Luckydog is part of a series of tidbits from the chapters of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, published by Rizzoli. You can order it from Powell’s, Amazon, Rizzoli, and Barnes & Noble. Signed prints of all the bars in the book are available here.
Luckydog is the kind of place you want to hang out for a while and shoot the shit. The music is good. The bartenders are easy to talk to and so are the patrons, both at the bar and out back on the patio. It all works, and the regulars agree. Frank, who’s lived in the neighborhood since 2013, found his local at Luckydog before he even found his apartment a couple blocks away. “They’re welcoming to everybody, and the service is always amazing, right down to the bar backs,” he said. The bartender Melissa, pointing to the locals at the bar, added, “It’s like their living room.”
“More like our family room,” Frank corrected. He hangs out with his wife and kid at Luckydog sometimes, and why not? It’s a cool, friendly place with that clean backyard patio loaded with social people and on occasion, a few dogs. In the daytime, Luckydog rocks a family-friendly beer hall/beer garden vibe, the kind of place where it’s easy to interact with other folks. There’s pinball and a shuffleboard table to boot, both very popular with the kids.
When to Visit Luckydog:
Saturday or Sunday, early afternoon, when there’s a chill mix of regulars and visitors, the sun is shining, and Luckydog puts our free, fresh bagels and cream cheese from Bagelsmith down the street.
Where to Sit:
Anywhere out on the back patio if weather permits. When I was there on a beautiful summer afternoon, I met a friendly Boston Terrier and his people hanging out back. It’s illegal in New York to ask whether or not he was a service dog, but I do know he was a lucky dog.
What to Drink :
• Most popular: the beer. Pick a beer, any beer. You will always get a clean, fresh pour. (Every draft line is cleaned regularly as a point of pride.) Ask for a taste of something unusual, and the bartender will be happy to oblige you.
• Not into beer? Have the popular One-Pound Margarita. (Not that anyone’s actually weighed it, but hey. Don’t lay a literalist trip on Luckydog, man.)
Luckydog Recipes:
Luckydog’s One-Pound Margarita
2 oz. Rancho Alegre tequila blanco
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. house-made sour mix (recipe below)
Shake all ingredients in a shaker tin loaded with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a Mason jar with a salted rim and garnish with lime wedge.
Luckydog’s sour mix
1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 parts simple syrup (equal parts water and white sugar, stirred or shaken until sugar completely dissolves)
Happy hour: Monday–Friday, 12–7 p.m. $1 off pints of draft beer, $3 well drinks, $2 PBR and Schaefer cans, $3 bottles of Miller High Life and Lone Star.
Next up:
The Long Island Bar of Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill, one of the finest corner taverns in the known universe (back off, man—I’ve done the research) and another chapter of my book Bars, Taverns and Dives New Yorkers Love, which you can order right here. Limited-edition signed prints of the bars are available here.