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December 20, 2006
Worst Meal in Brooklyn?
As 2006 winds down, everybody seems to be making "Best Of" lists, but here at the Brooklyn Record, it's hard to narrow down the list of our favorite local spots. So, how about helping our readers avoid the worst food our borough has to offer instead? Since we'll eat almost anything set in front of us, we're going to need your help with this one. What's the most disappointing meal (or morsel) you've eaten this year? If you've experienced a chewy steak, a stinky fish, a sad excuse for a sandwich, or a wildly overhyped restaurant, leave us a comment — and don't spare us the dirty details.
Please note: We can't speak for the "tiny fishies" pictured above, but a Flickr photographer who goes by Urch snapped the photo at a Brooklyn Heights barbecue and labeled them "gross."
Comments
Lamb & Jaffy messed up what should have been a good birthday dinner for me and my girl over the weekend. Soups were fine, apps were fine, but the entrees (both a lamb burger and a duck breast with sweet potato puree and pomegranate seeds) were beyond salty. Balances of flavors were *way* off, service was terrible, and we needed about a gallon or so of water to rinse the taste away. They even served up the fries cold and soggy.
Just goes to show that the Queens' Hideaway is pretty much the only game in Greenpoint for quality dining.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 12:10 PM
my worst meal this year was at madiba. this was the most overpriced and worst brunch place i've ever been to. EVER.
Posted by: me at December 20, 2006 1:02 PM
the food at Lobos (Court St.) in Cobble Hill was pretty dismal. We hated the food at Nana in Park Slope though it probably appeals to recent college grads w/o discriminating taste and a small wallet. Too much sloppy sweet sauce, not authentic at all.
Posted by: north sleeper at December 20, 2006 1:35 PM
The Kellogg Diner (site of the recent police stabbing) is by far the worst food I've ever tasted. I know it's just diner food, but, c'mon, folks, how can you screw up a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries?
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 1:52 PM
Juniors.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 1:58 PM
sunday brunch at stone park cafe in park slope is just awful. the food is completely mediocre and grossly overpriced, the water glasses smell like wet dog and the wait staff is completely unfriendly and unattentive. never again.
i've heard the burgers are good though.
Posted by: badam at December 20, 2006 2:05 PM
I usually adore Perch, but on a recent visit, we each got absolutely undrinkable cocktails, and my husband's Rosemary Chicken was completely raw inside. They didn't charge him full price - they charged him HALF because he ate some before seeing the middle, and we were just too stunned to say anything.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 2:29 PM
I second Junior's and Kellogg's Diner! You don't even need to say they're the worst of 2006 specifically, they're just the all-time worst EVER. It's true, how do they (both!) manage to screw up a grilled cheese sandwich?
Posted by: sylvia at December 20, 2006 2:48 PM
Seconding Madiba and Lobo. Ugh, ugh, ugh.
Posted by: Meredith at December 20, 2006 2:54 PM
Diner (in Williamsburg).
They just throw butter on everything in place of good cooking.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 3:38 PM
I agree that Stone Park is highly overrated. Mediocre food and an unpleasant atmosphere. Honorable mention to Bouillabaisse in Carroll Gardens, for turning us away from a half-empty restaurant because we didn't have a reservation, after telling us on the phone that they don't take reservations but we would have "no problem" getting a table.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 3:51 PM
Gravy on Smith is pretty bad and it's Mexican sister/neighbor Pacifico isn't much better...and I agree Lobo is consistantly yuck, too. Are there any good Mexican restaurants west of 4th Ave.?
Posted by: kat at December 20, 2006 3:59 PM
kat: Maria's on Union. near the corner of 4th is very good. (Park Slope)
Posted by: north sleeper at December 20, 2006 4:01 PM
Tacu Tucu in Williamsburg, Food Sucks!!! Drinks are good.
Posted by: Hipsters anonymous at December 20, 2006 4:02 PM
I second Juniors. Went there in the middle of the night after some drinking and ordered a strawberry egg cream. It was made with frozen stawberries. It was frothy. Excuse me for getting graphic but it resembled a chunky period.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 4:06 PM
Stone Park by far. The food is bad, but it's made even worse by the absoultely horrible waitstaff, and the arrogant and unfriendly maitre'd, who I presume is also one of the owners.
Posted by: Anon at December 20, 2006 4:10 PM
But isn't Junior's an institution :p
I never liked Junior's cheesecake. Does that make me a heretic?
Posted by: supergirl at December 20, 2006 4:14 PM
GRAVY. I went there twice to give them a second chance. I like the decor of the place and even the menu is good. Just plain simple comfort food. But, hey, do the know how to screew up the simplest dish.
It really is too bad, because it has so many other things going for it, but now I don't go back there.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 4:14 PM
the food wasn't bad at stone park, but it did ruin my appetite to spot a large cockroach crawling under my chair the one time i went there. for real!
Posted by: eater at December 20, 2006 4:18 PM
I am sorry if this offends, but going to Junior's for anything other than cheesecake is just plain stupid. And, believing that their cheescake is any good, well, I chalk that up to blind faith (and marketing) triumphing over taste.
Robin des Bois on Smith. Lovely ambience (fireplace in the Winter, backyard in the Summer). Chicken tasted a little rancid. Meat for steak dishes were tough. I am not sure their butcher is being kind to them.
Posted by: crouchback at December 20, 2006 4:29 PM
Since I know the tricks from working in restaurants, I suspect that my "beyond salty" chicken burger at Teddy's was payback for getting into an argument with Felice about what was on the television, so maybe that doesn't count even if it is kind of adolescent. Let me just say this has been an incredibly fun post. Happy holidays everyone. When in doubt, eat at home.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 4:47 PM
Gravy always made me produce a runny brown gravy out the other end at any time I'd eat there. Avoid if you know what's good for you.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 5:03 PM
I love Juniors! Their cheesescake is overrated, but their other food is great. Always great service.
Kelloggs is terrible. Never again, even if it is the only place open during a blizzard. Perch is mediocre, but what makes it terrible are all the kids running inside.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 5:09 PM
I agree about Gravy. The food was terrible, service was terrible....AAAANNND there was a roach that was crawling on the booth inside. Lovely. Would never return, in fact we avoid pacifico just because it is too close by..you never know where those roaches are going.
Posted by: Sharon at December 20, 2006 5:31 PM
tutta pasta
blandest italian food ever.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 6:01 PM
Junior's commentators,
The majority of you say food, besides cheesecake and presumably other desserts, is terrible which I agree with (orig. commentator). But damn, where else in Brooklyn can you go in the wee hours of the night for coffee/dessert? We need more around-the-clock "Coffee Shop" type cafes as in the city.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 6:11 PM
Frankie's Spuntino was by far the most disappointing "Italian" restaurant I have ever been to. Overhyped, this place is truly Eye-talian and bears no relation to the food that might be found in the country to which it tries to make the public think provided its culinary tradition. Just don't eat the pasta if you like what you get in Rome, Florence or Venice. If you like red sauce that is over-sugared and taste of ketchup, this is your place.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 20, 2006 6:15 PM
I agree with the Perch haters. Used to like it for simple, healthy-ish sandwich, soup, whatevs. Then, one day, I was there, eating a sandwich, and noticed that the bread had blue veins running through it. What the heck? Is this some exotic blue flour bread, I'm enjoying? No. It's moldy. They didn't even apologize, they asked if I wanted a fresh sandwich, when I said no, they gave me back the exact cost of the sandwich and kept the money that I paid for my partially eaten soup and drink (at that point, I wasn't up for finishing it).
Second annoying situation: Presto Tempo on Seventh Avenue. My daughter and I passed it everyday as it was coming together and we looked forward to the grand opening. On opening day we went in, she ordered a red velvet cupcake (not cheap, but no problem) and it was so sweet that she needed a sip of water. Fine. I go to the counter and ask for a small cup of tap water. The guy tells me that it's $1.50. No, I tell him, you misunderstood me. I just need a cup of tap water. He tells me it's $1.50 for the cup. Then he points to the beverage dispensing machine and explains that I can get tap water or soda or Hi C or whatever. Then he gestures toward the cooler near the cash register and quietly tells me that I can buy a small bottle of water for $1.00. What can I do? I buy the water. Before we leave I spot the manager or owner or whoever and tell him what happened. He shrugs and says that's the way it is. Gotta make a buck, he adds. But he won't make it from me. I'll never set foot in that place again.
Posted by: anonymous at December 20, 2006 6:40 PM
Wow, this just goes to show that pretty much every restaurant can have its off days. When you consider the subject was the "Worst Meal in Brooklyn" I would have never thought that Bonita, Diner, Stone Park or many others would have been there. Maybe some of you have just never spent enough time in Kellog's or any of the other truly disgusting greasy spoons in this city.
The worst meal I think I had last year from Taro sushi. And I know that's not a terrible restaurant... it was just a *really* off night.
Posted by: bhiller at December 20, 2006 7:13 PM
nothing nothing nothing is worse than the Kellog Diner in williamsburg. holy shit it's bad. if they elevated the quality of their "cuisine" to merely good, they's make a lot of money. as it is, they do amazing business because of their great location and because drunken hipsters will eat anything.
Posted by: pfa at December 20, 2006 7:36 PM
There seems to be consistent posts throughout this thread (perch, juniors, kellog diner, etc.). So I think this is a worthwhile blog post. Not just an excuse to bitch and moan.
So...I'll have to name Perch again as the overall worst as well (especially since they're so trendy - they have further to fall).
I was there recently with my friend for brunch. It seemed like half the stuff on the menu was unavailable...they actually ran out of eggs...and when they managed to find some, they charged me $12.00 for something that I could have cooked up at home for 35 cents. The portions are beyond miniscule...
The emperor has no clothes...or in this case, feathers.
Never again.
Posted by: senaj at December 20, 2006 7:49 PM
Isn't every restaurant in Brooklyn pretty mediocre or even bad?
Posted by: anonymous at December 20, 2006 10:34 PM
No, every restaurant in Brooklyn isn't mediocre or bad. For instance, this year I had very nice, even excellent meals at Ici, Bonita on DeKalb, Gia (now closed--boohoo), and Black Iris. I also had a nice meal at Olea, followed by a nice brunch a few weeks later, but when I went back for brunch again, and ordered the same dish (savory french toast with peas), I noticed the avgolemono sauce was different looking. Nevertheless, I stupidly poured it over the whole dish, took a bite, and nearly heaved! They had run out of avgolemono sauce, and instead "substituted" a sickeningly sweet orange sauce! That is what they told me when I complained. I told them it was inedible, and they offered to make something else. But since I had already waited 30 minutes for my meal, I just said forget it. Now I can't walk by the place without feeling nauseated.
Posted by: carla at December 20, 2006 10:56 PM
A friend of mine got a case of botulism from Bonita in W-Burg. Non-fatal, obviously, but still - botulism! She reported that they were completely unconcerned when she told them about it, after she'd recovered, and they offered her a free meal. Uh, yeah.
Posted by: Leela at December 21, 2006 12:08 AM
The experience at ICI that I had was comically stereotypical--a half piece of fish tail "entree" that cost $25. Good food that left me and my mother very hungry. :o
Posted by: supergirl at December 21, 2006 12:33 AM
Queen (on Court). Just really really salty.
Posted by: superkitty at December 21, 2006 1:00 AM
Koreans use these little fishes a lot in their cooking. They come in all sorts of sizes. My mother puts these little fishes in soup as stock and you can also marinate it with soysauce, hot paste, sasame oil, little sugar, quickly stir fry it in a pan. GET CULTURED!
Posted by: Anonymous at December 21, 2006 9:32 AM
Gravy is my kind of place. That is, if the food were good. Well, if the food were good and I didn't see a roach crawling on the wall of my booth.
Beast is terribly overrated, as is Chez Oskar. Madiba is disgusting.ICI is overpriced for puny portions served with a great deal of pomp. In fact, it seems to me that Brooklyn diners are easily impressed by long-winded explanations of 'grain fed' and 'house cured' and 'organically farmed' mediocrity. I've had it - enough already.
Posted by: houseowax at December 21, 2006 9:51 AM
Gravy, Pacifico, and the pizza shop attached to them. I imagine Trout is pretty crappy, too, though they do sell Garbage Plates. Raw-cha-cha.
I use sites like Chowhound and eGullet to avoid eating bad meals in general, but every once in a while I'll try a new restaurant out before anyone else.
A pretty miserable experience can be had at the Armenian place out in Sheepshead Bay, and Sahara has gone downhill drastically. (Though I won't say either is the worst meal I had this year.) In general, Brooklyn restaurants are much better than City one's, I feel, but few go above and beyond. (We excel at mediocrity.)
For the record, the worst meal I had this year was at the DiFara's spin-off in Manhattan - there must have been a half-litre of EVOO on my sandwich - it was disgusting.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 21, 2006 10:30 AM
One of my most disappointing meals was at Bonita in Williamsburg-- but no botulism at least, thankfully! Madiba definitely gets the prize, though, for bad service and ridiculously overpriced, lousy food. I'm not the biggest fan of the food at Junior's, but do love the fact that it's still there after so many years. It's certainly a Brooklyn institution.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 21, 2006 10:34 AM
nothing to do with the food (mediocre) but I have almost busted my fingers twice opening the door at gravy and getting my finger stuck in that stupid door handle.
Posted by: anon at December 21, 2006 10:50 AM
I disagree that all food in Brooklyn is mediocre. I've had some very nice meals at Savoia, at Union on Smith, and the excellent and inexpensive Zaytoons. I will have to agree that Gravy is pretty awful, and that Junior's is overpriced mediocre diner food, except for the cheesecake and sometimes the pastrami.
Posted by: bigmissfrenchie at December 21, 2006 10:52 AM
I ordered a "Thug Passion" (Alize and Hennessy) at Junior's the one time I ate there. The waiter asked if I wanted that on the rocks or neat. I nearly choked on my water.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 21, 2006 11:04 AM
I will add to the chorus on Lobo. The one on Fifth Ave in Park Slope served me a bloody chicken fried steak, and the waiter tried to tell me "that's how it's supposed to be done".
Junior's - overrated, everything tastes like it comes out of gallon cans.
Stone Park takes the most overrated medal, chewy steak for an obscene price.
Posted by: theo at December 21, 2006 11:04 AM
I disagree with the Bonita in W'Burg posts, although - I have been lucky enough to not contract botulism. It's not a fantastic restaurant, but it's certainly not the worst. I vote for Kellogg's definitely, and for Relish in the 'burg. I know a lot of people love that place, but I've only had really bad experiences there.
Posted by: anonymous at December 21, 2006 11:22 AM
sounds redundant...but just had to echo the above thoughts because they are SO true. Gravy and Lobo are awful. How can you screw up scrambled eggs or grilled cheese? Or coffee?
Posted by: Anonymous at December 21, 2006 11:40 AM
>>Isn't every restaurant in Brooklyn pretty mediocre or even bad?
Oh please. I've always been deeply pleased at Bonnie's, DuMont, Applewood, Maria's Mexican Bistro, Los Pollitos, Blue Ribbon, Convivium Osteria, Thomas Beisl, Cocotte, Press 195, etc. etc. If you're actively seeking to be disappointed somewhere, no doubt you'll manage, but you're just shooting yourself in the taste buds.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 21, 2006 1:15 PM
The worst meal of 2006 was a salmon burger at the Miracle Grill Park Slope branch. Not edible, and theie salsa is tasteless.
Regarding Junior's - their burgers are pretty good.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 21, 2006 2:12 PM
I think Junior's cheesecake is amazing, and no one should go there for gourmet cooking. It's a diner - give it a break.
I have to balance the best with the worst, and I think some of my best meals this year have been at Keur n'Deye, ICI, Tomas Beisl, Olea and A Bistro.
Worst - by far - was brunch at Madiba. Dakar comes in as mediocre, but Madiba takes the prize.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 21, 2006 6:47 PM
Pequeña in Ft. Greene. It always seems busy (usually an indication of good food), maybe it was just an off night when I went - the margaritas were gross, way too sour I could barely get it down. The black bean and plantain quesadilla was hard/crunchy and felt like it wasnt cooked. I ordered it because of the review that was posted on here a few weeks back! Very disappointing.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 22, 2006 12:11 AM
Worst meal I ever had was at Peperoncino on 5th Avenue in Park Slope. Clueless waitress who had no idea how the special was prepared; I ordered it and it was different than described in the menu, on top of being uncooked; then I tried to send it back and the staff questioned me on it like I had no idea what I was talking about. I hear the pizza is good, but I never give my money to badly run restaurants so we've never gone back. 2nd worst meal ever was at Night and Day on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, before they closed. It was overpriced for what the place was. Tiny portions. The preparation and flavors were so boring.
There ARE good restaurants in Brooklyn. We love Tempo the most. Tempo presto might not be good, according to someone here (I agree the red velvet cupcake is too sweet and no good) but Tempo proper is excellent, and offers the most professional wait staff in Park Slope - that opinion is based on dining there about 10 times this year.
Great thread! Happy eating everyone, in 2007.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 22, 2006 12:27 AM
Just to add to all the comments about Gravy, I also find it odd that on the weekend you can't get any lunch items, only brunch items. For example if you want a sandwich at 3 pm, no dice. Why?! I find this ridiculous. C'mon. If you are supposed to be a diner of sorts, why not let people order lunch on the weekends like a normal diner.
Posted by: brooklynbee at December 22, 2006 9:36 AM
snookys has some good food, but the last time i was there i witnessed a waterbug crawling up the wall.
that was over a year ago. havent been back since.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 22, 2006 11:12 AM
The most disappointing meal I've had at a nice place in Williamsburg is Peter Lugar's. Greasy ass everything! Gross, I can still feel the squeak left in my mouth after that shitty steak. As for the worst meal overall, Kelloggs diner is up there. It's just plain dirty looking, feeling, and tasting.
Posted by: jbjb at December 22, 2006 1:29 PM
I swear, every time I walk past Gravy I just shudder. Who makes corned beef hash with beets? How stoned do you have to be to like this food? I am amazed they have repeat customers.
Posted by: TVBunny at December 22, 2006 3:00 PM
NoNo Kitchen: Can I get a waiter?? Wake me up when one comes. Way overpriced, even though Jambalaya is very good. Not ONE bottle of wine under $40? Are you joking?? How stupid can you get.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 23, 2006 11:20 AM
There's good good food, good bad food, and then there's shit. What's so disappoining about the Kellogg Diner is that what could so easily be good bad food is consistently just plain shit. When an all-night diner can't make fried eggs and home fries worth eating on a hangover, that's beyond bad - it's offensive. I get mad just thinking about that place.
Best meal I've had in Brooklyn: Aurora.
Posted by: piminnowcheez at December 23, 2006 1:30 PM
toss it all together with a lobster or two.
DonPato
Posted by: DonPato at December 26, 2006 10:24 PM
Worst: Miracle Grill (a nice space with simply awful food and even worse margaritas)
Biscuit (a 10 year old kid could make brisket taste better)
Lobo (I saw them stirring their guacamole to get the "brown" out of it, it'd been stored in plastic container in the fridge. Hey guys, how about mashing a fresh avocado, it takes 2 minutes).
Best: Song (always a pleasure even if the room is a bit too West Elm).
Maria's (you CAN get good mexican food in the slope and now you can sit at the bar and enjoy a pomegranate margarita and some pozole).
The Good Fork (I dream about their Korean style steak with a fried egg on top).
Posted by: Jack at December 28, 2006 5:38 PM
Personally, I like Lobo. Food is so so but the blood orange margarita with cinamon infused tequila is worth the trip.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 3, 2007 3:12 PM
I second the vote against Diner in Williamsburg... same owners as Bonita so it figures. At least the staff at Bonita doesn't act like they're doing you a favor when you order.
Posted by: anon at January 3, 2007 7:07 PM
I had a terrible meal at Bar Minnow on Seventh Ave in Park Slope. The service was painfull slow despite the fact that it was a Tuesday and the place was empty), the oysters were dried out (so nasty) and after our first serving of "all-you-can-eat" mussels, our waitress told us that we actually couldn't get more than two bowls. I would never go back to this place, and will never even have the chance to: I saw that they closed recently. What a shame.
Posted by: Jenn at January 10, 2007 12:49 PM
REMOVE THE PICTUE OF THE KOREAN DISH IN YOUR ARTICLE. IT IS A DRIED ANCHOVY WITH HOT PEPPERS THAT KOREANS EAT.
SHAME ON YOU FOR USING THAT PICTURE FOR WORSE MEAL IN BROOKLYN.
GROW UP !!!!!!!!
Posted by: ANON at February 1, 2007 7:21 PM
The readers and commentators of this blog seem like immature, griping ignoramuses. This is one of the most cynical, idiotic sites I have ever seen and you should all be ashamed of your pathetic selves for blithely critiquing other people's food and hard work when you clearly have mediocre and sophmoric standards.
Posted by: john gringold at February 8, 2007 7:36 PM
3. Relish: I got some kind of hash that had little cubes of ham in it, and they were RAW! Yuck! Plus the staff is unbearable!
2. Queen's Hideaway: I waited almost two hours (dumb move) and got served three measly jerky-sized strips of buffalo meat with a slice of white bread on a plate. WTF?
1. Baci & Abbracci: I just went there for the first time for Dine In Brooklyn, so I don't know if it's unfair to judge with the prix fixe sitch, but YUCK! My lasagne was terrible! The pasta was overcooked and cold and pasty in my mouth. HORRIBLE!
Posted by: Charlie at March 26, 2007 7:53 AM
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