November 24, 2009
Good food, great beer, imperial pints filled to the top............the only thing lacking, is that some of the bartenders can be lacking in personality, especially when they’re busy. On the other hand, the wait staff, when sitting at a table has always been top notch. A must visit place, before and after any Brooklyn Brewery tour, as well.

September 20, 2009
The OG Williamsburg beer bar. Still rock solid after all these years. Great tap and bottle list. Site of the annual Split Thy Skull fests, it is staffed by very cool and helpful folks. Food is very, very good by pub standards. If you are going to head out to Willyburg to do some driking here just watch out for the opening hours.

September 9, 2009
Has the feel of your local bar except that you can order a number of great beers from their 32 taps. The food is always great here and a great price for the area.

July 24, 2009
Paid timely visit on two days ago, making this the first place to sup American beer on US soil. The wait was worth it! The impressive beer line-up remains, with most priced at $6. I enjoyed Sly Fox Williamette Pale Ale, Chelsea Hop Angel, Henry Hudson’s IPA, Ithica Smoked Porter and of course the exquisite and long awaited Smuttynose IPA. I also enjoyed a plate of homecooked pasta that was so flavoursome and fresh that I was almost tempted to lick the plate clean! Visitors to Mugs will notice a few cosmetic changes have been made to the pub’s exterior. Wooden fascia signage has been added and a covered entrance doorway has also been installed. Inside, I noted the loss of the jukebox, now replaced by recorded music - actually very good choices from a bartender’s iPod - and the display of beer clip badges and coasters over the entrances to the WCs has also been removed. These are, however, cosmetic changes that have not harmed the establishment to any extent whatsoever. I received warm welcome from all staff members, particularly the dining waitress (believe her name’s Jessica) and the friendly blond-haired guy behind the bar whose name I fail to recollect. I liked his style of amicable conversation at the bar along with his recognition of the need to be firm where necessary! All in all, I continue to recommend Mugs to anyone visiting NY; it is absolutely worth the subway journey into Brooklyn (Bedford Ave) to visit and beer lovers will not be disappointed in any way!

March 13, 2009
Good selection, good prices, friendly staff. Just a regular bar. Old school.

December 9, 2008
Nice place too stop & short walk from subway. Decent tap selection. Sixpoint, southhampton & surprised to find Buffalo’s own Flying Bison here. A lot bigger than it looks. Food sounded pretty good but did not indulge

July 10, 2008
I adore Mugs. It was the first beer bar I tried in Brooklyn and has been my steady local ever since. It’s a great spot for having a pint alone or with friends. *The staff - some are knowledgable, but most aren’t very familiar with what’s on offer. Friendly and welcoming, but busy. *The atmosphere - very low key and comfortable. I can’t imagine anyone not feeling at home here. Comfy booths and tables with garden seating. The crowd is really mixed - old, young, middle aged, hip, geeky, whatever. It is completely non-cliquey. *The selection - small, but quality. Usually about 15 on tap, with pint and half pint options for a mere $5. Their more exclusive bottles are often out of stock, but the prices are amazingly cheap. Even their vintages are dead cheap! *The food - good, cheap eats. The desserts leave something to be desired, but when you’re paying $3.50 for cheesecake or creme brulee, what do you expect?

June 15, 2008 [ Updated August 4, 2008 ]
pretty good selection and representation of beer. place is full of youngish people who seem lower middle class and behave (well) old school. like hell’s kitchen of the 70’s. friendly good lookin’ workin’ class folks, it was a pleasure to be among them. will return again. old patchwork bar not much to look at but hey the beer and the people steal the show. service is spotty but friendly. several good brews that you can buy for $5. and that is for a pint!

May 13, 2008
I shouldn’t have waited so long to finally visit this place. Food/ambiance/service is all pretty dull, but what a selection! Anchor OSAs 1994 and all 2000+ for $7-12, Old Foghorn 1995 for $8.50, Drie Fonteinen Gueuze 1999 and 2000 (pricey, but still !). All sorts of great vintage beer on this menu. Don’t miss it if you like vintage stuff. Tap selection aint bad either, though I don’t like their glassware. Either 10oz Hitachino Nest glasses which suck to drink from, or giant 20oz glasses.

February 5, 2008
Mugs is great. Friendly staff and has beer releases and different events. The food is always very good and the service is good too. The beers on tap and bottle are always great, new, rare, or unique and it changes often. Great pub environment and hangout. Inexpensive so you can enjoy a few brews without hurting the wallet.