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The act of attending the projection of a sporting event in the company of friends over beer and greasy food stuffs (primarily fried starches and meat off the bone) transcends age, neighborhood and even the cache of cool—even though white-hat frat boys and grizzled Yanks fans are the archetypical population for this activity, there are still plenty of Bushwick, Williamsburg and assorted downtown dudes (and ladies) spending weekend days and nights (prime museum strolling/gallery opening/haircut cutting hours) plopped in front of a television watching the Wisconsin vs. Purdue game.
This is more or less the reason it was a safe bet that the Lower East Side could support a sports bar, especially one with 72 freaking screens. Over the past month Metromix paid multiple visits to The Blue Seats…unfortunately, we never made it past the cheap seats.
Setup: Blues Seats takes the idea of pay-to-play to a pretty obscene level, as the majority of the seats require a minimum bar tab (tip and tax not included). For example, the right to sit at one of the tricked-out booths (five high-def screens line the six person booth) requires a minimum tab of $200 over four hours. To watch a game in the Dugout, a private eight-seat nook with seven screens and a dedicated server, requires a $640 tab over four hours. The Skybox, 17 individual leather seats and 12 screens, runs (wait for it) $1,200 for four hours. There is limited “no obligation” seating available in the front and back, but these spaces can get crowded…theoretically, because there wasn’t much of a crowd during our visits. Oh, and smokers and non-sports fans? There’s a cozy (read: puny) backyard where you can escape the (non)masses and puff away, sans TVs.
Crowd: On two Saturday afternoon visits we shared the entire place with groups of three and five respectively. The crowd on a Friday evening was a little more than twenty, watching a (non-playoff) Yankee game. That said, the following Friday found a few friends of ours at the bar and texting us to come over. “This is my new favorite place on the LES,” one of them wrote. “Because there’s literally NO ONE in here.”
Booze: There are no happy hour/weekend afternoon specials, which, we guess, matches the upscale vibe. Beer and liquor selections are very basic (averaging $6). Screwdrivers and Bloody Mary’s arrived strong. But maybe you could toss in a craft beer or two?
Food: The menu attempts to twist standard bar snacks—unfortunately with the imagination of a “Hell’s Kitchen” reject. Appetizers include three varieties of chicken wings (Asian, Buffalo and Scarpariello) and three sliders (hamburger, Cubano and Philly cheese). Entrees lean Italian with veal marsala, pork chops and baked mac and cheese (with truffle oil…yes, they went there). There’s a raw bar too (clams and oysters of questionable origins). No, we didn’t go there.
Service: The friendly staff is the most consistent (and positive) aspect of the joint. Things started rough when our party missed the kickoff of our game due to “technical difficulties”—but with 72 screens it’s bound to happen. Owner Natasha Navidad is one of the good people in the sketchy bar scene and has trained her staff properly—on multiple visits the gents slinging us drinks stayed positive, even when being grilled (by us) about their questionable pricing system—which, on every visit, seemed to have changed for the better. Hey, give it ‘til March Madness, and it might be reasonable.
Net results (what people are saying online):
"As for clientele, what you would expect from a LES sports bar, and by that I mean it was 100% Murray Hill." Eater
"It isn't too shabby. Actually, I thought it was pretty nice, and not just nice for a sports bar but for any type of bar." Citysearch ImBible
"As for whether I’ll spend much time at Blue Seats, I don’t think so. It sounds great, but I don’t think I could ever leave Thom’s. I guess I’m a loyalist of my own kind, and my blue seats are there." The Strong Buzz
"If it's by the same folk who brought us Tenement (the original name for this spot) it's no wonder coz that sucked too. Avoid this train wreck." Yelp
The Blue Seats
157 Ludlow St
New York , NY 10002
212-614-1494
