Friday I've got two cousins visiting from Ohio whose entire idea of New York nightlife is 'a dive bar where the jukebox has buttons' and 'we can get food after we land at 11.' I want to keep them on the Lower East Side, roughly Orchard/Ludlow, because they're staying on Rivington. But I'll be honest, my last few Fridays down there have felt more like a mall with a line. I'd like to avoid places with a doorman holding a clipboard, a PDF drink menu, or a bouncer patting you down to enter a room with a wet floor sign.

What I'm really looking for:

• A jukebox that still works, not a touchscreen that asks for a QR code.
• No cover after 10.
• Either a small food menu after 11 or a bar that doesn't blink if you bring in a slice.
• Open until at least 1:30.

169 Bar used to be my default, but the last two times the jukebox ate selections and the room was packed with people taking flash photos of their cocktails. Sophie's is great but there's no food and it gets tight. Is there anything left around Orchard/Ludlow proper, or am I dragging them east of Avenue B? If it's the latter, I'll survive, but I'd love a place where they can walk back to Rivington without needing a cab at 2 a.m.

Orchard after 10 is cooked, honestly. If you want all three boxes checked, Double Down Saloon on Avenue A is the move. Real jukebox, no cover, strong well drinks, and they don't care if you bring in a slice from Artichoke as long as you're not a mess. It's open late. It's not Orchard but it's a short stroll back to Rivington through the later crowd, and your Ohio cousins will still feel like they found the city. The only food inside is maybe a couple of bags behind the bar, so grab a slice first. If you're absolutely glued to Orchard, I'd lower expectations and treat it as a walk, not the actual stop.

Otis, I'll disagree slightly on one thing: you don't need to go all the way past A for everything, but food after 11 is the hard part. For an actual working jukebox and a low-key room, Milano's on East Houston is still the closest thing to a serious answer. It's a shoebox, mostly standing room, but the jukebox is a real machine and the later it gets the more it feels like 1997. They don't serve food, but you can absolutely bring in a slice from the place up the block, and nobody will care.

If a kitchen matters more than the jukebox, head to 7B/Horseshoe Bar at 7th and B. It's not exactly Orchard/Ludlow, but it's the rare dive where you can still get food after 11 and the TVs aren't blaring. The catch: it can get crowded after midnight, and the crowd skews a little younger on weekends. I'd start at Milano's early, let the cousins use the jukebox, then walk to 7B for food and finish back at Double Down if they still want to drink. I wouldn't try to do all three on a Friday if anyone in the group gets impatient, though.

Yes! Milano's is the one. The jukebox there is not the same as a touchscreen at all — you can actually see the pages flip! Have you tried playing something loud from the small selection at 169 Bar on a Tuesday? The whole room shifts when someone puts on a deep cut. But I'll jump in on 7B: the jukebox is solid, but the real overlooked move is the old International Bar on First Ave — if it's still got the red light on, the jukebox is cheap and nobody rushes you. Is anyone else still mourning the loss of real buttons? I feel like I'm the only one who checks before ordering a drink!

Okay this is genuinely useful because I just moved here and I thought all jukeboxes were the touchscreen kind that takes cards. Do Milano's or Double Down take cards at the bar, or should I bring cash? I always forget until I'm standing there awkwardly. Also is it weird to bring outside food into Milano's? I'd feel like a jerk but maybe that's just the deal.

Good question, firstwinter. Cash is safer at both Milano's and Double Down; I've had cards accepted sometimes at Double Down, but I wouldn't count on it for a crowd. Milano's has a small ATM but it can run out on weekends, so I usually pull cash before I get off the train. Bringing a slice into Milano's is absolutely normal, just keep it off the jukebox and don't leave the box on the bar.

For your Friday plan, if they're staying on Rivington and landing at 11, I wouldn't start on Orchard. Do this instead: grab a slice right after they drop bags, walk to Milano's for the first round and the jukebox, then decide from there. If they're hungry again, 7B is the food move. If they're not, Double Down is close and you'll avoid the worst of the Ludlow crowd until after 1. If someone insists on seeing Orchard/Ludlow, lower expectations and treat it as a walk, not the actual stop.