Here Are The Best Themed Bars In Brooklyn

by Megan L. Wood

Brought to you by Jameson Black Barrel. Find out more here.

You know you’re in a theme bar when you walk in the door and immediately sense, a theme — obviously. The decor, the menu, the staff uniforms are all working around one central idea. Irish Pub, for example, is a pretty popular and majorly overplayed theme. Brooklyn has its fair share of theme bars, here are eight of the best, without a leprechaun in sight.

Barcade
Theme: Video Games
388 Union Avenue, Williamsburg

You know how your aunt lets your uncle keep a pinball machine in the garage? This video game themed bar is kind of like that, but probably with more craft beers and definitely with more old school video games. Barcade has concrete floors, tall ceilings and a few tables where you can rest your eyes and eat beef jerky before playing another marathon session of Frogger or Asteroids for 25 cents a game.

Brooklyn Bowl
Theme: Bowling
61 Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg

Brooklyn Bowl hasn’t decided if it’s a performance venue, bowling alley, restaurant, or a bar. So it’s all of those things with a bowling theme and a really excellent policy of allowing only adults 21 and over except for Saturdays and Sundays between noon and six. Plus, you can get pork rinds and frozen margaritas brought to your lane, but that would probably give you a stomachache, so maybe just choose one or the other. DJ ?uestlove has a Thursday night residency where he spins vinyl to throwback SOul Train videos, so there’s that. Photo: flickr: John Gullo

Camp
Theme: Outdoors
179 Smith Street, Cobble Hill

Ok, if you’ve ever actually been to the wilderness then you’ll most likely roll your eyes at Camp’s attempts to “bring Brooklyn urbanites a little taste of the country.” But there’s a real kayak in the corner and they serve s’mores, so maybe you’ll be inspired to get off your barstool and into a zip car and drive upstate this summer. If not, then keep listening to Indie rock and playing Big Buck Hunter and don’t let anyone judge you. Enjoy your Dirty Girl Scout — the drink, obviously. Photo: flickr: laverrue

Zombie Hut
Theme: Tiki
273 Smith Street, Cobble Hill

Four-person Scorpion Bowls are not just for Sorority girls, they are for anyone who wants to share a stiff drink with three of their best friends. If you didn’t come with three of your best friends, you’ll easily make new ones at Zombie Hut. And later, you can make out with them on the couches in the back or the outdoor patio. Because Tiki bars are all about a sexy Polynesian vibe, beaded curtains, and fertility masks.

Beauty Bar
Theme: Beauty Salon
249 5th Avenue, Park Slope

The Beauty Bar has sparkly walls, vintage salon chairs, and four dollar well drinks for happy hour. They used to do manicures in the bar, but now they don’t. So just walk to a shop down the street to get gels and then come to Beauty Bar for a Vidal Sassoon cocktail and make sure to gesture wildly with your hands so everyone can see how fresh they look. Photo: flickr: EdenPictures

Gotham City Lounge
Theme: Comic Books
1293 Myrtle Avenue, Bushwick

I was pretty sure that the only place in Brooklyn to get a beer and a shot for three dollars was in my dreams. Then Gotham City Lounge came along and made my dreams come true. If you’re into comic books, super heroes, glass-encased Wolverine claws, and drinking, then this place is your mecca. Drinks are named after super heroes and I think that might be Comic Book Guy playing pool.

Redhook Bait and Tackle
Theme: Fishing
320 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook

Redhook Bait and Tackle used to be a bait shop for local fisherman. Now the space is a bar with taxidermy and fishing memorabilia on the walls and it smells like my grandpa’s medicine cabinet — not great but kind of musty and comforting. They have live bands fairly regularly and don’t be afraid of the black bear, it’s stuffed.

The Way Station
Theme: Doctor Who
638 Washington Avenue
Crown Heights

Honestly, I have never seen Doctor Who, and I am not an expert on Steampunk (Wikipedia tells me that steampunk “is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century), but The Way Station is a nod to both of these pop culture references. I guess that explains the time machine TARDIS bathroom and mechanical curios on the walls. For other non-experts, there are burlesque and comedy shows, plus hand crafted cocktails. Photo: http://waystationbk.blogspot.com/