Johnny's Bar — Restaurant in New York

Thursday 1/16/14 around 7pm I walk in with someone, looking for a place to sit down and order drinks. The place was packed; I ask a group if the seats next to them were available - they were not, they were reserved for friends who were smoking outside. Ok. So we walk towards the back to look for seats. No seats. We turn right around and started walking back out. We were in the premises for less than 60 seconds. Right before we got to the front door, a female bartender (brunette, glasses - don't know her name unfortunately) came over to our side of the bar and yelled "HEY! Bathrooms are for customers only!" We were already halfway out the door by then. I get confused, turn back around. I look at her and said, "I was looking for seats. I didn't use the bathroom." She goes, "Oh. Oooookaaay...." And just stared at me as though I was lying. I give her a confused look and throw up my hands. She goes berserk and starts yelling, "DON'T ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME!!" I get annoyed and yelled back, "I didn't use the bathroom!!" She keeps on yelling, "I'M ALLOWED TO SAY THAT!! I'M ALLOWED TO SAY THAT!!" We get into a yelling match, with her getting the bar riled up and cheering for her in some trashy drunken fury even though nobody in the bar had any idea what was going on. My conclusions: she was either a) trashed or high out of her mind while working, or b) didn't like the way we look for whatever reason and decided that I committed a horrible crime by setting foot on the premises looking for a place to sit down and order drinks. My suggestion to anyone going to this bar: if it looks crowded as soon as you walk in, leave immediately or else the staff will harass you for simply existing. DO NOT walk around to look for a place to sit or stand, unless you want the staff to accuse you of some severe wrongdoing, such as walking towards the back of the bar, and then organize some lynch mob after you for some imagined felony. This is NOT a friendly bar; it's an extremely hostile environment. My experience clearly shows that if they don't like the way you look, or the way you walk, or the way you dress.... They will make you suffer within 60 seconds' time, and...

Johnny's Bar is awesome. I found it on - where else? - Yelp while staying in the area overnight, & it turned out to be just what I was looking for - a solid dive full of interesting people & mostly-cheap beer.

Our bartender was incredibly friendly, a peppy blonde who was working the bar solo but totally rocking it. We found seats at the end of the bar & she always served us quickly, always remembered our orders but gave us room to change our minds, & even set up little signs around the bar as the night wore on that read "Don't forget to take your card!" to help drunkies remember to collect their belonging.

We met some great folks, which wasn't something we'd intended but sort of emerged organically when we ended up sitting near a couple from Iceland & Denmark & chatted with them about... mandolin stores in the city? Seriously, they were great & the whole thing was great &, yes, GREAT.

We stayed until about 1:15. When we closed out, the bartender told us she'd given us each a drink on the house for being friendly; unsurprisingly, we tipped her big.

I'd definitely go back. Don't expect any great shakes - this is a dive bar, after all - but it's a damn...

This place was AWFUL. A guy ordered 4 shots trying to flirt with me and my friends and then tried to make us pay for the shots. We said no and he continued to refuse. We went to walk out and the bartender hopped over the bar and tried to FIGHT us over the drinks. She shouted saying he was a regular and that we better pay or shed fight us. The bouncer did nothing as the old bartender got in me and my two 21 year old faces threatening to fight us. Ive been at other bars before where I ordered mixed drinks and the bartender had no issue when we decided not to have it. This was a tequila shot and could have poured it back in the bottle. The bartender immediately assumed the situation and was so incredibly inprofessional. The fact that she jumped over the bar with her fists up with the bartender is just disgusting and a disgrace to this bar. Paid 20 dollars for shots that...