Eat Here: BYOB Restaurants

Going out to dinner with a big group is always fun, until the check comes. Then, it turns into a cluster fuck of confusion while people try to figure out how much they owe, how much they should tip, etc. And then you get pissed when you have to pay $30, even though all you had was a sandwich, because the birthday girl/boy decided to install an IV drip of $7 well drinks going throughout the meal. There are two ways to avoid these pitfalls: Start by making friends with at least one person who still knows how to do math. Then apply the rule of house parties to restaurant selection and stick to BYOB places for big groups.

BYOB restaurants are one of the best surprises about eating out in NYC. Instead of paying $20 to $30 for a bottle of shitty wine, you can buy one at a liquor store for $8, or you can roll up with a six-pack that cost as much as a single beer at some places. Either way, you’ll have more money for appetizers and dessert. And food tastes way better when you don’t feel like you’re tapping into your funds for laundry, groceries, shoes without holes in them, etc.

Admittedly, most of my eating out is done in the East Village and Williamsburg, so my personal recommendations don’t encompass the entire city. Comment with any of your recommendations, and check out Menupages for an extensive list of BYOB places in other neighborhoods.

My favorite BYOB spots:

La Nonna
237 Bedford Ave, between
N3rd and N4th Streets [Williamsburg, Brooklyn]

La Superior
295 Berry Street, between S2nd and S3rd Streets [Williamsburg, Brooklyn]

Panna II/Milon
93 1st Avenue, between East 5th and East 6th Streets [East Village, Manhattan]