A New York on Tap pick

Local 138

138 Ludlow St. · btwn Rivington & Stanton
Lower East Side, Manhattan

In 2026

Moved to 181 Orchard Street

Last licensed here under this name: 2019–21.

Checked October 15, 2026.

Show on the map Directions See the 2008 page

Overview

By Nan

No-frills neighborhood bar brings in a crowd free of the pretensions (be they hipster or UES) that plague many other bars in this area.

History

Last call on Ludlow, next round on Orchard

Our listing liked this no-frills neighborhood bar for a crowd free of pretension. It had opened in 1996¹, and John Cutillo took it over in 2011¹.

In 2018 Delshah Capital bought the building². The last call at Local 138 on Ludlow came on April 27, 2019, before the move to a new space at 181 Orchard Street².

A listing still has it at 181 Orchard Street, with a review from August 2026³. Back at 138 Ludlow, Smiley Coffee's site lists hours of 8am to 5pm, Monday through Thursday⁴. Last call comes early now.

Sources

Researched October 2026.

What's nearby

Iggy's Keltic Lounge under 0.1 mi Still pouring
Libation under 0.1 mi No license found in 2026
Verlaine under 0.1 mi Still pouring
Cake Shop under 0.1 mi Closed
Spitzer's Corner under 0.1 mi Closed; now Pretty Ricky's
105 Riv (Hotel Rivington) under 0.1 mi Closed; now Tigre
Fat Baby under 0.1 mi Closed; now Restocked
Rewind under 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: Mazaar Bar And Lounge
Mason Dixon under 0.1 mi Closed
The Blue Seats under 0.1 mi Closed; now Apartment 5