“ Nice little dark, divey bar to chill before dinner. Cheap drinks and friendly service as well. ”

“ Simple Good beers on draft and in cans/bottles Some classic upstate NY beers. Works for me ”

“ I was out on a late night adventure in the East Village. I'd been to Broadway, seen a play, had a decadent dinner. I had hung out at one of my favorite spots, Goodnight Sonny. Sonny's is usually open til 4 AM, but it was winding down and I thought the bartender might want to close down early, so I headed out. Originally I was looking for a place called the Juke Joint. I went where Google maps instructed, but didn't see it (I found out later it was below street level), so I went into the building in front of me, the 12th Street Ale House. It's a classic bar, low lights, lots of wood. Jukebox. I told the Australian bartender I hadn't planned on coming there, but I have always found a way to where I'm supposed to be in New York (serendipity, baby). Almost simultaneously, we said, "but I bet next door they aren't playing Nina Fuckin Simone!" And indeed, he played some awesome Nina music, some of her well known songs, as well as some of her lesser known, soulful ballads. This was around 2 AM (they are open til 4 AM). Only two other people were there, including a lonely man who talked about how his son never speaks to him and he used to work for a big fashion designer. Shortly after, a Russian couple came in and ordered shots of Jagermeister, treating me as well (had never had it, hate licorice, never need to taste it again). One conversation broke into fashion, another broke into politics, nationalism, human rights. The drinks are ok. Nothing fancy here. Basic stuff. Not too expensive. But you don't come here for the drinks, right? This night full of main characters is not only a blast, it adds to your repertoire of interesting stories to tell at parties. They say what doesn't kill you makes you more interesting at parties. Jagermeister might be that for me. Didn't kill me, but left me with a story to tell at parties. "Two Russians walked into a bar . . ." This is MY New York. ”

“ Went in early on a weekend wanting a reasonably-priced drink (there's happy hour daily) and know that this place has alot of history in the city. The crowd was all white, which, I guess makes sense as the area has all manner of more international-looking places, and this Ale House looks like the type of bar that pepper Eastern college towns. I got a cider, and the Irish bartender was on it, though when I was taking a photo of the glass, he moved away because he doesn't want to be famous? lol. I'm probably going to bring my partner here sometime and see what she thinks: She's more a beer drinker than I. Check in on Yelp, and get some free tunes on the very good jukebox, which no one had queued up when I was there. ”

“ I stopped in on a Wednesday evening as I had time to kill before meeting up with friends. 12th Street Ale House is a great neighborhood bar. I walked in and checked out the beer menu and was impressed with the quality and variety. The Porter beer I had was probably the best of that style I've ever tasted. The bartender was super friendly, and I overheard my neighbors commenting that this was their favorite bar on earth. It's clean, there's a jukebox, there are happy hour specials and it's not super crowded - all positives for me. I'll be back. ”

“ Popped in after eating dinner in the area. This is a great neighborhood dive bar! It had space to socialize if you desired but also had options in the back that allowed for more intimate conversations. They also have a jume box if you wanna throw on some tunes. I really liked the price point and the way the bar was set up. Service was friendly and warm. I will absolutely be back. 5/5 ”

“ Would definitely go back again. Very clean inside and super friendly bar tender. Great prices for the neighborhood and happy hour even on weekends. ”

“ "I'm trying to find this bar that I used to go to on either 1st or 2nd avenue below 14th street but above Houston that's a dive or Irish pub on the north east side of the street". This was what was asked of me. After I listed a potential close to dozen or more bars that got a quick reject we went on a mission to find what this mystery place was that he insisted still existed. Eventually found it with an exclamation in passing "THIS IS IT!" "I SENT THAT ONE TO YOU." So, in hindsight, I correctly guessed the bar in question in my selection. I've been here before a couple of times but it's been a few years. Always have enjoyed it. It is a true dive. Apparently happy hour that we missed is until 7pm and beers are around $6. What I am impressed with is their beer selection. I don't remember this bar ever having craft beer 10 years ago but maybe my brain is just fogged up. But I tried one of the best milk stouts I've had in awhile and I'm still not over how great it tasted. It's definitely a no frills spot but it has some charm to it and I'm here for the surprising craft selection. ”

“ I came here with a few friends on a Thursday evening after work. Happy Hour is until 7pm. We all ordered beers, which were $6 each. There was a pretty varied selection, and all of us enjoyed what we ordered. The bartender was nice and the vibe was laid back and relaxed. Classic bar with great (and affordable!) drinks and good people-- what more could you want? ”