NYCGuide
The Cheapest Drinks In NYC
photo credit: Nate Watters
Happy Hours are great and all, but you know what’s even better? Cheap drinks all night. Now that dollar slices have gone extinct and a $30 burger is no longer an anomaly, we’re on a mission to document the most wallet-friendly places to drink in NYC. Want a $3.50 whiskey soda? We know a spot. Check back for regular updates.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Britt Lam
We’d come to this classic Times Square dive even if it weren’t for the $3.50 well drinks. The walls have boxing memorabilia (the founder used to be a coach), a neon jukebox plays soul hits, and you can spot the long-time bartenders in photos on the laminated tables in the back room. And the drinks? Small and icy, but very effective.
Conventional wisdom says that beverage pairings are exclusively for fancy places. Rearrange your mind, because this Hell’s Kitchen dive that’s been around since 1933 serves free hot dogs with every single purchase. We usually go for a $5 beer-and-a-shot that includes the bar's own Rudy’s Blonde Ale and a pour of Seagram’s 7. Bring cash—$30 will get you a five-course meal with beverage pairings plus tip.
Picture a quart container. You know, the plastic tubs that large takeout orders of wonton soup arrive in. Now imagine a bar replacing that wonton soup with beer, and charging you approximately $9 for it. That's what happens at Jeremy's Ale House in the South Street Seaport. Go there and drink a chalice of Coors Light under an extensive collection of bras.
The average age at this East Village bar is, most likely, a day or two older than 21 (and that’s being generous). Why the collegiate crowd? Because shots cost $3 and cocktails start at $6. You have to be seated at a table in order to drink at this dark, noisy bar that features a painting of a cat drinking wine, and the place tends to fill up by 6pm. Get here early, and order some perfectly satisfactory popcorn shrimp to go with your drinks.
This friendly Irish dive in Long Island City has not one, but two excellent beer-bucket specials: 10 Miller High Life cans for $25 or seven Coronitas for $20. Between those and the free bowls of salty, buttery popcorn, a visit to The Pot is an extremely sound financial decision. Cheers to building generational wealth.
Everybody on the internet wants to tell you about the next hot martini deal. They're $10 on Tuesdays here, or they'll cost you $7 on Sundays there, only if you sign away your right to drink martinis elsewhere ever again. But for $9 martinis and no strings attached, head to Two Saints in Crown Heights any time. The martini is ice cold, which makes it more than passable for the price. Two of these—plus tip—will cost you less than a single cocktail at many other bars.
The Jar Bar, open since 1927, will pour you a shot and a jar of draft beer (about half a pint) for $6, any day, anytime. Deals aside, this Sunnyside spot also has truly elite dive bar amenities. Namely, a pool table, darts, Big Buck Hunter, a Kiss pinball machine, and a backyard with picnic tables.
You can technically get an $11 Manhattan at this divey show tunes bar in the West Village, but we’ve never seen anyone do such a thing. This is strictly a place for a beer or vodka soda, either of which will run $7 (or $5 from 4-7pm, Monday-Thursday). Brush up on your Chicago lyrics, and sing along with the piano player and every single patron inside as you enjoy your inevitably strong beverage.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Sunny’s first opened in 1890 as a saloon for longshoremen to hang out after working on the docks. They probably weren’t cracking open that chilled orange wine that smells like feet, but we appreciate that we can get a $10 glass of natural wine here now, or $5 Miller Lights if we want to save a few more bucks. Sunny’s isn’t the cheapest bar on this list, but a little country music and Red Hook history makes it feel a world away from the city’s $20 cocktail scene.
Sly Fox is dark, dank, and half the time the bartender is nowhere to be found. More importantly, you can get a plate of pierogies to soak up those $4 well shots. This place is connected to Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, and the full restaurant menu is available at the bar until 10:30pm. Come before a show at the Orpheum, or afterward to take advantage of that $7 PBR and shot deal without running the risk of drunk heckling the show.
Take a look at Nancy Whiskey Pub, which has been open since 1976. Get a quick sniff while you’re at it. The whole place screams $7 well drinks—and that’s exactly what you’ll find, all day, every day. This is the premier Tribeca dive bar experience, complete with a jukebox, shuffleboard table, and bathrooms covered in graffiti.
The martinis at Sevilla cost $10, and they’ll remove your nail polish if you get too close. This old-school Spanish restaurant is one of the last spots with reasonably priced drinks in the West Village, and it’s a wonderful place for a group meal. Get a pitcher of sangria, eat some shrimp swimming in a pool of garlicky oil, and request a song from the roving guitarist.
