Mess Hall

HARLEMS HIDDEN GEM. Went there for the first time last night with my boyfriend. It was happy hour but it wasn’t wall to wall crowded which was nice. The bartender was very attentive and took our order right away. I want to say we stood for about 10 minutes before a table became available. The drinks were strong the bartender was awesome the patrons were really down to earth and friendly also. I will DEFINITELY be returning here on my next trip to Harlem.

Hello Brooklyn in Harlem …
Great little joint on the other side of the park. Came here for a HH with co-​workers and had a blast! I stuck to your pints that evening, didn’t do a deep dive into cocktails. What I did do was stuff my face like a fat kid in heat with hotdogs. I had the Chicago and the Harlem and let me tell you … you need a foundation for a big night … start with those.
Be warned, this is a very small place, with a backyard for warmer weather, but in the winter time when CU is in, definitely going to be on the packed side. That being said our keep was quick with a pour and just generally a friendly dude. Definitely may become our go-​to happy hour joint … on that note … happy hour rolls until 8pm … so yeah … make some great and glorious mistakes.

This was a fun little long «shotgun» style bar right on Frederick Douglass where there’s a lot of new businesses are popping up.
Beers and ciders are the thing, as are specialty hot dogs (make it vegetarian for a buck extra). They also give out free bowls of pretzels and cheese balls (deadly).
The other thing: they do a shot (whiskey?) And a PBR or Modelo and tequila for $ 5. For a flat $ 10 you can get their «adult happy meal” — the beer shot combo plus a specialty dog of your choice! I didn’t partake in the beer and shot cuz beer and me are no bueno and I don’t like whiskey anyhow, but did try the Harlem Dog. It was delicious (although a little messy!). And for $ 5.50 it filled me up.
They had a projector playing football on a wall in the back along with several TVs. They played kinda fun party songs from the 2000s while I was there. Deducting a star cuz im not a fan of the backless wooden bar stools, but otherwise… I’m a fan.

A solid bar with free cheese puffs!
Good beer selection, a beer and shot deal, nice selection of whiskeys.
The back yard looked nice too but I was there in the winter so it wasn’t open.

Quaint small place with an excellent bartender — Derrick. I came in for happy hour and he took the time to explain everything on the menu, refill our snacks and remember our drinks. I like the «adult happy meal» special– 10 bucks for a shot, can of beer and a specialty hot dog. They also gave cheese balls (CRACK) and spicy trail mix to munch on. My husband loves bourbon and he was impressed with their selection. They also have Kentucky bourbon beer which is my FAVE and not easy to find in bars. At 8.2%, this ale is fermented in bourbon barrels and will have you lit. Derrick asked us our names when we first sat down and used them for the rest of the night– little things like that go a long way. I will definitely return.

Great beer and whiskey selection mixed drinks are ok… Have no idea why they serve hotdogs super gross… Grilled cheese sandwich would be easier and cheaper for the bar while being better for the customer so… But always a cool vibe and interesting people. DERRICK the bartender is famous having been on Aziz Ansari’s new show on Netflix episode 4 season 1. He is there on Monday and Wednesday…

Great drinks and bartenders. The crowd isn’t too bad either. The can and shot special is clutch. Four a couple more dollars you can turn it into a meal. And they have bar snacks.

I came here with three friends on a weekday evening (of a holiday week). I was immediately struck by how narrow the space is, though people were ok with our scooting to the back. We stood by a wall-​mounted table for about 15 minutes before taking over one of the few high tops in the back. So, I’m not wild about the spacing situation.
The thing is, this bar is pretty awesome. Their bourbon selection is some of the best in the neighborhood, with about 25 options. They also have some unique beers for all tastes and some smashing cocktails. Check out the Coat of Arms, which includes jalapeño. (It took a long, long time to make…)
They were projecting Batman on the brick wall, which made for some amusing commentary.
I only wish there was a bit more space!

Came here today with a friend and was happy to learn they do happy hour 7 days a week! So we each ordered a beer and a pickle back shot. That was my first pickle back! The ambience was cool — cozy and they had Roger Rabbit playing, projected on the wall. They have a cute outdoor seating area too. Not sure how the food is, but saw they have veggie dogs on the menu so that’s a plus. I plan to go back! Some of the cocktails were $ 15, which is why I knocked a star off. I liked the chalkboard wall in the bathroom!

The inside looks really cool. The drinks menu looks really cool. I like hot dogs.
My girlfriend and I came inside to get a drink during the Democratic Presidential Debate. We sat down at the bar, and were promptly ignored by both bartenders. I finally waved down one of them after waiting for 10 minutes. We placed our order. We sat there. A commercial came and went. I asked if our drinks were being made to the guy that I originally ordered from, he nodded and said that they were. He then walked over to the other bartender who was in the midst of a conversation, she nodded and continued her conversation. About 5 minutes later we left without a drink.

Try the Adult Happy Meal! The 7 day a week happy hour from 4−8pm is great! Nice drink selection, $ 6 wells, great customer service, nice taxidermy, clean bathrooms, free movies in the back & front of bar! Backyard patio area.

I just stepped in this bar and I’m already in love! playing Tommy Boy on the projector!!! the bartender let me know she just came back from the farmers market, ordered a messy lady which has fresh lavender. Love this place right off the bat!

Nice bar in my former neighborhood. Would have merited 4 – 5 stars if not for the condescending female bartender last night. Your knowledge of spirits and alcoholic beverages may be deep and wide but when a customer asks for a general recommendation, the least you can do is to come up with 1 or 2 suggestions and not snark back. The waitress who came over was more reasonable – asked the same question, she quickly shot back with 2 great recommendations. Plain, simple, and sans attitude.

Mess Hall was another place recommended by a friend and it was perfect. Their drinks were delicious and tasty. Coming from California it felt just like home while chilling after a long day of doing «touristy» things

Really enjoyed my first time here. A bit crowded when i arrived, but super chill afterwards. I’ll come back and recommend it to friends.

Wish I could give it 5 stars because it’s SO NICE finally having a bar near my apartment, but the beer selection is just not that thrilling, so I have to call it a 4. That said, it’s a really pleasant spot to hang out. Very chill, and the bartenders have been pretty nice. Free snacks are always good, although it comes with the caveat of there’s no actual food there. There’s a back patio area that seems really nice but I haven’t had any success snagging a table back there so far — it shares with the café next door (I think they’re the same owner), but since the bar opens at 4 every day (including weekends!), the patio has always been full by the time I get there, even if I come in at 4 on the dot. So that’s a drag.
They project movies on the walls which is fun and quirky. It’s been really crowded once, but otherwise it’s usually a manageable level of people. Just get more interesting beers and you’ll be A+, Mess Hall!

I’m really happy this place has opened up in the area. So many great spots are popping up across Harlem, and this is definitely one of the stand outs. I enjoyed the atmosphere and décor, and the fact that it seems to draw in a nice mix of people. The drink selection is great, and who doesn’t love some free bar snacks! They had my heart the moment I saw the bowl of cheese puffs!

Pretty chill bar! I liked it, they serve pretzels and cheese puffs. I definitely would recommend this place for the pre turn up lol

Really, really neat little place up near 119^th Street.
It’s a beautifully decorated space with a garage-​style door up front that opens all the way. The interior is long and narrow but leads you to a small back garden that has several tables.
In front of the bar are a couple of large, communal tables that fix six nicely and maybe eight if you’re very good friends!
The beer and drink menu is nice. The beer list isn’t too long, but it is well selected and there’s something for everyone. The cocktail list is very nice and my friend enjoyed the cocktails he had.
It’s a very chic place and to be honest, I felt like a bum in a t-​shirt and cargo shorts. The design is really lovely, cool and hip. All of the mirrors and photos and taxidermy really give it a unique feel.
The complimentary cheeze balls and pretzels put this place over the top! I love those things, regardless of how bad they are for me.
Service was great from everyone. I really, really like this place, but next time I go, I’m going to try to dress a little fresher because the clientele here really steps up their game. If anyone wants to be my personal stylist, let me know and I can be your male Eliza Doolittle as you unleash the improved version of Bill on Mess Hall.

What a great bar in Harlem! The feel is neighborhood and hip and they have a great Happy Hour. My friend knew the bartender and she seemed to know everyone else.
It’s a casual, relaxed, but trendy bar with a NYC pub feel.
I’ll be back!