Packed with bustling kiddies, FBK is two, two, two joints in one. As one walks into the narrow “bar” side and is assaulted by the drunken, underage grindfest and Spring Break music, the temptation is to go sprinting for the door. Widening out into your classic, large, worn-wood college bar, groups of youngins hang out in several wooden booths and every other available inch of inhabitable space. There’s always a drunk couple doing the wasted Lambada in front of the jukebox and the shock of how young 17-year-olds truly look continues to shock. Walk through an inconspicuous doorway by the bathroom and you are transported to a Moroccan den, complete with pillows, muted colors and couches. Gone are the gyrating teens. Gone is the “Zooma zoom zoom in your boom boom” music and gone is the apprehension about spending the rest of the night bumping into smashed jackasses. The mood is much more chill, the high ceilings attractive and the crowd much more suitable for adult fun. There is waitress service, but with the crowds and the sheer distance from the only bar, some of those children may be cashing their social security checks before your booze shows up. We’re not sure what nights aren’t crowded, but going here on a Friday or Saturday can bring frustration to a new level. If you have unlimited reserves of patience, then this might be a good time, but us old folks did our time years ago elbowing our way through crowds. [MF]
130 W 3rd St. (bet. Washington Sq W & 6th Ave.)
212/533-4790
thefatblackpussycat.com