Defonte's
"The substantial specimens at this old-school sandwich shop are known as heros, and they’re served longshoreman style, in outsize, time-tested combos like potato-and-egg, meatball, and roast-beef-mozzarella-and-fried-eggplant," says New York magazine. "This sandwich comes in two sizes — 1/3 and 1/2. I went with 1/2... which begged the question '1/2 of what?' It was pretty much a whole in just about any category and actually took me about 3 hours of on and off eating to fully consume," says food blog Jam It Down Your Throat.
Chowhound hhhippo raves: "Great roast beef. Also great roast pork. The fried eggplant is great. You can ask them to add it to any sandwich I think. Also recommend Nicky's Special. Many different types of cured meat, provolone, fried eggplant, crunchy spicy pickled vegetables." Blogger Artichoke Heart, who opted for the Valentino Special, a combination of eggplant, provolone, and peppers, adds: "As I bit into my monster hero, I immediately noticed that this was no generic, mealy roll. The crust was appropriately sturdy and crunchy, the interior soft and chewy. The fried eggplant and cheese provided the hefty 'meat' of my sandwich, while the peppers in tomato sauce added a slightly spicy crunch." How would you rate this Red Hook institution?
Reviews (11)
Schultz wrote a review on October 14, 2008 1:01 PM
I haven't been there, but it looks like it would be fun to check out.
ou812 wrote a review on October 14, 2008 1:04 PM
What's old is new agian. BS'ers beware, they don't serve any alfalpha or organic wine here for you. Stick to your Union Market/Fairway for that. This is definately a truck stop lunch place. And they don't stay open much past lunch.
MR wrote a review on October 14, 2008 1:06 PM
Old school. I love that this place still exists. They are super friendly too. The sandwiches are good but won't change your life.
Combustiblegirl2 wrote a review on October 14, 2008 1:09 PM
Defonte's is amazing. But it is as MR says, an old school deli at the end of the day. It's totally worth it if you're hankering for something hearty and delicious.
ebklyn wrote a review on October 14, 2008 1:43 PM
Great heroes. Totally worth the out of the way locale, for me!
harriet wrote a review on October 14, 2008 1:56 PM
I love this place. The sandwiches will change your life. There are some "old-school" places that I find overrated-- I haven't been the the 2nd Avenue Deli for years, for example. But this is old-school in the best way.
Sorry for all the superlatives, but this is one of my favorite places. Just be warned that it closes early.
Thank you Brownstoner for the post!
JIDYT wrote a review on October 14, 2008 2:01 PM
just phenomenal. if you love a good sandwich this is the place to go.
MR wrote a review on October 14, 2008 3:34 PM
I guess I'll have to go back and try again.
alrosariojr wrote a review on October 14, 2008 8:53 PM
Real New Yorkers Know... ummmm 1/2 an italian bread, ummm 1/3 an italian bread.... Gravy no Gravy... Come on Kara, u wanna be a NYer get hip to the Lingo...
You'd get thrown out of Johns Deli in Bensonhust for a question like that... Might I add Johns Deli has a Much better Gravy (Black Gold)...
Santa wrote a review on October 14, 2008 10:35 PM
haven't been but I've walked by it. Looks awesome.
I need to make the trek over there.
fassglass wrote a review on October 15, 2008 10:41 AM
Good sandwiches, certainly not great -- the roast beef with eggplant might be the best. If nothing else, it's nothing like any other place around here. Also, be warned -- it's take-out only.
On an aside, what's with all the "I've never been, but I've walked by" comments? Who the hell cares?
Essential Info
Defonte's
- Address:
- 379 Columbia Street
- Phone:
- (718) 625-8052
- Nabe:
- Red Hook
- Cuisine:
- Italian, American
- Median Entree:
- $7.50
Top Overall Restaurants This Month
-
The Chocolate Room
added November 11, 2008 12:01 PMThe Chocolate Room was recently named the 2009 Best Dessert Cafe in New York by Zagat. Chowhound shivohum belives...Read More »
- The Farm on Adderley added November 24, 2008 12:00 PM
- Pomme de Terre added November 19, 2008 12:01 PM
- Tempo added November 12, 2008 11:57 AM
- Baked added November 5, 2008 11:59 AM
Post a Review and Rating
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.