You know it's almost summer when the sangria comes out

Yuca Bar
East Village
111 Avenue A (at 7th Street)
New York, NY 10009
212-982-9533
www.yucabarnyc.com

Ay caramba! Starting an evening early at Yuca Bar with friends, tapas, and pitchers of sangria is a either a great idea or very dangerous depending on how you look at it. Weekday happy hour at Yuca offers great drink specials on their decadent drinks like sangria, mojitos, margaritas, and even fun signature concoctions. The menu is unique and full of flair with dishes like the Pinchos Variados which includes skewers of various meats presented with a mini-barbecue pit. Fun times, just remember to practice fire safety. Spring and summer weekends are drawing huge crowds thanks to the festive Latin atmosphere and breezy al fresco seating. The small bar area does get pretty crowded even in the early evening, but save yourself the trouble and wait it out for a table. The food is as delish as the sangria is strong, you're going to need somewhere to sit down and chillax.
Rating: 4 stars