Vinny's of Carroll Gardens
The blog SugarCookieBrooklyn paints a colorful picture of Vinny's: "This is the kind of place that makes Brooklyn different from Manhattan. The food is delicious, reasonably priced and non-fancy...Vinny’s brother Vito and the rest of the staff work miracles in the open kitchen. When you wait for takeout you can enjoy them all shouting at each other... As with all good neighborhood joints, you meet your neighbors at Vinny’s while sitting at the joined tables."
Granted, not everybody falls for Vinny's old school charm. Chowhound Scott Berkman describes their cuisine as "steam table Italian. A horror however you look at it. They actually microwave cooked pasta. Of course it's crowded - it's the McDonald's of Italian food. Cheap in every meaning of the word." Fellow 'Hound steve r. argues, "But the eggplant parm. is none the worse for wear on a steam table and, since the turnover is rapid in the evenings, it never sits around for long. He does a mean eggplant and it feeds 2 for $8.00!" (The price has increased to $10 since this review was posted, but portions are still huge.)
Yelper Anthony A., a Vinny's fan, shares some tips on what to eat there: "For an appetizer, order yourself a seafood salad. It's a little heavy on the oil, but hey, that's what the bread is for...just mop that ish up! For your entree, order yourself a fried shrimp hero with sauce on the side with a side of broccoli rabe. Their shrimp is absolutely ridiculous. Again, the broccoli is a bit heavy on the oil, but just ask for more bread!" How would you rate this place?
Reviews (14)
tanner wrote a review on February 3, 2009 12:56 PM
Portions are insanely big, it's true. One order of any chicken dish, for example, easily feeds two (or even three, given that you basically get a full portion of pasta on the side!). I find the pastas to be not good at all, but the fried calamari and fried shrimp are awesome (and huge, again). For six bucks you can get it on a hero--light and crispy, with a side of marinara. You can't go too wrong with the chicken or eggplant parm, either.
If you look at the menu, the prices look reasonable, but when you actually go there and eat, you realize it's cheaper than fast food, given the portion size.
There's nothing subtle about this joint. Arugula salad, for example, is crazy sour with a deep pool of red wine vinegar and sharp onions cut way too thick--and it's really, really good in its own way.
This is the kind of place you go to to stuff your face and to feel like you've been time warped into 1980s Italian American Brooklyn. Accents run very thick in this place...
On that note, the same owners just opened up an identical restaurant on Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights (Cataldo's), except in addition to the classic Italian Am menu, they have (mediocre) brick oven pizza. They deliver, which pleases me immensely! Cheap, hearty comfort food.
Ratings caveat: the food is great for what it is, but terrible if you're expecting gourmet (I'd give Franny's a 4, and Vinny's a 1.5 if they were in the same category, but somehow you just can't compare them); the ambience is awful in one way, but awesome in an almost kitchy way (but not--it's so authentic in it's cheesiness!).
mcnajill wrote a review on February 3, 2009 1:09 PM
Vinny's is great if you go there with the right expectations. It's not Frankies 457 or Noodle Pudding and its certainly not trying to be. You can fill up 2 people for under $30 including wine (which is pretty decent for house wine BTW). Everyone who works there is super friendly. Delivery is fast. Great hangover food.
harrythehat wrote a review on February 3, 2009 2:24 PM
Remember Nino's on Union near the 76Pct, these are the same people and the food is great. I have been eating at Nino's (now under new managment again) for 20 plus years and the same guys are working at Vinny's the food tastes exactly the same. Thier Veal Parm hero is fantastic and Im addicted, not to mention the great meatballs and its cheap. I had them cater my Super Bowl party 2 years ago. Everyone raved about the food.
East New York wrote a review on February 3, 2009 2:25 PM
"They actually microwave cooked pasta."
ACCCKKK!! They lost me on that one.
oldtimer wrote a review on February 3, 2009 2:55 PM
They maybe be different from Manhattan but closer to New Jersey. This is old school and has nothing to do with Italian food. Expect all the dishes to have the same gravy. If you like Olive Garden then you might be happy with Vinnys and you don't need to take a bridge or a tunnel.
boofer wrote a review on February 3, 2009 3:14 PM
This place is HILARIOUS!! I went here one day with my husband and we had the best time. Our server was so funny (unintentionally) She was like "lemme see this thing!" and grabbed my hand to look at my engagement ring (who does that?). Then she turns to my husband and says "Did you just die when you laid eyes on her or what? You did, didn't you? Whaddaya having?" He ordered lasagna and she says "Can I put a little meat sauce on that for ya hun?" That is pretty much our conversation verbatim. Everybody inside is screaming at eachother. There were octogenarian couples with their napkins tucked into their shirts drinking wine. Everything about this place feels like a Saturday Night Live skit. Everytime we walk by we still laugh. Oh yeah..the food was good.
chrishavens wrote a review on February 3, 2009 3:26 PM
Great place for a wine-soaked lunch on Saturday, before returning home to pass out or sit outside in the sun. Pasta with broccoli rabe and garlic, cheap white wine.
Twenty buck carb/wine buzz.
oldtimer wrote a review on February 3, 2009 3:47 PM
I can understand the funny side of laughing at the 'the local color'. But let's face it this is mean spirited coming from Yuppies, Hipsters or any variation of those middle class snobs that feel entitled to look down their noses at the proletariat. On the other hand I might go a safari down Smith Street and pretend that I am an antropologist from National Geographic.
boofer wrote a review on February 3, 2009 4:20 PM
Sorry if you took it as "looking down my nose"...as someone who grew up in a very Italian part of New Jersey in the 80's, going to a place like this is like a blast from the past. It's actually a breath of fresh air, which is why I said we had a great time. As Italian as Carroll Gardens is..you don't expect to come across a place like this these days and maybe it's a good reminder to us yuppies of where we may have come from.
jfss wrote a review on February 3, 2009 9:52 PM
Just so you know, Vinnies is not an old original in the neighborhood. That's Casa Rosa and Sams on Court. Red Rose is 25 years on Smith. Vinnies is of the recent Smith St revival timeframe. They are not the same people as Ninos. Related (cousins I think) but not business associates.
I go for one order of lasagna, one side of sausage and one order of broccoli - for 2 hungry people and food is left over. The fried calamari is great as is the pasta with white canneloni beans - made as it is ordered.
Carol Gardens wrote a review on February 3, 2009 10:51 PM
I love this place. Pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe is super garlicky, and I enjoy it that way. Tortellini soup and eggplant heroes are also popular with me. Nice people. As mentioned, not fancy, but satisfying.
promenade wrote a review on February 4, 2009 10:48 AM
Nothing wrong with what this place is...never intending to be high brow nothin'. You go to a place like this, usually with family in tow, and have a great time - food is pretty decent too!
cgbrownstoner wrote a review on February 12, 2009 1:51 PM
Been there three times in the past 5 years -- each time food was discusting. We were hoping for improvement, but unfortunately there was none. I walk past this place in the morning on my way to the subway and see them unloading their supplies. All of it is premade/frozen. I just don't understand why so many people frequent the place. Service is good and the place definitely has a great ambience, just a shame about the food.
minagia wrote a review on April 15, 2009 8:37 PM
The food is disgusting! you are better off going to the frozen food section at met food and picking up frozen ravioli.
Post a Review and Rating
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.