Goodnight Kenny is the kind of bar you wouldn’t expect in Poughkeepsie, a city avidly working toward its better days.
The self-proclaimed neighborhood bar, by the corner of Academy and Market streets, is making waves on the national level.
On July 29, USA TODAY named this beloved bar one of its 38 USA TODAY Bars of the Year for 2026. Food writers across the nation nominated bars they’d recommend and return to again and again.
“It’s such an honor to be recognized for such a little neighborhood bar and even to get Poughkeepsie on the map,” co-owner Davina Thomasula said. “It’s exciting.”
What makes Goodnight Kenny in Poughkeepsie, New York stand out
Goodnight Kenny opened fewer than four years ago, but the friendly atmosphere, hospitality and elevated drink program full of craft cocktails, dubbed “Kenny’s Classics,” have already made this a staple Poughkeepsie haunt.
The bar is adoringly named after Thomasula’s father, Kenny. The tale is he had a habit of frequently dozing off. Thomasula said Kenny’s the life of the party while he’s there, but ends up leaving before the rest, so they always said “goodnight Kenny.” (Fun fact, Kenny, a native of Buffalo, New York, is in the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.)
The familial, cozy ties continue with a photo wall of awkward family photos they’ve collected from regulars and staff since opening — it’s conversation starting and elicits the inviting aura as soon as you walk in.
Thomasula and Megan Giometti, who co-own the bar, got their start tending bar together in Manhattan more than a decade before they created Goodnight Kenny. Manager Ben Friedman oversees operations, doing a little bit of everything for the bar, like running the drink programs and hiring new staff.
Buy the book! Goodnight Kenny featured in ‘Shake & Sip: Recipes from the best bars in America’
Thomasula moved to Union Street in the City of Poughkeepsie in 2020, and after walking around the neighborhood, she felt it needed a bar.
Thus, Goodnight Kenny was born on Oct. 27, 2022.
While the building hadn’t been touched for years, it did used to house a bar. Customers can find a nod to its previous life in the restored 1920s-era art-deco back bar.
Thomasula, Giometti and Friedman have certainly revived the bar, evident in the glamorous disco ball atop the coveted corner booth and the simple fact you’ll be lucky if you find a seat — it’s always packed at prime time.
The bottom line is that this bar is for everyone and has a beverage for every preference. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. When you walk into Goodnight Kenny, you’ll be sure to find a drink you like.
Thomasula, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, understands how vital it is to have inclusive community spots.
Goodnight Kenny is the place to go in Poughkeepsie not only for great cocktails to suit each palate — and a long line because of them — but as a refuge for all walks of life.
“It comes from a place of love, and that’s all we want in the space,” Thomasula said.
What to order at Goodnight Kenny
Good Enough for Eleanor: This is the bar’s day-one drink, based off a rumor Eleanor Roosevelt used to drink in the Academy Street bar’s earlier iteration. Thomasula ran with it, creating a sophisticated and bubbly vodka cocktail with lemon, honey, grapefruit cordial and Lillet blanc, topped with sparkling wine.
Guava Pablo (or one of their Pablo renditions): Depending on the time of year you go in, there may be another interpretation of this drink, but the base is a margarita: tequila, agave, lime and saline. The special ingredient now is guava, but there’s even been a cinnamon iteration, and you may find another when you go in.
Hungry-Man TV dinner: Alright, you might not want a Hungry-Man TV dinner, but it’s a bit of nostalgia, a part of the homelike Goodnight Kenny experience. Plus, it’s how they could fit a full meal on the menu with limited kitchen space. Otherwise, get a hot pretzel with mustard, empanadas from Kingston’s Manolo’s, come by when there’s a food truck parked out front or literally bring your own food in from another spot.
See the full menu.
Insider tip: Tip well enough, and they might just ring the bell for you. It’s a classic tip bell, but if they find out your name is Kenny, consider yourself warned, the bell will be sounding.
Details: 27 Academy St., Poughkeepsie; goodnightkenny.com. Instagram: @goodnightkenny.
Nickie Hayes is the Breaking & Trending News Reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal and focuses on how to make the most of what NY’s mid-Hudson Valley has to offer. See her most recent articles here. Contact reporter Nickie Hayes: NHayes@poughkee.gannett.com, 845-863-3518 and @nickieehayess on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Poughkeepsie hangout bar named best in US. Here’s what to know
Reporting by Nickie Hayes, Poughkeepsie Journal / Poughkeepsie Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nickie Hayes, Poughkeepsie Journal | USA TODAY Network
