AWOL Bar & Grill

This was, without a doubt, the worst bar experience I’ve ever had. From start to finish, everything about this place screamed unprofessionalism and poor customer service.I walked in on a Monday night, and the bar was almost empty—there were only about eight people there, including the karaoke DJ and the bartender. Yet, despite this, the bartender completely ignored me for over six minutes. I stood there, waiting to order, while she chatted with other patrons and acted like I wasn’t even there. No “I’ll be right with you,” no acknowledgment at all. It felt as though I was invisible, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt so disrespected in a business setting.When she finally came over, her attitude was shockingly rude. She didn’t greet me or apologize for the wait. Instead, she took my order with the bare minimum of effort, and when I handed her my credit card, she threw it back at me. Let me repeat that: she threw my card back at me. Not only is that unprofessional, but it’s downright disrespectful. As a Latino, I couldn’t help but feel like I was being singled out and treated poorly because of my ethnicity.To make matters worse, I was blatantly overcharged. The beer was listed as $6, and I tipped her $2 out of courtesy, despite the abysmal service. My total should have been just over $10, but my bank statement shows I was charged almost double that amount! There is no excuse for this—it feels like I was outright scammed.I left feeling humiliated, frustrated, and ripped off. This bar doesn’t just have bad service—it has the kind of service that makes you never want to come back. Rude staff, discriminatory behavior, and shady billing practices are completely unacceptable. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone, and I’ll be warning my friends to steer clear of it.

AWOL was our favorite bar in NYC. We’ve been going there for years and love how laid back and fun the atmosphere is. Part of the charm was how you could get up on stage and have fun with the crowd. They have recently hired a new DJ and she completely ruined the vibe of the whole place. Rude, commanding, stiff, militant, and bitter. It’s almost as if she doesn’t want people to let loose have fun there. Unfortunately we will have to find a new favorite karaoke bar to call home.

Fun karaoke bar that we accidentally stumbled upon on a Friday night. No cover! Cheap drinks! Hilarious karaoke by anyone and everyone. Only negative is that it’s a bit hot inside. But the fun atmosphere and hilarious decorations of celebrity mugshots made up for it.

I walked in feeling nostalgic after a few years because its where my partner and I first began our love and was met with an unpleasant experience.The tall bartender with the ball cap was rude and dismissive.We ordered 2 drinks and he put an auto gratuity on our tab even though it was not disclosed to us before hand and only presented on the check.Typically an auto gratuity is reserved for parties or 6 or more. This is an industry standardI mentioned this to the bartender and he argued, And did his best to gaslight me.(Ive worked in the service Industry for over 10 years and this was wild to me )I mean I guess at the end of the day its his loss because I was going to tip over 100% until his attitude chimed in.This places service use to be better . I still had fun regardless of the attitude.The environment still just as pretty in there I just miss the good service that use to be there(Also see pictures to see how the owner treats one star reviews. This was on someone else’s review )The law has these requirements for auto gratuityFirst, businesses must disclose their automatic gratuity policy to customers in advance. This can be done on the menu, on a sign at the entrance of the restaurant, or verbally by the server.Second, automatic gratuities cannot be used to reduce the minimum wage that employers are required to pay their employees.Finally, customers are not required to pay automatic gratuities if they are not satisfied with the service they received. However, they may be asked to leave the restaurant if they refuse to pay.

I saw this place on a friend page and love it so decided I should pay it a visit. I went with a friend who was visiting from out of town and I loved the vibe, service, food and the music. It’s a small restaurant but it has a great service. I would love to go on a more upbeat night and would definitely go with a bigger group.I ordered a regular cheeseburger, nothing special but was I wrong about what I expected. This burger was one of the most juiciest and complete burger I’ve had in awhile, the fries where delicious with a sprinkle of black pepper. I just feel like the patties could of used just a little bit more flavor but I still enjoyed every bite of it and finished it (something I don’t usually do).The only thing this place is missing is more advertisement and a better website. I would definitely recommend this place and if you’d like to go with a group bigger than 4 people, call ahead to make sure there’s a table available.

Exp based on st Patricks day visitIts a karaoke bar! We didnt know that going in. They also didnt serve food today.All they had was liquor and vibes!It was soooooo fun! We got Hella drunk and just enjoyed singing along with everyone!Will definitely return!Drink reviewApple jello shots - full of liquor and delicious!Strawberry margarita - a bit too limey for my likingTequila sunrise - a bit on the sweet side but still really really good (just had it back to back)

I’ll never come to this bar again. We paid good money for our drinks but the blonde DJ refused to play our song “Marvin’s Room” by Drake for karaoke. It’s one thing to tell us “hey we can’t play your song of choice” it’s another thing entirely to waste our time and take our money.Steer clear of this bar. Plenty of far better spots in Manhattan of all places.

Super fun atmosphere and bartenders are very kind! Love the music choices too from alt rock to house music. Great hangout spot after work. 🎸👍🏻

Lit up karaoke spot with a stage. Drinks get you songs. Can be rowdy or quiet depending on the night.

Stopped in here before a show at The Comedy Club. I thought my Stella was kinda skunky, would prefer cans. Wasnt too busy around 10pm on Saturday. Glad they had Love Shack by the B-52s. I came back later and it was way too packed, I ended up leaving. Would come back again when its less busy, lots of positive vibes!

Bartender very politely told me I couldnt use the bathroom unless I bought something. I can only guess as to why they only had one customer during happy hour, but it might be the friendly lack of hospitality. I asked if there were any places I could use a bathroom without making a purchase, and she said, No. I went next door, and the barIsta let me use the bathroom for free. When I came out, I got a coffee. It was delicious. Dont go to AWOL.

Pretty solid karaoke bar. Their selection of songs is huge. The beer selection is decent and I havent tried the food.

This bar is trash. Nobody in the bar and they want to make people buy drinks sing

Lights! Karaoke! Action! Always fun to hear people who couldnt carry a tune in bucket sing! Perfect jello shots. I dont know how they get them so perfect. Have a great time and remember to tip your bartenders!

Fun place. Spacious. Alcoholic drinks give you 1 ticket for karaoke songs, 1 ticket per person if singing together. Regular soft drink is $5, $9 well drinks, $5 jello shots. Some songs will get rejected for being too slow-paced, while others would not.BE AWARE: 20% gratuity already included on tab.

Great little neighborhood bar. Loved the mugshots of famous celebrities/people outlining the wall and the military memorabilia hanging from the ceiling. Definitely gives you that rebellious vibe. The drinks are reasonably priced even when it’s not happy hour. The Matcha Shot was certainly a unique drink I haven’t seen elsewhere; wasn’t able to ask the bartender what was goes into making it, but it was great nonetheless. The only detraction from the bar was the sound mixing for karaoke. My friends and I were excited to learn they had karaoke; but once the first person went, we could barely hear the voice of the person singing. If the person managing the karaoke is able to fix the audio mixing issue, it would make the experience much better.

Decent beers and chill vibes. Bartenders were fun, but the crowd is mostly college students

Great staff except for the dude who runs the karaoke booth. Never met a more miserable person working at a karaoke bar, and I’ve probably sang across 15 countries at this point. “Alex” you don’t have to bring everybody down if you don’t like your life, just quit instead of killing everybody’s vibe.

Solid karaoke bar with reasonably priced drinks. Gimmick is you buy a drink you get a ticket to sing. Its small so it can get crowded but a fun spot.

Fun place to sing Karaoke! It is annoying though that you have to buy a drink for every time you want to sing. Also BEWARE: they add gratuity to your bill without telling you. So your total already includes tip.

Great atmosphere, such a fun place. Will definitely return!!

Amazing vibes! We slipped in here after a comedy show to finish out our night. It was karaoke night and it was off the wall. The drinks were great and the vibes were immaculate. I’m happy we accidentally found this place.

Excellent vibe, low-key and fun place with surprisingly great burgers! Highly recommend!

Great bar for Patriots fans. Free jello shots every time they score. Drinks and food bar are about what youd expect from a bar, but its the atmosphere during game day that makes this a fun place to be

Funny and chilled crowd - great late night place

Every time I come here the staff are very nice and fairly quick. They do kareoke once a week and thats always a good time. For those chill weekdays its not busy and you can enjoy a game of connect 4.

Super cool bartender (and thick accents certainly never hurt). Gave us lots of cool places to visit. He and this really cute girl a little further down the bar were flirting it up when we left, I hope that worked out for them.

Fair priced drinks and great for a company ot friend get together. Really fun for the themed nights. Went out one friday and it was karaoke night and it was really nice to be able to have a drink, dance, and sing our hearts out.

Nice atmosphere, jello shot after each touchdown (not a huge football games but watch there makes it bearable). Great and cool staff. Good beers.

Okay place for a drink but they automatically add 20% gratuity which I missed. I ended up tipping 15 dollars on a 35 dollar tab not realizing as I was in a rush. I was never told this at the beginning and the receipt was quickly taken back. Otherwise it’s a reasonable place for a drink or two.

The karaoke is fun don’t get me wrong but the older tattooed bartender is mad rude. threw my card back at me after his coworker corrected him…edit: it seems i’m not the only one who had a bad experience with this guy 🤷🏻‍♀️

Paul the bartender is AWESOME. He’s attentive, professional and friendly, a big part of the reason that me and my friends keep coming back! he should get a raise or promoted or something. other than that it’s a cool bar they have alcohol and chairs, good music in my opinion, and board games to occupy you when you’re drunk! But still, Paul the bartender really made my awol experience. A huge shoutout to PAUL.

Instead of the game, which everyone came dressed for, they played random karaoke songs over the speaker (no one was singing along). When people requested the game audio to be played, they said no, since it was karaoke night, despite the vast majority of people asking for the game audio to be played.

A nice neighborhood bar with good board games! Has a very old school charm. They have karaoke on some nights and some really loud singers frequent here 😀 a great place overall!

Great service and a lovely atmosphere. JP runs a great bar! The grilled cheese, burgers and fries are amazing. I always have a great time at AWOL even in the time of Covid!

Great sports bar with lots of TV screens, a decent crowd, a very nice crew and the occasional karaoke event. Havent tried the food yet, but from what I saw on the table next to me, it looks tasty.

Poor manager! You seen my car it has no TLC plates so now your lying. I was with my mother Smh. Food&customer relations Disgusting! Never spending here again. Three things any successful business should never refuse to give a person (not knowing if they have been a customer or not). #1 never refuse to give water #2 never refuse the bathroom #3 never refuse to help or offer help to someone who comes in. These are basic human needs! Driving in traffic down 2nd ave being very familiar w/ the area I turned down the street to use the bathroom. I walked in politely and asked if I could use the bathroom although I was not going to patronize this evening. The manager told me NO. I was turned away as he said He’s never seen me before the bathroom is for customers only. What does it mean to be a customer - buying something in the moment isn’t the definition. He assumed I’ve never been a customer (he’s wrong) or he thinks all black people look the same ?!??!? Then he continued to explain how they have a problem with herion addicts. So he’s never seen me before or he just didn’t like my lumber jack button down shirt and boots today ??! I can see why they only had two customers - the nerve to turn away one because I didn’t want to buy a bottle of water to use the bathroom tonight.Managers response as you can see still very rude to someone he can’t prove was never a customer. All you’ve done is insure everyone who reads this will think twice.

I usually have fun at this bar. I’ve noticed them over charge my card so now I try and pay cash when I go.

Dive Bar but better. We passed 5 bars packed and came into this bar. Food was great, drinks were awesome. Games out to play, like 4 square, Jenga, Rock em sock em robot....

Bartender was really rude and 20% tip was included automatically (BEWARE, CAUSE THEY STILL PROMPT YOU TO TIP IN THE COPY YOU NEED TO SIGN). I got a drink only to get a song ticket and after 1.5 hours didn’t even get to sing even though the bar was empty

Nice atmosphere. Great cute fun bar to visit if youre in the area! Good bartender too.

My girlfriends and I are in NYC for the weekend and we wanted to go somewhere where we could sing and dance our hearts out. AWOL did not come up in our google search for karaoke but luckily a friend recommended we stop by and check it out. The atmosphere was amazing, the drinks reasonably priced with great service from the bartenders and of course the karaoke and subsequent dance party made our whole trip. We came two days in a row because we didn’t even want to bother with any other bars or clubs. I cannot recommend AWOL enough.

I always have so much fun at this place! Good music, good drinks, the light is so pretty too.

Small, friendly bar. Good nachos. They have some games to play like Jenga and Connect 4. Lots of karaoke.

Good ambience.. A small place with a lot of games to play. As Reasonably priced as any conveniently located pub in NYC. The nachos were great!

Found this sparkly fun bar while waiting for the comedy club to open and came back afterwards for karaoke. So fun!

1|2023: VEGAN FRIENDLY. LGBT FRIENDLY. FRIENDLY, FOCUSED WAITRESS, FUN CROWD.IM A SOBER; GOOD DISPENSARY. CLEANLY RESTROOMS. NEON IS EASY ON EYES.

Decent bar with a great happy hour menu for drinks. The food was okay but not worth the price.

Soooo much fun ! Omg I loved the Retro Rock and Roll vibe I experienced as a young sailor...Being relived by todays generation. Two thumbs up

Fun karaoke bar and neighborhood eating hole. Cheap drinks and Jell-O shots.Unfortunately, the karaoke DJ on Saturday night was a total jerk. Refused to play requests for classic rock, so instead it was endless Taylor Swift and similar.Also called out some guests for being off key and terminated their song early. Not cool!! Just let the patrons have their fun…

The staff is really nice, and if you have the desire, there is sort of enough run to dance in the back depending on how crowded it is.

Good Vibes!GREEN Jell-O shots are legit!

Chill spot if you need a quick pint.

Funky bar. Good service. Friendly.

Cool place to chill $5 Jello shots

Great bar in a good location with a nice selection of draft beer.

Great local bar, love being here with my friends

Karoke guy is an not nice. I don’t use that term lightly - my friend group are the only ones here and won’t let us sing because we are “bad” everybody at karaoke is bad, it’s for fun laughs and being with your friends. Ridiculous and rude. Takes the fun out of karoke! Clearly their comments on the other reviews proves they are not a serious establishment and thinks it’s funny to “clap back” and be “sassy” what a joke…

Love this place especially the burger and fries. If you are into rock music then this is the bar for you.

Dope atmosphere, good burger and the happy hour beer price was nicer

One of the best karaoke spots in the city

The ambiance and decor was very good but the drink tasted to much like water.

Amazing place, great atmosphere, delicious food and the drinks are crazy good. A must in the city

I enjoyed my visit...the chicken sandwich was delicious...cool atmosphere for our game of thrones binge..

Hole in the wall bar with amazing music playing all the time. Great spot for happy hours after work

Great bar with great food. Friendly staff. Try the awol hots. Awesome!

Simple and casual, great bartender. The Rita Moreno margarita is dynamite.

Actually really like this bar. Good location and under appreciated in my opinion.

Friendly funky neighborhood bar cafe with good prices and fun menu!

Really cool bar with a nice emcee. The best part is that, with each drink you buy, you get a karaoke ticket. Oh, and dont even THINK about trying to get in with a fake because they are really good at checking IDs.

The best pizza I have had! The crepese salad is great also.

Great casual bar to have jello shots, play games and grab a bite to eat.

Good place, good peoples, good vibes what do you need more for a good night ?

Just bad. Impossible to get a song to sing and the karaoke bouncer/person that guards the stage gropes and attacks women.

Depending on the night, either going to be a packed house or empty. Karaoke guy is starting to get lazy on Saturdays

Horrible service, bartender didn’t even want to make us drinks. How do you not want to do your job? Terrible outdated decor and very old karaoke system. You better spend your money anywhere else. Avoid this place at all costs!

AWOL is brilliant. Excellent food, great service, great beer selection!

Got roofied here DO NOT GO HERE. My drink was at the bar so the bartender didn’t even stop it.

Relaxing Monday night twinkle cute vibe with silly Karaoke and a bartender who kept serving us popcorn

Favorite bar in NYC. Best bar tenders, great drinks! Order the fries!!!

Karl was a great bartender and I cannot wait to go back 🥰

Such a fun place!! Its always live and busy during the week and big on karaoke 🎤 . Also has that sports bar feel and upscale atmosphere. Theres tons of lights fog and bubble machines make it a ton of fun to sign and dance.

I wandered into AWOL this past Thursday in the midst of a dude where’s my car moment (in this case it was my hotel that was lost-my phone was dead) and a very kind non-judgmental bartender helped me out, just wanted to say thanks. I hung for a bit and eventually found my way back to my hotel (which was half a block away, lol). Thank you mystery bartender, for not making it more embarrassing than it already was. 10/10 would recommend. ;)

Cool bar

Cute bar; nice lighting. Drinks are not great. Servers are not very friendly or welcoming. Could be a great place but is subpar as a whole. 3/10

Super nice bar to hang out at. Great food and prices. Relaxed and easy going. Karaoke most nights as well. Go get involved you wont regret it

Very friendly staff! fun vibe!

Small bar with some innovative cocktails every now and then.

Is it kid friendly Im tryna find a venue for my daughter bday she loves karaoke

I adore this place. What a great atmosphere - its one of the best dives in the area. The prices are great, the bartenders are friendly AND they have tons of board/party games you can play. It is quite intimate, so I wouldnt recommend rolling in with a huge party, but my group of six fit comfortably in a booth in the back. Check out their karaoke nights - definitely entertaining.

Still one of the best bars in the area.

Love the people the servers the owner a good vibe here must come

Classic bar with good beer on tap, good vibe and clean!

Good cheap fun!

Only lets the DJs friends sing karaoke, if you want to hear the same friend group sing bad karaoke for 3 hours then this is the place!

Nice friendly, cozy bar. We went here on Thanksgiving and they made us feel very welcomed and we felt free to get a few drinks and spend a nice evening. We had cocktails and they were good. Would come back.

Drinks were good, purple lights interesting, Jell-O shots were good.

Great staff and their food is really good.

Decent little bar, plastered with televisions. We went for a Game of thrones viewing party, but I imagine thats not their usual fare. Even for a week publicized event, it was pretty quiet of a Sunday afternoon. Good nachos.

Drinks are under poured and over priced. And the menu is as well.

As I was walking on 3rd Av. Looking for a less crowded and less noisy bar this one seem just right for a date or a meeting with friends and have some fun. The laid back casual bar is excellent for a quiet evening in NYC. The chairs facing the sidewalk was for me the perfect spot to have a conversation while getting the fresh air of NYC, did I said fresh air? Yes! The night had a great weather.This bar has the Presidente beer which is the top beer for the Dominican Republic it was recommended to me by the other customers sitting by the bar, how cool is that? ;)There are many more fun and cool things about this bar and the food menu seems really tasty which I didnt taste this time, thats why I am keeping it at 4 stars.

Great bartender and good burger deal!

Great new bar on the east side! I have been a couple of times and the experience just keeps getting better. I went first to meet some friends and catch a football game. The place was rockn and the food, drinks and service was great. Everybody there seemed to be having a great time. I went back a week later on a night out with some friends and it was even better. The music, food and drink menu are all great. It doesnt matter if you want to chill with friends or talk it up at the bar this place delivers on so many levels. Definitely check it out.

Great bartenders that go above and beyond. Good prices for the area. Usually come here for drinks and karaoke on Friday’s. Recommend if you’re in the area.

Went on NYE for a Bar Crawl. Waitress was amazing & gave us extra jello shots for free after she forgot to bring something we ordered. Jello shots were amazing!

Great happy hour prices at $5/draft. Cool bartenders too. Ask for Paul, very knowledgeable sport enthusiast

Fun bar. Great food. Good drinks. Just an awesome spot to spend your night or day.

Great karaoke spot! If there isn’t any karaoke happening then it’s a pretty standard bar otherwise.

They refused to play songs we requested. They yelled at my friends for the requests they made and they cursed them out. They refused to talk to anyone. It was incredibly immature as a business and it was frustrating to receive such utter hatred and have no one to talk to. They wanted us to bribe them to sing a song as well in addition to buying a drink.

The bartender was amazing, gave free shots to the whole group. Had an amazing time, drinks are reasonably priced. Had a wonderful atmosphere

Went for karaoke- was a great time. Good drinks & atmosphere.

Great spot to hang out. Friendly nd fun.

Nice local bar. Wings are good. Beer is cold. Wait staff was very friendly

Came here to watch the Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere and it was so much fun! The bar has a cool vibe and the drinks are pretty standard.

Mila and Julia are 2 of the greatest Bartender Ive ever come across, and the DJ there is brilliant. Sing a little karaoke, dance, spin the free drink wheel, and just have a great time.

Dive bar trying to be something more. I wouldnt recommend this place if people are asking for great bars in the area, but I always stop in if Im passing by.

Jason (the owner) is awesome! Great people, delicious food, and a fun atmosphere! I will def be coming here often!

Karaoke was cool.

Had a great time late at night playing Jenga and drinking some draft beer. Would recommend!

Very nice bar to visit, a nice relaxing atmosphere! happy hour prices are good as well.

Really fun neighborhood place! Great food and fantastic people. Definitely try the slides- amazing.

Paul and Jason were the best bartenders. They made out experience exceptional on both nights we were in New York.

Fun hole in the wall place.

Great local dive bar. Bartenders are fantastic and they have tons of board games

Pretty good burger and fries. Very attentive survive.

Great place to go with your friends and also by yourself. 😊

Dive bar. Cool vibe. Friendly staff. Classic drinks.

One of the greatest spots to watch Game of the Thrones on Sunday night and staff there are so accommodating and cool

Great bar with awesome people.

Great atmosphere, attentive staff and drinks are on point.

Great service, good music and down to earth prices.What else can you ask for?

90s hip hop on the Thurs I went

Nice cozy sports grill for a Sunday afternoon snack.

This place seems like it has potential as a neighborhood dive bar. Unfortunately for me I went on a Monday night. Monday nights are The Bachelorette nights there. OMG. If this is your thing, then this is your place.

Nice friendly place with good drinks

Terrible owners and over priced. The drinks are garbage, better roff spending you money on a real bar.

Great atmosphere during football games. #footballgames #newenglandpatriots

Great bar, plenty of games to play and the bathrooms are clean!

Been there for the GoT viewing party, was an awesome experience.

Nice vibe.

Awesome bar, for beers and sports. Paul behind the bar is a top guy.

Quiet on a weekday and the bartender is awesome

The best people and service. Always a good time!

Good people good times, rock and roll.

Not the most crowded place but not the least. Classic NYC bar.

I love this bar so much

Ask for Katie! Shes awesome

Good beer, good food... karaoke...

Super fun

Excellent place and delicious food

Only cause its an upjet approved space

Nice place for a quick drink with friends.

Disgusting

$1 per ice cube? Where am I?

Average pub, a bit overpriced for what it is.

Cheap drinks and snacks. Nothing fancy.

I just killed Lou Reed karaoke

My favorite Karaoke place

Great bar

No frill karaoke

Exclent sports bar with exclent food

Cool spot

Ok drink s ok food

Great atmosphere and vibe

No good

Very nice and different

Truly awol experience.

Great!

Karaoke!

There was no owl...

Nice dive bar

Love the decor

Awesome atmosphere!!!!

Beautiful

Not a bad place

Go Jackets

Good spot.

One star for this place is too much!!We entered this place and no one welcomed us, told us where to sit or brought us water.The only thing these terrible waiters did was keep staring at us and laughing among themselves... The worst experience since Ive been in this wonderful city.I highly recommend the place up ahead Abbei tavern kind staff and people who certainly know how to work!!!Obviously given the terrible reception at the AWOL BAR & GRILL... We left after less than 5 minutes... Its the young lady behind the counter who only greeted us with an arrogant air... So in case she reads this review I wanted to say hello too this incompetent curly brunette😊 and Im really sorry for whoever has to pay his salary have a nice evening😁

Excellent site good service