Harry's at Water Taxi Beach
Last weekend's adventure to Harry's at Water Taxi Beach doesn't require a car, but if our weekend rental proved one thing, it's that Queens is totally right next door when you don't have to get on the G train. If you are walking from the 21st Street stop, it helps to know that even though it looks like you are walking into an abandoned industrial wasteland, you are probably going in the right direction. If you are coming from Manhattan, the Water Taxi is the way to go, though it's $5 a pop and can run late on weekends.
As for the beach itself, it's spacious, open and much cleaner than Coney Island. The water is out of reach, but that's a good thing. (I'm still not sure how I feel about the city rescinding the no-swimming rule to build a beach on Manhattan--the current rule is b/c when it rains, sewage floods the rivers). The site is run by Harry of Schnack fame, and the menu is tempting, besides hot dogs ($3) and elk burgers ($8.50), there's a special menu with French fries, Motz burgers, Bratwurst, fish tacos, chili cheese dogs, etc. There's beer and cocktails, a whirring blender, and quite a lovely view of the city. In short it's quite a nice way to pass the afternoon: people sunbathing, kids playing in the sand, hipsters batting around a shuttlecock, the young-at-heart hopping from picnic table to picnic table with friends. There's nothing like it anywhere else in the city.
The problem (and Harry I do love your chutzpah for opening this thing) is that the HWTB was either unprepared to serve people on Memorial Day (the last day in a long weekend) or by Monday the help decided that they just didn't care that much anymore. Pretty much the only thing to eat was the barely warmed hot dogs, and a lot of the staff looked like they were done working for the day--especially the ones manning the often slow grill. In an especially amusing turn, I was asked if I wanted change from a $5 for my $3 hot dog that the server had walked 20 feet from the grill to the picnic table. Of course these are small details and things that could be easily explained away thanks to an especially brisk weekend of customers.
So what I'm looking for is reports from the front. I know the half of Brooklyn who didn't go last weekend will be there this weekend. Let us know if you managed to wrangle up more than a hot dog--and if the promised $2 PBR materialized--are we experiencing yet another PBR scare? Anyone go back for a second round?
Eater has some commentary going, too.
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Just a reminder that PBR has not been a "working class" beer for years - and that when you're bending your elbow with this can you're really just saluting clever marketing campaigns aimed at hipstes or maybe the entertaining performances of Dennis Hopper not union labor or living wage for a day's pay. http://robwalker.net/html_docs/pabst.html. Drink responsibly.
Same swill beer, new higer price. I guess it's now priced out of range ($4 a can in some places) for most "working class" folks.
Not sayin' that I haven't "enjoyed" a can or two here recently..
You said "shuttlecock."
i went on memorial day, monday: didn't live up to the good times i had last year. not enough food selection; no jolly ranchers (drinks); there weren't many beers to choose from, and what i ordered got warm quickly in the heat; strawberry daquiris were expensive and not very alcoholic (or even good)... i think maybe it was just the heat making me grumpy, but the unpreparedness on so many fronts is inexcusable. i'm sure it's more work than one would suspect, but still. regardless, i'm looking forward to a midsummer visit around dusk, enjoying the sunset, nighttime breezes off the water, and watching the city lights twinkle to life.
A group of us went last year and had many of the same things happen. The advertised cheap beer was gone (not PBR, can't remember the type), the food was almost all sold out, only dogs left. The staff was miserable and mischarged us for everything we ordered and then argued w/ my friend when she pointed it out! ANd it was Saturday night, not a holiday weekend or anything. It was weird and definitely not something I need to go back to Queens for.
This "ironic" consumption of PBR is annoying. It is worth buying because it tastes good. Out of a can it tastes pretty crap, but most beers out of a can taste like that. On tap it's okay, but out of a nice cool bottle it is a genuinely pleasant-tasting beer.
(Plus, re: New York Magazine, I thought trucker hats were, like, so 2002. Isn't the new thing those squarish, quasi-militant hats? Do they have a name? Are they already passe? Probably, since they started to show up in the South last year or so.)
Naw, this year it's all about the construction helmet, cop motorcycle helmet, sailor hat, and indian war bonnet ... especially if you live in the Village.
Chris, you mean "che" hats? (For Mr. Revoluationary himself). That's what I call 'em anyway. You and I both have a friend who was wearing one three years ago when things were still tough past South 3rd Street in Williamsburg (and I doubt he reads this blog, but if he does, he'd better comment ;)
Thanks for all the input on the beach.
We hope the # one reason to visit the beach is the views, the fact you can bring your own water, chairs or blankets and there is never a door charge.
We made it clear long before we opened that PBR wouldn't be available. We did have 1 keg which was sold on Saturday. We are sorry for anyone who came looking for the PBR and didn’t find it.
If anyone has been over charged they should certainly seek me out. I'm there in person 90% of the time we are open. If I’m not there one of the other managers would be happy to help with that issue.
We have issued pricing charts for drinks to the staff. All drinks should be priced the same from every waiter. The bar menu is unchanged. While we still can't offer shots, I see no reason we can't make a Jolly Rancher (not that I know how to make it or even what is in it...); it might be the current bar staff doesn't know either. Please let me know.
In terms of food, for our opening weekend we had Beef Dogs, Turkey Dogs, Bratwurst, and Tofu Dogs; we had sides of Relish and Kraut.
This week the Elk and the Beef Burgers (The Motz Burger) will make their debut. The Motz burger is ground fresh on site but will be in limited supply. We will grind about 50 lbs a day. French Fries should also appear this weekend. They too are on the limited availability menu.
In terms of Beer we have MORE than last on tap.. However, we no longer carry any cans or bottled beer. The beers available are listed on our web site.
We had planned to sell PBR in KEG but there is no legal distributor for Queens. Last year for happy hour we sold 24 oz cans for $2; this year during we will sell two kegs worth of 16 oz cups for $2 (that's about 200 cups worth). When those kegs are finished or after happy hour is over, we will sell the beer for $4 for 16 oz.
Since we can't get PBR we are going to serve Schaefer.
In summery, for our 1st Memorial Day weekend, we felt we did better than ever. We had double the staff including waiters, bartenders, and cooks. All the staff went through a screening and training process. Not a perfect process but the staff last year didn’t have any specialized training. The menu is an evolving process. We were supposed to have Elk for the opening but Fed Ex didn't cooperate.
I appreciate everyone's feedback. It is no small feat to operate on the scale we are doing and while taking community needs into account and working as a private and public partnership. With your help we will continue to improve.
Woohoo for actual responses!
But:
Not a perfect process but the staff last year didn’t have any specialized training.
Specialized training?
PBR sucks anyways. Schaefer is much better.. a real beer drinker knows it's the Budweiser of yester-year!
The Water Taxi Beach bar is awesome! I had a great time playing beach volleyball this Sunday and I drank great German beer. I'll be back this Saturday for sure.