Johnny’s Bar

This is the type of bar you come to at the end of the night when you want to still drink and chill but you already spent a ton of $ at some other lame bar or restaurant. It is a true divey New York bar, which I personally think makes it awesome. As others have said, you definitely see some interesting looking characters, but everyone is just kind of hanging out so no worries. We asked the older gentleman bartender to make us some sort of girly shot (I know so lame haha) but it was really good, we ordered like 2 more rounds. He was also spouting off some random trivia questions which was fun. The best part of the atmosphere was the music playing. When the latest Justin Bieber song came on, my group and I started dancing and other people were cheering for us. The bouncer asked if he could join us when the Michael Jackson song was playing… kind of random, but also hilarious.

I love this little dump of a bar. I live in the neighborhood and I am surrounded by small plates and glasses of wine. Organic this and free range that. Sometimes, I just want cheap booze and some laughs with the guys in a relaxed environment.
Johnny’s is just north of 12^th street on Greenwich Ave and is a lovely little hole in the wall. The service is friendly and the make your drinks with little fuss. I came here with a group of guys and we had a ball. There are always some strange characters, locals and other sorts that make the patrons of this place a hodge-​podge of the neighborhood. The only downside to this place is that it is very small and it can be tough to move around when it gets busy.

A true old school locals dive bar to kick back in and down a few cheap Rolling Rocks and a shot.
The usual weirdos and on the edge hipster characters haunt this spot while viewing the hundred sketches or so of Burt Reynolds behind the bar. I kid you not.
Smokey and the Bandit rules.
Digital jukebox and the people here pick out decent tunes.
Just a chill narrow kind of joint with all kinds of crap stuck on the wall behind the bar, some happy hour deals, and a nondescript red neon sign that just says «bar» hanging outside.
Oh, and the bathroom is on-​point in true graffiti style.
I love dive bars.

Vonya. How in the world do you do it. Run a bar single-​handedly (well, aside from a door man) serving 50+ people. Just incredible. I’d ask you to marry me if it weren’t undignified or inappropriate (has nothing to do with you being way outta my league).
The conversations and revelry here is unparalleled. I don’t even live in NYC but I come to this bar every time I visit.

Great dive bar. Cheap beer and shots, very small though. Good music selection. Nice bartender.

Another great dive bar, this time in the West Village. We stopped in here after another long day of touring the city. Small and tight, you need to like people. Great bartender. She was very helpful and fun. Good beer specials and selection. Reasonably priced. Not as intimate as Manitoba’s the day before but still a great experience. Good music here as well. Great people watching along the street and the people rotating in and out. Really nice time.

Great dive bar! Good crowd and good section of music on the juke box. Vonya the bartender was amazing. She is super friendly, energetic and covers the whole bar without fail.

NYC dive bar at it’s finest. Good juke. Great mix of locals, eccentric regulars and folks wandering in off the street not sure what they are going to find.

Went there on a Saturday night for a drink.
Ambience: Small, a bit dirty and divey. Crowd was mostly in their 20s.
Prices: Cheap and cheap!
Service: Good; the bartender was a bit quirky but nice.
Overall, this is the place you come to have a drink before going somewhere else.

Chill Dive
Driving thru Greenwich Village and we stumbled upon Johnny’s. A pretty cool find. We stopped and grabbed a drink at this small dive bar. The place is dark and the bartender was very friendly. They always have a shot special everyday and 3 cheap draft beers which is nice find seeing your in NYC.
An aside story is that a kid came with his friends for his 21^st birthday and the bartender made sure that the birthday boy had the birthday house special a shot of tequila with milk. Yuck, but I thought it was a nice touch.
Very down to earth spot. We’ll be back.
Thanks

Best dive bar I ever went too… my new go to spot after brunch… waitress put me on a better quality tequila

Claudia is terrible. I don’t know if being an abrasive, sarcastic jerk is part of the show but it’s offensive and sadly very unattractive. Forces you to tip and used foul language that is not funny. As a former bartender myself, and someone in this industry for almost ten years, I can say that her vision of customer service is terrible. She’s the worst. Don’t go here.

We’re from way out of town (Ohio) but we visit every year. This is the best service we’ve received in NYC. Dive bar, small, loud, perfect. I’ve watched this bartender for the last hour and she hasn’t stopped moving. She checks every single ID and doesn’t lose track of who is here. If you look like you’re getting ready to leave, she starts feeding you water. Love it. Our drinks are never empty before she checks on us and it’s busy as hell in here. $ 3 Rolling Rock on tap, the rest are $ 4.75−6.75 and that’s regular, not happy hour. When we move here we will definitely come back. Bartender is so full of energy, thanked us profusely for letting her know the TP was out, and refilled it immediately without missing a beat at the bar. I don’t know what it’s like other nights, but when Vonya is here, rest assured that you will be taken care of promptly and with enthusiasm. Super impressed. (She knew the meaning of my name and complimented me greatly. Took the time to shake my hand and talk to me as if she’d known me for years.) Great place to drink if you want a divey, homey atmosphere and cheap beverages. Vonya really made me night =)

Awesome dive bar. Rolling rock for $ 3, and shots of the day for $ 3.50. The place is quite small, so don’t try to come here with a big group, but definitely worth stopping by with a friend or two to catch up and pregame for a night out.
The bartender was awesome, and always noticed when our drinks were getting low. Just a friendly fun atmosphere. Can’t ask for more!

I came here a few weeks ago for a drink before dinner. I had dinner plans nearby I was early for, so I figured I’d spend some time trying out another place. I walked around for a bit and found Johnny’s. There didn’t seem to be many bars on this block and I had to pee, which usually results in hasty decisions, but this one I didn’t regret. This is one of those bars where it’s all locals. There’s a board behind the bar listing who has given a drink to whom, using descriptors such as «Black Mike» and «Polish Frank». When I noticed one of the managers lighting incense, I asked the fellow next to me how come, who referred to the manager by first name as if they were old friends, that the incense to cover up whatever smell may be coming from the bathroom. It’s almost the dive bar version of Cheers. The wall behind the bar is covered in sentimental trinkets and papers, something I’m a sucker for anywhere I go. I love seeing contributions of patrons past like that. An upper shelf across the bar has a community selection of books and board games. It’s small, but cozy, and not just in the semi flattering way your west village apartment is, but walking in here, you almost feel like you’re intruding. So come on in and make it a regular stop at this neighborhood bar.

Great divey bar. The staff and clientele were very friendly and welcoming. The prices of the drinks were great for the West Village. It gets crowded though so be forewarned.

Cool place but the barmaid is texting a way too much and… rude
Then you wait for your drink… then you wait for your bill… then you don’t come back :(

Look, now I’m not saying that you’re going to find 50 beers on tap here. I’m not saying you’re going to find a chaise lounge either. Nor am I saying that you’re going to find the man of your dreams here, but what I’m saying I’m going to say in a moment.
But first, let me say that:
1. if you are looking for a bar open at noon during the week so you can indulge in day drinking in the Village…
2. If you’re looking for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with local patrons just looking to slake their thirst and their day away…
3. If you’re looking for a casually friendly, awesome, fun, un-​pretentious and altogether warm bartender named Zach (Zack?)…
Then you need to go to Johnny’s bar.
Oh. AND ALSO! FOR ALL YOU SAN FRANCISCO NATIVES THAT MISS HOME A LITTLE BIT, THEY HAVE ANCHOR STEAM ON TAP HERE!!!
That last point was what my main point was in case the capital letters didn’t clue you in.
So, take this away from my review:
1. Local village pub
2. Zach (zack) is awesome
3. Casual atmosphere
4. Anchor Steam on tap

Chill dive bar in the west village, conveniently located. Been here a couple times and not too bad. I have found the bartenders very nice and specials aren’t bad. The shot of the day is just OK in my view but reasonably priced beers. Overall = A-​OK :)

Had a great time here on the night of Santacon. I was with a friend and we were trying to avoid the men in red, happened to come in and stayed till last call.
The bar is VERY small. It’s cheap, a little dirty, and has friendly regulars. The bouncer was a sweetheart, as was our bartender who manned the entire bar that night herself. I wish I remembered her name, she was a petite girl with a pixie haircut. She looked like she was about to lose her mind but never stopped being cheerful and I never had to wait long for a refill.
A drunk guy walked up to the juke box, put in 30 credits worth of money, played one song, and stumbled off to let me and my friend play what we wanted for a good chunk of the night. Thanks dude! Shockingly enough, the music was actually kind of low. Not really complaining, it’s better than the alternative.
Also, their jukebox has MOXY FRUVOUS. I don’t even know why I searched for them, but I did. For those that don’t know (and how could you not?!), they’re a super liberal 90’s band from Canada that sometimes mimes while wearing funny hats. So. Much. Love.