LocalBozo.com correspondent Link Cromwell vowed to have a drink at every bar in Hoboken before running the 2011 New York City Marathon. With every bar visit in the “Sixth Borough” now completed along with a successful race now finished, it’s time to reel our reporting back toward the City. And as such, every single Friday we’ll be taking over where Link left off, showing you distinctive bars in each borough perhaps for the very first time, perhaps to refresh your memory of a fun place you’ve ducked into, or perhaps to suggest a new spot for you to check out. You can follow our travels as we approach each weekend on Friday mornings with LocalBozo.com’s “Drink Here Now.”

Nevada Smiths
100 3rd Ave, East Village, Manhattan
917-402-1510
Getting There: 4,6 to Astor Place

If there’s one thing the, “Drink Here Now” crew loves it’s history. No, we aren’t talking about sitting in a stuffy classroom with old books. We’re talking about New York City bar history. “Nevada Smiths” has been the home to soccer fans for decades. Their original location on Third Avenue between 11th and 12th Street served as a chapel for all things imbibing and sports. The building housing it’s first location was torn down recently leaving the famous bar to set up shop temporarily inside Webster Hall, another NYC institution. But soon the time would finally come to reopen in an extremely bold way. The crew and I were eager to see what lay beyond the new doors of one of our favorite bars. And we are proud to say, we were seriously impressed.

On a recent weeknight the crew and I wanted to catch a little Yankees baseball and grab a few beers. Once we saw the new, red sign boasting the name, “Nevada Smiths” we simply had to run inside and check out the new digs. Once inside we walked down a cool hallway featuring jerseys and the bars logo embossed to the floor inside a soccer ball. Right from the word go we were thrilled to see the effort they have put into making the second coming of the bar a huge event. Once inside the main space our jaws literally dropped to the floor. Even before taking our seats at the bar we couldn’t take our eyes off the gigantic projection screen at the back of the house. This screen rivals the ones at the movie theater just a few blocks away. From soccer to basketball, patrons will feel like they are actually on the field or court. After drinking this multimedia experience in for a few moments it was time to sit down at the bar and grab a few drinks. Seconds after taking our seats on some well padded stools the heavy metal and blues loving bartender came over to take our order. This guy was extremely friendly and well attentive. Not only did he tell us that it was Happy Hour and all drafts were $4 until 8pm but he also remembered our names the entire time we were there. Without much thought we grabbed frosty pints of Budweiser and Bud Light to wet our whistles while watching the game on several HDTV screens including the master projection one.

During our visit the place packed in nicely with the after work crowd looking to grab some cheap mixed drinks and catch some of the game. Most of the time we were there the bar played the game sound instead of playing music. But as time rolled on they started to pepper in current hits to the enjoyment of many of the ladies in the house. Since Nevada Smiths is known as one of the city’s greatest soccer bars you can bet we will be making the trip in on a Saturday at 8 a.m. in the morning to be elbow to elbow with some of the wildest fans this side of the pond. In the end the sequel to Nevada Smiths is as enjoyable if not more than the original.

Bar Type – The seconding coming of Nevada Smiths upholds their legacy as being one of the greatest soccer bars in New York City. If soccer isn’t your bag you can find all your favorite sports on constant rotation

When to Visit – Soccer fans who live in the U.S. will visit Nevada Smiths as early as 8 a.m. or earlier on weekends to catch their favorite club teams from across the pond duking it out on the field. For the rest of us anytime during the week is perfectly acceptable for a beer or cocktail.

Value – Nevada Smiths weekday Happy Hour is not to be missed. Most draft beers will run you only $4 and well drinks $5 until 8 p.m.

The Lowdown – Before LocalBozo.com even existed the, “Drink Here Now” crew was imbibing at the first Nevada Smiths. Sure the first version of the pub had a romantic divey feel to it which we loved. But it’s sequel truly shows off how much potential the soccer/sports bar truly has to offer. From it’s gigantic projection screen to the enormous beer and cocktail menu, any fan of rooting for their team will have plenty to love.