Happy Hours and Late Nights: New Haven's Bar Scene

We have already discussed GPSCY in great detail, and for many of you this may be on the only bar you ever attend (if you ever attend) because it has great social events, excellent prices, and delightful clientele. However, for those nights when you are hankering for something a little different, a little less Yale, perhaps you would like to check out some of these fine establishments. This is only a snapshot of bars we love in New Haven, as this post would be several pages otherwise.

Anna Liffey's (17 Whitney Avenue)
Good for: Pub Atmosphere, Happy Hour
While no one would go so far as to say that Anna Liffey's is an authentic Irish pub, it succeeds with that particular vibe better than most. They always have a decent selection of beer on tap, including some Irish staples like Smithwick's and a rotating selection of seasonal options. They also carry local brews, which are often on special. In general, the happy hour specials are good and ever-changing, and while the bar can get pretty crowded, there is always enough space to spread out just enough. The food is pretty good on the pub food scale, and we've heard excellent things bout their burgers. They host weekly events, including Tuesday night Trivia which is quite popular and draws a few teams from among YDS students and employees—Esther even won once, and if she can do it, well...

Black Bear Saloon (124 Temple Street)
Good for: Dancing, Happy Hour
Black Bear is a restaurant and bar in downtown New Haven that sometimes can't decide if it wants to be a nightclub, a sports bar, or a pub. There are numerous televisions usually set to sports, and every weekend (Thurs-Sat) there are DJs who take over and turn the whole place into a big dance party. Black Bear has great specials and happy hour deals, although the price you pay is that it's probably the bar with the biggest "college town" feel out of all the bars on this list. They are constantly putting on events for different local businesses, private groups, charity benefits, sports fans, and local bands, so there could just be something for everyone.

116 Crown (116 Crown Street)
Good for: Fancy cocktails
116 Crown began in the wave of "craft cocktail" bars that sprung up throughout the country several years back, especially in New York. As such, it has the most expensive drinks in town, but also the strongest. They offer all of the great IBA classics from Manhattans to Pimm's cups (served with ginger ale—Patrick's preferred method of Pimm's-ery) to off-kilter options like the Prescott (bourbon, St.-Germain, crème de mûre). The food is very interesting, but also outrageously expensive. The clientele and décor fit a young urban professional atmosphere. Overall, 116 is a great place to go for a cocktail or for a splurge.

Firehouse 12 (45 Crown Street)
Good for: Cocktails, Music
If you want to go somewhere with a little more swank, check out Firehouse 12. The drink menu is small in size but great in spirit (get it?!). The atmosphere ranges from incredibly chill to mildly crazy, depending on when you show up, and it's always an interesting mix of people from all over New Haven. The drinks can be a bit pricey, but they are also delicious and unusual, all named after local landmarks. They have a Jazz series that will be starting in mid-September, and they have live music events throughout the year that are often worth checking out.

Archie Moore's (188 Willow Street)
Good for: Wings Enthusiasts, Happy Hour
There are two great things about Archie's, and they are wings and vegetarian chili. This is a popular happy hour spot for YDS students, in part because of its relative proximity to campus and the East Rock neighborhood. There are good happy hour deals on food and drink, which can often mean that the modestly sized bar can get pretty crowded during those times. If you can grab a table, it's a great place to share a pitcher with friends, celebrate achievements, or host club meetings off campus.

The Cask Republic (179 Crown Street)
Good for: Beer Selection, Whiskey Lovers
This is without a doubt the best place for real beer lovers, since they have a selection of artisan and craft brews from around the world. You can always try something new since they cycle through specials regularly, and they bottle and age beer on site, so the staff is knowledgeable and full of recommendations. If beer isn't your thing but you happen to love whiskey, you will also find a haven here, with one of the widest whiskey selections in New Haven. Because of its tavern vibe it's rarely too loud or crowded to sit with friend and really enjoy your drink. The food is also great (if small), and so it's definitely a place you could hit for dinner and stay for drinks.

Prime 16 (172 Temple Street)
Good for: Happy Hour, Beer Selection, Burgers
Prime 16 combines the best qualities of other bars together into one shiny package. Their beer and whiskey selections are not as extensive as Cask's, their Happy Hour isn't necessarily as great as Liffey's, their atmosphere is not as interesting as 116's. But they consistently do all three well. But really, the huge draw for food here are their burgers; everything is top quality, whether 100% angus burgers, ground lamb, or house-made veggie burger. Their specials are a real draw: Happy Hour with 1/2 price on most of their 20 taps, $5 burgers between 2-4pm Tuesday-Friday, $3 pints of a craft brew on Mondays after 7pm, and tap-takeovers by different breweries with free tastings after 9pm on Wednesdays. The free tastings on Wednesday actually puts regular Prime-goers a leg-up over Cask: you can sample more offerings by more breweries, and do so for free, if you go consistently.

Rudy's (1227 Chapel Street)
Good for: Fries, Beer Selection
Rudy's is one of the oldest establishments in New Haven, but has recently moved and undergone a massive overhaul from its previously dive bar feel—though traces of those roots still shine through. Rudy's is a Belgian haven, from a sizable Belgian selection on tap (including Kwak in its funny glasses) to delicious fries with almost 20 different sauce selections, mostly based on mayonnaise. The scene is casual and a little hipster-y; definitely the kind of place to have a few beers, rather than "going out."

Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar (74 Church Street)
Good for: Sports Fans, Wings Enthusiasts
Because they have roughly a babiillion televisions, Buffalo Wild Wings is quite a popular place to watch big games, or currently the Olympics. If you love wings, sliders, and other pub food, you won't be disappointed. They also have a wide beer selection and decent happy hour specials for both drinks and food. Plus, free refills on soft drinks - what?! Too good.

C.O. Jones  (969 State Street)
Good for: Margaritas
C.O. Jones (so-called because the City of New Haven wouldn't approve the name in its original form, the Spanish cojones) is a fusion Mexican restaurant and tequila bar with a definite streak to it. Their happy hour is 1/2 off, like a lot of places, and includes a free burrito bar. People come for their margaritas, which range from standard fare to blood orange, cocoa, and jalapeño flavored varieties. Best of all, it's in the Upper State Street area of East Rock, so is close by to where many YDS students live. Watch out on the chips & salsa: they charge for refills!

J.P. Dempsey's (974 State Street)
Good for: Sports Fans, Wings Enthusiasts, Dive Bar Aficionados
We couldn't go without listing everyone's favorite dive bar, Dempsey's. It is exactly what you would expect: cheap draft domestic beer, low-lighting, TVs, wood paneling, lots of neon bar signs, and pails of peanuts on every table and shells littering the floor. Because of its location in East Rock and cheap beer, you'll find lots of grad students and recent college grads hanging around. It's a dive, there's not much more to say.