Crazy Donkey
1058 Route 110
Farmingdale NY 11735
1-631-753-1975
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This is one of the biggest venues on Long Island. Normally, you would hear me scream support, but in this case, I would have to say avoid it at all costs. It pains me but it's true, if I have the option to catcha band in the NYC (Irving Plaza) over the Crazy Donkey, I always choose the city. No…I’m not one of those city snobs. It's just that I have a hard time enjoying myself at the Donkey.
I had a big list of things to cry about, but I’m gonna cut to the chase instead. The Crazy Donkey has rock bands play and then changes over to their regular club night (at least on Saturday nights). So by the time the main act comes on, the club guys stroll in. Dressed in their Italian leather jackets and reeking of the mixed cologne, they start doing laps around the place hunting for women. Now I am having trouble enjoying myself when every five minutes I have to move. Why? The same two groups of meatballs are making their rounds. The smell of leather, mixed cologne, and crowd bumping me, left me with the uncomfortable feeling of shopping with my girl at Macy’s. –dan bach
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| Croxly Ales
129 New Hyde Park rd
Franklin Square NY 11010
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Croxley Ales has three locations Franklin Square, Rockville Centre, and Manhattan. Franklin Square has to be my favorite location of the two locations on Long Island. This is a laid back pub with one of the biggest selection of micro brews on Long Island. Which means you won’t find Bud or Coors Light beer at this pub. Have no fear C.A. always has Guinness on tap. Which also means it takes longer to get a beer and order one.
With a killer menu to get some late night snacks or sit down for dinner. Croxley is a nice place to bring a girl to sit down and talk over some drinks. Some of my favorite foods are the sliced steak sandwich, sweet potato fries, and of course Croxley wings. Monday and Wednesday night is twenty cent wing night. There will be a long wait but man it’s worth the wait for some of the best wings on Long Island. Don’t worry guys everywhere you look is a TV screen so you won’t miss the game.-dan bach
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Croxly Ales
190 Main St
Farmingdale, NY 11735
516-764-0470
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Croxley Ales' newest spot on Long Island is in Farmingdale and it’s much larger then CA’s other two locations (Franklin Square & Rockville Centre). I sat down with some friends for dinner and drinks. I didn’t see a board for dinner specials (like they have at the other locations), so I asked the waitress about the soup specials, but was disappointed when she replied French onion, which is a menu item. Either the waitress wasn’t listening or there are no specials. When the food came out, it was clear that the portions where smaller than I’m used to at Franklin Square. Needless to say, my dinning experience wasn’t so good at this CA.
Around Eleven pm the music got louder and the bar crowd came in. We stayed to drink even though it was a little hard to get a drink. Maureen, the bartender, saved the day and adopted our group. Maureen is one of three bartenders behind the bar and the only bartender that seemed to work the crowd and keep the drinks flowing. I would say that this CA is a good bar scene with great finger foods. For dinner with friends or a girl go to one of the smaller locations. -dan bach
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| DJ Rider's
3297 Long Beach rd
Oceanside NY 11572
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Let's start with the bars theme Rhythm and brews .Two things that make me happy music and drinks. This is the newest spot to show some love for Long Island bands. The inside of this joint is nothing to write home to mom about. It's a rock and roll bar that is biker friendly. No fancy disco lights and the place is not covered wall to wall with mirrors. Now that's my kinda place. With a light atmosphere it makes it easy to order that second drink.
Friday and Saturdays there's always line up of bands to play. For a small cover you get to see some bad ass Long Island bands push there way into the NY music scene. Making this a spot I will be showing my face in again.
For the bands I have talk to the owner Mitch. He's a real down to earth guy who is willing to do eighteen to get in and twenty-one to drink shows. Although DJ Rider's seems to be a thirties crowd during the week (don't worry there's a mix) the weekends are left for the twenties crowd with live bands. So let's pack in the people and show back love for DJ Rider’s.-dan bach
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| Effin Gruven
2562 Sunrise hwy
Bellmore NY 11710
516 – 409 – 1415
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On the beer menu there is a peace sign with a little slogan: peace, love, and really good alcohol. I walk into to this bar and it’s an upscale hippie joint (hippies = future yuppies). It’s a modern bar with tall arched ceilings but I hate that it is painted like the sky. I don’t really get the modern bar thing when there are tie-dyed towels with ying-yangs hanging up (how tacky). After waiting twenty minutes at the bar I spot a sign that says no attitudes, no karaoke, no poetry, no couches. Well E.G. might not have couches but they have these ridiculous bar stools that are like love seats. I figured maybe that’s why I can’t get my beer. So I pushed them out of the way but people are pissed now because the wall behind me is so close to the bar that I become a roadblock. No that did not help; the bartender was just helping all the girls. This was confirmed once I ordered my drink. Lagunitas Censored bottle (great beer) and the bartender yelled at me. We only have it on tap! Then he pours me the wrong drink. After correcting him I got my beer with a side of more... attitude. With no place real to enjoy my drink I look around to see a weird mix. There’s hipsters, emo kids, a few punks, with some metro sexual peps sprinkled into the mix. The upside is that there is a good number of cuties. That only goes so far for me anyway.
All in all, the hippie bar doesn’t have poetry or karaoke. Effin Gruven don’t believe in couches but they have love seats for bar stools that will help keep you away from the bar and a beer. They don’t allow attitudes because the bartender has one big enough and bad enough for everybody. It reminds me of those girls who want a nice guy, then break up with a guy who actually is nice.
I don’t get it but I get it. Good luck. I warned you. –dan bach
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The Inn Between
424 Jericho Turnpike
Syosset NY 11791
516-921-8100
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This is an American pub located in Syosset. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the tan brick floor and the maple woodwork on the walls and the high ceiling. I sat at the bar and the bartender greeted me right away. The Inn Between has your standard range of beers plus a few bonuses on tap like Blue Point. I got my drinks, took a look at the menu and found a whole section dedicated to sandwiches all named after Long Island, which matched up with my L.I. beer (Blue Point). Since I came in after 10pm, Inn Between was no long serving dinner but they had no problem whipping me up an order of medium wings, which I have to say were Grade A. If that’s their standard for food, I’ll be having dinner there soon.
It’s weird mix of people, ranging from early twenties to mid-fifties. Most of the crowd stays to themselves but are open for conversion. A polite, laid-back crowd and good bartenders make this a great spot to visit during the week, especially after a hard day at work. –dan bach
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| Last Chance Cheese & Antiques Café
602 Main St.
Tannersville, N.Y. 12485
(518) 589-6424
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The Last Chance Cheese is just outside of Hunter Mountain (so pay attention snow boarders!) in a small town called Tannersville. It is a gourmet cheese and beer joint that serves lunch and dinner. The décor was well done with a nice country store ambience, with antiques and musical instruments hanging from the ceiling. The restaurant shares the building with their deli counter where you have a choice of a100 different imported cheeses and 300 imported beers ready for take out.
LCC appears to be upscale but the food is not. Their French onion soup was bland at best. The garlic shrimp and scallops is so bad, I was scared to have more than two pieces for fear of getting sick, which doesn’t come as much of a shock as I was in upstate NY. LCC does make a good chicken pot pie, though. I would say to stick to the cheese and beer – it’s the sole reason to put LCC on the snow boarder’s list. Bring a girl, sit at the bar, order a cheese platter and try some beer. You can always pick up some cheese at the deli counter to go (cheese + bottle of wine + girl = good things) or just get some drinks with your friends.
In this place, the cheese may stand alone but it brings a 6-pack of imported beers. I like cheese and I love my beer! –dan bach
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| Mr.Be ery's
4019 Hempstead tpke
Bethpage N.Y.11714
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This is the CBGB’s of long Island: it has that dirty rock -n- roll vibe—not that it is dirty! With black and green paint on the walls and local band stickers as wallpaper, this is one of my favorite places on Long Island. The support that Mr. Beery’s gives local bands is much needed here on Long Island. They only ask bands to pull in about 15 (thirsty) heads per band, which isn’t that hard if you give your friends a big enough heads up.
If you read a review of a band you might like and they are playing at Mr. Beery’s, then come down check them out. Get a drink, hear a new band, and maybe get laid. Sounds like a good night to me!
If—God forbid—Beery ever had to close his doors for good, you know you’d be kicking yourself in the ass for not getting the T-shirt when some of Long Island’s strongest bands were shaking the Turnpike’s foundations. In the last few years, LI bands have been getting snatched up by labels after getting their start here; let’s keep it going. Long live Mr. Beery’s! – dan bach
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| Rembrants American Bar
370 West Old Country Rd.
Hicksville NY 11801
516-937-6290
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This is the local hole in the wall bar that brings in people from all over all Long Island. There’s nothing pretty about this bar but the fact that they will keep the drinks coming. Which could end up being a crazy night. Even when you wanted to call it an early night. It’s a young crowd (Early twenties). This is a hit or miss kinda spot. Tends to be a late night bar picking up between 11pm – 12am. I have stop by this joint many nights after hitting up a bunch of beat bars. I have to tell you itxs gone from about four people to thirty-five people within a half hour. That alone keeps me going back to this fine place called Rembrants. It’s always worth the gamble.
For the first timer I would recommend Sunday nights. It’s the karaoke night. I think it might be one of the biggest karaoke nights I know. The best karaoke night I know at this time. I don’t karaoke myself. I have met a lot of peps on Sunday’s. It just tends to be more laid back vibe. The crowd comes here for fun. Karaoke could be a great tool for you. Feel out the crowd. You pick the right song and everyone will start chatting you up in no time.- dan bach
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