The Way Station

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, NEW YORK –

Approaching geekdom with a refined palate, the Way Station is the perfect pit-stop for thirsty camp connoisseurs who can appreciate walls hung with ray guns and a bathroom that’s a meticulously faithful reproduction of TARDIS, the blue interdimensional police box from Dr. Who.

A ruddy wood bar snakes halfway down the tavern, whose exposed brick, industrial ceiling fans, and half-dozen maroon leather booths add to the crypto-Victorian ambiance.

Amid the thicket of 19th-century curios, creative young professionals, vintage-clad steampunkers, and laid-back hipsters fill the air with tipsy, good-natured hollering, and sip pilsner drafts and signature cocktails like the eponymous Way Station, made with absinthe, Cointreau, seltzer, and fresh lime.

Later in the evening, the crowd invariably heads for the back room, where a small stage hosts everything from Dr. Who and Buffy screenings to the Wasabassco Burlesque troupe.

The latter is a New York sensation, with leader Doc Wasabassco promising “shows full of risqué fun, spicy shenanigans, and plenty of saucy striptease” as his bevy of beauties bring traditional burlesque to stages throughout the city and beyond.

Individualist and unique, yet warm and relaxed, The Way Station offers some good kitschy fun for those looking to slip in, grab a pint, and get their nerd on.