The restaurant space’s last tenant was The Chelsea House.
With Major League Baseball’s Opening Day approaching on Tuesday, March 18, New York Yankees fans will soon have a retro-themed sports bar to call home.
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“The way I describe it to everyone is that it’s like your grandfather’s basement,” said Bryant about his bar. “The name is a triple entendre: throwback to the past, throw back a drink, and throw an actual ball back.”
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The Throwback will be focused on being a Yankees-themed space, with pictures of players including Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Yogi Berra, and Joe DiMaggio–who once lived on the Upper West Side while making history with his record-setting 56-game hit streak in 1941, which still stands to this day. “A lot of the stuff is going to be sort of pushed towards baseball,” Bryant said. “The most history that we have in sports is baseball.” However, you’ll also find some New York Knicks memorabilia sprinkled in, like a basketball signed by Walt Frazier and a jersey signed by Bernard King.
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The bi-level, estimated 2,700-square-foot space will feature a bar, eight TVs, and the sports memorabilia mentioned on the ground floor as soon as you walk in. If you go downstairs, you’ll find a lounge atmosphere with a pinball machine, jukebox, table games, and four TVs. Bryant noted that the downstairs area will be open from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Food currently planned for the menu includes bar staples like chicken wings, nachos, sweet potato fries, and buffalo chicken wraps. There will also be a short list of cocktails, along with a simple wine selection and typical bar beers.
Bryant sees people between 40 and 60 years old as the average customers of The Throwback. “I think we are going to actually be able to get people who don’t usually go to bars out,” Bryant said. “We are going to try to bridge that gap a little bit and have a sports bar that is also a nice date spot.” He signed a long-term lease with rent over $20,000 per month.
While the Yankees made it to the World Series in 2024, they were defeated by the Los Angeles Angels 4 games to 1. On Monday, March 10, it was announced that Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole will miss the entire season, needing Tommy John surgery. Last month, the iconic sports franchise declared they will no longer play ‘New York, New York’ by Frank Sinatra after losses, a song played no matter what the outcome was since 1980. Instead, they will rotate in different numbers, like ‘That’s Life,’ another Sinatra classic. The change in tune suggests that some people believe the season ahead could be a bumpy ride.
Current Yankees shortstop, Anthony Volpe, calls the Upper West Side home.
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Why??? Why is this necessary??? Every single sports bar on the UWS is so Yankee focused, forgets there is another team in NYC as well, and they open ANOTHER one?
Agreed. Why not a Mets themed bar? Equal representation!
Methinks you may want to consider traveling to Queens or Long Island instead.
Great news! Just wish it was in the 60’s or 70’s.
90’s is too far uptown for us.
Best of luck!
Thank you THROWBACK for filling a rotating space with something that might actually last. That block is improving well with the commercial tenants breathing new life, energy, and LIGHT.
Pio Pio, Rancho, now Rudraks and Throwback – this is really nice to see.
I think you’re on to something – We need new ‘THROWBACK’ places to just relax, have a beverage, not spend an arm and leg, nor have pulsating ‘house’ music all the time for 22 year olds that want a Kombucha mocktail, and a Kale salad.
How about those wings have a lemon-pepper, dry rub, twice cooked, grilled option?
Popcorn machine? lol
Good luck! I’ll be there first weekend for a beverage and a game, any game!
My favorite is Kam Lai right next door to this. I’m in the target age and will check this out. The only bar we’ve had in that area for a long time is Dive Bar, which is blah.
Gee, I wonder why there’s turnover on that block. Well, not really.
Please, enlighten us.
Really, now.
Yes. Really. Now.
Ish,
Too many shootings on that bit of Amsterdam. Drives away customers.
On game day, if I’m not at CitiField, I’ll be heading up a to The Lion’s Head Tavern, 109 & Amsterdam, the UWS’ best Mets bar!
The write-up mentions Jete, Mariano, Yogi, and Joltin’ Joe as former denizens of the Upper West Side (I’m skeptical about Yogi, who’s associated with New Jersey). Could also have mentioned A-Rod, who was rumored at one time to have bought an apartment on Riverside Boulevard. But the big one that got away was the Bambino, who lived during his Yankee days on West End Avenue.