Banjo Jim’s

Thursday nights at Banjo Jim’s. Who knew? SO GREAT.
Cheap beer (Abita Amber for $ 5!!)
Usually a seat available
Amazing music
Saturday nights are great when you wanna get your dance on and be a little raucous, but Thursday nights are all about the music. So into it.

I have been on this banjo obsession lately. Usually anything hillbilly is fascinating since it is what is culturally the complete opposite of mine.
I walked across this place since I live righ around the corner and heard some wild commotion outside. I saw the word «banjo» and I was sold. We walked in and it was packed with people. The place is a total hole in the wall and just hot and loud and exactly what I would imagine the deep south would look like.
They play hillbilly music at hillbilly prices. No cover, live bands and pretty damn cool. One bathroom per sex, cash only, tips preferred for the talents. No spitting chew on the floor and park your tracktors in the rear. I’ll tell ya what.

Not long ago in the East Village, in the days before ramen shops popped up on every corner, celebrity chefs and $ 14 cocktails made by «mixologists» people still went out. What did they do? Often they caught some live music in a place with cheap drinks. That’s what many people used to do for fun, believe it or not.
Today many venues are feeling the pinch. High rents have pushed many places out of business. In those that manage to hang on $ 8 cover charges are as common as $ 6 beers. As a result people are a bit less likely to go see live music, because it’s no longer a casual thing.
Live music is still a casual thing at Banjo Jim’s. Which means it’s a great place to drop by, have a drink or two and check out what’s going on.
In fact, I’d recommend doing so.

Stumbled into Banjo Jim’s on Friday night and it was great! Cheap and generous pours, a cool atmosphere, and great music– saw some awesome Mississippi electric blues.

Just a grand time for your folk and bluegrass needs. The combination of banjos, horns, and stand up basses transports you to another place, another era. Along with the music comes very cheap drinks and a decent beer selection for the snobby beer connoisseurs.
However, I’m a bit torn. The place on weekends gets unbelievable crowded. People are awkwardly stuck standing in front of the bathroom so people have a hard time getting in or out. People have to sit and stand all across the bar so ordering is feat. Not only that, only one guy checks IDs, collects donation for the bar, and works behind the bar. He can be spread too thin during the night.
However, if you can grab a drink quickly and find a decent spot in the mess of people, it’s hard not to slap your knee to the music and enjoy yourself.

* A cool hassle free place to check out the local musicians and jazz scene in general.
* Cheap beer + live smooth jazz gives you such a nice feeling on lazy sundays when you’re down on energy. A good way to relax and re-​energize for upcoming busy-​days.

We were hankering for some live music and trekked over to Ave. C based on rave Unilocal reviews. Banjo Jim’s did not disappoint. Everyone there, from the bands, to the other patrons, to the Renaissance bar man (seriously, this guy did everything, made drinks, cleared tables, collected tips for the band, watched the door), were friendly and down for a good time.
The bands were all excellent and came on stage in a rapid-​fire succession. We ended up staying until 2am for about 4 different sets.
You have to wait a bit to get a drink (there is only one dude working there), but they are strong and the music is good, and there’s no cover!

I love how small the space is, it’s very intimate. As someone from Virginia I love any place that’s a little slice of the country :)

I used to looove this place. Hole in the wall, cool atmosphere, grungy music and cheap good-​quality beer and wine. I used to like the fact that it was tucked away from the main crowds, never too packed, always welcoming and never pretentious.
Well, the good times seem to be gone. The last 2 times I stopped by it was overcrowded, the music was mediocre, the people waaay too young for my taste and the smell… they have to do something about that awful smell of mixed sweat, feet and mold. Not good.
Maybe I was just unlucky, and I think I will try it again another couple of times in the future, just to triple check, but I just miss what it used to be.
Sometimes Unilocal is not a good thing…

Love Banjo Jims. They get quality performers, and its an intimate space. Makes me feel like I’m in a coffee house that serves booze.

In my earlier years in New York, I thought the best life in the city would be – dressing up with my cocktail dress and heels, walking into a party scene as those in SATC, holding a martini glass, talking with beautiful people and trying to impress some of them.
After many years of living here and knowing about a real New York better, my favorite changed. Now, I think one of the best moments of my life in the city would be – being in the clothes I feel most comfortable and confident with, hanging out with friends I have met whom I like much, sitting somewhere in one of my favorite bars like Banjo Jim’s, listening to some beautiful music, drinking hot tea rather than alcohol (yes, I am the only one in this bar holding a tea cup rather than beer bottle. Why not? They have water heater prepared for tea at least for me, haha~).
This place does ‘look’ very ordinary. I mean, no fancy decoration, there is no even a real stage. The windows of the bar are dirty and almost covered by all kinds of posters. The entire bar is not very spacious… However, the vibe here really grabs my attention and heart, maybe because the audio equips are really good? Or I have listened to some very impressive singers singing here? Or maybe just because of the unpretentious crowd around me? I don’t know. But I do feel so comfortable, relaxed and happy with my friends hanging out here.
By the way, there is no cover, beer is $ 5, tea is $ 3. Make sure you have your US state ID. Foreign passport doesn’t count here for age check. A stringent bartender will come over to check all the time if you cheat on him. That’s bitterly great.

Still a big fan of Banjo’s even though I never make it up here anymore. But now that Banjo’s is on my Cheapskate’s Delight list, I feel I should explain.
Quite simply because you can’t get such consistently good live music anywhere else, for the price. Drinks (the price of the music) aren’t overpriced either. But make sure you throw a couple dollars in the can for those nice people singing their hearts out for you.
ps the amazing piano player referenced in the below review is the legendary Terry Waldo, and he plays every Tuesday night from 7 – 9. Make a point of going.

Such amazing music.
Really great music.
Seriously, soul shaking, life changing, heart gripping music. Sometimes.
But most of the time you’ll just have to settle with really good music.
The drinks are cheap and good.
The place is intimate, the folks are friendly, and everything is super relaxing. It’s kind of like having a session of honky-​tonk-​bluegrass-​jazz yoga. Your soul actually feels better afterward.
It’s really perfect for any occasion. I’ve been here for birthdays, hanging out with old friends, dates… Tuesdays. I love it here and I hope it stays open forever.

I can’t tell you how many nights my dude and I will walk around or say we’re going to walk around looking for spontaneous good music. I know, what a bunch of dingdongs having trouble doing this in the East Village. But remind yourself that sometimes atmosphere is everything. And sometimes, a 20 buck cover doesn’t pay to cover your ears.
There is no cover at Banjo Jim’s. There are no cushy couches. There is no pretense. There is, however, a full bar and a selection of beers for $ 4.00. I hate paying 4 bucks for a bottle of Bud Light, but I hate paying 6 bucks for a bottle of Bud Light more. And Banjo Jim’s bud Light? Well it was icy cold — so cold I had to hold it with the fabric of my sundress.
We saw three fantastic bands: LJ Murphy (whose New Orleans bred pianist teaches my dude piano; Miss Tess & the Bön Ton Parade — a band that made my ears randy. Tess’s voice is like Nora Jones before Nora Jones got all elevatory; and The Dirt Floor Revue — a raucous bunch that would have any other bar hopping, but this is NY and NYers are shy rug cutters.
There was a sweet french bulldog early in the night, one of the bartenders got asekd by the other bartender to get out from behind the bar because he was drunk (he stayed, but not to work, just to continue drinking and that was totally fine with the other bartender), and the bathrooms smelled so heavily of urine and fresh doody that my nostrils nearly burnt off. But you know what? Atmosphere.

I love being 21 because of places like this.
The whole bar has this super chill vibe to it, enhanced by their lighting choices, they have a bar going around the corner, and comfortable seating.
But, the reason this places makes me thankful for my age is that thy have free live music every single night of the week until 2am. (I think you need to buy a beer per band, but you’d do that anyway, of course!) I seriously can’t imagine a better way to enjoy my night than hanging out here with a friend and just jamming out to some fantastic live music while chatting with the awesome bartender.

The perfect spot for an urban hoedown, it’s the size of a milk crate, with lights strung along its walls, a bar gently snaking around a corner.
Every night there’s live music. Depending on the lineup’s popularity, an evening here could be a crazy standing-​room only affair, every bar stool filled, the air pulsing with a contagious, rabid energy.
Or not.
Either way there’s no cover, so stop in and enjoy the music.

Once upon a time in Avenue C, I was living. well, then I had a chance to drop by this bar in the neighborhood. Definitely a go! It’s more like a little concert than a bar, people listening for the gig, not talking.
As far as I know, they only play pre-​1930s music, which is really cool.
Wherever you sit, you will enjoy this smallish stage music too.

You have to appreciate the uniqueness of this Banjo bar. I’ve always wanted to have a place where I can have a beer in a wooden setting with bluegrass banjo get-​away music. You don’t have one of these in every neighborhood.
Unfortunately, when I went, they had temporarily misplaced their liquor license or something like that. So, there were no booze here on Saturday night. Check with them before coming back to see if they got a liquor license. They were serving up some pretty tasty fruity drinks and island lemonades to people, though. The band was outstanding.
I felt like I was in Southern Mississippi escaping a band of local rebels. The band had alot of personality and they were friendly. They were so friendly that one band member went out to get cookies for audience members. I really like this bar and it’s relaxed, «Welcome Home» atmosphere. There are just some times when you’ll feel like hearing some good ol’ Southern Music. This is the place that’ll pop in my head when the desire returns.

Its
Banjos
And guitars
With no cover
So give a listen and don’t be a jerk.

Banjo Jim’s is a true Lower East side casual, fun spot. When my friend invited me to see a «human beatbox» all the way over on Avenue C, I was quite skeptical. However, this crowded bar offers unique musical talent and a laidback crowd. The small size is perfect for an intimate musical performance given by passionate tunesters. For such a small bar, Banjo Jim’s offers a surpringly large variety of cheap $ 5 beers and interesting wines/​liquors. I was able to enjoy a bottle of cider (one of my favs) and sample a South African liquor on ice. The liquor was supposedly made of a fruity cream. It was quite similar to a Bailey’s on the Rocks with a slight hint of fruit. The flavor was hard to define, but absolutely delicious and the perfect compliment to a relaxing late night/​early morning spent watching a groovy band.
I highly recommend this hidden gem for a unique musical experience!