A Secret Cocktail Bar Behind a Hot Dog Shop in NYC
One address on St Marks Place holds a late-night hot dog counter and the cocktail room behind its phone booth. The booth is the doorbell, not the ticket: without a booking or one of the few bar stools, you stay on the hot dog side.
🧭 One address on St Marks Place
🌭 Eat first, at the counter
Crif Dogs has been the East Village's late-night hot dog counter for two decades, and it is the cheap half of the night. The Everything Dog — a frank under cream cheese, scallions and everything bagel seasoning — is 6.25 on the shop's own menu; the online ordering menu lists 7.25, but the counter price is the one that holds. Tots are 4.95 and a combo with a soda adds 5.95. The shop opens at noon and runs until 2 a.m. Sunday to Thursday, 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
☎️ Dial, and the wall opens
Inside Crif Dogs a wooden phone booth stands against the wall. Pick up the receiver and the back of the booth opens into PDT. The dial is a doorbell, not a ticket: a table booked on Resy, released up to seven days ahead, or one of the few bar stools the room keeps for walk-ins, parties of four or less, is what gets you in. Everyone is 21 and over with a physical ID, and Resy lists a 15 dollar per person fee for cancelling inside 12 hours.
🗺️ How the night runs
Both stops share 113 St Marks Place, so there is no walk between them: book PDT first, reach St Marks about 40 minutes early, eat at the counter, then dial. The 6 at Astor Place is a nine minute walk and the L at First Avenue is closer. A hot dog with tots and a soda lands near 12 dollars, and the cocktails carry the rest of the bill.
