Prospect Bar
545 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn
Getting There: F to 4th Avenue; R to Prospect Avenue

Can you smell it? The scent of newly laid and finished wood. A freshly tapped keg spurts momentarily as a spritz of beer fills the air. Yes, this all only means one thing: a new bar has opened up. In Park Slope, Brooklyn these watering hole openings have been seemingly occurring every other week. On a block that had once been dominated by dollar stores and bodegas now sits a sleek space that seems it has literally been here and preserved for decades. We’re talking about the recently established Prospect Bar located in the South Slope. The LocalBozo crew stepped inside the bar to grab a few pints and detail everything about the cool new joint.

The surrounding area still retains some of the charming grit that this section of the neighborhood is known for. But step through the doors of Prospect Bar and you’ll enter into a different world altogether. The first thing to take note of is the truly large size of the space. To the right of the entrance is the long and ornate bar, hand crafted from choice wood. The area yields a satiating scent of hand-craftsmanship and fresh carpentry. Several stools line the bar providing more than ample room for groups to sit or strangers to meet. Not up for sitting at the bar? No problem. Head over to one of many long tables that surround the bar, which bring on the feeling that you’re at a bier hall and not in a pub type setting. During the warmer months, the true cherry on top of Prospect lies just past the back doors. The bar has a bi-level outdoor space featuring umbrella covered picnic tables and small bistro style tables to quench all of your day drinking needs.

Prospect’s bar space is also outfitted with 22 different taps with beers averaging about $5. The beer menu is boldly displayed against the side wall with brands and prices listed on individual tiles. Fans of the ‘hard stuff’ can rest easy as the bar has a large variety of bourbons, ryes, and some of our favorite scotches. We ponied up to Prospect Bar on a weekday during the late afternoon hour. Luckily for us it was smack dab in the middle of the pub’s weekly Happy Hour. From 4pm-8pm customers can enjoy $1 off all tap beers and $4 well drinks, an incredibly good deal when you consider the caliber of craft brews this place is pouring. Because of the summery weather outside, we opted for pints of Brooklyn Brewery’s ‘Weisse’ variety. This popular local wheat beer never ceases to impress, especially during the warmer months. Its fruity notes and rich aroma always lead us to repeat pints.

The newly opened large bar screams for people to bring in large groups of friends and laugh it up on any day. The space is certainly equipped for that. And since man and woman kind cannot live on brews alone, the bar will soon feature a pub-style food menu and even brunch. So make your way down to 5th Avenue and take in the old school sights outside. Then park yourself into Prospect Bar for great values and a cool setting to seriously stretch your legs and livers.

- Jay Rubin