This article is part of The Spill Awards 2026, covering the best in spirits, cocktails, bartenders and drinks culture. Find all of the stories here. And if you’d like to experience Bar Snack through my eyes, check out this very special episode of I Know a Place.
The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into Bar Snack is its warmth — the warmth of the dark wood, of the staff, of the energy of old friends laughing and chatting over drinks. For owner Iain Griffiths, the inspiration for those welcoming vibes didn’t come from the bar’s native New York City or the fancy cocktail bars they helmed in the U.K.
“Midwest hospitality will take you as you are and meet you there so you don’t feel out of place,” Griffiths tells me during a recent phone call. “And that’s been a huge thing for Bar Snack. As we say, we’re dressed up classics for dressed down people, and that’s somewhat a summary of how I view Midwest hospitality.”
It’s the kind of hospitality that makes you want to return time and again — not because it’s necessarily the fanciest place or the most exclusive, but because it conjures fond memories that don’t quickly fade. Griffiths agrees.
“I’ve been doing this for 21 years, and the truly great bars are the ones you think about the next day with excitement and joy and can’t wait to go back again,” they say.
Griffiths is a third-generation bartender who cut his teeth in Edinburgh and London where they were one half of Lyan Group with Ryan Chetiyawardana. So yes, they know what makes an excellent cocktail. But they also know the importance of regulars and how to keep them coming back.
“We put a lot of soul and a lot of personality into this space, but that really only matters if it’s something people can connect with and come back to again and again,” Griffiths says. “We have an insane amount of regulars, and it’s the thing I am the happiest about. It can be a busy ass Friday, Saturday night, and still 30 to 40% of the room can be people we see every single week. Now we have a queue on Fridays and Saturdays, so we’re making sure those regulars know they can always get in.”
They may have a line now, but it wasn’t always that way. Because Bar Snack opened November 2024, they had to face a long winter ahead, a time when a lot of people aren’t bar hopping or trying new places. While it was “not fucking easy,” it gave them a chance to really form an identity — and earn some of their diehard regulars.
Iain Griffiths Is Doing It for the Culture
The owner of Bar Snack and veteran of Lyan Group started from scratch in New York. They ended up opening one of the best bars in the city.“It was a really tough first six months — we ran it with a very small team,” Griffiths says. “We were being overly generous with anybody who came back a second time. That’s why we have so many ride or dies.”
They did make it out of that first winter alive, opened their patio, expanded their food menu and welcomed a whole new slew of fans who have also become regulars. Even though the slow build-up wasn’t necessarily planned, Griffiths values their measured rise. Because if social media culture has taught us anything, it’s that the hottest spots can often be the first to cool.
“The quicker it burns, the quicker it fizzles,” Griffiths says. “We were so committed to being part of the neighborhood and making sure we weren’t some overnight success. That really raised the eyebrows of a few investors, but it’s all been about playing the long game. And 14 months is by no means the long game, but we are already starting to see the return we want to see. And that’s really great.”
Obviously, a great bar can’t run on vibes alone. Bar Snack prides itself on having really excellent cocktails, some of them more tongue-in-cheek than others. Yes, you can get a perfectly-made Martini or the signature Good Gordo (Bar Snack’s take on a spicy Marg with apricot, cilantro and hot sauce), but you can also order the Big Twea Energy, a Twisted Tea spiked with Italian bitter, passionfruit and pink grapefruit, served straight from the can.
“There is a very American thing called a Shotfun, which helps you shotgun a can of beer,” Griffiths says with a laugh. “The algorithm served me this and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can cut the top off of Twisted Tea.’ I drink tea every night before bed, so I love the flavor. And this is just tea with alcohol and sugar, so what’s not to love?”
One of the most popular things on the menu is Bar Snack’s spice bag, a late-night drinking snack created in Dublin in the early 2000s. Bar Snack’s version combines chicken tenders with peppers, onions and fries, all tossed with dry spice and served with curry sauce on the side. I recently enjoyed one, and it’s one of those foods I can’t stop thinking about.
Being the best bar in America doesn’t come easy, but Griffiths and his team make it look that way, even if the beginning was rocky. “I’m suddenly looking back at just how quiet it was,” they say. “There were definitely some sleepy days. A lot of friends have said, ‘I’m glad it’s going well for you because, honestly, I was worried.’ I was worried as well.”
But step inside that warm interior, interact with Griffiths and his team, have a drink or two, and it’s easy to see why Bar Snack is at the top of its game. And when you’re surrounded by one of the best teams in the biz, it makes all the difference.
“As far as highs go, it will always come back to the team — they’re an exceptional bunch,” Griffiths says. “It’s about looking out over this bar when it’s packed and bumping and seeing how much everybody has grown, both individually and as a larger collective. We’re here to make rent and enjoy our lives. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a whole lot of pride and bring a whole lot of growth to everybody along the way.”
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