CUISINE: Comfort food (Now delivery and take-out only)
ADDRESS: 20 Skillman Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. Meeker
PHONE: 718.218.7272
HOURS: Mon-Sun 4pm-5am
CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
AVERAGE ENTREE: $7.50-$13
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L at Lorimer
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Deliver map here
WEBSITE: Click Here
image c/o Gowanus Lounge
CUISINE: Coffee/Tea/Sandwiches/Wine Bar
ADDRESS: 197 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 718.599.2707
HOURS: Mon-Fri 8am-11:30pm; Sat, Sun 10am-11:30pm
CARDS: All Major
SUBWAY: L to Bedford Ave
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
TIMEOUT SAYS: From the owners of Queens hangouts Oleput Lollipop and Sparrow comes this Greek-inflected café. Choose from 23loose-leaf teas, plus sandwiches—like a grilled manouri cheese—that reflect the proprietors’ Hellenic heritage.
(Bowling Alley with food by Blue Ribbon)
LOCATION: 61 Wythe Ave Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718-963-3369
CARDS: All Major
HOURS: Monday - Thursday 6pm-2am, Friday 6pm-4am, Saturday 12pm-4am, Sunday 12pm-2am
Family Day is SATURDAY! NOON -6pm is ALL AGES!
BOOZE: Full Bar
CUISINE: American/Southern
MENU: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: http://www.brooklynbowl.com
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
WE SAY: A stunning sprawling space, albeit pricey.
image c/o Gothamist
American Cafe/Diner
180 Franklin St, Brooklyn 11222, At Java St
PHONE: 718-389-2806
HOURS: Tue-Sun, 7am-6pm; Mon, closed
CARDS: MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: None
DIRECTIONS: G at Greenpoint Ave. ; L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
DELIVERY: No, take-out only
CUISINE: Southern, Comfort food
ADDRESS: 1 Hope Street, Brooklyn NY 11211
(1 block south of Metropolian & Roebling.)
PHONE: 718.599.1945
HOURS: 4-11pm Tues-Fri; 11am-11pm Sat; 11am-9pm Sunday
CARDS: All major
PRICES: $7-$13
BOOZE: BYOB
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L to Bedford or G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: www.DantesOneHope.com
DELIVERY: Yes (until 11pm)
image c/o Noah Kalina
CUISINE: Steakhouse
ADDRESS: 89 Conselyea Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.384.2836
CARDS: All major
HOURS: Tue-Sun 5pm-10pm
BOOZE: Full bar
SUBWAY: L at Lorimer or Graham, G at Metropolitan Ave
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
CITY SEARCH 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).
image c/o Flickr
CUISINE: Burgers, Mac & Cheese, American Traditional
ADDRESS: 314 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211
(btwn S. 1 and S. 2nd)
PHONE: 718.384.6128
HOURS: Daily, 11am-2am
CARDS: MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $8-$15
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes, limited area
WEBSITE: Click Here
WE SAYS: The comfort food younger brother of Dumont. The Dumonts have best burgers in the hood. They have yummy Mac n' Cheese for vegetarians too. See more reviews after the jump
CUISINE: American Fare/Cafe Food & Coffee
ADDRESS: 177 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Between 7th Street and 8th Street)
PHONE: 718.218.8079
HOURS: Mon 8am-10pm, Tue-Thu 8am-11:30pm, Fri 8am-12am, Sat 9am-12am, Sun 9am-11:30pm
CARDS: All major
BOOZE: None
MENU: Click Here
BRUNCH: Yes
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
EXTRAS: WiFi, Outdoor Seating
WEBSITE: http://www.ellacafe.com
WE SAY: Great coffee and yummy food, even if it seems criminal to pay $9 for a sandwich.
CUISINE: Bar Food
ADDRESS: 988 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint
PHONE: 718.383.5615
HOURS: Monday thru Friday 4pm to close
Saturday and Sunday 2pm to close
SUBWAY: G train to Greenpoint Ave, exit at India Street,
located one block north on Manhattan Ave.
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full Bar [beer/spirits menu]
MENU: Click Here
HAPPY HOUR: 4pm - 7pm
"2 for 1" Victory, Sweet Action, Lagunitas and Penn Dark
$2 off Well Drinks
$8 Glass of Sangria + Empanada
$4 Mac & Cheese
GOTHAMIST SAYS: New York City's urban rustic trend keeps on trucking with the newest addition to Greenpoint’s ever-expanding nightlife scene, The Habitat. Housed in an old convenience store and built with lumber salvaged from as far away as Maine, the bar and restaurant will let Brooklynites savor back porch ambiance without having to breathe the air from the nearby sewage treatment plant. The kitchen is located behind what looks to be the exterior wall of a house, and a raised deck seems destined for late-night bluegrass jams. Chef Ashley Engmann, former manager at Park South and cook at Lotus, [prepares] mostly-American small plate menu, though her specialty is said to be her empanadas. A pecan mandarin salad, a twice baked potato, cheeseburgers, sandwiches and other late night snacks are also planned. The yellow pine bar, salvaged from an old mechanic shop, is irreverently topped with cement in the center, and 12 beers, mostly microbrews, will be on tap, as well as wine and spirits.
image c/o NY Mag
CUISINE: A fancy cocktail bar with sandwiches, cheeses, and appertizers
LOCATION: 588 Grand Street, Brooklyn NY 11211
between Leonard and Lorimer
PHONE: 718.218.8555
HOURS: 4pm-4am every day
CARDS: all major
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Lorimer
MENU: click here
WEB: www.huckleberrybar.com
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/huckleberrybar
EATER SAYS: Bars are a dime a dozen in Williamsburg, but the pedigree of the team behind Huckleberry Bar sets it apart from the pack (two clichés in one sentence!). Owners Stephanie Schneider and Andrew Boggs and chef Seth Johnson have all done time in one or more of Danny Meyer's joints. They are offering, per Lady Strongbuzz, 'well-valued wines by the glass, inventive seasonal cocktails and carefully chosen imported and domestic beers' as well as small plates (natch). It all seems a bit fancy for East Williamsburg, but hey, if Wombat can survive over there...
image c/o Flickr
(formerly Union Picnic)
CUISINE: Southern Comfort
ADDRESS: 577 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
at N. 10th Street
PHONE: 718.218.7174
DELIVERY: yes
HOURS: 10am-10pm
CARDS: Cash Only
MENU: Click Here
WEB: www.jimmysdinerbklyn
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer Street
MAP: Click Here
Polish Diner
146 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211 (at N. 9th St.)
PHONE: (718) 387-8780
HOURS: Mon-Fri, 7am-9pm; Sat-Sun, closed
BOOZE: Beer and Wine
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
AVERAGE ENTREE: $7
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
MENU: Click Here
FREE DELIVERY
WE SAY: Our favorite of the old-school diners in the neighborhood. Good burgers, breakfast is served all day, and just what you would expect from a diner. The vegetable sides are flavorless, but fresh (somewhat). A great place to go when you are in the mood for an American cheese omelet served by a Polish waitress. And of course, the pierogis are the best thing on the menu.
Standard Diner Fare
518 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211 (at Union Ave.)
PHONE: 718-782-4502
CARD: Cash only
BOOZE: No alcohol
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WE SAY: The absolute shittiest diner in the United States of America.
Southern Comfort Food
593 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 1121
PHONE: 718.599.9055
CARDS: All Major
DELIVERY: Yes
HOURS: Mon-Fri, 3:30pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 3:30pm-11pm
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St
MAP: Click Here
HOURS: Open 7 Days; 3pm-2am
MENU: Click Here
Take-out Available
Delivery Available
Comfort Food/Bar Food
983 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn @ Central Ave
(between Evergreen and Bogart)
PHONE: 718.386.1133
CARDS: All Major
HOURS: Monday thru Friday open 11am to 4 am
Saturday & Sunday open at 10 am to 4 am
Sunday thru Thursday Kitchen open till 12 am
Friday & Saturday Kitchen open till 1am
SUBWAY: L Train to Morgan
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
FREE DELIVERY (Delivery Area:
North to Grand, East to Cypress,
South to Stockholm, West to Broadway)
Breakfast, Lunch and Catering
700 Manhattan Avenue
PHONE: 718.383.2820
SUBWAY: G Train to Greenpoint Avenue
MAP: Click Here
DESCRIPTION: A quick stop for breakfast and lunch items such as bagels, omelets, sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, etc.; catering available.
image c/o Eater
CUISINE: New American
ADDRESS: 632 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn NY
PHONE: 718.383.0885.
CARDS: All Major
HOURS: 4 PM - 2:30 AM weeknights, open from 11 AM on the weekend
BOOZE: Full bar
SUBWAY: G to Nassau, L to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click here
DELIVERY: No
EATER SAYS: Greenpoint, meet your newest/coolest neighbor, The Manhattan Inn. Those nutjob geniuses at Glasslands, the superhip rag tag performance space on Kent in Williamsburg, have managed to do something original and pretty damn good looking on an otherwise unexciting strip a block from McCarren Park. The bar and restaurant serves New American cuisine from chef Justin Farmer. Fancy cocktails, sourcing from Rooftop Farms, repurposed design details, you know the drill.
Photo by Julien Jourdes for The New York Times
Eclectic
58 North Third Street
(Bedford Stop on L train)
PHONE: 718.384.1369
CARDS: All Major
AVERAGE ENTREE: Starters, $6 to $8; main courses, $10 to $19; sides, $4; desserts, $6 to $7
HOURS: Seven Days a Week, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
BOOZE: Full bar
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEB: Click Here
THEY SAY: Our first location was at 222 Leonard St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Our new location at 58 N 3rd St, adds a front, non-performance dining room and bar, while our back dining room maintains our original configuration: 4 screens, communal setting, 6.1 surround sound, intimate capacity: 32
We have created a permanent space that privileges video art, short films, feature-length films and documentaries, outside traditional galleries, movie theaters, museums, or clubs. We will also host live music, dance and other original performance. We will commission surround sound installations and continue our 'Bathroom Sound Series'. We plan to establish an artist residency. We serve experimental cuisine and classic dishes from a country that doesn’t exist. Every cuisine and every ingredient are in play. The laboratory is open.
Bar Food
125 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
at N. 10th St.
PHONE: (718) 486-8232 or (718) 384-8494
HOURS: Mon-Fri, 2pm-4am; Sat-Sun, 11am-4am
CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
AVERAGE ENTREE: $9
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 2pm-7pm; $.50 off drafts and well liquors
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WE SAY: Much better than you would expect from bar food and at a very reasonable price. Lose yourself in the best beer menu in the city, while dining upon any of their tasty burgers including a portabello, vegetarian, or and old-fashioned beef burger. Italian specials are usually tasty, and daily fish grills are not to be missed. Mussels are surprisingly fresh (and cheap) and the spinach quesadillas are wonderful.
On the downside the jukebox is horrible and some fool will surely choose "Stairway to Heaven." And sadly, they no longer offer any $2 pint specials.
CUISINE: Sports bar with pub fare
ADDRESS: 312 Grand Street Williamsburg Brooklyn, 11211
(Located at the corner of Grand and Havemeyer)
PHONE: 718.486.3473
HOURS: Mon-Wed 4PM to 2AM, Thurs - Sat 4PM to 4AM, Sunday 12PM to 12AM
DIRECTIONS: From Lorimer L Train: Walk beneath the BQE on Metropolitan Avenue for about three blocks. Take a left on Havemeyer Avenue and walk another two blocks. Take a right on Grand
Avenue and The Pub will be on your left.
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave or Lorimer
WEBSITE: www.mulhollandsbklyn.com
MENU: Click Here
BROOKLYN PAPER SAYS: On a recent Monday night, Williamsburg's newest sports bar was packed. Everyone in Mulholland's had one thing in common: a thirst for free beer. Free beer may, in fact, be the only explanation for beefy fraternity types in football jerseys and the neighborhood's trademarked bespectacled hipster to be mingling; when I returned the following Wednesday, the bar had lost the grandeur of its opening and was nearly empty. Far from the energetic nightspots that Billyburg is known for, Mulholland's felt more like a bar in a strip mall. But Sean Mulholland, who owns the watering hole along with his brother Bill, insisted that the neighborhood's chic, young residents are really "closet sports fans." The Mulholland brothers spent years working in bars, clubs and restaurants -- most recently Eugene, a glossy lounge in Manhattan -- and had been looking to buy their own spot for the past two years. Although they initially looked at Manhattan's Lower East Side, Williamsburg's cheaper rents and less commercial vibe won them over. "We just fell in love with the neighborhood," said Sean. "It's like a small town -- everyone's really sweet. It's almost like there's a Midwest feel, which we think is awesome!" Local residents might quibble with his assertion that they're akin to Midwesterners, but the Grand Street corridor is quickly becoming more high-end, and therefore more open to a wider variety of nightlife options. KEEP READING.
CUISINE: American traditional, nuevo American
ADDRESS: 361 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211
(at Conseylea Street)
CARDS: Visa and MasterCard
PHONE: 718-387-1245
HOURS: Open Monday to Friday
7:30am - 10pm, Lunch & Dinner
Saturday 9am - 10 pm, Brunch & Dinner
Sunday 9am - 4pm, Brunch only
SUBWAY: L Train to Graham
DIRECTIONS: Take L Train to Graham stop (3rd stop in Brooklyn). Walk from Metropolitan 1 1/2 blocks North on Graham past Conselya
MAP: Click Here
BOOZE: Beer and Wine
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: http://www.oakwinebar.com
ZAGAT SAYS: 'Best of Brooklyn 2008': Located in Brooklyn's trendy Williamsburg, Oak Wine Bar & Café offers an intimate setting where rustic and fine food come together. Seasonal menus prepared daily using locally made and fresh market ingredients with an emphasis on Romance fare.
image c/o NY Mag
CUISINE: Soup & Sandwich
ADDRESS: 362 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
at South 4th Street
PHONE: 718.218.7720
HOURS: 9am - 11pm
BOOZE: BYOB
CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: None
AVERAGE ENTREE: $5-$12
MENU: Click Here (.pdf)
WEBSITE: http://www.papalimasandwich.com
SUBWAY: J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes, S. 6th St. to N. 10th St., Lorimer St. to White St.
NY MAG SAYS: A collegiate brush with sandwich greatness at foodie mecca Zingerman's while studying at the University of Michigan spoiled Pete Levin for just about everything else he found when he returned to New York. So, Levin--who also runs Professor Thom's sports bar in the East Village and works as a cue-card man for Saturday Night Live--decided to take matters into his own hands. The result is this southside sandwich shop that smartly bridges the gap between the once great but now rare old-school Italian hero style and the more modern raised-pinkie panini parlor. All the produce comes from Greenmarket, the breads from Tom Cat Bakery, and the mortadella on the toothsome Jones Road hero from boutique salumi maker Fra' Mani. The Evil Reuben (smoked turkey, provolone, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on marble rye) is first-rate, too, but Levin's personal fave is the Pablo Honey, a turkey-and-potato-chip sandwich with a side of dipping gravy that he concocted at the NBC commissary.
709 Lorimer Street
PHONE: 718.302.3770
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
SANDWICHES: $7
HAPPY HOUR: Daily, 5pm-7pm; $2 pints, $3 well drinks
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
MENU: Click Here
WE SAY: Primarily a wonderful bar with great and free music, but the sandwiches here are not to be missed if you are looking for something simple.
CUISINE: Steak
ADDRESS: 178 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211
between Bedford and Driggs Aves.
PHONE: 718.387.7400
HOURS: Mon-Thu, 11:45am-9:45pm; Fri-Sat, 11:45am-10:45pm; Sun, 12:45pm-9:45pm
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: Full Bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $60-$80
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: J, M, Z at Marcy Ave; L Train to Bedford
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
RESERVATIONS: Required
WEBSITE: http://peterluger.com
NEW YORK MAG SAYS: "The room isn't handsome, street-slick, or even particularly welcoming. It recalls the kind of establishment that sports a banner running from beam to beam every year proclaiming !oktoberfest! The patrons may have come here straight from their booths at the Javits Center. The staff goes about its nonstop business with cordial if mechanical efficiency, serving onion-and-tomato salads, creamed spinach, and pasty fried potatoes. So why is it always more crowded than Toys 'R' Us on the weekend before Christmas? Because there are few gastronomic sensations that confirm the good life better than a hunk of a spectacular steak. And Peter Luger can broil and deliver one magnificently aged and marbleized two-finger-thick porterhouse after another with the unfailing certainty of Dustin Hoffman adenoidally reciting baseball scores. So don't even ask for a menu. Get big. Eat beef. Recommended Dishes: Steak for two, $77; steak for three, $115.50; steak for four, $154; creamed spinach, $7.50; sizzling canadian bacon, $2.50/slice."
image c/o Village Voice
CUISINE: American comfort
ADDRESS: 168 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
PHONE: 718.388.2811
CARDS: All Major
HOURS: Mon-Fri: 4:00PM - 11:00PM, Sat-Sun: 12:00PM - 11:00PM
SUBWAY: L train to Bedford
SPECIAL FEATURES: Outdoor Seating, Garden
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
DELIVERY: none
VILLAGE VOICE SAYS: Miss school lunch? Were you one of those kids who sat in morning math class dreaming of steam tables longer than the Queen Mary, behind which stood women clad in white waving giant spoons? Do you prefer your veggies on the mushy side? When you go to Vegas, do you only pretend to gamble, then run off to the buffets? If you can answer 'Yes" to any of these questions, then Peter's is your place. Located on the quintessential block of Bedford just above the first stop on the L, Peter's Since 1969 is the restaurant's proper name, emblazoned across the front in large block letters. It refers, somewhat mournfully, to a butcher shop named Peter's that flourished on this spot for 38 years, which the new restaurant has usurped. The old Peter's was one of two competing butcher shops on the block—one Ukrainian, one Polish—that epitomized the old Williamsburg....Gleaming white tiles and hooks that once suspended kielbasas like giant curving phalluses are the only vestiges of the original shop. Peter himself hung up his apron late last year: According to a friend who's a longtime resident of the block, he decided to take the $8,000 per month he'd been offered as rent and retire to Long Island. His picture smiles down benevolently from a frame by the front counter, one of the neighborhood's secular saints. Behind that counter, one now sees a giant rotisserie churning behind a smeary pane of glass. The chickens are the best part of the new Peter's—big, shambling creatures rubbed with herbs and sloughing moist flesh. You won't need a knife, or even a fork. The price is right, too—one quarter bird plus two sides and "corn bread"is $8.95. A half-chicken is only a dollar more. Peter's calls them French-rotisserie chickens, but there's really nothing French about them except the word "rotisserie." The supposed Frenchness is only one of the culinary mysteries of Peter's Since 1969, which should really be called Peter's Since 2007. Jumbled on the counter, a collection of pretty red Le Creuset casseroles holds the restaurant's other offerings, constituting a steam table in disguise. As the multiply pierced clerk raises the lids in succession, you'll discover decent mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes, leathery sautéed corn, green beans and broccoli oddly cooked together, chopped spinach en casserole, pallid mac and cheese, yellowish stewed okra, and bread-crumbed cauliflower. The selection varies, but most of the sides are united by two qualities, overcooking and underseasoning—perfect pap for invalids and hungry schoolchildren.
image c/o Noah Kalina
CUISINE: Southern/Soul Food
ADDRESS: CLOSED: MOVING TO A NEW LOCATION - STAY TUNED
PHONE: 347.282.6005
HOURS: Tue-Sun, 11am-9pm; Mon, closed
CARDS: Cash only
BOOZE: BYOB
AVERAGE ENTREE: $8
WEBSITE: Click Here
MENU: Dinner | Brunch
BRUNCH: Yes, Sat & Sun
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford, J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.
MAP: Click Here
EXTRA: Outdoor Dining
DELIVERY: Yes, S. 8th St. to N. 13th St., Union Ave. to Kent Ave.
WEBSITE: http://piesandthighs.com
NY MAG SAYS: It's usually not a promising sign when a restaurant's outdoor patio is enclosed by a fifteen-foot-high barbed-wire fence. At Pies-N-Thighs, though, you might say it's part of the charm. The makeshift southern-style kitchen that operates out the back of Williamsburg's Rock Star Bar has an air of what might politely be called a rough, postindustrial outer-borough chic. In other words, it's a dive, but a dive in the best sense of the word. Stephen Tanner and Sarah Buck, two refugees from nearby Diner, cook the kind of honest home-style vittles you might hope to stumble upon while tootling along some southern backroad. He oversees the pit-smoked pulled pork, the fried chicken, the juicy burgers, and the spicy macaroni and cheese. She bakes the breads, the biscuits, and the type of picture-perfect double-crusted pies that, when customarily placed atop a windowsill to cool, hoboes find hard to resist. All of it can be gulped down at a slim counter inside the greasy kitchen nook that formerly served as a beer closet. But down-home cooking of this caliber is best enjoyed amidst the barbed wire and weedy plants, or what the locals cheerfully refer to as “out back in the prison yard."
image c/o Flickr
CUISINE: Coffeshop, bagels, muffins, vegetarian fare
LOCATION: 323 Graham Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11211
(btw. Lorimer and Leonard St.)
PHONE: 718.599.3218
HOURS: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat-Sun 9pm-8pm
MENU: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
CARDS: Visa/MasterCard
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Graham Avenue
CITY SEARCH SAYS: This unadorned cafe has the feel of a college-town coffeehouse, liberally sprinkled with beards, bangs and butch haircuts. Fans line up for takeout pastries, bagels and self-serve coffee, and sit down to lunches of steamed eggs, hummus platters and BLTs with "fakin' bacon." While the Pixies blast over the speakers, resilient freelancers stay tuned into their laptops. The backyard provides a relaxing alternative, with wood-planked walls, climbing vines and umbrella-topped tables. Cappuccino, chai and caramel lattes are complemented by a small selection of beer and wine.
CUISINE: Sandwiches/Cafe Fare
ADDRESS: 248 McKibbin St., Brooklyn, NY 11206
nr. Bushwick Ave.
PHONE: 718.628.5470
HOURS: Mon, 8am-2pm; Tue-Fri, 8am-10pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-midnight
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: Beer, Sake and Wine
AVERAGE ENTREE: $6
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L at Montrose Ave.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/potion_248mckibbin
NY Magazine SAYS: Economics and rent stabilization issues may consign New York's latest crop of aspiring artists to Bushwick, but at least they don't have to trek to Williamsburg for a quick bite or jolt of java--or even an art show or live jazz. Potion Cafe, housed in a former industrial space, offers these necessities with bare-bones simplicity and winning grace. Although its steep steps and dim cavernous interior still suggest that it's all warehouse, the cafe's comfy couches, casual tables, and raid-the-fridge menu make it more of a clubhouse. In addition to croissants, bagels, and cake-textured muffins, the menu offers a handful of fresh, sturdy sandwiches like turkey and brie on a substantial French roll, a hummus panini, and a sharp cheddar-and-pesto croissant. The bar serves strong organic coffee, serious tea, and a selection of wine, beer, and mixed drinks. The atmosphere is loose and laid-back, and the cafe doubles as a gallery and performance space for its neighbors. With this unpretentious little haven so close at hand, the fresh-faced urban-outfitted Bushwick kids aren't missing out on much at all. Recommended Dishes: Hummus on croissant, $5; tuna-melt sandwich, $5.75
image c/o Gothamist
CUISINE: Bakery, Coffeehouse, American traditional, Fresh Bread
ADDRESS: 352 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. S. 4th St.
PHONE: 718.782.0910
HOURS: Mon, 8am-6pm; Tue-Sun, 8am-10pm
CARDS: MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full Bar
BRUNCH: Daily
AVERAGE ENTREE: $12.00-$22.00
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
MENU: Click here
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.; J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: None
NY MAG SAYS: When Lawrence Elliott's Bedford Avenue coffee shop, The Read, fell victim to rising rents, Elliott set his sights on the Southside, envisioning a neighborhood cafe with the best baked goods in Williamsburg. The stacks of used books are gone, but the new space, with its wide-planked wood floors, vintage hardware, and charming backyard garden, still has a stay-all-day feel. Locals with day jobs line up in the morning for strong coffee and fantastic house-baked morning glory muffins and scones. Later in the afternoon, crowds of stylish freelancers file in for the simple sandwiches or homemade soups, no-attitude service, and free WiFi. Laptops are verboten after 5:30 p.m. as the place transitions into a cozy dinner spot with a streamlined menu of unpretentious American entrees like pan-seared duck breast and buckwheat veggie carbonara. On the weekends, the cafe is packed with couples settling in for lazy brunches of basic eggs with shoestring hashbrowns. Still-warm chocolate chip cookies and Irish coffee are favorites for dessert. Recommended Dishes: Lemon buttermilk pancakes with apple compote ($8); Buckwheat carbonara with roasted mushrooms, arugula, and grilled zuchini ($15)
Sandwiches/Salads/Coffee/Spirits
143 Roebling (@ Metropolitan)
PHONE: 718.963.0760
CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
AVERAGE PRICE: $8 sandwiches
ALCOHOL: Full Bar
HOURS: 9am-1am Sun-Thurs, 9am-3am on weekends
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click Here
FREE DELIVERY
NY MAG SAYS: Once an industrial space, this high-ceilinged room now feels more like a social club, with its creamy wainscoting, low lighting, and small tables clustered around a central bar. By day, the neighborhood freelance brigade settles in with laptops and books; at night, twentysomethings slide into the benches to share stories and plates of slightly old-fashioned comfort food. (People-watching is an indoor sport here, since the restaurant is several steps above ground level and there aren’t any large windows facing the street.) Some menu choices are simple to the point of tedium, like the cucumber-vinaigrette salad. A better bet is the tangy, crisply topped macaroni and cheese. (Spring for the optional bacon and the oozing dish gets crowned with richly marbled strips.) The bratwursts—both traditional and vegetarian—also hit the mark, with plump, juicy sausages and sauerkraut overflowing the buns. The namesake teas are here in force, with dozens of brews including mate, greens, and bracing British blacks. These come in large glass beer mugs, so watch out for that heat conductivity.
image c/o NYMAG
CUISINE: Cafes, Coffeehouse, sandwiches, dessert, bagels, tofu, muffins, cookies, vegan
ADDRESS: 542 Lorimer St., Brooklyn, NY 11211
(corner of Lorimer & Ainslee)
PHONE: 718.486.6850
HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 7am-11pm Sat.-Sun. 8am-11pm
CARDS: Cash only
WEBSITE: www.secondstopcafe.com
BOOZE: None
SUBWAY: G, L at Metropolitan Ave.-Lorimer St.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: None
CUISINE: Comfort Food, Pizza
ADDRESS: 346 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
at South Third Street
PHONE: 718.218.7067
CARDS: Cash Only
AVERAGE ENTREE: $10-$14
HOURS: Tue-Sun 10am-10pm
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
WEB: www.simplecafenyc.com
CUISINE: American/Greek
ADDRESS: 651 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211
PHONE: 718.389.2752
HOURS: Open 7 Days, 7am-10pm
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: G to Nassau, L to Lorimer/Bedford
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Take-out Available/Delivery Available
CUISINE: Pub Food
ADDRESS: 184 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. 7th St.
PHONE: 718.218.9737
HOURS: Mon-Thu, noon-2am; Fri, noon-4am; Sat, 11am-4am; Sun, 11am-2am
CARDS: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full Bar including over 50 different bottled beers and microbrews
AVERAGE ENTREE: $10
MENU: Click Here
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: No
EXTRAS: Happy Hour Mon-Fri, 4pm-7pm; $1 off all draft beers and well liquors
WEBSITE: Click Here
WE SAY: If you’re lucky enough to be seated in one of the dark mahogany booths, scavenged by Spike Hill co-owner, Tom Schmitz, you’ll find the perfect refuge from the packs swelling outside on Bedford Avenue. The bar in the front offers twelve rotating draft beers and a healthy selection of scotch. Inexpensive dishes range from traditional pub fare like Fish & Chips to neo-American comfort dishes like Blue Point Oyster Po’ Boys with chipotle lime mayonnaise.
While the Thursday night open-mike musician set up his microphone, appetites were whet with a Kielbasa starter -- the one hat-tip to the neighborhoods’ previous settlers. The Buffalo Wings were average and the Oyster Po' Boy was more fry than oyster. You're best served if you think of the joint as a watering hole where carnivores and pescetarians can nurse a hangover or take a preventative approach to drinking by laying down a greasy base. while imbibing.
When the check arrived there was a whistle of shock and delight. Though not officially on the menu, the majority of the table had ordered the Spike Hill Burger. The dangerously low price of $2.75 per burger was responsible for the impossibly cheap bill.
Fridays throughout the summer, Spike Hill is offering $1 Blue Point oysters and Little Neck Clams between 5-8 PM.
- Amy Brown
image c/o Flickr
(Formerly Hurricane Hopeful/Carmaya)
CUISINE: Seafood, Chowder Bar, Italian
ADDRESS: 139 N. 6th St., Brooklyn, NY 11211
nr. Bedford Ave
PHONE: 718.302.4441
HOURS: Mon-Thu, noon-midnight; Fri, noon-12:30am; Sat, 11am-12:30am; Sun, 11am-midnight
CARDS: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full Bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $8.50-$25
MENU: Click Here
BRUNCH: Yes
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes, Brooklyn-Queens Expy. to East River, Broadway to Greenpoint Ave.
NEW YORK MAGAZINE SAYS: "Formerly known as Hurricane Hopeful/Carmaya, this minimalist space serves decent, if unspectacular seafood and Italian. Chowders, such as a traditional clam and a spicy Bahamian monkfish, anchor the menu while fried clams, mahimahi burgers and a whole fish of the day reveal a certain amount of ambition. The lobster roll is clam-shack simplicity: tender hunks of meat with just enough mayo to hold everything together. Among the old-world selections, a lobster pappardelle is as toothsome and rich as any nonna's, but a more distinctive Italian accent comes from the deconstructed, dunkable tiramisu, proof that owner Maya Pizzati hasn't gone Gidget quite yet. Used boards (some for sale) hang above the wax-cloth-covered tables, and the sand-filled garden is a perfect spot to quaff a mojito. Maine lobster is the special on Wednesdays, and some Sunday nights bring a live jazz trio. The post-Rockaway crowd swears by the weekend brunch, especially the Carmaya Plate, a heaping platter of breakfast items that includes pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Recommended Dishes: Lobster roll, $14; pappardelle with lobster, $14; New England clam chowder, $6.25"
image c/o www.urban75.org
CUISINE: Pub Food
ADDRESS: 96 Berry Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.384.9787
HOURS: Sun-Thu, 11:30am-2am; Fri-Sat, 10am-4am
CARDS: MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full Bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $10
MENU: Click Here [PDF]
BRUNCH: Yes, Sat-Sun, 11:30am-4pm
OUTDOOR DINING: Yes, a few tables
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
WE SAY: The best bar food in the Burg! Outside seating during the warm months is a nice touch to this delightful bar. A longtime Williamsburg favorite that outdates most of the other neighborhood establishments, Teddy's caters to a less homogenous crowd and is one of the few places where the locals and the just arrived can meet. Try their salmon club, or any of their tasty sandwiches and you will not be disappointed. And don't miss their yummy, all you-can-eat Friday fish fry. With live music, a great jukebox, a nice staff, and an unpretentious atmosphere, Teddy's is a Williamsburg treasure.
CUISINE: Sandwiches, Gourmet Shops/Produce
ADDRESS: 236 North 12th St., Brooklyn, NY 11211
PHONE: 718.388.9444
HOURS: Daily, 7am-10pm
CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
MENU: Click Here
WEBSITE: www.urbanrusticnyc.com
SUBWAY: L Train to Bedford or Lorimer
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
NY MAG SAYS: Imagine if Morgan Spurlock were to open a burger joint where the hamburgers were fashioned from contented, grass-fed, sustainably raised cows. That would be something like the situation at Urban Rustic, a grocery store in Williamsburg. Co-owner Aaron Woolf also happens to have directed the documentary film King Corn, and as it was in his film, Woolf’s mission here is to raise awareness about where our food comes from as much as it is to sell groceries. At Urban Rustic, the goods come mainly from local farmers, butchers, cheesemakers, and assorted purveyors. The 2,600-square-foot space is designed, in the current fashion, to look like a sleepy nineteenth-century general store, but has just about everything you’d expect to find in a modern foodie emporium, including a juice-and-coffee bar and an elevated dining area. Every item for sale, from the biodynamic yogurt to the Brooklyn bath salts, has a story, and, like good documentarians, Woolf and his partners plan to tell each one.
ADDRESS: 345 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Between Marcy Street and Havemeyer Street)
PHONE: 718.599.0069
HOURS: 6pm-midnight, daily
Wine Bar now open downstairs with Full Menu (pdf) available from 6pm-2am
CARDS: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
MAP: Click Here
SUBWAY: L at Lorimer; G at Metropolitan or J, M, Z at Marcy Ave.
WEBSITE: www.liveatrose.com
MYSPACE: Click Here
GOTHAMIST SAYS: The sibling owners of Rose Live Music on Grand Street in Williamsburg have given quite the face-lift to their eponymous subterranean restaurant. The intimate urban-rustic haunt has been renamed Vutera, and the exposed brick walls and wooden beams are now bathed in a candlelit glow for your dining pleasure. New chef Molly Del Monte, the former sous chef at Little Giant, is introducing a Mediterranean menu with a local-and-seasonal angle, complemented by a wine list curated by manager Hugh Crickmore (Mas). Grub Street has photos and the full menu, which features such delicacies as parsnip gnocchi with beet-green pesto, braised lamb shank with red wine and creamy polenta, and an appetizer of Spanish-mackerel escabèche. An review on Strong Buzz deems the place "immensely comforting. It’s the kind of place that beckons like a blazing hearth in an ice storm."
image c/o Flickr
Australian, American Traditional
613 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Btwn Leonard & Lorimer St )
PHONE: 718-218-7077
MENU: Click Here
AVERAGE PRICE: $18
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: Full bar
DELIVERY: Yes
SUBWAY: L to Lorimer
MAP: Click Here
WEBSITE: Click here
OTHER: Serves brunch every day, late night menu until 2AM, Happy hour
image c/o BushwickBK
CUISINE: Asian Soul Food, Vegetarian-friendly
ADDRESS: 940 Flushing Avenue, between Central and Evergreen, Brooklyn,
11206
PHONE: 718.418.6347
HOURS: Open 7 days a week, Bar: 2pm-4am, Kitchen: 4pm- 2am, Delivery: 4pm- 12am
CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
BOOZE: Full bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $8
MENU: Click Here
BRUNCH: No
SUBWAY: L to Morgan
MAP: Click here
DELIVERY: Yes
WEBSITE: n/a right now
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