The West End (OUT OF BUSINESS)

October 27, 2006
Used to go here a lot during my Columbia days. I liked it because Ginsberg and Kerouac used to go here. I avoided the kareoke night and didn’t notice the frat element, or at least managed to avoid it. I remember their burgers were excellent. Real sad that it’s being turned into a Mexican restaurant.

February 2, 2006
I had no idea the West End made their own beer. I try to avoid that place as it’s like a frat house. It’s very much a watery pitcher place. If I’m ever there again I’ll look into the house brews and report back.

November 7, 2004
Very glad that austinpowers added this place so I can rate it. The beer was good... the place has potential, but the staff was terrible. I say this as a recent college grad; the college age staff were terrible. It took 15-20 minutes during a moderately slow evening for one of the two bartenders to come close enough so you could order a drink. Not cool. The attitude of the staff in spending time to flirt with people while others waited patiently reminded me of high school. I asked about the KeroWack, and the barmaid said she had no idea, and didn’t know what was in the second tap, probably nothing. Kept trying to sell me a Bass instead of the house beer. Don’t know why. The atmosphere was cool. Collegey place that apparently used to be known for letting in underage people.. not anymore, so I hear. Their new incarnation as of this autumn is as a brewery. Again, get the waiters, barmaids, and doorman’s collective ass in gear, and this place could be good. If you go, be ready for the frat boys and their following.

October 29, 2004 [ Updated September 12, 2005 ]
In 2004, The West End brewed two unusual beers for Columbia campus crowd. Food is mediocre. Beer brewed in basement of restaurant. The 2 tap beers are were quite impressive, I should add. Far more interesting and worthy of attention than anything poured by any of the five breweries in Manhattan. Take 1/9 train to 116th St. Amended Rating: Beaconstreet is dead right that the bartenders are unhelpful - but I recall them being 30-ish and 40-something, and they seemed not entirely informed on the unusual house beers they had on tap (not knowing the style or even being sure if it was on tap at all). "Ask the manager", I was told when I inquired about the Brew and KeroWhack. Nevertheless, West End’s two beers are, in my humble opinion, more interesting than anything at Chelsea Brewing or Chumleys and almost anything at Heartland, as of late 2004. Fall, 2005 Update: The West End’s remarkable brews have been replaced (at least for now) by run-of-the-mill beers that are probably not worth going out of your way for (although I personally like them a great deal). Bar signage regarding their two proprietary brews has been reduced to nothing - a harbinger of poor sales, perhaps.