The Pony Bar

Not being a hipster and generally being able to commit to buying a beer without sampling most of them, I always passed by the pony bar. As it turns out, that was a mistake. The bartender, Cori, immediately made us feel at home and there was none of the pretentiousness I’d expected. Clearly knowledgeable about her products, she introduced us to some very enjoyable beers. I look forward to returning.

Good place to watch a game and hang with your buddies. There are some tables, but you will probably end up standing.
The beer menu changes a lot, but right now it is mostly IPAs and porters. Those aren’t my favorites, and I didn’t love what I got (it was a pale ale made with whole grains).
Casual atmosphere and the bartenders will let you sample the beer before you buy to help you make your decision.
P. s. The more alcoholic beers come in 8 oz glasses.

Great beer selection! The atmosphere is great, you can get cozy in a fairly large venue. They have an abundant beer selection here and the prices are fairly low.

Stopped here on a Monday afternoon around 4 – 5 & it was pretty empty and spacious. The bartender on staff was very helpful and gracious regarding us bringing in a baby. Yes, we have a baby in a bar — Sweet Home Alabama style. There was a good sampling of various style beers, though I was a bit disappointed with the IPA selection which is my go-​to. We did not eat any food, but all in all– a good, roomy spot for a craft beer on the UES.

This is a cute place for a small group, no more than 10. They can offer you anything here from wine, to shots, to beer, and the staff is very friendly. I came here for a birthday party and we were all able to mingle with each other while still hearing each other talk, which is essential for a Saturday night at a bar. I didn’t order any food here, but we had a good time and it was a good environment for the occasion.

Good brews… and they carry Boulevard!
Sports bar atmosphere, standard bar fare… your place if you need a beer asap.
Sunday funday happy hour means $ 5 all drafts! No half pours though. Weh!

A generous four stars for its beers. Been two both locations so many many times.
Don’t order any food here. It’d be a mistake. I would give this place minus stars if possible when factoring in food. Since this is a beer spot– willing to let the beyond nasty food slide.

Always a fun time at pony bar.
First time in the UES location. It’s bigger and has more seats. so + there.
Bathroom is in the basement, which could get annoying at a beer place, but I didn’t have an issue during my night.
For the first time ever, their selection wasn’t too great for my taste buds (aka not a lot of IPAs, aka a first during Pony Bar’s existence). But I still managed to snag up a great beer after trying out a few.
Can’t go wrong with the food here as well. A must come.

Stopped in here at the recommendation of Chicago bud, Dan G, and glad we did. On our way to Central Park from MoMA, we walked up a thirst! Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times to Pony Bar for having an easy to read list of your craft beers! If craft brews are your thing, this is the place. They’ve also got promotional craft beer nights, so do keep yourself posted!
Enjoyed our burger and pulled pork lunch, and our craft beer selections. The bartender had a great recommendation once we told her what we liked to drink too.
Will definitely return if in the area. Stay Gold, Pony Bar!

My husband and I went to this bar yesterday and they have a great selection of beers and craft beers as well as wine and full bar.
For food, I got the grilled cheese and my husband got the burger. Both were extraordinary! My only call out would be to add a small side of tomato soup with the grilled cheese. And perhaps serve real fries instead of just potato chips.
It’s just a plain bar, so it’s great for catching up with friends. There are no TVs or bar games.
Overall, great bar on the UES and I’ll be back to try more food.

Pony Bar is one of coolest, laid back bars on the UES, and it simultaneously has a top 10 beer selection in all the city. The bartenders are friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about beers, which makes this a great place to kick back with friends.

PONY BAR HAS RE-​OPENED
After a fire took this neighborhood gem out of commission for a couple months, the Pony is back and better than ever.
Delivering craft beer from around the country, the dedicated and knowledgeable staff is to there help navigate patrons through there ever-​changing tap list. I really can’t say enough good about this place. They offer a full bar, and great bourbon selection if you/​yours aren’t drinking beer. Cheers!
TLTR — 22 rotating craft brew taps. Go.

It should be noted that Pony Bar UES is currently closed due to a break-​in/​robbery/​fire (likely set by an arsonist). Their reopening date is TBD. I mention this because their website currently doesn’t note the incident.
I’m real bummed to see this place has hit a rough patch. I think it’s the best bar on the UES in terms of selection and special beers. Also, it’s definitely decently priced for the quality brews they offer. Once in a while they’ll have a takeover, which is a fun way to get familiarized with a brewery. They’re very good about keeping their site up to date with what’s on tap.
There isn’t a ton of seating, but I usually find a spot to sit with a few friends. I love going here with my Hunter grad school friends after late night classes. Definitely a good spot. Also their pulled pork sandwich is AMAZEBALLS. If you’re hungry, I definitely recommend it.

I’ve been to the Hell’s Kitchen Pony Bar a number of times, but last night was my first time here. If it’s not too out of your way, hands down I’d recommend this location. Something about the feng shui here just works. That said, no one comes here for the spatially intelligent design — this place is about beer, socializing and more beer.
I’ve been to a bunch of craft beer bars and this one is definitely up there. They have an extensive list of beers on tap (it’s different on any given day), which is conveniently displayed on the wall behind the bar. No menu-​studying necessary (unless you want food or something bottle — why you would want the latter here, I don’t know) — each option glows in all of its glory with a mention of the beer’s location, ABV and what size glass it’s served in. Only some craft beer bars have multiple size options — the ones that don’t will typically charge more for those with a higher ABV. Though it may be initially disappointing (I like tripels, so I run into this dilemma often), it’s a smart move by Pony Bar. Avoiding sloppiness is preferable.
Between the two Pony Bars, I couldn’t tell you which beers I’ve ordered, but they’ve all been tasty. As long as I avoid IPAs (my taste buds just aren’t a fan), I typically like most craft beer. I ended up settling with a Belgian tripel last night, which was absolutely delicious. Before deciding, the bartender gave me a taste of the tripel and a lighter, almost fuity beer. I wasn’t in the mood for it at the time, but she nailed my flavor profile. So kudos to knowledgable, chill bartenders — always a plus. Craft beer snobs can get kind of uppity when discussing beer, but there was none of that last night. As much as I love Proletariat, that’s the vibe you’ll get there.
Finally, this place is the perfect spot for hanging with friends. Though the noise level can get up there, I didn’t find myself having to scream over other conversations. A lot of people happily imbibing, having a grand old time. Pony bar makes me wish that I lived in Yorkville — having this place as a neighborhood bar is a pretty sweet deal.

Who wants to ride the pony? I’m talking about the East Side Pony Bar (although I like the one on the West Side, too!). If you’re considering going here, I have one thing to say… giddy up!
Came here with beer club and we had a great time from start to finish. First, the beer. They have a great list, prices are clearly marked and the screens are easy to read (which is important when you have old eyes like mine and trying to read small print on menus in dim lighting is challenging!)
The service from the bartenders is great. I love a bar that understands if you let people buy beer, you’ll make more money! Those bartenders were still friendly and could answer your questions but if they saw someone waiting for a beer, they were right on it. None of the standing around, avoiding eye contract or just chatting up a hottie at the bar. Props for excellent service.
The food looked good and the pulled pork sandwich got thumbs up from two of my friends who ate it.
Will definitely come back to this awesome space.

A gem in what in what I thought was an area of New York that severely lacked happy hour bars! Cheap beer, huge selection. Friendly bartenders. I really liked the space and layout too. I went after work and had no problem getting a spot to sit down with a friend. Fun spot!
Word to the wise: they don’t advertise the sizes of their beers very well. The Dogfish Head I got was 8 oz (which was fine because it was delicious) but I was expecting a 14 oz!

I’ve walked past the Pony Bar a few times and have always been meaning to try it. My boyfriend and I ventured in Saturday night for the first time after seeing the packed crowd which we thought was a good sign!
It was– the bar was packed (in a good way) and had a great, fun but relaxing atmosphere. There was seating at the bar, a few stools scattered around, and coveted booth spots around the bar. After standing for about 15 minutes we were able to get seats at the bar which was great so you can really see all of the craft beer options!
Their selection is both dense and great. There was a good selection of local craft beers as well as others.
This is a great bar to try something completely new, and most of their craft beers have a 7oz option so if you really don’t like what you pick you’re not wasting too much.
We had a great time! Would love to know if they have any beer flight tasting options.

«Ride ‘em cowboy «
This is a great place to get a craft beer or five. They often rotate the beers on tap so you can get a different flavor of beer each time you visit. Plus the prices of beer are very reasonable and you can purchase growlers of your favorite beer. I have not had the food … Yet but often times it smells and looks delicious.
The bartender was very helpful in describing the different types of beers and even offered tastings of the beers.
Just note that this place and get really crowded and loud after 6/​7pm. But, the setup, with pennants from upstate breweries and random barrels, of the bar is kind of cool.

It was a nice bar atmosphere here. The bar is so long but once you get pass it there is a karaōke area in the back. These people seem to definitely be locals and are definitely loving karaōke! I had a really good time just sitting there and watching everyone else sing.
The drink are strong in the place, so you better hold on to your hat. They weren’t too expensive considering how strong they were. A jack and coke was $ 9.00 which was reasonable. I would
Probably go back again