Serious Eats: New York
Happy Hour: Bar Reis and Ginger's Bar in Park Slope
Clockwise from left: ChipShop, Ginger's Bar, Bar Reis.
My buddy just moved to Park Slope, so I searched online for a nice-sounding bar in his new neighborhood. Bar Reis seemed to fit the bill, but when we showed up, there was no happy hour food deals as advertised on the website. Mo the bartender apologized, informing us that they planned to open a restaurant in early April, but in the meantime, bringing in outside food is just fine.
We went to the nearby British themed ChipShop, which coated our bellies with hot fries, fish cakes, and a delicious baked mac-n-cheese. Still thirsty, we hit Ginger's, the neighborhood gay bar also on the same strip of 5th Avenue. Vastly different than Bar Reis—which was full of of tables, dark romantic corners, and a classy tin ceiling—Ginger's had a nautical feel and was decorated with knickknacks including a tiny replica of the leg lamp from A Christmas Story. The Ginger's bartender was super nice and though the vibe leaned more on the dive bar side of things, it wasn't too loud and proved a nice place for chatting.
The Happy Deal: Bar Reis charges $5 for all draft beers (most of them local) and well drinks all day and night long. I sampled a sweet and thick Mother's Milk Stout from Keegan Ales and my friend had a slightly sweet Kelso pilsner.
Ginger's Bar offers a 2-for-1 happy hour from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. This deal is good for well drinks ($6), pints of Yuengling ($6) and Ginger's Light ($5), and bottles of Bud, Miller Light, and Michelob ($4.50). The best part: Ginger's lets you keep your free drink tickets and use them anytime, even on a different day and at any hour.
In Conclusion: Both bars are within spitting distance of each other and ChipShop, but are completely different. Bar Reis is a chill place to play pool, look at the art, or just relax with a cuddle-worthy date and tasty beer. Ginger's Bar, on the other hand, is no-frills, and not necessarily a place to impress your hunny, but their happy hour deal is great. They also have pool but the table was the busiest spot in the joint. Either way, line your stomach with fried delights at ChipShop.
Bar Reis
375 Fifth Avenue (at Sixth Street; map)
718-832-5716
Ginger's Bar
363 Fifth Avenue (b/n 5th and 6th Streets; map)
718-788-0924
ChipShop
383 Fifth Avenue (at 6th Street; map)
718-832-7701