Alien Cafe

812 Grand St
Brooklyn, NY 11206
view map
347.294.4288

Cuisine: American Cafe
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All major
Price: Fairly Cheap
Hours: 7am-11pm, Daily
Booze: None for now
Subway: G to Grand St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Brooklyn Exposed says:

The new Alien Cafe in Williamsburg is not as foreign as you might think. Opened in early November, the space has been in owner Robert Sandoval’s family since 1999 – first as Grand Street Grill run by his father and then by Sandoval himself. The new cafe has a big name attached to it as well, with L’Artiste menu creator-chef Luis Santos at the helm of this menu. Cozy up at a two-top with warm butternut squash soup ($7) while you ogle at the designed wallpaper. Or select from varied and large servings of sandwiches ($8-10), omelettes ($6), and salads ($7-9). Real meal deals come in the form of duck ragout parpardelle ($14), a brioche bun burger ($12), and even a braised lamb shank with mushroom polenta ($18). And it would be no cafe with no cafe – robust Blue Bottle is available in drip or a personal French press. With that, skip straight to dessert for a perfect pairing with the nutella, banana, and berry crepe ($7). Though no liquor license as of yet, don’t wait to enjoy these earthly delights.

I Heart Brunch says:

There has been a lot said about the gentrification of Williamsburg over the last decade, and particularly the last few years since the rezoning of 2005 opened up the waterfront areas for development. Much of this “urban renewal” has taken place on the North and South sides, which are generally divided by Grand Street, but it’s the East side that is now experiencing a broader transition period.

Nowhere is this more evident than east of Union Ave on Grand Street where the gentrification process is noticeably making its way down the street, block by block.

Alien Cafe takes brunch in East Williamsburg up a notch.

Opening in early November, Alien Café aims to take the neighborhood up a notch. Formerly the Grand Street Grill, a quick-service takeout joint, Alien Café owner Robert Sandoval decided to revamp the space his family has owned since 1999 to create something a bit different and more refined. And he’s serious about the food, enlisting award-winning L’Artiste chef Luis Santos to create the menu.

On the exterior, Alien Café sports a spaceship sign that bulges from the front of the unassuming building and lights up at dusk. But don’t let the kitschy name and sign fool you. Once inside you’ll be eased by a casual bistro atmosphere, charming enough to bring a date, and impressed by food that may be the only thing otherworldly about the place.

Options like Eggs Benedict with chipotle hollandaise or French Toast with sautéed apples and walnuts are delicious and worth the visit, but it was the Three Color Omelet that truly impressed me. Perhaps the most perfectly cooked omelet I’ve ever had, the egg was light and fluffy and had a perfect ratio of mozzarella, fresh tomato and basil meticulously diced and speckled throughout the egg. Every egg dish is accompanied by mixed greens and nicely prepared home fries and I added a side of crisp apple wood smoked bacon to round it all out.

The food is as easy on the wallet as it is delicious – no breakfast entrée eclipses $7 and the lunch options are just a couple bucks more. Plus, coffee lovers will delight at the café’s use of the classic French press, emphasizing the bold flavors and captivating aroma of organic Blue Bottle Coffee.

Alien Café is a welcome addition to the East side that will delight neighborhood residents and hopefully continue the trend of culinary innovations in the area.

c/o NY Mag

20 Skillman Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.218.7272

Cuisine: Comfort food
Our Rating: ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $
Hours: Sun-Thurs 4pm-2am; Fri-Sat 4pm-5am
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Citysearch says:

On the same stretch of blocks as Galapagos, Northsix and Sweet Water Tavern, Anytime appeases streams of bargoers with its round-the-clock eats. Its small industrial space is painted in white, gray and orange, and holds a takeout counter with a couple of suspended wooden-beam tables. The best thing about the space, though, is skipping it and getting snacks delivered to your door.Grilled sandwiches, soups and toasts (such as smoked mozzarella and roasted peppers) provide the primary sustenance, along with appetizers in the jalapeno popper/buffalo wing family. The eight-ounce burger arrives well-done on a shiny bun–comforting stuff, especially when accompanied by tater tots. Potato leek and scallion soup is green and flavorful, and the balanced fruit yogurt shake satisfies. Anytime’s menu shifts with the seasons, offering chilled soups and sophisticated salads in the summer.

New York Mag says:

Can a late-night restaurant with offerings that run the gamut from low-brow mozzarella sticks to ambitious pan-seared salmon actually be any good? Yes. And happily, this establishment on Williamsburg’s North Side succeeds in being most things to most people. Your image-conscious friends will dig its hipness: banquets swathed in nubby orange upholstery cradle Diesel- and Seven-sheathed behinds on a regular basis. Cash-strapped pals will appreciate the excellent value. After a couple of drinks, even you’ll be pleased with the availability of cheap, greasy tater tots and chicken fingers at post-last call hours. And once you’ve sobered up enough to have your culinary wits about you, try the silky and tangy hummus with a garlicky bite—a point of pride with the Israeli owner.

c/o Eater

131 Grand St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.384.7273

Cuisine: American
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Price: $$
Hours: Open 24 Hours
Cards: All Major
Booze: BYOB
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Time Out New York says:

Williamsburg night owls in search ofa 3am breakfast have a new option with the arrival of this 24-hour diner. In addition to the standard omelettes, there are a few wacky creations, like BBQ-shrimp pancakes and the Machete plate (mac and cheese with eggs). The massive menu is also vegan- and vegetarian-friendly—look for meatless burgers and meatballs made with spiced beets.

c/o Gothamist

160 Havemeyer St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
347.725.3837

Cuisine: American/Burgers
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All major
Price: Cheap
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-10pm; Sat-Sun, 9am-10pm
Booze: None
Subway: J,M,Z to Marcy Ave., L to Lorimer Street

Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Gothamist says:

This burger-obsessed town got another meaty addition last week when Blue Collar, a small burger-and-dog shop, opened on Havemeyer Street. The restaurant comes from Gavin Compton and Jeff Slagg, the fellas behind Miller’s Tavern, but you won’t find any Duck Rillettes or artisanal cheeses plates here. Their new venture harkens back to the roadside burger shacks of yore, with a kind of “keep it simple, stupid” menu of well-prepared comfort foods.Burgers ($4) get a nice sear on the flat top before being topped with the requisite raw veggies and a special sauce, with the option to add to cheese or an additional patty if you’re into that kind of thing. And while it’s difficult to talk about bargain burgers in this town without thinking of that little empire starter over in Madison Square Park, the comparison here is well-deserved, as Blue Collar griddles up tender, juicy burgers to rival any available around town. The menu rounds out with an all-beef hot dog served up with tangy kraut ($2.75) and fries that ($2.25/$3/25) come generously salt and peppered, with cheese and/or chili additions available for a few pennies more. The classic milkshake gets a turn in the blender with flavor options spanning from vanilla and chocolate to peanut butter and cookies & cream. And rest easy, boozehounds: a beer and wine list is currently in the works.

When all’s said and done, nothing on the menu costs more than $6.25, and for that, our wallets and bellies are eternally grateful.

The Village Voice says:

Though I can’t say I’m crazy about the name, I stopped in for a cheeseburger at Blue Collar, the new burger joint in Williamsburg from the Miller’s Tavern team.

It may not look it, but this was a very fine fast food-style cheeseburger ($4.75). You know the kind: squishy and satisfying. With its thin, tender patty, browned on the edges, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, and special sauce, it’s reminiscent of an In-N-Out, right down to the way it’s packed up to go in a paper box. I also tried a side of skinny, pale fries ($2.25), which were not so impressive, though I do know French fry-lovers who dig them exactly like this.

Which brings me to this question: does anyone love the burger *and* the fries at the same spot? Gchatting about burgers and fries late into the night, it seems like a lot of people have one favorite spot for burgers and then a different one for fries…

Briskettown (c/o Eater)

359 Bedford Ave
Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211
view map
718.701.8909

Cuisine: Brisket
Our Rating: ★★★★
Cards: All Major
Price: Moderate
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, Closed Monday, 6 to 6:30pm – Pre-Orders Only, 6:30PM to Sold Out – Open to Public
Booze: BYOB
Reservations: Yes
Subway: L: Bedford Ave, J to Marcy
Menu: delaneybbq.com
Website: delaneybbq.com
Delivery: No
Eater says:

Pitmaster Daniel Delaney learned how to smoke meat from barbecue big shots Aaron Franklin and Wayne Mueller. Delaney’s acclaimed brisket retails for $25 a pound, and the menu also includes traditional barbecue sides. In its first week of business, BrisketTown sold out of meat, several times, so show up early.

c/o Brooklyn Bowl

61 Wythe Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.963.3369
(Bowling Alley with food by Blue Ribbon)

Cuisine: American/Southern
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$
Hours: Monday – Thursday 6pm-2am; Friday 6pm-4am; Saturday 12pm-4am; Sunday 12pm-2am
Family Days are Saturday and Sunday! Noon-6pm is ALL AGES!
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
We say:

A stunning sprawling space, albeit pricey.

The New Yorker says:

We suggest that you eat with your non-bowling hand,” a note on the menu at Brooklyn Bowl states, in a nod, presumably, to both aim and hygiene, if not to the traditional carelessness of ten-frame dining. This converted warehouse at the northern edge of Williamsburg does triple duty as a bowling alley, a music hall, and a grub house. Its kingpin, Peter Shapiro, the former owner of the bygone jam-bandy club Wetlands, has dreamed up an emporium that combines hedonistic excess (deep-end leather couches, spiked milkshakes, brisket, live music) with eco-consciousness (reclaimed-cork floors, no bottled beer, live music). For the eats, he brought in the Bromberg brothers, the creators of Blue Ribbon, to draw up a rebuke to every limpid water dog and fossilized onion ring you’ve ever downed, then regretted, at Wherever Lanes. They tinkered with comfort-food classics, secure in the knowledge that no bowler will ever crave endive. It’s a menu that begs over-ordering, as well as this remark from your waiter, regarding the procedure for delivering the food: “You guys want it as it fits?” “Fits where?” is one reply; the table is bigger than the stomach.

Still, all you have to do, while stuffed, is take a few steps forward and drop a twelve-pound ball on the floor, so there’s no sin in downing the carefully considered greaseballs the Blue Ribbon boys sling your way. Their fried chicken, dipped in matzoh batter, seasoned with Cajun spices, and accompanied by white bread and honey, has Earl Anthony game. The calamari, commingled with fried jalapeño, is the Dick Weber of fried squid. The San Gennaro, loaded with finely ground Italian sausage, is the Johnny Petraglia of French-bread pizzas: crisp outside, fluffy inside, it has all of the virtue, and none of the vice, of Stouffer’s. There are a few gutter balls; some might find the mac and cheese too creamy and the “Really” Sloppy Joe really actually too sweet. But the score sheet shows more X’s than —’s.

On a recent evening, the lanes were busy but not loud; the pins hang on strings, which helps muffle the din. Giant video screens showed montages from raunchy old B-movies like “The Student Nurses” and “Caged Heat.” Around eleven, the Roots took the stage, the dance floor filled up, and a waiter came by with Nutella-bourbon shakes, a convergence that felt like nailing a spare on a four-ten split. (Open weekdays for dinner and weekends for lunch and dinner. Entrées $9-$19.)

c/o NY Mag

593 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718-599-9899

Cuisine: Southern, American
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$$
Hours: Sat and Sun 11 am to 4 pm., Dinner Everyday 5:00 pm to 2 am
Booze: Beer and Wine
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

After a kitchen fire closed its original location in 2010, the Brooklyn Star is open in the former Lazy Catfish space. Cook Justin Burchill tells us that he and the rest of Joaquin Baca’s team have been working since last August to build the new restaurant. They’ve installed the old tables, chairs, and benches in a space that’s a bit bigger (there are about 75 seats in the dining room) and best of all, in possession of a liquor license. The downside: No woodburning oven, but the core of the menu is the same, with the addition of dishes like roasted veal marrow bones and a chilled grilled lobster tail. The full menu will be served from 5 p.m. till 2 a.m., and there’ll be a list of whiskey-heavy classic and classic-inspired cocktails from bar manager Simon Gibson.

c/o Time Out New York

555 Drigs Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.384.8144

Cuisine: American
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $
Booze: None
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
Metromix says:

Who wants hot dogs!? Pretty much all of Williamsburg. Crif Dogs brought their signature brand of gourmet franks over from St. Marks in the East Village. Expect a lot of folks to roll into this small storefront after a night out at the many bars in the area. What’s better than a dog smothered in chili cheese with a side of taters at that point in the night? The correct answer to that question is passing out in bed, but not until you finish your hot dogs! Expect creative options when it comes to the wieners—you can get a lot more than ketchup and mustard as toppings, including cream cheese, scallions, seeds and pineapple. Sadly, this outpost of Crif comes without a secret cocktail bar hidden in the back (you’ll find PDT in the village’s outpost). What you get here is early morning service. The store’s take out window opens at 7 a.m. to pour coffee to commuters heading to the L Train.

Time Out New York says:

Crif Dogs New Jersey native Brian Shebairo expands his popular East Village hot-dog mecca to Williamsburg. True to its casual roots, the small Brooklyn outpost will be outfitted with old-school video games, steel floors and a vintage skateboard collection. You’ll find the same late-night munchies on offer: Tater-Tots, chili cheese fries, milk shakes and snappy, deep-fried dogs in creative combinations, like the Tsunami (bacon-wrapped with teriyaki sauce, pineapple and green onions) and the John-John Deragon (cream cheese, scallions and a sprinkling of everything-bagel seeds). But this location will also appeal to the early-morning set with a takeout window serving Intelligentsia coffee and breakfast sandwiches a few steps from the Bedford L stop. 

c/o Metromix

644 Driggs Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.387.9463

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon-Thu 5pm-12am; Fri-Sun 5pm-2am
Subway: L to Bedford Avenue, G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: Click Here
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: No
Metromix says:

The Custom American Wine Bar already has quite the reputation. Surly neighbors tried prevent its opening with claims of certain binge drinkers and gang violence. One glance at this laidback wine bar and the community’s fears seem for naught—unless The Bloods and The Crips like to brawl over a robust Cabernet from Washington State. The list of vino highlights small American vineyards, you won’t find any foreign offerings on the menu. It’s a casual environment: Exposed brick walls create a homey feel, and the wine is stored on wooden shelves behind the bar. They also offer a few grub options that highlight regional favorites—think Philly cheesesteak and southern nibbles like fried green tomatoes. The only gang here consists of wine geeks. If you get into a fight, subdue them with a citrusy Pinot.

NY Mag says:

While it comes from the team behind Bar Carrera and Bar Veloce (who offer Italian and Spanish wines, respectively), Custom ignores Europe altogether and presents strictly American wines – and good ones at that. This place is small, relaxed, and candlelit; a perfect date destination. Romantic endeavors are helped along by a menu that would make any novice sound knowledgeable: wines are listed by region with simple tasting notes and most are available by the glass, so you can jump easily from California to Oregon to Washington State. Even beer gets the sophisticated treatment with a short list of local craft brews helpfully arranged from light to full-bodied. The tapas-sized bar food goes way beyond charcuterie: on hand are fried green tomatoes, Philly cheesesteaks, and the Elvis, a PB, banana and bacon fried sandwich that pretty much pairs well with anything.

Diner

85 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.486.3077

Cuisine: American Fare
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: MasterCard, Visa
Price: $$$
Hours: Daily 11am-2am; Mon-Fri, lunch and dinner; Sat-Sun, brunch and dinner
Booze: Full bar
Subway: J,M,Z to Marcy Ave. or L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
The Village Voice says:

Located under the Williamsburg Bridge, the decrepit premises of Diner really did once contain a diner. Now it’s Williamsburg’s hippest eatery, with a limited menu of crowd pleasers like steak frites and hamburgers, both memorable. All of the culinary action, however, is on the ever-changing specials menu, which might include an eggplant sandwich one day at lunch, and an ambi-tious special of something French, say, duck confit, in the evening.

NY Mag says:

Even before you’ve finished your first cocktail, you notice the floor is tilting. But the disequilibrium contributes to the charm of this snug, just-rehabbed-enough 1927 dining car. A beyond reductive menu offering “soup,” “burger,” “sauteed greens,” and at brunch, “hot cereal” misleads at first. Don’t believe the lack of hype. Chef Caroline Fidanza shows her dexterous hand with specials like succulent pork loin with caramelized cipollini and tender lamb ragout with white-bean gratin. At brunch, don’t miss the hubcap-size portion of codfish hash. Recommended Dishes: Burger, $8.50; Mussels with French fries, $12.50; Hanger Steak, $16; Sauteed Greens, $3