Rue B, East Village | New York on Tap

Rue B

188 Ave. B · btwn 11th & 12th St
East Village, Manhattan

In 2026

Closed; now Oddball

Last licensed here under this name: 2020–22. Later here: Back Forty (licensed 2013–15).

Checked October 15, 2026.

Overview

A seductive lounge that manages to be classy without being uptight. Attracts a diverse crowd spanning generations and continents with live music, an efficient bar, and a kitchen that could stands on its own.

History

Jazz until the lease ran out

Rue B opened in 1999 as a storefront jazz club at 188 Avenue B¹, with silver-blue banquettes, candles on zinc tables, photos of jazz icons on the walls and live music every night². We called it classy without being uptight, which was about right. From 2014 the owner was Michael Camacho, half of the 1980s pop duo Sly Fox¹.

It came back from a brief shutdown in 2012, reportedly over electrical and plumbing problems³, added a daytime café in 2018⁴, and on June 15, 2020, was among the first places in the city to book musicians again, playing on from a curbside shed¹. What it couldn't survive was the lease: in October 2021, after almost 23 years, Rue B closed when, Camacho said, the landlord backed out of an agreed deal^{1, 5}.

Hi-Note followed, a jazz, coffee and karaoke concept that doubled as a local radio station, and lasted three years^{6, 7, 8}. In November 2025 the cocktail bar Oddball opened in the space^{8, 9}.

Sources

Researched October 2026.

What's nearby

Back Forty under 0.1 mi Closed; now Ama Raw Bar

B-Side under 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: B-Cup Cafe

Barbone under 0.1 mi Closed; now The York

Mona's 0.1 mi Still pouring

Musical Box 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: Revision Lounge And Gallery

Boxcar Lounge 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: Lucky On B

Lakeside Lounge 0.1 mi Closed; now Dream Baby

Uncle Ming's 0.1 mi Closed; now 11 Tigers

Heathers 0.1 mi Closed; now Sushi W

Plan B 0.1 mi Same bar, now Blind Barber