Mehanata Bulgarian Bar

113 Ludlow St.

New York, NY 10002
(212) 625-0981

Bathroom situation - one unisex cubicle in the rear (back...and to the left) on the street level, two on the lower level. The ground-floor one is a hot mess, but the ones in the basement are damn-near romantic.
Takes credit cards? - yes, but there's a $20 min which is strictly enforced...though it may actually be $15, we don't remember. Only one way to find out!
Crowded on weekends? - whooo, child....that seems to be the calling card for this place, which gets crowded, steamy, sweaty, and grope-y most Thu-Sat nights. Apparently, this is the main attraction for most of Mehanata's clientele, so dress accordingly.
Seating - downright dearthy.
Neighborhood - the tail-end of the LES strip. Across the street from the cheapest parking garage in the LES.
Type of crowd - so this place regularly stays open well past 4:00am, and you don't even have to know somebody who knows somebody to enjoy this. Just get there before 4 and kick it like Taebo till your legs give out.
Pretentious/assholes - generally yes, but they're usually outnumbered by the weirdos and the Sergei's who consider this place homeplate.
Cost of Stella - only have it in bottles here, but it'll still run you the neighborhood-standard $6.
What time people start showing up - some at 11:30ish, some at 3:58ish.
Bartender efficiency - bartenders here are mostly female and mostly wavy. They're also almost uniformly hard-assish, but they still get it in.
Official Website - here. Flashy, but not terribly substantive. However, they have a somewhat extensive photo & video gallery, so don't think you can just creep-creep off in here with your jump-off and not risk catching some trials and tribulations from wifey/hubby.
Food? How late - not saying this place is grimey, but Visceralist has peeked in the employees-only back room and though they don't technically serve food here, in some ways even the ice cubes could probably be considered, um, fortified. [ed. j/k]
TVs? What's on - no, but Hulu has an iPhone app coming soon so just hold on.
Guy:girl ratio - 50:50 and the tube-tops be poppin!
Toys - this place is so visually arresting in so many ways that you'll be plenty distracted w/o a pool table, dart board or n'er none of that shit.
Age of clientele - veers 30ish, though SVA's dorms are now right next door so this could soon change, with sexy results....
Space for dancing? - street-level floor: not really, but that doesn't stop anyone. Downstairs: plenty of room cuz the neon light overdose is apparently a turnoff, so feel free to let your leg get as stanky as it needs to be!
Décor - fake palm trees, wood-grain, disco ball, strobe lights....basically what a Bulgarian-American would think a Bulgarian bar would look like having never even visited the old country.
Grimeyness - charming enough to make you not really care about it.
ID check procedure Historical tidbit - this place used to be an S&M/goth club called SeHo.
Music medium, style & volume - music is (a) often loud as shit and (b) supplied by a real-life Oompa-Loompa band. If you're as drunk as you should be while here, it'll totally make sense.
Specials or most popular drink - $2 Recession Wine.
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