Been trying to find a spot off the Jefferson L for a Tuesday night drink with a buddy who works late. Every place around there now either has a clipboard guy, or the music is so loud you can't hear yourself think. I don't need a cocktail menu with 14 ingredients. Just a stool, a cheap lager, maybe a jukebox or a good bartender. Does that still exist around there or do I have to go deeper into Bushwick?

It's rough out there. I used to hit that one spot by Maria Hernandez before it turned into a plant shop. Honestly if you walk a few blocks toward Halsey there's a place on Wyckoff that still has free popcorn and a jukebox, but Tuesday can be weird because they do a drag bingo thing. Good weird though if you want to drink cheap.

Wait, drag bingo at a dive? That sounds fun. I just moved to Bushwick and I keep ending up at places with a 30-minute wait for a table even on Tuesdays? Is there like a secret time to go? Also do they have snacks or just popcorn?

The Jefferson L strip has been pretty brutal for the past few years. The old head-banging/dive joints mostly got priced out or turned into vinyl listening bars. If you truly want a barstool without a host, walk under the tracks toward Myrtle-Wyckoff and head to the places that still open at noon. The best bets are the ones that look slightly too dark from the street and have a neon beer sign in the window. Try around 6:30 on a Tuesday, before the service industry crowd clocks out. You'll get a bartender who remembers your order and maybe a jukebox with actual CDs. Avoid the stretch right by the station between 9 and 11 unless you like being shoulder-to-shoulder with people who are just killing time before a show. A lot of them share the same problem: they're fine until a promoter shows up. The older spots on side streets tend to keep the music lower until at least ten. Also many of these places are cash-only, so hit an ATM before you go.

Nah, you don't need to go to Myrtle-Wyckoff. There's still a joint off the Montrose L that's basically unchanged since the 90s. Red leather stools, a fish tank, and the bartender won't take your card. Tuesday is fine if you go late, like after 11. The jukebox is real but the remote is behind the bar, so you have to ask. Cash only, but there's a bodega with an ATM two doors down that robs you on fees.

RedHook_R, that Montrose spot might be the move. I forgot about the fish tank. Is it the one next to the old video store? If so, I think they still do the $5 beer-and-shot thing on weeknights. cam, the drag bingo spot sounds chaotic in the best way but my buddy gets off at 10:30 and might not be in the mood. beth, the secret is go before 8 or after midnight, no in between.

Flatbush_F, just a caveat on that Montrose spot: the $5 shot-and-a-beer special can be tap-only on the lager side, and if you order a bottle you're paying more. Also the back room doesn't open on Tuesdays, so if it's crowded up front you're stuck by the door. But yes, the fish tank is the landmark. One more thing—the bartender usually steps out for a smoke around 12:30, so order two if you don't want to wait.