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.

Atlas Cafe

116 Havemeyer St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.782.7470

Cuisine: Coffeeshop
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: 7am-10pm Daily
Booze: None
Subway: L to Lorimer St., J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.
Menu: Click Here Delivery: No
New York Mag says:

There’s something about this coffee shop that has the feel of a college town cafe. The two floor-to-ceiling windows of the corner place fill the room with sunlight, making it particularly attractive for the laptop writers who occupy their tables for hours at a time, digging the free Wi-Fi and occasionally spacing out to the wall-sized map of the world. Large, milky pendant lights and wooden tables lend a softness to the room, and two outside benches take on some of the extra traffic when the turnover slows down. Everything is served at the counter, and hot and cold drinks run the typical gamut-cappuccino, espresso, mocha, sweet and spicy chai latte, and a strong yet delicately foamed macchiato, as well as Odwalla juices and Boylan’s sodas. The edibles cover basic breakfast pastries-soft scones, danishes and muffins from Tomcat Bakery in Long Island City-as well as a few lunch items, like mozzarella, pesto and tomato or a nicely mashed tuna salad on a baguette. Bagels also go over big, especially topped with creamy hummus or tender slices of lox. The cafe largely empties out by nighttime, leaving plenty of seats for freelancers on an evening schedule. Recommended Dishes: Bagel with cream cheese and lox, $6; tuna salad on baguette, $6

Blue Bottle

160 Berry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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Cuisine: Coffee Shop
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm; Sat-Sun 8am-8pm
Booze: None
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Delivery: No
We say:

Northern California coffee company Blue Bottle Coffee has finally arrived in Williamsburg. The massive, minimalist space on Berry Street is primarily dedicated to roasting and packaging the coffee, however there is a small café section with a large communal standing room table.

Blue Bottle Coffee serves lattés, cappuccinos, espressos, and mochas (made with Brooklyn-based Mast Brothers chocolate) alongside their well-known cold filtered coffees. They focus on organic, micro-roasted coffee in its simplest form, no strawberry cream frappucinos, white chocolate mochas, or cinnamon dolce lattes will be found here. Each cup of coffee is individually prepared, and can take up to three minutes per cup to make. There are pastries sold, however we visited in the late afternoon and all that remained was one lonely scone, so don’t show up hungry.

We tried the two types of cold filtered iced coffee offered: Kyoto and New Orleans-style. The Kyoto Iced Coffee ($4.25) is made in a Japanese iced-coffee device, which slowly drips room-temperature water though coffee grounds. This extensive process can take up to eight hours to make one pot. It’s meant to be consumed black and has an extremely smooth and bold flavor with undertones of tobacco and whiskey. The New Orleans-style ($4) contains chicory and is served over ice with a splash of milk and sugar. It’s less bold than the Kyoto, and has floral undertones from the chicory.

The servings are small at Blue Bottle Coffee, but the quality is excellent, and makes you savor each sip. If you’re wandering through the neighborhood, give it a try; we’ll definitely be going back.

Blackbook Mag says:

Nor Cal coffee maniacs bring their OCD to the Burg. “Artisan microroasting” is the strategy, with organic beans quick-bagged to prevent oxidation. Then the mad science begins. Five Japanese cold-extraction slow-drip brewers look complex enough to cure cancer, instead provide silky-smooth java jolt to get that blood circulating. Piston-lever espressos, Nel flannel filters for that “brooding, autumnal flavor.” Puts the anal back in artisanal coffee.

Champs Family Bakery

176 Ainslie Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.2743

Cuisine: Vegan Bakery
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-1opm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun Noon-6pm
Booze: None
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Delivery: No
Vegan Baking says:

Champs Family Bakery is located in a quiet but fast growing section of Williamsburg, Brooklyn on 176 Ainslie Street (at Leonard). The owners, Brad Baker and Megan Blackburn aspire to create a classic New York bakery with a vegan flare. And all without using the V word which is refreshing. When I walked in the other day the establishment had a paint-is-still-drying-on-the-wall feel due to them just opening days earlier. You can clearly feel the energy that something amazing is about to happen in the cozy former grocery store location. There were many people hanging around, basking in the glow of the realization that… a vegan bakery is now open in Brooklyn! I could already hear the Cheers theme song playing in my head- this place is going to be the hangout for vegan bakers and sugar junkies alike.

Veg Guide says:

Champ’s Family Bakery is an all vegan bakery in Williamsburg offering everything from vegan rocky road cookies, carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and blueberry muffins to virtually non-existant items like vegan croissants. They use mostly organic ingredients and offer gluten-free and sugar-free options as well.

c/o The Modern Age

124 Meserole Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
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718.389.8083

Cuisine: Coffee Shop/Organic American Nouveau
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $$$
Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-10pm
Booze: None
Subway: G to Greenpoint Ave.
Menu: Changes Daily
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

This small café and record shop specializes in seasonal, locally sourced food as much as it does in classic-rock and indie vinyl. The menu changes daily and focuses on non-fussy dishes that showcase fresh ingredients, from seafood caught in Hampton Bays to organic vegetables from the Catskills. Dinner is offered à la carte, but the $20–$25 (tax included) three-course prix fixe is a serious deal. First courses might include seasonal soups or hearty crostini topped with vegetable purées, entrées range from vegetarian-friendly pastas to free-range chicken or grass-fed beef, and the final course is a daily dessert special. Lunch is a lighter affair, with a menu of sandwiches, salads, and frittatas, as well as a $12 menu for two small plates. Breakfast and brunch offerings cover all the bases (housemade granola and yogurt, pancakes, polenta), with the occasional experimental dish thrown in (an egg-based bánh mì). The décor is touched with rustic accents that lend an urban-farmhouse vibe, like jam-jar water glasses and chalkboards instead of menus. The long, narrow room has clusters of two- and four-tops near the front and an open kitchen in the rear, with bins of used records between. Diners pass through the tiny food-prep area to access communal tables in the back garden.

Metromix says:

At face value you could consider Eat Records a bit of a gimmick—since 2006 the Greenpoint storefront has served as a slightly more successful version of cake shop , selling vinyl, coffee and light café fare under one rock ‘n roll roof. Now, Eat Records is a gimmick no more, as the cozy Meserole Avenue eatery has expanded its hours and ambition. Megan Kimball spearheads a seasonal chalkboard menu—a sample tips that the dishes will be simple, yet composed. Farro salad with spring peas and goat cheese and housemade angel hair with bitter greens and ricotta are highlights. Andouille over black beans and a hard boiled egg “manh mi” lean heavier. Egg sandwiches (croquet monsieur, cilantro egg salad) and strawberry pancakes are served at brunch.

c/o NY Mag

91 S. 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.3090

Cuisine: Barbecue/Asian Fusion
Our Rating: ★★★★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$$
Hours: Tue-Sun 4pm-Midnight; Closed Monday
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

Zak Pelaccio teamed up with former Hill Country pitmaster Robbie Richter and chef de cuisine Andrew Pressler to open this barbecue restaurant that marries the chiles and curries of Southeast Asia (especially Malaysia and Thailand) to fatty, sustainable meats (the lamb and pork is from Marlow & Daughters; the pork belly comes from Tamworth pigs) smoked over year-aged upstate oak. The big, bold mains are paired with light, acidic sides as well as smoky cocktails from beverage director Andrew Schuman. The space was designed by Pelaccio’s wife, Jori Emde, who employed materials, such as brick, reclaimed from his upstate farm, and includes a bar on the sunken first floor, with most seats on the upper level.

Blackbook Mag says:

Billyburg BBQ bro to equally obese crustacean sis. Fatty Crab’s Zak P. sprinkles his magical Malaysian spices on ‘cue smoked by Hill Country OG pitmaster. Texas vs. Southeast Asia: smoked-fish palm syrup pork spare ribs, American Wagyu brisket bao buns, coriander bacon x steamed yellow curry custard. Fixin’s veer less slaw, more noodles in meat juices, crudite of “rapid transit” charred veggies. Weathered triple-decker also offers swine chandelier, smoked-fruit fancy drinks à la “Foreplay Cock Tail,” the perfectly junior high complement to wet naps.

Fette Sau

354 Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.963.3404

Cuisine: Barbeque
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Mastercard and Visa
Price: $$
Hours: 5pm-2am Daily
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave. or Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes (except on Fri & Sat)
We Say:

Standing in line at Williamsburg’s newest barbecue joint, I witnessed something close to a miracle. The strangers on either side of my party wanted to engage in conversation. Card-carrying hipsters, notorious for cold shoulders and silent treatment, wanted to discuss the meat counter where we were heading. They asked questions and offered ordering advice, like one pound of pork shoulder should be enough for two people. For a restaurant to create an atmosphere of engagement is a feat that will keep crowds coming back, despite the long waits in line.
Fette Sau, which means “fat pig” in German, opened its doors in March 2007, brought to us by the owners of Spuyten Duyvil — a favorite beer garden across the street. Kim and Joe Carroll transformed a former auto-body repair shop into industrial barbecue cavern with a whole wall of hand painted cuts-of-meat, a fake fire burning on the television screen and heavy picnic tables — both inside and out. At the bar in the back you can choose from a wide selection of whisky or take a pint, quart or half gallon growler of beer back to your table to wash down the greasy meats.
At the meat counter, if it’s pork shoulder you want, arrive early. I have yet to try it, since the kitchen can’t keep up with the high demand. My reluctance to taste the recommended alternative, dissipated the moment I bit into the buttery moist pork belly, piled high on my butcher paper-covered tray. The brisket and sausage is also a hit. My only complaint is, with the exception of the smoky pork-laden baked beans, the side dishes are a huge let down and should be avoided. The broccoli salad was soggy with vinegar and the potatoes in the potato salad were undercooked and needed salt. Pay homage to Dr. Atkins and stick to the meat counter. And if you’re a vegetarian, just stick to the whiskey or beer. We’re hoping the Fette Sau will hire a pastry chef to prepare a juicy key lime pie to cleanse the palate after the full meat encounter. Until then, there’s beer, whiskey and the company of strangers.

Gothamist says:

Fette Sau (German for Fat Pig) rests back from the street off Metropolitan Ave, in an old garage outfitted with what is one of Brooklyn’s newest barbecue joints. It is rightly getting loads of press for its food, but what many of them forget to mention is that it’s also loaded with one of the most impressive collections of bourbons in the city. We counted 55 different ones the last time we were there, which sounds more like a dare than a list. It isn’t all about the different variations of Jim Beam, either. They have New York’s only bourbon, Hudson Baby Bourbon, and Four Roses, which just recently came on the New York market. Six bucks can score you a cheaper, rougher style (Rebel Yell!) that will probably suit those ribs better. If you’ve got extra cash burning a whole in your wallet, go for the $18 Pappy Van Winkle. They are all served in nifty snifers and can come however you like to suck it back.

Full Circle

318 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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347.725.4588

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Mon-Fri, 3pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 1pm-4am
Subway: L to Lorimer St.; J,M,Z, to Marcy Ave.
Food/Menu: Bar Snacks
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Thurs 4pm-9pm;Fri-Sun 2pm-9pm $3 Full Circle Wheat $3 BREWmosa, $4 Well Drinks, $4 Moo Thunder, $4 Pork Slap,$4 Snapperhead IPA, $4 Whiskee Fizz, $4 Arnold Palmer, $4 BROTY Mary
Metromix says:

The “National Home of Brewskee Ball” is home to all sorts of Skee-Ball league tournaments, game nights, special events and other beer- and game-related parties—and it serves Coney Island hot dogs and hand-twisted pretzels, too. But wait—what is Brewskee Ball? We’re sure you can guess, but just in case: “Brewskee-Ball is the first-ever competitive Skee-Ball league, and Full Circle Bar is its national home.” Just like we thought. Game on!

NY Mag says:

They take their Skee-ball seriously at this South Williamsburg mecca of cheap beer. A Skee-ball machine greets you in the tiny front room, while the back boasts a proper game room stocked with … more Skee-ball! For die hard players, the bar hosts a semi-competitive league – known as Brewskeeball – that meets on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. As for the rest of the regulars, they come for the cozy atmosphere and prices that are uber-friendly: $5 will get you a can of Moo Thunder or Dale’s Pale Ale, Genny Cream Ale is $3, and Stella and Sweet Action on tap are $6. Cans are the name of the game — the bar carries over 15 canned beers, from Golden Pheasant to Pork Slap. One of the best deals is the $4 Ginny Dog (a Genesee cream ale and a decent hot dog) or the $6 10th Ball (a cream ale and a shot of well whiskey). Weekday crowds are mostly locals, while the weekends see some spillover from The Lodge next door.

c/o NY Mag

495 Lorimer St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.388.7771

Cuisine: Coffee shop
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $
Hours: 7am-8pm Daily
Booze: None
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
We say:

The best coffee in Williamsburg. Plus, they sell their own delicious beans for home brewing!

NY Mag says:

Best coffee in New York? Enthusiasts in love with the bean and the search for the ultimate cuppa claim this Williamsburg outpost of an upstate-based anti-chain pulls among the best espressos in town. Master roaster John Gant’s cultish devotion to barista training and quality air roasting of single-source beans means the resulting cups can be sublime: espressos emerge aromatic, the crema foamy and multi-hued, cappuccinos topped with a dense layer of textured milk rather than foam. Even the drip stuff is quality, with not a hint of the dread mega-chain’s over-roasted signature. Spare and gallery-like, with seating for only a handful, Gimme! also sells about 20 types of their own beans, for home-brew amateurs.

Glasslands

289 Kent Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.599.1450

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Hours: Daily, 8pm-4am
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Food/Menu: No food available
Booze: Full bar
Happy Hour: None
Calendar: www.glasslands.com/
L Magazine says:

Community arts space in Williamsburg features music from a wide variety of local and nationally known bands as well as dance parties, game nights, special events, and ongoing interactive art projects.

Blackbook Mag says:

Underground art and performance space in the shadow of the old Domino Sugar factory. Bands you’re not cool enough to have heard of, DJs stoking sweaty dance parties. Electro-synthpop platters, album releases, benefits. DIY or die aesthetic evident in grungy, über-arty digs. Full-service bar takes credit cards, keeping things one full notch above a squat. Come let your facial hair down, South Williamsburg style.