Automatic Slim’s: A 1986 West Village Corner Bar With a 4:30-7:30 Happy Hour
Automatic Slim’s has held the corner of Washington and Bank since 1986, and the happy hour still does the heavy lifting: weekdays 4:30-7:30pm with $5 well shots, $7 bottles, and $8 drafts and wine. By 11pm it’s a dance party; at 5pm it’s yours.
The happy hour at Automatic Slim’s runs weekdays from 4:30pm to 7:30pm — and since the bar is closed Sunday and Monday, that means Tuesday through Friday.
The deals: $5 well shots, $7 bottled beer, $8 wine, draft beer, and hard seltzer, $10 well drinks, $12 call liquor and cocktails — plus food and drink specials. Not valid during private parties.
About Automatic Slim’s
Opened by seven bartenders in 1986 and named for a character in Willie Dixon’s “Wang Dang Doodle,” Automatic Slim’s is the far West Village’s last real party bar — a small corner room plastered in rock-and-roll memorabilia that turned 40 this year and still draws a line around the Bank Street corner on weekends.
The Happy Hour in Detail
Tuesday through Friday, 4:30-7:30pm, off the bar’s own menu: $5 well shots, $7 bottles, $8 for wine, drafts, and hard seltzers, $10 well drinks, and $12 for call liquor and cocktails. That’s three full hours, and the room is at its calmest — the DJ-and-dancing crowd doesn’t land until much later. One catch: the deal is off when the bar’s bought out for a private party, which happens; check their calendar if it’s a special trip.
What to Order
Keep it simple during the window — a $5 well shot and an $8 draft is the house handshake. Off the specials, the Casa Margarita and espresso martini both run $17, the burger with fries is $15, and the catfish po’boy ($16) is better than a bar this loud has any right to serve.
The Space & Vibe
Small, loud, and unapologetically 1980s — memorabilia on every wall, a crowd that starts as neighborhood regulars and ends as a standing-room dance floor. Forbes profiled it at 40 for a reason: nothing else in the far West Village parties like this anymore.
The West Village Angle
Washington and Bank is a block from Hudson River Park and across from Westbeth Artists Housing — deep in the quiet far-west blocks, a 10-minute walk from both the 1 at Christopher St and the A/C/E/L at 14th St-8th Ave. Doors open at 4:30pm Tue-Sat; closed Sun-Mon.
Who It’s For
| Best for | Why |
|---|---|
| Early-evening locals | the 4:30-7:30 window is the calm before the dance floor |
| Cheap rounds by the river | $5 shots and $7 bottles a block from Hudson River Park |
| Birthday energy later | the whole bar books out for parties — or just show up at 11 |
| 80s-jukebox loyalists | four decades of rock-and-roll walls and a crowd that sings along |
FAQ
Does Automatic Slim’s have a happy hour?
Yes — weekdays 4:30-7:30pm (Tue-Fri in practice; the bar is closed Sun-Mon): $5 well shots, $7 bottles, $8 drafts and wine, $10 wells, $12 cocktails.
Where is Automatic Slim’s?
733 Washington St at Bank St, in the far West Village a block from Hudson River Park.
When did Automatic Slim’s open?
1986 — it was opened by seven bartenders and marked 40 years in 2026.
Is Automatic Slim’s open every day?
No — closed Sunday and Monday; open Tuesday-Saturday from 4:30pm until late.
Happy hour details verified July 2026. Times change — confirm with the venue.