Passenger Bar
229 Roebling St., nr. S. 3rd. St., Williamsburg; 718-218-7869
Once you know the inspiration behind music-industry vets Melissa Aubert and Jay Weilminster’s vast bar—Festival Express, a 2003 documentary about a 1970 cross-Canadian train tour taken by Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead—everything else makes sense: the two-story raftered space (a nod to the stations of yore), the luggage stacked on wall racks, the authentic locomotive signage and lanterns scattered throughout, and especially the 1,100-pound rail footrest that wraps the length of the bar. They’re shooting for the golden heyday of rail travel, with a few modern touches: a full bar, Brooklyn Sorachi Ace ($7) and Sixpoint ($6) on draft, and a Bloody Mary menu featuring five regionally inspired twists on the brunchtime staple ($10). Unflaggingly friendly bartenders, country music on Wednesdays, and soulful dance parties every weekend do Janis & Co. proud.