Thomas Beisl

 

0

5

grunz s.

Brooklyn, NY

We are regulars there. Thomas Beisl makes us feel at home. The owner and staff are very friendly and they don't rush you. Many off their dishes taste as good as grandma's. We especially love the Steak Tatare, the delicious Austrian desserts and of course the Goesser beer.

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1

36

Pamela S.

Brooklyn, NY

I had the french onion soup, beef gulyash and the kaiser - something - (the fluffy pancakes with fruit compote and raisins.)  The onion soup was pretty good, hot, seasoned well and with good cheese.  The beef gulyash was awesome!  It was hot, tender and the spaetzel was tasty and was a great texture.  Did not have any problems with seasoning, actually, the gulyash was spicy - I guess I was there on a good night!  The only downer to the meal was that the fruit compote that came with the pancake was cold, and I felt like it needed to be one way or another.  But that's not even that big of a deal because it was really tasty.  The service was good, relaxed and efficient.  I'll go back...

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Elite '08

55

215

Sonia C.

Chicago, IL

Came here with Diana N last week.  I thought that the food here was good, but pretty average.  Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but I honestly wasn't impressed by the taste of the food.

Since it was an Austrian place, I ordered the schnitzel, but I ordered the celery root version in an attempt to be different.  It was alright - hot, breaded, and fried with a small tartar sauce accompaniment - but it was a little bland and not that awesome.  The potato salad that came with my food was slightly sour and really not to my taste.

My friends ordered the meatloaf, salmon, and paprika chicken.  I had a sizable hunk of the meatloaf and found it pretty good, though a little on the cold & dry side.  The paprika chicken seemed good.  The salmon looked good as well, but I'm not sure how a dish like oven-roasted salmon would be better or worse at this place compared to all others - it's just a normal dish.

Desserts ended the meal on a good note.  We tried the farmers cheese strudel with vanilla sauce, kaiserschmarren (puffed pancakes with fruit), and the crepes stuffed with hazelnut & chocolate.  Unlike Diana, I didn't find the strudel particular cheesy (it wasn't strong smelling or anything), but it was definitely very lumpy and was a little soggy and weighed down by the sauce.  I would have preferred crispier dough layers.  I really enjoyed the pancakes because I like tart foods and I also enjoy hot fluffy carbs.  The crepes were really good, but again, not a dish that I would expect them to mess up since all they had to do was put nutella on a crepe.

Overall, an ok place.  I haven't tried enough Austrian places to really rank Thomas Beisl on the list, but I would probably try other restaurants in this area before coming here again.

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6

29

Bruce S.

New York, NY

Thomas Beisl has much to offer: it is right across the street from BAM, it has a charming and authentic Viennese feel, it has a good selection of wines by the glass.  Unfortunately after 4 meals here I've just never been wowed by the food.  I love Austrian food (spent much time in Vienna) and feel that the food here is pretty authentic (schnitzel, potato salad, etc.) but not that flavorful.  For a more successful version of Austrian food I'd suggest Blaue Gans.  But for someone looking to have a late bite after BAM, there's no reason not to go to Thomas Beisl (unless you don't mind going a bit farther afield to Franny's).

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Elite '08

8

160

anni b.

Brooklyn, NY

Never been to Vienna, and haven't had any experience with their food, but based on my experience here, I'd say it's sort of a combination between German and Czech food (which I have more experience with).
The atmosphere is truly, authentically Eastern European cafe- style, complete with the beer-sponsored chalkboard outside boasting the daily specials.  

The food wasn't particularly anything special - very basic - I had the beef goulash with spaetzel and my friend had the tomato/avocado salad.  Again, I think, very true to the culture from which it hails, which is not particularly known from it's culinary masterpieces.  I ended up adding a lot of salt to the dish.

A nice spot for a long lunch, or to try a different (and not often seen in NYC) type of cuisine.  And right across from BAM.

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11

42

Aaron K.

New York, NY

Thomas Beisl is a nice place for a bite if you're seeing a performance at BAM, or if you're feeling a bit homesick for Vienna.  It's modeled on an Austrian cafe, and serves all the expected classics of the mittel-europaeische kitchen, including Wienerschnitzel, spaetzle and gulasch.  High points include the chicken paprika and the variety of draft beers, especially in the outdoor summer garden.  I also found the fish specials to be memorable on several occasions.  You'll thank yourself, though, if you save room for dessert - the sweets outshine the entrees here.  One caveat - I've found the service wanting on occasion.  I suspect that the post-theater crush from BAM sometimes leaves them a bit stretched.  You're likely to have a better experience if you can make it before the performance or during the BAM summer break.

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9

56

Sam F.

New York, NY

Mmmmmmm.... I went here for brunch on a rainy Sunday afternoon and it was fantastic.  The poached eggs with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce were delicious and the mimosas were very good. It was a truly pleasurable place to spend a couple of hours with friends on a Sunday.  I think that I will go here again and catch a movie at BAM after.

I did try to go here once right before a show at BAM and couldn't get a seat. I imagine it is even worse after a show so, keep that in mind if you are also going to BAM.

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Elite '08

28

213

Diana N.

NY

Thomas Beisl is conveniently located across from BAM (my friends and I were looking for a good restaurant near the theater).  It's got a welcoming and sort of fancy facade, but inside, this viennese bistro is laid back and chill.  My friends and I sampled an assortment of food and beer.  I tried the bergerbrau beer which had a slightly smoky aftertaste - to which my friends were convinced made the beer taste like bacon.  For dinner, I got the oven-roasted salmon, which came with polenta gratin, fresh watercress, cooked zucchini + spinach, and half a plum tomato.  It was delicious and a good mix of greens and seafood.  For more traditional austrian fare - my friends got the celery root schnitzel; viennese meatloaf; and the like.  All quite tasty.  To end the meal, we ordered three desserts to share: the special cheese strudel (too cheesy for my taste), the kaiserschmarren (too sour for my taste), and the palatschinken (crepes stuffed with chocolate and hazelnut - SOOO DELICIOUS).  It was a luxurious meal.  The servers were attentive and nice and we weren't rushed in any way.  I highly recommend it.

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Elite '08

53

373

Kimberli M.

New York, NY

Yummy specials and a good bottle of wine! What more can you ask for?

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