Kent Ale House

I found myself just hopping around this unfamiliar area before a show at Warsaw, so I popped into Kent Ale House. The place itself is pretty cool, cozy, with a good bar, some tables, a back room that I didn't check out, but I think has some games and stuff. Unfortunately, the crowd just killed it for me. Just a really bad hipster scene, which I guess is the thing in this area. Not really the bar's fault per se, but most of the folks that were there seemed like regulars, so...it's just not the place for me.

On the plus side, the bartender was on the ball, and I was never lacking for service. The beer selection was ok, not great. Main focus on local NYC beers, including several Brooklyn Brewery beers, which is a little redundant since the brewery is literally like one block away. The food menu was small but satisfying, and the grown-up grilled cheese I got was actually darn tasty.

I rarely find myself in this area of the city, but honestly, I would come back to this bar...as long as it's not during busy hours.

 

 

We were chasing the sunset down the Williamsburg waterfront and stumbled upon Kent Ale House. Why not?

My first time here... after years of trolling Hipsterville. Nice open windows, views of the Empire State Building and the sunset. A big open space. Not crowded on a Saturday nigh, I like this place.

Great service from a knowledgeable bartender and 24 beers on tap. Nothing outrageous but overall nice: Bell's, Sixpoint, Sam Adams Rebel IPA, Brooklyn, Chelsea, Singlecut, Founders.

Good selection of bourbons and cocktails too. Will come back!

Why am I wandering about the ‘burg late afternoon? I wasn’t asking; I already know the answer as it is. Walked by a bit earlier (still closed, everything’s closed, well nearly everything), on the corner of N. 11th & Kent, this place must total crush it during waterfront shows playing right there (pointing). I don’t think there’s been good Kent Street action in years. Oh, sweet Thursday…

Vertical accordion window wall over Kent and the corner; looking up north to the Franklin bend. People running, walking, biking, jogging; wasn’t like this when we had that recyclery at 2 North 5th Street back in the day. Slat wood below the front and side windows. Yellow painted over pressed tin design inside wall, pieces, & trim. Subway tiled wall lowers behind the bar, and brick outer walls and to the rear. Slat wide laminate shiny floors and bleached slat ceilings with drop filament bulb Mr. Potatohead looking lamps over the bar and adjacent seating, some single bulb screw-ins and spinnys.

‘J’ shaped wood laminate topped bar with a matching lip, worn wood panel base, and a foot box; seating for a dozen + on hightop leather chairs. There’s a 12 tap box on the bar and another row of 12 on barback center, with glassware countered to both sides. Barback holds an ornate triptych black painted wood unit, with booze shelved fronting mirrored panels. Flatscreens on the ends, and cooler space below the bar housing the bottled selections. Large horizontal boards mounted to both sides listing draft selections, ABV’s and pricing.

Bar counter space for 6 stools behind me in the windows over Kent, and then seating on an ‘L’ bench shorty with a 2-seat retro leather couch piece & a little table, and a trio of hightops along the wall to the door. On the other side of the fat weathered glass panel piece lined doorway, a pair of bar counter spur tables off the wall, and another pair off the rear wall. Flats above the tables off the bar to the side and rear. Lots of soccer just now and always.

2 dozen taps, ½ of them craft from New York State (Brooklyn Brown Ale & Fiat Lux, Chelsea Checker Cab Blonde Ale, Sixpoint Sweet Action & Bengali Tiger, Blue Point Toasted Lager, Southampton Keller Pils, Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold, Newburgh Brown Ale, Ommegang Abbey Ale, Empire Cream Ale, Southern Tier Pumking), and the other ½ a mix of American craft (Allagash White, Narragansett Lager, Founders Breakfast Stout & Centennial IPA, Abita Purple Haze, Left Hand Milk Stout, Lagunitas IPA), imports (Radeberger Pils, Paulaner Octo, Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA, Blanche De Bruxelles), and a single cider (Crispin Cider). I drank the Newburgh Brown Ale & Brooklyn Fiat Lux.

Bottled list holds about 2 dozen offerings, nearly ½ of them American craft beer offerings; the remainders are English, German, & Belgian (surprise surprise), and some gluten free, N/A, & cider options. Both the tap & bottle lists show price, ABV, and proximity to the brewery for the beer involved; from the .1 mile to the Brooklyn Brewery, to the 4034 miles to Paulaner proper, and everything in between.

Hey, food menu, hey, food menu, where you been, baby? Thinking something light, ‘cause in theory, I’m doing din at that sausage place should Ben get his shit together and come ‘burg for an Octo (don’t ask). Hmmmn, basket of onion rings, no, too much, grilled chee, no, too much; so I went with the spicy popcorn. There seemed to have been a lot of it there, but then I found myself looking at an empty basket (what happened?) And I have to say, it was real close; that grilled cheese with bacon, pear, & sharp ched is all me, I will be revisiting the issue, rest assured.

I ventured into the back room. There’s a ping pong table set up there for the gamers, and a few shy of a dozen tables running an ‘L’ around it; hightops & lowboys, some on shared benchings. Slat wood floors, walls of brick play, what else? A mounted marlin, check, deer head, check, dead fireplace and framed things, check and check. And there’s an outside seating space sidewalkside penned in for the sort of weather that allows such a thing.

Bartender was cordial & polite. Gave up samples, a pinch of this, a little of that upon request. Was here once not long after opening, and on return again late night one night some night, and found room to maneuver well, although I’m sure it jams on concert nights. Cool tunes, and a pretty damn good beer selection. I dig.

Interesting, nice indoor space and outdoor seating as well. Interior was open and light with nice wood table and a medium sized bar. Interesting second room with a ping pong table that was not really in use yet.

The beers were well poured as since the place just opened (I'm assuming) were served in the proper style of glass including the branding to match the brewery.

The service at this establishment was just OK - the waiter we had was not very knowledgeable about the beers we were ordering or he was serving. Hopefully this will improve over time but I'm willing to be a little lenient since the place just opened up. Service was a little slow and the server did not seem to be very familiar with the food menu.

The selection was pretty decent at this place - a fair number of different beers on tap including quite a few local ones and an average bottle list.

Only had an appetizer (rosemary fries) and they were really good - the rest of the menu looked pretty good for pub fare as well (including truffle fries).

Prices were in line with other places in the neighborhood.