Lowdown: Black Bear Saloon in Nyack

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Combine the antics of a sports bar, the wholesomeness of a local haunt and the raunchiness of Coyote Ugly, and you get the Black Bear Saloon on Main Street in Nyack. The bar, with an affiliate of the same name in White Plains, provides a night of fun, with downright dirty dancing usually taking over by 2 or 3 a.m.

The Black Bear’s wood exterior and interior instantly give it a classic sports bar feel. The second floor is furnished with booths with individual TVs to check the latest scores. Still with plenty of space for chatting, dancing and partying, the bar attracts more than sports fans and is usually packed to capacity every night around midnight.

Attire: While by no means strict, the Black Bear dress code keeps most people dressed to the nines. No hats are allowed, except on special occasions, like the bar’s recent ski and snowboard party, or on college night. In the summer, work boots, jerseys and tank tops are forbidden. Take it from manager Golan Wolkowitz: “Look presentable. That’s the extent of our dress code.”

Vibe: Black Bear is nothing but eclectic. Being open from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. helps. Wings, burgers, sandwiches and the like are served throughout the day and weekends. As the night rolls on, the clientele gets younger and younger, with the end of the night  represented by mostly 23- to 30-year-olds. They are mostly young professionals from Nyack, Westchester and even south Jersey.

While the bar is never quiet, its large open spaces allow for lots of friends to meet up and have a good time. Amanda Lindt comes to the bar each year to celebrate her birthday. “We like the atmosphere at Black Bear,” she said. “All our friends come here to the top floor. We like the bar. We take over our own corner. The bartender’s friendly. The wait staff is friendly.”

High-energy fun seems to be the reason for most people to congregate. A lively crowd gathers for monday night football, a weekend cover band or DJs who keep the pop and rock music pumping. There's plenty of screaming and laughing adding to it all.

“I think it takes me out of my shell,” said bartender Kaitlyn Forker, who spends her days working at a hospital and describes her work at Black Bear as more like a party than a job. “When I come here, I have fun and meet new people.”

Vibe: According to Wolkowitz, “We really know how to throw a party and entertain people.” Bartenders make jokes to each other while pouring drinks and posing for pictures. People crowd two or three rows behind the bar and bouncers keep a close watch over the scene.

“You get drinks. There’s a lot of hot girls, fun and excitement,” said patron Harry Uhlhorn, who added, “There’s a lot of girls that get drunk and dance on the bar. It’s rowdy.”

Forker also thinks the mood can be wild. “It gets crazy here. Everyone has a blast.”

Have in Hand: Although the bar has a little bit of everything, it specializes in sports bar classics like shots and their natural chaser, beer. The tap is fairly extensive, with its share of seasonal favorites and the shots — as decided by the particular bartender — range from SoCo and lime to the oatmeal cookie shot. The saloon's full menu is also supplemented by daily specials like two-for-one wings on Monday, Saturday and Sunday night and $1 sliders on Wednesdays.

Entertainment: Depending on the time of day and the day, Black Bear supports almost any entertainment a bar should, from cover bands and DJs on weekend evenings, to beer pong on college night. Monday nights are just for sports. Trivia Nights are Tuesdays, acoustic shows take over Wednesdays and some sort of live entertainment is performing on Fridays. Expect drink specials each night and $3 drafts every day.

Want a look inside? Check out All Access: Black Bear Saloon in Nyack.

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