The Brooklyn Paper has found its newest resident bar — the Downtown Ale House.
The Livingston Street tavern caters to everyone in the neighborhood: business workers, tenants, families, and especially thirsty reporters, as a sizeable crowd made clear last Friday.
The place has a nice long dark bar, a sizeable booze collection, and the eclectic Downtown crowd. But owner Sal Barretta says he is proudest of his food menu — he even claimed that he had the best wings in the borough!
We started with those wings ($8 for eight pieces), and have to say that they were excellent (especially the extra hot ones), even if they weren’t the best in the borough.
“This is great for bar fare,” said John Sanchez, a Brooklyn Paper reader who joined the feast after we tweeted our location. “I’d say that this is the perfect drunk food.”
The pulled pork sliders ($9 for three) were tangy and mild. Reporters debated over whether the sauce’s sweetness was a problem, but a consensus was made about taste — we devoured this plate faster than any other we tried.
The burgers ($10) had their ups and downs. The selection was awesome — several burgers are named after Downtown streets — and the price is tight, but our reporters were divided on taste. One burger was slightly overcooked and dry, but the requisite bacon burger came out juicy and full of flavor.
The Downtown Ale House menu has a few small kinks, but if you’re looking for a beer with your food, this newbie doesn’t disappoint.
“It’s definitely going to be a welcome sight around here,” said Brooklyn Civil Court worker Sal Aronica.
Downtown Ale House [121 Livingston St. between Boerum Place and Smith Street in Downtown, (347) 457-5404].