The High Horse Opens In Farmingdale Above Dark Horse Tavern

FARMINGDALE, NY — The High Horse, located on the upper level of Dark Horse Tavern in Farmingdale, celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting. Dark Horse Tavern is at 277 Main St.

The High Horse will allow people who are 25 and over to enjoy a great view of downtown Farmingdale Village while sipping on craft cocktails and beers.

The 25-plus age limit was discussed extensively, said Stephen Kent, co-owner of The High Horse and Dark Horse Tavern.

"I think in this particular building itself, we have something for everybody," Kent told Patch. "We have a great space downstairs for the loud music and the craziness that can go on in the popular busy bars. Upstairs, we want to create a more chill vibe."

Kent said a "mature crowd" will allow the Dark Horse team to make better use of the upstairs space.

"Come in for a couple of cocktails before dinner; come in for a couple of cocktails afterward," Kent said. "Catering. Stuff like that. We've got space up here for 100-plus people, and we really feel like we want to keep it as nice as possible. Listen, I'm not saying younger people will be disrespectful, but again, we hope to offer something for everyone in the Dark Horse family."

The High Horse features televisions at the bar and across the walls, as well as a miniature arcade offering "Big Buck HD Wild," "Street Fighter II," "Multicade" loaded with Ms. Pac-Man, and more.

Dark Horse Tavern opened in Farmingdale eight years ago in 2014. For the past seven years, the business has been trying to get the space upstairs. The team finally began working on The High Horse in January. Five months later, the project was complete.

"We're just so excited," Kent said. "It's really a new venture from what we've done in the past. We've run bars and taverns. We're just trying to broaden our horizons a little bit and appeal to a different market from what we've had in the past. I feel we've accomplished that with the space in this building."

The High Horse offers a cocktail menu created by a team of mixologists brought in from a place in Rockville Centre that closed during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as wine and a rotating tap-line of craft beers.

The food is a work in progress, according to Kent. A small menu features appetizers and flatbreads. The High Horse may see an expanded food menu in the future, according to Kent.

Joseph Garcia, president of the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, praised the Dark Horse team for finding a use for the upper-level space, adding that the project was not easy because of the inflation rocking the country.

"Everything is difficult right now, from the tiles to the walls, to the tradespeople," Garcia said. "It's tough to get them, and it's tough to pay them because the prices have gone up. So congratulations, I know it wasn't easy. Welcome — again — to Farmingdale."

Kent said the Dark Horse management is "delighted" to be in Farmingdale.

"We're so appreciative to the village and the people in the village," Kent said. "The administration here has always worked with us fantastically well. They're very fair. They're willing to listen to new ideas. I appreciate everything they do from [Mayor Ralph Ekstrand] all the way through the trustees, and again, to the people in the village who live in this village and frequent all the places. We've seen the explosion on Main Street, and we're so happy to be a part of it."

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