Thursday, September 19, 2013

Third Avenue Ale House

This seems like just another neighborhood place.. wonder what reviews are like

One sour apple here, another person says it is awesome

Most reviews favorable

Third Avenue Ale House

3.5 star rating
69 reviews Rating Details
1644 Third Ave
New York, NY 10128
Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Upper East Side
(646) 559-9131
Nearest Transit Station:
96 St.
86 St.
Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 2 am
Sat-Sun 10:30 am - 2 am
Good for Kids:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Price Range:
$$
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Wi-Fi:
Free
Good For:
Lunch, Dinner
Music:
Background
Best Nights:
Thu, Fri, Sat
Happy Hour:
Yes
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Smoking:
No
Coat Check:
No
Noise Level:
Average
Good For Dancing:
No
Ambience:
Casual
Has TV:
Yes
Caters:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "Great beer selection and also an impressive wine selection." In 3 reviews
  • "also loved the truffle popcorn as it was easy to eat and not overly..." In 3 reviews
  • "loved hector the bar tender and met jacob the owner." In 3 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
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69 reviews in English

  • Review from

    • 49 friends
    • 104 reviews
    New York, NY
    9/2/2013
    Third Ave Ale House is the best beer bar and the most consistent bar/restaurant I've come across in the area. Having lived nearby for a few months now, this has been the place that I've been coming back to the most, and it has continued to come through for me. Why is it so great, you ask?

    1) It has the best beer selection in in the area, by far. Other bars close by don't come close to the variety and quality of beers Third Ave typically has on tap.

    2) The food is always good, and sometimes great. The lamb burger here is AWESOME, and I find myself constantly ordering that or the Red Snapper Burrito on repeat visits. The menu is pretty much an amalgam of bougie takes on standard bar food, pretty much everything is delicious, and there's enough variety to come here multiple times without getting bored. Prices are pretty reasonable, as well.

    3) This is a SERIOUSLY underestimated brunch spot. Their take on a croque madame, their french toast, and the crawfish hushpuppies(!!!) are SO FREAKING GOOD. I'm not sure why this place isn't on more people's Sat/Sun afternoon short lists.

    My only issue with 3rd Ave, and perhaps it's an unfair one, is that I feel like they could have been a truly outstanding beer bar/gastropub, and yet they're only a good one. The beer selection is always very good, but it's rare that they throw on something that's too hard to come by elsewhere (not to mention that when they serve a good Belgian or something similar, they tend to overcharge the bejeezus out of it, for example asking $12 a glass for a Rodenbach Grand Cru). And while I don't know exactly how to describe it, the vibe here always is just a bit too vanilla - it's almost like they took a great gastropub and blended it with 5% Applebee's. I realize that being in this area the owners need to remain accessible to a diverse range of customers, and that simply pandering to hipsteresque beer nerds probably wouldn't be the best business model......but I really wish they'd do a bit more pandering, whether through hunting down some tougher-to-find kegs, lowering the price of the rarer beers that they do serve, or at least by hosting some good tap takeovers. What I believe is their sister bar in Park Slope (4th Ave Pub) does a better job of all this, so I can only assume this is by design, and that they could build a similar gestalt here if they so desired.

    Nonetheless, Third Ave Ale House remains my favorite place to grab dinner and a beer in the area, and should certainly be towards the top of your list if you're in the UES.
  • Review from

    • 3 friends
    • 59 reviews
    Washington, DC
    8/15/2013 1 photo
    I was visiting friends this weekend and we stumbled upon this quaint brunch spot on a gorgeous spring day and decided to give it a try. My Ranchero Frittata was very good... It hit the spot without being too heavy.

    The Bloody Marys were spicy and not too watery for $4. The mimosas were even better!

    Overall, great food and service and affordable cocktails!
  • Review from

    • 26 friends
    • 2 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    8/4/2013
    I almost never write reviews, but I'm coming out of Yelp isolation because I feel strongly about this.

    I've been here 5 or 6 times! The beer selection is great and the food is very good (albeit a bit overpriced). However, I just can't go, knowing that I'll be overcharged for the wrong item which will probably be spilled on me anyway.

    EVERY time I've gone, literally EVERY time, there's been some issue with the service. This includes:
    - Orders messed up (The staff doesn't write anything down)
    - Prices incorrect on menu (they charged us $2 more than what was listed on our 'out-of-date' menu, didn't change it on the final bill)
    - Incorrectly charged
    - Spills (more than once)

    One time, the waiter spilled water all over my girlfriend's iPhone, and responded with "well, it's only water!" He then told the manager he hadn't spilled on anything, and only after I tracked down the manager and explained did they offer us a refund.

    Overall, the staff is really nice! The place can get a little noisy and it's a little overcrowded, but it'd be a four star in my book if only they didn't always mess up. Get your stuff together 3rd Ave Ale House and I will once more be a happy patron!
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    8/29/2013 1 check-in here
    I stumbled in here at the end of the night and the only thing I remember besides the fact that they sold beer is that the bartender was great.  He was a guy and he was black and he had a hat. So if you see a black guy wearing a hat behind a bar, you're in good hands.
    No hat, no promises.
  • Review from

    Queens, NY
    7/20/2013 1 photo 1 check-in here
    YES they have brunch here!

    Solid eggs benedict. Got my Angry Orchard! The only thing is it's really hard to see the menu because there is literally no lighting...
    • Third avenue benny
  • Review from

    • 8 friends
    • 11 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    8/12/2013 1 check-in here
    Our new fav neighborhood snack joint. We had the wings to start and then the triple pork burger with sweet potatoes fries and third avenue salad. The wings were huge with a lot of flavor. The  medium sauce was a little too hot but still amazing. The burger was huge, savory, juicy, the English muffin was a nice touch. Sweet potato fries are home cut and thin. The salad was just right. Crispy, fine but not soggy and the right combination of flavors.
    We had a German wheat beer, fantastic!
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review
    Manhattan, NY
    9/2/2013
    Nice having a cask on the UES. Served at the perfect cellar temp! I'll keep coming back for that. Pretzel was really good as well.
  • Review from

    • 116 friends
    • 654 reviews
    Ellicottville, NY
    8/21/2013 1 photo 1 check-in here
    Love this bar and restaurant in Manhattan.  Great beer selection and terrific food.  It's in a great location uptown and the service has always been great.  You really feel welcome here and I've never experienced an order screw up or still like someone else reviewed.  Love the Ale House on 3rd Ave!
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 2 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    7/24/2013
    This is my far overdue Third Ave Ale House review. My roommate and I live in the area and were thrilled when we initially saw a new bar was opening up last fall with plenty of on-tap options. The management, bartenders and overall service of this place is really something special. The entire staff seems to strive to make you feel welcome, remember you when you come back, and will give you a (few) great beers in a fun ambiance.

    menu highlights
    -mac n cheese pie (I mean, enough said)
    -nachos
    -long island style garlic bread
    -scotch lovers more than welcome...they have a wide selection
  • Review from

    • 13 friends
    • 44 reviews
    Islip Terrace, NY
    7/8/2013
    Solid bar, with a decent selection of beers.  A friend recommended the place.

    Caveat to my review - this is my first time here, so my review is based entirely on the bar, bartender, etc... I heard the food is great, so I will re-review the place once I eat here.

    As I said, decent beer selection - not overly impressive.  Atmosphere is very nice, classy type scene.  For the most part, the bartender was attentive, however, not super friendly.  Crowd was mixed and friendly.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 1 review
    New York, NY
    8/21/2013 1 photo
    My experience living on the Upper East Side consist of many great memories and new friends from the Ale House. This was my go to spot for lunch during the day with my dog and drinks at night. This bar attracts a great group of people and a big reason why is because of the friendly and welcoming staff. They have an all-star bartender named Hector, he worked the bar like I have never seen before, knowing all his customers on a first name basis while professionally managing a crowded bar. It's those little things that make me really appreciate a place..on top of that the ale house has great food and beer.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    Updated - 5/27/2013
    I've been back a few times and have sampled more of the menu. Happy to report that it's all been quite tasty and I'd get it all again...

    - cheese-stuffed hot pretzel. get the mushrooms on the side, they're delicious
    - seared tuna sandwich with wasabi mayo and watercress. perfect
    - black bean veggie burger. really tasty
    - sea salt edamame. salty goodness

    Additional thoughts:

    I really like that you can choose different things to complement your burger/sandwich rather than just the typical fries or mixed greens. They get points for throwing in options like asparagus, spinach, rice, and mashed potatoes.

    The front room can get obnoxiously noisy, especially if there is a game on and there are some fratty guys getting sauced, so ask to sit in the back room if you want to be able to hold a conversation.

    They have oodles of outdoor seating -- they set up tables all long 92nd St when the weather's good.

    1 Previous Review: Show all »

    • 3/31/2013
      Great casual addition to the neighborhood -- and far better than the brother jimmy's that it… Read more »
  • Review from

    • 2 friends
    • 38 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    7/2/2013
    I've been here a few times now and have sampled several of their dishes, and I have to say that it is a bit of a mixed bag.  There are some items they do very well.  Their fried calamari app was really well done;  the coating was crisp and flavorful, the calamari not at all overcooked.  Their sweet potato fries are like crack.  I could happily sit here and eat sweet potato fries and drink beer.  The lamb burger and chicken sandwiches are pretty good, too.

    There are some menu items though that sound like they should be good, but are not well executed.  The red snapper burrito, which I imagined would be like a delicious fish taco, was very "clunky".  It consisted of a big slab of overcooked fish, covered in a thick batter, with pickled cabbage and a chipotle cream.  Overall, it lacked cohesiveness.  The chicken tenders are covered in the same, strange, thick batter and were also tough and overcooked.

    One real sticking point for me though was when I went there with my daughter this evening.  I ordered mac & cheese from the kid's menu for her, and they literally brought out a bowl of Kraft macaroni and cheese.  $7.00 dollars for a bowl of what was probably Kraft Easy Mac, when they make their own in house for the Mac & Cheese pie.  That was a big WTF.  

    From a service standpoint, I find them to be fairly indifferent, like they don't quite care if you're there or not.  The first time I went by myself for lunch and the waiter forgot to put my order in.  The second time they whole family went, and either the waiter or the kitchen mixed up my husband's and my burger orders.  This evening, with my daughter, the waitress just seemed irritated that we were even there.

    If they could iron out the bugs in the menu and improve the attitudes of the staff, this could easily be a 4 or 5 star place.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 26 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    8/10/2013
    It's been a while since I was able to add to my list of places in NYC that offer cask-conditioned beer but here's one.  I was walking down 3rd Ave on a beautiful summer afternoon and happened to see through an open window a hand pump brightly festooned with a green badge.  That was enough to stop me in my tracks. On entering I found out that they were serving a Greenport Harbor Pale Ale on cask.  it was served just right - a generous soft and frothy head and nicely cool - and this beer was delicious in a very English style.  Not sure if cask beer is a regular here but I hope so and will add the Third Ave Ale House to my cask ale ramblings around the city.
  • Review from

    • 6 friends
    • 46 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    4/14/2013
    This place is AWESOME. First, if you are looking for an awesome beer selection and all around engaging bar, this place is it. There's an awkward table between the sit-down tables and bar that takes up way too much space, but that's all really fine when you consider the quality of the beer and atmosphere.

    The sweet potato fries are like... life changing. they taste like they've been fried in butter and all that is right in the world. And let's not forget about the wings - their wings are the perfect combo of crispy but drenched in sauce which is delicously spicy and a little barbeque-y as well. I've had beef and veggie burgers, while friends have tried lamb and triple pork, and nothing disappoints. The food comes out of the kitchen so quickly it's still steaming and wonderful. It's crowded and the waitstaff is a little slow, but 100% worth coming here. This place is amazing.


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