Last Exit Bar & Lounge

Heartbroken to learn that this bar is no more… RIP Last Exit. Gone but never ever forgotten…

Dear Last Exit,
We miss you.
Love,
Brooklyn

This is it! I have to get my review in to unofficially notify you that this is the last weekend for Last Exit. Sadly the bar is truly exiting the Brooklyn bar scene. This dive bar looks like it was planted here before Brooklyn became hip, and it evolved into a quintessential casual Brooklyn hangout welcoming all folks in the hood… older, younger, hip, hipper, not really hip, gay, straight and all colors of the rainbow… just like Brooklyn.
The best beer on tap is, obviously, Brooklyn Lager. It tastes great even though it’s served in a plastic cup, probably to handle the packed-​to-​the-​rafters crowd appearing out of nowhere to pay their final respects to the bar and the giant Halloween devil that has been hanging from the ceiling.
Join the crowd and stop by one last time (by April 30^th) because you will surely miss the old couches that are still comfortable, the floor that still sticks to your shoes as you walk the length of the room, the ancient photo booth that still takes bad photos (it’s not you, it’s the old camera), and the cool bartenders and staff that will need another gig.
I hope my last exit is as popular as Last Exit’s last exit.

One of the best bars in Brooklyn. I’m so upset this place will close this month April 2014 due to the new owners of the building raising the rent too high, Last Exit can no longer survive. This is exactly what’s wrong with America, people who buy these buildings, raise the rent to some number a small business can’t afford which changes the neighborhood for the worse. People move into Brooklyn because of places like Last Exit, it gives our neighborhood character. The new owners of the building should be ashamed of themselves for pushing Last Exit out.
How much money do you need to make to be happy? Why can’t you just leave our neighborhood alone and be happy with whatever rent they were paying? Just because you can raise it doesn’t make it right. And by the way, I own a business so I understand money but I also understand being a human and the difference between making a living and pure greed. Now what? What’s business is going to take Last Exit’s place? What cheesy unnecessary, unflattering business is now going to occupy that space? And for what? So the owners of the building can make more money while destroying our neighborhood? Nice going.
I’m going to miss Last Exit and I hope people fight to keep our local businesses in business. That means don’t go to Starbucks, go to our local coffee shop instead, etc. the rent is to damn high and it’s sad to see original awesome businesses be pushed out.
It really sucks. Long Live Last Exit!

Few more days until Last Exit’s final curtain call.
It is a great place to hang out, chill and just enjoy your beer with company of friends.
There’s a back patio that is ideal for a large group to hang out. If you are within the area pay a visit before they finally close at the end of April.
This place will be missed!

Do not try to reserve space here! (This review does not really speak to the quality of the bar itself — it’s just your average Brooklyn dive bar, just a chill place, nothing too crazy.)
After going here by ourselves, we decided we might want to have my boyfriend’s birthday party here. Their website says they take reservations for parties, and we had seen what appeared to be a birthday party at some of the back tables. So, I reserved some space for the party, it was all confirmed by email. When we arrived, no one on the staff had any knowledge or record of our reservation. There was nowhere to sit, as the tables that were supposed to be reserved for us were completely occupied. Ultimately, we still had the party, but this is poor customer service. Not only were the staff totally unaware of our reservation, but they did absolutely nothing to help us or make it up to us even in a token way when we told them who had confirmed the reservation, etc.
There are plenty of bars that do not take reservations at all, and there are some bars that do honor reservations for tables as I have planned parties at such bars before — what irked me was that they purported to take reservations but in reality do not honor them. If you either choose not to or cannot honor reservations, then there is a simple solution: do not take reservations to begin with! Then the patron can make the choice themselves if they want to risk the seating situation or find somewhere to reserve.

I attended a birthday get-​together on a Thursday evening and it felt as if we had the place all to ourselves around 7pm. Small, surprisingly quiet bar.

Depending on the night, Last Exit might have live music, trivia, 2 for 1 PBR, or something called the Slurring Bee that I really need in my life.
I’m not fancy though, so I don’t need a reason to go drink.
Beer/​shot specials, board games and the backyard are enough to get me here (as opposed to several other watering holes on the block), especially since it’s on the walk home from the soccer fields at Pier 5… and nobody needs beer like someone who’s been running around in the hot sun for an hour (after the vomiting, it’s perfection).

Solid bar. Good bartenders, nice vibe. Not too trendy, and best if you already know the people you want to talk to. Mix between a neighborhood bar and something a little cooler.

If you must come to this bar, it’s to be part of the monthly Slurring Bee on a Tuesday night! For $ 5, you can fulfill all your childhood dreams of being in a spelling bee but now that you’re an adult, add alcohol to it. Each person who spells correctly gets a shot chosen by the bar, which you take with everyone before the next round. As it was my first time doing this, one of the round was a cheese round — put your hand in a plastic bag full of packaged cheese, select one and you have to spell the type. Oh and you get to keep it, win or lose! In the end, if you win, you get money and your picture and name on their Slurring Bee hall of fame!
Best Tuesday night in Brooklyn you will ever have.
P.S: great, chill bar, even if you don’t go to this fun event!

This bar is just a few blocks from our home and has outdoor seating which makes it a very convenient spot — especially in the summer. The patio did look a little unkempt but the mural they have on the fence kept me entertained the entire time I was there.

My friends threw a joint birthday party here, after scoping it out weeks in advance and speaking to some sort of manager. We had requested a space for around 20 people and also use of their projector. This was all confirmed via email.
When we got there, all we had was one of the small round couches (which could fit maybe 7 comfortably), and the projector was out for repair. We ended up annexing another part of the bar that wasn’t reserved, so the first point wasn’t that big of a deal. But I also spoke to two bartenders, and neither even knew that we had needed a projector. Really sucked since we prepared a DVD specifically for the night.
Other than that, drink specials are good on paper, but beer and a shot isn’t a great idea unless you love cheap rail liquor.
Place got pretty crowded too (Saturday night), so get there early if you want a seat. It wasn’t too packed, and the clientele was friendly.
I think they might have done some buybacks for us, but I was totally wasted from a long night of celebration. Good DJ too.

Monday nights is fun nights here! I love games and you get a cool «Jeopardy!» crowd here on Mondays as it is trivia night.
A nice cozy bar with cool, yet brainy people makes The Last Exit my first choice!
Street parking opens up after 8 PM or so…

«I need to find a bar that has a good selection of drinks while still being a good place to chill and catch up with my friends.» Well, my friends, I have found that place. Sadly it’s over an hour trip from my apartment so I don’t believe I’ll be frequenting the bar. The dark ambiance is good for a casual get together. Music is really good and not so loud that you can’t hear the person next to you. I came here on a Monday. Very good idea.
Pros:
Attentive and sweet bartenders
Scrubbed clean
Great Selection
Great music
Perfect hang out ambiance
Cons:
It’s in Brooklyn and not Forest Hills.
No cons that actually count.

Dropped by in here for a quick glass of cabernet during a pregame with some peeps from my internship. I didn’t catch the name or the year of the wine, but wowzers, it packed a punch. Within a few gulps, I was a bit slurry and people were just so nice and I just wanted to talk and let me hug you and wait, where are you going? Turns out I had dozed off for a few minutes with my eyes open and the rest of my group was talking about zip-​lining in Costa Rica and sky diving in Belgium. I then proceeded to get teary-​eyed about not seeing enough of the world in my 20s, and attributed my watery stare and string of hiccups to the tiny gnats buzzing around in their garden area.
From what I can remember, the place looks cozy and dark, the perfect place to grab a drink before getting dinner or just spending a few hours catching up with your friends. Bartender was very friendly and explained all the chalkboard specials — their happy hour drink specials are from 4 – 7 and I must hit up their slurring bee nights. Apparently, all the contestants must take a shot before spelling out a word. That sounds like prime entertainment right there. There’s also acoustic karaōke nights. dammit, why don’t I live closer? Overall, a solid neighborhood bar and lounge, which makes it everything that it advertises to be, so don’t come here expecting to dance with your fifteen girlfriends.

Wow, Last Exit is a a great name for this bar, because it’s kinda at the end of the universe. At least if you’re stumbling over from the Hoyt/​Schermerhorn stop in the freezing cold and blasting icy wind.
Came here this weekend for Phil Templar’s reggae night and really enjoyed seeing our friendly neighborhood Oi! celebs and listening to some old fashioned reggae/​skinhead reggae/​soul tunes. This bar is super chill and speak-​easy-​ish — it’s not a dive and its certainly, as others mentioned, not a «club» — but its a great, sexy place to have drinks with friends and listen to some great DJ sets. And there’s plenty of room for dancing or lounging around. The best part is, we found out that the awesome bartender from Rope, CJ, bartends at Last Exit as well. Score.
I would love to come here on a weekday and see what’s what. I just wish it wasn’t so out of the way… but then again it’s great that Last Exit isn’t in the douchier parts of hipster-​laden Brooklyn. And when it’s summer, it will be a much nicer walk. I look forward to not becoming an icicle on my next adventure to reggae night.

I can’t believe we lived across the street from Last Exit for more than two years before realizing they have an excellent happy hour.
It’s so chill — maybe 10 – 12 people sitting at the bar — with good music playing, soft lighting and deals on pints and well drinks.
We’d always been a little put off by the loud music and huge crowds of youngsters on the weekends, but turns out weekdays after work are mellow in a good way.
P. S. Don’t miss the hot drinks: mulled cider, hot buttered rum, hot toddy, all absolutely delicious.

Good
Bar with
Trivia,
Back patio,
Large space, and cheap drinks for dates or large groups.

Super cute bar; it makes me wish that I lived on Atlantic Avenue and could hang out here on a semi-​regular basis! I’m a big fan of the décor, oddly peppered with a Michael Jackson shrine and various Last-​Exit brand action figures. It ended up being the perfect place to catch up with some friends with drinks on a Saturday night, though it was pricier than I would have expected.
The bartender was really nice and goofy, which is always an added bonus when you’re in Hipsterville. A friend of mine did tell me, though, that although their trivia nights look like a blast, they tend to be overly pretentious. I haven’t been to one myself so I can’t vouch, but I can definitely see how this Hipster-​Mecca can swing in that direction.
Over-​all, two thumbs way up for Last Exit; if you do end up spending your entire night drinking here (which is very likely), it will truly live up to its name.

This is another bar that I am going to miss having around the corner from where I am living. Going to Gowanus, I am going to have Halyards and Bell House close by, but I am going to miss having Last Exit right there.
I stopped in over the weekend to pick up my scarf and gloves that I had left there recently and was quickly sucked into a game of Scrabble — I had no idea that they were playing Scrabble there for the record, but some people I knew were hanging out and playing, and I am too word-​y and competitive not to play, so I jumped in.
My fav bartender Amber was there (she also bartends at O’Keefe’s, but I prefer the atmosphere at LE), and she immediately made me a hot toddy, which I love since it meant I didn’t even have to order anything. After that, I played around with my «Latin Manhattan» drink (the one with gin, lime, and bitters) and we added a bit of grapefruit juice to it which was nice.