On a Tuesday night in Woodside, Queens, a bunch of neighborhood guys who grew up playing basketball together gather for their weekly meeting, which has been happening for more than two decades. 

It's at Donovan's Pub, and this time of year, the gang is usually watching — or at least talking about — the New York Mets. 

Charlie O'Boyle says he has been a fan since the team's first season in 1962. 

"My mother, she felt sorry for the Mets because they lost all the time, so she goes, we gotta root for the Mets instead of the Yankees, so I became a Met fan," O'Boyle said.

Located just a few blocks from the 7 train station at 61st Street and the Woodside LIRR station, Donovan's has been a favorite spot for Mets fans before and after games for years.

It's also known for its world-famous burgers. On a recent night, Noah Jacobson was on hand with sister Renee. Their dad Jimmy owns the place, along with Dan Connor. Jacobson says sometimes even fans of that team from the Bronx are at the bar, too.

"We let them in, we let them in, we let them chill, but yeah, this is totally a Mets bar, without a doubt," Jacobson said. So hopes are high there for the 2025 season, after a surprising run to the National League Championship Series last year during what was supposed do be a rebuilding year.

Keith Blacknick, who co-founded the Queens Baseball Convention Mets fan event, is also a Woodside native, and practically grew up at Donovan's. 

“The Mets ended the season last year on a high note, even though they lost before they got to the World Series, so maybe we're going to have a World Series championship that we are celebrating as fans," Blacknick said.

But Mets fans are always slightly reluctant to bathe in any success, and are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. So they are just keeping their fingers crossed, and are glad baseball is back.

"It's a little more pressure on them this year, obviously, for a lot of reasons, a lot of dollars signs, so hopefully we do good," said John Dunn, another one of the group of old neighborhood pals, who are mostly Mets fans. 

Susan Huben lives around the block and is a Mets fan, though she has memories of the rivalry in her home with her late husband, who was a Yankees fan. 

"Now that they have Soto, we are really going to see what they can do," said Huben, referring to the slugging rightfielder Juan Soto. 

And of course, when the Mets win, so do Donovan's and the fans.

"The better they play, the better we do, so it's really cool," said longtime bartender and Mets fan Billy McCarthy. 

It's all at a place where burgers, pints and the Mets are at the the top of the lineup.