Achilles Heel (c/o Village Voice)

180 West Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
view map
347.987.3666

Cuisine: Bar snacks
Our Rating: ★★★★ Great
Hours: 8am – 2am • Every Day
Brunch: None
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: G to Greenpoint Ave.
Delivery: None
Website: achillesheelnyc.com

Village Voice says:

Look out the window from your seat at Achilles Heel, the new Greenpoint bar from Andrew Tarlow — whose expanding empire includes Marlow & Sons, Diner and Reynards, among others — and you’ll look straight into the shipyards, where a dock worker might be casually leaning against a brick wall and smoking a cigarette.
Historically, this address served that crowd, but after it went dark forty years ago, it remained vacant until Tarlow inked the deal for it and decided to open a cafe and bar inspired by — and meant to cater to — his neighbors across the way. “When Andrew saw this space a year ago, he fell in love with it,” explains Mike Fadem, a Marlow alum who now manages this spot. “It looked a lot like it does now. He saw it, saw the neighborhood, thought about what this was last time it was an operation, and decided to recreate that from his taste.”

That meant preserving a lot of the original details, like time-worn wood floors and the bar mantle. And it also means the spot will be serving early morning beers if it can lure in workers coming off the night shift. “People are on a different schedule on the docks,” says Fadem. “There are people out early, and it’s unique to have this kind of a place now. Back in the day, bars were open early, and in other places, they sometimes still are. But it’s not that way here anymore. But at our bar, we will serve drinks.”

The crew would also like the spot to serve as a local gathering place for the other folks who’ve moved into this nook of Greenpoint, many of which are used to trekking down to Marlow for their morning coffee fix. “There are a lot of daily customers at Marlow that live on these two blocks that don’t have to go there for their scones now,” notes the manager. That’s because thanks to a delivery service that connects all of the restaurants in Tarlow’s group, the Marlow scones are available behind the counter, as are croissants from Reynards. Those bites pair with the same ambitious coffee program that connects all of the sibling restaurants, too, with George Howell beans serving as the base for cappuccinos, espresso shots and pour-over cups brewed to order. “We have a lot of people who treat Marlow as their neighborhood coffeeshop,” explains Fadem. “So Andrew was definitely interested in opening a cafe.”

While coffee drinks will be available until 11 p.m., the place definitely turns bar-focused sometime in the mid-afternoon, when locals start wandering in for a beer (the well-edited list features drafts from Evil Twin and Pietra and bottles from ‘T Gaverhopke and Firestone) or a cocktail chosen from a classically slanted but perpetually changing short list of seasonally appropriate tipples. Bartender Craig Weinrib explains that many of those, like the Hemingway daiquiri, as well as the back bar are currently a bit rum-centric — “it’s a shipyard bar so it seems appropriate,” he says — but notes the spirits program will continue to develop, and that all bartenders can stir up classics not called out on the list.

And the wine, he says, is a big argument for drinking here, too. “The woman [Lee Campbell] who buys wine for this bar buys wine for the whole company, and she’s one of the most looked-to spokespeople for natural wine in New York. So there’s a heavy focus on her wine program, and it seems like there’s going to be a lot of people here to drink wine.” The list explores crisp white Muscadet, Grand Cru Champagne, Provencal rose, and Burgundy designation Chambolle-Musigny along with a number of more obscure varietals and geographies, which firmly plants the program in serious oenophile territory.

Eventually, says Fadem, the spot will ramp up its food program, offering oysters, meat and cheese plates and other snacks. But there will never be a kitchen, he notes, and the focus is always going to be on the bar.

Alameda

195 Franklin Street at Green Street
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Brooklyn, New York 11222
view map
347.227.7296

Cuisine: American Bistro, Pub Fare, Small Bites
Our Rating: ★★★★
Cards: All major
Price: Entrees $10-$17, Cocktails $10
Hours: Mon – Fri: 4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Sat – Sun: 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Brunch: Weekends
Booze: Full Bar with fancy cocktails
Subway: G Train to Greenpoint Ave.
Delivery: No
Menu: Click Here
Website: www.alamedabk.com
says:

Eater says:

Evan and Oliver Haslegrave, the brothers behind the Home design company, are opening a new bar and restaurant in Greenpoint called Alameda. Brooklyn Star veterans Nick Padilla and Waine Longwell are also partners in this project. Nick will be the chef and Waine will be in charge of the bar. Alameda will inhabit the corner space that formerly housed The Greenpoint Coffee Shop and The Garden Spot Cafe.

Padilla describes this as “an American Bistro.” The chef tells Eater: “The idea is to provide a set list of raw bar itmes, salads and sandwiches and supplement it with chalkboard specials that are seasonal and frequently changing.” The restaurant will serve Blue Bottle Coffee, and the team hopes to offer dollar oysters during happy hour. Expect a full list of beer, wine, and cocktails.

The Haslegrave brothers designed Paulie Gee’s, The Manhattan Inn, Donna, Goat Town, and Torst, but this is their first time building and running a place of their own.

c/o Zagat

323 Graham Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
347.899.7599

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon.-Wed. 4pm.-2am; Thu.-Fri. 4pm.-4am.; Sat. 12pm-4am; Sun. 12pm-2am
Price: Moderately Priced
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Food/Menu: Healthy Bar Snacks
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: No
Time Out New York says:

Gather a group for the 40-ounce cocktails, like a pisco-pineapple punch, at this Williamsburg tavern, from alums of the Breslin and Gallery Bar. You can also order individual-sized tipples—like the Poppa’s Pride (bourbon, ginger, mint, lemon, soda, Angostura bitters) or the Mea Culpa (tequila, Punt e Mes, Velvet Falernum, lime)—at the butcher-block bar. Dishes made with seasonal ingredients, including a roasted beet salad with Greek yogurt and a Wisconsin dog with house-made mustard and aged cheddar, form the menu of elevated comfort food.

Metromix says:

The owners of this Williamsburg watering hole stick to the basics: wine, beer and small plates. Oh, and there are also those giant cocktails meant to share, but drinking far too much is the status quo for this bar-laden ‘hood. The no-frills bar has taken over the space that used to house Phoebe’s Café, and if you’re part of a big group (or a really strong liver), you can booze it up with one of the giant beverages like a pineapple punch. There is also a list of affordable international wines and small plates that will go well with all that booze in your belly. A few of those frankfurters with housemade mustard before bed, and you’re bound to minimize the after-effects of your bender.

64 Frost Street
(at Meeker Avenue)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.384.8902

Food: Bar snacks, burgers
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon–Wed 5pm–2am; Thu, Fri 5pm–4am; Sat 11am–4am; Sun 11am–2am
Rating: ★★★★ Great
Subway: L to Lorimer St, G to Nassau Ave
Food/Menu: batteryharris.com
Website: batteryharris.com
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 5-7pm
Time Out says:

Vets of Village Pourhouse and the Taïm truck turn to Caribbean comfort food and Latin cocktails with this 144-seat bar. The Queens-born owners pay tribute to the Rockaways with the name—a nod to an abandoned beach bunker in Fort Tilden park—and shore-inspired decor, including colorful stained-wood interiors, a transparent geometric roof and a wraparound deck. Richard Gibbs (Caracas Arepa Bar) dispatches spiced plates like jerk chicken wings, jalapeño mac-and-cheese pie and roasted-corn-and-cabbage slaw tossed in a Scotch-bonnet vinaigrette. Rum-heavy tipples include the Double Impact (lemon, kumquat shrub, vanilla and orange-blossom water) and the Quest (lime, basil and Angostura bitters). Also on offer: nearly 20 domestic beers and four wines on tap.

Thrillist says:

Named for a lineup of big-ass guns out in the Rockaways, this indoor/outdoor sky-oasis of cocktails, beer, and Caribbean eats has taken over the former gas station/Loreley spot in Williamsburg and built up that classic tropical/industrial vibe everyone loves. To wit: all sorts of greenery and communal tables outside (under an overhang that’s “inspired by an F-16″!), and an airy interior that gets blasted by a massive skylight.
TOTALLY COINCIDENTALLY the cocktails all have names that JUST HAPPEN to be Van Damme movies. They’re mixed up by their head bartender who was previously at La Mar Cebicheria in San Fran, then took some time to explore Peru, a culture that seeped into the drinks — especially this Lionheart, which employs a housemade chicha morada (a Peruvian specialty of purple corn, pineapple skins, spices, apples…), triple sec, light rum, and organic passion fruit. It’s also going to be available as a slushy.

2 Jefferson Street
(between Myrtle and Bushwick Ave)
Brooklyn, New York 11206
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(347) 915-2717

Cuisine: No food
Hours: Mon-Thu 6 pm – 2 am
Fri 6 pm – 4 am
Sat 4:30 pm – 4 am
Sun 4:30 pm – 2 am
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L train to Jefferson
Website: www.facebook.com/bizarrebushwick

Gothamist says:

Bizarre Bar is the newest drinking hole to open in an increasingly lush Bushwick, but it’s more than just a place to knock back a few divey beer-and-shot combos. Located just off the Myrtle-Broadway JMZ stop, the eclectic lounge has a lot going for it: killer cocktails, decor straight out of a Tim Burton film, and a decidedly offbeat atmosphere that makes it a fun (though pricier) new addition to the neighborhood.

Bizzare—which takes its name from Greenwich Village’s Cafe Bizarre from the beatnik days of yore— is the brainchild of French directors Jean-Stephane Sauvaire and Greg Baubeau, and the design reflects their eerie cinematic influences. The dark space is outfitted with red lights and chandeliers, and day-of-the-dead skeleton dolls are scattered atop the bar and in various corners. Films like The Last Tango in Paris are occasionally screened silently on a wall in the back, the wall’s exposed brick creepily distorting the actors’ faces. The bar itself is pretty sizable, and the owners plan to host DJs, parties and musical acts—they even kicked off Bizarre’s opening last week with a massive three-day party complete with costumes and erotica.
Bizarre boasts a pretty hefty drink menu. They’ve got draft beers like Left Hand Milk Stout and Leffe Blond for $5-$6, basic mixed drinks for $9, and absinthe cocktails like No. 4 (Saint Germain, pernod, absinthe, grapefruit juice, simple syrup or champagne) for $12. But the discerning yupster gentrifier will be drawn to the $13 specialty cocktails. Try the Abominable Snowman (aged rum, dry curucao, honey, ground cinnamon and a whole egg), part eggnog, part boozy beach smoothie, and the Johnny Mad Dog (espresso liquore, domaine de canton, tequila, sliced jalapenos and a lime twist) has a citrusy, super-spicy kick.

Those house cocktails are a little out of Bushwick’s typically toned-down price range, especially considering the bar is so far away from Roberta’s Morgantown. But they’re also delicious, and the bartenders don’t skimp on the alcohol, so for a drink or two they’re worth the extra bucks. And there’s no extra charge for the tiny plastic skeleton demon who stares you down while you drink it.

Dear Bushwick

41 Wilson Avenue
Bushwick, Brooklyn 11237
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718.486.9222

Cuisine: Gastropub, Irish/English
Our Rating: ★★★★
Price: Moderately Priced
Cards: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Hours: Mon-Sun, 5pm-11pm
Subway: L at Morgan Ave.; M at Central Ave.
Menu: dearbushwick.com
Website: dearbushwick.com
Delivery: No
Village Voice says:

Inside the long, narrow dining room, couples talk quietly and a cyclist massages a cramp from his bare, tattooed calf. A small kitchen relays smells of meat and vegetables sizzling in duck fat, of hot oil meeting battered shrimp. Jessica Wilson is the chef. She used to run the kitchen at Goat Town, in the East Village. Here, she cooks English-inspired dishes with American ingredients: A grand pork chop ($20), the centerpiece of the menu, sits on shaved brussels sprouts in a bacon-y vinaigrette. The sprouts pack flavor without adding weight to the dish. This is the sort of simple, seasonal food that might change your mind about contemporary English cooking. Tiny appetizers are ideal with the cocktails (all priced at $10) that make use of many gins and exciting tinctures. Fried potato peels ($4) are a tangle of see-through fairy wings, dusted with salt and vinegar. There’s a fine duck-sausage roll ($6) with ginger-cranberry chutney, but it has a sad, soggy bottom of undercooked pastry (no, this does not make it more traditional). Halved, smoked eggs ($6) with creamy yolks and horseradish butter are squeaky and wonderfully messy. As prices go up, so do portions. A slab of crisp-skinned pork belly on wilted beet leaves ($12) could make a light meal paired with dressed roasted carrots ($5) or a shaved vegetable salad ($9) studded with cheddar. Big, juicy oysters ($11) are hot under a blanket of bread crumbs, spooning with fennel stuffing. A blob of goose terrine ($12) tastes precisely of Christmas: racy game, pickled plums, and enough clove to numb the tongue—Wilson is not shy with spices. A mutton shoulder ($21), though cooked inconsistently, was terrific when it was served tender and pink in the middle. Service is scatterbrained but caring. Twice, something my party ordered simply never arrived (on both occasions, apologies were genuine). Despite this, and the long waits that can draw out between dishes, it’s easy to see why locals like to gather at Dear Bushwick: They can eat and drink well without much fuss.

Time Out Says:

Vintage curios, muted milk-bottle lights, locally sourced oyster ’shrooms. As the name portends, this is twee Brooklyn by way of shoot-’em-up Bushwick. Despite its backwater locale on Wilson Avenue, the quaint charmer brandishes some prime talent behind the stove and the bar: respectively, chef Jessica Wilson (A Voce) and consulting cocktailian Natasha David (Maison Premiere)—another testament to the creep of low-key culinary ambition into the borough’s once-precarious corners.
ORDER THIS: The chef describes the lusty, sometimes whimsical fare as “England meets Vermont.” To that end, a hulking pork chop ($20)—thicker than an ax handle—seems more fit for a barrel-chested lumberjack than the skinny-jeans set (gathered here neath an oversize boho painting of a leggy brunet on a horse). The juicy skillet-seared slab is embellished with contrasting accoutrements: bitter braised brussels sprouts and a sweet and tangy bacon-fig vinaigrette. Other earthy, elegant dishes, like a pitch-perfect creamy celeriac soup ($6) or a buttery, beer-steamed mussels special ($7) on one night, are equally comforting.
GOOD FOR: A soul-warming walk-in meal. While nearby Roberta’s—on a buzzing corner of Bogart Street that seems like Times Square compared with this quiet drag—draws destination diners willing to brave two-hour waits, this narrow slip of a restaurant pulls off a strictly local vibe to warm effect. The two-month-old spot’s lean, slick-haired barkeep, whose disarming friendliness belies his cool greaser threads, sets a Cheers-like tone, making newcomers and second-timers feel like regulars. On a recent fall night, strangers struck up an impromptu reminiscence of early-’90s R&B—SWV! Boyz II Men! En Vogue!—at the sturdy black-steel bar while the wind howled outside.
THE CLINCHER: Most small restaurants have trouble achieving both serious food and drinks, but this flyweight depot punches above its weight. The cocktails (boozy classics, enlightened riffs) rank with the best in the borough. Our favorite was the Iron Lady ($10): Bittersweet aperol gets a double dose of flowers with rose-infused gin and Lillet Rose. Lemon juice cleans up the finish on the structured but feminine sipper. Dear Bushwick, we can forgive the name

221 South 1st Street
(between Driggs Ave & Roebling St)
Brooklyn, New York 11211
view map
718.387.0563

Cuisine: Cerviche, Seafood, Peruvian, Cocktail Bars
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: Entrees are $16-$22
Hours: Mon, Sun 6 pm – 12 am
Tue-Thu 6 pm – 1 am
Fri-Sat 6 pm – 2 am
Brunch: None
Booze: Full bar
Subway: L train to Bedford
Delivery: No
Menu: www.desnudany.com
Website: www.desnudany.com
NY Mag says:

It’s been more than a year in the making, but the Williamsburg outpost of Desnuda is now open for business. Dominic Martinez’s menu includes a handful of ceviches, like lobster and coconut milk with citrus, and salmon with Thai chili oil, almonds, tamarind, and sweet potatoes. There are raw shucked and tea-smoked oysters at the bar, and Chaim Dauermann’s cocktail menu includes the Prufrock and a Hard Place, made with pisco, moscatel, lemon, hot chiles, and, of course, peach liqueur. Dare you drink it? The ceviche list will ultimately grow to about twenty daily offerings. Check out the full menu, including wines and the lineup of South American and Mexican spirits, straight ahead.

Gothamist says:

East Village ceviche bar Desnuda just opened their second outpost in Williamsburg with an expanded menu of fish offerings and a dedicated list of inventive cocktails from Chaim Dauermann. Unlike the smaller restaurant in Manhattan, the new Brooklyn location offers a dining space outfitted with cozy booth nooks and another separate bar area focused on the cocktails. Both spaces evoke a maritime vibe, with beautiful green and copper wall adornments, old seafarers maps of Patagonia and hand-carved mermaid statues on the bar front. There are also some stools at the food bar, where you can watch the ceviches come together and observe the creative cooking techniques employed by Executive Chef Dominic Martinez.
Desnuda’s signature gravity bong-smoked oysters made the voyage across the East River, as well as a selection of raw and baked oysters, which are available for an extra reasonable $1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily and all day on Sundays and Mondays. The expanded ceviche menu includes a refreshing and spicy Ceviche de Mango ($18), which marinates tender chunks of mango and salmon in a piquant mixture of aji amarillo puree, peppers and red onion. The extra decadent Ceviche de Langosta ($27) sees Maine lobster marinated in coconut milk with lime and oranges juices and some heat from ginger and jalapeno.
Since the team behind The Bourgeois Pig and Death & Co. are behind Desnuda, it comes as no surprise that an artistic approach to cocktails and beverages is also employed here. Less common spirits like piscos, mescals and cachaças are found throughout the menu, as are the house-made cordials and liqueurs and a selection of dried peppers from Nobska Farms. Try the Prufrock & A Hard Place ($11), which combines Alto del Carmen Reserva Pisco, Rothman & Winter Peach Liqueur and Cesar Florido Moscatel Especial with lemon juice and incendiary Devil’s Tongue chiles.

Donna

27 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon-Wed, 5pm-2am; Thu-Fri, 5pm-4am; Sat, 4pm-4am; Sun, 4pm-2am
Price: Moderately Priced
Subway: J,M,Z At Marcy Ave.
Food/Menu: Small Plates
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: No
NY Mag says:

With doors and windows that swing open to the sidewalk, climbing potted vines, and the dark-beamed, vaulted white ceiling of a Colonial cathedral, this watering hole evokes somewhere even more far-flung than far-southwest Williamsburg—say, Havana in its heyday. In keeping with that theme, the drink menu is heavy on rum and fresh fruit. Scarlet Fever ($10) gets a kick from chile-spiked rum, plus citrus notes, and sweet cinnamon undertones, while the house tipple is the grapefruit-flavored Donna daiquiri ($10). In a nod to owner Leif Huckman’s (Goat Town, Marlow & Sons) half-­Honduran roots, small-plate offerings lean Central American (chorizo empanadas, beef-heart skewers). Far from upper Bedford Avenue, the crowd that starts to dance when D.J.’s spin vintage R&B on Friday and Saturday nights is decidedly un-Williamsburg-like.

Gothamist says:

Tucked away on a corner beneath the Williamsburg Bridge, a beauty of a bar, Donna, beckons. Unassuming refinement is the goal of owner Leif Huckman, who recalls how the name came to him in a dream: “It took me five months to convince the landlord to give me a lease and during that time I kept dreaming about the space. In one of the dreams I was walking by and I saw the sign said Donna,” he told us.

Donna serves up thoughtfully designed variations on classic cocktails in a elegant space to match. “I felt there was a lack of late-night places on the Southside to grab a bite to eat and drink. I wanted to create a place for ‘dirty kids.’ I love places with a dilapidated elegance, that look like they’ve been lived in, that aren’t too pristine,” says Huckman. Fresh and fragrant, the Watership Down ($11), a cocktail crafted with gin, dry vermouth, ginger syrup, lime and celery bitters is served tall and topped with soda. Wines by the glass and beers on tap round out the wholly satisfying drink menu.

The cuisine—in delicate portions—strays from the typical bar fare with Chef Jessica Wilson (Prune, A Voce, Goat Town) offering Central American-inspired dishes from the land and sea: stuffed avocado with oxtail jam and chorizo empanadas, salt cod toast and anchovy skewers, to name a few.

The scene is understated yet lively; on the weekends, DJs spin mostly old soul and R&B 45s. “Late nights, a dive bar tends to be your only option, aside from the speakeasy cocktail thing, which can be a little stuffy and condescending,” Huckman explains. “I wanted to avoid that and make the place welcoming.” The white washed walls, vaulted ceilings, and splashes of ironwork pay homage to his Honduran heritage.

Extra Fancy (c/o Grub Street)

302 Metropolitan Ave.,
(between Driggs Ave & Roebling St)
Brooklyn, NY 11222
view map
347.422.0939

Cuisine: Clam Bar/Seafood & Fancy Cocktails
Cards: All Major
Hours: 5pm-4am Daily
Our Rating: ★★★★
Price: $$$
Subway: L to Bedford Ave. or Lorimer St..
Booze: Full bar
Delivery: No
Grub Street says:

Extra Fancy is set to open on Monday in Williamsburg, aiming to establish itself as an “upscale clam shack.” Partners Mark Rancourt (Macao Trading Co.) and Robert Krueger (Employees Only) chose the highbrow-lowbrow name from the side of a seafood-condiment bottle. Chef Ross Florance worked with Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin and was a recent stagier at Noma. Along with a casual seafood menu, expect Extra Fancy to feature entrées priced between $17 and $25. The drinks menu will offer a large of selection craft beers, ciders, wines by the glass, and original cocktails by Krueger and Rancourt. Extra Fancy’s bar will be open from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. each night, serving dinner from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with brunch and late-night menus to follow in the coming weeks.

Paper says:

Despite the name, the handsome boys behind new Williamsburg seafood and cocktails spot Extra Fancy aren’t wearing bow ties or suspenders or shiny shoes. They’re just kicking ass making good drinks, pouring rad beers and endearing themselves to the neighborhood. It’s a quiet spot now, but once people figure out it’s there, it’s sure to be overrun with pretty hipsters, cocktail fiends, and late night degenerates looking for something fried (fancily, of course).

1. Oysters and Champagne. A lovely little list of pours, including a Cremant de Jura Rose and a stellar Domaine Tissot, goes well with the super fresh selection of mollusks. And the oysters come over ice inside another GIANT oyster.

2. Summer cider. It’s really not just for fall, especially when paired with beach grub like fried clams and a plate of fish funnel cake. That’s right, fancy-ass fair food. Go for the Newtown Pippin from Original Sin if you want a fresh, crisp bite of beach breeze, and the Dooryard Cider from Farnum Hill if you’re looking for funky lumberjacky flannel.

3. A barrage of beers. A list of ten cans, fifteen bottles, and nine drafts round out the yeast and malt section quite nicely. From cheap-ass to fancy pants, Narragansett to Allagash Black, the beers will satisfy grumpy punk and Manhattanite palates alike,.

4. The new drink of summer, the Ray Ray. A twist on the Pimm’s Cup, this tall glass of Plymouth Gin, Pimm’s #1, Cei-ray Soda, lemon and herbs is like a one-two punch of summertime smelling salts.

5. Late-night food. Show up before 11:30 right now and find an array of rolls (including crabs, clams, shrimp), salt cod pickled pepper poppers, and a whole Cape Cod clam bake on their late-night menu. Soon the menu will be extended until 3 AM, and Extra Fancy will be like a midnight clam shack for housed Williamsburgers

Jimmy's Diner Greenpoint

577 Union Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.218.7174

Cuisine: Southern Comfort
Our Rating: ★ ★ (meh)
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $$
Hours: 9:30am-10pm Daily
Booze: Full bar
Subway: G to Greenpoint or Nassau
Menu: Click Here
Website: www.jimmysdinerbrooklyn.com
Delivery: yes
Metromix says:

A starting point of how laid-back this Southern comfort food eatery is. Named after chef-owner Josh Cohen’s dad, the husband-and-wife-run Williamsburg diner offers plenty of homemade, seemingly-improvised, trailer trash-chic charmers to erase the memory of former tenant Union Pacific. Krispy Krunch French toast. Salmon hash. The Williamsburger (burger topped with potato latke, apple sauce, and sour cream). Cohen’s creations are either brilliant, or crazy, or, sigh…reminders of home.

Time Out New York says:

To say that Jimmy’s Diner is ersatz would be a compliment. The lonesome interior of Billyburg’s newest greasy spoon—shabby barstools, tattered screen door, graffiti-covered bathroom—might have been there long before the battered trappings could have been considered ironic. To some extent, the middling reputation established by owner Josh Cohen at Park Slope’s Biscuit BBQ continues here—fried chicken, touted on the menu as “Brooklyn’s best,” wasn’t. Its oily skin lacked the necessary craggy texture and addictive crunch. The dessert menu exhibits similar false claims, such as a “money-back brownie”—a generic square that made us want to reclaim the $2 we’d spent on it. There is the occasional stroke of genius: The seasonal veggies from upstate’s Honey Locust Farms that accompany a barbecued chicken platter (Jimmy’s tries to source all of their produce locally), and the brilliant Williamsburger, which tops a juicy patty with a crisp latke and tart applesauce. Fried deviled eggs are similarly inspired: The creamy, spicy yolk filling, encased in a jacket of rich batter, stands in stark contrast with the usually tired church-picnic nibble.