Mamushka

What used to be a common gallery art space in Midtown has now tranformed into a bar/lounge.

Don't fuss with any shinny new duds when coming over to visit, as this place is all about the ultra-casual.

They'll be having live acts at some point, but when I was there they had a dj playing rare old grooves of the funk variety.

Not quite the hipster set yet. This place currently belongs to the part time-art school student, mindless chain-smoking, less assertive, humbler, younger sibling of the hipster.

But in Miami, scenes change almost as quickly as the tides. So best to come check it out quick in it's intended enviornment.

As far as grungy bars go, this place was the ultimate shit show that I was looking for when visiting Miami. I always love a place that still pulls in a massive late night crowd while always, always maintaining a level of filth that keeps the people that I don't want going there to never return again.

I went here every single night that I was in Miami. Some of those nights I remember and some of them I don't.

It served as a common grounds for people who really don't care about much more than getting drunk and kind of dancing. Some might call it pricy, but those people just don't know how to plan ahead. Sure, it would be kind of annoying that they ran out of the cheaper beer options every night, but that's a pretty clever business strategy, especially during Basel.

My brand of babes stomped around this place like nobody's business and that's all I need to think a bar is great. For those who gave this place 1 star, I'm glad to know that I won't run into you next time I'm in Miami.

Right now I wish there was an option for no stars. This place isn't a "dive bar" -- that'd be a boldfaced lie. It's equivalent to having a drink in a pile of sewage water. That's probably what's in the drinks too. I would liken this to a litter box. But if you enjoy having a drink while standing in poo, this is the place for you.

They have only ONE bathroom designated for men. For the ladies, there are a pair of porta-potties. Seriously. If you have night-vision goggles and galoshes along with some antibiotics, then you may fair well...especially if you happen to be a frequent visitor to construction sites. I literally would rather dig a hole in the ground than use one of those dungeon outhouses.

I'm fully disgusted right now and I'm burning my shoes for fear of trenchfoot...as I forgot my galoshes.

This place is literally only fit for stray cats. Enjoy!

The ultimate grime spot. If this place had another bar or maybe two more bartenders then it would of gotten 5 STARS.

From the outside it looks like your typical 36th street hole in the wall but once you step through that doorway you know you're somewhere special. When I say special, I do mean handicapped because if you don't watch your step you're likely to roll an ankle in one of the many potholes through out the venue. i don't think there's a 5ft patch of even ground on the entire property. They do have an abundance of seating outside amongst all the abandoned relics. I am really glad this place exists. You see, I've always wanted to do a photo shoot in a junk yard but can't afford to because of the liability but this place could easily pass for a scrap yard!

Even though I tripped and almost ate it a couple of times; that minor detail won't keep me from going back. Drinks are pretty cheap and they serve bar food (haven't found the courage to try it but at least there's the option). They also have a pretty nice pool table and i've heard they do karaoke during the week. i think I'll be going back very soon.

BOTTOMLINE: Watch your step!!

My hopes for Mamuskas when they first opened was that there would be a great low key chill spot similar to BLack Bar which was a reasonable assumption seeing that they were from the same crowd/background. Although some of the characteristics did in fact carry over, some of the best traits got lost in the sheer vastness of the establishment.
A giant abandoned warehouse transformed into a nightspot holds some value in itself, only if the transition was fully seen through. This is where it starts to fade. THe entire vibe almost seems at times to be that of the rushed half ass nature. The outside feels like its just there with a boat taking up mad space. Maybe some type of ambience additions would help, like a skate ramp, or some outside trees creating a jungle of sorts.

Now that being said the staff is awesome. BArtenders Chelsie, Casey, and Kat know how to mix a mean drink and handle the high volume of customers well. Pretty good drink prices and a variety of good djs (usually) dropping dope beats bodes well for its rating. I heard they may start charging a cover in which case DEcrease another star.
All in all, I still dig this spot, its just they need to add something to get over that hump. YOu can catch me there when the mood is manic

The back of this place has a f*cking boat.

And a school bus.

I don't know how that helps but it does.

It's your typical hipster joint, complete with PBRs and fake glasses. This is definitely not a show stopper but a place to grab a drink with 50 people as the location is gigantic. The bathroom looks like the apocalypse and I'd consider giving my body up for research after leaving this joint, but if you're high enough or drunk enough you'll probably have a swell time.

this place is a disaster. I feel like everyone in this place, staff and patrons alike, could use a hosing down. Yes the drinks are cheaper and the music is ok, but the customer service is atrocious.

My friend accidentally left her purse and we tried calling the next day to try to pick it up to no avail. The only number this "business" has is the owners cell which never gets answered and calls are never returned. We tried returning during the next day (my friend had her keys, I'D, cc, everything in the purse) and it was closed. After another 2 days of constantly calling (with still no call back) we finally got through to the owner who said they had found the purse and we could go pick it up. When we arrived (at around 11) the owner was not there and the staff had no idea that there was a purse that we were to pick up. When I told them the owner said it was here, they all seemed afraid to contact her and after they looked around for it for a bit, we left, yet again without a purse. This was last week. Still no call back from the owner, still no purse. SHADY SHADY SHADY.

I had a hard time finding the place, since it only says the name in very small writing on the facade. Inside its very smokey and you can only pay in cash. Something that they should warn you about before you go there. The barstools aren't very comfortable, and there is more space devoted to pool tables than the bar area. Ultra dive bar. The saving grace was the entertainment. I think we were there on a good night, but a group of actors staged a dramatics "break-up" performance. At first we weren't sure it if was for real a desperate ex-boyfriend trying to get the bars attention, then I realized that it was for entertainment only, and temporarily forgot about the smoky air, uncomfortable stools, and cash only bar. I don't think I'll go back though. I don't like smelling like smoke after a night out.

If I had to describe Mamushka's in one word, it'd be grimy. If I could describe it in a handful, they'd just be synonyms for grimy.

Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Mamushka's Reminds me of Soho Lounge: that once tribute to the indy/hipster world that was the choice of high schoolers everywhere (myself included) because it was often all ages. In fact, it's almost EXACTLY like Soho Lounge, except that, to my knowledge, this place doesn't have any all ages nights.

Same music, same people, same selection of beers, i.e., PBR tall boys. Only the finest of the fine.

Still, the cool thing about a hipster dive like this is the general apathetic attitude that is sometimes missing from other lounges that litter Miami like so many cigarette butts. And really, sometimes, apathy can be a good thing. The people at Mamushka's, the kind of crowd that frequents it, they have no interest in bugging you, in fighting you, in being bugged, or in being fought. They go there to have a good time, to have some drinks, to share some laughs, to chain-smoke to no end, and to occasionally take part in the kind of off-key karaoke that'd blow your head clean off of your shoulders like that kid with the hearing problem in that one "Nightmare on Elm Street."

Freddy Goes to Camp.

And that makes for a good time. It really does. Don't expect any frills (beyond the giant decorative boat and bus in the courtyard that, for some reason, make perfect sense), any trouble, or that anything, in turn, will be expected of you beyond the kind of personality that embraces swill and an ever-present-smoke-monster-from-"Lost"-type haze.

And hey, just think of it this way, if you don't have any expectations, you really can't be disappointed.

I went to this place like three times during WMC 2012. I like this place, its a very strange feeling, but I like it. If you like the electric pickle your going to like mamushka's. Just be careful outside, the floor is SUPER uneven!