I went to bOb's back in 2009-10 and hadn't been back since. My birthday was last week and I just wanted to dance, no minis, no dress-to-the-nines bottle popping, just dance to good music and be casual and carefree so I thought "What about that place that just used to play old school hip hop and reggae." I looked it up and saw that it still charges $5!!! And went there with my girls this past Saturday. My hair was puffed out and I was sweaty within 5 minutes on the dancefloor but the music was great ALL night, the beautiful Asian bartender was a sweetheart and aside from one douchebag, the guys were friendly and would dance with us without getting handsy. I love this place and now my girls are asking how come they didn't know about it sooner.
Review Source:bOb Bar should be featured on "The Worst Room" tumblr. If you haven't seen that blog yet, "check it out now, funk soul brother."
Affordable apartments are not very big in New York City, but bOb Bar is even smaller. The only times I have come here have been because my friend LOVES this place and had her birthday party here. If I had a choice, I would not step foot in here again.
There are tiny tables along both side walls with a small bar towards the back. If you want to coat check, you hand it to a girl behind the bar, but I forget how much it costs. Because this place is so tiny, it fills up quickly and is always packed like sardines. And they charge a $5 COVER! While $5 is not that much, you can easily find another place in Manhattan that actually has room for you to breathe and does not charge any cover fee.
I want to give bOb Bar 1 star, but they play hip hop, which I miss terribly with all this craze over EDM. While I enjoy EDM, I prefer dancing to hip hop when I want to go out clubbing. Therefore, I'll throw bOb one more star ... grudgingly. However, since there is no room to actually dance to the music, that's as generous as I'll be.
I've attended bOb for the past 3 Fridays religiously you'd think I was getting paid to be there. My boy frequents the establishment and I'm glad he suggested that we go 3 weeks ago (can't believe I've never gone).
bOb is now my favorite spot in LES! It gets really crowded but the music is so on point you won't mind especially if you're dancing. Â The bartenders are cool (Shoutout to Christine) and the bouncer is chill as well.
Here are a few pointers...
1) $5 cover
2) Wear little clothing.
3) Prepare to sing/rap your ass off
4) Dance your way to the bar...you'll get there a lot faster
5) See you on the dance floor
" that girl is poison" that was the first thing I heard walking into this place. And that was the same kind of vibe is was the whole time. I had a blast coming here last friday. $5 cover...no line... Packed! But you still had enough space to dance. Drinks were about $7 and somewhat strong. Very close to subway and near many other bars. Bob's bar could either start or end your night. Either way it won't disappoint.
Review Source:I LOVED IT!!!! Â I went for my birthday. If it's your birthday or soon to be you don't have to pay the $5 admission's fee.
The downside to going to Bob's Bar is that it's very tight. Once there's a crowd there's barely moving space. And you already know, no moving space= HOT AS HELL!!!! LOL But the atmosphere is chill. But if you can get a seat in the it's awesome ^_^
The music is awesome if you're into 90's hip hop, r&b and reggae. The DJ mixed it up so you don't hear the same songs over and over or the same genre for too long.
Try the White Gummy Bear. It's DELICIOUS!!!! I went for my birthday. If it's your birthday or soon to be you don't have to pay the $5 admission's fee.
I would definitely return. I left with my feet hurting and a smile
Came here once on a Saturday night and was surprised there was a cover. Fine, it was only $5 but still... I don't see the point on paying anything when your space is the size of a shoebox. As soon as you walk in you're basically on the "dance floor". When you finally find a spot on this so called "dance floor" you can't even enjoy the music because everybody is pushing past you to take the 6 steps to reach the bar located 4 feet behind you. Just ugh. Such a hot mess in there. I love random crowds because it makes for a different and fun experience but this was just ridiculous.
I would've given it 0 stars if possible but the DJ Â was on point that night and took my requests.
If my girl Mika wasn't spinning on the 1's and 2's I may have walked in and then walked right out....Her music is an AMAZING mix of hip-hop, reggae, r&b and then she goes old to new to old to new and it is everything you want to hear. Â
I know there is not a lot of space in NYC..but bOb...is the size of a studio apartment with a sublet curtain down the middle... like seriously it's someone's living room. It is just T-I-N-Y. I know people mentioned the size, but nobody is REALLY explaining how SMALL this place is . . therefore if you plan on dancing and not getting into any fights (we had nearly 3 dust-ups) then this is NOT the place for you.. However if you don't mind getting a sweaty elbow in the gut a booty in the back and some hair whipped into your eyes -- COME ON DOWN...
Ugh -- plus they have the audacity to charge a $5.00 cover, really it's because the music is so damn good..
Also liquor up BEFORE you come -- there is NO way you are getting anywhere near the bar..
Best part is that as we were going in the bouncer goes -- plenty of space in the back.. i'm like DUDE what?! Where?! space? the F*** u mean space... and WHY is the air conditioner turned off?
My 100th review of the year!!
bOb is sort of an institution in LES. It's been yeeeeears since I've been back to bOb and it's great to know nothing has changed. The space is as big as my cubicle. It's always pack to the nines. You'll most definitely get stepped on and bumped into. If you're a girl, expect to get hit on.
But I loooove bOb. The bouncers (hi darlings, xoxo - your girl with the guan yin) are friendly as hell and are such sweethearts. The drinks are cheap. You can always count on good music to get your grind on. And everyone in the place can f*cking dance!
Yes, they charge a $5 cover. But if you ask me to choose between bOb and a frou-frou lounge with $20+ cover and pay another $20 for a cocktail, there's no contest. Besides, I never had to pay the cover. Just saying ;)
hmmmm Almost ALWAYS ALWAYS have fun when I come here!!!! Â Great Hip Hop Music which is super hard to find in clubs/lounge nowadays, as techno gets more and more popular. Â
If you are not into hip hop, I don't think you would have as much fun. Â They charge $5 for cover, and the place gets PACKED around 12:30pm. Â It is a small place, so sometimes you would have no room to dance..but I guess I am willing to scarify for the good music that they play! Â
Drinks are reasonable priced, very casual...thinking about having my bday here this year...
For those who like the club and don't want to deal with the crow..I think the place down the street is own by the same owner...great music too..
I didn't want to review this place until i had been there a few times but Bob Bar is one of my favorites. It always plays good music and never lets me down with the crowd. The place is a little small but i don't mind because the atmosphere is on point. My only negative would be the price of the drinks. It's a five dollar cover charge but you make up for it on how expensive the drinks are. Nice plus is that you get in for free on your birthday.
Review Source:$5 to get in and it was dead, we sent our friend in first to scope it out to see if it was worth it to get in. Â She didn't seem convinced it would be that great but we went in anyways. Â The drinks were typical New York price, the place filled up fast and pretty soon there was no room to move. Â There were too many people....too many. Â I liked that there were seats around but not much else. Â
Been to better without a cover and the music had it's moments but this place was only okay...
$5 Cover.
Went on a thursday night - not too crowded but good amount of people there. Crowd was an interesting mix of older people and younger 20's. Everyone was definitely having a good time.
As the other reviews state, great music. Hip-hop and 90's. But the place was TINY. Literally the size of a small room. Also only 2 bathrooms that smelled REALLY bad - they were basically like port-a-potties.
I've been to Bob Bar more then a few times over the years always a decent place to get your dance on with your friends be sure to grab a seat quick abecause it's going to be a long night.
The service is hit or miss.
The drinks a little watered down.
Would give this place a 3.5 if I could
A $5 cover (for all) is odd and really neither here nor there, but I suppose bOb Bar is worth about $5 more than most other divey bars that have plenty of space for dancing.
This place is rarely anyone's first choice for a great evening out, but it somehow always creeps into the itinerary. Still, the drinks are priced reasonably and the music is quite good. I'll end up here again soon, I'm sure.
BoB was the spot for my gf & I back in the day....Great memories. Â I went there a couple of months ago with my lil bro and we had a great time....hopping to different spots in the city. Â Still a great vibe, great music and still tiny and packed. Â It's literally the size of my living room! Â Great to see some things don't change. Â :-)
Review Source:I was doing some bar hopping on a guys night out. Â We walked into this place and I immediately loved the music that was playing. Â I already had a more than a couple drinks in me but the music I remember hearing was probably 90's hip-hop. Â
The bar was pretty full, but I heard it could get even more crowded. Â Size was its slightly small but to chill and just have a few drinks its the good place and depending on your music preference it can be perfect. Â I have to go back and spend a little more than an 45min to an hr to fully enjoy the place.
Went there on a Saturday evening, looking for a nice place to dance and it was awful. Charged us a $5 cover and there was absolutely no space. To be fair, the music was pretty nice but what good is the music if you have no space to move?!?
The drink was watered down and it took forever to even make our way to the bar because it was so crowded. Crowd there was kind of strange as well. Would not recommend and never go again. I have no idea what is with all these raving reviews on yelp is about.
The place felt like a frat party. A bad frat party with people in their late 20s and 30s. No thanks.
I've been to bOb a few times over the years. The music is always a blast! Â The location is tiny, so come prepared to get comfortable. The crowd is lively and diverse. This is definitely a dancing spot, one I usually leave tipsy and sweaty. Perfect for dancing with friends, nothing too serious.
Review Source:The DJ was tearing it up! We had a great time at this place, probably mostly for this reason. Â The relaxed vibe was nice, definitely an interesting mix of people Though it was hard to see in the dark cramped space. Spot your fire exits and bring some cash for the cover. Not sure why you need a $5 cover when you are selling $8 coronas. Â But stick with beer or two ingredient drinks. The fancy cocktail list is deceiving, it tasted like our bartender didn't know how to properly make them.
Review Source:Disclaimer: Think of hanging out in your Best friends living room & the radio is hosting a 90's throwback on the radio where every song is "your favorite song"; add some liquor & of course your bestest of friends....& that's BOB!!!
The place is small & cozy, come early & grab a seat. Don't get all decked out, cause I've already told you its small & people really do seem to be at home. Leave the attitude & stillettos at home & go have a drink for me_ you won't regret it!
I would've given bob bar 5 stars 3 yrs ago. But we're talking about today so why should you care?
Besides the good feeling that "my apt is probably a tad bigger than this place", it has a lot going for it. It's not a fancy spot...it's more of a hole in the wall that you should visit. Often.
In simple words...the pros- go for great music , non pretentious crowd, $5 cover, friendly bar folks (except for Asian chic sometimes...more in the cons section), diverse crowd.
The cons- door guy starts getting angina if he doesn't see a lady/ladies even if its a solo guy night, gross bathroom (who cares right?), Asian bar tender once served me 4 drinks from an almost empty bottle of whiskey...4!! I was sure it wouldn't be enough for just my 1st drink but miraculously (think loaves of bread and fish type miracle) she was able to always whip out a glass of sooo much gingerale and a whiff of whiskey. If you get her, order you liquor straight and mix it yourself like i did for the rest of the night. Otherwise she's nice and friendly.
There is no space here to dance, let alone move around at all. Â The space is super small and the crowd packed. Â I did not appreciate all the bodies rubbing up against me on a Saturday night because they had so many people packed into such a small space. Â Think of rush hour traffic on a crowded subway times two. Â Like I was knocking over people just to find my party. Â They have no "door" whatsoever and they let everyone in. Â People were wearing whatever they wanted including unflattering tiaras and bunny costumes the night I went. Â This place is way too casual and the crowd a bit too old for my tastes. Â
They play 90s music only, which is not my thing. Â I don't understand why anyone would come here unless that kind of music is their thing or they really needed a change of pace. Â Fortunately, they were playing basketball on a TV at the bar which was the only saving grace of this place though we bailed fast.
Strictly 90's. I'm in heaven. I'm sad that there's no such thing in my bay area. This place makes me want to move to New York. People are chill and drinks are tasty. Whiskey Mash is a MUSTTTTT ! It's like a whiskey mojito. Only the girl bartender makes it fruity and light. The dude makes it really strong. But hey! That could be a great thing!
The pacers and miami game was on and people were just chilling near the bar watching it. : )
The only con is that this place is tiny. Theres only 2 bathroom stalls and it is dirty. LOL
Pros...
Great music (mainly 90s hip hop and r&b)
Great drinks
Happy crowd
Diverse crowd
Cons...
There are a few times where the music is a bit off and I feel that it brings only certain types of ppl...which isn't their norm
Bathroom is dirty and tiny
Sometimes the place (since its small) is so packed you can't dance
Ive been here many many times...Overall, 9 times out of 10, this is a fun place to go to...it's definitely a place that you would want to come back to...remember, this place gets so packed...but that's because it's a great fun place.
3.5
If, on any given night, I feel the need to cut some rug and want to hit a spot where I know the music won't disappoint, bOb Bar is definitely my go-to spot. Sure, there might be a few alternatives elsewhere in the city, but the DJ at bOb really knows what she's doing, with the proof lying in her strong selection of hip hop tracks and damn-near seamless transitions. I've come across a lot of sub-par DJs trying to mix since I've moved to NYC, and knowing that I don't have to worry about that at this particular venue is a huge plus.
As for the venue itself, this is where it drops from a 5 star to a 3.5. It's a pretty small place and the weekends usually bring a full-capacity crowd, so if you plan on going in a group, head over early and try to snatch one of the tables. Drink prices teeter around the SoHo/LES average, which isn't too bad, but not great either.
Personally, I like hitting up bOb during the week when the crowd's are thinner and you don't have to wait too long to grab a drink at the bar.
bOb is like a watering hole that attracts a diverse group of people and the water is its excellent music selection. The night my friends and I went, there were hipsters, middle-aged couples, and the usual clubbers, which made for an excellent evening out.
Definitely go for the music. Good mix of R&B, throwbacks to the 90s, and dance remixes.
It's so hard to find places that just have that feel-good, hip-hop, R&B, dance vibe. Sure, I can get down to some upbeat, electronic music, but there is only so much fist pumping and jumping I can do (and I'd have to be pretty tipsy to do that for hours). Maybe I'm just not looking at the right places, but I'm glad that streak ended at bOb Bar. Music was on point- Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg (who is now Snoop Lion), Justin Timberlake, etc. They did play some reggae music later in the night, which I am not too fond or familiar with. That might be my only, slight negative to the music, but everybody else seemed to dig it.
Everybody says the drinks are cheap... Uhhhhh... I mean... I've seen cheaper, and the prices are pretty standard for this Manhattan bar. Definitely not the cheapest place.
The bartenders were really quick and prompt. The only time you'd have to spend waiting is to get up to the bar, which can get pretty crowded. But the bartenders know the wait can be long, so they try to be as quick as possible.
Like I mentioned before, the bar can get really crowded. It gets annoying when you're dancing and people try to squeeze their way through you. They try to limit the numbers of people at the bar by not allowing people in when it gets too crowded, so try to come before it gets crowded. There is also a $5 cover charge if you come in after 10:00 p.m.
In short:
Music: A
Service: A
Price: B
Positives:
+ Great music (I guess this is subjective, depending on whether you like hip-hop/R&B)
+ Dancing atmosphere
+ Cool art on the walls
+ Bouncer is polite and respectful (manners go a long way)
+ Quick bartenders
Negatives:
- Small space
- Gets REALLY crowded
- If you don't come early enough, you won't get in without a wait
- "Manhattan-priced" drinks
This is how we do it.
It's Friday night, and I feel all right...
This Los Angeleno is feeling bOb, makes me want to fly back to NYC every friday just so I can bump it with the nicest people in NYC! My friend told me to research places I wanted to dance at so I typed "nyc" + "hip hop" because I hate everything else, TBH. bOb was on the top of the list...I can see why! We arrived at 11:30pm, told to wait, so we went to If Mom Only Knew next door for a drink then went back at 12:30, got in after a 10 min. wait.
(+)
-Bouncers are nice and honest... they didn't let people slide and get in without a wait.
-Old school hip hop, 00's rap, reggaeton, what's not to love?
-Bathroom sitch: no wait, toilet paper was well stocked, overall pretty clean
-$5/person cover after 10pm...def. beats the $20+ cover at Vegas
-Really good looking and hella great people, made a couple of friends during "California Love." High-five!
-Drinks were hella reasonable, the bartender was attentive, never had to wait for the drinks we got.
(-)
-Couldn't get some drinks as they ran out of certain types of alcohol
-Dance floor is very crowded, got spilled on by some drunk girl
Overall, will def be back here again (If I find a job in NYC/visit). I mean...I did promise the random people I met that I'd be back sometime!
**Try the White Gummy Bear drink...you will not regret it!
I came for the great new years deal and stayed because i got absurdly drunk.
We went here for new years and drank our asses off. From what I remember I had a wonderful drinking night. We couldn't pass up the $70 per couple for a 3 hour open bar. I really want to write more, but I would just embarrass myself with all of my drunken debauchery. So I'll just say go here if you want to have a fun and get loose as hell.
Don't forget to try the Tokyo Ice Tea!
Also, avoid the bathroom area at all cost. Shit got really real.
I am SOLD by this spot.....one of the few bars in NYC that I can appreciate, great music, great people, good times!
Cover: $5 after 10 pm - totally worth it!
Naturally for someone who doesn't go out much (but loves to dance) I get the honors to pick a place for a bday combination and the topic of choice: HIP HOP!
By using my magical yelp skills...I came across this sick ass place!
Pros:
MUSIC IS AMAZING!! - there was a good Japanese female DJ at the time I went
-Although its old school 80-90s we all could related no matter what the age
GREAT DACNE SPOT: with great music people better be dancing and to my surprise, people actually were! (could have been because half of the people there was my group but still a good sign if people are dancing.)
NO BATHROOM LINES
SPOTS WERE YOU CAN SIT AND CHILL
MIXTURE: ages, race, styles of dance, etc over all great people
Bouncers were hella chill...I was talking to the guy who was taking in the money, super nice, let me come in and out with no problem.
Cons:
SUPER PACKED - this is only temp....within an hour from 10:30 (when we got there) to 11pm the crowed died down! so we got about 2 hours of being able to move and have room to dance ...then the second wave of people came in at 1pm.
Overall: I havent had so much fun in a while. IF you're not into the big fancy clubs where you pay bank and you just wanna have a good time i suggest coming here.
Booty shakers, pop n lockers, and soul grinders can get their dance on at bOb, one of the LES's most reliable clubbing spots. It might be dubbed as a lounge or a regular bar, but on most nights the intimate crowd is busting a move to some serious hip hop and keeping the vibes at consistent upbeat levels.
There is a consistent flow of people here during all nights of the week. A $5 cover for all genders is mandated at the door, though enough sweet talk might curb the bouncers from soliciting too much. I think regulars are able to slip on by, but at $5, the fees could almost always be worse.
I'm not sure where they're getting their DJs, but the music is almost always good. There is little downer material, every other song is something that gets the crowd saying "ooooh!" and a cluster of bodies simultaneously heat up the dance floor. There is seating along the wall, but it gets considerably more limited as the crowd becomes more intense and diverse.
It's hard to award the 5th star when so many more venues have better ventilation and space. Crowd control is another issue, but for bOb's worst nights people can barely dance let alone squeeze through the bodies of people. Then there are the chill nights where getting a drink is as easy as working a dance battle in the center of the floor. It seems more often that not, the latter is less likely to happen.
I really wish I could remember being here on my birthday. I was told that good times were had. I supposedly ran into someone from work and a second later literally RAN INTO her friend causing some ill-defined degree of personal injury. The chronology of the night went something like this:
8-10PM Dinner at Hagi where massive quantities of beer and sake were consumed.
10PM-??AM?? bOb bar
??-?? Somehow ended up with a pair of crutches that were not mine and a stranger's scarf instead of my own.
??-?? Ate some chicken nuggets and was verbally berated by a McDonald's employee.
??-?? Friend's house. Woke up in an embrace with a bag of nasty tasting veggie chips.
??-?? Home.
WTF.
Great music and low cover ($5) to get in, but it was an absolute sweat-fest with no room to move once we got indoors. Â We left without even getting a drink because we were just standing by the entrance and couldn't get anywhere (it was about 12:30am when we stepped in). Â Ridiculous that the guys at the front door even took our $ and let us in knowing they were completely over-capacity. Â
My friend told me something that was very evident to me though - bOb Bar is where people go to get down & dirty. Â If you can do that with your space being invaded from all over, this might just be your place.
This review is way overdue, I almost forgot about this place and how could I when it's the most epic place ever? I went back in 2010 with my friends because we're nostalgic for all things 90's, including R&B and Hip-Hop. While waiting in line we knew this was the spot because they played Remember The Time and I'm like "Oh shiiiiiiiiit!"
The good: The music is the shit. I love it when DJ's actually play music we all know and don't jump in to interrupt the music every five seconds. The crowd is diverse and laid back, which I love. I forgot if there was a cover because one of my friends with big ta-tas talked to the bouncer lol.
Not so good: It's smaller than a NY studio apartment in there, so get there early. Also there's no A/C and seats are limited. Trying to get a drink can be a problem. If you're a woman I would suggest go with girls and not solo, we got some interesting come-ons so I can only imagine if you go solo.
Warning: The music will make you do the Carlton, Running Man, Tootise Roll, Humpty Dance, The Butterfly, and The Macarena while screaming THIS IS HOW WE DO IT on the dance floor.
-$5 COVER CHARGE
-The size of my room
-Get's very crowed  (To the point where its hard to dance without spilling your drink)
-Mixed crowd
-Tokyo IceTea will get you f**ked up! in a good way
Warning: Sometimes there is a bouncer at the door that acts like a total d**k for no apparent reason. I will get you his name so you can be aware. I've been a loyal patron to this place for years until this d**k denied me entry one night.
Instram / Twitter: TUFFDESIGNS
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