Thursday, July 18, 2013

Pine Tree Lodge--Another Neighborhood Favorite in Kips Bay/Murray Hill

I guess the Pine Tree Lodge could not afford to renew their lease on East 35th Street in Murray Hill because they are now down here a short distance away on First Avenue.

Another neighborhood fixture..gets very good reviews with the usual couple of people who had a terrible time there..

Nice, cozy place...not any kind of unique experience, but then we don't always need or want that

Pine Tree Lodge

3.5 star rating
94 reviews Rating Details
Category: Dive Bars  [Edit]
591 1st Ave
(between 33rd St & 34th St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 213-0990
Nearest Transit Station:
33 St (4, 6, 6X)
Grand Central - 42 St (7, 7X)
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Good for Groups:
Yes
Price Range:
$
Music:
Juke Box
Best Nights:
Mon, Tue, Thu
Happy Hour:
Yes
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Smoking:
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Coat Check:
No
Noise Level:
Average
Good For Dancing:
No
Ambience:
Divey, Casual
Has TV:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "the happy hour is 2 for 1 drinks and the $5 pine tree ale is a great..." In 15 reviews
  • "jerk chicken lunch special was amazing." In 12 reviews
  • "...exploring the 'hood the first week I moved into my Murray Hill apt." In 12 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
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94 reviews in English

  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    5/24/2013 3 photos 1 check-in here
    Decor: 3/5
    -plethora of decorations
    -large lounge area in the back
    -Big Buck safari arcade
    -I felt out of place :x

    Service: 4/5
    -Friendly, not pushy, gave us personal space

    Food: 4/5
    -Homemade lemonade is sweet and not sour at all. I enjoyed it so much I ordered another
    -Jerk Chicken sandwich lunch special came with fresh fries that were not one bit greasy. They were crispy, similar to McDonald's. The chicken breast was placed between two flatbreads. There was a mild jerk flavor but overall the sandwich was tasty
    -Tiffany D. ordered the Jerk Chicken which came with 3-4 drumsticks. She did not enjoy the meal because there were too many tiny bones and the chicken was over seasoned.
    • Jerk chicken sandwich
    • Jerk chicken lunch special
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    5/17/2013 1 check-in here
    I'm a huge fan of Pine Tree Lodge. There's a happy hour special and the atmosphere is just so inviting. All of the couches and books and taxidermy. It's like being in an apartment of one of your friends. Especially with the year-round Christmas lights. Never too crowded. Hits all of my check marks.

    +BUCK HUNTER!!!!!!!
  • Review from

    1.0 star rating
    Update - 3/16/2013
    I used to love the old Pine Tree.  This isn't the old Pine Tree.

    The old pine tree was an oasis in Murray Hill hell.  Cheap drinks, laid back atmosphere and homey.  Always friendly bartenders and management, great drink specials ($2.50 drinks until 10pm, YES!).

    Now that they closed and moved, it's pretty horrible. I've been yelled at there for ordering in food (which was okay at the old Pine Tree), even though their kitchen was closed.  I had a living social deal which is basically unusable.  I've been there 4-5 times trying to use it, but their kitchen is always closed (and I'm not going at strange hours, 7pm on Friday?).  The owner was rude and obnoxious about using the deal since the kitchen was closed, even though I complained that the kitchen was always closed. The drink specials are bad, only 2 for 1 until 7 and only Miller light, bleh.

    Basically, it's turned from my favorite bar in the area where I had my birthday 2 years in a row to a place I will never visit again. I assume when they moved, management changed. Management needs to revisit what made the old place so great and find a way to make their business work. Hopefully they will take notice to review because I'd love to have something like the old Pine Tree back.

    Old Pine Tree: 5 stars
    New Pine Tree: 1 star

    1 Previous Review: Show all »

    • 5.0 star rating
      7/4/2010
      In a see of garbage fratty bars in Murray Hill, it's nice to have a relaxed place, with decent… Read more »
  • Review from

    2.0 star rating
    2/16/2013
    My friend and I came here for a dinner for a Livingsocial Deal.

    Since this place is mostly a bar, don't expect there to be ample dining space. Table service was spotty at best. My friend had their burger special and I got the chicken pasta, but they forgot the chicken so it had to be delivered on the side. The kitchen also ran out of mozzarella sticks so we had the buffalo wings instead. I wasn't impressed with the quality of the meal at all, but it was a LivingSocial deal so I didn't expect very much to begin with. On the upside, the portions were generous.

    PS Expect a 18% gratuity to be added to your bill if you are using a LivingSocial deal.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 6 reviews
    4.0 star rating
    6/11/2013
    Took myself here for lunch on a rainy day to break up my daily routine using a livingsocial deal. The goat roti was very, very tasty. I could understand having a different experience when its crowded, but during off peak hours this place is an oasis.
  • Review from

    • 14 friends
    • 7 reviews
    5.0 star rating
    1/21/2013
    Not my favorite neighborhood, but happy to have found my favorite bar.

    When it's not crowded, it's a great place to enjoy happy hour with some friends and relax on some (possibly questionable) pillows/couches. I love that it feels like you're just hanging out at your friend's lodge, and your friend happens to be a taxidermist who also happens to like adorning their animals with life-preservers.

    Friendly staff. Decent beers. Year-round Christmas lights.
  • Review from

    • 91 friends
    • 339 reviews
    4.0 star rating
    7/17/2012 2 check-ins here
    $3 Yuenglings and Carribean food.

    Get drunk, fatten your stomach, and take a ride on the East River Ferry.

    I did two of the three and I'm still alive. I'm going to say it was a very good night.
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    1/26/2013
    An interesting place. Not your typical Murray hill hole. 2 for 1 beers is nice. Wish they had a kitchen.
  • Review from

    1.0 star rating
    5/10/2012 1 check-in here
    Came here because I thought I'd experience a traditional Caribbean dinner, but that wasn't the case.

    I started with the Crispy Crusted Coconut Shrimp, and as big as they were, they were not tasty. it came with some mango sauce that was watered down.

    Then I tried the Old Fashioned Jerk Chicken and that was a mistake. It lacked any jerk or Caribbean flavor, and was mostly bones.

    Don't think I'll be going back.
  • Review from

    • 96 friends
    • 30 reviews
    5.0 star rating
    4/6/2010 3 photos
    I thought I'd rather be Lindsay Lohan's lawyer then go out in Murray Hill...until I found this gem.  You would think the array of Christmas lights outside the joint would have lead me there years ago, but unfortunately my iphone app for "Non-Douchey Bars in Murray Hill" has never worked.

    Their 2 for 1 deal is IT and the atmosphere is so inviting.  Really the décor is like an Abercrombie photo-shoot on acid.  I imagine this is what the inside of Paul Bunion's brain looks like.  A sea of plaid, accented with leathered bound books, canoe chandeliers and taxidermy animal heads.  Stabby-Chic if you must.

    One word to the wise, if you steal a mustache from a moose, be sure to return it at the end of the night. He does NOT like jokes...
  • Review from

    • 428 friends
    • 568 reviews
    4.0 star rating
    2/26/2008
    Pinetree has no idea what's going on. Antlers? Christmas lights? Funky outdoor seating? It's like your stoned college roommate from the midwest opened a bar in Murray Hill... and I whole heartedly approve.

    Not really a dive, but certainly not a nice bar. Stick to beers or shots and mixers, and stay away from cocktails. This is not the type of place that's gonna stir you up a pretty martini. Also, order in a pizza and eat it outside on the lawn furniture. Score.

    I might also mention the two-for-one happy hour and fear you will all ruin this magical bar that hasn't seemed to maintained much of an obnoxious Murry Hill crowd. But I think it's too far east for anyone to really ruin.

    For real:  Minus a star for being so buried in the east side I was practically in Queens.
  • Review from

    5.0 star rating
    11/3/2011
    As it turns out... I only write a review when I am wildly happy about an experience.

    Consider me wildly happy about Pinetree Lodge.

    The bartender is cute as a button. She gave us a few free drinks because it was her first bartending gig, and sometimes it took her a few tries to concoct a drink. If you are a similar type of person and see that as a positive - you'll also likely enjoy the pumpkin bucket of free candy, the lineup of 3 old school TV's (showing 2 different stations), and wandering around the many nooks and crevices of the bar.

    I was so down for Pinetree Lodge... I was looking up.

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