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Welcome To The Johnsons

Critics' Pick

123 Rivington St., New York, NY 10002 40.71969 -73.987207
nr. Essex St. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
work212-420-9911 Send to Phone

Reader Rating:
4.5 out of 10
|
6 Reviews | Write a Review
Scene: Billiards, Dive Bar, Theme

Photo by Lauren Klain Carton

Map Rate & Review

Hours

Mon-Fri, 3pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 12pm-4am

Happy Hour

Mon-Fri, 3pm-9pm; $1.75 Pabst Blue Ribbons, $2 Budweisers, $4 Bloody Marys and margaritas
Sat-Sun, 1pm-9pm; $1.75 Pabst Blue Ribbons, $2 Budweisers, $4 Bloody Marys and margaritas

Nearby Subway Stops

J, M, Z at Essex St.; F at 15th St.-Prospect Park

Payment Methods

Cash Only

Profile

At first, Welcome to the Johnsons seemed like nothing more than a great ironic joke. A theme bar for kids too cool for theme bars, it's decked out just like your parents' rec room circa 1978—faux-wood-paneled walls, a vintage brown refrigerator, sports league trophies, even a Ms. PacMan game. But unlike certain other irony-tinged nightspots, there's lots here to keep you coming back even after the wink-wink factor has worn off. Drinks are dirt cheap, including (during the summer) first-rate margaritas as potent as the ones you used to sneak from Dad's basement liquor cabinet. And the crowd, still mostly locals, is filled with more than enough hipster cuties to make you want to start a round of spin-the-bottle. — Jennifer Van Vleck

4.5

"Mixed Reviews"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10

50%	Would you go back?
50%	Would you take a date?
20%	Would you go on business?

Welcome To The Johnsons

Friendly, quirky, lovely bar

PhoebeStar from 10001 | Posted on 12/20/09

Overall Rating: 108 (Recommended)

I've been coming here for a while.. and the $1.75 PBR is hard to beat. The staff is friendly.. and the bar itself is like a time warp, back to the 70s. A lot of the other reviews are pretty harsh on this little LES gem. It's a dive bar. Not a cocktail lounge. And it's pretty damn cool!

Welcome To The Johnsons

save yourself. don't go.

alm615 from 10010 | Posted on 10/2/08

Overall Rating: 101 (Not Recommended)

If the dank, musty smell isn't enough to repel you, the terrible service and dismal atmosphere most certainly will. I'm not one for swanky clubs or expensive drinks, but this place takes "dive bar" to a whole new level. Drinks are dirt cheap; half-broken chairs and a sunken couch (likely procured through dumpster diving) offer plenty of seating; a pool table serves as a distraction from the overall drabness of the place. But neither drink specials nor seating nor recreation redeem "Welcome to the Johnsons" of its blahness. If you're going out in the LES I'd suggest walking a block or two to some of the best bars in Manhattan. It's well worth the extra $1 you'll pay for a draft beer.

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