How An Out-Of-The-Way West Village Bar Became A Late-Night Haunt

Forbes

24-04-2025

In the far West Village of Greenwich Village on Washington Street, a block from the Hudson River and located across from Westbeth's subsidized artists' housing, is Automatic Slim's, which debuted in 1986. When this reporter stopped by on a Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m. several months ago, the bar/restaurant was deserted.
'We're a late-night bar,' the bartender Vanessa (who no longer works there) explained. 'You have to get here later like after the concert or after a late dinner,' she said. As the night draws on, it has a doorman to regulate the crowds, which on weekends can twist around the block on Bank Street. Automatic Slim's has garnered the reputation as one of the city's late-night bars, the place to go to meet friends after the concert or the event.
Its name Automatic Slim's derives from an old Willie Dixon's blues song 'Wang Dang Doodle,' about attending a party late into the evening, fitting lyrics for this bar. Indeed it's open until 2 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, when the joint is really jumping.
David Zinsser, the original owner who has steered it for 39 years now, attributes some of its reputation to having David Johansen as one of his original partners. Johansen, leader of the New York Dolls and native of Staten Island who died in late February 2025, was a dynamic performer who drew a crowd, and that also brought in Joe Strummer, the British musician who co-founded the Clash.
Automatic Slim's in the far West Village has been one place to go in NYC in the wee hours for food, music or seeing friends.
When it debuted, 7 guys, who were former bartenders, including Zinsser, joined together to open Automatic Slim's. The strategy was each bartender had his own following, chose a night, and brought in their clientele. 'There was no advertising; it was all word of mouth,' Zinsser explains.
Gradually, however, Zinsser bought out all the partners, and then acquired the restaurant space so he didn't have to contend with rising rents or landlords.
When it first opened, way before the nearby Meatpacking district became hip, drag queens ruled the far West Village when the neighborhood was grittier and tougher.
Gruen's Photo Helped Create the Atmosphere
And it was also frequented in the early days by famed rock and roll photographer Bob Gruen, who has lived across the street in Westbeth for years. Zinsser added that, 'We thought we knew the best music and shared it with the crowd along with Gruen's long-term pics of Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, Debbie Harry and Johansen.'
'When you live on the other side of the clock, it's often hard to find some place to go,' Zinsser says, in his understated way.
The Secrets of a Late-Night Bar's Success
Asked the secrets of its success as one of the West Village's late-night bars, Zinsser replies, 'We train our bartenders to make great drinks, our in-house DJ keeps the tunes playing and the crowd jumping, a formula which has helped us stay open for 39 years,' he explains.
But There's Food Too
Since its chef hails from Puebla, Mexico, its food specialties include small Mexican plates—tacos, nachos, quesadillas, along with sandwiches, salads and burgers. Its drink menu highlights small batch tequilas and mezcals, and it's close to introducing its own mezcal brand.
At night, it has 2 guys (sometimes 3) who do security, one on the onside and one checks id's outside and tries to keep the people on the line quiet so neighborhood residents aren't disturbed.
It attracts a local crowd for happy hour and some who come for a quiet dinner, before the late- night action starts. Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman who lived in proximity used to be one such regular before he died at age 46 in 2014.
About 70% of its revenue stems from drinks, 30% from food, with another secret ingredient: private parties. 'We book about 140-170 parties per years; most of them 50 people (75 is capacity) at $50 a head plus gratuity from 8 p.m. to 11 and some weekend afternoons 4 to 7 p.m.,' Zinsser says, which produces about 25% of its overall revenue. These parties include birthday and wedding parties, graduations, engagement parties, business celebrations.
Take Ryan Ambler, a professional lacrosse player who lives in the West Village, and is marrying Diana Pinello at the U.S. Courthouse in early May. But their after-wedding party for 75 family and friends is taking place at Automatic Slim's in late September.
Ambler says they've spent countless weekend afternoons with friends there because the 'vibe' at Automatic Slim's fits them. 'We're simple folks who love to dance, listen to music and have fun,' he explains.
Asked how he discovered it, Ambler replies, 'Everybody knows about Automatic Slim's. It's truly hard to go out in our area without stumbling there on a Saturday, either day or night.' The space is cramped, but Ambler expects that dancing will still go on.
Zinsser recently brought in John Murphy as a partner, who has worked hard to re-build the bar and brand and who complements Zinsser's skills.
Reaction on Yelp tended to be very positive. Rosie from Brooklyn said she and her husband stumbled upon Automatic Slim's after walking the High Line. She called it a 'pre-gentrification bar, no designer flourishes, with a mix of customers of all ages, ethnicities and gender preferences.'
Asked what to expect in Automatic Slim's future, Zinsser replies, 'Continue doing what we've been doing all along, making good drinks, playing good music, sending our bartenders to bartending school. We're a third-generation bar now. We have people who met here 20 years ago, who bring in their children.'