Saturday, October 4, 2008

Bar Spotlight (Football Season Edition): Coppersmith's





So I bring myself back into Manhattan for another round of Bar Spotlight. Coppersmith's is located in northern Hell's Kitchen, right on 9th Avenue, which essentially gives it a good location stakeout for a football loving bar. The area isn't exactly riddled with TV heavy establishments, so if you're in the area it's a great pick, even if you are further east, I think this would be a great bet if probably the only bet.

It's a pretty simple bar but doesn't overdo anything, it's certainly tailored toward sports with the big screen projection in the back and the flatscreens lined up behind the bar. The area though gives it a little more character; the doors open up to the street if the weather is nice, and there's a nice mix of tables for groups, high tables for one or two people, and a bar long enough to seat probably 20 people without getting elbowed. The lighting isn't harsh and it would seem to be a nice place to hang out just because, and on the weekdays it's never really that crowded. The tiled ceiling and pale yellow walls give it an easy sense that works well during the day, it's inviting and bright.

So for Sundays, you'll want a pitcher of crap for 12 bucks, which in the long run only saves anyone what, a pint? Bud or Bud light is probably the way to go, but I would definitely suggest getting some food here, the fish and chips are quite good for 11 bucks, you get two nice sized fillets and the bartender although busy is more than happy to serve up a refill on that soda (for some reason, I don't find myself drinking alcohol when eating, it just doesn't happen that much).

The layout really is quite good, they manage to pack a lot of seating into really not a lot of space, there's always a clear path to that bathroom since you're going to need it after throwing a few back.

My only real concern, and I'm not sure if they fixed it for this season, but they have a delay on the big projection screen, a noticeable one that if you have a faster play by play game like football, it's really gives you an annoying sense of "what happened?" when everyone is screaming about 2 seconds before you because you're watching the slow screen. The other problem is that their 3 dollar domestic pint special lasts on a Sunday just like a happy hour during part of the second game (they should probably extend it from like noon to 8). But the all you can drink for 25 bucks doesn't hurt if you really don't care about your Monday's. Pints here are usually north of 5 (a lot of 5.50's) so I would stick with the discounts and the food.

The crowd here really isn't so bad either, suprisingly a lot of women keep the guys tempered and at bay, and it's always good to see a balanced bar (I've seen many a female sports fan sipping on one of their cheesy martini variations, that could be why).

To see their official site, go here.

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