Earl’s Beer & Cheese
“When I was there, they had four excellent craft brews on tap as well as a selection of canned craft beers.”
“The bread pudding – served piping hot, it really got me into the holiday mood.”
“Hidden in the border of the Upper East Side/ East Harlem, its totally worth the trek.”
Earl’s Beer & Cheese
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Completely unassuming spot in a hard to navigate area on Park Avenue. Odd decor – something in between a lodge cabin and a modern beer bar. Only one extremely friendly server lady, so sit down and order at the front.
First time I came here I got the beer cheese, this time got the Calabro Grilled Cheese ($6) and a draft beer ($8). Obviously the price point here is great, and the food is well done to boot. Chips, mozzarella, pickles, mayo sandwiched into a toasted english muffin – amazing. A solid variety of beers considering the small draft list, and some brunch specials if craft isn't up your alley.
Service here is fast – got my beer immediately and my meal in 8 minutes. Nothing fancy here; when you're looking for beer and cheese this is the place to go. Simple as that.
Ended up at Earl's after a trip to the Cooper Hewitt Museum and had a great time. The beer cheese platter is great (super buttery bread with garlic to rub on yourself) and the NY cheddar sandwich was a huge delicious mess of pork belly, fried egg, and kimchi on rich sourdough bread.
Aside from all this though, the bartender was one of the friendliest I've ever encountered and did not hesitate to give me samples of all three beers I was considering when I made my first order (of course I'd go on to order all three as the evening progressed..). Which brings me to the beers! They only had six or so on tap but they were all great choices so it was more a matter of the order to drink them in rather than which to get.
It got a little tight as more and more people kept showing up, but I can understand why – anytime I'm above the 80s this is going to be my go to place for food and good beer.
Easy going atmosphere, a straightforward yet tasty menu, and a focus on small craft brews, Earl's Beer & Cheese easily meets and exceeds expectations.
This is exactly the type of places you should visiting when you visit New York. Earl's Beer & Cheese, located in a hole-in-the-wall on the Upper East Side, knows exactly what it wants to be – a hip bar with comfort food for locals. The space is small, only seating two dozen people comfortably, with a rustic simple decor. When we dropped by on a Saturday night the place was packed with young people playing board games supplied by the bar.
It all starts with the beers, which is exclusively microbrews from all over the country. This Pennsylvanian for example was able to enjoy a Neshaminy Brewing Company beer during my visit. The food here too is also magnificent in its perceived simplicity. In came the name didn't give it away, they specialized in grilled cheese, but also offer some sandwiches and tacos, with unique and fresh ingredients that turn the dishes on their collective heads in the best way possible. My favorite of the food was actually the Cuban Reuben ($10) – juicy braised pork shoulder, homemade pickled vegetables and peppers, mouth watering beer cheese mustard, topped with Swiss cheese on toasted marbled rye. It was excellent and was a step up from your typical bar fare.
I adored Earl's Beer & Cheese, and not only because they had PA beers. The food is stellar, the atmosphere is inviting, and it feels like an authentic locals bar without trying too hard. Definitely worth a visit.
Earl's is on heavy rotation for me, because of its proximity to my place of employment but even if it weren't, I would be a big fan. After a rough day at work, my body cries out for some of the tasty, tasty beer cheese and a few delicious craft beers. I have literally wept with pleasure into a plate of the beer cheese (a combination of happiness and sleep deprivation induced delirium, don't judge me for my feelings!)
Also excellent is the taco which is served on a scallion pancake, any of the grilled cheese sandwiches, and the Mac and cheese. When I'm feeling really crazy, I also get the bread pudding.
Guess I'm a little late to the game, maybe this place has changed over the past few years?
I was super stoked to try this highly rated place out, especially considering the lack of solid bar options in close proximity to us. Now don't get me wrong, Just a stop or two down the 6, and I am in the glory of bars that is Yorkville, but there is really nothing like a truly local bar that you can walk to from your apartment. I thought for sure Earls would be our go to, but sadly it I don't think this will be it.
Like I said, high hopes were had walking into this place. to hold a solid rating with that many reviews is usually a great sign; we grabbed a seat at the tiny bar (which I dug, it was awesome seeing two people get that much work done in such a small space), and perused the drink menu. I will say that the tap selection was on point, they have a rotating line up that is small but full of craft beers (you're not getting miler here, and that is A-OK). I had an Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail on tap which wasn't bad, but I thought I would move over into the can selection. This is where things started to get a little dicey for me; the can selection again was thorough, but there was nothing really…well all that good on offer. I had a Newburgh Brewing Cream Ale, which ran around 7$ (I get it, NYC rent is high), but was truly awful. Were that it, this place would probably get a higher rating, the food is outrageously decadent looking, and they have a decent enough vibe going on; country bar meets city, with a heavy hospital bar feel…seriously if you described this to me before going in, I would definitely say it's a place in my wheelhouse, which is all the more upsetting – I should love this place….tears. I think the thing that really pushed this place over the edge though was the wine. "Earls beer and cheese", yep I get it, who orders wine at a place like this? My girlfriend, who didn't really want beer, so she made the fateful decision to order a glass of wine… that came out of a box. No bueno. Look if you want to be a pure beer place, do it up, it's working really really well for other places in the city (ABC Beer Co, looking at you). BUT if you're going to offer a product, make sure it's halfway decent (..at minimum), because that wine? Eww.
Sorry guys, the beer I had was nothing that special, the wine was atrocious and the whole affair was pretty overpriced for the neighborhood. Amazing staff, great vibe but my new neighborhood bar? I think not.
First and foremost, the beer cheese here is phenomenal! All of their food is delicious, but I would consider the beer cheese a must-get if you're looking to split something to nibble on, or order it for take out if you want to rapidly inhale the beer cheese in the privacy of your own home (like me).
This is a great place to stop by if you're in the neighborhood. It's cozy and casual, and has a great menu of beer and food listings. Regardless of when I go, the staff is always beyond friendly and so helpful in offering drink selections. I would say the only downfall is the smaller size of the space – unless you're lucky with your timing, this place isn't super conducive with drinking in large groups. If you come with a handful of people, I suggest heading straight for the back past the bar, since there are a few booths and long "picnic tables" for people to sit together.
Earl's Beer & Cheese serves more than good beer and cheese. At most bars that serve food, the food is typically an afterthought, but the food here is as good as it gets.
My favorite dish is Earl's Taco, made of braised pork shoulder wrapped in a Chinese scallion pancake. Not only is the pork soft and tender, the pancake adds a nice crunch too. Instead of tortillas, I wish all Mexican restaurants would start making tacos with scallion pancakes like they do here. It's even better than the real thing!
I ate at a lot of restaurants that are more well-known and expensive during my trip in NYC, but I liked this hole-in-the-wall the most. The food here is one of the most innovative and tasty things I've had in a while.
ABCs of EBC (earl's beer n cheese)…
sit at the communal table in the front-ish, grab a stool at the tiny bar (seats about 8) OR push to the back for booth, table and other seating options. an eclectic mix of items adorn the walls — hipster-y t-shirts, odds prints/paintings, horns, a mounted stag head (faux or real idk. assume real.), and the list goes on. the lightish woods and moody earthtones give off a hunter's lodge in the 70s with the odd retro bric-a-brac–and without the weapons, sweat stank, and grit. chalk scrawled board lay out the bar's food and beer/vino menus.
there are a few tap drafts and then a range of cans. i partook of the Newburgh Cream and Evil Twin (the evil twin is a punch in the mouth hard. definitely a sipping beer). the beer is pricey and the selection needs an overhaul. i didn't pay for the beers, so i am unsurprising upbeat about this this join–thanks to a lil' help from fraaaaands. i did contribute/threw ten dollar which hit the bar n fell on the floor. not even close–and not even close to covering the cost of my two beers.
the food looks tasty and simple .next to me and my fraaands, a gluttonous pair kept ordering food. i eyed a grilled cheese that smelled like bacon; beer cheese with toasted bread; and cheezy mac-n-cheese. comfy eats and cold beer work well together.
there's a weekly trivia night. 5 dineros entrance fee which goes towards the pot.
service: fun & friendly with the right amount of banter.
WARNING: the bathrooms are down downstairs through a series of corridors and labyrinths. so if you're super-sauced…hold onto the railing and take your time.
WARNING: buybacks are prolly extinct here or that's what it seemed to me.
won't be a regular hang for me–mostly bc it's far away (too far above 14th st lol) and the prices for beer be steep. however i respect this bar for what it is attempting to do.
drops mic, so i grab those folks' grilled cheese and run!
i out.
zzz.