Ok. This I definitely my happy hour spot. The best I've seen yet! My favorite specials are the 1/2 priced appetizers, 2 for one drink power hour and late night happy hour from 1am - 4pm. Also the Yelp check-in deal for a BOGO drink is awesome.
As far as the food, I've tried the mac and cheese balls, meatball sliders and buffalo wings. The first two were delicious, but the wings were a little on the overly breaded soggy side which is a big no-no for me.
Will definitely be back for happy hour and those mac and cheese balls!
I love this place! They are only a block away from me, which is free brownie points for them. In a neighborhood full of uninteresting cheap bars catering to the Columbia U masses, they maintain some personality.
Both times I've gone, every member of the staff has taken especially good care of me and made me always wanting to come back. The bartender, Cortne, is a particular favorite.
The drinks are great. I particularly love their gin cocktail (the name escapes me). Their draft beers are a wonderful diversion from the plain-jane domestics you usually see. Their bottled beer selection includes lots of local breweries and great natioanl brands. They always have a good special, even if you can't make it during happy hour.
The atmosphere is the perfect mix of upbeat bar and relaxing neighborhood spot. The music they play is always good. I would recommend to anyone!
I love this place for the atmosphere. It's a small, friendly place that is a welcome alternative to the places bursting with students. Most days they are playing some sports event, which normally would bother me but it really adds to the atmosphere of this bar. They have a different deal every day (sunday funday, tequila thursdays, martini mondays, etc) so you can always get a great deal! The drinks are pretty bad, so you're better off sticking with their many draft beers, but for the price, the friendly service, great ambience and awesome crowd it's totally worth it.
Review Source:Can't be beat in the hood. Brunch is amazing. Can you say Bacon, Egg & Cheeseburger 5x fast. The bartenders are super cool and actually pay attention to you. They also chat you up on a myriad of topics and aren't just trying to flirt and grab a tip. They also don't give you the poor pour. So basically go here. Also, the owner is cool and knows how to play a good mix of tunes.
Review Source:We really miss Sip (the former bar and restaurant at this location). However, we really liked the staff here. They are very friendly and nice. We haven't tried the food yet, but we stopped by after brunch on Sunday. Their prices were great, and the service was very fast. Nice crowd mixture of locals and Columbia Univ. students. Will definitely come back.
Review Source:Martini Mondays? Tequila Thursdays? AND good food. Yikes. Who can resist?
Atmosphere: 4/5 - A darker, smaller bar with pretty good music, the 'dam offers a pretty nice scene in the UWS and it never gets too crowded. I've never been cramped for space and there are enough servers and bar tenders to go around as well.
Service: 4/5 - Wowsers, they're really nice. We went on a rainy Monday and not too many people were around but both the server AND the bartender were really attentive to our table and even came by to check up on us a little even though he was running the bar.
Food: 4/5 - Okay, for bar food in NYC, pretty damn good and inexpensive. We had these killer cilantro fries and I'm pretty sure all my friends enjoyed their burgers and stuff. The drinks are quite strong and cheap too.
Pretty much every single day has a deal and checking in gets your a nice reward as well :)
Would highly recommend
Went with 3 girl friends to de-stress after exams on a Thursday night at around 11. It was busy but not packed and we easily found 4 seats at the bar, though we would have preferred a table--they were all taken. We all started with margaritas, which were only $4!
THEN I checked in on yelp. Buy a drink, get a round free! I showed the bartender who was really cool about it and proceeded to get two more drinks. AND in the end, he only charged me for the margarita! Maybe he forget? Who knows! All in all, super sweet bartender and a great place!
Finding the 'dam:
- NOT between 108 street and 109 street, it's between 109 street and 110 street
- NOT inside Melvin and Pat's Barber Shop, although they share the same address (998 Amsterdam Ave), it is a very small store next to Melvin and Pat's
Ordering food:
- Lunch special is about $11 for each person including tip and tax
- Best deal is the burger, huge patty, has bacon and some veg, but is super greasy
- 2nd best deal is the omelet, has mushrooms, carrot strips and some bacon
- 2nd worst deal is bacon, egg and cheese, has only 2 slices of bacon and very little egg and cheese
- Worst deal is the egg benedict, 2 fist-size egg benedict with an even smaller topping of mini poached eggs and mini ham slices
- All lunch specials comes with a lot of fries (impossible to finish), a small jar of fruits and coffee or tea
Other facts:
- Went to the 'dam with 3 friends on a Saturday afternoon
- Super small store-front
- Dim lightning, not a good place for brunch
- Took 30 minutes to prepare our 4 dishes of food
- After we finished eating, waitress kept asking us do we need anything (want us to leave), even though no one was waiting for our table
Conclusion:
- Decent price but below average food, slow and annoying service, bar atmosphere (music, lightning and decor), won't come back for brunch, maybe yes to grab a beer at night
Tip to yelp: The location of the 'dam is between 109 street and 110 street (why say between 108 street and 110 street?)
Whether your with some friends grabbing a few drinks or looking for a bite to eat this place never fails. Good beer selection and great drink specials. Food here is great- Mac n Cheese tots (which were recommended by our waitress) are to die for...I swear I dream of those things. Dim atmosphere with a chill vibe and good music. The staff is friendly and inviting.
Review Source:Yelp inexplicably says this place is "Good for Groups." It's the size of my left nostril! Groups of what? On top of this, it's packed! As packed as my left (or right) nostril during the height of hay fever season. No! No! No! It is NOT good for groups. Also Yelp says "takes reservations." That may be true, but what do they do with them after they take 'em? They certainly don't KEEP them.
    We arrived with a reservation for 8.... er... correction: we arrived after having MADE a reservation for 8. With the help of really helpful patrons (few (none?) of whom had moved into the third century of their life), we were able to scrounge up stools to crowd 5 of us around a table for 2. The single waitress in the place was as helpful as she could be, but she was overworked and not able to be Johnny on the spot when Johnny needed to be on the spot. The draft list was a bit bland, but the bottle list had some interesting choices. The food, especially the bacon wrapped shrimp (sorry my kosher friends), was GREAT! The other patrons were friendly, if a bit loud... as kids are wont to be.
   ATTENTION GUYS ON THE PROWL! A ton of local Columbia/Barnard co-eds seem to live in this place. Get there EARLY! For the old fogies like us, we'll move on down the road.  --Drink Club NYC is a roving group of NYC drinkers, a different bar every week
This would be a 3* rating for me, but taking into account how hard is to find a decent burger in Morningside Heights, I give it 4*. Big, juicy burgers for 12$, althought a bit greasy and with an excess of garlic in the meat (if you like garlic then will not even notice as my friend did not, I am not a big fan so it was an issue for me). Nice ambience in a small and friendly pub. The appetizers are also good (we tried the mac and cheese balls) althougt the quantity is small for the 9$ price. Next time I'll definately come back for a burger along with several coke free refills (a big + for me when eating burgers).
Review Source:I loved this place. It is a small and very cute pub with a quite limited yet nice selection of draughts, tasty appetisers (we had the mac n' cheese balls), delicious and filling burgers, accompanied with some amazing parmesan truffle fries, and great prices! Take that almost every other pub/restaurant at Morningside Heights, it is that simple to be decent!
The really nice and friendly atmosphere and the great service, along with numerous Coke refill, only added to the value of this little gem. Highly recommended.
Great gastropub in Morningside heights. Â It's pretty small, (there are only about a dozen tables in addition to the bar), but I was able to sit down no problem for happy hour/dinner on a Thursday night. The food is amazing. We started with the nachos, which were great but too much food for two people who were going to have entrees too. I had the burger, which was cooked exactly to my Medium specification and came with a side of fantastic Parmesan truffle fries. The burger was big and juicy, but not so much so that it soaked the bun and became a mess. Â The fries were crispy and there were so many I had to take some home. Â The service was great too, despite there being only one bartender/waitress covering the whole restaurant. I would be interested to see if this holds up when it gets really busy.
I'm subtracting a star because the cocktails were pretty whack. At least two drinks on the menu had Sprite as an ingredient (really) and one of them also had the fake red grenadine plus rum which made for a sugary mess. Â The margaritas were decent though, and they were only $4 because of their Thursday night special, so who can complain? Â You could also avoid the problem entirely by ordering booze and a mixer or one of their many beers on tap.
I recommend coming here. Â If they ever overhaul their cocktail menu at the direction of someone who knows anything about mixology, this place will be perfect. Â They also have a great AYCD brunch special, so I'm eager to come back in and try it out.
I was going to give this place 4 stars because we were so excited for the find and the good food, but the service was embarrassing.
My girlfriend and I were set to each have a couple drinks, but after waiting 40 minutes from the time our server last checked on us, I was so done that we just left. Our waitress was standing 6 feet away chatting with a friend, completely ignoring my empty glass for a solid 20 minutes. She had actually never even came back to ask if everything was okay after getting our food. I finally asked the bartender to get my check for me, and then upon seeing our check (without the special applied) she said it was only 2 for 1 PER PERSON. Well I most definitely would've ordered a second (although not another terrible margarita because as my girlfriend so perfectly put it, it tasted like "college"). Â Then when I said I would've actually ordered another but she never came back, she was completely rude and unapologetic. Having worked in service for years, I give people a lot of opportunity to make a situation right (or at least better with a good service attitude). And she just made it worse at every turn. Not good business.
This place is cute and if you come just for a beer you're fine. However, the burger is DISGUSTING. I do not recommend eating there.
Because of how charming it is to drink a beer there, I assumed the food would be good, but neither the burger (the bun was very sugary) nor the fries are worth the price.
I really LOVE this place!!!!
Chill vibe...always has great music playing...different drink specials every day...the bartenders are all cool & friendly...not packed with youngsters (huge plus!!!)...and then there's the food!!!
I haven't had a bad meal there yet!!! I particularly love the brunch there. Peanut Butter & Banana stuffed French Toast, anyone?! The Farmer's Omelette & home fries are delish!!! And you can't go wrong with bottomless mimosas!
Other standouts are the 'dam Burger (I'm talking ridiculously good!!!), the Shrimp Po' Boy and the Parmesan Truffle fries!
If you're in the area and looking for a nice, laid back spot to have a few drinks or get some grub, this is the place for you!
This amazing quaint sports bar offers excellent food and quality spirits. Â Want to watch a game? Â Three large high definition flat screens offer NY teams sports games (and other teams) and this place has excellent acoustics so you won't have any trouble hearing the broadcast. Try the Mac n' cheese balls, shrimp po' boy and burger. Don't forget to get the nachos before they are gone in May! The service is stellar too!
Review Source:Nothing like finding a deal on the upper west side tucked in an ivy-league surrounding. Having typical new york style pricing, the 'dam isn't the best hole in the wall place to find yourself in if your in need of cheap drunk food. However, if your in the mood for I need a good meal so I can get drunk food, this is the place.
A very small, very small bar, with limited seating, and even when it's not packed, finding a table is hard due to tables being on top of each other. it was pick your choice seating with fast service that I didn't even realize they served food at first.
Be careful of the bathrooms though, they just seem to be swinging french doors where people we're constantly getting walked in on.
Check in before you starting drinking.. or while you are.. and you get a 2 for 1 drink special which isn't bad at all.
The portions are decent sized as well which was another shocker and we're not bar food at all.
Giving me a plump juicy burger with a side of fries that were piled on top of the plate? that surprised me as well, with parmesan sprinkled on top filled me up nicely and it didn't set me over twenty bucks which was fine by me.
one down side to fancy ivy-league style is their registers, they we're ipads, totally cool, when they work and your not stuck waiting for an app to work.
I liked this place. They didn't have a crazy selection of beers but they were good. We sat there on Saturday afternoon and they had beers for $4 which was a good value for a bar and the mixed greens salad was great and also only $4.
All in all - good experience. I guess it's packed on the evening and I wish they had more beers. The Amber Ale was delicious!
The food and decor make it too nice to be a dive bar, but it's not nice enough to be a full fledged gastro-pub. The 'dam is in a weird in-between place, which usually doesn't make that much of a difference to me, but I think might be responsible for why the service is way below average.
Understaffed on most nights I've been, you definitely have to wait for service. Most dive bars in the city have more attentive bartenders than this place. If the staff stepped it up, this place would be 4 stars.
The area needs some places like this. Â Far and away, the biggest problem here is understaffing. Â One person cannot serve the entire establishment, and as a result, service is poor / slow. Â It's not the bartender's fault - they do the best they can with the limited resources provided. Â Hire 2 more people to work on any given shift, sell more food & drink.
Review Source:This place is great!
A friend and I came here after a night out had taken a turn for the worst downtown and decided to check out what was nearby to where I recently moved in.
It was dark and loud inside and they played great music.
My friend grabbed some of their coffee table books off a shelf as we seated ourselves -- a friendly touch.
They had some board games available as well.
The waitress was friendly, our drinks were great, and we ordered frickles (fried pickles) and onion rings.
The onion rings were not great - the dough around them was very soft, not crispy at all, Â but the frickles were amazing!
They made up for us not wanting the onion rings.
As we left I saw some people having flights of beer -- will definitely be returning to the 'dam and hope to try some of those next.
This place is great! Â I come here with my friends from Columbia whenever we want to have actual conversation or watch a big game/television event. Â Definitely a more laid back feeling than many of the larger (and louder!) bars in the area. Â The dim lighting, and tables set back from the bar lead to a great atmosphere for small groups.
The appetizers (especially the mac & cheese tots, frickles & parmesan truffle fries) are all amazing! While I usually come here for drinks & apps, I have also tried the grilled cheese sandwich with tomato for dinner and thought it was great. Â
One of the best parts about the 'dam for students is that they always have such awesome drink/appetizer specials, which definitely separates this place from the rest. Â Â You just can't beat Two for Tuesdays when so many things are half-priced!
I will definitely be back, many times. Â All in all, a great place.
I graduated from Marist College (go Red Foxes!) back in 2007. When I heard the owner of the 'dam was married to a Marist graduate, and there is a Marist-inspired drink on the menu, how could I not check it out?
Atmosphere
Hailey and I visited the 'dam on a Tuesday night looking for a relaxing meal along with a few drinks. The 'dam was the perfect setting. The restaurant/bar is long and narrow, with a bar lining the right hand side as you walk in and tables lining the left. The fully stocked bar has a television to its right, for sports fans looking to catch the game. Exposed brick surrounds you as you take a seat at the bar or grab one of the eight or so tables lit by candlelight. Overall, the place is dimly lit but there are a few clear hanging light bulbs that help to supplement the table candles. Board games sit on one shelf nearby, and these, along with the overall atmosphere of the place, encourage you to hunker down and stay for a while. There is no rush here.
Food
The 'dam has daily food and drink specials. On Tuesday, the deal was 2 for 1 apps, drafts and specialty cocktails. Perfect. We took full advantage of this and went to town.
First things first, I had to order the Red Fox cocktail (despite the fact it was bright red and I was a little embarrassed to be drinking it).
  The Red Fox: Bacardi Silver and Myers Dark with Sprite, Grenadine, and pineapple. A Shirley Temple with a twist.
The bartender at the 'dam must have a heavy pour because this drink was strong. It definitely did look like a Shirley Temple (once again, embarrassed) but the vodka and rum took it to another level. The Red Fox was delicious.
Onto the food. We ordered:
  Mac and Cheese Tots
  Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: pan roasted shrimp wrapped in bacon served with a roasted chipotle red pepper sauce
  'dam Burger: 8oz of angus beef topped with cheddar cheese and a caramelized bacon onion remoulade on a toasted potato bun
  Grilled Chicken Sandwich: grilled marinated chicken breast topped with provolone cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomato on a toasted baguette with herb mayo
The Mac and Cheese Tots were delicious. Six fried balls of macaroni came out topped with tiny pieces of bacon and drizzled with a cheese sauce. Cheese exploded in your mouth upon biting into one of these and this, combined with the bacon, gave this appetizer a great flavor. The other appetizer, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, was equally as good. Six shrimp wrapped in bacon were placed around the chipotle red pepper sauce. The shrimp were well cooked and the red pepper sauce had a slight kick to it which I loved. Lesson learned from the appetizers: everything is better with bacon.
I ordered the burger for my entree. I'm a huge fan of burgers and this one didn't disappoint. The burger was cooked exactly as ordered - medium rare - and came topped with a healthy amount of cheddar cheese, sauteed onions and bacon. This burger was very juicy and practically melted in my mouth. The ample amount of cheese, onions and bacon only enhanced the flavor of the meat, with the bacon providing a nice crunch to each bite. (Side note, the bacon was well cooked, exactly how I like my bacon - bonus points for that!) The bun was perfectly toasted and didn't fall apart at all throughout my entire assault on this sandwich.
The burger was accompanied by a side of Parmesan truffle fries. These fries had a heavy does of Parmesan cheese on them and were very crispy. The cheese made them addictive and I greedily quickly devoured all of them.
Service
The service was great. We were some of the only people dining at the tables (everyone else was at the bar) so the waitress was quick to help. She quickly brought us our drinks, food and made sure everything was to our liking. She also joked around with me about the Red Fox drink and how, despite the girliness of it, I had to order it since I was a graduate.
Value
The food and drinks were all reasonably priced. Plus, the 2 for 1 Tuesday night special brought down the cost of the meal considerably, with our appetizers and drinks essentially half price.
The Verdict
The 'dam was the perfect spot for a relaxing, casual and low key dinner and drinks. The food was very good and a notch higher than your typical pub fare and there are some unique drinks that give you the option of experimenting a little if you wish. The 'dam conveys comfort. The staff doesn't rush you out the door and makes small talk with the customers, something that really shows the character of a place. With a drink named after my alma mater, I'll definitely be back. I recommend you give the 'dam a try as well.
Small but nice tap selection, and if you're a fan of 90s grunge (as I am), the music can't be beat (though it does get a little repetitive, I must admit).
The food is only so-so. Â Mac and cheese bites were delicious. My wife had the shepherd's pie, which was really tasty, but could have used more gravy and vegetables (an odd complaint, I know). Â I had the shrimp in chili garlic sauce, which was actually a lemon butter sauce with some garlic and red pepper flakes thrown in. Â Pretty disappointing--I was expecting BAM and I got blah. Â It was served with very salty rice (??) and a few steamed veggies.
Service was friendly.
Love this place!
I'm always on the lookout for a good bar near my home. This is it.
Great music.
Great bartenders.
Great drink specials.
Good food.
Great prices.
$5 wine on Wednesdays.
2 for 1 drinks on saturday (I think).
This list goes on, really just a great bar.
I will say, WATCH THE STEP!
Great casual neighborhood bar with amazing food options. The everyday specials here are great, and offer a great upscale (yet affordable) option for everyone. Bartenders are great, and very welcoming.
Been here for brunch also, and although it's by no means healthy everyone has to try the monster french toast!
Whatever mood you're in, this bar seems to fit the bill... board games-sports games-long week chill un-wind. It's a great addition to the neighborhood!
I highly recommend the Shrimp Po Boy and of course the Mac n Cheese Balls!
This is a great cozy bar! Â The music is great and the happy hour specials are great as well! Â I went with some friends for drinks and we would definitely return. Â We didn't eat so I'm not reviewing the food. Â It's a low key place to go for a chilled out night for drinks. The bar is small so it's not a place where you will be dancing or anything like that. Â There are specials every night of the week! Â I would recommend coming here for a night of drinks and talking with a few friends.
Review Source:Thursday nights are Tequila Thursdays at the 'dam and they are fantastic. $4 for a margarita and they don't skimp on the tequila.
Also, check in on yelp and it's buy one get one free, so I paid $4 for 2 delicious margaritas!
I had a grand ole time!
It's a tiny little venue, the bartenders are really nice, and it gets pretty packed as the night goes on.
I'll definitely be back....probably on Thursday.
We just got back from trying The 'dam. Â Great little bar. Â It's cute and cozy and the bartender was very friendly. Â Sundays, as the bartender says, they "give everything away." Â Practically everything is half-price. Â Half-price appetizers and $4 mimosas, bloody marys, and drafts. Â There aren't many drafts to be had, but there is, I think, something that everyone can deal with for $4. Â Example: I hate most summer seasonal beers. Â They had three summer beers and one lager. Â I had the lager. Â Amen. Â
We tried the fried pickles, bacon-wrapped shrimp, and wings. Â C'mon...how can you go wrong with bacon-wrapped anything? Â The shrimp were incredible. Â The marinara they came with was spicy and flavorful...on top of bacon-wrapped shrimp. Â Sheesh. Â My Dominican loved the wings. Â I loved the sauce and the amount of veggies they came with. Â However, I prefer wings that aren't breaded. Â These are breaded so the breading gets mushy. Â The pickles were crispy and juicy and came with a yummy sauce. Â No complaints there. Â
They have specials every night. Â I will definitely be going back for Tequila Thursdays. Â Yes...I am a lush. Â I approve. Â Two thumbs up.
It was fine.
I tried to garden salad with chicken. The lettuce/spinach was fresh and good quality. The chicken was nothing special, and the dressing was bottled (not homemade), but at least they used some bottled brand that was better than whatever is cheapest.
I also tried the BLT, which was nothing special, but the truffle fries were good.
The bartender was nice, but the food took forever to come out, and there was like no one else there. The drinks were fine. They had a decent selection of liquors, and a few beers that are not run-of-the-mill.
I go back and forth about how I feel about this place.
I miss Sip. The 'dam is no Sip.
But it is a bar with music that seems to be streaming all my favorite high school tunes. It has fun games and a great bar to hang out. It's confused about how to use space, though, and is not quite efficient in fitting tables and chairs inside, in my opinion. The people who work here seem a bit vanilla, and the menu prices are high.
Don't get the tomato soup. It is clearly out of a can.
So... mostly bummed out. Unless I want to hear some RHCP, Fuel, Counting Crows, and the like.
Just opened, and such a vast improvement over Sip, the bar the once lived here.
The best way to describe this place is an upscale pub... what does that mean? It means that all sandwiches are served with paramsean truffle fries, and has apps like meatball sliders and fried mac and cheese.
A few good craft beers are on tap instead of the usual generic bud/miller/coors lite selection, as well as a few interesting mixed drinks.
Def worth checking this place out when you are feeling like going to a classier bar.
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