What is the happy hour at Welcome to the Johnsons?
Welcome to the Johnsons is a Lower East Side institution that has been faithfully impersonating a 1970s basement rec room since 1999. Faux wood paneling, thrift-store trophies, a pool table, and a jukebox set the scene at 123 Rivington Street, where the drinks stay cheap and the crowd stays loose. It is the kind of intentionally low-frills dive that has become genuinely beloved.
The draw here is simple: some of the most affordable drinks in a neighborhood that keeps getting pricier. Regulars come for $3 PBRs, well-made summer margaritas, and a room that feels like a house party. The bar even carries a bit of pop-culture history, with early Lady Gaga sets among its claims to fame.
The Happy Hour
Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 4:30pm to 9pm, with the same specials kicking off earlier at 1pm on Saturdays. Expect $2 PBR, $3 Budweiser and Bud Light, $4 well drinks and beers, and $5 call liquor. Even outside the window, PBRs hover around $3, so this is a reliably cheap spot at almost any hour.
The Room
A small, dimly lit dive done up like a shag-carpet basement, complete with wood-paneled walls, a landscape painting or two, shelves of kitschy trinkets, low tables, a pool table, a jukebox, and gender-neutral restrooms. The front room near the door has the best seating and a loose sitting-room feel.
Who Welcome to the Johnsons Is For
| Occasion | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Broke night out | $2 PBR and $4 wells make it one of the cheapest rounds on the Lower East Side. |
| Group hangs | The pool table, jukebox, and roomy dive layout suit a crew settling in for hours. |
| Pre-game before a show | Cheap, fast drinks steps from the LES bar crawl and nearby venues. |
| Low-key date | Dark, kitschy, and unpretentious, with summer margaritas worth ordering. |