65.33 for 4 vodka red bulls. And we didn’t even get the can. I’ve been to prestigious cocktail bars where the bartender actually puts in work for a cocktail and spent less and there’s a certain craft about the actual cocktail making. There was no work here. Literally pour and serve. And this place is a sports bar! $ 16.00 a drink. At a SPORTS BAR!!! No thank you. Have a nice day!

Nice bar. The entrance is pretty rustic and the interior is dimly light. It gets very loud on Saturday night but definitely has a «yes I am an adult and I am employeed» feel to the crowd.
No one is super pushy.
Kinda disappointed that the bar didnt have Malbec. The wine they had was OK.
Weird that around 10pm they start taking the stools away from the bar. I mean I really didnt want to stand in heels all night so we left.
It was an OK time for the 1^st stop of the night.

Seriously what a shiesty dump. This place really disappointed me when a female bartender working in Good Friday ³⁄₂₅ around 11pm gave me back the wrong (not enough) change. This is the oldest, shadiest trick in the book. I tried to get her attention, just so she knew I knew she short changed me but she pretended to be busy and it was extremely crowded due to the ‘Cuse game.
Otherwise, sadly, I would like this bar a lot more. They play aforementioned sports games, located near Union Square, serve food and sometimes have a DJ. The also have to get points for outdoor seating, which is my favorite. The location is convenient. So much potential. Don’t steal from customers, though. I won’t be back.

Came here to meet up with some friends for a Friday night happy hour. The happy hour specials seemed great. However, we gave up after not being able to get a drink for 30 minutes, even with the bar tender acknowledging us.

If you are a guy this will be your dream place for brunch and sporting events. Servers are very attractive. Their brunch isn’t the best I have ever had, but for $ 20 and unlimited booze it’s a smokin deal and I will be back. Breakfast burrito with the tots on the side is in my opinion a nice choice.

First time at this bar even though I’ve passed it many times. Was looking for a HH on Thursday m afterwork. Was originally heading to a spot across the street but it was packed so searched for another spot. Side Bar looked promising so we headed over. Place was a bit all over the place and disorganized. We walked in and seated ourselves in the outdoor section. We took menus from another table. We finally we were able to get the attention of a waitress and ordered drinks and spps. Happy hour is until 7. We ordered two big margaritas from the happy hour menu and chicken tenders and fries. The food was fine and came out quickly. Drinks were pretty good. Service was all over the place. I would try this place again.

I drove 4 hours for two of my best friends joint surprise birthday party. When we got there, we were directed to the back room where they reserved a coffee table for 30 people. Yes, a coffee table. The room was completely crowded, hot, and uncomfortable. Cory Sciacca was dishonest in his portrayal of how the event would be reserved for us. It was a miserable experience and we all left to go to the charming bar next door where they were much more accommodating despite us moving locations last minute. I will never be returning to Side bar nor would I recommend going there. 0 stars. 2 thumbs down.

I wish I could leave zero stars because of the poor event planning. We went to the event and were completely dissatisfied. I had
25+ guests coming as I said in my original requests and we were given an individual coffee table after requesting an entire room. We are all professionals in our mid to late 20s and we left sidebar for the bar next door because of the complete lack of honesty and service. We specifically made a reservation to accommodate the large number of people coming and the event planner made this impossible. I would never again recommend sidebar for any event.
Samantha

Side Bar
NY Manhattan Union Square
5pm Thursday 11^th February 2016
Two Stars
It’s probably the lowest common denominator for bars. I was greeted by a homeless man begging for change with a fancy memorized poem. The place had a couple people. The bartender was friendly. I used my whiskey passport to get a mandatory mix drink with Jack or Jamo so I opted for a Jameson and Ginger Ale. They have bar food and flat screen TVs. Its probably a decent dive bar on the weekends?

If there were an option for zero stars I would give it that rating. We came for a New Years celebration which we purchased $ 20 tickets in advance. When we first got there we made the incorrect line for entrance which was brought to our attention when we were at the door. Instead of letting us in, they made us do another line. Between the two lines we were waiting over an hour in the freezing cold. Overall we were treated badly by the bouncers and general manager. At one point a bouncers and general manager verbally abused us. Two of the members in our party had their drivers license thrown at their faces by the bouncer. We ended up not entering because we were so offended. One of our members asked for his money back and they said they could not refund the money because it was through a third party. Lucky for us we found another bar within walking distance with much nicer decorations and staff. I never write anything negative on Unilocal however I felt others should be made aware.

This is def a spot I’ve been brought to a few times when going out with friends. In the nights it gets super duper packed, loud, and rowdy. There’s a small area blocked off outside for the smokers. There’s two bars in the center which are always swarmed with our thirsty party-​goers and the bathrooms are dirty and small. Needless to say, it’s always packed so the ambiance must be right when you’re trying to get drunk tonight! lol

I was here Friday and it was packed. I definitely liked the mix music selection. The crowed was mix. It’s not a big place and it can get very loud in there. But it’s a good spot to grab a drink or 2 before heading to your destination. Enjoy!

I can’t dump on this place since I went in — was almost deafened by the loud conversations — if there was background music I could not hear it — and I left to try it another day, Sunday is one of their busy and LOUD days apparently.
One of the few bars which I have been in which has/​needs a bouncer. The guy was genial, big as an NFL lineman, tasked to check for underage patrons. I will be back for a drink.

If I could give zero stars on Unilocal I would… but unfortunately you cannot. This review is specifically for pre-​planned table reservations for large groups. Side Bar might be a semi-​decent bar to stop in on a random night (highly doubtful though) …but do yourself a favor and go to ANY other bar NYC has to offer over Side Bar.
I had been planning a Sunday table reservation with the Director of Events at Side Bar for exactly 1 month. We had a signed contract in place, pre-​ordered food platters for larger groups and a set reso for 10 people. The group showed up and were placed in a dark corner in the back at a table which only sat only 4 people. The staff then let the group know they were doing them a favor by adding two chairs. so the table now sat 6 people. Math may not be my strong suit, but there are still 4 people left without chairs.
When trying to get in contact with the director of events that day he was no where to be found and could not be reached on email or by phone. The manager and GM at Side Bar we were told were, «too busy to speak with the group» because they had other table reservations they were handling. Because no one would help in person at the restaurant, we tried to call and the staff we spoke with on the phone of course were, EXTREMELY rude. For example telling me, «I do not know if you know this… but this is Side Bar Sunday and we are too busy, the manager can call you next week». How would calling me next week help a situation we were having at that very moment? A girl on the phone also mentioned that I could get her fired for going to talk to the manager about my problem… was a very bizarre thing to hear (maybe time for a new job if you aren’t allowed to speak to your manager?).
It’s extremely disappointing that still no one from the restaurant has gotten back to me… Not to mention this was a groomsmen brunch to celebrate a wedding… Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else in NYC for football Sunday. Side Bar is such a joke.
The group ended up leaving and having a great time at the new Ainsworth in midtown. Would highly recommend that spot.

Horrible service bartender was very rude and prudent demanded tip right away and looked like they didn’t want to be there Atmosphere was ok but the bartenders were not welcoming
Professional critic

Football Sunday here is where it is at but reader beware, SideBAR is not for the faint of heart.
Get ready for your overly packed, young fratty-​with-​a-​hint-​of-​professional crowd with the typical skimpy dressed waitresses in football midrift baring shirts and denim cutoff shorts. They’re all super sweet, lovely people though! Just wish the «uniform» could be less eye-​rollingly predictable.
One of the co-​owners is always around on Football Sunday making sure that the crowd is having a good time as he doles out witticisms and fireball shots. With the games all playing at once on multiple TVs all around you’ll be sure to have a beer or two dropped on you as the bar goes wild during touchdowns and confetti streamers explode around you.
The brass tacks… at SideBAR leave your judgements behind, get drunk and have fun.

Boyfriend: «Oh, look! Side Bar! We used to hang out there all the time a few years back.»
Me: I’m intrigued, let’s go in!
**Boyfriend fails to mention a few years ago to him was 8 – 9 years ago when he was the actual age of the frat bros that hang out there**
This was a decent bar, we sat down for a few beers to catch up, talk, and relax after a date night. I’m 24 years old, so bars where I feel like a grandma because I’m unquestionably older than the other patrons freak me out. Seriously, how old are these patrons that I feel creepy being in this bar? Definitely a lot of college kids hanging out here, maybe even younger. Snapbacks, skinny girls, fireball shots, so. many. frat bros.
We took a table up the stairs and enjoyed our time there, bartenders were sweet. I thought the concept of the name board was very cool. Each night they choose a random girl’s name and a random guy’s name. If you have that name, show your ID and you get to drink for free!
Women’s room was really cool; a modern vending machine of sorts allows you to buy items like snacks or headphones/​earbuds. Lots of TVs hanging around. LOVED the music from the early 2000s, DJ was on point! Boyfriend and I did feel a tad bit old for the place though and decided to leave after two beers each. Cute place, just not my scene. Sorry!

Went for the «Bottomless brunch» on Saturday ($ 30 unlimited mimosas and 1 entrée). There was one waitress covering the entire restaurant and the computer where she inputs orders was behind a giant pillar so probably 80% of the time there was no one to be found, which was pretty frustrating.
It was a big group of us and a few people arrived at different times, but each time someone had to get up to go look for the waitress to ask for more menus or waters.
«refills» on the bottomless mimosas were extremely slow and again, finding/​getting the waitress’ attention was a challenge.
Food was mediocre — I got the avocado BLT but the only avocado included was in the form of «avocado sour crème» and the amount portion was about as much as when you butter a piece of toast, so really nowhere near enough to name the dish «Avocado» anything. The entire sandwich had little to no flavor, so we ordered chipotle mayo to make it less bland. We were then charged 2 dollars for a tablespoon of a CONDIMENT (mind you the actual sandwich came with no condiment other than the avocado sour cream…). So that was pretty annoying and should have been relayed when we ordered.
Additionally, according to the menu and the waitress, the «Classic Eggs Benedict» did not include any sort of meat, which first of all makes them not «classic» and second of all was not even true because it came with ham so that was a surprise that may not be a welcome one to anyone who doesn’t eat meat… luckily was not an issue with our group.
I guess at the end of the day you get what you pay for (the entrees on their own were around $ 12 each and no one is going to run to fill your glass for bottomless drinks anywhere), but I probably won’t come back again.

Came here for NYCCocktail week — the drinks were good and the lamb sliders were well done and flavorful. Loud and rowdy atmosphere. But it’s a Manhattan bar I guess it’s expected.

The nature of NYC’s bar scene is volatile at best: one night a place could be legendary and the next night it’s a hell hole. The crapshoot that is SideBAR is a place where any given night could be epic or ruined, but the emphasis is usually on the latter due in large part to poor service and a DBag crowd. No matter the theme, one can always depend on this.
There are some positives. The layout is as such that a ton of people could be here any given time. There are TVs everywhere, happy hour deals that include food, and when it’s not about sports, the DJ is likely to bust out some decent music that can get people to dance it up. Certainly all of this could be rebutted by the negatives, but I digress.
The service is never all that pleasant. From the bouncers to the semi-​cute wait staff, it just seems like everyone is collectively having a bad night. This is especially evident when it’s crowded, the ventilation is terrible, and the music is so loud that you can’t hear yourself. For anyone seeking food advice, I suggest getting your eats on somewhere else.
Getting the bartender’s attention can be a struggle when people are crowding themselves around the bar and when the non-​HH prices kick in, the poorly mixed drinks don’t reflect on the prices. On top of it all, the bathrooms are as such that I want to wash my hands as soon as I enter (read: filthy).
Lastly, the crowd is a lot of college kids with a sprinkling of professionals. The rowdiness and people traffic make it an unbearable place if you’re not visiting during their off hours when there is seating, patient staff, and a low key vibe. This may not matter of course, when being drunk is priority #1.

Okay so this place turns into a college frat party Thurs — Sun — so I try and avoid those days. If you’re 21 – 25 — def check it out then, you will love it! Being in my 30’s, I still love a good bar but am after a slightly more mellow experience. SideBar has a great happy hour and decent food. If you’re waiting for a show at Irving Plaza on a weeknight, it’s the perfect place to stop in and grab a drink beforehand. They also have a good boozy brunch on the weekends. sometimes it can be a little slow and other times, like a club! I’ve been for the brunch a few times and grabbed a table outside — great for people watching. Food was pretty good and I left nice and tipsy!

Omg sidebar. Where to begin.
WHEN TO COME TO SIDEBAR TO GET ROWDY AS F:
1. Football season Sundays
2. Santacon
3. Weekend nights
If you give them your email they will send you a bunch of free promotions. They will give you an HOUR OPEN BAR for you and like up to 12 friends– which is awesome. It’s hard to organize sometimes but hey il take an open bar. They are also quite loose with drink tickets and the likes.
They were also doing this thing in NYC taxis where if you ride in one and print your receipt and give it to them, they pay for $ 25 of your bar tab. It was here and also at the other «funbars» bar group bars (village pourhouse etc).
I have not done this, because, UBER. Duh.
The entire waitstaff and barstaff are women in their twenties. On busy nights I feel like they have the more experienced girls, and sometimes the weekday crowd is not the best service.

I truly have a love /​hate with this place. The thought of going makes me absolutely ill, but once I get there I manage to drink enough to maybe enjoy myself. My friend and his group absolutely love this place, so to get my girlfriends and I down there takes a lot of convincing. The dealbreaker is usually if 1. they have a good piece of real estate and 2. the place isn’t busting at the seams. When it is busting (which it usually is on the weekends), prepare to have 21 year olds falling all over you and a pitcher of beer spilled on you at some point. It’s quite lovely. On it’s good days, the music is on point and there isn’t a bathroom line. Pro tip: best for Sunday football. Oh, and the crowd is HEAVILY male so I’m not sure why my guy friends love it so much. :-)

Why does a bar need a bouncer at 7:30? :Light bulb: Because the patrons are what people in the booze biz call «soft 21 year olds».
Place was spacious with plenty of TVs and filled with barely legal boys watching sports. I was amused for about 7 minutes observing these geeky acne faced kids pound shots during the dinner hour. The entertainment value wore off quickly.
Time to go drink with the adults.

Look, I’m sure sidebar is a great sports bar and personally have never been for a big sporting event. With that said, if you’re looking to go here on any other night, I would tell you to be prepared for big crowds, a very loud atmosphere, and overpriced drinks.
The service was fine and everybody was friendly, but the place gives a very fratty vibe.

I am really not sure what to make of this place. I’ve passed it numerous times and always saw a massive crowd inside, a line out the door, and in nice weather, people literally pouring out the sides because it was just that packed. The one Saturday night I decide to check it out… empty. Go figure.
My friend and I arrived around 12:30am (Saturday into Sunday, for those who need clarity) and there was no line. Yes, that probably should’ve been a red flag but we were already there so why not check it out for once?
It’s weird inside: Two rooms, each with their own bar, and a peculiar crowd. Most of the guys were creepers, others too drunk to function, and there was some rated-​X lap dance action going on in a corner. Needless to say, we didn’t stay long.
Only good thing was the music, and the wasted guy alone at the bar singing along and doing some sort of interpretive dances to the song played. Meh.