The Original Mechanical Bull Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Viva Toro has been running a mechanical bull at 987 Grand St since the early 2000s. That is not a fun fact buried in an About page. It is the reason people keep putting this place on their list when they are planning a birthday, a bachelorette, or any night that needs to actually be worth showing up for.

Williamsburg has no shortage of bars. But Viva Toro is the original mechanical bull bar Williamsburg Brooklyn has had, and the experience here is nothing like what you will find anywhere else in the neighborhood.

What is the mechanical bull experience at Viva Toro?

The bull runs every weekend. The staff works it, the crowd gathers around it, and at some point during your visit someone from your group is going to end up on it. That moment tends to be the one people talk about after.

What makes it work at Viva Toro is that the bull is not dropped into a bar that was designed for something else. The whole venue was built around the idea of a full night out: a real kitchen running Mexican-Dominican food, a bar built for handcrafted cocktails, DJs every weekend, and the bull running through all of it. The energy in the room when someone gets on is different from anything a standard Williamsburg bar is going to give you.

Why has Viva Toro been the go-to mechanical bull bar in Williamsburg for over two decades?

Viva Toro opened before most of the bars in this neighborhood existed. The mechanical bull has been part of the experience from the beginning, which means the staff knows how to run it, the room is built around it, and guests know what they are coming for.

The venue is also a genuinely different kind of place. This is not a country-western bar or a novelty spot. Viva Toro is a Mexican-Dominican restaurant and nightclub that happens to have the best mechanical bull NYC visitors keep coming back for. The food is Churrasco, Mofongo, Sizzling Fajitas, and Patacon Pisao. The cocktails are handcrafted margaritas, mojitos, and sangria. The DJ runs until 3:30 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. If you are looking for things to do in Williamsburg Brooklyn that give a group a real shared experience and not just another place to stand around, the combination here is hard to match.

For anyone building a list of unique bars Brooklyn has that are worth the trip, Viva Toro has been on that list longer than most of the competition has been open.

Can you book the bull for a birthday or private event?

Yes, and this is one of the most common reasons groups book Viva Toro specifically instead of somewhere else.

Birthday packages include a free mechanical bull ride as part of the celebration. The birthday guest gets on the bull, the group loses it, and that becomes the moment of the night. It is the kind of thing that does not happen at a standard dinner reservation.

For groups who want a dedicated space, Nightlife VIP Packages cover bottle service and reserved seating so the table is set before you arrive. No hunting for spots once the night picks up.

Bachelorettes, birthdays, corporate nights out, group dinners that need something to do after: this is the mechanical bull bar Williamsburg Brooklyn groups keep booking for exactly those occasions.

What else is on the menu and how late does it run?

The kitchen runs a full Mexican-Dominican menu. Churrasco, Mofongo, Patacon Pisao, Sizzling Fajitas, empanadas, and more. These are real dishes out of a real kitchen, not an afterthought. The bar runs handcrafted margaritas, mojitos, frozen cocktails, and sangria. The portions are generous and the kitchen stays open late enough to feed you before the night shifts into full swing.

Viva Toro runs Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 11 PM, Friday and Saturday from 3:30 PM to 3:30 AM, and Sunday brunch from 12 to 11 PM. Weekend nights fill up. Check upcoming events before you go so you know what is on, then Reserve a table through OpenTable.

How do you get to the original Mechanical Bull Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn?

987 Grand St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The mechanical bull bar Williamsburg Brooklyn has had since before most of its neighbors opened. Take the L to Lorimer St or the G to Metropolitan Ave and walk a few minutes south on Grand.

If you are coming with a group, book ahead. Walk-ins are welcome but weekend nights move fast, and showing up without a reservation on a Friday is a gamble.