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Local 138

Expert Reviews of Local 138

Citysearch | A bar that lives up to its name, this Lower East Side spot serves a neighborhood crowd.

The wood-encased interior is minimally decorated to give Local a more contemporary edge than some others on Ludlow. Clean, geometric lines snake around the bar and two small alcoves facing the street on either...
citysearch.com - expert review - 08/14/2003
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User Reviews of Local 138

Yelp.com Review - by suzie o.

4.0 of 5 stars. clientele: businessmen giving each other hi-fives, bridge and tunnel (sorry!!! but i was one as a wee child at one point) or European goth quasi-models. As always, a hipster contingent. The best thing…
yelp.com - user review - 04/01/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Kevin S.

3.0 of 5 stars. Local does a consistently good job getting you drunk and pissed off, which, I suppose, is exactly what it's trying to do. The beer selection's pretty solid, for the limited taps -- about 10, but with…
yelp.com - user review - 04/01/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Margarita V.

3.0 of 5 stars. Sometimes you don't want to see or be seen. That's where a bar like Local 138 comes in handy. It's great mid-week place to bring in some burgers from down the street, get a couple of glasses of…
yelp.com - user review - 03/07/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by brandy h.

4.0 of 5 stars. get there early enough to grab one of the front booths with a few friends and then let others come and go as they please. you never have to leave your spot if you get the booth to the right. there's a…
yelp.com - user review - 02/27/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Carol P.

3.0 of 5 stars. This was one if the first bars that I first started going when I first moved to NY about 10 months ago. It's a good reliable bar with decent people, music and cheap drinks... just beware of the…
yelp.com - user review - 02/20/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Alex i.

4.0 of 5 stars. If you live in the neighborhood Local 138 gets four stars. I went back this weekend on an LES pubcrawl and stopped by 138 for old times sake. See, I used to live around the corner, and Local 138…
yelp.com - user review - 02/17/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Abigail S.

3.0 of 5 stars. Not my favorite bar in the world, but a cozy, reliable back-up when you don't feel like elbowing through mobs of pretentious poseurs decked out in their finest "I don't give a damn what I'm wearing…
yelp.com - user review - 10/12/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Richie M.

4.0 of 5 stars. I got the attention of this place one day while i was walking around the bowery/LES all alone taking some pictures. I was just wandering around and felt like a drink.....lets just say one drank led…
yelp.com - user review - 10/09/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by anri i.

5.0 of 5 stars. I found this bar on a rainy/thundering afternoon. My friend and I ran inside, and ordered Stellas....3 bucks. No crazy music, small candles lit everywhere and the only other person in the bar besides…
yelp.com - user review - 08/04/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Rrose S.

4.0 of 5 stars. Stand up bar amongst a sea of hipsters. I happened upon this joint a couple of years ago, and absolutely love it. The drinks are pretty reasonably priced, the bartenders are friendly (they even let me…
yelp.com - user review - 04/30/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Alex C.

4.0 of 5 stars. As soon as you walk in, look for a door on the right. There's a booth there great for a medium sized group ... and it has a window to the bar ... you can order without getting up!!!! I had a blast in…
yelp.com - user review - 12/01/2006
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Yelp.com Review - by Gabby D.

3.0 of 5 stars. It's definitely right in the heart of the LES hood. Near all of our favorite haunts...Inoteca...Essex...Stanton Social...Rosario's...etc etc. So we went to meet some friends. Got past the bouncer…
yelp.com - user review - 11/28/2006
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Yelp.com Review - by Pete J.

5.0 of 5 stars. Local 138 is my favorite haunt in the entire city. Everytime I come home I try to have all my friends meet me here one night. The prices are reasonable, the staff is friendly, it's dark, cozy &…
yelp.com - user review - 11/15/2006
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Yelp.com Review - by Christy V.

4.0 of 5 stars. One of my favorite LES bars - I consider it an oasis in what has become somewhat of an annoying sceney-scene of a neighborhood. Beer is priced really well - I got two pints for $6 on a busy Friday…
yelp.com - user review - 09/09/2006
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Good atmosphere, staff and prices -- a rare combination

This bar typically has a relaxing atmosphere, good music (nothing cheesy, indie rock is a possibility), reasonable prices, decent lighting so you can actually see your friends, and pleasant bartenders. They...
citysearch.com - user review - 07/22/2006
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Yelp.com Review - by Toastface Grillah X.

3.0 of 5 stars. I pretty much just second everything Evan K wrote. The only other problem I'd mention, and maybe it was just a fluke the last time I was there, is that the bartenders had to clean their own glasses…
yelp.com - user review - 06/28/2006
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Yelp.com Review - by Evan K.

4.0 of 5 stars. Local 138 is one of my favorite drinking spots on the Lower East Side. Its a no frills bar that doesn't really cater to the hipster crowd, nor does it eschew it. It's completely unpretentious. Big…
yelp.com - user review - 04/06/2006
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coziest at the lower east side

looking for a place to chill? this is the place! cheap drink, not as crowded and totally not pretentious! they play good music, bartender was really nice and friendly.
citysearch.com - user review - 02/20/2006
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great music

on a nice little sound systems, unlike some other bars and lounges that sound like mud, playing some funky underground hip hop, no cheese, and the bartender was very cute and friendly, though my scotch on the...
citysearch.com - user review - 12/18/2005
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cheap drinks :)

I was in NYC for the first time ever this weekend on an impromptu trip, and we decided to bar-hop in East Village. I was shocked by the crazy drink prices at most places in the area, and I was starting to lose...
citysearch.com - user review - 11/14/2005
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What a great place

Everyone talks about the "snugs" up front, but there is a little known lounge in the back which is great for parties. Very chill by comparision to most lower east side spots. A great place to kick off a night...
citysearch.com - user review - 07/23/2005
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Think Locally

This bar is by far my favorite place on the Lower East Side these days. The alcoves in the front are each roomy enough for a small group; the bar & table area has great atmosphere; the back room's minimalist...
citysearch.com - user review - 12/02/2004
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TOPS!

the best spot on the lower east side. no attitude, great music, great atmosphere, mixed crowd. a great, normal neighborhood bar for times when you're in the area with friends looking for a drink and not in the...
citysearch.com - user review - 12/01/2004
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got to go

The bar was great. Had a fantastic time. They have 2 booths up front for for your own privite chill out you can get about 10 people in them. One has your own private service window. There is also a back...
citysearch.com - user review - 02/17/2004
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Great alternative

This place is perfect for a chill night - not too loud, not too crazy. The staff is always cool and the front booths are awesome for semi-big groups. Perfect as an alternative to the way-too-trendy bars up the...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/01/2003
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great bar for a drink

Like the other reviews of this place, i agree that it's unpretentious, laid back, cozy, etc. Local 138 is not the place to go if you are into "face-time." Don't expect a rowdy crowd. It is, however, a great...
citysearch.com - user review - 12/16/2002
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whatcha talkin' about willis?

willisdrummond-->kinda boring! Don't know what willis is talking about -- this place has a great crowd, super-friendly bartenders, and is hardly boring. Maybe willisdrummond should go back to the upper east...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/23/2002
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Hidden Treasure

My only regret is not knowing about this place sooner. This lower east side pub is low key and has interesting people watching. The bar staff are the friendliest I've ever encountered in NYC and they're always...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/22/2002
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kinda boring

not a bad place, decent crowd and bartenders, but it sure is boring. so boring in fact, that we had to watch some awful women's softball game on espn to pass our time there.
citysearch.com - user review - 08/08/2002
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