Astoria Bar Review: Judy & Punch is Casual, Fun, and Has Free Popcorn

In our new Astoria Bar Review series, we’ll get into our favorite places to grab a drink – what you can expect there, and what we love about them.

First up, Judy & Punch. Judy & Punch is a fairly new addition to the neighborhood, just about a year old. I chose it as a place to hang with friends one,  because of it’s location, (30th Ave between 34th and 35th),  and two, I had so much fun I went back with another group of friends the next night.

 

Vibe

This place is casual but not quite a dive. The crowd is pretty nondescript, but in a good way, and the bar tenders are really nice. It’s a great place to bring a group of friends, and the prices are super reasonable (i.e. $5-$7 beers, $10 specialty cocktails). It’s very not-at-all-pretentious.

Drink Selection

The rotating tap selection accompanies some interesting cocktails like Giggle Juice (Stolichnaya, St. Jermaine Elderflower, Pear Puree, Pineapple & Fresh Lemon Juice) and General Tom Thumb (Templeton Rye, Lemon, Basil, Simple Syrup, Ginger Beer, Muddled Cucumber). I’m a big cider fan, and they serve J.K. Scrumpy, a not-so-common and especially sweet cider, in addition to the more common Magner’s.

Setup

I love the open air long table in the front, and that there’s plenty of room for dancing in the back (yes, dancing has happened when it gets late!).

Specials & Events

Judy & Punch hosts trivia every Tuesday Night, (the most recent winning team goes by Diarrhea of a Mad Woman), and there’s live music every Sunday at 7pm. They also have a happy hour Monday – Thursday from 4pm – 8pm.

Extras

One of the reasons I love this place is because of the choose-your-own-music Juke Box. Yes, it costs a few bucks, but it’s awesome to be able to rock out to your own jams and the anticipation of waiting for your song to come on is actually enjoyable.

There’s also free popcorn, and lots of it.

 

Judy & Punch 

34-08 30th Ave, Astoria | (718) 626–3101

Photos via JudyandPunch.com

 

Have you been to Judy & Punch? What do you like about it? Share in the comments!