In New York, sometimes size does matter.
Sure, we can all watch the big game from the comfort of our shoebox apartments, but TailGate Outdoor Sports Bar makes the case — a 24,000 square foot case — that it can be more fun to do so surrounded by friends, al fresco, and with games not only on the giant screens but also on the even-more-giant lawns.
Owners Jarrod Fox and Taylor Lintz share, per the website, that TailGate is “an entertainment venue first and sports bar second.” From drag queen trivia to casual big-block Jenga at one of the bar’s dozens of picnic tables, it’s not difficult to have a full field day at the outdoor space, located in the heart of Williamsburg at 86 North 11th Street.
And those full days fill up fast: Saturday afternoons are as busy as, well, a football tailgate: the name and vibes of the bar exude weekend NFL craze with beer pong in one corner and cornhole in another. To top off the experience (and certainly make it harder to leave), there’s a food truck with Mexican specialties.
If you haven’t experienced TailGate before, now might be your chance: as the cooler weather comes, it may be easier to make reservations, which normally book up a week or so out. The shipping containers have heaters and doors to keep warmth in, and now there’s even more of a reason to swing by — TailGate and Flagship Brewery in Staten Island have joined forces to create a TailGate Brooklyn branded 4.5% pilsner. Crushable and refreshing, it’s a light, easy-to-drink beer.
Meandering around the neighborhood, it’s easy to cast your gaze upward and envy the hotel-stayers at the sky-high Wythe, Williamsburg, or The William Vale. At TailGate, visitors have the unique experience of seeing all three buildings from the bar, except from that point of view, the feeling is the reverse. Come on out, high flyers, the party’s down below.