The Gutter Bar LIC — Restaurant in New York

The Gutter is fine if you’re just passing through, but don’t plan any events there. I’ve been burned twice. I emailed to reserve a lane for a small company outing of 6 people a month in advance. I included the date and exact time of our planned visit. The manager, Carol, got back to me saying the minimum was 2 lanes and recommended walking in instead. She also let me know that the kitchen was closed so our group should bring outside food if we wanted to eat. No problem, I can order pizzas for the team. I checked in again this week to confirm payment, and Carol responded that they accept physical cards only. Got it, I’ll use my own card, no problem. When we arrived today with the pizzas, the waitress informed me we couldn’t bring outside food because they just reopened the kitchen. I asked to speak to Carol as we had previous correspondence, but Carol refused to budge, even when I showed her own written statement from 2 days from before with no mention of this restriction. By that time my coworker had arrived and tried to order a hot dog from the newly opened “kitchen.” The staff said they were out (the place just opened). All they had was a small amount of what looked like stale popcorn and melted cheese. Some kitchen. Mind you, the place was entirely empty at this time. I asked if I we should take our business elsewhere, and Carol said “yes, if you want.” Seriously, the worst customer service. We ended up going to Fifth Hammer next door, where we were treated with respect and had a great time.

Anyway, this debacle is on top of a previous experience 2 years ago when I had my birthday at the Gutter. I entered without showing my ID but another friend came later after the bouncer established himself outside. My friend biked all the way from Park Slope and forgot her ID. When they didn’t let her in, she went all the way home to get her valid ID and came back. They still wouldn’t let her in!! It took begging and pleading (with a different manager at the time) to get them to acquiesce. They don’t know the meaning of competence or customer service. They want you to take your business...

I love bars that offer activities, so when I was invited to The Gutter for a friend's birthday I was very excited. Right at the door my energy was immediately matched by Jesse (the door man) and he was as friendly and energetic as you would expect someone to be at a fun place like this. Unfortunately, the staff beyond the door was just plain LAME. Both staff members I encountered while renting shoes were dry and clearly annoyed through every. single. interaction. I did not get a single smile from anyone and was spoken to as if I was inconveniencing them, in very short tones, multiple times. Bartender was to the point and the drinks came fast but weren't that potent. It took 3 drinks for me to get my mojo back because the shoe rental people really took the wind out of my sails! I found myself going outside in between drinks just to have a friendly interaction with the doorman (he really saved the night). When you fill a space with people who treat you like they are too cool to help you when it's literally their job, that can counteract all of the effort the business owners have put in to giving their customers a good experience. If it wasn't for the doorman last night, I wouldn't have had a single positive interaction with any member of The Gutter's staff and that's pretty sad for a bar that has something as...

I recently revisited one of my favorite hangouts, and it was just as enjoyable as ever! My previous visit was for a friend’s birthday, and we had a blast, so I couldn’t resist going back for more.

During our last outing, we had a large group and wisely made a reservation in advance. This time, I decided to try a walk-in on a Thursday around 6 pm. Even then, there was a bit of a wait, which shows just how popular this place is.

Fortunately, I managed to get a 30-minute window between reservations and got some playtime. Instead of paying $10 per game, we opted for the $40 slot that allowed us 30 minutes of play. In that half-hour, we managed to fit in two games, making it a much better deal than paying for individual games.

Besides the main attractions, they also have an array of arcade games, a whole area with booths for sitting, and a bar! The atmosphere here is always vibrant and perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or even office get-togethers. I highly recommend it for a fantastic and...