The Ginger Man

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.2/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Visited the Ginger Man on April 9, 2010. Definitely has a great beer bar vibe - As you enter there is a small sitting area to the right - nice leather upholstered chairs as well as a few small tables adjacent to the window - great for people watching as patrons enter the bar. The right half of the room is occupied by a long, expansive, wooden bar with 70 draughts and two casks (I decided to partake of the Harviestoun Haggis Hunter on cask as this was my 3rd stop of the day). The opposite side of the room consisted of long tables with benches. Lots of wood and chandeliers with a very Victorian feel. Extremely extensive bottle and draught menu unlike any I have experienced, nicely broken out by style and country. Prices were on par with what I would expect for NYC, but still a little higher than I'm accustomed to. Several vintage offerings, as well as large format bottles - I would love to hit this place with a few friends to share a Chimay magnum. Definitely get here earlier as it seems to fill up quickly. We arrived around 4:15, just before the rush and then it was packed. Our server was prompt, attentive and appeared knowledgeable of the selections as I heard her describing some of the selections to some of the customers next to us. I didn't try the food, but the menu seemed to have enough options to satisfy in terms of appetizers and sandwich fare. Beer menu seems to be updated daily, so you have the opportunity to see what tickles your fancy before heading over. Well, worth your time if you are visiting the city.

04-10-2010 14:36:06 | More by Jwale73

Lare453

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25 | $$

A nice and big, fair amount of seating, nice inside.

Q the beer is great and the food is a small selection, but there was a good selection of charcuterie and cheese.

S all the employees are awesome! Super knowledgable

S 70 beers on tap, prob 200+ bottles, multiple casks, this place is tits.

F small selection but everything is good. Sandwiches, snacks, cheese and charcuterie.

Everything is reasonably priced.

I love this place and it is a g to every time I'm in the city.

05-08-2013 01:23:49 | More by Lare453

YieldToNothing

New York

4.58/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

This place has an incredibly extensive menu. Loads of bottles and rotating monthly drafts featuring some rarities that you can't often get your hands on. Prices are reasonable for the NYC area.

I only take away some points because the place can be a zoo during happy hour and on Saturday nights during prime time.

I noticed that the best time to come is on a Sunday afternoon. There'll be plenty of room and the bartender will let you do a flight, which has no chance in happening when they're busy.

03-14-2013 13:53:28 | More by YieldToNothing

flagmantho

Washington

4.64/5  rDev +10%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

My boss recommended the Ginger Man on a recent trip to New York, so I got to spend some time in this fine establishment. I was suitably impressed.

The selection and quality are fantastic. I had a cucumber saison from Cigar City and Nogne O's imperial rye porter, both of which were good choices from among their 70 or so varieties on tap.

Atmosphere was dark and homey, which of course I love. The Wednesday night that I was there, the place was packed to the gills with most patrons having standing room only. That said, my boss and I got drink service and had our glasses bussed and everything from right where we were standing; service didn't diminish simply because we were table-less. I appreciated that.

I didn't get any food on this visit, so I can't speak to that.

I will definitely be returning to the Ginger Man the next time I'm in the city. I would love to be there when it's a little bit slower so I can sit in quiet contemplation and sip some of their fantastic choices.

10-16-2012 14:59:31 | More by flagmantho

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I don't think I'll ever go back here after visiting several times. With Rattle 'n' Hum so close by, I don't think there is any point. There are tons of taps, sure, but this place can get so ridiculously crowded. And even when it's empty, some of the clientel just seem there to be able to talk to a female who wouldn't give them the time of day in the outside world. Overall, the douche factor here is too high for me to be able to chill here. And, beer selection alone doesn't really make a place, for me. I think that about sums it up.

08-30-2012 17:36:46 | More by RblWthACoz

knightlypint

3.3/5  rDev -21.8%
vibe: 1 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 3 | $$$

I think largely because of the beer selection the GM is usually packed with people who have had too much to drink, not pleasant. It's gets so loud you have to scream into your companions ears so they can hear you. Awful place.

The beer quality is typical of most NYC places, ie the tap beer you're drinking likely won't taste quite like it should. Many of the bottled beers are old and so they're not so great either. The beer quality at the GM is not up to snuff.

The people working the bar and tables are friendly but due to the crowd they generally have difficulty getting their job done, which translates to problems for you.

The beer selection is huge, something like 60 to 70 taps and close to 100 bottles.

Food isn't bad, but the menu is small.

The subpar beer quality and difficult atmosphere greatly detract from the GM, to the point you'll not look forward to going back.

04-18-2012 20:33:56 | More by knightlypint

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Great bar- my favorite that I visited in my week in New York. Awesome vibe- hardwood floors and bar with lots of space for NYC and a nice back lounge area with couches, etc.

All of their beers were served in the appropriate glassware- many even in their brewery's glasses. Draft lines seemed clean.

Good service- relatively easy to get the bartender's attention even on a packed Friday night. They all poured the beers well, giving each its appropriate head.

Selection was awesome- 40 draft lines all with pretty exceptionable brews. I had Pilsener Urquell, Bear Republic Mach 10, Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast, and Thomas Hooker Doppelbock.

I got the German beer platter which had some very good sausages. They didn't have a large selection of food which is why I gave it a lower rating- some fries would've been nice or a side salad.

Reasonably priced- MUST GO if you're in NYC.

03-14-2012 20:46:39 | More by Hopdaemon39

mltobin

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -28.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$$

A very short walk from the Morgan Library or a short walk from Grand Central is The Ginger Man. You may or may not know that it is part of a beer bar chain which originated in Austin, Texas.

Having visited their Austin bar/restaurant, this location falls short of the bar. Although you will find a solid selection of beer, both from the U.S. and countries such as Germany, Italy, Belgium, Norway, etc; their customer service needs better attention. Their service is ok, but sometime distracted by their smart phones. And they also make remarks to customers that are borderline rude. In closing, worth hitting up once when visiting NY and looking to hit the beer spots, but spend more time at the other options.

02-12-2012 19:01:36 | More by mltobin

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

A: One of my favorite spots to hit in NYC. Located between 5th and Madison Ave. A nice pub feel with old dark mahogany bar, chalk boards above the bar giving you brew updates. The place is pretty big, but it does get crowded.

Q: Never had any problems with freshness of brews. Taps turnover quickly, but the taps are clean and the brews taste fresh.

Ser: Never had any problem with the services. Bartenders and wait staff are courteous, quick, fairly knowledgable about the brews and always pleasant.

Sel: For quantity and quality, they really are by far the best in Midtown and one of the best in all Manhattan. They have 70+ taps, over 150 bottles and 2 casks. Good amounts of local brews on tap as well as many domestic craft brews and European brews.

O: Definitely a must stop when in Manhattan. Great selection across numerous and numerous styles. There is a beer style for everybody. Pretty low-key, but it can get crowded.

01-25-2012 01:02:20 | More by IronCitySteve

StJamesGate

New York

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$

An open yet cozy room with distressed wood, vintage lamps, period posters and a library/lounge down the back with overstuffed chairs and couches. They seem to be going for a turn of the century bar/English pub thing, without it being gimmicky.

The selection is crazy and very even across styles, if not, as another reviewer said, particularly heavy on locals/NY beers. But that might be a strength: most NYC bars are so local-proud, it's a bit of a relief to not see another Sixpoint/Chelsea/Capt Lawrence-fest.

Service was sharp - our waitress was training another, so maybe we got the best of the bunch. Club sandwich and Greek salad were flavorful if small, though the pretzel is a bit of a rip. Mostly full but mellow at lunchtime on a Thursday.

Other reviews knock this place as crowded and expensive. It's midtown Manhattan, what do you expect!? Don't believe the tourists and haters; skip the beer snobs at Rattle and Hum and line up here.

01-05-2012 15:13:56 | More by StJamesGate