Sunswick 35/35

Stopped by on a Sunday evening to unwind after overindulging myself at a little family thing earlier in the day. Haven't been here in a few. I hate my old neighborhood.

Close off the Steinway stop on the local line, much of the bar is hidden coming in from that direction because of nearby construction. Still, a dozen or so locals were already well nestled into their beers by the time we arrived. Lakers/Celtics up on one boob, with the Mets squeaking one out on the other.

Place is pretty small & probably couldn't hold more then fifty patrons without someone getting a mouthful of elbow(& it has happened). Twenty-four taps, facing the bartender across a twenty foot bar, six or seven tables, & a small stage in the corner for live acts when crowd behavior permits. A sunk in pleather couch near the entrance is where I sit if I'm not by myself, otherwise, that's just desperate.

Taps are pretty average for a craft bar, with a couple new treats(this time it was the new Schneider Brooklyner), & 4(sometimes 5) macros like Stella to keep you from falling below the trendy meridian. Glassware doesn't get too technical. Tulips for higher abvs, weiss glasses for hefs, pints for pales. Most things don't get the short pour here. Prices range from $4 & change for the lower end, to $5 for most everyday beers, to $7 for my Schneider BK or Tremens) A typical day here you will find taps for Sierra Nevada, a couple Brooklyn things that aren't bottled, Abita Purple Haze(which never seems to leave), always something from Ommegang, #9, Chimay, Delirium, something Sixpoint, usually a Bluepoint, & some Lindeman's for a little blending. Honestly, the best place in Queens to find more then a handful of craft taps together in one spot. Ain't that sad? More then two million people in this borough...

Food is alright. They have a grill somewhere behind those doors & routinely get orders for their portabello burgers & sweet potato fries. My plate came in a little soggy once, but there are some solid sandwich/wrap & side type choices here for lunch since they open pretty early. (They have a dinner menu too, though I haven't dived into that yet.) Speaking of early, the owner(Juan) is here night & day it seems. Always ready for a chat or to drop a note on when the next brewery night might be. Good guy really trying to push craft in an area where Bud is pretty well rooted.

:)

 

No one has written a rating for this place since 2011? WTF. Went there for growler fills, probably the worst fill I ever got. Way too much space at the top of growler, beer flat one day later. If you are going to offer growler fills the least you can do is learn how to do it the right way.

 

 

 

Smaller space, corner location in the getting better and better and cooler and cooler neighborhood of Astoria, in good ole Queens, NY. This place is a decent choice for a bite and a few pints before a METS game, as Citi Field is not all that far away...anyway, have to "wait till next year" for that double header of food/beer and baseball fun.

They offer up 25 quality options on tap, details on Beermenus.com, but expect a cross section of the good stuff thats thankfully quite widely available at the good beer places in the NYC general area. We're talking Victory, Stone, Smutty, Omme, DFH, Captain lawrence, Goose Island, Southern Tier, Blue Point..you get the idea..Extensive menu of tasty chow, everything from bar food, burgers, salads, real entree...low key, casual, enjoyable place with a non threatening cozy neighborhood feel...might have to become a regular customer here if I was local

I tried this place for the first time last week and was very impressed. It's so nice to finally see beer bars popping up in Queens.

The beer list wasn't as massive as the bars of Manhattan, but the selection was excellent and represented most of the major styles, from light to dark, mild to strong and sweet to bitter, including a few authentic imported sours and trappist ales. The menu is primarily domestic, but throws in a good handful of beer from Germany and Belgium.

I was there on a particularly crowded night with a sizable group, so we opted to avoid the bar and sit at a table. The table service was very slow, which was my one complaint. The entire bar, which had more or less every seat filled, was being run by two people. This included tending to the actual bar, tending to the tables and running food back and forth from the kitchen. The servers were very friendly and attentive when they arrived, but it took a while to get service.

However, I dug the vibe of the place. Dim lighting, crowded without being uncomfortable, and a great selection of 90s rock music.

The best thing about Sunswick is the pricing. Almost everything on the tap list, from Guinness Draught to Lagunitas Lucky 13, was $5 per serving. Rather than charging different prices for different beers, they adjusted based on the serving size. My girlfriend ordered a Brooklyner Weisse, which came in a 20 oz. Hefe glass, whereas I ordered a Founder's Dirty Bastard, which came in a much smaller portion. As someone who would prefer to drink a smaller serving of several different beers, this was perfect and a tactic I hope more bars employ.

UPDATE:
Recently Sunswick has moved to $5 pours for domestic beer, which I think is great. One of the problems previously was inconsistent pours and high pricing ($8 for a goblet of high ABV beer that probably held less then 10oz led me to always ask what glass it was served in).
Now that is a thing of the past. $5 pours for domestic beers, which are poured into what seems like 3 sized glasses, pint glass, a small 8oz pour glass, and a mid 12oz glass. Very much like Pony bar, but the 3rd size and they serve imports.

They also have beer menus available at the beer to see whats on tap (improvement from previously asking the bartender which sixpoint is on tap and not always getting a knowledgeable answer)

They also now update beermenus about once a week, so check there for an up to date tap list
So, some positive improvements and one of the strongest beer destinations in Queens

(old review)
I now go to Sunswick once a week due to trivia on wednesday.
This is a short walk from my apartment, which greatly helps.

The place is one room. To one wall is the bar with a series of stools. The area parallel to the bar has tables. On each end of these tables are couches. Not a bad setup.

The important thing. Beer selection. 25 tap setup (usually a couple slots open, but always above 20 beers on). When I first started to come her the selection was mostly of high alcohol beers (7% and up). now it's started to even out.
They have a good mix of locals, drinkable, imports, good standbys, and good nightcaps.
Breweries you can expect to see are Captain Lawrence, Sixpoint, Blue Point, Stone, Victory, Lagunitas. As for imports Lindemans Framboise, Chimay, Piraat, Nostradamus, Riesdorf(spelling?) Kolsch and a variety of others that come in and out.
Tap list and bottle list on a chalkboard across from bar, but this isn't diligently updated. Luckily the bartender doesn't mind answering questions like "which sixpoint is that?" Luckily, they have correct tap handles so that makes it easy to spot beer. As for bottles I have only browsed the list. A nice selection, but I stick to tap beer when I am out.

The food is surprisingly good. Nothing earth shattering, but nice pub food. Good burgers, sandwiches, and my favorite chicken quesadilla.

The atmosphere is great because I go with my friends for trivia. Nothing like good beer, good food, good friends, and winning money from trivia.
They have other events like Karoke and some special brewery nights. Oh and I forgot to note that they have 4 TV's (that can have 2 channels at once). Which is important for me as I usually like to watch hockey and that is never the most popular thing to turn on

I can't believe I never reviewed this place here but it's a great bar to have local here in Astoria. They have a great selection of craft beer and always have great featured beers on tap. Sometimes pretty hard to find beers. They had a great event a month ago where I was lucky to attend. They had Stone, Founders!, Cigar City and Harpoon tap takeover. A lot of limited special CC brews and I triwd KBS for the first time here. The staff has always been friendly to me no matter who's working the bar. The owner seems like a reasonable and cool guy as well. As he should be since he's got such a great bar. This is THE bar in Queens to go to for Craft beer. They change the taps so often and update pretty well on beer menus. Food is pretty damn good as well. Sort of a Small bar but who cares when it's a local bar with a great tap lineup? Only issue is that there are Steelers memorablia (terrible towels) all around .. Boooo Cheers

Browsing beermenus.com I stumbled upon this place. They had Founders KBS!!! Alas, it was way gone when I visited, as were Founders Nemesis and a bunch of Cigar City rarities (Jai Alai Peach, Improvisacion Espresso).

Still, their 25 taps had some real gems when I visited: Southern Tier Choklat, Stone 14th Emperial, Nugget Nectar, Jolly Maracaibo, Founders Porter and Double Trouble, Smutty Baltic Porter... on my second visit they were having a Belgian festival with lots of rare taps.

Taps tasted very fresh, they appear to kick and rotate often. Nice glassware is used (loved the snifter I got for my Choklat)

I loved the atmosphere, cozy and neighborhood-y, not crowded on a Saturday evening. This is my kind of bar! I'm tired of trying to get into the packed, loud bars of Midtown Manhattan. Great music too, they played pretty much a whole Radiohead album...

One thing I do not like is how small the bar area is and how tables take most of the space. There is no room to stand up or linger around the bar. It's either table or bar stool or get-outta-here, kind of like at the Dogfish brewpub.

Service started out being good with a nice knowledgeable bartender. I got the feeling it'd be worth becoming a regular here. But the instant the place went from being empty to slightly packed, bartenders couldn't keep up. And there were THREE of them, at a small bar like this! hey were clearly overwhelmed, confused and not communicating with each other, even though the crowd was not super large or crazy.

My second visit confirmed my fears: service here really stinks. It doesn't matter that the place is rarely crowded when I'm there- bartenders are dumb and slow all the time.

But at least I got to try the food this time and was surprised at how delicious it was! Nothing fancy, mind you, just a spinach dip and mushroom fritters, but sooo good.

Prices are a little high, I thought: $7-$8 for the specialty brews, served in small glasses. I thought Astoria would be cheaper than Manhattan... Five beers came up to $39 after tax and tip, although server got it wrong and when I came home I realized I was charged only $27.

So... despite service and prices, I loved this place and will be going back. Beer and atmosphere are top notch.

Had the look of a typical neighborhood bar with lots of memorobilia on the wall and a nice wood bar. Around 25 taps of all good to very good craft beers. i ordered a beer on the list they were out of. The bartender quickly poured me a sample of another beer he liked to see if it would be a good substitute for me. They serve food but I didn't have any. Overall I would say it's a good place to go to if you live in Queens, best beer bar I have found in this borough to date. Check their web site which is updated daily, would be worth a trip if they have something special you want.

I came here a few nights ago with my girlfriend and another couple who were showing us around. Just like wcintula, the 4-6 craft neons in the window grabbed my attention. We got there a little early and one of the bartenders talked with is for a while and gave us a few samples and she was quite knowledgable and good to talk about the beers with. They were one of 11 bars that had a six point/ timeout new york (the publication)porter that was quite good. The selection was great with 25 taps as mainly American craft and then a few solid offerings from Germany and elsewhere. The bottle list was more heavy with imports. Now two of out party doesn't really do beer an there was a large liquor selection behind the bar that made them both really happy. We also got the seasoned waffle drys and mozzarella sticks. The fries were great and ad someone who doesn't love moz sticks they were solid too. The place started to fill up after a while to be pretty crowded. However, the music and crowd volume was never too loud that you couldn't talk normally.

One of the bartenders was great (mentioned earlier), bit the other one wasnt as knowledgeable about the selection. He was still nice and helpful. We really liked Sunseick 35/35 a lot and I'd make the trip out from Manhattan again for sure.

I came here with my wife. It's a nice looking bar, I got excited when I saw all the craft neon signs in the window, looks promising. Inside it's got low lighting and a bunch of flat screens on the walls. big bar with ample seating, tables. The bartender had a head on his shoulders and new what he was doing, handed me a beer list which was quite impressive, some of the prices seemed high, but nothing outrageous. The food prices were also pretty reasonable, $4 for a French Onion soup which is what I went with. I would definitely recommend this place, I had a great time and the bathrooms were clean.

I just recently moved to Astoria, NY and I didn't think there were any good beer bars around the area. I was Wrong. I read about Sunswick on here, and decided to go check it out with my girlfriend a few days ago. We arrived at about midnight, and the place was pretty packed but we got a table by the wall, which was nice because we weren't crowded at all. There is a long bar that has 25 taps and a lot of places to sit. There are also couches on opposite ends of the room as well. There are 5 TVs here, and I also noticed 3 terrible towels hanging on the wall. GO STEELERS! The service was great. There was really only 1 waitress serving everyone, but she was good. She was very friendly, quick with the orders, and I never saw her write any orders down (even when taking orders from decent sized groups.). The beer selection was very good, especially for what I'm used too. There were 25 different tap selections such as beers by Lindemans, smuttynose, Avery, Victory, Stone, and quite a few others. They have a good bottle list which includes some Hair of the Dog, St. Bernardus Abt 12, and more. Also, they have wine and a full bar. The kitchen is open until 1AM and you can find the full menu on the website (www.sunswick3535bar.com). We ended up ordering the mozzarella sticks and the chicken fingers, both of which were actually very good. It was a perfect drinking snack. As for the Value, we had 2 appitizers, 6 beers, and 1 mix drink and the bill was $39 before tip. I don't know how thats even possible, but I was very surprised and very happy. The bottle list was the only thing that the prices seemed a little high on. Overall, I thought this was an excellent bar, and I'm happy that I live close by. This is a great place with a good atmosphere, good service, good food, good selection, and very well priced (especially for NY). I'm glad I found out about this place, and I highly recommend checking it out. I know I will definitely be going back.

This is hands down one of my favorite watering holes in the neighborhood and probably the one I frequent most. Who could find fault with a place that, near as I can tell, is the only Queens bar to receive the Good Beer Seal? And rightly so...the impressive lineup across 25 handles is always solid, always fresh, and always tasty.

In a neighborhood that's rapidly becoming its own little mecca for all things food and drink, the 'swick stands in a class by itself in its crusade to give you great beer that you may not find anywhere else in the area. Bringing in brewers and running incredible events on a regular basis, you can't go wrong on any given night.

And the food...forget about it. They have a Cuban sandwich that would give Fatty's a run for their money (see my review). And who could argue with a big ol' plate of hot waffle fries? Divine! The whole menu is pretty stellar, actually. It's something else they do quite well, in addition to the beer.

If I could complain at all, it would be about how crowded this place can get. But it's really just a testament to their success. If you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods, be sure to put this on the top of your list. You won't be disappointed.

Stopped by here in a recent trip into NY. I was excited to see a place this highly rated in Astoria.

Atmosphere is good. There are some high tables near the windows, a good deal of seating at the bar, and some normal tables in between. The tap list is on a chalkboard kind of far away from everything, but that's really my only qualm. The music selection was good and not overly loud.

Quality was good. Some of the glassware choices were interesting (RIS in a chalice) but nothing terribly far off the mark. The beer was served at proper temperatures and head.

Service was very good. The bartender was more than accommodating and our drinks and food came out fairly quickly.

Selection was solid. 3-4 pretty rare beers along with another ten or so that were solid selections.

Food was very good. We demolished a plate of sliders with their fries.

Value was solid but a bit on the expensive side.

Overall this place was a nice surprise and I'll definitely be back next time I'm in the area. Worth a stop.

A very nice bar -- surprised to find it in Astoria. My wife and I dropped by after seeing our nephews and had a few. The bartenders were very friendly and helpful, offering to guide us to good beers if we were used to drinking swill (we didn't need the help, but it was nice of them to offer). The selection was great, though the glass of Ommegang Rouge was a little smal, and the prices were a little better than most joints in Manhattan. The place is a little dark and dingy, but if you sit by the window it's not bad. The bathroom was reasonably clean. All in all a welcome haven for BAs in Queens.

Someone approved Carolyn having a birthday (wasn't me). It was inevitable, I suppose, everyone else was having them, she would want one, too. And that's fine, really, it is, 'cept for the, um, party in, well, Queens, there, I said it, Queens. I'm sure you'll remember that Phil and I were actually made to promise that we'd never, ever, try and drink again in Queens after that Ale House fiasco back in '04. I must say that except for Ben's absurd (3 borough too many) 5 borough bachelor party, I think we've kept to it pretty well, although there's now this. Well, if nothing else, it affords me the opportunity to poke my nose this far into Astoria for Sunswick...

I rolled in about 2 beers earlier than I need to be, and trekked up to this corner spot in a neighborhood I ain't never been, having parked ½ way between party there and pints here. "J" shaped bar seating 13, red wood topped with a brown trim and cool mosaic tile footrest on the far wall. Barback counter is plastered with brewery & beer stickers, and holds tiered booze over mirrored backing to both sides of a center register. Dangling glassware above hanging from framed boxes displaying wines & big bottles. Between them, a flatscreen on a single shelf showing small bottle selections over slight glassware shelved, all on deep red wood.

A wall of tall windows, each pivoting to spin open over 35th, a wall of brick to the rear on the other 35th, and the rest painted a dark purple. Framed pics, hanging hooks, macro neons, brewery signage & posters adorn the walls, and an old victrola, rocking chair and various pieces sit above the kitchen entrance nook to the rear. Drop mini glass hairdryer lamps over the bar, bell bulbs above the windows and mounted from the brick wall, and red rope light cords below the bar. A dozen short & raised 2 seat tables, some pushed together in pairs. Corner couch & love seat to the rear with roundie tables, and another couch and table along the windows. Flatscreens in 3 corners and a large projection TV in the 4th offer views of at least one of them from anywhere in the room.

25 taps on mostly brass shoehorn shaped towers in 1's and 2sies along a good length of the bar (turn around, there's a vertical board listing the tap selections and new bottles on the wall behind you). About 1/3 of them American micros (Stone Ruination IPA, Troegs Sunshine Pils, Sierra Schwarz, Blue Point Toasted Lager, Magic Hat #9, Abita Purple Haze, Sixpoint Hop Obama, Ithaca Apricot Wheat, Yuengling), another 1/3 Belgians (Cantillon Gueuze Lambic, Maredsous 8, Chimay Tripel, Blanche De Bruxelles, St, Bernardus Abt 12, Troubador Obscura, Delirium Tremens, Ichtegems Grand Cru, Lindemans Framboise), and the rest a mix of imports (Erdinger Weissebier Dunkel, Reissdorf Kolsch, Guinness) and big boys (Blue Moon, Miller Light). 2 taps kicked, and wouldn't it be my luck, they be DeRanke XX Bitter & Saison DuPont. I was eyeing up the Sierra Nevada Schwarz until I saw the Cantillon, and that was it, served in a big old pint glass (hooray!). Followed up with an intended shorty (meaning that was my intention, but I had a pint) of the Sierra Schwarz, beer was fresh, and I liked it.

They've got about a dozen and a half small bottles displayed along side of that center flatscreen, some micros (Hair of the Dog Adam & Fred, Hennepin, Spanish Peaks Crystal Weizen), some imports, ciders and macros, and then there's a bunch of specialty big bottle stuff in the boxes to each side, imports (Duvel, Westmalle Tripel, Achel, Gulden Draak, Schlenkerla Rauchbier, Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout, Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, Hitachino White Ale, Unibroue La Fin Du Monde & disgusting Ephemere) and micros (Brooklyn Local 1, Stone Smoked Porter, DogFishHead Black & Blue, Ommegang, Avery Maharaja).

Having mentioned my "2 beers and out pre party activities" a while later, I think "pints of Cantillon" was all they needed to hear to garner some interest in moving back to Sunswick for din and drinx. We pushed tables together like we owned the place, and then had to go to the bar to order (service was a mix of good bartender and not-so waitress who made me come to her). Foodings, started with wings, they were hot, I became red and wept and snotted, my head buzzing and sweating, my lips numb, it wasn't much fun. And followed it up with a solid grilled chicken club. There were fries, it's true.

Seems they're doing some promos now. And did I mention pints of Cantillon? Anyway, as regards being in Queens, there's Sunswick, period. Beyond that, you're talking a train to another borough.

I went to this place with ten others as part of my bachelor party and it was alot of fun. The bar tender/waiter (I think his name was jerry) was great. He made us one of his own drinks called the wounded dragon, I don't know what was in it but it was very sweet and the colors were bright green (dragon) and red (blood) that settled at the bottom, very cool looking. Any way...great beer! alot of Lagunitas, a couple of belgiums, and for desert I had the framboise lambic, kind of a chic drink, but it made a great dessert. There isn't a ton of food or room in this place but just enough for a couple of freinds. The food I did have was actually very tastey. It was a steak kabob on toasted bread, the steak was perfect. I'm glad this place turned out good because I did some reseach before I came and this place was one of a few that I could find that had 20 somthing craft beers on tap and decent food that was priced well. Even though it was a little small for a party of ten, but with a few friends it would be amazing!