i think i just drank 16 beers. or was it 8. i don't remember.
this place is super neato, maybe a little touristy for young alcoholic tourists. i think the first time i was here was probably when i was a young alcoholic tourist in the 80s, and it is pretty much the same. dark or light, both are good choices. it gets loud.
Dark or Light.
those are the choices. You drink two beers at a time in glass mugs. The guys can carry 8 beers in one hand and plop them down gracefully at your old wooden table.
Everything here is all about time...going backwards several hundreds of years. And OLD. There is so much history in this bar its cool.
I spent a few hours sitting by a group that was desperately trying to grab the mugs with their hand.
It's the little things in life that are entertaining, no?
Is the oldest bar in New York. They have light and dark beer and always serve you 2 glasses for 5.50$. A place full of character and all sorts of different people in it. It's a bit hard to get a table but if you manage you'll probably end up staying there for quite a while.. A great hang.
Review Source:As traditional as it gets. Â I was kind of annoyed about going to this bar, because I'd never heard of it and my friends and I had just left that area on the train to do something uptown that fell through and then we had to go all the way back. Â Then there was the ambiguous description from my brother, "my friend said it's the best bar in Manhattan." Â I didn't know if it was gonna be a swanky/hipster joint with $15 drinks or the kind of cover bar that I wouldn't pass the dress code for (we were walking around touring all day).
When we got there the door had a big padlock hanging on it, the windows had a black chicken wire covering and they were so dark from the outside that I thought for sure this place was closed down for renovations. Â Anyway, the door mysteriously opened on command and we walked into "The Best Bar in Manhattan!" Â I knew right away I'd give this place 5 stars. Â it's avidly decorated with old paintings and original framed news articles anywhere from 160 years old to now. Â There's even an article announcing the assassination of President Lincoln. Â Even the backside of the menu has a reprint of an article from 1913 describing the place much as it is today, with the exception of a few much needed improvements like allowing women in the bar these days. Â Hilarious. Â What did those men think they were doing without our "domesticity?"
The menu is incredibly simple (light ale or dark ale that they brew there I believe) and regular pub fare Irish-style with the addition of a few American favorites like cheeseburgers and fries. Â All of us loved our food. Â The seating has a number of smaller tables for private parties, but the whole place was packed on a Monday night, so my group of three got seated at a larger table which we shared with a couple visiting from Belgium and had a great time meeting them and sharing ales with friendly strangers.
Great company, great atmosphere, Women Allowed!, although the ratio is still more like a sausage fest, and of course we all enjoyed watching our server manhandle 8 beer-mugs at a time in each hand.
Sorry, but no. I love old things. I love traditions. I love institutions that have stood the test of time. But I don't love smelly places with sub-par brew that use the excuse of being around forever to offer a lackluster experience. Maybe it just wasn't for me, but I really did not enjoy it. If the beer had been drinkable, I may have enjoyed it. The only thing I did like was the history - all the old fixtures and photographs are great. But no, never again.
Review Source:McSorleys is a one of a kind place that's been around forever... and it looks, smells, and feels every bit of it --- In a good way. Â This pub looks exactly the way it did when it opened by in the 1800's. There's an undeniable charm here. As you sit and enjoy a cold one you can't help but feel apart of the history that's walked through their doors. The photographs on the walls even prove this. As for the beers, there's only two options: Dark and Light. Both are okay but go down extra well on a hot New York City summer day. Â Make sure you make this a stop when in NYC. I recommend going in the afternoon. Avoid the crowds after 5 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Review Source:Perhaps the oldest and well known bars in the city. My favorite thing? The best beer selection around - Light and Dark.
Dating back to the mid 1800's this bar has history. My only complaint is that it's so popular that it's often too packed to even move. Oh well, give nod to the picture of Lincoln behind the bar and move along.
The photos on the walls, the wishbones hanging from the chandeliers, the fistfuls of dark beer...add to this, the plates of cheese, crackers, onions, and HOT mustard. The waiters are dry and direct, fun when engaged though. The place is s historic icon of Irish culture in the city. Highly recommended for a great time.
Review Source:A NYC staple, this place was already awesome before you (yes, YOU) were born. Light or dark beer (only the dark is barely palatable) ordered by the number of mugs (anything less than 10 is a waste of time in this tightly packed destination), awesome cheese plates (just don't eat under one of the dust encrusted haunted mansion lighting fixtures), speakeasy 1920 bathrooms, and one and only one rule: Be Good or Be Gone!
Review Source:went there yesterday for lunch with my son and wife we ordered the large cheese plate, 1 bowl of chili, 2 cheese burgers and on Saturdays they have a pork sandwich which I ordered. I am fussy when it comes to food and I was leery about the pork thinking it was going to be dry but was I wrong. The pork sandwich was so moist and  tender it melted in your mouth as for the rest of our order everything was dead on delicious. Burgers cooked perfectly the chili is killer good and the prices for everything are so cheep for NYC everything we ordered including 2 rounds of Ale for my son and myself which equals 8 small mugs and a soda for my wife was 52.00
the atmosphere is unique the staff is friendly if you have never been there this is a must
Hands down my favorite bar in the city. They have a simple concept, well executed. Two beers, light or dark McSorley's ale. (The beer is NOT brewed on the premises and hasn't been for some time) Some good rib-sticking pub grub as well. My favorite is the corn beef hash, which comes with some red pickled cabbage and green veggies.
When friends come to visit me, this and Katz's are the places I take them.
Take heed of the motto behind the bar: "Be good or be gone." They mean it, if you get overly rowdy or even vaguely obnoxious, they WILL remove you. Seen it happen. It's kinda funny. Don't be that guy.
Really  simple good  old fashioned type of bar. Light and dark beer only. I prefer the dark . Cash only. Love the saltines with onions and their spicy mustard is the best. It makes the cracker and onion awesome. Try the mustard very good. Tourists and locals flock there. Early afternoon not super crowded.  You will possibly share table if Just go with just 1 or 2 persons.  Decent hamburgers and liver wurst sandwiches.
Review Source:A famous drinking establishment. Â Super-loud with a very limited menu, two beer choices, and an old beat-up look. Â Service is efficient at the price of socializing. Â Interesting in that - other than accumulation of memorabilia - the interior likely has not changed a lot in a century. Â It also looks like it may not have been cleaned in that time period as well.
Yes, like every other famous spot in NYC, there are a lot of tourists. Â But there were also a ton of locals, and everybody was having a rip-roaring good time. Â This isn't Guy Fieri's. Â It's an old, old saloon full of happy drunks. Â Quite interesting to watch. Â
I had half a beer, along with four Diet Cokes, and just sat there watching the show while my mates got plowed. Â
If you prefer a prissy atmosphere with a cocktail menu, don't like tourists or no-name ale, you should find another place. Â Or buy a twelve-dollar sixpack of some exotic microbrew and drink it at home.
Glad I finally made it here but it's not my kind of place. Definitely don't come if you are looking for a relaxing, intimate time with friends. We came at 7pm and there were already no seats and it was super crowded.
The waiters are, should we say, a bit rough and they like to tease you. We tried both the light and dark beers and I liked the dark beer better.
On the menu, the only food listed are sandwiches (ham, cheese, liverwurst, turkey) and crackers with cheese. I thought I would have to settle for one of these options but thank goodness I noticed a chalkboard behind the bar that said that burgers and fries along with roast pork was available. I order the cheeseburger and fries which came with a pickle and it went well with the beers.
Overall, this place reminded me of a frat party but with tourists.
What else can you say about this place that hasn't already been said in the last 150 years? Â You can say it can be crowded at times, that they haven't changed so much as a light bulb since the 19th century, that they lack any beer variety, and that the bartenders are impatient and a little off putting. Â You can say all of that, but you can't say that you didn't have a good time. Â You walk in, there's sawdust on the floor, dusty frames on the wall, and dust everywhere. Â But you find a spot at the bar, order a bunch of lights and darks, and then have an awesome time. Â It's just one of those place you have to try once. Â Then twice, thrice, and so on.
Review Source:Feels like the a bar I use to go to in college. Writing on the tables and very old decor. The place is a landmark in NYC. Â The beers come in 2 glasses and are great. The only problem is getting to the bar. The place is very popular, especially on weekends. Definitely get there very early if you want to claim a table.
Review Source:Reasons to go to McSorley's
- You've never been to McSorley's? In that case, you must go, because there's no way you'll believe me.
- It's your 21st birthday. I bet all of your friends are saying "yo dude, there's this awesome old Irish pub where we're gonna take you to get wrecked!"
- You think that screaming at a bar is AWESOME!
- You think that chugging shitty beer at a bar is AWESOME!
- You frequent 13th Step or Off The Wagon
- You're a tourist
If none of these apply to you, I have no idea why you would want to go here. It's packed to the brim with tourists, the beer sucks, the bar sucks, the service sucks, the people suck. It's not a dive bar, it's just a shitty bar.
Absolutely NOT a bar to go to if you want to get drunk with friends. This is a bar you go to for a quiet beer, and damn good and simple sandwich, and a quiet conversation.
Old-style decor, no music (at least when I went), simple yet good quality beer (light or dark) and a mellow atmosphere. Mostly older people go here and sometimes that's what you need after a long day of walking.
Go for it.
Eh.. I didn't care too much about this place. The crowd is definitely older than the usual East Village crew and I liked that part. However, nothing was too special other than the historical presence of the bar.
I actually got to drink here after a few tries throughout the years. Every once in a while, my friends will want to bring me here if they find out that I have never been here, but this place was always way too packed.
It was kinda funny. My friend (who is in his 50s) was keep telling me how historic this place was and then they only sell beers in sets of two mugs. No exceptions, he said, and he said his friend even got kicked out asking for a single beer. Shortly after, I noticed a hand written sign that they sell 1 beer for a slightly higher price. So my friend challenged the bartender asking when it started. The bartender said it was for weekdays only, but hey - it was Saturday afternoon, and the sign was there. Kinda funny.
If you are visiting NY or live in NY, it's simple. If you haven't been, just go. You will make friends. Period. If you are a resident of NY, your review may be different. This place seems to pack both tourists and locals. It just depends on what you like. For the most part, the people that flock there, flock frequent. If I lived in NY, I would have this bar on my repeat list.
Each table seats about 10, so if you are an introvert or have social anxiety, challenge yourself. You won't regret it. It's always packed, so if you don't feel like dealing with a crowd or rubbing elbows, then this is not the place for you. I personally like the intimacy. Makes for great conversation.
The bar is the oldest Irish tavern in the state of New York. They serve 2 beers; light and dark. Dark was my choice, as I am not a fan of bitter beer. The light beer is for hop enthusiast. Â It's average tasting and get's the job done. Order the white cheddar, onion and saltines with your beer. It's a nice snack and goes well with the beer. It's simple, maybe it taste good because you're intoxicated? Who knows, it just works.
Father and son run the place The father is the sweetest Irish man. I think he received about 10 hugs from me before I left, and my nickname is now California. Clever.
I can go on-and-on about the history of this place, but they have a Facebook page you can read:
<a href="/redir?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FMcSorleys-Old-Ale-House%2F112031628813870&s=9cd3a21bd260090d9d19e1f88fbaeae5e720f0729744837fe09b2aeaad6dbd73" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com…</a>
Good times, and I will be back. Thanks, guys!
It had been well over a decade since I'd set foot in McSorley's, and I was hesitant. A buddy made a convincing point: "This place is like a museum, and how many museums can you drink beer in?"
That was enough to get me over my New York aversion to going anywhere where tourists are likely to be well-represented. The streets around McSorley's have changed - the seediness has diminished substantially, and the people strolling them seem much wealthier than the East Village denizens of decades past. The grit is gone.
McSorley's has not changed, and grit is well represented. Â It really is like walking into a museum - a museum where you can drink beer. You'll be doing so in the company of tourists, but so what? They're here because they want a taste of "real" old New York. And at McSorley's it's not a put on.
Take it as it is.
Dusty old bar with dusty looking staff. No music, just noise. Now I know what Abe Lincoln must have experienced. The place is a wealth of history with two options: light or dark ale. You get two mugs per order for $5.50.
My Ivy League past was warmed by running into two generations from my alma mater. If you know Mory's in New Haven, you'll appreciate McSorley's for the nostalgia factor.
McSorley's has been around since 1854. Â The proof is all over the walls, which are covered in memorabilia that serve as great conversation starters. Â (Look for Houdini's handcuffs and ask about the wishbones. Â Ladies like myself might get a chuckle out of all the signs and newspaper clippings that reference a time when the bar was "Men Only.")
For a bar with so much history, it's surprising that the ambience is so unpretentious, welcoming, and relaxed. Â No pressure, no frills, and thankfully no gimmicks. Â It feels like a real neighbourhood pub, with incredibly friendly staff and a good mix of locals and out-of-towners. Â I miss the cat, though.
Alcohol-wise, you can only order dark or light ale. Â Both are delicious and brewed in-house, and two will only set you back $5.50. Â What more do you want? Â I've never sampled the food. Â They do serve some basic snacks, but I usually park here for a few beers before eating elsewhere in the neighbourhood.
My favourite spot for daytime drinking.
If you're looking for a slice of true NYC/old America, this is the spot to stop by. Nothing in the eyes of high class decor, but definitely an experience full of cheap beers, "cheese trays", and good times.
Stop in with a group, order a bunch of light or dark beers (dark are heavier in alc %) and ask for a cheese tray.
Don't expect to come here and eat... go up the street for some grub.
This is the place. Day drinking? Look no further. The place is old...I mean OLD. Not just, "I bought old stuff" old, but "I've had this since the 1800s" old. Which is legitimately awesome. Not only do they have a lot of cool history intact with the place and a ton of things to see if you want to look around, the place is CHEAP. $5 for two beers. Dude. Beyond amazing.
For all you germaphobes, don't come here, it can get gross. But when you just want to have a great time, germs are probably the last thing on my mind. They literally just dip the cups in a soap basin and a water basin...and presto! Cups for new beer. Gross, but awesome.
Anyways, come early, cause lines are insane, and enjoy the wasted people. There is going to be tons. I mean, I had two beers in each of my hands at a time. Man, I needa come back.
Look up the history of this place, it goes deep. Upon walking in late one evening, I was greeted with the sour smell of an old ale house, full tables, and sawdust on the floor. We looked around and found no empty tables but the barman came and showed us to a partially empty table. If you don't know what to drink, it's easy here: light or dark. I ordered light, and was promptly served two mugs of it.
I didn't stay long, but I could have easily stayed there for hours just soaking in the atmosphere. It seemed like every picture, every photograph, every painting, every odd piece of furniture, each had a really good story that needed telling. Example: there is a row of wishbones hanging over the bar counter. Why is it there?
Touted as the only ale house in New York that has operated continuously since the 1800's (even through Prohibition, you figure out how they managed that), this place is rich with history. The walls are decorated with it, the furniture is full of it. If you only stop in to one place for a beer while in NYC, stop here; here you can see the ever-shrinking vestiges of Old New York.
McSorley's opened their doors in 1854 and you can feel the history oozing from the sawdust covered floors, dust covered pictures on the wall, to the ghostly artifacts hanging from the ceiling.
They keep it really simple for you. You have your choice of the light beer or the dark beer. (I liked both)
No fancy beer with fruit in it, no mixed drinks with umbrellas and straws here.
Do yourself a favor and take a walk around the crowded room if possible just too look at all the relics on the walls.
Abe Lincoln used to knock them back here, this place is awesome!
Disclaimer: I'm not a fan of beer.
McSorley's is a GREAT historic establishment....but if you are at all smell sensitive, you may just want to look up the history, stop by and look in and then bounce. The place REEKS of beer. Like, reeks. The floor is full of sawdust which, while authentic, absorbs beer and helps contribute to the sour, fermenting odor that permeates the entire place. If you don't drink beer, don't go. Nothing else on the menu.
I'm know this is a fun place to a lot of people. The crowd inside seems to be having a grand ole time 24/7. I just don't like beer or places that  smell. Makes me nauseous.
UPDATE: Based on an email from another angry yelper  who wanted to make it known to me that she upset with my review (does she work there?), apparently they DO  have other items on the menu (sandwiches, salads, soups, side dishes, sodas....).
PERSONALLY, I give it a 1. These reviews are SUBJECT TO OPINION, and there are multiple reviews for all places, giving the consumer the opportunity to make their own decisions. Tons of people have given McSorely's mad props, but that doesn't change my "Eek! Me thinks not" rating. Â Someone doesn't get Yelp.
McSorley's is more of a destination than a chill-out-and-drink spot, which means that it is a little loud, a lot cramped (depending on when you're there), but still manages to put a smile on my face. Â
It's a NY institution, first of all, and boasts walls full of memorabilia, portraits, and newspaper clippings that let you know you've entered a place that bridges many eras. Â The waitstaff are all relatively gruff and have little to say, but I always admire their technique of scooping up more mugs than I would have thought possible in each hand. Â
As everyone's said, you get two mugs of beer when you order, still for only $5! Â I've been here a fair amount of times and have finally figured out that I like the dark much better, but need to alternate with the light every now and then to keep from getting too full. Â Ever since the health department made them dust, maybe the place has lost a little street cred, but it is nice to see more of the decor and worry less about dust bunnies falling into your beer.
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