New Bar on Ditmars and 31st st - YOLO

[dambo87]

HORAAY!! A new bar has just opened up under the subway station on 31st street near ditmars. This is much needed in this area. Not sure what the name of the place is but they opened last night. The owner also owns indigo, the bars feel very similar. No food yet, they are supposed to start with a menu next weekend. Looking forward to trying this place out!!

[amsci]

Had to go out for a short walk (PT for my knee) and I did a little recon. It's called YOLO (which according to the signs stands for "You Only Live Once" har dee har har)and it's right next to O'Hanlon's. Pretty snazzy inside... everything is shiny and there's glass tile on the walls. There's a staircase that runs up the back wall, but to where I do not know.

Looked like it was pretty empty, but since they just opened, I suppose that's not surprising.

My fiance enjoys cocktails and likes doing the whole lounge thing, so we'll probably check it out.

[megc]

The owner also owns indigo, the bars feel very similar.

Does the owner also own Broadway Station?  When I spoke to them, that's what they told me.  Looks like they'll have salads and thin crust pizza (thin like "matza"), as well as drinks and such.  Lots of TVs.  Looks promising, something better than what was there before.

[oliver klosoff]

Looks promising, something better than what was there before.

better than Zygos?  just walked past there and thought about how i missed Zygos.
also, O'Hanlon's was bustling, and right next door at YOLO the bartender was blankly staring out the open storefront with nobody to serve..

[daisy]

A few friends and I got dinner here on the way home from Romeo and Juliet in the park.  We all ordered the thin crust pizzas, and they're really good!  A tad small (like the size of a regular slice but they're individual pizzas) but the place is more bar foody anyway, so it's no big deal.  They've got a few big tvs around and a big screen in the front, very sports bar but classy at the same time.  Lots of booths.  And good selection of beers.  I hope it does well, it's a little hidden back there, but the space is real inviting and nice looking.

[lanseaux]

better than Zygos?

After Zygos closed, there was a short-lived diner/coffee shop-type place in the space.  I ate there once and got sick.  Zygos I miss, but not the other place.  I'm looking forward to checking out Yolo (although they could have done better on the name).

[Harlan]

A few friends and I got dinner here on the way home from Romeo and Juliet in the park.  We all ordered the thin crust pizzas, and they're really good!  A tad small (like the size of a regular slice but they're individual pizzas) but the place is more bar foody anyway, so it's no big deal.  They've got a few big tvs around and a big screen in the front, very sports bar but classy at the same time.  Lots of booths.  And good selection of beers.  I hope it does well, it's a little hidden back there, but the space is real inviting and nice looking.

Thanks for the report! Sounds good, although I do wonder if the TVs will attract a sports-bar-like clientele. Maybe classy sports-bar is what they're going for?

[daisy]

I'm not sure!  If it's the same owners as Indigo and Broadway Station, it definitely does seem like a different vibe.  Which isn't a bad thing.  I think they are going for sports bar crowd with the tvs, but the bar area is sort of small.  Great booths though!

[LHT]

we walked past yesterday late afternoon and were talking about missing Zygos too, but saw a decent crowd in this place.  We were across the street, but it did look very nice & worth checking out. 

Opening 3 places in less than a couple years, looks like these folks are expanding quite a bit.   

[round2]

Place looks great - especially those booths.  I hope their pizzas are good!

[mridude]

I went tonight. About fifth to eighth inning of the Yankees - Red Sox game, Yanks were winning. Hugh was my barman, good guy, from Michigan, he loves to talk about the Detroit Lions NFL franchise... ...very intimate/small bar.... the booths rule. Nice choice of draft beer.

When I came in there was NOBODY. I had two Hefeweizen tap and chatted with the staff, who seemed all eager, it's a new team.

The layout def has potential. Wrap around Hi Def flat screens. A projection screen faces 31 Street. Bathrooms are on the second floor and what I found surprising, I did not investigate further.... sorry gentle reader... but there is an adjacent boothed room just to the left of the staircase to the restrooms.

You'd never notice that it was there from the street... in case the fish bowl like front view from the street is not to your liking. Interesting people viewing as well from there.

Funny, the foot traffic from the Ditmars train station splits directly in two in front of the place which means it only gets the spill over of the Ditmars Mall stairwell ( the one straight ahead. ) foot traffic trying to make an end run around the cattle stampede down the main stairs at rush hour.

Could be an interesting after work stop. The food appears to still be "Bar Food" for now....but with a Sunday NFL ticket a descent ... albeit limited, Brunch menu would make some sense.

A nice addition to the neighborhood.

[mridude]

Got in the back seating area this evening and had the "Signature Meatballs" w/ fettuccine ( your choice of pasta) Meatballs, two of them,  ( I believe the meatball app is just one.) Large old style Italian meatballs not just a small round hamburger, was quite filling, came with a small salad and a bread basket. Noisy during football many flat screens with about four different options at one time with the "main game's audio" pumped into the large and plentiful speakers. Very friendly staff hoping this place will continue to be noticed.

So far, so good.

Not the frat boy feel of McCann's or the vaguely bookie feeling at The Remote Sports Bar. Looks like a good date bonding over televised sports kinda place....several women in team jersey's.

Nice.

[Jewishammer]

Went there this past saturday night with my GF. Sat at the bar and was chatted up by Hugh from Michigan. Ordered a few beers on tap (hugh was nice enough to offer tastings of beers that I hadn't heard of before -- like "Hell's Gate Ale") and had the hawaiian thin crust pizza. Overall very good food, nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and very decent beer selection.

Then we watched some dude get KTFO outside and break the front window. They've been open for roughly a week and now have a shattered front window pane to show for it. Welcome to the neighborhood, Yolo.

[amsci]

Wow that's reall unfortunate. Glad to see there were a few sports fans hanging out there... I was worried for them b/c it seems so empty there last week.

Hey, Jewishammer, you don't train with the Krav Maga Federation, do you? I remember a few Astoria guys on the forum there and I believe one of them had the same user name.

Went there this past saturday night with my GF. Sat at the bar and was chatted up by Hugh from Michigan. Ordered a few beers on tap (hugh was nice enough to offer tastings of beers that I hadn't heard of before -- like "Hell's Gate Ale") and had the hawaiian thin crust pizza. Overall very good food, nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and very decent beer selection.

Then we watched some dude get KTFO outside and break the front window. They've been open for roughly a week and now have a shattered front window pane to show for it. Welcome to the neighborhood, Yolo.

[Christine]

Oh that's right, they've got the homeless contingent to deal with, plus the OTB across the street  Yeah, that spot could get nutty with all the traffic.