The Ultimate Brooklyn Bar Crawl: G Train Edition

by Megan L. Wood

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The Brooklyn-Queens Crosstown Local G train is the bane of many weary commuters existence. With twenty stops in Brooklyn and Queens, the G train is the only subway line in New York that doesn’t run through Manhattan. But let’s celebrate the G, it brings friends from Carroll Gardens to Williamsburg and gets you to Target! We put together a list of our favorite bars that are easily accessible from the G train, but there are a few things to remember:

*Attempting to complete the G Train Bar Crawl in one day and drinking alcohol at every stop would be dangerous and stupid. Don’t do that.

*The G is a short train, with only four cars, so it stops in the middle of the platform. You may have to run up or down the length of the platform to catch it. Usually, this is annoying and confusing to tourists, but we’re celebrating the G train so lets call it fun.

*This bar crawl makes the most sense economically if you have an unlimited subway card, or else you’re looking at shelling out $2.50 per ride that could be spent tipping cute bartenders.

*Drinking on the subway is not legal and it annoys other passengers.

Let’s start from the south and work our way through Brooklyn and up into Queens.

Church Ave Stop
Shenanigans Pub
802 Caton Avenue

Some people might call this a dive bar because the drinks are basic and cheap and there aren’t a lot of frills. I think it’s just a typical neighborhood bar where the employees are friendly and the vibe isn’t fancy because the neighborhood is working class — sometimes you just want a tap of Budweiser without being ironic about it. There’s an outdoor patio, a jukebox, and if you hang out long enough the bartender will probably buy you a drink.

Fort Hamilton Parkway Stop
Hamilton’s
2826 Fort Hamilton Parkway

Hamilton’s is a pretty new (and arguably, very needed) addition to Kensington and the only place in a several block radius with wine carafes or flourless chocolate tart on the menu. They have 18 beers on tap and a happy hour Monday through Friday.

15 Street-Prospect Park Stop
The Double Windsor
210 Prospect Park West

One guy I know called the crowd at The Double Windsor Williamsburg’s B-team. He was a jerk. This gastropub with communal seating is right off of Prospect Park and serves craft beer and decent food. They even do happy hour on the weekend, which is key to remember.

7 Avenue Stop
Bar 4
444 7th Avenue

Another bar with a Saturday night happy hour, but this one does karaoke and live music on top of that. The whole place looks and feels more like a living room that happens to have a bar inside it than the other way around, which makes for a cozy and comfortable ambience.

4 Avenue/9 Street Stop
Skylark Bar
477 5th Avenue

Skylark Bar has a variety of beer plus a shot specials, which always have a special place in my heart. The Dirk Diggler gets you a Coors Tall Boy and an ounce and a half of George Dickel whiskey. The decor is kitschy in a way that was super popular five years ago, when everyone thought it was fun to get drunk sitting on the same furniture you can find in your grandparent’s den. Or maybe you guys call it a rumpus room, same difference.

Smith-9 Streets Stop
Closed until April 2013 according to the MTA. I’m pretty sure the MTA thought the Maya apocalypse would happen and when it didn’t they thought, oh damn, now we have to actually finish construction on Smith-9th Street.

Carroll Street Stop
Brooklyn Social
335 Smith Street

Like a casino in Las Vegas, it’s incredibly easy to lose all track of time and your spatial awareness inside the darkness that is Brooklyn Social. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, unless you have children or pets at home who depend on you. The cocktails are the elaborate kind and the bartenders are attractive. Unlike a casino in Las Vegas, Brooklyn Social does not accept credit cards. Once, the bartender gave me a free drink because I did not have any cash and was clearly distressed about the whole situation.

Bergen Street Stop
Bar Tabac
128 Smith Street

So maybe it’s time to eat something? No? Ok, then order from their large selection of French wines or infused liquors and listen to the jazz band that plays here regularly. Maybe you should eat something though, just a bite of moules frittes? On an unrelated note, my friend left a bag of brand new bras from American Apparel here and the waitstaff kept them there until she realized what she’d done and came back to collect them, even though the waitress probably wore the same size and easily could have stolen them. Classy, Bar Tabac, very classy.

Hoyt Street-Schermerhorn Street Stop
Hank’s Saloon
46 3rd Avenue

Hank’s Saloon has live band karaoke so if you’re brave enough to do that kind of thing, this is your place. They also have free pool nights and local mystery beer on tap for four US dollars.

Fulton Street Stop:
Mo’s Fort Greene
80 Lafayette Avenue

If you’re lucky enough to be at Mo’s for the monthly Mo Betta Burlesque, then right on. If not, you’ll still like it in here. They have an entire wall dedicated to 80s album covers and five dollar margaritas on the weekend.

Clinton-Washington Avenues Stop
Brooklyn Public House
247 Dekalb Avenue

Brooklyn Public House never gets too wild and crazy. You can sit down in a booth and order a drink and a bite from a patient employee and maybe sober up if you need to.

Classon Avenue Stop
Rustik Tavern
471 Dekalb Avenue

First Wednesdays of the month have free comedy shows. Happy hour will get you a three dollar glass of house wine and there’s a patio when the weather is nice.

Bedford-Nostrand Avenues Stop
One Last Shag
348 Franklin Avenue

This place used to be called Sweet Revenge, but now it’s called One Last Shag and is still a tiki bar that stays open until 4am seven days a week and serves three dollar mimosas and bloody marys on weekend nights. A dance floor and a backyard round out the all around awesomeness.

Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop
Brooklyn Stoops
748 Myrtle Avenue

You are now in the neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant, a place that’s lousy with front stoops. If you don’t have your own, you can hang out in the wooden patio behind Brooklyn Stoops and play beer pong while you eat french fries topped with bacon and cheese.

Flushing Avenue Stop

There aren’t any bars off the Flushing Avenue Stop. You could walk way over to The Wreck Room (940 Flushing), but its probably best just to skip this stop. Or open the only bar in the area and I’ll visit you there.

Broadway Stop
Zamaan Hookah Bar and Restaurant
349 Broadway

If you’ve made it this far, you’re in South Williamsburg. Use Zamaan Hookah Bar as an opportunity to take a break from drinking and try a house blend of pomegranate, blueberry, and jasmine flavored hookah. Outdoors, they have a patio with a retractable roof and heat lamps in the winter.

Metropolitan Avenue Stop
Metropolitan
559 Lorimer Street

Skeeball, you guys. Metropolitan has skeeball. I guess you could play pool or buy happy hour drinks and take adorable photo booth pictures, but I think all of that just detracts from time to play skeeball.

Nassau Avenue Stop
Enid’s
560 Manhattan Avenue

After entering Enid’s you’ll wonder two things: what are those frozen pink drinks and why are most of the women drinking them? The answer to your questions are: Frozen Harrisons which is a sweet and sour tequila drink, and because they are delicious and only five dollars during happy hour. At night a DJ spins from a platform over the bar like an angel who loves Notorious B.I.G. looking down at everyone.

Greenpoint Stop
The Diamond
43 Franklin Street

The expansive beer menu and the free, full sized shuffle board table are why everyone loves The Diamond. Yes, that is an old ski lift car in their backyard. No, I don’t know why.

21 Street
Alewife
5–14 51st Avenue

You’ve made it out of Brooklyn and into Queens, where the rents are cheaper and the Greek food is more authentic. Alewife is a two story gourmet gastropub with an emphasis on, obviously, ale. One dollar for oysters and five dollars for draughts.

Court Sq Stop
Dutch Kills
27–24 Jackson Avenue

The last stop on our G train bar crawl is Dutch Kills, a sweet little speakeasy with bartenders who can make anything on the menu, but would prefer to make something special just for you. Let them.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons