Bud’s Ale House

It’s not Hooter’s but still looks like it. Everything inside is still the same or at least was when I went there. The food and menu is different. They have Groupons online a lot for this place, so if you are looking for a deal keep your eye out for it. They also have specials here like $ 7 pitchers of bud light or something along those lines.
I am definitely a beer and wings kinda gal and I really enjoyed the wings from hooters. Bud’s are just OK. I also ordered a burger which was really tasty, but the burgers at hooters were OK too. I miss the old menu, I feel like it used to have a lot of bar food staples and more apps, but Bud’s has more hot dogs and salads. I will definitely give this place another shot/​I came right when it had just changed. I will try the Irish nachos, but I hope they add more appetizers on to the menu.

Just finished watching a movie at the Fresh Meadows theater and noticed that Bud’s is closed for good. I peeked inside and even all of the tvs are gone.
So long Bud’s. I will miss your ample setting and terrible food.

I went here last month with the bf and it’s not a place I really wanna go back to which I’m actually bummed out about because it’s not far from my apt. I bought a groupon because $ 20 got us 2 beers, burgers/​fries, and Irish nachos. I thought that was a really good deal, but the food disappointed. We certainly had more than enough food, however it was the quality that didn’t deliver.
Irish nachos: After having just been to Croxleys, this was not a good way to start off our meal. It tasted like potato chips loaded with sour cream and not enough bacon :(
Burgers: This was the best part of our meal. I actually thought they were really juicy and that they didn’t skimp out on the toppings.
Fries: Disappointing. I know when fries are frozen and have been reheated. I didn’t even finish them.
Beer: Not something you can mess up. The selection didn’t really impress me for an «Ale house» though.
Another thing which we noticed were the wing specials. A lot of places nearby, especially the bars on Bell Blvd have 25 cent wing night (usually Wed). I forgot what the wing prices were here but they were way off and not worth it.
For all those smart grouponers who read these Unilocal reviews before you buy deals, don’t get tricked by this one. Yea it’s a lot of food, but the only thing I liked was the burger. Everything else felt so half assed.

We used to go here when it was Hooters and always had a great time with good food.
Now that it’s Bud’s its a different story. The energy level is the is the complete opposite of what it once was.
The online menu is out of date, two items we wanted are no longer available (the seasoned fries and the sun sauce).
The portion size on the sweet potato fries was half the size I was expecting, but the flavor was pretty good.
The fried pickles was a HUGH disappointment. I can’t even begin to tell you how incredibly greasy and soggy they were. It took 3 pieces of paper towel to blot them. Don’t get them.
The boneless chicken wings were not bad, moist with a good sauce.
I will say they were very organized for super bowl sunday. They get kudos for that.

I don’t usually like to give bad reviews, especially to new places, but I feel I must disclose the bad and the ugly (in this case there is no good). The atmosphere is like a sports bar — but not like a dave and busters sports bar, like a run down, bare-​bones, low end sports-​bar. They have this line that goes across the bar which sends the order to the kitchen. I couldnt tell if this was kind of cool or kind of trashy — you be the judge.
The menu seems promising — but don’t let it fool you. Admittedly, I am on a diet so I dont really eat the things that were probably good, but still even the «healthier» options should be at least edible.
I must start by saying the service was terrible. It took about 20 minutes before we even saw a waitress– and then probably another 40 before we saw any food.
The wings were the only «decent» part of the meal. They have some interesting sauce flavors, which I liked. We tried the thai bbq and they were decent. However, the shape of the actual wing was very odd to me. Something just seemed strange about the whole ordeal.
For dinner I ordered a turkey burger with blue cheese and avocado. Each meal comes with a side of chips. The burger was like rubber. It was inedible. The blue cheese was not crumbles, but some thick-​mushy-​mass that plopped on top of the burger. It was not even like a wing-​dipping, blue cheese but some weird consistancy. The avocado mixed with that actually made my stomach turn.
My friend got a quesadilla which looked good but was terrible and way too cheesy (if thats even possible) and my other friend didnt like what she got either so we all ordered an extra plate of wings which was kind of the saving grace.
In all fairness we went here when they first opened, so they probably were still trying to get their act together, but with a performace like this, I honestly can say I will never go back.

I’d give NO STARS if that was an option! Worst establishment ever.
The service from staff was decent at most but so complacent, everything else was terrible. Food took about 40mins to hit the table and everything was COLD.
Nachos — COLD, what takes so long to put cheese on chips? Seriously!
Quesadilla — COLD
Chicken wings — COLD to the bone!
Pulled pork sandwich — Cold mediocre
Salad — is actually a half head of lettuce with cheese steak meat sprinkled on top. No they didn’t chop the salad. And yes this took over 40 mins to get out of the kitchens.
The place wasn’t even packed and no one looked like they were hustling. After ordering $ 100 of food and drinks, you’d think the food or service would be better.
NEVER COMING BACK.

Hooters has magically become Bud’s Ale House! But you still get the sports bar feel (all the tis are still in the same place and on the same channels), there’s a slightly modified menu of wings and beer, and the girls wear a little more clothing. We had spicy teriyaki wings, lemon pepper wings, fried pickles, fries, a beer and dr. pepper — can’t really complain about the flavors and service. Things were A-​OK.

Alright so the reviews are generally all true. The food was good, not bad. The beer selection for an ale house was decent. Not a large cider or fruit beer selection, and this isn’t real competition for a biergarten. I’m pretty sure the owner just got fed up with dealing with the hooters franchise and changed it up. So the service was ok, the server was definitely a bit ditzy, but everyone has to make a living some how. I did have fun though, and that does matter. I probably wont go here again, or reccomend it, but it wasn’t awful.

This place was previously Hooters and I did not like it b/​c their food sucked. But it changed to Bud’s Ale House I’ve decided to try it.
Feel: Sports bar-​ish.
Sound: LOUD. Mostly from the music.
Food: I had onion rings and house favorite burger. They were both pretty good! I would go back here.
Drink: I had regular blue moon on tap. It was fresh and good.
Price: a tiny bit pricey, but for the amount of food it’s good.
Bottom line: I WILL BE BACK *in terminator’s voice*

I have been there twice and I should have stopped at 1. The staff is pleasant, but we were not offered refills on beverages and the order was wrong. (Not sure if that was the waitress or the cooking staff) The food is terrible. It’s like you have amateur chefs. I ordered the Philly cheese steak and the cheese sauce is less then desirable. The same cheese sauce on the buds Irish nachos was less then desirable. Sorry to say I will not be going back. I don’t mind paying for good food. But this was a great big disappointed.

Yes, Hooters use to occupy this location not too long ago and yes, Bud’s has done a bad job of re-​branding the space. But for what it’s worth, Bud’s does the trick I feel. Solid beer selection, above average sports bar menu (our fried pickles and pork wings were money) along with the same broads who use to be servers at Hooters, just this time in normal clothing.
The lady and I came in for a quick bite before heading over the movie theater next door and overall the experience didn’t disappoint. We actually came in just as 1PM NFL came on and the place was still pretty empty, which struck me kind of odd — wall to wall flat screens, solid beer selection, good menu with tons of comfy seating? I guess the new ownership group just needs to get the word out more.
Once the kick up the décor a few notches and maybe add a few ‘different’ dishes to the menu and this place easily becomes a 4 star joint in my book.

Love it, love it. Amazing atmosphere, corn dogs were delicious, fried Oreos and ice cream ! Finally found a nice place with awesome fried food!

Replaced hooters.
It was like a naked hooters, the only thing they really changed was that the bar chairs are black ! They stripped the lively designs and its plain and kinda bland.
The service was okay, the waitress kinda looked at us looking at our empty glasses and just brushed off, and not until I had to ask did she then gave us a refill. But it’s okay, when we were finished with our meal and she asked if we needed anything else we said «no», but she didn’t even bring us our check until we had to ask for it. Oh well this place must not ever have good customer service.
The food was great! The menu was pretty plain and we saw some familiar Hooters items but it wasn’t like OMG WE MUST GET THIS, nah.
We had gotten the 16 piece wings breaded chipotle citrus with celery and ranch + blue cheese sauces. I was really surprised at how delicious it really was very crispy and full of flavor. We got a side of fries which was $ 2.25, hint it was hard to find on the menu its at the last page in small fonts.
Overall they have great wings.

Even after reading the reviews on here I still went here for Monday Night Football. I’d say, if possible, 2.5 stars.
We showed up a good hour before the game and the place was empty but by game time it was full. The parking lot in the back is huge so that’s a major plus.
Our waitress was very nice and went over the entire menu with us pointing out her favorites. She took a swing at Hooters which I don’t blame her. Hooters is terrible. We ordered a few beers and then took a look at the menu. There are a lot of options (probably too many, do you really need linguine with clam sauce?). Before ordering food we ordered another round of beers but were told that happy hour was over. The website said the $ 2 Bud’s was during dinner so they should probably make that a little clearer (the cheap beers was a selling point for us). The beers come in frosted mugs.
We ordered some wings, half bone in and half boneless. The sauces were good… but the wings themselves were just ok. The bone in ones were pretty small and one small blue cheese is not enough. I got the western burger and my friends got the philly cheese steak sandwich. The burger was very good. A little overcooked but it tasted very fresh and the bbq sauce that it came with was excellent. My friends enjoyed their sandwich too. The food is a huge upgrade over what was there before.
Now, an improvement they need to make is service. Like I said before, our waitress was very friendly and knew the menu well. There was a good chunk of time where we wanted more drinks but no one was around. She made up for it and started coming back more frequently, but at that point we were wrapping up. Its tough as she appeared to have tables far away from us. Also, the table configuration sort of hid us. I also got busy very quick. I’m not sure what would work best: arranging the tables better, further training/​experience or additional staff.
I would go back with the hope that the service has improved and not order the wings.

Went here late last friday night with two friends. We wanted to see what the replacement for Hooters was like. The place looked pretty bare, where once photos of hooters girls covered the walls, now was mostly nothing on the walls. This place is supposed to be a sports bar now right? They need more local team merch on those walls to improve the atmostphere. Anyway, i digress. The hostest was nice, letting me examine a menu before being seated. Waitress was super nice, but the food was so so. Ordered some mac and cheese with bacon… where the heck was the cheese!?! The wings we ordered were fine. Beer is good and comes in a big, chilled glass but at the busboy was a bit over eager. We had finished the meal but still had beer left in our glasses. He asked us if we were done and we said yes, thinking as usual he would clear the plates and the waitress would come by with the dessert menu… nope. He took the beer mugs even though ²⁄₃ were half full! We were all taken a back by that and didn’t say a word, it surprised us that he did that. I was almost going to say ‘calm down there cowboy’ but stopped myself, trying not be rude also.
Whatever. i’ll go back here again in a few weeks. The place seems like it’s still in transition from the switch over from being Hooters. I’ll edit this review after a second trip.

This place is horrible. They messed up the order, the food had no taste then they had the nerve to charge 75 cents for blue cheese. Not worth the time or money

½ star at best.
We came out of the movies and saw this place and figured why not some wings and beers. Looks like a nice place. It was crowded which is always a good sign. Little did I realize it was because of the football games on all the TV’s and not the food or service. Sat down, ordered wings, beers, a couple of loaded hot dogs and fries. First sign of trouble the waitress said they have Corona on tap. Sure enough she came back to tell me they don’t really have it on tap. She gave us some plates and a handful of cocktail napkins. You can’t clean your hands with cocktail napkins when your’e eating wings. I asked for some real napkins and she handed us a few sheets off a roll of paper towels that they clean the tables with. Oh and no hand wipes either.
We waited and waited for the wings and after 25 minutes asked the waitress about the wings, she returned with all the food at the same time. Appetizers and mains Wings were at room temp obviously been sitting around for a while. Fries were a soggy limp mess, hot dogs were OK, just not hot.
The (person in charge) definitely wasn’t the manager comes around asking how everything was, I relayed our experience with cold wings and how all the food just showed up at the same time I mentioned I just checked Unilocal and it shows this place has 2 stars and I wouldn’t give it more then that. He quoted «Oh that was when this place was Hooters!» I said obviously you aren’t really reading the reviews of your customers because this place is rated 2 stars. He said «I’ll let the manager know» That was it. Walked off. Not a concern about the food quality or customer service. It’s obvious this place isn’t going to be around long. I hope the next owners know how to run a restaurant. I’d still like a plate of hot wings and a cold beer…

Would give 1.5 stars if possible.
Was excited when I read in the newspaper that this place had 20 beers on tap, and I figured it would atleast be a step up from Hooters, which was pretty crappy. It’s rather hard to find a beer selection beyond your usual domestics in this part of Queens, so I was glad to maybe have found a good local spot.
Went last night with the boyfriend, hungry and hopeful. Turns out the only good thing about this place is a less tacky décor and more of a mixed crowd (read: more women.)
We got seated on a Friday in five minutes, which should have been a sign in itself. The waitress gave us menus and asked what we’d like to drink to which I asked her for a beer list-​but they didn’t have one. How can you call yourself «Ale House» without a beer list? Really? She then recited ten or so beers, and either she forgot most of the obscure ones or they just didn’t have any. My boyfriend picked asked what the «Victory ale» was and she said «it’s an India Pale Ale, which is kind of like a lighter version of a Guinness.» I really don’t want to sound like a snob, but in a place billing itself as a beer specialty joint, the waitresses should know more about their products.
I ordered fish and chips and he ordered some quesadilla w/​shrimp and chorizo. I also got fried pickles, they were fine, a bit greasy but I’m not complaining about that. She then brought out my dinner and totally forgot about the quesadilla. We reminded her and we really shouldn’t have, because it was pretty bad. No shrimp and the chorizo barely had any flavor. My fish & chips were okay, really salty and really need to be served with a pickle or cole slaw or something, because it’s way too dry with just fries.
We waited a while for the check, and yeah, pretty awful overall. I feel bad giving such a scathing review because I love supporting local businesses, especially in my hometown of Fresh Meadows, but this place just totally missed the mark for me. Maybe the original in Astoria is better.

Surprised this was opened so quickly after Hooters. Unfortunately, this Bud’s location is going through a weird transition time, and until they are fully converted it’s a bit disappointing.
Service was a bit slow, and not nearly as friendly as the original Astoria location. My server in particular was nice enough, though. They don’t have a beer menu yet (it’s a beer bar!), though I’m impressed the servers memorized everything they have on tap. The menu is slightly different from the Astoria counterpart, they don’t yet have icecream nor some of the desserts I’m used to seeing at the other location (fried oreos!).
The margaritas are surprisingly good, though visually unappealing. The beers are excellently priced.
Honestly, I do expect things to get significantly better here, but until then don’t expect too much. Also, just head to Astoria, srsly.

Not as bad as the absolutely horrendous Hooters was, but still needs a lot of work. The food is much improved. The problem is the serving staff is the same. And that’s a big problem. They’re terrible and now their goods aren’t even out to partially make up for it.
We waited a half hour for anyone to even come to our table and drink refills took longer. Our waitress was a sweetheart, just not any good at serving. The place wasn’t crowded either. It was a Tuesday night.
After talking to the managers it seems like this place is headed in the right direction. But personnel makes the establishment and that’s what the restaurant formerly known as Hooters lacks.