the Bar Review
Drop Off Service
211 Ave A, 212-260-2914
Cheapest Drink: $3 happy hour pints
Most Expensive Drink: I dunno. Too busy enjoying happy hour.
Overheard: “That’s what I like about these high school girls…” (True story!)
Rating: 3L's
The morning of writing this review I woke up opening two eyes, but couldn’t see out of one. My head hurt like a stab wound, and I had to pop pills like a celebrity to rid myself of the mothership hangover. Good job, Drop Off Service. Way to go. You passed the test. Your fine selection of beers worked like a charm. And by “charm” I mean, “punch in the face.”
And this is why you’ll want to go to this bar: the strong beer. Not for the music or the scene or the interesting things hanging on the walls that give you something to talk about when there’s nothing left to say. Even though this place is named after the laundromat it once was, it’s not like a theme or anything. Theme or no, Drop Off Service should be kept on the radar as both a happy hour destination, and as a place to impress your fancy beer-loving friends. Featuring a large selection of brews, from fancy German lagers, to Belgian white ales, to a tasty British cider (all pouring forth from a specially designed tap, $3 per pint from 4 to 8pm daily), you can get staggering drunk before dinnertime. They also have a lovely hand-pumped London Pride served at room temperature, which was fantastic. Though a list describing the origin and taste of each beer would’ve been nice... or maybe even a tasting deal, to allow curious customers a few sips of each brew.
I thanked the ceiling for the high-octane beer, because the jukebox was plain bad. There was Audioslave and newer Red Hot Chili Peppers for the biz-casual stiffs; Iggy Pop and Peaches, because let’s face it, there’s a pre-existing edgy rulebook to abide by in the East Village; and the the obligatory twist: Ella Fitzgerald, for all the kids sporting side parts and dreams filled with messenger bags. It’s all there, for everyone to enjoy. And it filled me with hate.
My favorite aspect of this bar actually wasn’t the bar at all, but the bodega next door — a lively Mexican joint brimming with laughter and the aroma of tacos cooking in the kitchen in the back, which also features seating. Bodega + taco joint + loud music = pure awesome. Make this bar and bodega a one-two punch kind of evening. Key word: punch. Everything will hurt the next morning.
