After a difficult day of medical tests, my wife and I both decided we deserved a drink and an appetizer. We walked to the corner, not knowing the neighborhood at all and started looking around when we realized we were right in front of a pub called The Pony Bar. The vibe was perfect-a real old time New York bar. The service terrific, the food we had, mostly bar appetizers was delicious. We came as strangers but left as friends. We look forward to going back there soon.

Probably my favorite bar to go to in the city. Rotating beer list, always $7 a pop. The people that go here are classy, the ambiance is perfect. If I know I'm going to the Pony Bar with my friends, I am 100% sure I'm going to have an amazing time. Get drunk for cheap, drinking great beer. Try the food too, it's very good, I personally love the Naked Thai Calamari but almost everything they have is delicious.

This place has an inexplicable charm and good vibes to it. Kudos to the staff .. they keep it so chill. Friday nights are busy but never overwhelming or overcrowded. The finger food is seriously fresh and delicious. Guacamole has a kick to it .. calamari has this amazing Thai chili sauce. The barrel-style tables add a character to the place. Do visit!!

If you're looking for Budweiser, look elsewhere. They only have an AWESOME craft beer selection! Sometimes they even get a barrel of something special that the microbrewery is testing out and that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Not to mention, the food is really good as well. A more upscale bar food menu. I had the pork belly cuban sandwich and it was fantastic!

Wide variety of beers, not overpriced. Cool, friendly atmosphere. It did get bit loud in there as the evening progressed, though. Other than that - great local place. We love the beer selection.

You must try the cheese puppies they are so tasty and perfect to have with some drinks.

Great place to rest your soul and drink away with joyful beers!🍻

The food is imaginative and the beer selection really great. Be prepared to get your own beers from the bar but everything else makes for a really cool night out. I think they need a velvet curtain over the door though. Sat in middle of bar and it was ass cold every time the door is open. It is -21 outside though. Definitely worth the visit‼️

My husband and I visited NYC in 2016 for a couple nights and happened upon The Pony Bar. Great atmosphere and the staff were so friendly. Definitely on our list of places to stop in when we go back again. Thanks Dan for helping to replace one of my husbands favourite beer glasses too!!!

A really great brewpub. Beers selection is amazing, service is nice, ambiance is awesome. Being from Montreal it reminds me of a bar I've worked at in my city, was a lovely thought while being there chatting with a friend.

Best Korean BBQ in MTL, thanks for the hospitality JP & Gaby. The atmosphere is incredible and the staff are amazing. Hands down will visit again. Thank you!

Excellent rotating selection of beers on top constantly updated on their website and 2 monitors at the bar area. Self serve seating and basic pub fare. Beer is the star of the show here, many nights reserved for tap takeovers and brewery samplings. Tip: ask for the frequent drinker card, drink 100 beers to score some nice swag. Use Untappd app to keep track if you forget to use the paper card/booklet.

Nice range of selection from craft breweries within the region. Has a rustic feel.

Great draft selection and the board is kept up to date so you're not constantly asking for something that's out (a problem at some other rotating tap type bars). Their food is better than you would expect. I particularly like the duck sliders, and the clam chowder is absurdly fancy (and tasty) for a bar. Beware the pickles that come with your meal, they're soaked in horseradish.

We love the Pony Bar! It's the perfect place for beer geeks like us (we travel from PA to visit!) as the beer selection is terrific! Couple that with the yummy food and friendly and lively staff and atmosphere--we are hooked!

Love this bar, my favorite in Upper East Side

One of the best rotating craft beer selections in NYC, and great food up and down the menu. Start up a Pony Bar Passport and drink 100 unique beers to score a Pony Bar shirt. Your heart will jump every time they ring the bell and announce a new beer is available. You'll leave happy, full, and with a stronger heart.

Perfect little bar. Great beers and cocktails on draft, plenty of places to sit, a couple of TVs but they don't overwhelm, music was certainly present but one could definitely talk over it, and the bartender was lovely. I'll be returning!

It's open again! The classic place on the upper east to get craft beers from the best local, and far away breweries. Their food is also solid, and we are big fans of the thai style calamari. Stop by and raise a glass.

Great craft beer menu.... the bartender Dan was a great host with a welcoming vibe. Great song list playing at all times

Thank you Dan and the team! A great place. We'll go back for sure.

Long time favorite beer place. Bring back the clams and sausage please…;)

Friendly and attentive staff, good bar food, good drinks, and nice place to enjoy them.

This bar is exceptional! There is a wonderful atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable bartenders, and the beer selection is second-to-none!! I have never been disappointed when I go there. The food choices are amazing, and you will find something to enjoy with your drinks. Do yourself a favor, and go to the pony bar! You will return many many times.

Great food and service definitely going back soon

+6

This is my favorite bar. The staff, drinks, food, and overall vibe is amazing. It’s reasonable pricing for strong drinks and not once did I ever receive less than excellent service. I recommend everyone to this bar and when friends visit, they love make a few stops here. Ask for Courtney if you go!

Fantastic beer selection, excellent food, very attentive staff, and the wonderful ambiance makes it must go to beer bar when visiting NYC. 5 stars all around.

Hadn't been here in many years. Happily surprised to see they've moved on from good craft beer circa-2005 to the good local craft beer of 2017. Prices are on the reasonable to high side for the location. Staff were friendly and unobtrusive. Great place to hang out and grab a beer or some nosh with friends.

No Heineken or Bud Light in sight here. Only good beer from American craft microbreweries. Awesome little place. On Monday happy hour is all night long, which means all draft beer is $7!!

Fantastic beer selection—one of the best in the city. Always domestic craft beer. You can often find a rare beer on tap, and always something to your liking. This location is larger than the one in Hell's Kitchen, and the windows face west so it gets more light. The food is good too—the pulled pork sandwich is awesome. Overall a great bar and a must goto if you like beer.

We were very glad to have stopped into this renowned local beer bar. Atmosphere is top-notch--warm, inviting, and not pretentious at all. Get the chili, it doesn't disappoint! The bartender was knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging; he immediately changed the beer list display when we noted a brewery's state had been misidentified. Look forward to returning next time we're in the city.

One of my favorite beer bars in NYC. Their selection is top notch, always is unique, and I rarely have a hard time finding something hung really interesting to drink. Their food is also very good and reasonably priced. The vibe here is great too - really laid back and comfy. Service is fast and friendly.

I was away during the pandemic, but recently moved back to the neighborhood. So glad this place is still around pouring awesome beer! They now have more non-beer drinks, so that's interesting. Happy to see the gumbo is still around and still really yummy.

Best happy hour! 4:20-5:20 PM on weekdays, 7-8 dollar beers go for $5. Now I can't recommend this for liability reasons, but a smart beer drinker looking for a combination of a fantastic and eclectic beer selection, cool atmosphere without the noise of blaring TVS, chill bartenders, and excellent value might show up at say 4:20, and see if they can't catch catch 3 really nice beers over the course of 59 minutes and 59 seconds, for about $20 (with tip!). Such a smart beer drinker might be quite ripped come say 5:50 PM, since a lot of those beers have high alcohol content to pair with their high flavors, but it just might be worth it... They are one of the few beer bars in city that reliably has a cask on tap. Casks aren't everyone's pint of Ale, but it does point to how seriously they take their beer. Also, I don't usually sample the food, but the couple of times I have, i have not been disappointed. A little German flavor here, a little extra bacon there... can't go wrong in my book. Pony is the most logical choice if you are looking for good beer, I mean, really really good beer, when you find yourself on the upper east side.

Great little bar with fantastic beer menu. Staff were busy, super efficient, attentive and even made time for some polite small talk. Didn’t eat any food but it looked tasty. The strawberry pie sour was incredible.

I've been coming to this bar for years and it truly never disappoints. The bartenders are friendly and easy to talk to, and there are always unique new beers to try. I've had most of their cocktails by now and they're all on point. Have been taking full advantage of their takeaway drinks during COVID, too!

Really cool place and such a great selection of craft beers from all over the country. I ordered a white beer and a cider and they were really great - my friend got a coffee milk stout and an IPA which were also awesome. It's always really bustling; we arrived and barely found a place to sit but we found a spot pretty quickly and the bartenders are helpful. The food is around $9-11 for either shared appetizers or sandwiches with a side of chips or cole slaw. I didn't personally try any of these but they looked pretty good. Come for the beer - you won't be disappointed!

Great neighborhood spot. A good mix of professional and young professional crowd. They also boast a large selection of beers. I loved this bar. Atmosphere was very nice, service was good at reasonable prices for Yorkville. I am definer expecting to come back to this joint.

Pony Bar is as solid as you can get in NYC - and I don't say that lightly. Stopped in because it was the perfect spot to watch the NYC Marathon (75th and 1st Ave). So crowded you'd have thought it was St. Patrick's Day at an Irish pub but we managed to get a table and more. THE CHICKEN WINGS ARE AMAZING! I Love wings and eat them at every bar that serves them. This place has them BIG & JUICY with just the right amount of heat (I like hot but I also want to taste the chicken and I can here). Great selection of craft beers both on tap and in bottles or cans.(I tried 4 of them) Staff was quick and attentive especially given how busy they were. I will totally be back for more! (5 stars for the wings - 4 for atmosphere because I wish it was larger, 5 for service because I can't believe they got to us so quickly given all the people that we there. (including families and runners who came in AFTER they finished.) Great fun!

Fantastic bar. Amazing range of local beers, plus great bar food. Short rib grilled cheese was terrific.

Friendly staff, good food and great beers on tap. It’s a good place to come after work for a beer and small bites.

Great bar with great beer. Would recommend to friends and family

+4

Cool beer bar. Good selection of beers along with a variety of food options. Place to just hang out and chat and get drunk with friends. Friendly knowledgeable bar staff

Love this bar. It's in an area where most bars are crammed shoulder to shoulder but this one has a great crowd without being crazy. The drinks are fantastic and the food is amazing. I loved the pretzels and chicken fingers.

I came in here primarily just for a special badge in the untappd app but actually it's a pretty cool bar and I'd come back again. Bartender was friendly and attentive and the place just as an overall cool vibe. Beer and mixed drinks are good. Check it out!

Great service and delicious tacos. Thanks to Dan for a great experience.

+1

Solid spot for a drink and good food. Be aware the two TV/menus aren't the same. Don't go making the same mistake as me and check out both

Rikard Pendergrass

I go to this bar frequently. The staff are always attentive and nice. Always guaranteed to have good drinks and service. Highly recommended neighborhood spot.

Ana Cruz

Food was delicious, server was super nice but seems like he had a full bar/restaurant as the only server so food took a little long to come out. Other than that, everything was good!

Matthew Porter

The Pony Bar hosted my kid’s School of Rock performance today and it was awesome! We had a great time. Great bar, great drinks and food, and the brunette and redhead behind the bar were totally fantastic and very accommodating. I highly recommend the Pony Bar to anyone looking for a cold beverage. And thanks for being so cool and accommodating to School of Rock down the street! What a great partnership!

Dan

Five stars for The Pony Bar on the UES—laid-back vibes, a killer rotating craft beer list, and some of the best wings in the city. Stopped in with friends on a Friday night and had a blast—friendly staff, great crowd, and decent prices for NYC. It gets packed, so go early if you want a seat.

Erica Bullo

What a fun day at the Pony Bar! Beer selection can’t be beat, food was great!, staff was friendly. Best bar on the East side :)

Arvid Sanglert

Beer was great and the food. Reasonable prices and awesome atmosphere in the bar!

Winnie Lui

The Pony Bar was a great spot with great beer, cocktails, and food. Beers were from across the US. The pale ale was light and refreshing and the peach silhouette was the right level of sour. The cocktails were made well. The soft pretzels were nice and warm. Busy but not overwhelming for a Saturday night. The place was clean and the staff were super friendly and helpful! Would go again!

Joe Cabrera

Super fun place with good vibes! They have several pre-mixed cocktails and prosecco on tap. The food is snacky and great! If this was my local neighborhood bar, I'd be here all the time.

Connie Kwok

Highly recommended. This is a neighborhood staple, walking in to find a casual bar with plenty of seating at the bar, along the window, in the center with barrels or along the wall at tables, great for groups, couples and someone alone too. The atmosphere is welcoming, relaxed with a couple of TVS. A huge beer selection, but don't worry a full bar with wine and drinks are served by the very friendly and attentive bartenders. Enjoy the happy hour during the week! A food menu with broad bar bites is available too. So happy to live nearby to this great place. I'll be back!

+1

Nicholas J. Nicastro

Best bar with best staff in NYC! Dan & his team will take care of you and ensure you have a GREAT time with lots of joy, laugh, & love! 💚 643

Caleb Warn

The Pony Bar, although a little pricey has a great atmosphere and the bartender was very sweet and attentive. Great place to have a few drinks and catch a game while in the city.

Erika Schmidt

A cool neighborhood beer house with a relaxed vibe and a staff that hustles. Frani and Sara know how to lock it down as they keep up with conversation and orders. If you're looking to try a wide variety of beers this is your place, but go in without wanting something specific because they rotate them frequently. Also, they have a frozen margarita that is dangerously good. The nachos with pulled pork were the best out of the pretzels and two types of wings, but all delicious. I'm from out of town, but I will be back to this spot!

Mark Leverone

Top notch. Was quiet when I arrived early but very busy by the time I left. Fran and Sara did an awesome job keeping up with the flow. Tacos were tasty.

+2

Kyuwon Lee

It's a neighborhood beer house with a laid-back atmosphere and friendly staffs. But their selection of beer is totally bold and cutting-edge. For my first visit, the bartender recommended me the DDH IPA from Interboro saying that it's his favorite and I liked it very much as well. High-speed wifi, clean toilet, and well-managed hall. Must be run by a person who knows the business.

+2

Pony is a fine no frills bar. Solid choices of beer on tap. I just stopped by for a bit of refreshments and catch a game but a nice relaxing time.

One of the tvs is crap in the center of the bar. But that's just cause I was watching the Knicks get pumped and was angry.

This dim lit pub has a great selection of beers and a nice set up. You choose where to sit and go to the bar counter to order your food. The lamb sliders, I hear, are great and I know that the sirloin burger is quite tasty. The meat is not too fatty and the choice of coleslaw makes for a perfect combo. There are no French fries ... They serve chips, house made chips.

I have been here only in the late afternoon, so I cannot attest to the ambiance and service once it gets busier later on at night; but it is a nice pub-like place with a good sized selection of draft beer. The bartenders are always willing to explain what each beer is and to give you a chance to taste an unfamiliar offering that might interest you.

They have a lot of different craft beers and rotate their selections often. One of the best whiskey sour I have had due to the high quality ingredients they use. The short rib cheese sandwich is also decent.

Well prepared food, excellent selection of drinks (like, as long as the eye can see list of beers, we are talking). And I mean, how many bars list what is exactly on tap, that night, each night? That's above and beyond service to the masses, right there. A great addition to the Upper East Side bar scene, to say the least. Nice spacious area for large groups. Gets a bit loud, despite the fact they're not really playing music in there. Maybe the TV's? I dunno. Great spot to check out and I plan on coaxing my coworkers to go here after work on the weekends from now on.

General Tzo's cauliflower, pigs in a blanket, and the beers were all on point! Bartender was great too!

I stopped in for a beer and some food. The menu wasn't very expensive, but what they did have was tasty. They had a good selection of beers and the bartender was attentive and welcoming.

Interesting bar. Many types of beer to choose from. There is also a nice food menu and the atmosphere here is quite nice. But, the bartenders don't really flow with the customers. The attitude was quite heavenly. serve and that's it.

Jess was great behind the bar , super friendly. Bar burgers were adequate, this the 4 stars. Beer was an outstanding selection. I know that's not English but idfc.

The Pony Bar is a go-to spot for our office gatherings, and it never disappoints. They have a solid selection of drinks, so there’s something for everyone. The snacks are great too—definitely try the french fries, they’re a hit! The atmosphere is inviting, with plenty of good seating options inside, making it a comfortable place to relax with a group. All in all, a great spot for team celebrations or just hanging out with friends.

Adina Klein

It’s a nice local dive. No bells or whistles, but friendly staff and good beer.

Lydia Birnbaum

Cute bar that’s great for sitting for a long time and having drinks. They do have food options, but nothing spectacular. Drinks are good but a bit pricey given the fact that it’s a pretty casual bar, I would more so expect those prices from a cocktail lounge. My only big complaint is that the bartender was very chatty with other guests and multiple times I had to wait 5+ minutes for her to come over because she was just chatting with the guests, not even serving them drinks. This happened to my friends as well. It was a little frustrating because she definitely saw me waiting both times and just resumed her conversation

Andrew Kanouse

Pretty straight-forward pub in a super convenient location. Service was nice and there was a good amount of options. I didn't realize that the two TVs had different options, so be aware of that (only because I wish I had ordered something from the second TV). Prices were super reasonable. And bar seating was nice with tons of options.

Rick Bame

Cool little hangout. I had to see what the founders hangout was all about. Nice beer selection. Pricey, but it’s…New York. 5/21/21

+7

Nick Felker

The place is called "Pony" bar but I didn't quite get the theme. The theme seemed to be the bar itself. I got a beer and stood next to a barrel underneath a canoe. They didn't have a seat for me, which I guess was fine. They have a reasonable selection of items on tap and a t-shirt if you drink more than a hundred beers.

Good spot with fairly large craft beer menu. Attentive, though abrupt waitstaff. Limited food choice. The nachos were pretty good. The fries were not bad. Atmosphere was so-so.

I gave it 3 stars because the drinks i ordered were very watered down. Its known for its beer but i dont drink beer. I wouldnt order an actual drink here. However the food is beyond amazing. I definitely recommend the fries. The bathroom was very clean which is rare. The vibe is pretty cool and relaxing.

Easy going bar atmosphere. Not too noisy. Good tacos and nachos. Many excellent beers on tap. A great neighborhood place to chill and chat.

Bare bones local bar with overpriced bar food options. Interesting beer selection but stay away from the food selections. The portions were puny for the price and they actually charge $3 bucks for an ounce or two of commercial buffalo sauce. Kinda feel ripped off

James

Beer is good, service is nice, customer base is a bunch of hipster wannabe transplants. Will not return

We had burgers and the buffalo cauliflower bites. The cauliflower was pretty good. The burger was meh. The fries were great. I had a few beers which were pretty good. Im curious of the cocktails on draught, particularly the espresso based one, but dont feel the urge to return.

Used to be a great place to grab a good beer, then they raised prices and reduced the pour size nearly across the board. There are other places to grab a good beer at the same price for a full pint that also offer table service. Disappointing development...raising prices and reducing pours. Only 4 beers on tap today at a 14 oz. pour with the balance being 11 and 8 oz. pours.

I went to this place with a group of friends. We saw it and it gave us an old western bar type feel. When we went in the staff were very friendly when you can catch their attention. Their prices were higher than expected but we wanted to just have fun. We ordered some beers, some food and sat at a booth. We were there for maybe 2 hours, ordering drinks and talking. We noticed that they started to give us looks like we been here too long. I would understand if it was busy but it wasnt crowded and it was only 6pm. We felt weird and decided to order our check. When we got it, they charged us for drinks we never ordered. We spoke to a manager about it cause all we had were beer and food. No cocktails. They told us that there was a mistake and will take care of it but he looked like we were just trying to get free drinks. We will go to another location. I'm giving it 2 stars cause the beer was pretty decent. Just double your bill.

I was just at this location so I'm writing about my experience. I was there for about 15 minutes and was never served. I came in to watch an NBA game. It was the 4th quarter and there was only one TV with it on and none of the bar seats had a direct view so I sat at one table and then changed to a better table but no wait staff at 9:15 PM came by. I had looked up the place on the Internet and had been there about 5 years ago. I was interested in food but after a while I was just interested in a drink. I finally left (15 minutes ago) and walked home. It seems that someone at this place should have come up to me. Maybe it is a good place but I definitely did not find it to be on this visit.

Wouldn't go again. Soft pretzels were from frozen and tasted awful. French fries and burger were good. Nachos were good but the chicken on top of them had no seasoning and tasted like what I would boil to make for my dog. Big selection of beer. Better bar/restaurants to choose from.

Rude waitstaff. I waved down one of the bartenders a single time and was greeted with excuses why it was taking her so long, which was unnecessary. I just sat and listened to her weird rant. Another poster commented about a lack of diversity being a factor. She’s not wrong. I’ll spend my money elsewhere.

Food was horrid, got horrible food poisoning from the Pulled Pork sandwich. My fries were terrible soggy, and when I tried to let my server know, she was incredibly rude and basically watered it down to that’s how they always are. Also watched another server drop a fork on the ground, and then watched them proceed to still give it to table. Place looked cute from the outside, however the floors and tables were extremely sticky. Don’t recommend eating here, food was not worth the price, and the lack of cleanliness and care from the staff, made my visit unenjoyable.

THREE out of FOUR of my friends got violently sick after two frozen margaritas here on the same night. None of us drank to excess. Be careful, the mix is either WAY too strong or it somehow gave us food poisoning.