c/o NY Mag

20 Skillman Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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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.

Bahia

690 Grand St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.218.9592

Cuisine: Salvadoran
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am-10pm; Fri 11:30am-11pm; Sat 9am-11pm; Sun 9am-10pm
Booze: Beer and Wine Only
Subway: L to Graham Ave. or Grand St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
We say:

Our favorite under-the-radar restaurant Bahía was featured on the Food Network recently and we were delighted to see them finally get some props. If you haven’t tasted their pupusas yet, run out now and try them. (Pupusa are yummy corn pancakes filled with cheese, pork, etc). Their cerviche is also always fresh and delicious. Never had Salvadoran food? Do yourself a favor and try Bahía before everyone else discovers it. The atmosphere is bland, but the food is amazing. Note – the pasta dishes are ok, but are mainly included to please the heavily italian neighboorhood. Stick to the Salvadoran food.

Citysearch says:

Rows of glass-topped, red-tableclothed tables stretch back to the rear of the brightly lit space, whose white walls hold a few seafaring decorations–a boat painting here, a captain’s wheel there. The small wooden bar and counter up front incorporate a wine rack and dessert display. Neighborhood friends and families spread out with plenty of room to spare. The best surprises on the El Salvadorean menu are the appetizers. Pupusas, filled with pork, beans, chicken or cheese, are sumptuous pancakes bursting with the flavor of fresh corn. The simple corn tamale comes with a mild homemade sour cream, and the inexpensive enchiladas, prepared with expertly spiced strips of beef, could easily serve as an entree. Main dishes, such as the sirloin steak, are less robust, but the enormous mixed seafood grill, including stellar shrimp, salmon, calamari and mussels, stands out. Finish with a lovely flan.

c/o Zagat

323 Graham Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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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.

c/o The Downtown Diaries

427 Graham Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.383.5744

Cuisine: Italian Coffee Shop
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Tues-Sun 7am-7pm; Closed Mondays
Booze: None
Subway: L to Lorimer st. or Graham Ave.
Delivery: No
We say:

This long-standing barista boasts the neighborhood’s finest iced coffee (even at $4 a pop it’s a steal) as well as a cannoli that would make an Italian mama blush. The interior, dripping with seasonal Easter bunny cut-outs or fruit-striped candy canes, is warm and inviting and the counter is always loaded with fresh baked sweets wrapped in cellophane. You might catch the occasional shag hanging about, but there are only four tables to lounge around in and the extended family takes up two of them. Plus, owner’s Joe and Sarah nixed their smoking section last year, cutting its hipster lingering down by almost 50%. Don’t worry about losing out on all the fun by asking for it to go-Joe weaves a great two-minute story chock full of neighborhood lore.

Brownstoner says:

This homey neighborhood favorite at 427 Graham Ave. in Williamsburg is the place to go for inimitable iced coffee. Shortly after Sarah Devita and her brother-in-law Joseph Rinaldi opened in 1974, they had the idea of feeding coffee through their gelato machine. The result is a perfectly crystallized coffee. Because no ice is added, the drink stays as strong as when it was first served. Thirty-two years later they’re still serving the same drink made with the same device (served at just a few tables). “We’ll probably stay as long as the machine stays,” warns Devita.

Carmines

358 Graham Ave.
(Between Conselyea St & Metropolitan Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.782.9659

Cuisine: Pizza, Italian
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $
Hours: 11:30 am-10pm Daily
Booze: None
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes, $10 Minimum
Metromix says:

You do not have to be a Yankees fan to eat at Carmine’s, but Yanks aficionados might find the restaurant’s collection of memorabilia an especially compelling reason to grab a slice. Try their unique chicken Caesar pizza (available in personal pan and regular pie size). Carmine’s also features a dizzying array of sandwiches, wraps and hot dishes.

c/o Cheers

612 Metropolitan Ave.
(Between Lorimer and Leonard)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.4311

Cuisine: Thai
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All major
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30am-11pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am-11:30pm; Sun 1pm-11pm
Booze: Beer and Wine
Subway: L to Lorimer St. or Graham Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
We say:

If you want to take out-of-towners to a restaurant and show them what a cool neighborhood you live in, take them to Planet Thai. If you want great Thai food, go to Cheers. Worthy of it’s name, Cheers’ classically tasteful interior of dark wood and navy blue booths is the most comfortable and low-key Thai restaurant among many around town, and in the summer months, the garden at cheers is nothing short of a dream.
The menu is short and simple with all of the classic Thai dishes done very well. Pad Thai, summer rolls, and curries are exceptional and the famous Thai hot and sour soup, tomyum goong, is second to none. For four straight Sundays, I went to cheers and had the pineapple shrimp curry served in a clay pot and loved it every time. Averaging about $8 per entree, Cheers is a pleasure that can be afforded again and again; and they deliver.

NY Mag says:

Consider this little spot when you’re in need of consistent Thai comfort food. The menu features the requisite pad Thai, spring rolls, tom kha kai soup, and curry dishes, all tailored for an American palate and perfect for a quick, cheap dinner. They work hard to create a welcoming atmosphere with low lighting, postcards of Thailand, candles on tables with fresh orchid blossoms, and oddly, Van Gogh prints. But the main attraction for eating in-house, rather than doing take-out is the pleasant backyard patio in warmer weather.

Daddy's

435 Graham Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.609.6388

Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Daily, 3pm-4am
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Food/Menu: Tofu/Hot Dogs
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Daily, 5pm-9pm: $3 Blue Point, $2 Bud and Bud Light
NY Mag says:

Famously owned by the almost-famous band The Rogers Sisters, Daddy’s has quickly become a neighborhood institution, thanks mostly to its market-cornering location, pointedly eclectic jukebox (Royal Trux, vintage country), and college-wallet-friendly prices. (Sorry, they don’t accept Campus Cash.) It’s a great place for prospective market researchers to go on a trend-spotting safari—many experts believe that the vintage-boots-over-jeans thing was born here. With cozy booths and a wide, horseshoe-shaped bar, Daddy’s is nevertheless spacious enough to comfortably support rival cliques…and an Elvis pinball machine. The beer and the liquor selections are limited but for those who overindulge in hard drinking, Daddy’s is kind enough to provide hot/tofu dogs to absorb any excess booze.

Citysearch says:

Comfortably distant from the Bedford Avenue throngs, this cabin-like neighborhood bar has a hearty rock-and-roll feel. There’s plenty of seating–around the hand-built, semi-circular wood bar, in generously sized, curved booths and at choice tables by the fireplace in back. The room tends to be low-key, but occasionally packs an exuberant crowd; bartenders are chummy and serve at a leisurely pace. Entertainment includes the table-top Ms. Pacman/Galaga game, rotating pinball machines and a heady jukebox selection that spans Television, Royal Trux and Irma Thomas. The bar offers only a few specialty cocktails, including an unfortunately Kaopectate-like grasshopper, a bright but modestly sized margarita with Florida-shipped Key lime juice and a kick-ass, spicy Bloody Mary.

c/o DeStefano's Steakhouse

89 Conselyea Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.384.2836

Cuisine: Steakhouse
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All major
Price: $$$
Hours: Tue-Sun 5pm-10pm, open until 10:30 on Fri & Sat
Booze: Full bar
Subway: L to Lorimer St. or Graham Ave., G to Metropolitan Ave
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No

Citysearch says:

Williamsburg hipsters aren’t really prime contenders for steakhouse dining, but DeStefano’s courts more of an old-school neighborhood crowd anyway. Family photos line the walls, a fireplace heats up cold winter nights, and the tin ceiling already looks worn in. The real cred, however, comes from owner Joey DeStefano: He’s lived in the neighborhood for years, and the restaurant is located in his mother’s former house. Steaks as thick as the last Harry Potter book arrive on hot plates, Luger-style. Dry-aged porterhouse has a pleasantly salty char but isn’t pink enough in the center, while filet mignon gets a moisture boost from a side of Tuscan beans simmered with sausage. And though cottage style fries are too dry and broccoli rabe too soggy, other non-beef options, like the chipotle-spice crab cakes and delicate pistachio-crusted lamb shops, impress. And the fluffy ricotta cheesecake gives another Brooklyn institution, Junior’s, a real run for its money. Though steaks make an admirable stand, lamb chops and cheesecake are the surprise menu champs. Sides let down their meaty main attractions, especially the dry-as-a-bone fries. The mostly Italian wine list offers something for every budget ($30 to more than $100).

Shecky’s says:

A B-Burg steakhouse that’s not Peter Luger’s–could it be? While the decor at DeStefano’s Steakhouse invokes the aura of steakhouses past, this is by no means an old man’s restaurant, especially once you look at the menu. Starters included short rib spring rolls and Japanese eggplant, and salads include a roasted beet tower and pear mixed with pancetta and arugula. Lamb chops are crusted in pistachios and the steak frites features a pomegranate sauce reduction. Enjoy a stiff martini from the list as you admire the classic pressed tin ceilings and that subtle ode to Brooklyn in the framed Saturday Night Fever and Red Skelton posters. So it might look it, but this isn’t your Dad’s steakhouse at all–he has no clue what a beet tower is. Do you?

752 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718.218.7777

Cuisine: Chinese
Our Rating: ★
Cards: None
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Thu: 11am-11pm; Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm; Sun: 11:30am-11pm
Booze: None
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes

Fanny

425 Graham Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.389.2060

Cuisine: American Nouveau
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs 12pm-1opm; Fri 12pm-11pm; Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-10pm
Booze: Beer & Wine
Subway: L to Graham Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
Time Out New York says:

Walk down Graham Avenue between Frost and Withers Streets and you’ll see a predominately residential Italian neighborhood. Located far from the Bedford Avenue crowds, this East Williamsburg spot—in one of the borough’s quiet, not-so-hip areas—is home to this terrific new pint-sized French bistro. The space is filled with antique-looking exposed-filament bulbs (replicas of the first model created by Con Edison); wood, slate and concrete walls; and cherry-maple wood tables. The owners, both French expats, have stocked the menu with bistro classics: An appetizer of steamed mussels is served in a terra-cotta crock with an addictive buttery and garlicky white-wine-and-shallot sauce (best sopped up with pieces of chewy baguette). Among the entrées, the roasted chicken with mushrooms fricassee and spinach (pictured) was most notable for its delightfully tender and juicy meat and for the way the chef—a French-trained Japanese man named Hiro Kiriyama—cooked the skin to a perfect crisp (the secret: the bird is marinated in lime juice before cooking). The terra-cotta crock pops up again in the monkfish Provençal, which is served, like the mussels, in a hearty, savory and warming stew—this time filled with large pieces of flaky fish, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic and parsley, and topped with buttered crostini. Kiriyama prepares the desserts, too, and his gooey, raisin-and-pine-nut-studded apple strudel with fig ice cream arrived warm and tasted freshly baked. The place does not have its liquor license yet, but there is a liquor store just up the street. If they don’t stock good French wines, they’d be wise to do so soon.

Citysearch says:

Stone tiles, brick walls and clear pendant bulbs with glowing filaments make the front room of this neighborhood spot both crisp and warm. The back room is darker, setting the scene for dates as well as lingering group meals. Young, refined diners either fill the place or leave it half-empty depending on the night. The kitchen makes a few strong showings. Roasted chicken has a crackling, flavorful skin and savory meat, though it could be a touch moister. Smoky slices of duck are nicely balanced by avocado over greens, and the salad nicoise is done to the hilt with fat capers, lemony olives and, following tradition, high-end canned tuna. Among the less successful dishes, the homemade pate is overly chilled and chunky, and both the calamari and grilled pork chop arrive overcooked. Light and fragrant, the lavender blanc manger outshines the other desserts.