Hellbender

The energy level at Hellbender in Ridgewood, a bar from the Rolo’s people, falls somewhere in the center of the going-out spectrum: it's a good, low-lit spot for maybe the tiniest bit of dancing, but mostly conversations with friends over henny coladas. Drinks are generally sweet and accompanied by bendy straws, like a rum cocktail called the Taxidermy Jaguar that you can drink while standing next to a taxidermy jaguar. What's more exciting is the Mexican-influenced bar food like lamb carnitas and choriqueso served with soft Sobre Masa tortillas. You'll run up a fat bill if you try to finagle a full dinner here. So we’d suggest sticking to drinks and a few snacks, like their $14 fried Oaxaca cheese sticks.