The Bush — Restaurant in New York

*update - CHECK YOUR BILL bc the bartenders tend to overcharge by adding their own gratuity so a $12 drink becomes $16. Very slimy behavior.

The bar I have been waiting for is becoming more and more disappointing with each visit. I make this review after having gone at least 7 times and only 1 time was worth the cover and the water down drinks. It took 8 years of my Bushwick/NYC bar hopping for what I hoped would be a queer POC bar frequented by predominantly POC women to come into place. But it just not becoming that.

PROS: No shoveling and bumping into other people. -Large venue with alot of potiental. Bartenders have a sense of urgency and are cute and seem fun. DJs play current music mixes in pop, hip hop and r and b. WednesI believe are like an open mic for DJ nights, which is pretty cool so go and support the up-and-comers! Door check girls don’t try to over charge. I LOVE THE BOUNCERS, they are super personable, they remember you and they make conversation when you are waiting outside. Sometimes I just stand outside with the Virgo bouncer bc he is a better time than inside lol. Their bouncers are more professional and experienced than a lot of the other dive bars in the area. Like they get the assignment.

CONS: A COVER EVERY WEEKEND! AC KEEPS DRIPPING! Only 2 bathroom stalls (when both work). Often times i would go to another bar to use the bathroom and just not come back. Bartenders are not just personable. When it is slow, get to know the customers. I mean its less than 10 ppl in the bar on a weeknight, chat people up. The bar business is a people business. WEEKEND DJs transitions are horrible. Its noticeably bad enough that i as a non DJ have spoken to others in the bar about it. Tbh forget the DJ most nights and just put on a Spotify playlist or a SoundCloud playlist and you would get a better vibe. We just want to dance to the POC bops not to hear you pretend to be the next Skillex. Okay sorry for the rant. Door check gurl are also not friendly like gurl you are the first point of contact. Give some compliments, smile, and be a little flirty like set the tone.

To the owners of the Bush why are you charging covers every weekend for your own parties? The bar is hardly ever over 30% capacity just let people in and make the money back at the bar. Stop...

Not worth your time or money - this bar is a huge disappointment. A bartender automatically added a 30% tip to my credit card charge without my consent (this is mentioned in other reviews) which felt dishonest and unearned given the level of service. The 3 bartenders were the loudest people talking in the room. They mostly talked amongst themselves and made little effort to look after customers.

If you’re looking to support queer spaces, I’d recommend taking your money somewhere that values ethics and hospitality. This bar missed the mark on both.

A note to the owner: If you want to build a sustainable business that’s supported by a community, consider hiring new bartenders who actually value hospitality. Right now, the staff seem more focused on hanging out with each other than creating a good customer experience that will encourage...

Edit: Unfortunately, had to change my review. I had my phone stolen out my purse during one of their anniversary events where I also felt like there were a lot of straight men hanging around. Their response when I messaged them about it was pretty automated and lacked real empathy. The vibes overall changed and feel a bit low /catty too. Unsure if I'll continue going here :(

My favorite queer bar to go to for weekend dancing. It's more diverse and not too young of a crowd. I feel like they are also good about constantly having fun day and night...