The Academy Tavern is everything an "Ol' Timers Bar" should be and more....
This old building is located on the corner of Larchmere and East 128th and has been around since 1939 as the sign out front notes. The menu looks ancient but comforting and the beer is served with a small juice glass. My Dad tells me this is the way they used to serve beer. Pour a few sips in the glass and drink up. After giving this method a whirl, the idea grew on me and I drank my beer sip by sip in that teeny tiny juice glass throughout the entire night. It felt nostalgic!
Anyways, I discovered this place last Saturday night when I had a craving for a Burger. It began with a search on local food blogs and of course this wonderful darn site. The consensus pointed me to the Academy Tavern for a tasty burger in a relaxed atmosphere.
Normally with an establishment like this, it's full of regulars and a newcomer like myself might get looked at weird for crossing "onto their turf". Not at this place. The wife and I were instantly welcomed into the place and got to sit outside on the recently revamped patio.
The service was fast and friendly. The patio atmosphere was nicely surrounded with a wooden fence and landscaping with a tiny waterfall in the corner.
By the time we ordered dinner, the sun started to go down, so I didn't exactly get a good look at what I was eating, but I do know the burger quenched my craving. It was substantial in size and pretty satisfying.
Decent overall experience, good prices and commendable service. They didn't have an extensive beer selection, but then again, this isn't a place you come to order pints of micro-brews. And besides, anything besides generic domestic brands just woudn't look as cool when sipping out of those tiny juice glasses.