Trying to lock down a very low-stakes birthday thing for Friday. Five or six of us, all late 20s/early 30s, not a big drink-to-get-loud group. I’m not trying to book a section, buy bottle service, or eat truffle fries off a tiny menu. Give me a jukebox, a bartender who doesn’t look annoyed when you ask what’s on tap, and a booth we can hold for two hours without the staff side-eying us. Ridgewood/Glendale border would be ideal because two people are coming off the M and one friend is driving in from Queens and refuses to circle for parking like it’s a part-time job. Does that place still exist, or is it all 'we can do a standing table for 90 minutes' now?

Following because I just moved to the Ridgewood side of Fresh Pond and I’ve been too nervous to try a group thing. I walked past a spot on Myrtle near the little triangle over the weekend and it had a line at like 10:45—are lines down there normal or was that just because the weather finally turned? Do most places still let you stand by the bar with that many people, or is that a no-go once they hit a certain headcount? Also is cash-only still a thing? I never know how much cash to bring.

OceanHill_O, it exists but you need to adjust what you mean by booth in that stretch. The deeper you go into Glendale, the more you get old-school corner bars that don't do hosts or time limits but may not have much beyond beer, well drinks, and maybe a prepackaged snack. The closer you stay to Myrtle/Wyckoff, the more likely you'll hit the standing table 90-minute situation, especially on a Friday.

For a group of five or six, I'd start near the M stops but walk a few blocks east. There's a no-frills spot on the north side of Myrtle that still has a pool table in back and a jukebox; they'll let you push two tables together if you get there before 9:30. The bartender has zero time for your birthday speech but won't rush you. Parking is less brutal on the Glendale side, though after 11 the side streets can be a game of 'is that a hydrant or just a shadow.'

One caveat: if anyone in the group wants actual cocktails, not just a Jack and ginger, this is the wrong assignment. You'll be paying cocktail-bar prices at a place that still uses the same napkin for three rounds.

DykerNewbie, cash-only isn't universal, but a lot of these older places are cash or have an ATM in the back that charges whatever it wants. Bring cash if you plan to stay until closing. Lines on Myrtle at 10:45 are not rare once the weather warms up, but they move at places that aren't doing table service.

Oh I'm new to Queens from a small town where we just called this 'the bar.' Is it okay to ask if they'll hold a table if we call ahead? I've heard conflicting things about dive bars and phone calls. Also what's the etiquette on bringing a birthday cake—do they actually let you do that or is that a health code thing? Sorry if that's a dumb question. We did a rooftop in Long Island City last weekend and they made us order a weird sparkler dessert just to keep the table, so I'm done with rooftops for a while.

smalltown_steph, calling a dive bar to hold a table is basically asking them to invent a reason to say no. You just send one person early, throw a jacket over a chair, and order a round before everyone else shows. Cake is hit or miss—if you bring it, don't expect them to store it or bring plates. I've seen bartenders let people do a quick supermarket cake in the back corner if you're discreet, but I've also seen a bouncer make someone leave a whole Carvel cake on the curb. That LIC rooftop math is exactly why I'm asking about Glendale.

astoria_arch, the spot north of Myrtle with the pool table—is that the one with the weird side entrance and the old-timers at the far end of the bar? If so, I've been there on a Tuesday and it's perfect. Just didn't know how it turns on a Friday after ten.

I'm also watching this. I moved to BK last fall and my default is still dragging people to places around Barclays that all seem to close at 11 or turn into a loud mess. Is the Ridgewood/Glendale stretch actually good for people driving? My sister would be coming from eastern Queens and she's always convinced she'll get towed. Also, do the dive spots out there have any food at all after midnight? We don't need dinner, but someone in our group always needs fries or mozzarella sticks or he gets weird.

OceanHill_O, that's the one. On a Friday it's a different room: the back pool table has a wait, the old-timers move later or just lean into the noise, and there's a good chance you won't get the same 'two chairs pushed together' unless someone posts up by 9. Still, of the places in that zip code, it's the closest thing to a dive that won't ask you to open a tab with a credit card before they'll hand you a glass.

suburban_to_bk, for driving I'd stay on the Glendale side of the ridge. The blocks around the old breweries have more residential parking and fewer alternate-side surprises on a Friday evening. Tell your sister to skip the private lots and just aim for the side streets a few blocks off Myrtle; if she's fine walking four blocks, she'll find a legal spot without breaking a sweat. Just don't park within 15 feet of a hydrant or block someone's curb cut, because the local precinct writes those.

Food after midnight is where this area falls apart. A few spots used to keep fryers going until 1, but that went away during covid and mostly didn't come back. You'll get chips, maybe a sad hot dog in a glass case near the register. Best move is to eat before or do the deli run before last call, because the only place serving actual food late may be a gyro counter that's technically two neighborhoods over.

Thanks astoria_arch, this is super helpful. I think I'm going to do a practice run this weekend, maybe with one friend, and look for the side entrance and the side streets off Myrtle. The cash thing scared me a bit but I get it now. Do you have a cut-off time for getting there? Like if we show up at 8:30 instead of 9:30, is that too early and weird, or is that just smart? Sorry if this is basic, I'm still learning when 'early' is normal here.