Common Ground Bar & Restaurant

Highly recommend. After much deliberation I decided to throw my birthday party at Common Ground - I actually went around and checked out a few different bars to find the best which would handle a large party. Honestly I had never been to there before but the reviews were enticing, the location was ideal, and overall the place looked/felt perfect (it has a really good vibe). So I decided to talk to the bartender about the logistics, who was actually the owner, and he quickly offered me a reserved sections large enough for my party (about 40 people) free of charge. We emailed back and forth as the party got closer, he was so nice about helping set up and going over specifics. The party was great, we had most of the back section which we filled up and everyone had a really great time. The majority of my friends had never been to the bar but we all agreed we would be back more often. more

Excellent roast beef panini, friendly service, good prices, fun boardgames. I'll definitely be back! Pros: Food, staff more

Great happy hour? You'd never know it from the indifferent bartender we encountered at our first visit to Common Ground. She didn't see any reason to inform us about any happy hour specials whatsoever. She was more inclined to pay attention to the people at the bar who seemed to be regulars. This shouldn't be a quiz night where we have to extract information from an amazingly lax bartender one clue at a time. The food, when it finally arrived, was fabulous. This, and only this, would be reason to give the place another try. The bartender did serious injustice to the cred of Common Ground. Beware, all who enter and come armed with knowledge of what it being offered. Pros: Fabulous food Cons: Indifferent service more

My friends recommended this place because they live in the neighborhood and they''re there all the time. So I gave it a shot. What a compfy place to hang out and relax with a cocktail. The red velvet couches are great for chilling on with drinks, food, and boardgames. The music is excellent and not so loud (I could actually hear myself think). The happy hour is amazing. We ate and drank a ton and spent about $15 each. The place was not too busy, but hey, it was a Tuesday night. I'll definitely be back. Pros: Comfortable, great music, happy hour, boardgames Cons: It's not closer to my apartment more

This place is great. The food rocks, and during happy hour it's practically free. Excellent beer selection. I'm not really into board games, but my friends are, and they love playing them at Common Ground (supposedly they have all the classics). I just drink the fine booze and watch sports on the HD TVs. The staff really make you feel welcome at this place, which is why we continue to go. That and, of course, the jukebox, which is the best in the city, if not the country. Pros: Food, TVs, Jukebox, Service, and boardgame selection Cons: Gets really busy on the weekends, but where is that not the case in the East Village more

The bar and prices are fair/average. The down point are the downright cranky waitresses. They don't smile or provide good service. I understand that they are very busy but they are obviously angry about something and take it out on the customers. They make it their business to tell you off as if it gets their rocks off. I experienced this twice from the same waitress that is there on pub trivia night. Neither times did I do anything anything wrong. For example, I asked to close my tab and when I saw that she overcharged me I told her so. She is quick to a reply with a sarcastic ""I don't think so."" I don't like being ripped off so I tell her she's incorrect. She proceeds to tell me off for something I had no control over. Ultimately she refunded my money when she realized but didn't admit to being wrong. She continued to be sarcastic has if it was my fault she made the mistake. I appreciate the fact that she was stressed but there was no need to yell at me when I was polite about the whole matter. This person obviously has anger issues and it's a shame she works at such a great bar. Also, after observing her with other patrons, I noticed she is selectively polite with certain people. The fact that the ones she is good to those that tend to be her own ethnicity and the ones she is rude to tend to be a person of color may just be a coincidence. Needless to say, I will never be going back to that bar again until I hear she's quit or has been sacked. The service is horrible and I plan to tell all my friends and NYU students not to go there until the problem is fixed. Pros: Good atmosphere and set up Cons: Extremely terrible service more

Common Ground has a really great happy hour with some delicious foods, and they have a pretty good beer selection. As long as you go when it's not crowded, you'll probably have a good time, especially if you're just looking to hang out with friends and play a game of Clue. But when it gets crowded, the place is a mess. The crowd is generally obnoxious, but not oppressively so. They have a jukebox, but if you play a song that the bartenders don't like, they'll skip it -- and if you ask why, like I did, and say that you paid for that sweet jam, they'll just scoff at you about how sub-par your taste in music is. Last time I was at the bar til closing time, the bartender was literally so drunk she was LAYING ON THE BAR. Ugh. Classy. Pros: Good happy hour Cons: Disrespectful staff more

Been here a few times with friends for their parties. Loved the place, so I had my 30th birthday here. The space in back is awesome. Had about 45 friends and they all loved it. The jukebox is great (when you finally get to hear your songs). Staff was attentive and extremely friendly. Food was delicous. Thanks Common Ground for making my 30th wonderful. I'll recommend you often. Pros: Party space, staff, food, beer selection, and prices Cons: had to wait over an hour to hear my songs on the jukebox more

It's true that the beer selection is good here. You might like this place if you like board games, let's say a Tues night or something. However, in general this place is not cool. I've lived on 14th street for years, before this place first opened. There are much better bars in the area. Don't get too crazy about this one because of the over-rated, staff made posts. Pros: Beer selection is OK Cons: just about everything else more

I went here with my boyfriend for trivia night, and it was easily one of the worst places we've ever been. It was full of very nerdy, very competitive players. I mean people were covering their answers with their hands and whispering to each other. Very odd for a bar. This place is nearby so many better bars... we left early and went across the street. I suggest you skip it altogether. more

I just moved into the East Village. I popped into Common Ground for the first time yesterday to catch the Yanks/Sox game. I really like this bar. The bartender was extremely friendly. The other customers I chatted with were also down to earth and real nice (even the Sox fans). I didn't taste the food, but it certainly looked delicious. To top it off, two fantastic HD plasmas for watching the games. I think this place'll become my new local. Pros: TVs, staff, customers Cons: Sox Fans more

Just had my 25th birthday party here this past weekend. They reserved a huge space in the back for about 50 of my friends for free. The service was excellent. Even though the place was packed, I never saw the bottom of my glass. I highly recommend this place for birhtday parties. Pros: Parties, service, music Cons: Overly crowded more

So I dropped by here the other night because of all the curiously positive remarks. Upon arriving a noticed the bartenders were pretty average, not as hot as other posts said. The layout is pretty cool and a good selection of beers, but a very nerdy crowd. What's up with the board games? Pros: Beer Selection Cons: Fake Reviews more

I find it funny that I actually signed up for this website just to write a review for this place...and I only did it because they undoubtedly deserve it. I've been frequenting this bar for after work drinks and have discovered after eating several of there amazing paninis and apps that they undoubtedly have the best caesar salad in town. If I had to compare this place to anything, as cheesy as it may be, it reminds me of cheers. I'm usually there alone and I sometimes feel as if I have ended up with my best friends sitting around the bar. The bartenders treat me as if I'm there sister, (i'd probably get more guys if I even looked half as hot as these girls do) and the locals that frequent the bar act as if I've been friends with them since childhood. For the first time last week I brought my friends with me, they wanted to finally see this bar that I keep hyping about. We went for trivia night. Even though we didn't get that many questions right, the staff was treating us like we were winners and we had such a blast. My friends couldn't believe how great the food is at this bar. After one of my guy friends admitted to wanting pizza from a local pizza joint across the street, I told him to sit down, shut his trap and eat what I ordered for him. So of course I got one of the pizzas. He couldn't believe how pleased he was with the food there, that he ended up taking his friends there last weekend to watch the final four basketball games with his friends. They loved how different the food is here and how great it is to have found a bar that stands out from the usual food they see at sports bars. I really just want to thank Common Ground for the AMAZING SERVICE, AWESOME FOOD, and an all around great experience every time I am there, whether its alone or with my friends. If I had the capital, I'd give the bar owner money to open another bar in every part of manhattan so everyone could experience this wealth of entertainment and fun. Pros: Ambience, Service Cons: There isn't a common ground in every neighborhood of the city more

I used to love this place! I would recommend it b/c it has the best happy hour. Great specials, awesome food. Pros: FOOD, DRINK SPECIALS Cons: HORRIBLE SERVICE more

Had a surprise birthday last night for my girlfriend. This is a place that I've walked past several times but have never popped in to check out. I wish I had done so sooner because this place is great. The staff was very helpful in assisting me with the food selections for my party, based the number of people that arrived. They helped me pick the perfect amount of food, as there was not much extra left over. Price-wise... very easy on the pocket with the happy hour drink and food specials. They were accommodating to my special needs (we brought in a birthday cake and it was served right on time). Dan, the owner, was personally there to make sure everything ran smoothly. I would recommend this place to anyone, and I will certainly be back!! Thank you to everyone at Common Ground for making my special night so comfortable and fun! Pros: Friendly Staff, Comfortable ambience, Great Jukebox more

I hosted my party at Common Ground on a Friday night. It was an ideal venue and everyone had a blast! I found Common Ground online, and met with Dan, who reserved me the back couch area for my party of 30 (for free!). Everyone was comfortable, it was easy to socialize and talk, the waitress was great, it was easy to get drinks at the bar and the place got busy, but not sardine-packed like so many other great bars in NYC. I would highly recommend having a party at Common Ground. Pros: Chill atmosphere, Great for parties, Not too crowded, Jukebox more

I had my birthday party at Common Ground this past weekend, and the staff there could not have been better. Dan took care of everything and made me feel right at home and our server, Yale, was incredible!! The food was great and I got a ton of comments of how much my guests enjoyed the party. I most definitely will be back. Between the service, the atmosphere, the food, and just the way this place goes out of it's way to make it the perfect party, Common Ground is simply awesome. Thanks for making my bday a blast CG!!! Pros: Great service, amazing food more

I stumbled upon Common Ground a few months ago when scouting locations for a friend's birthday. I decided I HAD to have a Halloween party at this pretty, funky but chill bar/lounge. I am so glad I did. Think of the space as one party chill downtown lounge, one part neighborhood bar, and one part spooky library. This past Saturday, my two friends and I hosted a huge Halloween bash in their ""back area"" and it was an amazing sucess - I cannot think of one thing this place did wrong! The managers, Dan and Matt, were accommodating from the get-go when I called them two months ago. They gave us great drink specials, hooked us up with tasty food (the paninis are a must-try!) and gave us a great space! Yale, the server that worked our party ALL BY HERSELF was unbelievable! I don't think anyone waited more that 5-10 minutes for a drink, and this girl was serving upwards of 70 people at one point! Kudos to Common Ground. I can't wait to check this place out on a ""normal"" night - they do fun stuff like trivia night and open mike nights, I think. Bravo, CG. You made our Halloween party a great sucess. I would highly recommend checking this fun, chill bar out. Good vibes, good food, and great people. Pros: GREAT Service, tasty food, good selection of beers Cons: Did you read my review? There aren't any! more

Spend most of my time in the East Village. Now that I found this place I'll spend all my time in the East Village. Great crowd, fun staff, and amazing food. With all the dirty dives on Ave A, this place is such a great find. Pros: Great mix of attractive people, food, ambiance Cons: Can get too crowded on the weekends more