Mustang Harry’s has fully embraced the craft beer boom. We now offer a wide array of craft beers on tap and in bottles, from breweries such as Sixpoint, Bluepoint and Magic Hat.

Together with our friends at Sixpoint, this Thursday night, we’re offering a promotion on Sixpoint Sweet Action this Thursday, March 22, from 6-7 pm.

The Sixpoint team describes Sweet Action as “Part pale ale, part wheat, part cream ale- all Sweet Action.” Hoptopia, which gives it a stellar rating of 94/100, writes about its “Layers of ripe exotic fruit flavor, both sweet and bitter, mark its aroma and body. Vigorous dry-hopping with simcoe hops serve to amplify its robust “tropical” character.”

Come by and taste it yourself!

This Thursday, March 22, sees is the return of the Black Keys and opening act Arctic Monkeys to Madison Square Garden.

The two bands played at the same arena on March 12. After many solid reviews of the Black Keys at Madison Square Garden, there will undoubtedly be quite a few fans returning for a second dose of that magic. Jon Pareles, longtime music critic for The New York Times, praised “the fundamentals that a blues-rock band picks up the old-fashioned way, playing night after night: the dynamics of musicians creating tension and release, easing back before building a long crescendo on the way to another crashing peak, grounding themselves in the power of beat, riff and moan. The rudiments still work.” In contrasting the two acts, Pareles wrote that the Arctic Monkeys “were running, skillfully, on caffeine and adrenaline; the Black Keys, when they took over, burned diesel.”

YouTube offers bootlegged video of both bands: see the Arctic Monkeys at MSG or video of Black Keys at MSG.

Mustang Harry’s has long been one of the premier pre-concert bars near Madison Square Garden. We have a new line-up of craft beers, and from 6-7 pm on March 22, Sixpoint Brewery will be sponsoring a promotion of $5 pints of Sixpoint Sweet Action. It’s one of the world’s best beers, and we’re able to offer it at a bargain price for fans of the Black Keys. We also have outstanding menu that we are steadily expanding with exciting new items.

We’ve heard nothing but rave reviews for our Carnitas  – braised pork butt, avocado, pickled red onions, cilantro and coleslaw on French bread, served with black and tan onion rings. Another hot new item is our Hickory burger, made with Canadian bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and BBQ sauce. Come try them yourself and see why New York Magazine calls us one of the best sports bars in NYC.

The Rangers have been in first place in the Atlantic Division since December, but their lead has shrunk to just four points over the surging Penguins with 14 games to go. Losing the division would be costly for the Rangers, who would drop from the No. 1 seed in the conference to the No. 4 seed, setting up a difficult first round match-up with the Flyers or Devils.

The Rangers lost three road games in a row while Madison Square Garden was hosting the Conference USA Big East Tournament, but now they come home for seven games. The homestand started well with a much-needed win over the Islanders, thanks to three power-play goals, including the overtime winner by Marion Gaborik. Shoot the puck!

The Rangers face Carolina Tuesday night, hoping to extend their lead to six points before Thursday’s monumental game against Pittsburgh. The Pens, winners of nine in a row, will likely have the Little Baby, Sidney Crosby, back in the line-up for the first time since December 5, so the Rangers PK unit better be ready to kill off a series of highly dubious penalty calls.

The rest of the homestand includes a St. Patrick’s Day game against the Avalanche, the final Battle of the Hudson of the regular season, the only game this year against the Detroit Red Wings, and a game against a Sabres team desperate to reach the playoffs.

Mustang Harry’s is the best gathering place for Rangers fans before games. Join us for Happy Hour (3-7 pm daily) and stick around of you don’t have tickets because we have a multitude of hi-def TVs showing the game.

Let’s go Rangers!

With so many landmark buildings and more in NYC, of course it’s hard to pick a favorite. But, if you asked many New Yorkers and tourists alike, what building says New York to you?, many of them will say the Empire State Building. It’s easy to see why – as the tallest building in the city, and one of the few that changes colors on a regular basis, this Art Deco beauty is nearly synonymous with NYC.

Located on 5th Avenue, between 34th and 33rd Streets, the building has famously made appearances in movies from King Kong in 1933 to Guys and Dolls, Kramer vs. Kramer and many, many more. It’s nearly always pictured as an iconic element of the city skyline, from local morning news to the national evening broadcasts – making it one of the most frequently viewed buildings in the world.

While many NYC locals have ‘been there, done that’ and see the building every day, its ever-changing and famous lights are always a topic of conversation. Sometimes its colors are obvious – Green for St. Patrick’s Day or Red/White/Blue for Independence Day – but sometimes its colors are more subtle and up for debate – Blue for World Autism Awareness Day, or Orange/Blue, honoring a NY Mets player. When not being lit for a specific date or cause, the building’s lights are simply, classically white.

The famous lights have been updated over the years to become more environmentally friendly, adding energy efficient bulbs and the ability to turn the lights down if the NYC power grid demands it. These are just some of the many updates and renovations that have taken place over the years – with a $550 million full renovation project commencing in 2007. As the building has been renovated, it’s been done with original materials wherever possible. Take the famous interior ceiling. The original 1930s ceiling mural was lost in the 1960s during  a ‘modernization’ project, but was again deemed important with the renovation, so the original ceiling was recreated, using the same materials and method used the first time around. Installed in 2009, the new ceiling was created and installed in such impeccable detail that its production took over twice as long as the construction of the original building!

We’re glad to see this landmark being restored the ‘right’ way, and we’re thrilled to be its neighbor. Just a few blocks away at 30th and 7th, Mustang Harry’s is a great spot for ESB visitors to come take a load off. Skip the chain restaurants next door, trust us! And walk 10 minutes west to come see us. As a family-friendly restaurant, with plenty of TVs to catch the latest sporting event or just distract the kids, you’ll get a better meal and better service at Harry’s than you will at the tourist traps around the corner from Empire State. Our extensive menu has something for everyone, and we offer a kids’ meal, so you won’t have to break the bank to feed the family. See you soon!

There is one ritual missing at this time of year in NYC – no one is glad that winter is over, because winter never came. Still, the middle of March does bring with it a sense of renewal and hope for the remaining 9 months of the New Year.

Of course, as a sports bar, the main reason for the distinct air of excitement around us is March Madness. As of this moment, 68 teams have a chance to win the tournament. Significant underdogs have been on a tear in major sport championships for more than a year – starting with the SF Giants’ win in the 2010 World Series, we’ve seen the GB Packers, UConn, the Dallas Mavericks, the St. Louis Cardinals and the NY Giants come from nowhere to take home a trophy or ring. This is especially true in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, where not only did UConn have to win 4 games in the Big East tournament to even make the field, but in the prior year, unheralded Butler came within inches of upsetting Duke, and then returned to the final game again.

Thus, tens of thousands of fans times 68 have a new sense of hope, a reason to believe their team can win it all.

Mustang Harry’s is one of the best sports bars in NYC to watch the NCAA Tournament, as we show every game we can, all day long. Once the tournament reaches the Sweet Sixteen stage, you can be sure we’ll have every game on multiple TV sets.  If you live or work around Penn Station, we’re right in your neighborhood. We see a steady stream of employees from the Penn Plaza office buildings all day long while the March Madness games are on.

We’ve recently added a large line-up of world class craft beers, and have long been known for serving food that is just right for those watching their team play and enjoying a pint or a glass of wine to go with it. Many of the games fall during our Happy Hour, from 3 to 7 pm daily, so you can enjoy great values on our food and drink.

We’ll see you soon!

Matthew Macklin

On Saturday night, March 17, there will be one reason more than usual to get your Irish up.

At the Theater at Madison Square Garden, Ireland’s Matthew “Mack the Knife” Macklin (28-3, 19KO’s). a former Tipperary hurler, is fighting in the biggest fight of his legendary career, as he seeks to claim the WBC/WBO Middleweight Champion Belt from Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (48-2-2, 27KO’s). Click here for the full schedule, which is chock full of Irish lads.

At Mustang Harry’s, considered one of the best sports bars in NYC, many of the fans attending the fight will perform their own pre-fight ritual, enjoying our extraordinary food and lineup of Irish and American craft beers.

Best of all, the Corona Pub Crawl to promote the fight begins at Mustang Harry’s on Thursday, March 15, at 5:30. We’ll be offering a special price of $5 for Corona,as well as our usual Happy Hour specials on food and drink. The Corona marketing people will have free giveaways. Best of all, the Ring Girls will be here, taking photos with their adoring fans. It will be the perfect kick-off to St. Patrick’s weekend and the countdown to this much anticipated fight.

One of NYC’s biggest attractions is undoubtedly its shopping. From Canal Street to 5th Avenue, and everything in between, we know that a lot of tourists come to the city just to shop. But, and we’re not making generalizations here, we also know that some people have more shopping endurance than others – so, what to do when the women want to shop til they drop, and the men in the group have….dropped?

First, know that you’re not alone. We see it all the time. And we’re here to help. We’re just a few blocks from Macy’s Herald Square, and a couple of avenues over from 5th Avenue, and we’ve got TVs – lots of TVs. Everyone is welcome at Harry’s, but we want the abandoned men to know – you have a safe haven with us! We’re always showing the latest sporting events, or welcoming a crowd before or after an event at Madison Square Garden, so come see us for a few beers, or something from our extensive menu – our Disco Fries are becoming world-famous, and we have more upscale entrees too, from Roasted Half Chicken to Cajun Catfish and much more.

And, did we mention we have the longest bar in NYC? We also have plenty of booths with easy TV views, and free wi-fi, so you’re welcome to spend the afternoon with us. When the ladies are done shopping, have them join you for a round – we have food to match every taste, a welcoming staff, and plenty of room for a relaxing afternoon or evening meal.

The stars of the gymnastics universe will be on center court this weekend at Madison Square Garden.

The Nastia Liukin Cup, featuring the best younger gymnasts in the US, is on Friday night. It’s a chance to see the up and coming stars who will make headlines a few years from now.

On Saturday night, you get to see gymnastic stars around the world who are making headlines now, and who will become household names this summer as they collect piles of medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. It’s the AT&T American Cup.

If you’re reading this post, you may be wondering about family friendly restaurants near Madison Square Garden.

Mustang Harry’s, the best sports bar in NYC, is a family friendly restaurant, just around the corner from MSG on 7th Avenue, between 29th and 30th streets, so you won’t have to walk far. Even better, enjoy a great meal with us – no subpar, chain restaurant fare here, without the lines or stress. We offer a wide range on our menu, from our famous Disco Fries to Spicy Shrimp Scampi, and we offer discounted weekend parking at ICON Parking on West 28th between 7th and 8th – there goes that stressor too!

1980s rock legends Van Halen return to Madison Square Garden for two shows this week, on Tuesday and Thursday night.

Tickets are still available here. The band recently released A Different Kind of Truth, its 12th album, and the first to feature vocals by Roth since 2006.

A Different Kind of Truth has received excellent reviews, with its first single Tattoo quickly climbing the Billboard charts. USA Today said that it’s the “true kick in the butt that arena rock desperately needs.”

Once you have tickets, you’ll likely be wondering where is the best place to eat near Madison Square Garden. Mustang Harry’s, one of the best sports bars in NYC, has long been considered one of the best bars near Madison Square Garden. We offer outstanding food, dozens of beers on tap, including a long list of American craft beers, terrific wine and other libations, and a great atmosphere. Check out these reviews of Mustang Harry’s on Open Table and come see us before and after Van Halen!

Tournament time is right around the corner…it’s time to start making watch plans now. Wondering where to watch the Big East tournament in NYC? At Harry’s, we always get lots of Big East fans and we’ll be watching the conference tournament from the first tip-off on Tuesday, March 6th through the championship game on Saturday night, March 10th. (View the official full schedule here.)

Since the first three rounds are being played during the workday (hey, not our idea!), we’ve got free Wi-Fi access in case you need to be connected – or if you will be “working from home” during the tournament. And, we have the longest bar in NYC and lots of comfortable booths with TV views – so, no crowding up to the bar, or having to choose between seeing the TV and sitting in comfort. Yes, this is one of those times when you truly can have it all.

Our menus have choices for everyone – from the epic Disco Fries to Lemongrass Chicken Potstickers, steak sandwiches, and much more. And, of course our craft beer and cocktail menus have lots of popular favorites. So, mark your calendar, bring your friends, and come see us at Harry’s to root on your favorite Big East teams!