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Waterfront Ale House

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155 Atlantic Ave (at Cross Streets Henry and Clinton St.)
Brooklyn, NY 11201

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(718) 522-3794
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Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Waterfront Ale House - Brooklyn, NY
Reviews
( 6 )
( 7 )
( 1 )
( 2 )
( 2 )

Best

I am a frequent traveler. Often I get stuck eating at the local ""tourist"" attraction restaurants, which is horrible. Waterfront Ale House is exactly what you need if you want ...

Worst

My husband and I have refused to come back after an embarrasing incident where a bartender (who has been rude to us in the past) refused to serve us despite the fact that we were ...

Local place, comfortable feel 2/3/2010

I am a frequent traveler. Often I get stuck eating at the local ""tourist"" attraction restaurants, which is horrible. Waterfront Ale House is exactly what you need if you want a really chill place to relax, respond to email on your blackberry, have a few good pints, and be SURPISED by the food. I had the Wednesday special of a Venison burger topped with mushroom ragu....not your typical ""neighborhood bar"" menu. Food was great, beer was fantastic, company was even better. This truly is a loca place with good flair, good company, and great food. Only a 10 minute walk from the Brooklyn Marriott on Atlantic avenue, it is a easily a place you could go to every night while you stay in Brooklyn for dinner. Pros: Great Beer, Always try the specials more
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Love it 9/3/2009

Had the best time ever. Would drink here again. Pros: Beer! Cons: Not a one more
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Gone downhill 2/16/2009

I was a regular customer of the ale house. Service is a bit slow, but the food usually makes up for it. However, on my last visit, we asked for a high chair for our one yr old baby and the waitress told us that it was located in the back and we had to get it ourselves. Unreal!!! ok so now we ordered the Texas dip and usually the brisket is moist and you get a decent size sandwich, but this time it was laughable. Both halves was half the normal size. I felt like i was getting half a sandwich then they cut that in half...and the brisket was dry and burnt. This place used to be good. If you want rude service and get cheated out of your hard earned money then the ale house is for you. No more ale house for us. more
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Has hard-to-find beers! 5/27/2008

Relaxed, pub-style atmosphere. I was thrilled to find Palm beer on the menu. I fell in love with this beer when I lived in Belgium and have been unable to find it ever since. After four years of searching in many different states and cities I found it on tap at Waterfront Ale House - I was quite excited. The veggie potstickers were also good and the free popcorn was great! Beer and popcorn is definitely a good combo. The service was a bit slow but other than that, I'd recommend the bar for relaxing after work and grabbing a few pints. more
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Great neighborhood BBQ and brews 5/1/2008

Used to live around the corner on Clinton St. and this was our favorite ""go to"" place. Not living as close now but still worth the trip. It's a local pub not a 4 star establishment, but everything is solidly done and consistently tastes good. The beer selection out does most bar/pubs. The smoked meats are great, (note - the brisket sandwich is a lot of meat and costs a lot less than the plate). As some other reviews point out, the staff can be a little rough around the edges at time, but that just seems to oddly add to the non-pretentious character of the place. On Friday and Saturday it can have a little wait but the popcorn machine and a beer from the bar help it go by fast. Pros: BBQ, Beer Selection, neighborhood place Cons: small seating area more
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Great beer selection but rude staff and overpriced food 12/26/2007

My husband and I have refused to come back after an embarrasing incident where a bartender (who has been rude to us in the past) refused to serve us despite the fact that we were well over 21, because he was refusing to accept our NJ DLs as proof of age. \r \r We tried the once again a year later, and was yelled at by a waitress for sitting at a table even though the kitchen was closed. The same bartender once again gave us attitude as well. \r \r The beer selection was great, but the food is terrible considering how much they charge. Very little space at the bar to comfortably sit, if you can get a seat. If you can't get a seat, there is no place to stand. Pros: Great beer selection Cons: rude staff, overpriced and bland food more
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Disappointed 10/29/2007

Stopped by to get a beer; I remember having read good things in The Beer Advocate or some similar beer-oriented publication. I especially wanted a cask ale. Well, the beer selection was truly amazing, for example, I didn't know Monk's Sour Ale was available outside of Monk's in Philadelphia. So I ordered a cask IPA. To my astonishment, the beer arrived refrigerated - truly cold. That's a first for a cask beer for me. Now, I can understand wanting to prolong the life of a cask beer, so I sympathized and waited for it to warm up. However, I lost sympathy when my girlfriend ordered a Long Trail (being from Vermont) and received something that tasted like it had been tapped ages ago. Any flavor was masked by an overpowering nasty metallic taste. So, needless to say, this was disappointing (these two beers set us back $13). We headed back to our neighborhood and to Spuyten Duyvil however, and were soon in beer (and cheese I might add) heaven. Pros: Amazing Beer Selection, Reputedly Good Food Cons: Stale and/or Improperly Maintained Beers more
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best fish and chips 6/24/2007

Better fish and chips than neighboring Chip Shop! Great beer selection complemented by free popcorn and super friendly wait staff. Pros: fish and chips more
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One of the best places two indulge... daily 4/4/2007

I can't go to other bars any more. They all seem like pretenders to the throne after indulging myself here for a year. The food is fantastic (the specials are the best part, especially the game). The beer selections are great. One or two of the barmen may not be very talkative, but they're all very professional barmen(and women). From a properly mixed martini to a properly chosen scotch or tequila, you can count on their expertise and advice. It ain't cheap (outside of happy hour, when it's pretty reasonable) but they're pretty generous with buy-backs. The music is in general wonderful. Each bartender has his own personality and shows it in the music selections -- mainly jazz and blues, but covering the full gammut. Pros: Food, selection, music Cons: a bit expensive more
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Heights/Hill mainstay 9/4/2006

One of the more established bars in the area; it made a name for itself when it opened across the street in the spot now occupied by super-hip Last Exit. The crowd has followed, and the service remains quite good and the food ranges from fair to poor. Their established following perhaps explains why they seem willing to rest on their laurels beer-wise, and it still has an atmosphere the Smith Street places can only dream of matching. Don't expect Brooklyn chic here; do expect to find the soul of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill here. Pros: Unpretentious, neighborhood-savvy crowd, good beer Cons: Boring, tasteless food more
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Brooklyn Authentic 5/12/2006

I like everything about this place-the food, the beer and atmosphere. The bartender Alan spins his intellectual jazz mix. The smoker in the back produces super smoked meats. I like the fee popcorn. This is a Brooklyn place, a real keeper. Hope it stays around awhile. Pros: Atmosphere, music, food more
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Awful! 10/6/2005

I can't believe my fellow Citysearch reviewers let me down! I've relied on this site and its members to find so many good places, but this one was a huge letdown. We were one of only 2 or 3 tables, but the waitress managed to forget some of our food and a round of drinks! The food was absolutely terrible; no taste, swimming in oil, and overpriced. I have no reason to go back, and I wouldn't recommend a first trip to anyone. Cons: Bad Food, Overpriced, Poor Service more
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A Gem 9/5/2003

A pub that does things right. A very good beer selection, delicious pub fare food (try the venison chili or the fries with cheese and jalapenos) and a surprisingly good selection of single malt scotches, bourbons and higher-end liquors. Good staff that knows their business and what's good to eat and drink: if you're not sure what's good, ask. Customers tend towards local Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill eccentrics and usually good for a conversation if you are so inclined. The house hot sauce is killer and available to take home by the bottle or jug. Pros: food, beer, booze more
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Great Beer, Great Atmosphere 3/3/2003

Pete's Waterfront Ale House offers a wide selection of beers on tap and in bottles (including Belgian beers). The food is a 3 notches above average pub grub. The bartenders are knowledgeable and pour a great cocktail. Ask for Drew. more
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Brooklyn Gold 2/12/2003

Beer...a thoughtful, well chosen roster of microbrews, Burgers and pulled pig sandwich to die for...AND then to be surprised on a later Saturday evening when a wonderful (I can't believe it came free) jazz ensemble made us stay and enjoy. Perfect. Pros: Food, Music Cons: What? more
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great barbecue ribs 2/9/2003

The barbecue spare ribs are the best I have found in New York so far! I can't belive that this neighborhood pub could have such a great menu! The hand cut french fries with Sam's Famous Hot Sauce are awsome! Pros: awsome beers, great bourbons, great burgers Cons: parking more
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The best burger and hot sauce! 8/28/2002

Another great Brooklyn bar on Atlantic Ave. This place has quickly become my favorite Brooklyn beer bar. The beer selection is always diverse, interesting, and reasonably priced. You won't find a huge number here but they are obviously carefully chosen. Most of the staff is very friendly and talkative (Mary, Peter, et al). They really make you feel at home and don't complain much when drunks spill the free popcorn all over the floor. As for the menu, it's fantastic. The use of beer in a number of dishes is really a great touch. Don't forget to pick up a bottle of Sam's Famous Hot Sauce on your way out! Pros: Beer selection, Great food, Sam's Hot Sauce! more
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Simple and Sublime 7/30/2002

A diverse and surprising menu that doesn't seem to fit the plain-ol'-pub decor -- did some master chef lose a bet? If so, Brooklynites are the lucky ones. Good range of beers, great chow (try the venizon chili), entertaining crowd. The one knock: Bring back the waffle fries! Pros: Inexpensive, Cheerful, Great food Cons: Lousy tunes more
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Menu for Waterfront Ale House


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Brooklyn's original gourmet beer house with a kitchen that features comfort food favorites, award winning barbecue dishes, fresh fish, pasta, and game meats. They also feature live jazz performances every Saturday night.

Editorial

  • The Scene
    A self-described ""home of warm beer, lousy food and an ugly owner,"" the Waterfront has a dozen fine beers on tap and numerous drink specials. Postcards and souvenirs of all...

  • 10/29/2004 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Daily 11:30am-3am
  • Payments: Visa, American Express, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Brooklyn Heights
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