Hot Bird

April 23, 2010

Hot Bird

825 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn (Corner of Clinton Ave)
Visited 10pm on a Thursday, two days after opening day

For years, Brooklyn residents have noticed bright yellow “Hot Bird” signs painted on the sides of buildings along Atlantic Avenue advertising “New York’s Best BBQ”, and for years, Brooklyn residents have wondered where these Hot Bird restaurants were. Well, Hot Bird is back, in name only. The original restaurants may have “gone the way of the dodo” in the ‘90s, but a new bar and outdoor beer garden has taken up the Hot Bird name.

Located on the barren stretch of Atlantic Avenue east of Flatbush, Hot Bird manages to inhabit a desolate block that happens to be at the intersection of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Prospect Heights. Having an outdoor space that doesn’t have to shut down early due to noise complaints from neighbors, but being a stones throw from three residential neighborhoods, is a unique characteristic that Hot Bird will surely take advantage of in the summer.

A former auto garage, which took the owner over eight months to renovate, Hot Bird maintains a very industrial look. Entering, you go through the large yard which has picnic tables and lawn chairs mixed with piles of crates (which seem to be decorative). An Alan Harding run food truck is said to be coming in a matter of weeks as well to serve up Cuban-style food and the free wifi is definitely a nice touch (password is “825hotbird” if you’re too shy to ask). Walking through the garage doors, the inside is stunning. The indoor area is dimly lit, but many of the original features of the garage are clearly visible. Tile walls complete with grease stains, industrial lamps and heaters, ceiling ventilation systems, and an antique band saw in the middle of the room give this new bar a warm and aged look.

Twelve unmarked taps provide a good selection of local and foreign beers, running from a $5 Hofbrau, to $6 Sixpoint and Ommegang. The bar also had a solid selection of bourbons and whiskeys. The bartenders are still learning their way around, and figuring out the beer selection, but are friendly and willing to help you choose. And while it’s far too early to determine what the regular crowd will look like, it was relatively full with residents from surrounding neighborhoods in the late-20s to mid-30s.

While Brooklyn is no stranger to bars with outdoor yards, having one of this size open late certainly is a luxury. Hot Bird seems to have taken the best parts of similar indoor/outdoor bars with food such as Habana Outpost, Union Pool, and now Franklin Park, and made their yard bigger and better. Without a doubt, Hot Bird, and its yard, will be a fantastic summer drinking destination.

(top photo by Clay Williams via Brownstoner)

12:09pm | URL: http://nydrinker.com/post/543376891/hot-bird
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