The New York dive bar is an institution in flux. While the old, scum-encrusted stalwarts like Mars Bar fade away, newcomers to the genre often come off as self-conscious replicas of their predecessors, trying their damnedest to appear gritty in parts of town that, for better or for worse, just aren’t that gritty anymore.
What’s great about Tender Trap—a drinkery from nightlife vet Ryan Virag (APT, Santos Party House) and BMX pro Darryl Nau—is that it doesn’t try to be a bar for the Bowery in the ’90s. Instead, it’s a no-frills spot that makes sense in present-day Williamsburg—a “classy dive” rejiggered for an era when it’s IPAs, not intravenous drugs, that get the kids going. The place looks like a skater’s crash pad after his mom came by to clean up, neatly arranging his magazines (including the porn) and video collection (Ghostbusters on VHS, a Metallica live box set). But the various refinements—graffiti-free walls, French-press coffee—don’t stop the Trap from embodying the spirit of a good dive.
What to DRINK:
The beer-and-shot combo, that trusty dive standby, is alive and well here—pony up six bucks for a can of Genesee and a well whiskey shot, which in this case might mean Old Overholt rye or Evan Williams. The rest of the drink offerings don’t venture too far off the party-fuel track, but they’re slightly upgraded for the evolved Williamsburg palate: Dark rum is mixed with house-made ginger soda in the Ginger Lynn ($8), and the Clams Casino (beer and tomato juice) is kicked up with spicy pickles ($6). Finally, a few solid draft brews (Kelso Pale Ale, Anchor Steam) ensure that beer snobs don’t have to slum it.
Venue location
Address: 245 South 1st St Williamsburg
Brooklyn
Cross Street: between Havemeyer and Roebling Sts
Phone: 347-763-1825
Website: tendertrapbk.com
Opening hours: Daily 4pm–4am
Transport: Subway: J, Z, M to Marcy Ave; L to Bedford Ave
Price: Average drink: $6. AmEx, MC, V
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