Union Pool

Great spot to hang out and meet up with friends! The best part about this place in my opinion is that there’s a taco truck in the back outside section of the bar. This place knows what up!
The one thing that they don’t have is any energy drink, thumbs down for me because that’s how I start my night so I don’t start feeling drowsy and tired in the city the never sleeps.

Some of the best bar bathrooms for the type of bar Union Pool is (hipsterish meat market for 23 year olds or older if you are into 23 year olds). Line is surprisingly fast due to their large collection of single bathrooms and urinals in the back. There is usually a guy manning the bathroom entrance, so the possibility of a group 80’s party or make out session is pretty difficult. (Sorry no above the pants hj’s or fb’s in these bathrooms just do it on the dance floor like everyone else) single 80’s party are super easy due to the numerous single person bathrooms and line set up. The bathroom themselves are really clean and the tiles is a good look. This obviously goes to shit as the night progress (pun intended) but still could be a lot worse. Good smelling soap. All round great bathroom set up since I go primarily for the tacos (shout out to breakfast tacos) and secondary for the slutty dancing.
Ratings scale 1 to 5
Cleanliness 4ish (varies at the end of the night but best you can hope for as the night goes further and things get sketchier)
Line speed 5 (the line system is some of the best in the business, even when things get crazy and there is a huge line it still goes fairly fast)
80’s party level 4.5(on that Lindsay Lohan shit but singles only please)
Poopabilty 3.5÷4 (would be 5 but on weekend nights pooping at any is something you only want to do for emergency situation)
Aesthetically 4 (it’s a good look for a broster bar in Williamsburg, tiles and mid century is a good look on them)
Handjob threat level: Low to medium (during weekend nights after 10 there is someone there is someone there to deter it but it’s still pretty doable. None late night it’s super easy but if you are doing that you might want to reevaluate some of your life choices)
Sink and soup situation 4 (good soup good water pressure with sinks that are not annoying to use)
Overall great bathroom would use again.

This place is cool. There’s a diverse crowd, obvi most crowded on weekends. The dj’s are good, altho I don’t get the swing they play during weekdays This is totally a meet market, guys are on the hunt to bring someone home. But I always have a good time, and haven’t had any problems with the employees. The taco truck in the back is awesome:)

The male to female ratio last night was a bit crazy. I’ve never seen so many men in fedoras or man buns in my life. For the most part it was pretty groovy. The dj they had tonight was pretty cool and the crowed was okay but I do have an issue with the bouncers. One was rude and nearly borderline sexually harassing me upon entry and exit. Also a man standing in front of the bathroom was also staring every woman in line down like pieces of meat. Not cool.

Word of warning: Union Pool won’t let you in if your ID is an ID NYC card. (You know… The kind we all carry when we don’t have driving licenses and like getting into galleries for free.) No reason given. Just NO.
This is not the first issue I have had with the overzealous, patronizing security team here — these goons freakin’ LOVE employing weird, arbitrary rules to fuck with your night (see reviews further down from woman denied entry for holding a BOOK, woman whose ID was confiscated for being MEXICAN, regular who was banned because he accidentally broke a glass etc, etc) — but it will be the last. You’re not guarding a fucking embassy, egomaniacs — lighten the fuck up.

Quite possibly one of the worst bars in Brooklyn I have been to. If you actually live in Brooklyn, you will hate this bar. It is an absolute meat market and one of the worst and most random crowds of people I have experienced so far in this neighborhood — complete bridge and tunnel crowd thinking they are cool coming over to a «hip Williamsburg/​Brooklyn hot spot» for the night; when the reality is, this place used to be cool years ago. The only redeeming quality of this place is the awesome taco truck out back, otherwise I am avoiding this place like the plague.

Union Pool, I love you already. Huge space (but it gets PACKED), dance floor, great back patio, and a taco truck for all your drunk hunger pangs. (We got tacos and queso and then went back to the bar for more drinks, it was a pleasant stop.) I also really love how many bathrooms they have, so the wait time is pretty minimal. (The tiny sinks were surprisingly adorable.) Also, getting a drink at the bar didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would. The bartenders here really hustle. I had a really good time here and will def be coming back.

As a lover of dive bars I found this place to be excellent. Came early on a Friday night for happy hour that went from 5 – 9 and just had a few beers. Looks like later in the night dj and dance floor situation occurs and also food is available via a taco truck right outside. What more could you want happy hour, food, laid back atmosphere and good music.

Trying to find the place was hilarious, because we were standing right in front of it looking for the GPS address (which had us well down the road from it) when I happened to turn around and see the small sign the read ‘Union Pool’.
The tacos are well prepared and scrumptious! The atmosphere was definitely more male when I went for my birthday bar crawl. I had already a few beers and shots but the place was pretty cool, seats opened up pretty quickly for my group of friends. Bartenders were quick and knew what they were doing. Best thing is that the bathroom line went quickly for females (which is a definite plus!)
The taco trucks in the back were really nifty, giving the ambiance a California vibe. Thank god there wasn’t the smell of smoke lingering in the air like some bars with their outside seating and such.
Sadly I did not get a chance to explore more or try out the photo booth!
However I will be back for more tacos and tequila!

Frequent the taco truck in the courtyard at the back and chill on the wooden benches or firepit rim. Dance to live music in the back room, and check out the photo booth.

The environment here is really cool. Expect to hear music you usually don’t hear in this hipster place. Casual dress code.

Perhaps it was because I was already a bit tipsy but I love this place. There are a million bars to choose from in NYC but this really takes the cake so far in my adventures. Lots of room, great crowd, friendly too – I would say it isn’t unreasonable to make a new friend here.
Additionally, this place has a Taco Truck in the back patio and I mean who doesn’t love drunk munchies.
They have an additional room that looks like live bands will play.
GO. TOMORROW. Or when it warms up. :)

Great spot, with everything in one, bar, concert hall and taco truck!
plus good prices at the bar for a fun night out with friends
PLUS a photo both…
Cant beat it :)

I don’t really go out in Williamsburg too frequently, but if you’re rolling deep and want a bar for pretty much anyone’s taste, I recommend Union Pool! The front, while crowded, is a little more casual, the back area has a separate room with a dance floor/​DJ, and a separate smaller bar, and then there’s a whole outdoor patio area. Be prepared to wait in line a bit if you’re coming on a weekend night, though it does move quickly!
Best of all! If you get the drunk munchies, there’s a taco truck INSIDE the bar (well, technically outside on the patio but you know what I mean)
A fun, vibrant, if not raucous, bar! I recommend for a fun night out.

Lugar bacana pra tomar uns bons drinks, papear com os amigos e dançar. O ambiente é bem descontraído, diferente de tudo que já vi, as pessoas vão até de chinelo e ninguem fica te medindo. Logo na entrada vc vê o bar, no canto direito tem uma maquina daquelas antigas de tirar foto, vc paga $ 3,00 e pode ficar com suas fotos ou contribuir com a decoração do bar. Ao fundo tem um espaço aberto, com um foodtruck pra comer uns tacos e também um espaço fechado, onde rola uma banda, mas esse espaço vc tem que pagar pra entrar.

Great place to go with a big group as it is basically 3 separate bars, with 3 separate vibes in one, so there’s really something for everyone.
The first room you walk into has a standard bar vibe with some tables along one side and area to dance in the middle although not many people were dancing the night we came. This room seems to serve primarily as the thoroughfare to the most interesting part of the bar, an outdoor area with a taco truck. This is a big area with a [cash only] bar. It has a deck with a bunch of long picnic tables so plenty of area to sit. Between the drinks, number of people and heatlamps it still felt pretty warm despite being ~40 degrees outside. The third room has a stage, and is set up as a small concert venue — the night we went there was a pretty cool folky funk band playing.
The only downside of the bar were some of the drinks, had a hot whiskey drink that I wasn’t that impressed with, but that’s to be expected. This is more of a place where you want to go with a group, grab some cheap beers and a few tacos and potentially take in some local live music.

There’s a bouncer named CECE who is a total bitch. I accidentally knocked over a drink and broke some glass so she threw me out. I apologized but apparently that wasn’t good enough. Some bouncers get really drunk with power. I respectfully left and calmly explained my situation to the outside bouncer. He then took a picture of me to show to management. Been going here for years and have never been antagonized like this and treated so poorly. Last time I come to this place. Congratulations Union pool. You have lost a loyal customer of 5 years over a broken glass. I hope it was worth it.

I’ve only ever come to Union Pool for shows, which is funny because it is a pretty tiny venue. That being said I’ve always had a good time. The bar has a decent happy hour, and there are good beer and shot specials. My favorite happens to be Abita and Jameson for $ 9. Amazing taco truck outside, which I think is one of the biggest pulls for people. In the Summer the outside area can get pretty stacked, so be warned if you’re coming anytime after 10pm.
I love the outside area, even in the cold weather it is a great spot and honestly finding that amount of space a 5 minute walk off the G stop isn’t bad. Definitely worth adding it to your neighborhood crawl list.

I went out for drinks at Union Pool last night with a big group of people and we all had a great time! The drink special was a tecate and a tequila shot for 9 dollars. The price is a bit high but bartenders were attentive and friendly! The outdoor area in the back is the reason to come here. The lighting is very warm and the space is massive. Makes for a great atmosphere. The taco truck had amazing pork tacos. Juicy, hot, and reasonably priced. Recommend this place highly!

Really good place, nice back yard, great food truck out there. Good food, n music. Just go!

A pretty casual bar with a huge outdoor space, it’s arguably the most well known and busy bar just off the Lorimer L train. You’re guaranteed a good time almost any night of the week. The huge outdoor area with numerous benches and an infamous taco truck is the main attraction here. The inside feels like any other dive bar.
Fun fact: they have a photobooth. The crowd tends towards 20-​something «hipster» though many types will fit. Drinks are a dollar or two more than you might think given how dive-​y the inside feels, but they’re not expensive. It’s a go-​to place for sure if you’re in the area.

You know a place is ratchet when you walk in and you see people falling over everywhere. But if you like that, this place is for you!
Overall, this place was too crowded for my liking. I can see this place being fun though if I came a little earlier in the night. I stopped by here around 1AM.
The best thing about this place is the taco truck inside their courtyard/​outdoor space.

This is a super well designed bar. It’s big and has lots of open space and TWO, count ‘em, TWO buildings. Each equipped with a bar. The second building bar actually was less busy then the first one at the time of night I went.
The bouncers outside are super nice. I had a paper temporary ID from my home state (which looks sketchy to 87% of bouncers and even TSA in my home state who apparently have NEVER SEEN ONE BEFORE even tho its a THING THAT HAPPENS). But the bouncers were super cool with it and I really appreciated it after a bouncer from another bar basically laughed in my face when I handed them the ID. So nice bouncers (but I’m sure they can get aggressive when needed): A+.
Drinks were great and served fast and prompt. A+
Ambience was awesome. The DJ in the second building had a montage of skiing videos from the 90’s. And the décor was vaguely old saloon-​y style. I’m sure the taco truck in the middle of the open outside area has delicious tacos but due to an extreme inebriated state, I totally forgot it was even there. Must try later, I suppose. Maybe I’ll write it on my hand so drunk Rebekah remembers next time.
Great place for fun dancing and drinking and taco eating (not a euphemism).

I love the fact that Union Pool has three separate rooms with different types of music! It also has a large outdoor space, it’s definitely the place to be when it’s warm out. Also the tacos and tamales are amazing. Great crowd, very chill it just lacks diversity.

It’s borderline sad that it’s taken me so long to check out Union Pool. Not only is it super convienient to get to (via the G or L lines) but they have a massive outdoor space complete with an authentic taco truck, an old school film photo booth, a huge indoor space, and a music venue space as well (which I didn’t check out this time around). What’s not at Union Pool? Pool ironically enough.
Drinks were average $ 4 – 7 beers for the most part (unfortunately most in the $ 7 range). The tacos were delicious and definitely authentic and the guacamole was one of the best I’ve ever had. The bartender I had was very friendly and because I came here on a Tuesday night the place was not packed at all, even with something going on in their event space.
As far as their photo booth (or photobooth or photo-​booth) goes. It’s a traditional one that uses film and chemicals and is in great condition. The only issue is that the lens in it is not at all wide enough so you have a hard time fitting in two people’s heads in the shot. Otherwise it was great to see one of these guys still around in perfect working condition and for a reasonable $ 3.
Union Pool is definitely now on the rotation of go-​to bars.

This place was such a pleasant surprise! I was visiting friends a few weekends ago, and the people we were staying with took us here while showing us some of the bars in the area. It was late on a Saturday night so it was pretty busy, but the atmosphere was laid back. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a night of loud music and dancing as much as anyone else, but I also like these kinds of places where you can hang out and have actual conversations.
After getting drinks, we wandered out back. The outside area is huge and reminded me a lot of bars that I visited in Austin – it was even complete with a taco truck. I did not get tacos, but after reading the reviews I would love to check them out on a future visit!
There is a photobooth inside which is always a good time. The bartenders were overall okay aside from some unnecessary attitude, but I suppose that sometimes that comes with these types of places.
Definitely a fun place to go with a group of friends. I think I would make this a regular stop if I lived in the area!

i work in the area and after some convincing, decided to check this place out. It is VERY spacious and there’s probably tons more to do once the weather clears. They hae a taco truck in the back, so im dying to check out their food when it opens.
the ONLY thing that may stop me from coming back is that my credit card was double charged. When i called to speak to a manager (information was taken twice by two different people), it seems like the managers can care less to talk to people because my calls were never returned. IM sure even writing this review, things wont change.
if i come back, im bringing cash. you guys should do the same.

Meine Lieblingsbar in Williamsburg. Super gelegen, einen Steinwurf von der Bahn (Lorimer, Meropolitan, L + G Train).
Besonders gut gefallen haben mir die Preise: 5 USD für zwei PBR oder einen Longdrink. Das Beste am Union Pool ist der riesige (!) Innnhof mit Sitzgelegenheiten, Lagerfeuer (Klamotten anziehen die man am nächsten Tag nicht braucht) und einem Taco-​Truck (leider etwas teuer, aber gut für einen kleinen Snack).
Die Musik ist meistens rockig, wie in fast jeder Bar in den USA, aber an manchen Abenden gab es auch Hip-​Hop, Soul oder Funk.

Union Pool, c’est à la fois un pub, une salle de concert, un espace outdoor (un peu bier garten)…
Beaucoup d’ambiance le week-​end, très orienté drague hétéro. En semaine, beaucoup plus calme. Concert amateur sympa également.