Mad Donkey Beer Bar & Grill

Fun little dive bar in Astoria. Bartender was very attentive and really nice. Food was pretty decent, typical bar food. Beers were cold. LOVE that you can throw peanuts on the floor. Live right here in Astoria, I will be back for sure!!!

I didn’t even get a chance to try this place out because the bouncer who was sooo RUDE! I guess he thought he was above answering anyone who might have a question about the kitchen or the menu. He completely ignored us and gave us a nasty look! We decided to just walk away and take our money elsewhere. Good job losing customers

I came to this bar about 2 weeks ago with my 2 friends to take a quick shot and end up staying for the remainder of my night. I LOVE this bar. The bartender and the manager were so cool and took shots with us which it made it feel like you were hanging with your friends. We were talking about everything and laughing the whole night. The drinks were a good size and they are not cheap with the liquor at all. I would definitely come back on another night for a drink or 2.

Definitely a place to let loose! I definitely did that! Lol! The fishbowl was the greatest! Let me tell you now, if you’re not a drinker don’t get it. Its the type to have a nice creep up on you! (And do share and have a ride to take you home.) The atmosphere of the bar are like most dive bars very masculine but have room for women to still get riled up (just don’t overdress – I learned me lesson). The place has peanuts all over and trust me they are delicious! There is a main bar area and a backroom where people play board games and enjoy the moment.

An Astoria must! Super cool, chill affordable bar. The fish bowls are great to share with friends and they have many great beers on tap. Karen is the best bartender!
They also serve great bar food, cordon bleu cheese bites are amazing!

Came here Friday night to celebrate my birthday. Must say it was a night to remeber. Firstly, my bartender MJ and Debbie were great. MJ made me the best fish bowl I’ve ever had in my life best $ 30 I’ve ever spent. Secondly, the food served here was really good. I don’t know if it was because I was starving or intoxicated but the french fries and hot wings were delicious. Lastly, the music played was a mix of pop, old hip hop r&b and rock. The bar is not huge but it was spacious enough to not feel smashed in a box.

Great local bar. Nice chilled environment with affordable drinks. The fish bowl is a conquest all in itself. Tommy, the owner, was very friendly and on point. Visit if you’re in the area.

I’ll start with the positives. Came here with a large group of friends, most of the staff was friendly, drinks were pretty well priced, no real complaints. We were looking for a dive bar that played dive bar music and not too loud and completely got that.
The group I was with sat at a table in the back, and we had been hanging out back there for at least an hour or two. At one point most of our group had stepped outside either for cigarettes or to say goodbye to friends who were leaving. I walked back in to see a person who I assume is the owner (bald guy) basically accusing a friend of mine, of stealing an «unattended» purse, that belonged to another member of our group who had stepped outside. A few problems here. One, he (the owner) was clearly incredibly drunk, and was being very aggressive towards my friend and then myself. Two, he was going into the bag to «find out who it belongs to» after I told him who it belongs to. Three, this occurred at a time when the only person from our group still at the table happened to also be the sole black guy in our group, along with his girlfriend. I won’t bother speculating whether it’s racist to assume that he was stealing a purse after he had been hanging out spending his money like the rest of us for over an hour, but seriously?
Ultimately, he came outside, still holding the «stolen» bag, and was still hesitant to hand over the purse when I actually walked him to the person and pointed her out. At this point he cursed us out and told us not to come back in.
No problem, there are literally dozens of places in Astoria if you’re looking for a mellow dive bar atmosphere.
Thank you to the bartender and the bouncers who were pretty cool and understanding (apologizing on behalf of this guy) and who had to diffuse this situation, as the guy who I assume is the owner was completely belligerent and probably should have called it a night hours earlier.
Oh yeah and they have free peanuts.

I want you to imagine a bar that’s NOT playing the Hot97 top 10 on a loop. I know, just stay with me. Imagine they’re actually playing stuff like The Strokes, The Killers, Phoenix, Cake, and Modest Mouse. Now, add friendly bartenders, free peanuts, a fun crowd, and a bunch of beers on tap (close to 12, I think?). It’s a real place, it’s in Astoria, and it’s called Mad Donkey. Thanks for the free round, Brian!

I stopped by after a long day of work and I can say I was impressed. The music selection they played was fantastic. Possibly one of the top 15 best bars I’ve ever been too. The waitress was fantastic. She took shots with us & everything! Really made my people and I feel at home.
The best part was the peanuts! I know it should be the fish bowl, but come one that’s too common. I was expecting liquor, however the all you can eat peanuts on the table man I tore them up! Lol
Certainly will make a trip back there again, especially to witness the atmosphere in the Spring/​Summer time.

How can you not love a dive bar?! This is a great one. It has the right look with carved up tables and surfaces and graffiti scrawled about the place. Casual picnic tables and benches in the back. A friendly easy going staff that like to party and do shots along with you.
Price of drinks and beers are good — in fact, I wasn’t drinking the night when I went and I ordered a club soda with my friends beer. I think the pint glass of club soda was fifty cent or a buck. I guess they have some sympathy for ya when you can’t enjoy a real drink!
Are you feeling especially thirsty? Then take a dip in one of those fish bowls! Want your pic & name on the ceiling along with a busted bladder? Finish two of them on your own!
Food was nice and divey as well. I shared some nachos and fried ravioli with my friends which I found tasty.
I will be a back when I want a good casual, unprentious spot to hang out with some friends. All and all a good vibe here!

I was invited by a friend to check this place out.
Stopped by on a Friday, place wasn’t too crowded but it got packed within a few minutes.
Walking in place doesn’t seem like much definitely has a dive bar feel to it.
Sitting at the bar or at the tables u can snack on peanuts, not sure what it is with them peanuts but they are pretty tasty eat & throw shells on the the floor so funky fits the vibe of the bar.
We sat at the bar & started with some drinks tried the Sam Addams Cold Snap, good beer tried this before & it tasted different? Not sure why but it was good.
Next we decided to change the beer & got a pitcher of Blue Ribbon great beer as well.
After having a few drinks we ordered some food got the Chicken fingers & Fried Mac & Cheese.
Good chicken fingers. The fried Mac & cheese was great.
Good music playing, Not much more to be said about this place decent size interesting colorful décor liked the crazy stuff all over the walls & ceilings.
Would be fun to one day try & get on the wall of fame through one of their interesting challenges.
Bartender was attentive & pretty cool, service was good & prices are reasonable.
This was a cool place to hang out & have a couple of drinks, we enjoyed ourselves.

If I wanted someone to lower and raise the volume durning the super bowl half time show I would have simply stayed home. Instead I had an adult act as a child yelling how he doesn’t like Beyoncé (as if he knows her and sits down to have tea with her every Sunday) and that he was going to lower and raise the volume each time it was her turn to sing. Wait, it gets even better! He then proceeded to yell that if anyone didn’t like it we could leave and go to another bar around the block. Well, it gets even better!!! That «adult» lowering and raising the volume and yelling was the owner of the bar! At first I thought this was all some sort of joke but then I quickly realized this wasn’t a joke and this was actually happening. Not only did he ruin the great time I was having with my friends durning the game but he also made me feel very uncomfortable. Something I’ve never experienced at any bar or restaurant. It’s not like a live 5 or ten minutes away. I went out of my way to (an hour and 10mins on the subway) come to this bar to watch the game and have great time with my friends. I didn’t come to a bar for someone to ruin the evening and make me feel out of place and uncomfortable. Which left me no choice but to take his advice and go to another bar. Thanks to this horrible experience I will never step foot or spend a dime at this bar.

My Go To Spot for a Girls Night Out…

Love coming here for casual weekend, great local bar, best bowl fish! You can share it, or go one all for yourself ! And you free nuts! What else can you ask

Awesome dive bar hands down a new location to come too on the weekend or on the regular great atmosphere and great staff. Awesome owner former police officer Tommy, I definitely recommend it to anyone. If your in the area a must visit.

Great bar, great bartenders, peanuts and a lot of space. I kind of wish they had a pool table. They do serve food, but it’s your typical bar food.
If you’re feeling adventurous, try Arepas Café, which is equally amazing and realized NYC.

Bartender MJ is freaking awesome. Drunks decently priced, free peanuts. And guess what! Random shots from the Bartender shhhhhhhhhhh it awesome here. Drink 2 fish bowls n get ur pic on the wall/​ceiling. Love it! Totally made it

As others have mentioned, a very divey bar with peanut shells scattered all over the floor. But that’s good right? I want to be able to come here and relax, grab a few drinks, munch on free peanuts and enjoy my time with others. The fishbowls are a must have. A bit pricey but if you split it with 1 or 2 other people it’s not bad. Finding a Swedish fish floating around is always hilarious. One of these days I have to drink the 2 fishbowls to get my picture up on the wall. Haven’t had much of the food but the cheese fries with bacon are delicious.
The best time I had here was celebrating the arrival of 2015 during their New Year’s Eve celebration. $ 55 dollars for a 4 hour open bar and a buffet? That’s ridiculously cheap. Came with a group of friends expecting it to be packed but was surprised and delighted that there was plenty of space. Grabbed a table in the back and had a hell of a night. The service was amazing, as the waitress was always on hand to grab our group’s orders. Almost every drink was eligible and none felt watered down as has been my experience at other places with «open» bar specials. Mostly had the wings, which were decent, maybe not the best ever, but hey I was there to drink. One of the most memorable nights of my life made possible with good drinks and excellent service. Unfortunately I was unable to make it this year but I hope they continue to host these New Year’s celebrations.

Cool dive bar in Astoria with an excellent craft beer selection. Would highly recommend this place if you’re in Astoria and are looking for a great local bar to have a few drinks.

great local bar. i’m going to try to make this my version of cheers. i always wanted one of those.
i’ll start with the bartender alex. without getting him into too much trouble, i’ll say he’s the most interactive bartender i’ve ever met. he got to know everyone’s name and talked to everyone. but i see through his scheme. trying to butter everyone up so we could leave big tips. luckily for me, i’m rich so i could buy his friendship. but unfortunately for alex, my friends are not so it’s gone to waste.
the patrons here are very friendly, i met a whopping 2 people at this bar. trust me, that’s a lot for me. but everyone seems to be in a good mood. i would suggest sitting at the bar rather than the table as you could interact with ppl more that way. there were a good selection of beer on tap and i’m told that they change the selection every week (or is it day?) i forgot, i was plenty drunk.
the only complaint i have of this place is that the wings aren’t that great. they were layered in sauce and was a bit vinegary. the mac bites were pretty good tho.
the place has some tv’s to watch games and has the feel of a divey local bar. come here for the friendly atmosphere and get piss drunk with the rest of them.

I have been meaning to leave a review for this place for ages.
Anyway, I came here on a whim one day whilst looking for fishbowls. I had just turned 21 and it was winter break (turn up time!).
It is one hell of a dive bar, but I love this place. Their fishbowls are like 60% juice, but the alcohol is strong enough to knock a grown man over. Everything is decently priced and the food tastes great. I have had the wings, and to my surprise, they were awesome. The only thing I don’t like about the place is how small it is. If the back room is full or reserved, there is literally nowhere to go during prime hours.
All in all, the place is awesome if you are looking to let your hair down. Beware of parking, and peanuts all over the place.
In response to Tommy: we searched «fishbowl» on Google and then Unilocal

First things first, you got to love fishbowls anywhere. It isn’t over-​flowing with just sugar juice and had that good good inside as well.
In astoria at only 30 $!
gotta love the free peanuts.
Everythang gucci except for the fact that they tolerate littering the peanut shells on the floor and massive amounts of spilled liquor and water as well making your shoe soles very dirty by the end of the night.
Stay fresh gangstas

Mad Donkey is one of my favorite dive bars in Astoria. I never have gotten food here besides the free peanuts at the bar (The staff TELLS you to throw the shells on the floor! Ha! Ha!), but the «donkey mess» platter looks pretty good. We just go for beers and the BIG fish bowl drinks, which are meant to be shared.
The drinks are very reasonably priced, and the crowd is fun, especially during NFL games.
CHEERS!

I am a horrible, awful slacker… and if Tommy never lets me back, I don’t blame him!
We visited the Mad Donkey about a year ago as part of my first trip to NYC. It was within walking distance from our hotel and because of the colorful reviews (good and bad) we just had to check it out.
You must go… you MUST! I can’t tell you how much fun we had, partly because of the copious amount of Tullamore Dew shots we did. Tommy was amazingly hospitable and we met a lot of great people just hanging out there for the night.
The interior is classic dive bar (LOVE); small, dark, lots and lots to look at on the walls… And then there’s Tommy D. If for no other reason, you have to go to meet this guy. He is GINORMOUS with a personality to match. He was nothing but smiles and life stories.
We didn’t have any food (at least I can’t remember if we did) or the fish bowls (um…did we? I can’t remember!) so I can’t comment on that, but they make a MEAN dirty vodka martini and the Tullamore Dew flows like wine. Lol! I LOVE this place, and the next time I’m back in town it will be the FIRST place I hit! Thanks for the awesome memories!

For some reason I feel like this place is always a picker upper. Why you ask? So happens I always end up here after along week at work, or troubling thoughts in my head keeping my spirits down. But what’s great is that you walk in here and the staff is so friendly. The music is going, there a nice crowd of people enjoying themselves already. And it sort of welcomes you to leave your troubles at the door. Not to mention a few drinks later you won’t feel no pain either. The prices here on drinks are very reasonable. It’s more of a dive atmosphere and the number 1 rule is that if you eat peanuts you better dump them on the floor. Don’t try to be coy and proper. The staff will dump your shells on the floor for you if you don’t first lol
Their menu is killer! Literally! They have the usual bar menu but you can order in tower options. Meaning you get three plates in special holder. Everything is greasy goodness from onion rings to French fries. I’ve had the donkey mess which is a combination of all the appetizers all on top of each other on one giant bowl (chili, burger, hot dog, tater tots, and so fourth). It’s meant to be eaten by two or three people. But if you can wolf it down on your own then you get your picture on the wall. They also have fishbowls for $ 30 or so. Again, meant to be shared by two but if you finish on your own picture on the wall. Saturday’s they have a dj and sometimes Friday’s. They tend to have specials all week long. The owner tommy is super nice and always has good conversation to be had. The rest of his employees are always cheerful and attentive with patrons. You get a really good vibe here when coming in. In the winter try the mad elf on tap. It’s 14 percent alcohol. It’s delicious and will have you on the floor after the first one. Thank me later :)
Parking is available on street and meters. Gets tougher as the night goes on but you can always find something on the side streets. The N or W train are down the block.
We celebrated by best friends 33^rd birthday here. I showed up a bit late and she was already buzzed by the time I got there. So there you go. This place will certainly make you happy no matter what day it is! Crowd is mixed of all ages (21 – 70). Gets most of younger clientele on weekends after 10pm.

This bar is the greatest. It is so chill and relax. Ive been going to this establishment for years. The owner Tommy and the bartenders are super friendly and great. Anything you want for a drink they have. Dj Saturday nights. The food is great as well. The donkey mess is a mix of everything yummy, from chicken tenders to a burger to a hot dog to chili all in one. If you can finish it all by yourself, you get a picture taken and its placed on the ceiling. Their fishbowls are amazing, strong and a great mix. Once again if you finish it all by yourself, you get your picture taken and its placed on the ceiling. Btw they do provide you with peanuts, but do not leave the shells on the counters, tables, or plates. Just throw them on the floor. In addition, definitely try the 151 infused cherries. Wow now thats an experience. :)

Oh, Mad Donkey. I have SO many memories with you.
As a normal chill bar to go to for Happy Hour, or as a party bar on Thursdays for ladies night.
$ 10 all you can drink open bar (girls only). It’s amazing. It’s for 4 hours, too.
Make sure you tip your bartender! I usually tip a 20 at the end, but I guess you can tip after each drink, too.
Free peanuts on the tables and shells all over the floors, awesome loud rock music and chalk to write all over the bathrooms.
It’s a fun bar. And the owner or manager or worker I don’t remember– he came to my job (Crif Dogs) for hotdogs and he was freakin’ awesome. So I ship this bar hard. It’s a shame I rarely pop up these days, I’m trying to chill out a bit.
Shout out to the bartender, Derek! He’s a cool dude.

Walked in with a group of friends and sat at the bar, the bartender was a complete
a@$hole. I was scared to ask him for another drink half the time. I thought he was going to yell at me.
Eventually we moved our party to the back and sat at a table where we had a waitress to deal with instead.
Apps were standard bar food, nothing impressive. However, I was done eating when I saw a roach going up the wall right next to me.
The fishbowl was amazing and did its job but I just don’t see myself going back to this place…

Mistakenly picked this bar to meet up with a friend when there was a Panthers vs. Seahawks game on and neither of us were a huge fan of either team… but it’s a great choice of a sports bar. TVs line the walls all around the front area (I think there’re more seats in the back) so even when it gets packed one is bound to fall into your line of vision. We got there about a quarter to 9 on a Saturday night with a small crowd that grew as the night went on. There’s a bouncer near the door that checks your ID as you enter. There are a couple of tables by the walls that you can sit at should you choose not to sit at the bar. A server came to take our orders pretty much immediately after we sat down.
Drinks: we got the famous fishbowls which I liked — even found an actual Swedish fish in my bowl. The only thing is it’s really meant to be shared (you’re given 2 straws by default) and we each got one. so we only managed to finish half of our bowls. And kept running to the bathroom because it was just so much liquid (sorry TMI). After we threw in the towel on the fishbowls we got two Patron shots (don’t judge, we’re tequila enthusiasts).
Food: I had mozzarella stix and friend had chicken fingers which I didn’t try, but mine was delicious.
It gets really loud (reminds me of screaming into the person’s ear at a club) but has a good vibe. I’d recommend this place to people looking to have a good time watching a sports game.