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.”

Double Down Saloon
14 Avenue A, New York, NY
212-982-0543
Getting There: F to 2nd Avenue
http://www.doubledownsaloon.com/newyork/

 Avenue A is a prime destination for the “Drink Here Now” crew, yet one particular bar has eluded us for quite sometime. But today, Double Down Saloon has finally entered into the hall of boozing. After grabbing a bite to eat between nearby bars we found ourselves at the end of Avenue A directly in front of the Saloon’s light purple sign. It was seriously time to tie one on!

Moments later we were passing through the glass doors and into the wide open bar space, mainly lit from the daylight. From top to bottom, Double Down Saloon is a true dive bar. Before even ordering a drink one has to marvel at the devilishly fun murals on the wall. One of them even boasts “Clean if you puke!” And they seriously mean it here. Televisions overhead play a combination of vintage porn and sadistic animation to entertain and/or scare you while you imbibe. After completely drinking in this joint we hit the bar. The countertop seems to be lifted from another older bar, as it is quite long with worn wood. After a few minutes of hanging out, a female punk rocker bartender with a quick wit took our order. We opted for some cans of Genesee Cream Ale and Bud Light bottles. Both were extremely cheap in and of themselves. But as we were about to walk away she plunked down a two for one card, making this one of the best deals in the area. And this deal runs until 8pm daily.

A few beers later we traveled around the bar some more, checking out the pool table, video games and outdoor area which has been tagged up with some great art. Once the rain started to fall we headed back in for a little thing that we like to refer to as “Shot time.” The shot of the afternoon was the now infamous “Pickle Back” which has taken the city by storm. And again, after taking the first spicy shot with cheap whiskey a two for one card was laid on us. So if you’re looking to get boldly drunk at the lowest price point possible, this is the place for you and your friends. As the afternoon began to wear on we kicked back in one of the black vinyl booths listening to a string of punk rock songs coming from the jukebox in the back. The music wasn’t blasting but it was plenty loud to get us fired up for more beers and yes, a few more shots.

The Rundown

Bar Type - The definition of a dive bar. Cheap beer, tagged up bathrooms, ass juice shots, old porn playing on old televisions. Nuff said.

When to Visit – Weekends are when Double Down truly lights up. Our visit was during a Saturday afternoon and the place was already packed with day drinkers who live to party.

Value – If you want cheap, you got it. Two for ones, cheap cans and shots will keep those few wrinkled dollars in your wallet thrilled for a few hours.

The Lowdown - It’s true, Double Down can be quite intimidating if it’s your first time out. But once you grab a few drinks and hit the pool table, a booth or even the outside area you are sure to have a rockin good time and most likely remember it in the morning.