Jbird Cocktails

This place has been bought out by the owners of the dead rabbit and gilroy. Great people and minds to take over and keep alive the much needed ues cocktail trend with good drinks, service and concept. They are in transition at the moment do be afraid of taped up windows enjoy! It’s now called seamstress…

Searching online it sounds like this place is supposed to be speakeasy-​ish… but I really think this place is closed. I went last night and the front windows and door were papered up with not lights inside and no signs. Is there some secret entrance?
This is either a very very tricky spot to find… or more likely… it is closed. The website’s reservation link is broken as well.

I went here for appetizers and drinks with some friends and we had a good time. It was a Friday night and they were out of both the popcorn and the nuts appetizers so we were disappointed that we could not try those. We ordered the hummus, spinach and artichoke dip, grilled cheese, and chicken wings. My friend had made reservations for the six of us and there was no problem being seated.
The grilled cheese were three little peices of grilled cheese made with slices of French bread. It was served with some fresh greens which were okay, some of the lettuce was wilted so it could have been better.
The first batch of hummus we got was so excellent we were craving more so we ordered another. What we got next was not good at all. It tasted like some crushed chickpeas with olive oil and it was not mixed. We told our server and she brought us another, which was better, but still not as tasty as the first.
The spinach and artichoke dip was good but it was spicy. I have never had spicy spinach and artichoke dip before. I’m not sure if they were just trying something new but I thought it was a bit weird.
A couple of friends had the chicken wings which they said were terrible, luckily they didn’t charge us for them.
My friends had some drinks which they said were great. Seems like this place is best for it’s drinks since the appetizers were just decent overall.

Came here for a groupon special (2 cocktails and 5 apps). It was a great deal! My bf and I actually indulged in happy hour first because the drinks were $ 8 each. Why not, right? I had the pisco sour to start. The flavor was rich and strong… plus it’s a pretty drink (don’t judge me). Then I had the Jbird swizzle that was also very tart and yummy. Would def recommend both drinks. My bf seemed to be pleased with his drinks as well. My favorite food we ordered was the Mac and cheese bites as well as the artichoke and spinach dip. Would come back here again!

Great place for a date or to meet someone for drinks. I came on a weeknight for a double date and it was so perfect. The place was chill and comfortable. Quiet enough to hear each other talk without screaming, but not too quiet that we felt like we needed to speak in a whisper.
The food wasn’t spectacular, but pretty solid. We got some Korean fried chicken which were tasty. The tater tots were OK. I wasn’t too crazy about the mac and cheese bites (they were a little too heavy for me) and I definitely didn’t care for the popcorn which was drizzled with salsa and avocado. Popcorn is meant to be eaten with your hands, so it’s kind of a mess when you’re handling gobs of guac.
Drinks were great though. I got the «Pear-​ot» which was girly and sweet and perfectly alcohol’ed and came in a fancy glass complete with stainless steel straw and mini parasol.

I read the reviews before arriving and wanted to try out the good and the bad. Here’s what I found:
Tapas:
I would pass. This place has a great variety of snacks but miss the mark on being really delicious. The Mac and cheese bites were rich and cheesy, and really require a great sauce to cut through the saltiness of the cheese. But the «marinara» sauce was just awful. Tasted like a jar of salsa. The popcorn was burnt and had some salsa and line juice drizzled on. I can do that at home without burning my popcorn. The tots were average; probably frozen and then flash fried. The best thing was the Korean fried chicken. Nice crunch and good flavor.
Drinks: you come here for the drinks! Everyone loved what they ordered. I burned through my Pepino because it was so tasty and very drinkable. The drink was refreshing with a slight kick. I could drink 3 or 4 throughout the night!
Overall, a cool spot, but definitely an after dinner place for some cocktails.

Their drink menu is like a mini book of fun, creative cocktails. They have a great selection of appetizers and wine to choose from as well. Don’t come here for beer.
Their extensive cocktail menu can be a great conversation starter if you’re on a first date. It is very dark in there, but candle lit for a romantic atmosphere. Definitely don’t come here to have a serious heart to heart with someone because it is very loud.
It’s the perfect place to go in the winter when you’re looking for a cozy spot for a snack and a drink.

I saw a deal for this place on Amazon Local and decided to give it a try.
At first glance, I thought it looked like a perfect date place — dimly lit, quiet. It had a romantic vibe, but it was also good for a quiet night out with a friend. Well, quiet until about 10:30. The «romantic,» «quiet» atmosphere morphed into a club scene, including house music blasting from the speakers at around 10.
The food was decent, but not remarkable. We shared spinach artichoke dip (meh), Korean BBQ chicken (good) and macaroni and cheese balls (good).
The drink list was very extensive and creative. I chose a Pepino — I don’t remember what was in it besides vodka, but it was strong and spicy — two thumbs up.
I have no complaints with the service. Could be persuaded to return, but definitely before 10.

Stopped in here last night before visiting a comedy club in the area. I had a Groupon for Jbird that expired months ago for 5 small plates and 2 cocktails, and I wasn’t expecting to be able to use the full value, but wanted to at least use the paid portion of my voucher. Now, I can’t say this will happen for everyone, but the staff graciously let us use the coupon’s full value. Definitely a good move on their part, and I warmed to this place immediately.
Actually, «warm» describes the atmosphere of Jbird pretty well. The décor is not super fancy, but good use is made of the simple brick interior. Lighting is low and romantic and candles abound. Most of the clientele looked like 20-or-30-somethings…lots of dates and a few groups.
For our selections, we chose the Honey Nut Old Fashioned (Roasted Peanut Bourbon, Honey Syrup, Aromatic Bitters) and the Wiggle Room (Chipotle-​Infused Reposado Tequila, Dry Vermouth, Amaro Montenegro), as well as the 5 bar bites listed below.
Our drinks and the smoked gouda mac and cheese bites came out first. I was super impressed with my honey nut old fashioned, which indeed tasted like a well-​made old fashioned but with peanuts– which is better than an old fashioned without peanuts, right? I also enjoyed the sip or two I had of the boyfriend’s Wiggle Room. Although I thought the drink wasn’t quite as unique as the peanut whiskey, I always appreciate a tequila infused with jalapeños. Just don’t take a sip of the Wiggle Room and expect to taste anything else for the next few minutes, because that drink will wiggle its way into your taste buds and plant itself there for a good while. The mac and cheese bites were also delicious. Bf described them as «the best tater tots I’ve ever had — they’re so cheesy!» because he had no clue they were not tater tots. But even for what they were — which is mac and cheese bites — they were damn good.
However, the next four plates to come out weren’t quite so delicious. The actual tater tots (ecorino cheese, fresh herbs) were pretty standard, as were the guac and chips (house-​made with warm chips & salsa fresco), and pork sliders. The savory popcorn (avocado, cholula, lime, cilantro) was just confusing. It just tasted like popcorn with salsa mixed in, and my boyfriend pointed out that this just made our hands messy. Indeed, it was salty, messy and disappointing. They should’ve just added some truffle oil like everywhere else and called it a day.
Regardless, this is primarily a cocktail bar, and from what I’ve tasted Jbird does those quite well. This is definitely the best cocktail bar I’ve been to on the UES (well, and the only, but still, I enjoyed myself).

I ordered three completely different cocktails. The first was The Colonial. It was made with Rye Whiskey, Apple Brandy, Overproof Jamaican Rum, Demerara, and Tiki Bitters. The drink is described as «potent» and that is an accurate description. I love a strong drink but this was somewhat difficult to enjoy.
The second drink I ordered was the Golden Cadillac — I got this the first time I went to JBird and loved it. It is basically an alcoholic creamsicle, made with Galliano, Crème de Cacao, Orange Juice and Heavy Cream. Delicious and far too easy to drink!
The final drink I ordered was the Sunset Park, made with Rye Whiskey, Dry Vermouth and Apricot Liqueur. I thought I would love it given the ingredients but it was awful. Just steer clear — it was difficult to drink. Ugh.
I love this spot — it has a great vibe for a date. I would mention though, that there was random club fist-​pumping music playing at times that didn’t really go with the vibe I expected. The person in charge of the playlist should be fired.

Three stars for the tasty drinks and our friendly server.
We came here for the second time with a groupon, after coming 3 years ago and having a decent experience. This time it was much different. First, their drink menu is about half of what I remember it being. And now they have a separate menu for groupon users. Lame for not disclosing that when groupon was purchased. We got 4 drinks, consisting of the Moscow Mutt, JBird swizzle and Dark something. All were very good so we ordered a second round, including the Pepino and Pear-​on; also good. Good presentation and drinks were strong.
The food was horrific. They currently have a Grade Pending, which usually makes me walk right back out, but this is drinks and bar snacks so how sick can I get? Lol. We tried most of the bar snack «tapas» options and they were awful.
Spinach artichoke dip: frozen, bland and watery. About 2Tbsp to share.
Fried Mozzarella: cold and watery in the middle.
Mac and cheese bites: only decent tasting item. From a frozen bag.
Guac: watery and bland. You get about 10
chips and 2 – 3 tbsp
Grilled cheese sliders: basically a wasabi mayo bagel bite. Yech. And cold.
Pulled pork: barely warm and tiny. Like one bite tiny. You get two.
Calamari: Hear stories about those pork rectum rings recently labeled «imitation calamari rings» and deep fried? I’d believe it with these. They are about 2 – 2 ½ inch diameter rings which look like onion rings. Super fishy tasting. Seriously questioned of these were actual squid-​based.
Tater tots: just literally 4 – 5 tots sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Zzzzz.
Well JBird you lost me after this experience. Overhaul your crappy «tapas» and maybe I’ll come back for the good drinks. If not, it’s not worth it.

Food is bland and service was slow. I only went here to try it out due to a groupon I bought and I will not be going back. The drinks were good and out of the 5 appetizers only the calamari was good. The bathroom here was also gross.

The Moscow Mutt drink is delicious. Perfect for the summer.
My cousin had a Groupon that expired yesterday, so we stopped in after work. It included 5 small plates and 2 cocktails. They give you a separate menu to order off of for that.
These were the small plates we got:
— Spinach & Artichoke Dip — no flavor. No salt or pepper on the table to season it a little.
— Grilled Cheese Sliders — pretty good. I liked the wasabi mayo
— Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese Bites — my favorite. They are tiny little pieces, but are packed with flavor.
— Calamari — definitely the frozen rings, but it was really crispy. We ended up ordering a full sized order after. On the menu it says «Salt & Pepper Calamari with fresh chilies, cilantro & lime, marinara sauce». All it came with was marinara sauce.
— Savory Popcorn — very addictive
— Guacamole & Chips — we got this by accident instead of the popcorn we ordered. But kudos to the waitress for bringing us the popcorn too! The guacamole was very bland. No flavor at all. Salsa was good though. Chips are ok. They get really soggy since they stick the chips into the dip
Drinks are good, food is ok and the menu has limited choices. We looked at it and literally couldn’t find anything we wanted. Service was a little slow. The restaurant did fill up, but there seemed to be only 2 serves on and a busser.

The UES goes «speakeasy» with this craft cocktail joint on 75^th between 1^st and 2^nd. The entrance is seemingly small, but the lounge is quite big so feel free to come with a large group. Given how DARK it is in the place (even at 6pm on a Sat), it definitely skews more of a date joint. The one down side is that it’s extremely loud in there, and at 6pm you don’t need to be blasting R. Kelly.
I came here with a friend on Sat. early evening. My friend ordered a cocktail– one of the ones with the orange peel (sadly I forgot the name); pretty sure it was the classic martini one with the orange peel twist, the Sweet Nothings. It wasn’t that dry… and I’m usually not a martini fan so am pretty sensitive to vermouth and all that other nonsense (lol I’m a wine and beer girl, clearly).
As such, I had a glass of the tempernillo which was expected– spicy. A bit on the dryer side. We shared two bar bites– the guac and salsa with chips. The chips were house made, which was nice but the guac and salsa were whatever. We had the KFC Korean Fried Chicken which I guess was their take on BonChon… the texture was extra crispy, but, I’d say the sauce was tangy BBQ so skewed more the typical American wing.
So all in all, decent drinks and food but perhaps the worst part of the experience was the service. Our waitress had good intensions (she asked us, i.e. if we wanted more chips when our guac ran out but then was never anywhere to be found. She was slow in general to take drinks, etc. I get she was the only one, but the place really wasn’t that busy. Though people piled in around 7pm ish.
Perhaps fine for happy hour but I’d imagine it’d be hard late night, but then again what do I know. Apparently that’s when people come to JBird (and snack on the savory popcorn, which I’d try should I come back). In fairness, it is refreshing to have a non fratty/​pub alternative in this neighborhood.

Went here last night on a groupon with four girlfriends and we had a lovely time. I have to admit with the scaffolding that’s up now I almost walked by it, and they have a sort of confusing two door entrance.
Our groupon was for four cocktails and 10 «small plates». Their menu of small plates was exactly 10 so we just tried one of each. Most were very tasty, but they are definitely small.
What this place does really well, however, is cocktails. They have a great list of really inventive cocktails that seem to cover every one of your fanciful whims, should you so desire. I think we all tried at least two. Everyone enjoyed their drinks thoroughly from what I can tell. The prices are what you would expect for a Manhattan establishment ($ 12– $ 15) and I didn’t necessarily see anything about a cocktail hour, but I wasn’t looking very hard.
After we had finished our small plates and drinks we noticed a table nearby had some giant pineapple drink for 4. Our friend befriended them and got us a free round from a guy who turned out to be the owner. Very friendly fellow, even let us try a sample of the Moscow Mutt (quite tasty!) It’s been a long time since I’ve ordered a large showy drink like that but it was fun. We all delayed our plans a bit to enjoy it.
Working around the corner I’m always looking for another spot for after-​work drinks that isn’t terribly crowded and/​or a microcosm of the office in another location so this seems like it will fit the bill. I’m interested to see what their happy hour specials are.

Fun gem on the UES. It wasn’t busy at all when I came on a Friday night and I was able to get a booth. The cocktails are balanced and well crafted. It also has a bizarre dark atmosphere, that oddly seems to go with the vibe of the place.
I came a bit too late and the kitchen had closed, so I got the popcorn. It’s an interesting concept and a bit too rich for popcorn, and I’d have preferred it wihtout the sauce that made it soggy.

Since moving to the Upper East Side, this place has been my go to for delicious yummy cocktails and cool relaxing ambiance. We live nearby and my boyfriend works a few blocks away so we came to this place LIKE A LOT.
How often might you ask have we frequented this fine establishment, lol? Enough to try out the menu and know bartender’s cats’ names after sharing funny cat stories. I l simply loved this place: I brought my friends here, I had special moments here, I thought Jbird and me will live happily ever after and have a long future filled with drinking and joy.
So imagine our surprise, after recent experience was just pure SH*T. Let me explain why. Having bought a groupon for something else, we incidentally spotted a groupon for Jbird and thought it would be a great idea to try one out for our favorite place. Oh boy, were we in for a treat!
Let me say first, that I am NOT a groupon person. In fact, this was the second groupon that we have ever bought in our lives.
We live in the Upper East Side, this is the area where the rent for our 2br/​3bath apartment on the gazillionth floor of a luxury apartment complex exceeds the household income of the average American, so needless to say, we manage fine without groupons. However, if I do use one, I expect the same smiles, the same customer service, the same politeness and kindness I get as when I am shelling out hundreds of dollars at this place. That to me is a true test — kind like with true friends, will they be there for you when you are broke and down on your luck? Will the place still give you a stellar service when they don’t think you are a big spender ?
Well, I was offended by the service we have received. OFFENDED. First, as soon as they found out we are using groupon, they gave us a different menu and took us to the back to the «groupon table», far away from everyone else. Except for another poor soul, who was also using groupon and was seated next to us. So, they have a SPECIAL AREA, literally dedicated to just groupon people — they basically treated us like we had leprosy or some contagious disease.
Then, they just disappeared and were not to be seen for at least 20 minutes. This was the same waitress who previously was all smiles and charms on every single one of our visits.
The actual groupon is a total rip-​off — the groupon plates of food they have advertised at 12 $ value are nothing like the 12 $ plates of food on the regular menu and I’ll post pictures for comparison.
After being done with our food (literally a couple tablespoons of everything), we asked for a regular menu and despite three repeated requests, it took them another 20 minutes to bring it out.
During the whole night, they hardly checked on us or asked if we needed anything. In the meanwhile, we watched them nurture their nongroupon customers from our «exile» table in front of our very eyes.
This was such a drastic contrast from the service we usually receive on any single one of our visits that I left disgusted and appalled.
Bottom line:
Dear Jbird, don’t do a groupon if you are going to completely mis advertise your 12 $ plates of food (see pictures for this ridiculousness yourself and compare their groupon hummus plate to their nongroupon hummus plate) and most importantly, don’t do groupon if you are going to treat your groupon patrons like sh*t.
A better use of these 35 $ would have been to roll them up and wipe the ass of my purebred showcase quality cat after it takes a dump, but on the other hand I’m glad we have done it, so we can see how other patrons get treated and take our business elsewhere where it’s appreciated and welcome.

I do have to agree that they have pretty good drinks. came here with a groupon and we had limited options.
For my drinks. I ordered. Jbird Swizzle. I like how the combination of the sweet and sourness with a hint of floral smell. Mmm. It was served in a tall cup with lots of crush ice. It’s really pretty and i think it’s pretty girly. My friend ordered the pineapple express. It tasted like pineapple and rum with a little «smoke». some spice or herbs in it. I still prefer it to be sweet tho. but if you like pineapple drinks. go with it.
As for food. we ordered
— pork sliders: the best of all dishes. It came as two so we both had one each. We started with this so we were probably pretty hungry and I think it was still pretty good to enjoy.
— meatballs: it wasn’t really good. as I am not a huge meatball fan. my friend do agree the meatball tasted like something that we can make. oh well. it’s bar bites. can’t expect much.
— guacamole: I think the one I bought from trader joes tasted better.
— hummus: you can’t go wrong with it. we just mix everything together and dip with the bread.
— tater tots: It’s interesting. pretty delicious with some garlic with it.
As we think one drink is not enough. we ordered additional drinks and also popcorn since everyone said that they had delicious popcorn.
I do agree that the popcorn is pretty addictive and interesting. probably one of the best dish. (you can imagine the food wasn’t that good as I mentioned popcorn is one of the best). It has avocado, cilantro and some lime with it. I guess that’s what made it so nice to enjoy.
My friend ordered the Honey-​Nut-​Old-​Fashioned since it was recommended by most of the Unilocalers. she loved bourbon that’s why she liked it. the drink was too «manly» for me. I still prefer my girly drinks. Since my favorite cocktail is ramous gin fizz. I went ahead and ordered «good humor fizz». I still love the sourness of the passion fruit and the sweetness of vanilla mix well. gave me a different sweet and sour taste. the raw egg whites and cream soda made it refreshing to drink.
I guess this place will deserve better reviews if we did not waited a while for our food. and the food quality is better.

OK, came back last night after some time away.
Between my sister and I, we had the pasta, the fries, and some cocktails.
The food was much better than I expected, which was nice to see. The drinks were also as good as I remember — I had a summer watermelon-​based cocktail, which involved garam masala in a delicious way. Nice touch. I also had the honey-​nut old fashioned, which was tasty, maybe a tad too peanutty.
The service left much to be desired, not nearly as good as service in the past.
The music, and the crowd, were also far too loud. Too many «wow, I went to this cool place with these weird drinks and they were so-​oh-​oh gooood!» dippy types — I like my cocktail bars quieter (see Little Branch). Seeing as how the crowd was probably ten years younger than I, I guess I’m being a grumpy old man :-)

Great hidden spot on the UES /​Yorkville for tiki like cocktails in a lounge setting. It’s almost as if a prohibition era speakeasy was mutated with a tiki lounge with a bit of the Maltese Falcon thrown in for good measure. When we walked in here I thought I had entered a bar somewhere downtown, but so surprised that it’s in my hood!
More and more of these terrific spots are opening up around here and it’s another nice addition to the burgeoning bar scene that seems to be happening in the area. Why schlep all the way downtown and back when locally there are so many choice bars around here now? Some nights you just want to stay close to home.
Anyway, JBird exudes a chic speakeasy vibe and has a drink list to match. We were able to score one of the last open tables as it was a bit crowded when we got there. The menu we were handed included a varied and diverse list of libations separated as wine, beer, sours, swizzles, juleps, collins, fizzes, effervescents, aromatized, and old-​fashioned cocktails. They also have some «bar bites» like mixed warm nuts with rosemary and salt, and popcorn made with avocado, cholula, lime, garlic, and cilantro. We ended up getting both and though a bit messy were kind of tasty and addicting to eat. There is also a small menu of dinner entrees, cheese plates, salads, and sides. They support local, natural, sustainable, and organic farmers which is a good thing on their part. It’s nice to have the option to nosh on a snack or sit down for a hearty meal over a quality drink.
We ended up ordering a few swizzles and cold drinks on crushed ice over fun conversation and some great music they were playing here. A mix of old rock and some new wave tunes that night. All the drinks were delicious and of a good size. The JBird Swizzle (jasmine flower rum, don’s spices, pineapple, lime, orgeat, blueberry syrup, and bitters) along with Behind God’s back (aged run, pineapple and lime juice, cane sugar, cinnamon syrup, orgeat, and bitters) were frosty good and packed a nice punch. They even have a flaming scorpion bowl for two! How romantic!
As far as beer It is kind of funny that they serve Budweiser tall-​boy cans, along with Negra Modello, Pork Slap, and Innis & Gunn in bottles. I actually saw a few guys drinking the Bud tall-​boys and had to laugh. With all the cool cocktails to choose from these lunkheads still drink the frat boy special!
The place can be a bit pricey, but I guess that is par for the course with cocktail bars like this nowadays in the city. You pay for the mixology of a well crafted drink and low lit ambiance. Coming from the minds of a few guys who tended bar at Death & Company and 1534 the cocktail list is inventive and interesting. Overall service was attentive and not too overbearing.
They do take reservations here and I would suggest it if coming for dinner, or with a group. Even though there is a good amount of seating JBird can get very crowded, and loud on weekends. Seems like a nice place to take a date on a weekday, especially if you live up here in the nether regions of Manhattan and want to keep it local.