Monday, April 5th, 2010—Bar 85
Day 85—Easter Sunday, April 4th
Mars Bar
Okay if remember from last Saturday I had planned on meeting John Strausbaugh at New York’s legendary dive bar, Mars Bar. Well, I met him there, but the bartender nicely told me I had to get permission to do photos, so we went here and had some drinks and did the interview. Well this week I got permission to shoot photos inside and what better place to spend Easter Sunday than the Mars Bar in the East Village? I’m going to see if I can order some takeout there and have my Easter dinner at Mars Bar.
Easter Sunday at the Mars Bar, what could be better?
Hammlet took this photo of me getting into the swing of things at Mars Bar.
Fausto was working on a piece in the sketch pad that was being passed around the bar.
Some of the booze selections at Mars Bar.
Terry displays an Easter piece of art he drew for the day.
One of Terry's pieces of art on the wall at Mars Bar.
One of the colorfull walls at Mars Bar.
Images by Niko. Check out his website here: Niko Says.
One of the bars regulars, Raymond, enjoying a glass of wine. Cheers!
Peanuts!
Easter Sunday at Mars Bar.
I loved the fact that my name is on the cash register! I swear I didn't put that there either.
Hammlet and Terry. After this photo Hammlet asked me to draw something in the bar and wanted to take photos of me drawing. So here goes!
I decided to do a self-portrait on a mannequin's knee cap.
Hammlet documents the artist at work.
And the finished product. I'm an official Mars Bar artist, huzzah! Thanks for the photos, Hammlet!
And here's a piece of art that Hammlet has on display at the bar.
Easter dinner at Mars Bar! I ordered two pizzas from Two Boots pizza and they were delicious!
Here's Denise and Rafael enjoying slices.
Steve and Leela arrived to late for pizza, but were having a good time in spite of the fact.
Here's me with Steve and my notepad conveniently tucked under my chin.
And my final bit of graffiti on the wall before leaving. Goodnight everybody!
Review
As the Bed Bath And Beyonds and Barnes and Noble “superstores” continue to ruin New York City, thank God for institutions like the Mars Bar. This concrete rectangle of graffiti and art-filled madness is a testament to old school New York artists, free thinking folks and people looking to drink and have a good time. The only Blackberry you’ll find in here is brandy and the only thing close to and iPad is an artist pad that’s passed around the bar where the locals add their original sketches.
You’ll find no TV’s at Mars Bar, but the jukebox is probably the best in the city if not the country. It’s packed with everything from mariachi to cha-cha to Chuck Berry to the Cramps to the Beach Boys and everything in between. And everyone takes turns putting on tunes at Mars Bar, so the music is always flowing along with the endless liquor. The selection isn’t huge here, so have a Budweiser and one of their massive whiskey shots and shut up and enjoy the eccentric and non-judgmental crowd.
There’s no food or kitchen here, but they have a huge pile of menus from neighborhood take-out joints. I suggest you order a pie from Two Boots for the crowd. I did and a good time was had by all! God bless the Mars Bar!
The Mars Bar
25 E 1st St (@ Second Ave)
212-473-9842
27 References
Reader Comments (21)
best bar ever
WOUAAH !!!! I LOVE THIS PLACE !!!! FABULOUS! I will go there when I come !
PERFECT BAR! Tha walls are so cool, ertwork are illarous! I love the easter artwork (it make me think about the ostrich on the cross I drawed for TMWS!!) and I want to go draw a zioum extraterestrial there!
I love the cash register! and I love the fact that you made a graffitti right beside my favorite french curse word : VAS TE FAIRE FOUTRE!!!!!! and funny I use this one almost only in bars when some drunk assholes piss me off !
TO MARS BAR !!!! WAAAAOUUUUU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
TO THE MARS BAR!
I haven't seen a bar even remotely like this since my barhopping days of the late seventies and early eighties. There were a couple of bars like this in the west bank of Minneapolis back then, where I used to go with friends, drop acid, spend about fifty dollars in quarters on the asteroids game, and drink tanqueray martinis to take the edge off while I was peaking. I could not be beat at asteroids while I was in this state, and I always left an unbroken string of high scores on that machine, not to mention scores of J.R. "Bob" Dobbs stickers all over the bathroom. I was a reverend in the Church of the SubGenius back then, My Church code name was the Reverend Norman J Tallywhacker. Those were the days, praise "Bob". I was the original slackmaster!
Oh, by the way...Raymond looks like Jerry Orbach, did you notice?
LOVE it!
That is an awesome easter Marty! I wanted to give up easter for lent...
I thought he looked familiar! You're right, Jaws!
Wow, this looks like the best Easter Sunday anyone had on the planet! Great choice and great place, love this one!
that bar looks like a place Charles Bukowski would go to die.
wow, now that's old school new york, cool!
Marty
Were these Twq Boots' pies one of their "signature" ones or did you request certain toppings?
The one on the left is called "The Dude" (I think from the Big Lebowski) and the one on the right is cheese and mushroom. "The Dude" had cheddar cheese, ground beef and bacon. Both were delicious and made for a perfect Easter Dinner at Mars Bar!
To : Marty , for almost giving himself a black eye !!! After the Mars Bar !!
phew!!! back on track good one Marty....even the cash register has character doesnt it Marty!....& funny, just watching the aussie version of the "Today" show (not the one you were on Marty, their rival channel).... ol' mate the host is a funny wanker, on the cooking segment he has done up a beer battered Mars Bar then deep fried it!! the fuking thing worked!!! & looked pretty good....wonder if we could deep fry a cheesburger???
Happy Belated Easter! Mars Bars rules!
Somebody's already done it fitzy, check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOMQtIzmW4g&feature=related
Raymond definitely was cloned from the tissue of Jerry Orbach's eagle eyes.
tru stori!
The Hell with a Snickers.
This "Mars Bar" satisfies me!
Great joint.
Add it to my list of must go-to's when I visit.
Kudos!
(and not the candy bar)
The Mars Bar looks like it would eat me alive. And I think I'd love every minute of it. Please make my last song be something by Johnny Thunders.
Ohio, in addition... Raymond appears to be Jerry Orbach, did you notice?
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