The Ring
A small steel ring hangs from the ceiling on fishing line, positioned near a hook protruding from a nearby post. The game seems simple: swing the ring and catch the hook. Yet simplicity deceives.
This ring has hung at Murf’s since before anyone can remember—predating the bar itself. According to local legend, it traces back to Sag Harbor’s whaling days, when sailors killed time between ships with nothing but whiskey and this maddening game. Throwing sideways supposedly helps, although newcomers rarely prove this theory correct.
Tom Murphy, who owned Murf’s for thirty years, would stroll in every afternoon and land the ring first try with a casual one-handed flick. Decades of practice made it look effortless. On the day before he died in late 2014, he walked in just after four, ordered his usual, and rose between his first and second cocktail to execute his trademark throw one final time.
That ring still hangs there today. Newcomers still fail at it nightly. This is precisely how a dive bar preserves its soul.
The Building
Construction on 64 Division Street finished in 1792—not a typo.
This structure consequently predates the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, and the peak of Sag Harbor’s whaling industry by half a century. Local lore claims builders used timbers salvaged from an old whaling ship, and whether or not that’s true matters less than what it reveals: this building belongs to the village’s maritime bones.
Division Street itself marks the boundary between East Hampton and Southampton. During the 1840s whaling boom, this was quite literally a dividing line. Wealthy East Hampton residents looked down on the Southampton side, where bars and rougher establishments catered to sailors who slept in gutters and reeked of whale blubber.
Herman Melville referenced it in Moby-Dick: “Arrived at last in old Sag Harbor; and seeing what the sailors did there…”
Murf’s sits on Division Street because that’s exactly where sailors needed bars. Moreover, that need never really disappeared—it just evolved.
The Ghost
Her name is Aggie, and she didn’t approve of drinking.
Before this building became a bar, it served as a private home. Agatha King lived here and eventually died here in the 1940s. According to Tom Murphy, her body was laid out in the front room during her wake.
In life, Aggie was a teetotaler who frowned on debauchery. In death, however, her spirit allegedly stuck around. Murphy spoke of her affectionately, the way you’d describe an eccentric aunt who disapproved of your lifestyle but loved you anyway.
The Southampton History Museum now includes Murf’s on its ghost tour of Sag Harbor. Nearby, the Old Whaler’s Church has its own supernatural legends, as does the Spalding Gray house on Jefferson Street. Sag Harbor, it seems, collects spirits of both kinds.
Whether you believe in ghosts depends entirely on your disposition. What’s undeniable is that Murphy believed, and his belief became woven into the bar’s mythology. Aggie disapproved of the drinking, yet she stayed nonetheless.
The Founder
Tom Murphy grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens—the youngest of four children in an Irish neighborhood.
After high school, he enlisted in the Navy just as World War II ended. Upon discharge, he followed his father into the NYPD, walking the beat in Harlem for nine years before transferring to a Bronx motorcycle patrol squad.
A collision while chasing a speeder eventually forced early retirement. Fortunately, Murphy had already purchased a summer cottage in Sag Harbor, so he moved his family there full-time. He picked up work as a handyman, then a carpenter, and finally a bartender.
By 1976, he’d saved enough to buy the building on Division Street and open Murf’s Backstreet Tavern. The ring already hung from the ceiling, while Aggie already haunted the rafters. Murphy added everything else: the jukebox, the darts, the back patio, the bartenders who’d stay for decades.
“He was somebody you could always sit down and talk to,” his daughter Jennifer Sheil recalled. “It’s what made him a good bar owner.”
For thirty years, Murphy ran Murf’s as a place where status dissolved at the door. John F. Kennedy Jr. drank alongside plumbers and construction workers, and that democratic spirit defined the establishment.
Murphy sold the bar in 2007 but kept coming in almost daily until his death in 2014. He’s buried at Oakland Cemetery in Sag Harbor—within walking distance of the bar he built.
The Un-Hamptons
Reviewers call Murf’s “the spiritual center of the un-Hamptons,” which is the highest compliment a Sag Harbor dive bar can receive.
It means the place hasn’t been transformed by the money flooding the East End. The bartenders don’t ask what you do for a living. The jukebox plays songs from before you were born, and nobody complains about it.
Sag Harbor exists in a complicated relationship with the Hamptons brand, after all. The village has galleries, boutiques, and restaurants with celebrity chefs. Goop occupies Main Street while Baron’s Cove commands the waterfront. Weekenders who can afford the prices arrive in droves.
But Sag Harbor also has Division Street, and Division Street has Murf’s.
The bar opens at 8pm nightly and stays open until 2am. It doesn’t serve lunch or host brunches. Instead, it exists purely for the hours when people want to drink, shoot darts, play the ring game, and forget about tomorrow.
“No frills, no scene, just cold drinks, good people, and a vibe that feels untouched by the rest of the Hamptons,” writes one reviewer. “It’s dark, divey, and perfect.”
The Entrance
Use the back door—and this isn’t pretension, it’s survival.
The dartboard sits directly beside the front entrance, which means walking in that way risks impalement by a stray dart. Regular patrons know to circle around back, while newcomers learn this lesson quickly.
The rear entrance opens onto a patio that’s become one of Murf’s defining features. On warm nights, this outdoor space fills with locals and visitors mixing in ways that don’t happen at more exclusive establishments. Hospitality workers come here after their shifts, year-rounders come because they’ve always come, and summer people arrive because someone whispered this is where Sag Harbor really happens.
The patio even has its own ring game. If the one inside is occupied, you can practice outside. Either way, you still won’t land it.
The Interior
Walk inside and let your eyes adjust to the darkness—it takes a moment.
A functioning jukebox stands near a working fireplace. The jukebox offers surprisingly recent selections alongside classics, whereas the fireplace matters most in winter, when cozy warmth makes Murf’s feel like a cabin in the woods rather than a bar on Division Street.
Near the front door hangs the infamous dartboard. Darts at Murf’s are famous for falling apart mid-throw, which regulars insist is half the charm. Equipment quality doesn’t matter here; the act of throwing does.
A picture of Frank Sinatra adorns one wall beside a kitschy sign reading “Three Sheets to the Wind.” The décor clearly accumulated over decades rather than arriving via designer.
There’s no point-of-sale system, either. Bartenders track tabs on colored Post-it notes—a system developed by longtime bartender Corene Thommen and her colleague Nick Carleton. A basic cash register handles transactions while a handheld device authorizes credit cards. Everything remains analog, manual, human.
The bar itself is small, so on busy summer nights, people stand four deep waiting for drinks. Bartenders move fast with heads up, constantly scanning for the next customer. “The quicker the better,” Thommen says. “But I love making any cocktail for anyone.”
The Bartenders
Corene Thommen grew up in Sag Harbor and has worked at Murf’s for over a decade.
For her, setting up the bar each night feels like preparing for a performance. “It’s such a production. You really have to be ready.” She makes it a personal mission that every patron feels at home, greeting guests with a high-five and a quick “What you drinking?” while simultaneously settling up one customer, topping off another’s beer, and making eye contact with whoever’s next.
Nick Carleton has worked alongside Thommen for years, and together they developed the Post-it system that keeps tabs straight during summer chaos. Their partnership matters because Murf’s doesn’t function like a normal bar—the small space combined with high volume demands efficiency and trust.
Staff loyalty has always been key to what makes Murf’s work. Murphy kept bartenders for decades, and current management continues that tradition. Employee reviews mention that owners treat staff like family, and consequently, the loyalty flows both ways.
What You Drink
At its core, Murf’s is a boilermaker bar: beer and a shot, nothing complicated.
Six beers rotate on tap alongside over a dozen cans and bottles. Hard ciders are available, as is wine by the glass if you must. However, there are no hard seltzers—which is precisely why Thommen invented the Blueberry Drink.
The Blueberry Drink is her version of a High Noon: blueberry-flavored vodka with cranberry juice, fresh lemon, fresh lime, a splash of club soda, and a splash of Sprite. It’s bubbly, refreshing, and dangerously easy to drink, filling the gap for customers who want something lighter than a shot and a beer.
The “Surfer on Acid” is another signature shot that bartender Nick is famous for. Corene loves making them too, so ask for one and see what happens.
For the local choice, order a Dark & Stormy with Sag Harbor Rum. The rum comes from the local distillery and genuinely tastes like where it was made—try it with ginger beer or simply on the rocks.
Specialty cocktails do exist here, but the heart of Murf’s remains simple drinks served quickly. Don’t expect craft cocktails with twelve ingredients; expect a beer in your hand and a shot on the way.
What You Eat
The food at Murf’s surprises people who expect dive bar mediocrity.
The menu includes burgers, pizzas, baked cauliflower, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Nothing tries to be fancy, yet reviewers consistently praise the quality.
“I’ve had the baked cauliflower, pizzas, and their burgers. All are awesome!” notes one regular.
“Best place in Sag Harbor to have a beer and grilled cheese,” adds another.
The grilled cheese deserves special mention. According to one enthusiastic reviewer, “They use the finest cheese from all over the world.” That claim may be exaggerated, but the sandwich delivers nonetheless.
Fundamentally, the food exists to support the drinking rather than replace it. This isn’t a restaurant that happens to have a bar—it’s a bar that happens to serve food. The distinction matters.
The Hours
Murf’s opens at 8pm every night and closes at 2am without exception.
During summer, it’s often the only place in Sag Harbor still open after 11pm on a weekday. That makes it the de facto after-hours spot for everyone working in hospitality, since servers and bartenders from other restaurants finish their shifts and head straight to Murf’s. As a result, the crowd after midnight skews heavily toward industry people.
The 2am closing time is actually relatively recent. Until 2018, Murf’s stayed open until 4am, but after issues with the State Liquor Authority, the closing time was rolled back. Some regulars mourned the loss, whereas others appreciate that the bar now empties at a more reasonable hour.
Regardless, the late-night hours define the experience. You don’t go to Murf’s for lunch—you go when the night is already old and you don’t want it to end.
The Ownership
Tom Murphy sold Murf’s in 2007 to Jay Hamel, who ran the bar for eleven years.
Hamel could often be found serving drinks behind the bar or manning the door, introducing newcomers to regulars and trying to make everyone feel welcome. “As the night went on, Jay tried to introduce every new person coming in to everyone already there,” one review noted.
In 2018, however, Murf’s faced a difficult year. The New York State Liquor Authority cited the bar for noise, nuisance, and disorderly conduct, with fines totaling $10,000. The closing time was consequently rolled back from 4am to 2am, and more charges followed.
That September, Murf’s announced on Facebook that the coming weekend would be its last. Interestingly, the mood on that final night was “more celebratory than somber,” according to one regular. People played guitar and sang along while writing farewells on the bathroom walls. “We got our goodbye.”
The building subsequently sold for $3.1 million, and a new owner obtained a fresh liquor license. Murf’s reopened under new management.
Since then, complaints have dropped significantly and the bar operates more smoothly. Most importantly, the character remains intact.
The Clientele
“Murf’s is the real deal—the only true bar in Sag Harbor,” declares one reviewer.
Another adds: “The kind of place where locals and visitors blend, the jukebox is always playing something decent, and no one cares who you are—just what you’re drinking.”
The crowd at Murf’s includes year-round residents who’ve been coming for decades, hospitality workers seeking refuge after their shifts, weekenders who heard this is where to go, tourists who stumbled in accidentally, celebrities who want to drink without being photographed, and regular bar-goers who simply appreciate a proper dive.
This diversity matters tremendously. Murf’s isn’t a locals-only bar that makes visitors feel unwelcome, nor is it a tourist trap that makes locals feel displaced. Rather, it’s a bar that accommodates everyone willing to follow simple rules: order a drink, respect the bartenders, don’t cause trouble.
As one reviewer put it: “In the grand scheme of dives, this is the cliffs of Acapulco and everywhere else is the 1-meter springboard.”
The Code
The unwritten rules at Murf’s are straightforward.
First, dress casually. “Throw on a baseball hat, sweats, and your Converse and you’re good to go.” Nobody cares what you’re wearing, and frankly, people in suits look more out of place than people in flip-flops.
Second, don’t expect cocktails to be strong. Some reviewers complain that drinks are weak and overpriced, but that’s relative. Compared to Manhattan prices, Murf’s is reasonable; compared to a dive bar in Buffalo, it’s expensive. This is Sag Harbor, after all.
Third, look after your bartender. The relationship between customer and bartender matters more at Murf’s than at bars with point-of-sale systems and corporate training programs. Tip well and be patient—the bartenders will remember you.
Fourth, enter through the back door. Seriously. The darts.
Finally, try the ring game. You won’t land it, but try anyway.
The Point
Sag Harbor has been gentrified, transformed, upgraded, and monetized over the decades.
The whaling industry that built the village collapsed in the 1870s, and the Bulova watchcase factory that replaced it closed in 1981. Tourism now drives the economy entirely.
Nevertheless, the village remembers what it was. The Whaling Museum preserves artifacts while the Old Whaler’s Church still stands. Historic buildings haven’t been torn down and replaced with glass towers.
Murf’s preserves something else entirely: the tradition of the sailor’s bar.
Division Street has hosted rough establishments since the whaling era, when drunken sailors from ships docked at Long Wharf needed places to drink. Bars opened to serve them, and remarkably, those bars survived the whaling industry’s collapse. They survived Prohibition. They even survived the transformation of the Hamptons into a playground for the wealthy.
Murf’s opened in 1976, but it inherited a tradition stretching back two centuries. The building itself dates to 1792, possibly constructed from whaling ship timbers. The ring game predates the bar, and the ghost predates the game.
When you walk into Murf’s through the back door, you’re entering a space that has functioned as a bar, in some form or another, for generations. Details have changed over time, but the character hasn’t.
“There never was a bar like the Talkhouse and there never will be one again,” Peter Honerkamp likes to say about his Amagansett venue. The same could certainly be said of Murf’s.
Sag Harbor is the un-Hamptons. Murf’s is its spiritual center.
FACTS BOX
Address: 64 Division Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963 Phone: (631) 725-0175 Hours: 8pm–2am, seven days a week Year Established: 1976 (building dates to 1792) Founded By: Tom Murphy (1936–2014) Capacity: ~75 Age: 21+ Known For: Ring game, jukebox, darts, back patio, late-night hours Drinks: Beers on tap and bottles, wine by glass, cocktails, Sag Harbor Rum, “Surfer on Acid” shot, Blueberry Drink Food: Burgers, pizza, grilled cheese, bar snacks Atmosphere: Dark, divey, casual, late-night Notable Features: 230-year-old building allegedly constructed from whaling ship timbers; rumored ghost “Aggie” Parking: Street Credit Cards: Yes
