Tuesday, November 18, 2008

RIP Hop Devil Grill

The Hop Devil Grill on St. Mark's near Avenue A is gone. Was way too bland and fratty for our liking, but they had some tasty suds on tap -- 31 or so on a rotating basis.



Looks like it will reopen....and be completely different. New concept? Why does this give us the fear?



They were shut down in February for allegedly serving minors; in July, they were reportedly denied a liquor license renewal due to prior violations for selling to minors.

P.S.
The Hop Devil Grill Web site was still up and running as of last night.

P.S.S.
Thanks to Jeremiah for reminding me in the comments that this space used to be Stingy Lulu's, which was there 1992 to, what, 2004? Hop Devil opened in March 2005.

12 comments:

Jeremiah Moss said...

i still miss stingy lulu's.

Anonymous said...

Yes! I needed to make that connection in the post...an interesting EV destination turned into a frat bar.

Jeremiah Moss said...

i wonder if the lulu's facade was totally ersatz or if it had been a real coffee shop previously. anyone know about that signage?

Anonymous said...

I loved Stingy Lulu's--bring it back--it was soo cool--

Anonymous said...

the atomsphere was fratty, but the beer selection was great. phenominal service compared to dba.

Maggie said...

I have fond memories of Stingy Lulu's. Hop Devil got more expensive recently, but did have nice things on tap. Will "new concept" mean "new reason to charge extra"?

Anonymous said...

The first time I set foot east of First Avenue was to visit Stingy Lulu's, and that was a long time ago.

Anonymous said...

i miss stingy lulu's. i remember that being one of the very first places i went to when i moved to nyc 13 plus years ago. i miss it! i would love to know more about that old signage too!

Unknown said...

All that signage was sold on ebay. They also sold a 1960 circa wurlitzer juke box. I am a friend of one of the Hop Devil's owners. Their goal was not to be a frat bar and I don't think it ever really was. The place gets crowded on Friday and Saturday night is all and the hood is changing.

Anonymous said...

Signage was quite relic but I am glad to see the old out!

Anonymous said...

I am suprised about all of the frat bar comments. I've been to the Hop Devil a handful of times, most for beer related events and didn't get that vibe myself. Then again I was probably paying more attention to the beer I was drinking and the people I was with than the crowd itself.

Between the Belgian Room and the Hop Devil itself, they consistently offered high quality beer. Often times, you would be hard pressed to find those beers anywhere else in the city. They made a significant contribution to the craft beer scene and will be missed.

**I have no relationship to the owners and management.

Anonymous said...

I am suprised about all of the frat bar comments. I've been to the Hop Devil a handful of times, most for beer related events and didn't get that vibe myself. Then again I was probably paying more attention to the beer I was drinking and the people I was with than the crowd itself.

Between the Belgian Room and the Hop Devil itself, they consistently offered high quality beer. Often times, you would be hard pressed to find those beers anywhere else in the city. They made a significant contribution to the craft beer scene and will be missed.

**I have no relationship to the owners and management.