SNAP 248 West 14th Street Map it
click image to enlarge	Location: Meatpacking District Venue Type: Restaurant/Lounge Music: Top 40's, Hip-Hop, Rock, 80's

Vibe: Look, no one is saying that a birthday party with Plaxico Burress wouldn’t be eventful, entertaining, and probably a hell of a time. It’s just that you may have outgrown that pistol-in-your-sweatpants era—and really, you were hopefully never in an era that saw you mixing sweatpants with nightclubs. Luckily, SNAP is around to ensure your birthday is more like Jordan in the 2000s: He can still dunk if anyone needs reminded, but he’s more about the fine living these days (well, minus the Hanes commercials).

Spot: The meatpacking district’s SNAP, an acronym for Sports Nightlife And Pastime, ditches the usual fratty, douchey sports bar clichés for a space high on panache. After entering through mahogany doors sculpted with classical sports figures, you’ll find yourself surrounded by old-world photos of amateur athletes (badminton, anyone?), vintage sports wallpaper, private booths that are actually upholstered in football leather, and a 35-foot hand-carved bar with a modern accent—the bar also has a 20-foot-long ticker built into it that runs all the scores and fantasy stats you can digest, and, well… it really brings the room together. Seriously, you won’t find another sports bar like this in New York City.

Grub: A space this pretty clearly brings high expectations to its menu, and SNAP doesn’t disappoint. Host a mature but fun-loving birthday party with dishes like the truffle and shitake grilled cheese, bacon aioli sliders, or a classic strip steak. Of course, SNAP didn’t forget about the good stuff: An excellent scotch and whiskey list accompanies a stacked beer list, as well as a cocktail menu with originals like the Horsemen’s Neck (Jameson, orange bitters, and ginger beer).

The Deal: You’re not 21 anymore, and this really isn’t a depressing thing to admit—your birthday party is better off ditching the beer bong for a glass of Blanton’s. SNAP is the perfect intersection for your youthful passions to meet your grown-ass self, where you can eat well, drink better, and celebrate the one thing you will never outgrow: watching other grown-ass men get paid exorbitant salaries to do stuff that would put you on crutches for months.

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