Phebe's Tavern & Grill

Headquarters for New York University students, starving actors and Bengals and Red Sox fans, Phebe's is a no-frills watering hole that gets rowdy during major-league games and after midnight. Open on the Bowery since 1969, it was a punk hangout in the old CBGB days, but like the rest of the area, it's more mainstream now. (NYU acting school alumnus Rainn Wilson waited tables here in the late '80s.) Cheapest times to hit it are Monday and Wednesday nights, when a pitcher of beer comes with 10-cent chicken wings. On Tuesday, it's two-for-one burger night (the burger's actually pretty good). And don't forget about happy hour. Stick to the basics—beer over fancy cocktails, jeans over designer dresses and food like deep-fried bacon and fries over froufrou grilled salmon.