Caskey's Tavern - Ridgewood

I will not be returning to this restaurant until they address the issue of poor service on Saturday nights. It has been a consistent problem and has greatly affected my dining experience.

I had a great time at this place. I appreciate bars that don't have that unpleasant odor. Tavern Queen is spotless, with a wonderful outdoor area, and the owners serve delicious drinks and are extremely friendly.

This is the coziest, coolest bar around. Sarah is an amazing bartender who is friendly and professional, always making sure to connect with every customer. The management here really knows how to make everyone feel at home.

I really really want to like this place, which is a beacon in a sea of bars in Ridgewood that cater to old men. I love the interior as well as the prices. But, holy hell, this place has some horrible live music played at ungodly loud volumes. I support live and local music, but does it need to be amplified at ear-splitting volumes that make talking to your companions utterly impossible? It should be kept at a reasonable level so that the three people who are actually paying attention to the musician can do so while the rest of us can actually enjoy our time at the bar. My friends and I had to leave because it was so bad and I doubt we'll be back.

This bar opened in the space that used to be Caskey 's last weekend. It is arguably now the fanciest bar in Ridgewood, but that isn 't saying much, of course. But you know, the only Edison bulbs between Edison Place in Glendale and the borough line. The interior is rather dark, with minimal decor, and the usual neighborhood dive bar beer signs are nowhere to be found. The old Caskey 's shuffleboard is still attached to the wall, and the neon sign still glows out front, most importantly. They have a modest selection of mostly rather common craft and import beers on draft; the most interesting is the Queens Lager from Queens Brewery. Perhaps they 'll follow the spirit of their name and bring in other Queens breweries like Singlecut, Bridge and Tunnel, and Finback, who knows? The back patio has been refurbished with some real seating, the jukebox will be operable soon, and they 'll also be adding a small menu in the future as well as occasional live music. Queens Tavern does seem to thankfully be generally catering to the regular neighborhood crowd, which has appeared relatively diverse in age and background on my visits thus far. So far, so good. It will be interesting to see how they settle in.