Is Rice Abandoning Fort Greene Location?
Earlier this week ,a surprising listing (a screen capture of which we’ve included on the jump) showed up on Craigslist for a restaurant space on DeKalb between Washington Park and South Oxford. This got us thinking because there are only two locations that could remotely qualify as a restaurant on the block. One is Sammy’s…
Earlier this week ,a surprising listing (a screen capture of which we’ve included on the jump) showed up on Craigslist for a restaurant space on DeKalb between Washington Park and South Oxford. This got us thinking because there are only two locations that could remotely qualify as a restaurant on the block. One is Sammy’s Gourmet Deli, shown at right with the yellow awning. The other is the beloved Rice, on the corner at 166 DeKalb. The description in the ad sure doesn’t sound like Sammy’s:
the restaurant is 1400 sqft + 1200 sqft finished basement, 12ft high ceilings, 27 seating, exposed brick on one side of the wall, the kichen is in the middle right side…central air, BEAR AND WINE LICENSE KEY MONEY IS $150,000, the rent is $5300 with a 3% increase and there are 8 years left on the lease.
Say it isn’t so! We love Rice and have eaten there a bunch of times since it opened. It always seems to have a decent amount of people so this news is rather surprising. Feel free to use the comments section as a little petition to persuade them not to leave.
Restaurant Review: Rice is Nice [Brooklyn Record]
Rice sucks. I bet people go in there and order tea and sit there forever drinking it and that’s why it looks crowded. The staff there is very nice. But the food isn’t anything even worthy of discussion. So blame it on the food or the notorious landlady I think.
Bonita is in the same vein, but the food’s been really good. hope they keep it up.
The place that freaks me out is that BBQ joint in the Fulton/Lafayette Triangle. Can’t remember the name. But woaw are they weird in there. Maybe it’s that bad harsh lighting. And the food is odd — uptight comfort? It’s no Momma’s that’s for sure. Maybe I just don’t get it. One time I ordered a catfish sandwich (AWESOME, must admit) and they gave me the roll separately, unsliced, and all the stuff that goes on it separately.
Funny, i don’t mind grabbing something to go from there when I’m in the city, but as a neighborhood place, it’s not even remotely cozy or interesting in FG. Infact, it is completely out of place, and feels like a bad MTV spot. FG has way too much character for this kind of derivative Nolita crap.
I hope rice leaves. While they did a good job with the space, plain and simple, the just food sucks.
What is a key fee?
We have Scopello on Lafayette – good food, good service, and very reasonable. Wasn’t crazy about Rice either. Thought it was okay.
Key fee is WAY high for this place and location.
We need a moderately priced Italian place in the hood.
I agree that Rice stinks. I live on Washington Park, but we go everywhere else but Rice because there are a million good restaurants to choose from.
Also, I don’t understand these people ragging on Red Bamboo. That place is great – such an adventure. Their approach to serving vegetarian food prepared like meat dishes is tough to pull off, and all of the carnivores I take there seem to enjoy it.
But there’s no way Rice can compete with all the rest of the good stuff on DeKalb. If you want a cheap takeout order, Cafe Lafayette, Pequena, the new Indian joint on Myrtle, Black Iris, even Thai 101 beats Rice.
I agree wholeheartedly that RICE will not be missed. On the 2 occassions that I decided to eat there I was greeted by stares from employees and had to walk to the back of the room to request a table. That’s always a sign of piss poor management. The food is no better than some of the worst Chinese takeout I’ve had and the portions are precious, overpriced. I also have a problem with restuarants that refuse to post a menu (especially something on DeKalb Ave, for chrissake), as though their reputation precedes them and we should already know what they do so well. Ft Greene actually would do well with a REAL Chinese restaurant. Enough of these pseudo bistros.