Hop Devil Grill

Hop Devil GrillHop Devil Grill
Hop Devil GrillHop Devil Grill
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

129 Saint Marks Pl
New York, New York, 10009-5158
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.08
Reviews:
82
Ratings:
95
pDev:
11.76%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by Andreji:
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Reviewed by Andreji from Texas

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Note: i have since spoken to the folks at this bar by their initiative and since I had no time to go back this time around, but I still feel they deserve an upgrade in rating terms of service, but haven't altered the review itself.

So the famous hop devil on the corner of st-mark's and avenue A. by no means a fancy looking place and a rather discrete one, although i liked the wide-open doors approach.

Inside, a ramble, noisy in spite of there not being too many people. disorderly looking and dim lit. Some bare wooden tables all over the place. seems a bit un-cozy for the most part but hey, this is a bar. get over it. i didn't pay much attention to the music because it wasn't loud enough to occlude others' conversations. which seems ok because this should be background music.

We got either the trainee or the lousiest waitress in the history of mankind. she screwed up the next table guy's order on BEER and only told him after he'd already drank it. then their next round she couldn't tell which was which (hey, there were 2 TWO people on the table and one apparently ordered what looked like a porter so one beer was distinctively dark!). I had to basically hunt her down a couple of times to get an order through. and one of the times she apparently supposed we were asking for the bill (halfway through our meal) or she randomly just popped with this leather looking booklet. either way, disgraceful.

Selection is decent, international and random, and solidified by their expanding local brands. however, i don't rate them higher because i'm rather disappointed their beer menu was more of a plain-paper 3-side brochure on which the back was the tequila and wine choices. they seem to love their beers and then they seem to not love their beers. go figure.

food was not bad at all. i had the pork sliders and tried the quesadilla, both of which were very nice and affordable.

indeed a good place but NYC has many, many, many, many better things to offer.
Mar 23, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.86 by bgold86 from New York

Aug 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.3 by Jlabs from New York

Mar 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.99 by Eman17 from Illinois

Feb 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by misternebbie from Pennsylvania

Jan 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by SkiBum22 from New York

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Ant4711 from South Carolina

Jul 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by EdwardK77 from New York

Jun 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by markgugs from New Jersey

Jun 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by djrn2 from New Jersey

May 27, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by tainohawk from New York

May 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by sirsteve42 from New York

Jan 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by charlienyc from Illinois

Jan 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by seanchai from Virginia

Dec 31, 2013
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Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I've been to Hop Devil a couple of times but only now have I come around to review it.

This joint sure is dark! A little overwhelming, total cave. Cheap looking but not in a bad way, like a ratty sports bar in, say, Scranton, PA. They do have lots of cool breweriana around.

Noisy at 4:30 pm when I visited, even though place was pretty empty (only the bar was filled up, with what seemed to be regulars). I guess they have poor noise-proofing, hence the loudness? Music was real loud too, but hey, maybe I'm a bit too old for this kind of youth-oriented sports tavern of sorts...

Gotta love the homely feel, though, so different from the corporate vibe of many bars in Manhattan. It really feels like a small town in here, what with the friendly drunken regulars perched at the bar since opening time. A bit of an East Village feel indeed!

Nice friendly bartender was quick, super polite and not missing a beat. But the real draw here is the prices! Regular prices are not bad, but during happy hour... everything is HALF OFF!! Wow. Believe it. I thought no place in New York City had a real happy hour like that. Reminds me of Ohio...

So I got a Stone Belgo Old Guardian snifter for only four dollars. Sweet!

Didn't try food this time so I won't rate it, but I have in the past. Nothing exciting, they serve a competent mixture of Mexican fare (tacos, burritos) and American pub grub (wings, salads burgers) at good prices. I'm not here for the food, though, so no worries.

Selection is alright, not great but serviceable. This is the kind of place that does not amaze you on a daily basis but will shock you from time to time with rare shit like Dogfish World Wide Stout or Founders KBS. On my last visit, they had 20 American taps, 1 cider, 2 Germans and Guinness. Hop Rod Rye, Brooklyn Lager, Harpoon IPA, Ithaca Apricot, Kona Porter, Sam Noble Pils, Rogue Chocolate Stout, Smuttynose Porter... plus that Stone Belgo Old Guardian that was the only rarity, really. Maybe Stevens Point Belgian Wit too, since I have never since this brewery around NYC.

But I feel like at Rattle N' Hum: not exactly excited.

One thing that bothered me a bit was that I saw no sign of "credit card minimum", and when I went to tab out, the friendly bartender told me they had a $10 so I would have to have another beer. I was in a hurry and didn't want another brew, but hey, I *had* too. Not a huge deal, but I wish they had some signs advertising their credit minimum (I could have asked too, it is true).

(I have not been to The Belgian Room, but the taps didn't exactly give me a hard-on either: Delirium, Ommegang, Sly Fox...).

All in all, this is a fine spot for the East Village nation. It might not stand out tremendously in Manhattan, but there is a lot of competition anyway. Too many good bars, with better beer lists and (in some cases) food.

If you live nearby, though, or are visiting or strolling around the Village... heck yeah, check it out!
Apr 03, 2011
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Reviewed by CHickman from New York

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
The Hop Devil Grill & Belgian Room are places I wished I visited more when I lived in Stuy Town years ago when they first opened.

The Hop Devil Grill has decent food and insane wings that are so hot they will make you cry, but it's the great beer selection that keeps me coming back time after time; over the years, every time I went in for a beer I was able to try something new and have a good conversation with the bartender about beer each time I've entered this place, and over the years that's a lot of visits. The atmosphere has always been casual and laid back, which is perfect for a beer bar.

The selection and quality have always been impressive to me, and the bartenders have always been willing to provide a sample and some guidance, which is all you can ask for when goingto a place like this. The prcies are OK and some would say reasonable for NYC, but be prepared to drop some cash for quality beers when you come here.
Apr 02, 2011
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Reviewed by unclejimbay from Florida

4.44/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
The place is a must try if you are in the East Village area.

I visited the Hop Devil a few times during my visit to NYC and the East village area. The Hop Devil bar side is a casual bar feel with 24 taps, about 20 bar seats, and 15 or so tables. The bartender was friendly and made good conversation with my wife and I during our visits. The patrons were friendly and seemed like a laid back but beer knowledgeable crowd. Sat next to a beer geek from Oregon and he always comes to this bar during his visits to NYC.

I had several good IPAs during my session (Flower Power, Capn Lawerence, Brooklyn Detonation IIPA). My wife had a Victory Weizenbock and Rochfert 8. The lines seemed clean and the prcies were very reasonable for NYC.

The Belgian Room next store has more of a lounge type feel with a bit more character. The bottle offerings seemed a bit more expensive in price than the draft options. We skipped over the Belgian Room, opted for the Hop Devil twice, and had dinner down at The Bourgeois Pig which also has some nice Belgian selections.
Dec 03, 2010
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Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

3.91/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
After dinner at Resto then beers at Vertigo and Pete's Tavern, my friend and I made it into here for last call this past Tuesday night. When we walked into the Hop Devil side, the bartender was cleaning up and there was no one at the bar. He didn't seem to mind if he served a few last pints to us. Cool looking place, but hard to judge when the lights were off and the place was empty. Great selection of American craft beers. I went with the Lake Placid Honey Rye, which was crisp. Bartender was nice, as he jumped in and told us the cross street for a restaurant my friend and I were trying to remember. It was too late to head into the Belgian Room by that point, but this seemed like a cool place. American brews on one side and Belgian on the other. Enough to satisfy me at least.
Jul 16, 2010
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Reviewed by wagenvolks from Texas

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Hit up both Hop Devil and the Belgian Room on the 4th of July in NYC with my friend Becky after her brother's wedding the previous day. HD first--about 15 taps and twice as many bottles. Service was great, but we were two of 6 patrons, so I wouldn't have expected anything less. I had a Brooklyn Blast Pale Ale; she ordered a Boulder Flashback. No problems with the tap lines or anything else. Prices were steep, but not overly pricey for New York.

The Belgian Room had a more laid back "opium den" type of vibe. Less taps, but I was excited to see JP's Luciérnaga pouring. Plus the bottled list was pretty extensive with some gems, including Cascade Apricot Ale ($30 for a 750ml bottle!), Kuhnhenn Mayhem ($8.50 per 12oz bottle), Cantillon Gueze 100% Lambic, Cantillon 1900 Grand Cru, Rochefort, and several others. Bartender was friendly and knew his beer fairly well. Good experiences at both, and would gladly revisit.
Jul 06, 2010
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Reviewed by rosybottom from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
Was in town last night strolling the Village with some of my New York City colleagues. They told me if I like beer this is the place to go, and boy they were not kidding. 30 taps I think, with a Green Flash thing going on last night. I had a Hop Head Red for the first time and that was a great experience, and their West Coast IPA was equally delicious. Selection rates a 5 for Green Flash alone, but they also had Stone Old Guardian on tap and Great Divide Old Ruffian! This place is tight with the strong ales. Rogue Shakespeare Stout, Delirium Tremens on their "Belgian Room" side and a locally made ale on cask really rounds out for a great selection.
Rooms are quite spacious and not too crowded. Music was conversation level, with good Blues kickin' it as background. Had some pomme frites which were good with the spicy mayonnaise sauce. Service was solid. Pretty knowledgeable bartender to chat up with, but no beer genius. I could easily spend a few more nights getting to know this place and the East Village, but it'll have to wait until I am back in town. Too bad!
Jun 23, 2010
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Reviewed by DiggityDankster from New York

2.1/5  rDev -48.5%
vibe: 1 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 2 | food: 1
Dropped in the Belgian Room for two reasons: 1)A friend said the vibe was good and the barstaff could keep up with the party. 2)The bars next store were crowded and I was in a beer mood without the hassels of being two deep at the bar. WRONG on both accounts.

Very small bar to start. 6 beers on tap and not all are Belgian???? The bottle selection looks good but be prepared for a second and third possibility as the ordering manager is asleep at the wheel. The staples are there-Duvel, Chimay and Stella.

The Drafts and the menu for that matter are more Canadian. Seems to have a small identity crisis. Delirium Tremens on tap is the highlight of the 6 possible taps but the lines seem mucked up as the pouring seems a bit foamy. Nice glassware tho.

The atmosphere was not quite the vibe I was told of. Maybe they had better staff before my arrival. The general feel was lack of interest bordering on stupidity. Not quite sure what the problem was but the feel was lackluster.

The highlight of the stay was the chalkboard on the sidewalk. Creative. The location wasn't bad as the wine bar next door was packed. With Women. Can't say I'll be back with better establishments in the city.
Mar 20, 2010
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Reviewed by FretlessC from Massachusetts

4.04/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Price: Don't remember specifics, but quite normal for high quality craft brews.

Location: East part of St. Mark's Place in East Village. If nothing else, this neighborhood is great, with all kinds of amazing food. The hot dogs next door are excellent, and there the two beers are Dale's Pale Ale and PBR. Trendy.

Atmosphere: Came here twice, Thursday and Friday.

Thursday: Less crowded. Older crowd. Better music - 90s hard rock at a reasonable volume. Waiter was extra-nice guy who sat w/ us and discussed beer selection, made suggestions, and brought samples. Had an excellent time on Thursday.

Friday: Crowded. Seemed fratty, or something. Maybe they let the NYU kids out on Fridays or something. The music was crap - Kid Rock, Creed, etc. and much louder than it was Thursday.

Both times, the place looks like a sports bar, and TVs everywhere showing sports. Seems to clash with the taste of a serious barley wine or oaked stout, but on Thursday, I was able to ignore the TVs.

Beer: Excellent selection of local and far away craft brews. Only the most interesting. Some of the names are hard to decipher (as they often are), but the waiter/bartender on both nights was able to give me lots of information. Appropriate glassware. Remember specifically they had two really nice barley wines (Speakeasy, and something else), a great Boulder (obvoid?) stout, an excellent imperial IPA, and a wide selection of other styles. Quite impressive selection.

Overall: I highly suggest coming here on Sunday-Thursday, as I think the atmosphere caters to a much younger crowd (who don't need my review to convince them whether to roll out of their apartments to this bar). The service was excellent and knowledgeable, and the beers were a great selection from a variety of reputable (mostly?) American brewers. There's a nice hookah bar down the street too (to the west), which doesn't hurt the evening for me, either.
Nov 26, 2009
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Reviewed by yemenmocha from Arizona

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Mexican style place that has a great selection of craft beers, both domestic and imported. It was odd that there weren't Mexican beers on tap given the bar's theme, but oh well.

Servers were more of the young/cute female stereotype that knew little about the craft offerings. Luckily they have a little binder with laminated pages about their beers, and they're generous with little samples so that your choice is the right one. Prices were reasonable for NYC and it's close to d.b.a. if you're making the trip to the East Village. Did not try the food on my visit.
Nov 13, 2009
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Reviewed by SpeedwayJim from New York

4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3
Went with my girlfriend...

Atmosphere here was really pretty good. Its in a very trendy part of town and the bar itself is really elegant and structured well.

THe beers that were served were a little on the cold side but otherwise, nothing to complain about. Proper glassware was used and the place really seemed tidy and up to par in every way.

Service here was second to none. Our bartender Christopher was super nice and even though he admittedly was not a beer guy, really tried hard and seemed eager to talk, share, and learn.

Selection is really the downfall of this place. In order to compete with places like GingerMan and RattlenHum, the craft selection needs to be better. Also, there are a number of "foreign" bottles but these are mainly very mainstream macro stuff like corona, heineken, negra modelo, etc. etc.

Definitely go during happy hour Monday-Friday 4-8. Although like I said, the selection isn't so great, during this time, the deal can't be beat.
Oct 31, 2009
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Reviewed by jamesmbirchnyc from New Jersey

3.41/5  rDev -16.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Happened into Hop Devil this afternoon and sat down at the bar prepared to try a few brews. The overall atmosphere was very quiet (perhaps since it was Sunday) and our service was okay.

I get the feeling that HPG doesn't really know what kind of bar its trying to be. The bartender didn't really know a whole lot about the beers or even where they were located on the taps. The beer menu looked cheap and relatively simple.

The worst part was that I have an AHA beer member card which enables me a 15% discount at all partcipating locations. The HDG advertises as such in the Zymurgy magazine however the bartender refused to give me the discount citing the fact that my bill wasn't very much anyways.

Not impressed. Sorry, I wish I could say something nice.
Sep 27, 2009
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Reviewed by Nickls from District of Columbia

3.94/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
(From notes)

Finally visited after the "redo" to HDG. Overall, not a bad spot, but somehow I feel like it's not quite as good as it once was.

The southwestern US theme that is going on is a bit trite and seems a little silly, but it's not hard to look past it since it really just feels like the ownership just threw up some new pieces of flair and paint. It was pretty chill on a Thursday evening after work, though.

The tap list wasn't bad, but nothing terribly rare. Solid enough, and decently priced for a pint in the area. The bottle list was a little underwhelming, and the one Cantillon brew that I ordered was actually out of stock.

Overall, not a bad spot, but I don't think I will feel compelled to revisit unless I hear that they have something interesting on tap. Way too many other places in the surrounding area that I would go to first.
Aug 23, 2009
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Reviewed by TheDeuce from New York

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Nice Southwest Cuisine style place in the Village, large beautiful tap system with various micros and macros. I was able to try three beers here that I couldn't find anywhere else. Server was new so she didn't know much, I can let that go I guess. Beers were served correctly.

Food is southwestern, I had a spicy burrito with vegetables that was very good. I had nachos for an appetizer but it wasn't very good.

Atmosphere is a mix of frat boy partying and serious beer geekery, a good happy hour brings lots of people out.

Overall, great place, deserves the hype.
Aug 11, 2009
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Reviewed by david18 from New York

4.8/5  rDev +17.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
I think this is my favorite place in the city even though I hardly get a chance to go there. It's in the east village and has the best selection of bottles, drafts and rotating drafts.

I've tried so many beers there for the first time including the hop head red and some ale smith selections. It's also the first place i ever saw Russian River beers as well as Port Brewing/Lost Abbey beers. Was also the first time I drank Absinthe.

If you're ever anywhere neat this place I would recommend you go there.
Jul 20, 2009
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Reviewed by otnemem from New Hampshire

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I moved into the East Village about a month ago, and hadn't found a good local beer bar, until now. Probably the best draft selection in the area, besides Spitzer's, while being much more reasonable. Their happy hour is fantastic, half off all drafts from 5-8, M-F (even though the sign outside only says 5-7), making all pints $3-3.50. There are also a lot of great food specials ($1 Taco Tuesdays are incredible). The food is very solid, great Tacos, decent wings. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, not only being more than happy to give you samples when you ask, but often giving them out unsolicited if they think there is something you might like. The atmosphere isn't anything special, it feels like what it is, a Mexican restaurant/bar, but there is usually a decent music and a few interesting people to talk to. Highly recommended if you're in the area, especially if you feel like some Mexican and can catch happy hour.
Jul 14, 2009
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Reviewed by smithflipper from Australia

4.6/5  rDev +12.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Wandering dwon St. Marks just happened to bump into this place.

Decent selection, very friendly service. Great view of the park and a perfect place to try some great micros on a sunny day.

Rotating selection, I only got to go there once but i can imagine you'd never get bored. Didn't try the food as i was saving myself for the BBQ Fest.

Bar staff were friendly, knowledgable and very helpful. Gave me plenty of samples of all the beers.

I had a great time here, will always stop in if I'm back in NYC. Cant beat the location and the friendly atmosphere.
Jul 07, 2009
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Reviewed by beerwinemead from England

5/5  rDev +22.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
The Hop Devil is so cool. I just found it last week and now I am hooked. I am just starting to learn all about beer now, and the bartender there, Michael, is sweet and told me if I want to learn, I have to go to beeradvocate.com and here I am!

He also told me to go to their mead party, and I went last night. I have never heard of mead being on tap anywhere, and they have three on tap! There is also 27 other taps with all kinds of beers as well. The vibe is really, really exceptional. Everyone is so nice, the music is so rocking, and the back lounge is so cozy. I got to meet the mead brewer and he was really informative.

Prices are good here. If you go on Tuesday, they have a special deal on tacos where they are only a dollar each! The best deal is the wings though. Buffalo wings here are soo good. The quality of the beer and wings makes for a good value. All week there are deals here, so its different every day. The service is super friendly.
Jun 17, 2009
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Reviewed by NYCervezero28 from New York

2.6/5  rDev -36.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 2 | food: 3
My friends and I had been going there for some time and we always liked it. Went back there recently and it has gone downhill... the beer menu is SIGNIFICANTLY smaller. The service was always not all THAT, but this time around I had to go to the bar EVERYTIME despite being seated at a table with a party of three for over three hours! They don't have the plethora of beers up on the boards the way they used to... because there aren't as many. They got rid of the jukebox which was REALLY good). Nahhh... this place is done in my book. Which is too bad, because it used to be my go-to joint on Fridays and Saturdays.
Apr 19, 2009
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Reviewed by astrasday from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Finally got to go to Hop Devil last weekend after walking by countless times while it was being renovated. First, let me start off by saying that at 6:00 on a Friday night, this place was shockingly quiet. There is a reasonably sized bar. Most of the space is open with tables scattered about the place with table service offered. I imagine if it was a crowded night, I would be thankful for this extra breathing room and places to sit with the hopes of getting served instead of clawing your way up to the bar. But, that night, it was weirdly quiet.

Service was good. The bartender was affable, easy to talk to and didn't push me to pile on the drinks. She also gave me a tasting pour of the standard Gonzo to compare it to the barrel aged I was trying. Thoughtful for sure.

With roughly 20 or so taps, there was a good smattering of beers to choose from. They just had a Flying Dog night previous so I had a few of their offerings (which happy hour didn't apply to) and a smattering of other things. I would like to see what their line up would be without a brewery night, but I wasn't complaining.

I didn't get a chance to order food as I just wanted a few drinks and get on my way, but the wings looked good and they focused on Mexican cuisine if I'm not mistaken.

The value was fairly reasonable. The happy hour price was insane. I got a pint of St. Nicholaus Bock Bier for 3 bucks. Tough to argue with that. I was left wanting a bit more of a pour from the $7.50 barrel aged Gonzo, but, it IS a hard to find beer and it IS in NYC, so I was overall happy with the prices.

I would see myself going back there again, but I don't think I would make it my go-to destination. I am still too damn partial to Blind Tiger.
Jan 29, 2009
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Reviewed by newyawker from New York

5/5  rDev +22.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I went to the Hop Devil Grill last night and all I can say is...awesome! They have an amazing beer selection with over 30 draft beers if you include their lounge and a large sized bottled beer selection as well. I don't think there is another beer bar in town that can compete with their Mexican food. I had a soup type dish called pozole I think, and it was fabulous. It came with hot tortillas and a bunch of toppings to ad as I saw fit. I also had the tilapia and shrimp fajitas and it is was a really great flavor combination when paired with the Rogue Chipotle Ale. My friend raved about his chicken wings and ancho pork burrito. Angela, their beautiful waitress took good care of us and gave us champagne, hats, whistles and confetti to help bring in the New Year. As far as their atmosphere, it is spacious and decorated nicely with Southwestern type signs, lizards, cacti and and really nice coloring. The lounge which used to sell strictly Belgian beer I am told is comfy with couches, coffee tables and is a little more relaxed than the larger "grill" side next door. I finished off the evening with a large bottle of Abbaye des Rocs Grand Cru. I will be back soon and it looks like the East Village is really beginning to compete with Brooklyn as having the best beer bars in the city.
Jan 02, 2009
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Reviewed by DrJay from Texas

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I visited this place a few times last summer, so this review is from several sets of notes. The location is easy to find in the East Village, not too far a walk from the subway, and close to several other interesting beer bars. The decor wasn't what I normally look for in a bar, with plenty of TVs showing sports, but I thought the bar was fairly nice with the tap list up above written in chalk. Pretty extensive tap list too, probably 20-25 taps, mostly US craft covering a lot of styles and regions. I ended up having a Kuhnhenn 4th Dementia on one visit, which I thought was pretty cool. Service was good, although I only stopped in during the day when it wasn't overly busy. I didn't get to try the Belgian Room, since it didn't open until later in the day. Overall, definitely a worthy stop, especially if you're already in this part of town.
Dec 29, 2008
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Reviewed by bonbini26 from New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Went here on a Friday Night

Hop Devil Grill - Pretty good vibe on a Friday night for a 20-30 crowd, good mix of music playing too, which you don't find at many beer bars for some reason.

Many beers available in 1L Mugs, i can already hear some BA's saying thats over doing it and theres no need for that. But for $11 in Manhattan, a 1L of Harpoon Glacier Harvest Wet Hop or Elysian Immortal IPA, which i had, i say cheers. Pretty diverse tap list and 1 cask line. Didn't really take notice of the bottle list, plenty on tap, something for everyone from weiss beers to barleywines

Friendly bartenders, all willing to give a decent size sample of w/e beer you would like to try. I didn't have any of the food while i was there but the menu is mostly bar food, small bites, etc.

Belgian Room - A lot less crowded and more laid back crowd. The bottle selection was excellent with all the usual Belgians you would expect and few more and most were at a reasonable prices. I would have liked to see a few more Belgians on tap (Capt. Lawrence Pumpkin (so-so), Ommegang Abbey, Delirium, an IPA, Roedbach Grand Cru. I believe the food menu is the same here

Overall, i really liked both places, i know there are a few other beer bars in the area, but i was fine staying here all night.
Oct 27, 2008
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Reviewed by leftmindedrighty from New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This was our last stop of the Philly Does New York trip. Technically, this was two stops. As we had to leave to go next door to the Belgian Room.

The Hop Devil side really let me down within the first minute of being there. We arrived and immediately looked at the tap list. They had two Kuhnhenn beers listed as "on-tap". Well, my heart skipped a beat, and I proceeded to order the Raspberry Eisbock. Apparently that beer had kicked right before we got there. That was disappointment number 1. Then I ordered the other Kuhnhenn beer on tap. Upon filling my friend Matt's glass, the keg kicked. Luckily, I got a taste of his and thanked myself it kicked. It tasted like cough syrup, so I was only mad at the missing of the Raspberry Eisbock.

Service was solid, and we enjoyed the hell out of the Frites and other muchies. I highly recommend the frites, as they sauces were awesome, as were the actual frities.

The Belgian Room was a bit of a let down, considering that I had thought this would be the best of the trip. Tap selection was solid, but nothing that we can't get here in Philly. Granted, Philly invented the Belgian Beer scene, so I guess I shouldn't have had my hopes up.

Solid stop for sure, and one I will frequent again when I'm in the area.
Aug 25, 2008
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

4.21/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
August 2008.

The Hop Devil Grill is located in and around Manhattan's chic and trendy East Village neighborhood. This a scene chalk full of funky boutiques, eccentric shopping, extremely posh nightclubs, and a wonderfully vibrant nightlife. We decided to stop in for a drink or two before taking it all in, and I'm glad we did.

The place itself is fairly minimal: a bar area with high stools and comfortable standing room; a tabled area with seats behind that; and yet another section of tables and chairs, this one even more plain and bare. This part also curiously empty even on a Friday night. Although their selection made me - an avid beer enthusiastic - feel right at home I must admit that the ambiance is scant. The whole feel of the place, in my experience, was just meager.

The atmosphere was defined only by stickers of various beer labels plastered to the walls and above those the varieties of beer themed memorabilia that hanged. On display also was a long lineup of previously drank large sized cans, some a tad rusted, many of which once held malt liquor. We visited during the Olympics and so large projections filled its bare walls with sports. Whether for these reasons, or from the crowd (a majority of whom appeared to be between the ages of 21 and 28) I couldn't help but associate the Hop Devil Grill to a kind of college pub.

Although I saw food menus I didn't really have a chance to look them over, much less order anything. This really couldn't have phased me any less as I was more than carried away with their bottle and draft selections which, it can be said, was among some of the best in the city. Their prices too, still similar to the other must-see bars in NYC, were the cheapest I recall.

Their tap list numbered close to 25, nearly all of which were American craft beers. A good number of breweries and states were represented as was a variety of styles, ranging from pale ales and wheat beer to barleywines and imperial stouts. I had no problem choosing my two drinks and would have had no problem choosing a bunch more, if time had permitted.

"The Belgian Room", an extension of the Hop Devil Grill, offered another 5 taps and an additional list of at least 30 more bottles, exclusively Belgian. I really liked this concept and had higher expectations of the Belgian Room, that it might be the classier alter-ego to the Hop Devil, but I was mistaken. Its bar may have been a little smaller but it was certainly no more quaint. Again, little decor or ambiance. I opted to return back.

I would see the coolest thing I've ever witnessed at a bar there that night. Waiting to order (which didn't take long, the bar service was beyond excellent) stood beside a young girl. When the bartender asked us from behind her shoulder what we'd be having to drink this unassuming young lady politely asked for a Bud Light.

Slowly, the bartender would turn her neck and unleash onto this girl the most sinister and degrading stare. She continued peering with a look partly of shame, partly of pity, and partly of insult. Reproachfully she continued, humiliating the girl with disgrace, until finally - still without acknowledging the girls request - turned to me ...
"I'll have a Captain Lawrence DIPA".
"Good" she replied.
Aug 19, 2008
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
The Hop Devil appears to have been a diner in its former life. The stainless steel door entryway gives it away, as does the floor. Hmmm, now that I think about it, I guess the curves along the ceiling imply that too. And, it works! It's a comfortable place (unless it get really crowded). The draft selection is great, and there are quite a few gems in the bottled form too.

Service has always been good for me. Not great, but OK.

The food is OK. Pricey - even for NY in the far east Village. Big pretzel $5, chicken fingers $9, fried zucchini $8, bacon cheeseburger $14, brats w/ cabbage $16. ... ... ... bacon cheeseburger $14??? WTF?

Beer prices are OK... as expected at least.

Worth trying? I'm not sure. There are so many other places that I'm not sure I'd give this the nod right upfront. Probably. Probably worth trying.
Aug 06, 2008
Photo of sholland119
Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
The last stop on our pub crawl of New York so the memory is not as detailed as it might be.

Both the Grill and the Belgian Room were surprisingly empty for a prime time Saturday evening, even in July. dba was packed to the gills at the same time. The bar had a nice atmosphere, especially on the Grill side, nicely dark, a good number of stools.

The Grill draft list was good, with 25 taps. A Hebrew event earlier in the week meant that I could try the Lenny's on tap for the first time. Very nice. This was supplemented by a bottle list of about 60 with origins spanning the globe. I was less thrilled by the choices at the Belgian Room, but that's a failing of my palate, not the place. It is what it says it is.

Service was attentive and pleasant.

HV
Jul 15, 2008
Hop Devil Grill in New York, NY
Place rating: 4.08 out of 5 with 95 ratings