booze & grub
   
Peter McManus Cafe
 
  peter mcmanus cafe
peter mcmanus cafe
  Peter McManus Cafe
B, BF, WS
152 7th Ave., 718/929-9691

This joint is as out of place in Chelsea as a piano bar in Bayonne. Old drunks litter the even older space that wreaks of the days when Chelsea was clearly not the Chelsea of today. I’m going to hazard a guess and say that this was more of an Irish working class neighborhood that was filled with hard-working and hard-drinking fellas who appreciated a nice spot to rest their weary feet and chow down on a burger or sandwich and wash it down with a lager or ten. My wonky knowledge of historical Manhattan’s Caucasian subculture aside, I dug this place like an old, stinky great uncle. You know, full of history and character—and booze. I had a terrific burger that practically bled through the plate (the best kind) at one of the creaky, plastic-check-clothed tables in back, and then moved up front to watch a little baseball and work my way through several cold beers. The bartender was clearly comfortable with the regulars who lined the wooden bar, and was quick with a refill. This is one of those bars that you hope doesn’t get shoved aside (like our poor friend McHale’s) because it gives a neighborhood a sense of itself, and really keeps it grounded when all those one-word, neon eateries invade with their arugula and appletinis. [MF]


 
     
 
      Additional bars/restaurants nearby:
Chelsea

Other bar/clubs of a similar type:
Irish Pub

Other restaurants with similar cuisine:
Pub Grub

 
     

Symbols - AM=Abbreviated Menu | B=Bar | BF=Serves Bar Food | BWL=Bowling | C=Cabaret | D=Dancing | ED=Exotic Dancers | K=Karaoke | LM=Live Music | R=Restaurant | TO=Take Out Only | VR=Velvet Rope | WS=Watch Sports Here

 
   

 

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