Go to Moe's Before It's Gone

Moe’s has been all over the press lately. Notice of the bar’s closure came last November with a February deadline. With the closing festivities only a week away, it was announced that owners Ruby Lawrence and Chelsea Altman managed to receive a last-minute extension and will be keeping the lights on until May.

It seemed like a standard tale of rent-talks-gone-bad until it was discovered that landlord James McDowell is in the midst of a strange investigation involving sexual assault, kidnapping, illegal firearms and a police standoff. 

You can’t make this stuff up.

Regardless of the tabloid juiciness, Moe’s is a Fort Greene institution deserving of thoughtful analysis — over drinks, of course. Any bar with staying power has done something right, and now in its tenth year of business, the old girl has earned her tin.

I arrived for happy hour, which caters to a motley crew of local patrons. Two young well-dressed black men named Jeff and Claude — they preferred first names only — were heavily engaged in a game of Othello at the end of the bar. Jeff was winning handily and invited me to take next game. I accepted and counted out my pieces.

“I think I’ll stay black. You stay white.  It’ll avoid confusion,” said Jeff, with a grin. 

I was relieved that he jumped on the obvious joke, as I was struggling for a good punch line to no avail. Ten minutes into the game it was clear that I was out of my league. We kept things interesting with a half-dozen rounds of whiskey. Claude made sure that I didn’t forget how bad I was getting beat. Jeff took no pity on my pathetic strategy.

With a straightforward tap full of the old standbys and a simple cocktail list, Moe’s provides nothing special in the drinking department.  Happy hour beers are two-for-one, a solid bargain in a part of town that becomes increasingly upscale with every passing year. The real win is the clientele, which is incredibly varied and full of memorable characters. Locals range from black to white, bohemian to corporate, and nearly every regular seems to be on a first name basis with the staff.

“I drink here because it’s awesome, duh.” said Verdie May Meyers, an acid-tongued brunette armed with an impressive mini-skirt and a Louisiana drawl. 

I gulped and nodded, once again out of my league.

A weekend evening at Moe’s is not to be taken lightly. The bartenders are represented by an impressive array of hulking, sleeveless toughs and the lounge becomes populated primarily by a well-dressed lot upon nightfall. Expect some club jams and a packed house.

Bartender Butch Johnson, a nine-year veteran and all-around nice guy was quick to lament the loss of his beloved establishment.

“This is a great place. It’s so strange that we’re closing.  Maybe something will come along,” said Johnson, who hinted at what a lot of barflies were thinking: Moe’s days are numbered.

Still, Johnson added, “I haven’t given up hope yet.”

Regardless of what happens come May, every local should stumble down to Moe’s for a pint this spring and put a little extra feather of Fort Greene credibility in their cap.