The Creek & The Cave: Your Go-To Spot for Tasty Mexican Food and Comedy in Long Island City

To close off the Queens part of the Winter Tippler cocktail book, we came here last night to imbibe on their traditional Margarita. Fair warning: it comes in a glass that's meant for a pint of beer so it's basically 2 drinks in 1. The Creek & Cave has two floors: the street level is a small restaurant where you can order food and beer at a table. The lower level is the bar/stage where you can order harder drinks and watch a comedy show. The bottom level is cash only so come prepared with some bills. I ordered the chicken enchiladas with zesty salsa verde sauce and it definitely had a nice kick to it. Thankfully my tall Margarita was close by to extinguish the spice in my mouth. Their happy hour is super reasonable. You can get decent beers for 5 bucks which is awesome for LIC. Our bartender was super personable and friendly! She kept us entertained the whole time and was very accommodating to us. As we were leaving, a comedy show was starting. Next time I'll stick around for one.

I want to give this spot 5 stars but I can't. $12 for 3 tacos? That's just crazy talk to me. The location is extremely fun don't get me wrong. I do come here every now and again for the pinball machines since I don't drink often. It's always a good time if your looking to meet some hipsters and hear some comedy. ::BathRoom Alert:: I have to say the bathroom is a little sketchy to me. It reminds me of an 80s movie bathroom where people do unspeakable things. But I'm glad they have tons of soap and toliet paper. The upstairs is the best place to be if you just want to eat. Trying to eat downstairs by the pinball at the little bar is a little hard. It can get crowded depending on the time. Not in the mood to be indoors? Don't worry theres a cool patio in the back area with hanging lights. I did notice service is a little slow if your back here but it's really fun. I just can't get over the prices and find that there is better Mexican in the area.

What's up with all the negative nancy's giving this place bad reviews?! I came here for brunch on Sunday and have nothing but good things to say! Cute space. Not huge in the upstairs dining area but enough room for a decent amount of people. Service was fast and friendly. Lots of options and the food is CHEAP! Not to mention $2 mimosas at brunch! I think I actually prefer that to unlimited as i don't feel like I have to overindulge to get my $$$'s worth. The waitress was fast to get us refills (water and mimosas). She first brought out free chips and salsa which were pretty tasty. Our food took about 20 minutes but was well worth the wait. I got the taco salad (sub chicken for beef) and my friend got the chilaquillaes (however the FFF you spell that). Food was hot and fresh and we both enjoyed it! Will definitely be back to try other things on the menu. They have different specials everyday that are great deals. Everything is super reasonable even if you aren't getting the special of the day. There's a separate bar in the basement that looks pretty cool and they have free comedy every night! Again - can't understand what all the bad reviews are about?! Some people are just too picky and prissy for their own good! It's not a 5 star restaurant..it's a little dive serving good mexican food and cheap drinks! If you want something 5 star, head into Manhattan and pay 5 star prices!

Subterranean entertainment! This venue located in Long Island City can be a beehive of activity depending on the time of day. I visited solely for the purpose of playing their pinball tables, which are located next to the downstairs bar. They had Wizard of Oz LE, Twilight Zone, The Walking Dead, The Sopranos, Medieval Madness and a couple that were switched off (Star Trek and The Hobbit). All games were $1.00 per play (or $2 for 3 credits) and accepted bills. The pinballs were in fairly good condition. When I stopped in on a Sunday afternoon, Creek & Cave was promoting a $5 AYCE mac-n-cheese buffet, with no less than 10 varieties to choose from. I passed, opting to obtain my daily nutrients from half a dozen pints of beer (beer's got nutrients in it, right? Just say yes), but the general consensus seemed to be that all of the macaroni tasted great. The biggest issue I encountered was that the macaroni smorgasbord was setup in the pinball area, and with a bunch of people already hovering around the food, it got crazy hot downstairs. What's more, the chafing dishes/pans of hot cheesy noodles were placed **dangerously** close to those of us shooting silver ball trick shots. I was seriously worried that my ass was going to catch on fire, given the proximity of my butt to the buffet table. Then again, I've got a rather large derriere (for a white guy)...... C&C features a separate room for standup comedy, which I think is an awesome feature. There appeared to be only one downstairs bathroom for both guys and girls, so expect a wait during busy hours. But the female bartender was cute, the pinballs in mostly terrific shape, and the replay values set lower than expected on many tables, which meant a great return on investment. Yep, I'd recommend.