The Story Of… The Back Room in New York City

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen

The introduction on its website says it best: The Back Room is one of only two speakeasies in New York City that operated during Prohibition and is still in existence today. It is a timeless example of the underbelly of New York past. The original 1920’s speakeasy, known simply as “The Back of Ratner’s,” played host to many theater and movie actors of the “Roaring Twenties,” as well as famous gangsters of the era. These gangsters included Bugsy Siegel, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. They were known to use the space for “business meetings.” If you are in New York, go visit The Back Room and take the alleyway entrance that people used during prohibition.

KB: Tell me how The Back Room was founded when it was still called The Back of Ratner’s.

The Volstead Act, formally National Prohibition Act, U.S. law was enacted in 1919 and took effect in 1920. But even though it was illegal to drink, people would still do so, often in bars that were called speakeasies. The back of Ratner’s became one of those speakeasies. Gangsters would also have meetings here.

KB: Who or what was Ratner’s?

Ratner’s was a famous Jewish kosher restaurant on the Lower East Side of New York City. Ratner’s was founded in 1905 by Jacob Harmatz and his brother-in-law Alex Ratner. They flipped a coin to decide whose name would be on the sign. In 1918, Ratner sold his share in the restaurant to Harmatz, and it remained in the Harmatz family. Jacob’s son, Harold Harmatz, took over the business in the mid-1950s. Jacob died in 2002.

KB: You just mentioned that it was one of the speakeasies that operated during the prohibition and gangsters held meetings. Which gangsters?

Italian-Jewish Mafia gangsters Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano frequented Ratner’s along with Bugsy Siegel and Frank Costello. They would host meetings in the back. The back of Ratner’s also became the place for folks who wanted to drink alcohol during prohibition. During prohibition, there were a lot of speakeasies. (On January 1, 1930, it was estimated there were 32,000 speakeasies in New York City!) But the majority did not continue to operate as speakeasy after prohibition was repealed and most of those speakeasies are not in existence today. Decades after prohibition ended, the back of Ratner’s and the 21 Club were two speakeasies that continued to operate as bars.

KB: It was visited by theatre and movie actors in those days. Who were they?

Ratner’s was open 24 hours a day and part of the late-night city scene popular with Jewish performers, actors, musicians, and gangsters. Bill Graham, Al Jolson, Fanny Brice, Marty Allen, Eydie Gormé, Walter Matthau, Elia Kazan, Max Gordon, Groucho Marx, and Alan King were all regular customers.

KB: And then it became The Back Room. When did the change took place and who is the current owner?

In 1996, a back room opened as a speakeasy bar called “Lansky’s Lounge,” named after the deceased gangster, who, according to Robert Harmatz, told the owners he was there so often that he deserved to have his own room. The Back Room took over the Lansky Lounge and opened in 2005. It is still in existence today, operating as a speakeasy. The 21 Club was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The owner’s name is Johnny “B” Barounis.

KB: Is it still visited by gangsters and theatre people? What movies or shows did it appear in?

I don’t know about gangsters, but definitely folks from the entertainment industry have frequented The Back Room. Notably, Pearl Jam, Martha Stewart, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, David Beckham, Jim Jarmusch, U2 and Adele. It can be seen in several Hollywood movies including The Good Guy and The Bachelorette, TV Shows including Broad City, Billions, FBI and New Amsterdam also TV features including HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire, New York Speakeasy Tour”

KB: I ‘m in front of The Back Room outside on the street. I want to take the hidden entrance. How do I get in? Walk me through it.

The address is 102 Norfolk Street, between Delancey and Rivington. Since it is a speakeasy, it can be hard to find. There is a gate at waist level that says, “Lower East Side Toy Co”. You open the gate and walk down the alley to gain entrance to our main entrance. The alleyway entrance was the original entrance that people used during prohibition.

KB: What is the best cocktail you serve?

The Bee’s Knees is very popular and tasty! A lot of our cocktails are either classics or a modern twist on a prohibition era cocktail.

KB: Cocktails in teacups. Beer in bags. Tell me the story.

During prohibition, people would go to great lengths to disguise the fact that they were drinking alcohol. Especially from the authorities. One method was to pretend that they were drinking coffee or tea, instead of alcohol. We honor this history and serve our drinks out of teacups and beer in brown bags. (It was the owner’s mother who suggested that we serve drinks that way.)

KB: How did The Back Room survived the Covid pandemic? A lot of places went out of business.

It was tough for sure, but the owner has always been very smart with the budget for the lounge and that certainly helped. We also owe so much to the community. Once we were allowed to open, the protocols, although difficult, were necessary to keep people safe. Our customers truly supported us during these difficult times and helped us survive. We couldn’t have done it without them.

KB: Why should people visit The Back Room?

It’s such a fantastic place to hang out. There are great drinks, awesome music and dancing. It’s a really enjoyable vibe. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a date, a group hanging out for birthday or a holiday party. And it’s fun to pay homage to the history that is a part of The Back Room!

Check out The Back Room’s website: HERE
Find The Back Room on Instagram: HERE
Find The Back Room on Facebook: HERE

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