Black Boot Saloon

Also known as the Taino Tribe MC Snack Shop, the Black Boot Saloon is a former motorcycle club turned legal bar. It was a motorcycle club for 14 years before they got their liquor license.
The Saloon is tucked away between warehouses in the East Williamsburg Industrial Park. After arriving late for an opening at the Third Ward we spotted the black awning and dark windows. Who wouldn’t want to patronize a joint called the Black Boot Saloon? When we were close enough to look in the windows we saw the walls were covered in biker regalia, Motorhead and Iron Maiden flags, and the flags of Puerto Rico and the U S of A. We were not in hipsterville anymore.
Walking in, albeit apprehensively, we saw that this was more of a bikers rec room. And that it was empty. The garish lighting, neon orange walls and diamond plate bar were promising a supremely awkward time. The owner and his wife (i’m making assumptions here) were hilarious. He was sporting a bushy biker’s beard, leather jacket, tight pants, the whole shebang. She just sat there quietly and took money, all while smoking a Newport.
The only other patron turned out to be their partner. He didn’t utter a word the entire half hour we were there. The owner was a different story. We heard his life’s story and that of the bar. He started up with motorcycles at the ripe old age of 15, and paid it off by working at a pet store. His first bike is now attached to the wall, being driven by… a SKELETON. I was completely overwhelmed by the hilarity of our situation. The fact that the pepsi in my Jim Beam and «coke» came from a bottle didn’t faze me, nor did the fact that they were watching tv for much of the time we were there. The best part of my time at the Saloon was definitely when they put on «Hotel California» and my friends and I were all just sitting there awkwardly, bobbing our heads to the music.
I would definitely come back here, but not to spend the entire evening. It was great to learn a little about how the neighborhood used to be, and learn about the Puerto Rican motorcyclists that run the streets. Be sure to check out one of their yearly fundraisers. Apparently it’s a huge barbecue and the street is filled with bikers. The owner works for the city and regularly donates diapers to orphanages in Harlem. This place is a wonderful representation of the characters that Brooklyn, and I guess New York City as a whole, has to offer.