Name a more iconic duo than food and drink; we’ll wait. It sounds even better when one of the pair comes free. A host of bars across the City offer complimentary snacks while you sip, in many cases something more substantial than just a salty, crunchy bite: pizza, a hot dog, even charcuterie. Along with satisfying your cravings, they’ll guarantee you won’t be drinking on an empty stomach. Check out our list of bars and their food freebies below.
4th Avenue Pub
76 Fourth Ave., 718-643-2273, Park Slope, Brooklyn
The freebie: Popcorn, daily
If nearly 30 draft beers and 60 bottled varieties aren’t enough to draw you into this beer garden, the outdoor seating and the free popcorn to pair with your drink will surely seal the deal. Its proximity to Barclays Center may make this pub your new go-to for a Nets pregame or a post-concert nightcap.
Photo: Alexander Thompson
Alligator Lounge
600 Metropolitan Ave., 718-599-4440, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The freebie: Pizza, daily
While dollar-slice pizza will always be a great deal, $4 for beer and pizza is hard to beat. Head to the back of this bar to snag a personal pie, free when you buy any drink. Bonus: they’ve got a sister bar in Manhattan with the same special.
Blind Tiger
281 Bleecker St., 212-462-4682, West Village, Manhattan
The freebie: Cheese and baguettes, Wednesdays at 6pm
Hit this West Village beer haven for free bread and cheese every Wednesday evening—and not just any cheese but a selection from gourmet shop Murray’s, across the street. Get there early for maximum munchies: they are first come, first served.
Brazen Head
228 Atlantic Ave., 718-488-0430, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
The freebie: Chicken wings, cheese, bagels, pizza, varies daily
There’s a new free offering almost every day of the week: wings on Monday; cheese on Wednesday; bagels on Sunday. And don’t forget pizza, each afternoon and late night. The Cobble Hill bar also serves an array of craft beers on tap as well as a long list of bourbons and ryes.
Croxley Ales
28 Ave. B, 212-253-6140, East Village, Manhattan
The freebie: Boneless chicken wings, Fridays 4–7pm
This atmospheric sports bar, with locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, has tons of different wing flavors. Of the daily happy hour specials, the best may be Friday’s: a complimentary chicken wing buffet to go with your discount drinks. They’ve got dozens of craft brews on tap.
The Dead Poet
450 Amsterdam Ave., 212-595-5670, Upper West Side, Manhattan
The freebie: Popcorn, daily
The names of the cocktails here reference literary works and authors like Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker and Ernest Hemingway, who would be happy you were toasting his memory with his signature daquiri. Offered along with these drinks is popcorn; serve yourself from the giant cinema-style popper at the end of the bar.
Photo: Alex Lopez
The Huckleberry Bar
588 Grand St., 718-218-8555, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The freebie: Mac and cheese, Mondays at 9pm
The Huckleberry’s sophisticated cocktails (created by two seasoned mixologists) are its calling card, but on Mondays the focus is on something more lowbrow: a film screening and mac-and-cheese, yours with the purchase of one drink. You decide whether the movie or the macaroni is cheesier.
Courtesy, Il Mulino New York
Il Mulino
86 W. 3rd St., 212-673-3783, Greenwich Village, Manhattan
The freebie: Potato chips, fried zucchini, daily
This spot proves that free food isn’t only served at dive bars. Head to the bar of this upscale Italian eatery to raise a glass to its truffle potato chips and fried zucchini.
The Levee. Photo: Susan Hunt
The Levee
212 Berry St., 718-218-8787, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The freebie: Cheese puffs, daily
Free communal cheese puffs help set this Williamsburg bar apart from a sea of local watering holes. The sometimes loud but fun dive also has board games, a pool table and a grungy ’90s soundtrack.
Courtesy, Machiavelli
Machiavelli
519 Columbus Ave., 212-724-2658, Upper West Side, Manhattan
The freebie: Italian aperitivo and personal pizza, weekdays 4–6pm
This Upper West Side Italian eatery, known for its fresh pasta, prides itself on filling both your wine glass and your belly. Any happy hour beverage purchase at the bar comes with a personal pizza plus a selection of finger foods, say, olives, salami and skewers of tomato and mozzarella.
Mad Donkey
32-07 36th Ave., 718-204-2070, Astoria, Queens
The freebie: Peanuts, daily
Let loose at this Astoria dive; go ahead, throw your peanut shells on the floor. After trying a Donkey Fish bowl (complete with Swedish fish swimming in the alcohol)—the bar’s trademark drink—you’ll be grateful for the lifeline of free munchies.
Matt Torrey’s
46 Bushwick Ave., 718-218-7646, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The freebie: Bagels, Saturdays and Sundays, noon till they’re gone
You’ll be hard pressed to find a bang-for-your-buck brunch that tops the one at Torrey’s. Every weekend, they offer $4 bloody marys and mimosas plus a complimentary spread of bagels and fixings to make the perfect, practically free brunch.
The RoadHouse
1400 Clove Rd., 718-447-0033, Staten Island
The freebie: Pizza, weekdays 4–7pm
This Staten Island joint has been slinging crisp pizza pies for more than 45 years; during happy hour you can enjoy a free sample at the bar with any order of beer.
Rudy's. Photo: Jen Davis
Rudy’s
627 Ninth Ave., 646-707-0890, Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan
The freebie: Hot dogs, daily
Rudy’s is a quintessential dive in Hell’s Kitchen that’s been around since 1933. A plastic pig stands guard by the door; once inside, you’ll get a free hot dog with each drink purchase. They come straight off the gas-station-style roller grill behind the bar.
Ryan Maguire’s
28 Cliff St., 212-566-6906, Lower Manhattan
The freebie: Happy hour buffet, weekdays 5–7pm
There’s an element of surprise at this Irish-American bar’s happy hour offering. The nightly dish might be pasta one day, sausage or stew the next. But the price is always the same: free.
