the ‘dam

Ugh I hate when I start a review, then come back to finish it and the place is closed. That’s New York for you, I guess.
V. Small bar — 8 2-​tops and 1 4-​top, plus 3 and 6 seats at the bar
Bartender and server so nice and cute
Banging music
So fucking cheap
AYCD bottomless cheap
Will absolutely be back! Might be my new go-​to even though it requires a bus or train ride. (I ended up coming back three times!)
Please open again somewhere nearby!

RIP The Dam. This was my go to place for a quick bite and a beer. The staff was casual to a fault, but in a charming way. I think I introduced myself to Jeremy the bartender about 19 times but he never remembered me, lol. Still, a nice guy and a great bartender. The food was great for bar food. In particular the truffle fries and the wings. Beer selection was great. I’m sad to see this place go.

Went there for brunch. i had a cheese sandwich with a paper thin amount of cheese. The tomato soup on the side was good. The waitress was alone handling the 12 tables and the bar. She was so overwhelmed and couldnt take care of all the patrons. Overall, would not go back again.

This place is absolutely cozy and the atmosphere is great, except for the owner who does not seems to be friendly with a non Irish customers.

Between the amazing daily drink specials and the inexpensive but quality brunch, I feel lucky to live above this cute establishment. Try the peanut butter French toast.

I came to this place for the bar, not the brunch, and I didn’t quite like it. It was too small, too hot, and there was a woman picking fights with everyone who liked Taylor Swift. It was a very odd experience and I didn’t have a good time. I’d say if you like an upscale dive bar with random people and personalities… then hit this place up!

Its a nice place. Their prices are including taxes so you can go in with a fixed budget. They don’t cry for tips. Nice songs, cool place to sit.

Really good brunch deal! $ 8.95 for food (ranging from granola to an omelet to French toast) and $ 12 more for 2 hour bottomless drinks (mimosas, bloody Mary’s, or screwdrivers).
We got there around 11 am today (Saturday) and it was pretty much empty but started filling up when we left around 12:30pm — it’s pretty small, not ideal for groups but 2 – 3 people would be good.
The food was quick, my glass was always full, and our server was incredibly friendly.

A ‘Dam shame. Went on a quiet summer Sunday for brunch and did not have a good experience. Cheap ingredients, prepared with no attention to detail, and lackadaisical service even though virtually no one was there. It’s hard to really mess up eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes, and mimosas but there was nothing of quality here and my visiting friend asked why i wasted his time taking him here. I walk by this place every day but will never walk back in.

Landed on an amazing deal — 5 $ wine wednesday all night! And the wines are really decent.

Food is hit or miss but the drinks are always strong. Happy hour is awesome. Right around the corner from me so I’ll be back again and again and again!

Such a great brunch deal.
If I lived in NYC in this area, I’d be here every weekend.
2 hour bottomless drinks for 12 bucks…

This is a cozy place, maybe 12 tables plus the bar, but it’s a great brunch location. We arrived at noon on a cloudy Saturday and had no wait.
The $ 8.95 brunch menu have plenty of choices, although the banana peanut butter French toast was the winner.
Too it off with a Bloody Mary and this was a winner!

Nice bartender on a Saturday afternoon who was friendly, engaging and all smiles. The food was good, and the unlimited brunch mimosas kept on getting filled.
Recommend Highly for brunch.

I was pleasantly surprised by the ‘dam. The burger here was very decent. It’s an 8 oz burger, served on brioche bun that fit perfectly in my hand. The caramelized onions had really good flavor and of course there was the bacon — can never go wrong with that.
As good as all of that was, I have to say the icing on the cake were the truffle fries. I think people tend to overdo on truffles but they put just the right amount of truffle oil on these.
The space here is tiny — really tiny. Even by Manhattan standards. There were only a handful of tables. It didn’t help that my 2 friends and I had our gym bags with us but somehow our waitress was able to make some space for us. When we sat down, she immediately informed me about the 2 for 1 happy hour deal for all draft beers. Score! She was really great through out.
I don’t come up to the UWS that often but it’s good to find places like these up here. It has the feel of bar in EV. Probably one of the smallest gastro pubs I’ve been to but the quality of the food left me impressed.

We came in here two times. the first time, it was great, so when we wanted to go out again, we decided to come in to a drink. the sign outdoor clealry said: happy hour, 1+1 on all draft beers”.
So we came in and made it perfectly clear that we wanted that 1+1 beer, one for me and one for my girfriend, and thats all we wanted. But when the check came, they chraged us double. The barman said that if we now (when we were about to leave) want a 2 more free beers, we can have them. Very low and slizy move if i may say.
Shame.

I absolutely love The ‘Dam.
The food is fantastic, the drinks are strong, and mostly… THE SERVICE IS AWESOME!!!
Every single bartender in this place is the shit.
I love this bar.

A brunch spot that lets you get passed tipsy, straight on ’til shmammered for less than $ 25? On the Upper West Side? On a Saturday? For over 2 hours?
This must be what it feels like to see a unicorn.
The stuffed french toast is what dreams are made of, and the staff is just as happy to see you as you are to see that 5^th Bloody Mary.
My missing star is from a smidge of inconsistency on the french toast. Mine was excellent, however my brunch-mate’s was a little on the charred side. She got over it because the filling was scrumptious, but as a non-​gluten freer, I sympathize for the lack of bread she was able to ingest.
Quaint. Cheap. Fun. Friendly. Cheap.
Enjoy this hidden gem before it turns into an awkward morning after for Columbia students and divorced WASPS.

The ‘dam is definitely the place to be if you want awesome New American food. After reading many positive reviews on Unilocal,I could not resist coming in.
We ordered their bacon-​wrapped shrimp, which was not on a skewer, and it was absolutely delicious. The dipping sauce is similar to the sweet chili sauces found in Thai restaurants. Talk about love… We also had their Mac n Cheese tots topped with bacon (can you see the bacon theme goin’ around here?!) which were a-​okay, not exactly terrific, but it was worth trying. They were really nicely shaped balls though. Very awesome twist to a classic favorite.
As for entrees, we had to try the sandwiches. I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak and my boyfriend ordered the Meatball Sub. The philly cheesesteak isn’t exactly to die for, but honestly the onions and the mushrooms– they made it so caramelized and so good, it outweighed the tastelessness of the meat and cheese. The meatball sub was definitely better– big meatballs with awesome tomato sauce. Now… the truffle fries– absolutely to die for. Huge portion of fries (bigger than the sandwiches) lightly sprinkled with seasoning and parmesan. Try it!
As for our server… who was also the bartender (this place is relatively small by the way, only several tables and a small five to seven-​person bar), took our order quickly and the food came so quickly. She was so nice also, I can’t remember her name but I would definitely be so happy to come back and have her as our server again.
In terms of atmosphere– if you were born in the ‘90s and listened to all the Britney Spears songs ever… you would love it here. It’s a bit dim, yeah, but it’s definitely a cool place to come hang out and just relax with a buddy.
Also– didn’t get to try their drinks but if you take a look… Every day = new happy hour (4−7pm, 1−4am). Try it out!

Came on a Saturday morning for Eggs Benedict. It was my first weekend in the city and I scurried through Unilocal to find a place that was open as early as I was up. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised with this bar’s Eggs Benedict. The bartender was super friendly, my breakfast was delicious and I even made a new friend.
I’ve also come back for chicken wings, the truffle butter grilled cheese appetizer (with a teeny tiny little cup of tomato soup! Yum) and the flatbread. Definitely some of the best bar food I have had.