I like brunch.

Dumont

This review was from a reader suggestion. If you have a place you’d like me to review, please ask and I’ll be happy to do so. :)

Restaurant Information:

432 Union Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11211-3420
Get Directions

(718) 486-7717

dumontrestaurant.com

Service 14/20 or 70%

  • Hostess(4/5 points)

    The hostess was quite helpful and friendly. She asked me everything she needed to know before inviting me to the bar in the garden. What stopped her from getting a perfect score wasn’t entirely her fault. The garden bar is outside of the restaurant and can’t really be seen. She didn’t check up on me to see if I was ready when my friend did arrive, had she, she would have gotten a perfect score. I instead had to send two waiters to get her attention, which really shouldn’t happen.

  • Promptness(4/5 points)

    We were given the menus as we were seated and our waitress came over soon after to ask what we wanted to eat and drink. After we had ordered, we were presented a small serving of donut holes and before I knew it our food was there. I will say this, the waitress was a bit too prompt when asking for our order.

  • Alertness(3/5 points)

    When it came to handling our meal and our dishes, they were completely on top of their game. However, our drinks were another story entirely. My water glass definitely sat empty a few times and it wasn’t until both our drinks were empty that we were asked for refreshers. I think this only proves my earlier arguments about the water bottle problem: it allows the waiters to be a bit lazier than they should.

  • Friendliness(3/5 points)

    Everyone was about as friendly as you would expect.


Food and Drink 13/20 or 65%

  • Price(4/5 points)

    The main dishes were fairly priced and you got an excellent deal for what you were paying. The side dishes tend to lean on the pricier side, so avoid them if you’re thinking about it. I ordered the cheese grits on the side, which cost five dollars and definitely not worth it.

  • Quality of Food(4/5 points)

    The food here is quite good. My chorizo omelet was prepared so the eggs were perfectly fluffy and blanketed the filling with out too much left on the edges. The filling though leaned too heavily on the pepperoncini which overpowered the other elements. The cheddar cheese grits I ordered on the side were well seasoned, but extremely dry and overdecorated. The home fries in my meal where crisp and not spicy at all; they played well with the other vegetables but favored onions too much. Honestly, the salad was just completely out of place. My friend ordered the huevos rancheros which looked fantastic.

  • Quality of Beverage(2/5 points)

    I want to give them a higher score on this, but I really just couldn’t. The coffee was too acidic and a bit watery. The water was served in medium sized glasses but with the water bottle left on the table. My beer was good, but the bartender couldn’t tell me anything about it, which there is just no excuse for at all when you consider there were only three beers on tap.

  • Presentation(3/5 points)

    The grits were presented in a bowl far too big for the portion that was given. The omelet looked delicious and was. The salad was served on top of the home fries, an unacceptable mistake that made me think the home fries had been forgotten initially.

Decor and Space 17/20 or 85%

  • Cleanliness(3/5 points)

    Everything was about as clean as you would expect.

  • Theme(4/5 points)

    This place really has two theme, one for each side. Inside, it’s a very well done restaurant with a classic American feel. Outside, it’s an airy patio restaurant. I found myself forgetting I was in the middle of Williamsburg as our meal progressed.

  • Adequate Seating(5/5 points)*

    This place has nothing but space and really handles it well. I don’t think they could fit one more table in here comfortably.

  • Location(5/5 points)

    It’s literally on the same block as the Lorimer L stop and a short walk from the subway exit. I don’t think any restaurant will ever have a better location.


Bonus(5 points)

Two points for outdoor seating.

Total Score 44/60 with bonus 46/60 or 76.67%

*The caveat here is that if the outside seating were not available, i.e. the winter months, this place wouldn’t be able to handle people half as well.

Le Barricou

Restaurant Information:

533 Grand St Brooklyn, NY 11211
Get Directions

(718) 782-7372

lebarricouny.com

Map:

View Map

Service 12/15 or 80%

  • Hostess(N/A)

If there was one, I blew right past her on my way to meet my friends.

  • Promptness(4/5 points)
I was given a menu right as I sat down and the waitress was ready to take my order after just moments.  Before I knew it, my brunch was sitting right in front of me.
  • Alertness(4/5 points)
We had a party of twelve people and I was amazed at how well our one waitress took care of all the drinks and food.  When we all had finished our meals she was there with a bus boy ready to clear the table and let us enjoy our company.
  • Friendliness(4/5 points)
I really like the waitress and the other people we interacted with there were friendly as could be.  These people clearly enjoy their job and you’ll get that when you visit.


Food and Drink 12/20 or 60%

  • Price(3/5 points)
I would say it was fairly priced for what I got.  Nothing really to push me higher or lower though.
  • Quality of Food(3/5 points)
I got the ham omelet and it was pretty good, but I felt like it needed something more to compliment it.  One of my friends swears this is the best eggs benedict she’s ever had.  I think the portions were just smaller than what I needed that day.
  • Quality of Beverage(2/5 points)
The coffee was horrible and the water was served in absolutely tiny glasses.  I think this is another reason I didn’t feel like the food was enough; I need more water and coffee!  I will say that another friend said that the bloody mary is the best she’s ever had, but I don’t much care for the drink.
  • Presentation(4/5 points)
I was impressed.  Everything was arranged neatly and extra touches were made to let you know they didn’t just throw your food on a plate and send it out to the table.

Decor and Space 15/20 or 75%

  • Cleanliness(3/5 points)
It was as clean as I would expect, nothing more, nothing less.
  • Theme(5/5 points)
I loved the decor and seating in this place.  I really felt like I had just walked into a cafe in Paris.  Part of me really wants to go back here one night and hang out at their bar.
  • Adequate Seating(4/5 points)
I thought this place was okay seating wise, until I realized they have a huge back room for larger parties.  We had twelve people at our table and they had no problem accommodating us.  I dare you to try to get twelve people seated at any other brunch restaurant; it just won’t happen.
  • Location(3/5 points)

The location isn’t great, but it isn’t horrible either.  It’s just a few block from the Lorimer L stop, and you can take a lovely stroll down Grand Street after you eat while your food digests.  I probably would have rated this higher, but the shock from inside(lovely as can be) to outside(dollar stores and miscreants) of this place is what keeps it right in the middle.


Bonus(5 points)

No bonus was awarded.

Total score 39/55 or 71%

Egg

Restaurant Information:

135 N 5th St # A

Brooklyn, NY 11211-3214

(718) 302-5151

pigandegg.com

Map:
View Larger Map

Service 13/20 or 65%

  • Hostess(4/5 points)
I was impressed by her, I really was.  She was friendly, you knew where you stood in line, and she gave an accurate time estimate for our wait.  She also was very respectful when she asked us if it would be okay for us to split a table with another group of two.
  • Promptness(2/5 points)
Do not come here expecting to get seated right away because it’s just not going to happen.  We were told a forty five minute wait and that’s exactly what it was.  We headed around the corner to a bar for a beer and chit chat before coming back to the restaurant; I suggest you do the same.  The wait for our food was short, but chasing down a waiter to pay the bill was a bit trickier.  They took our dishes right at the perfect moment when both my friend and I had finished our meals.
  • Alertness(3/5 points)
I’d say they were about average when identifying our needs.  I do, however, feel that a lot of their responsibility was shirked off to us due to The Water Bottle Problem compounded by the individual French presses our coffee came in when served.  I couldn’t give them a higher rating because of those issues.
  • Friendliness(4/5 points)
Every one we interacted with were quite friendly.  You got the feeling that the people that worked there really cared about making their little restaurant thrive.  Other waiters and staff were happy to stop by and help out when we needed so it felt like we had more than one waiter.


Food and Drink 15/20 or 75%

  • Price(4/5 points)
Considering the high quality of all the food products put into our meals, I want to say this was definitely a deal, especially when compared with some of the other places I’ve reviewed.  I’ll probably go back here and try something else when I get the time.
  • Quality of Food(4/5 points)
The biscuits and gravy were perfect.  They had just the right amount of spice, came out steaming hot, and the biscuits sopped up enough of the gravy for you to not really need a spoon.  The cheese grits I had were as close to the right consistency as you can get with out being there; I don’t know if it was the way the grits were cooked or the cheese that made them a bit too mushy for my taste but I devoured them any way.  My friend’s eggs and bacon were over cooked, which is a bit ironic if you think about it.  Overall the quality of food was very good, but not good enough for five points.
  • Quality of Beverage(4/5 points)
The coffee was exceptionally good, but not amazing.  My friend said her juice was really good as well; I’m sure it was fresh squeezed from their farm or at least with organic oranges.  I also should note that they suffer from The Water Bottle Problem AND your coffee is served in individual French presses.  This meant no refills on coffee and I don’t even think I was asked if I wanted more when I finished my mini-carafe; it was large enough for about one and a half cups of coffee, not nearly enough for me.  Also the French press annoyed me for the same reasons The Water Problem annoyed me.
  • Presentation(3/5 points)
Nothing really impressive here in the presentation.  You got what you ordered and it was arranged in a decent manner on your dish.  Plenty of room on your dish to move things around, so no worries there.

Decor and Space 11/20 or 55%

  • Cleanliness(2/5 points)
I found crumbs on my cheese grits dish.  They either came from the toast of my friend or from somewhere else; I don’t want to know, but minus one point.
  • Theme(3/5 points)
I’m probably being generous giving this a three but everything was very simple and that’s what they were going for in their theme.  There were fresh flowers in a vase on the table.  Also, there was a brochure about their farm and crayons to color on the paper table cloth if you wished to do so.
  • Adequate Seating(2/5 points)
We split a four top table with two girls that had to be the most vapid people I’ve run into in a while—one of  them didn’t know what the word lexicon meant and the other couldn’t explain it.  This place is popular and packed.  I also think it is a converted garage which doesn’t help.  They really probably need a bigger place for the number of people that get packed into here.
  • Location(4/5 points)
A short walk from the L at Bedford and you’re there.  Also, it’s a block off Bedford Avenue so it’s far enough from the foot traffic and cars that it’s not annoying to be there.


Bonus(3/5 points)

One point for having home made biscuits. One point for having cheese grits on the menu.  One point for growing their own materials and using free range chickens.

Total score 39/60, with bonus 42/60 or 70%

Back Forty

Restaurant Information:

190 Avenue BNew York, NY 10009-3600 (212) 388-1990
Get Directions

backfortynyc.com

Map:
View Larger Map

Service (15/20) or 75%

  • Hostess(5/5 points)
I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed by a hostess.  My friend had arrived shortly before I had, but the instant I got there the hostess came up to us and then asked us if we’d like to sit at a table or stay at the bar.  We were then instantly seated at a table near the window.
  • Promptness(3/5 points)
We were served in an adequate time frame.  Our main dishes came out just as our starters were being finished, but maybe a little early by a few minutes.  I hurried a little through the last half of my donut, because of this, but soon those dishes were removed.
  • Alertness(4/5 points)
There was a very alert and attentive wait staff.  At one point the hostess actually started checking on people and their coffee then went back to her normal duties when needed.  I don’t think my coffee ever got below halfway empty before it was refilled again.
  • Friendliness(3/5 points)
I couldn’t really get a feel for the friendliness of the waiter, he was just kind of there then disappeared.  He did seem a little hesitant to tell me what the jam was though, when I asked him.  The hostess was super nice and I kind of wish she’d been our server.


Food and Drink (12/20) or 60%

  • Price(2/5 points)
I felt like it was a little more expensive than it should have been, but not by much.  The three dollar cup of coffee was what sealed this as being a two instead of a three.
  • Quality of Food(3/5 points)
I wanted this to be better, I really did.  When the biscuits came, they were tasty but complemented with butter that tasted off and a rubarb jelly that was almost flavorless.  When the donuts came, they didn’t have the volume or sweetness that I would have wanted, a little brown sugar and flour could solve that easily though.  Also, I wish the raspberry sauce had been served on the side as a dip instead of drizzled all over the donuts.  I did love the hint of cinnamon flavor in them though and overall they were pretty good.  I ordered the “Eggs Southern Style” which were good, but the gravy needed a little black pepper added for spice.  They looked far better than they ended up tasting, which was disappointing.  My friend ordered the shrimp and grits with side salad, which she was hesitant to do.  I think she inhaled the shrimp and grits but lazily picked at the side salad.
  • Quality of Beverage(3/5 points)
I only had water and coffee here.  The coffee was good, but not impressive.  They served us water in a bottle and then let us serve ourselves, which I have an issue with always.  This almost was a two, but the creative coffee mugs made it a three.  The wine and beer list was notable and unexpected, though I didn’t care to use it.
  • Presentation(4/5 points)
Everything looked so good when it arrived at the table.  I could hardly wait to take a bite.  The problem with this was when I actually did take a bite.

Decor and Space (15/20) or 75%

  • Cleanliness(4/5 points)
I was quite impressed with how clean the dishes were.  The restaurant itself also looked quite clean.  I doubt you could find a dust bunny in this place if you tried.
  • Theme(2/5 points)
The entire time I was here I felt like there should be a plaque somewhere that said “Western Wall Theme by Ralph Lauren, available at Macy’s and other fine department stores.”  Also, there was a hook for a picture to be hung on the wall exposed.  To add to the confusion, they were blaring alt-rock from the 90s, which I love but it made discussion difficult.
  • Adequate Seating(5/5 points)
Very spacious seating arrangement with plenty of room for the servers to come and go as they pleased.  I think this actually helped the service ratings a bit.
  • Location(4/5 points)
It’s located in the East Village and a short walk from the 1st Avenue L train.  I think I gave this higher marks simply because it’s quiet enough and nice enough in the neighborhood that you don’t mind the walk.

Bonus(3/5 points)

One point for having home made donuts.  One point for having home made biscuits. One point for having perfect consistency in the grits.

Overall score: 42/60, with bonus 45/60, or 75%

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Themed by: Hunson