Relish
Categories: Diners, American (Traditional) [Edit]
225 Wythe Ave(between 3rd St & 4th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 963-4546
- Nearest Transit:
Bedford Ave (L)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
47 Reviews for Relish
smelly hipsters are known to live in the area.
i always confuse this pace with Diner.
broken motorcycles make musicians turn gay.
say what?
oh, and the food's good...
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (2)
Cool (1)
This is a nice place for almost any time of day. I've been there for brunch, dinner, and late night. I enjoy it most during the summer season when they open up the outdoor space.
Nice little atmosphere and space, and a pretty decent looking menu. Service was a tad slow, but it was 95 degrees outside so it's understandable.
But the point of this review is that I would like to consider myself a Breakfast Burrito connoisseur. All of my best findings have been in California until today.
Previously I ranked Sam and Woody's Country Diner in Culver City, CA as # 1.
I am shocked...but I believe Relish might have the best breakfast burrito I have ever encountered.
I need to go back and make sure it wasn't some freak occurrence.
Adorable, no nonsense diner fare. Go to sit in the back garden and listen in on the conversations from diners around the world. Burgers and chicken sandwich are great if you are not in the mood for the typical egg-centric brunch choices.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
one of my favorite meals of the day is brunch. The prices were reasonable..and i remember leaving full and happy. Was this restaurant in the Kelis video Milkshake?
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
The lady and I stopped here for dinner before a rock show on Kent St. recently and were pretty happy. The diner is cute as hell, but not nearly as cute as the gay hipster waiter we had! And his service was great, to boot.
I had a chicken parm, which to most might be a bit greasy, but I thought it was lovely. She had a the scallop special - she said it was so-so, but the risotto it arrived on was lovely. Skip the michelada (I have a habit of ordering that whenever I see it on a drink menu) - it was lacking body, but did try to make up for it with that healthy shot of hot sauce. (I still can't get over the michelada at Mercadito, btw.)
The weather was lovely, so we had been hoping to enjoy the garden area, but alas - it wasn't open.
A great variety of food on the menu and I'd come back to try others. From other reviewers, it seems the brunch is hit or miss - but I'd be wiling to try it. I always give the benefit of the doubt to a spot that actually makes a vegan brunch possible!
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
My friend picked this place for brunch. After checking out the website, I thought to myself, "Great pick." After eating there, I wrote on Yelp, "Two stars."
I liked the classic setting, but everything else was disappointing. As you can read in a review from Rosalin L, I was told my tofu scramble came with home fries. Our waitress was rude and wrong. It didn't, but one of the other waiters was nice enough to bring me a side.
My tofu scramble had little to no taste. The salad hardly had any dressing and therefore again no taste. Even the home fries were disappointing, and I love potatoes! I ate my brunch because I was hungry and not because it was good.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
I can only comment on the quality of my cocktail since I didn't order any food. Whoever poured my Maker's and Coke knew what s/he was doing. My friends all but devoured their plates, I think they each had a burger with fries. Two people commented on their pickles being "funky". Our friend stabbed the pickles with her fork, took one and quickly made the same conclusion.
From what I could surmise, and granted I was on the sauce, the staff was a mixture of gay men and what appeared to be hipsters. Maybe they're just alternative, who knows. Oh, and one gay hipster. Natch. Not all of the customers were hipsters, and to be honest I was surprised to see any in the diner since PBR is not served on the menu. And PJ Harvey was blaring in the diner! We all know that a true hipster eschewed Ms Harvey years ago in favor of obscure bands like that Mylie Cyrus girl. Whatshername.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
Dear Relish,
I really wanted to like you. I really did. Your menu selection looked great and I loved your diner car setting. But sometimes we just can't make things work based on appearances alone.
Working my way to the center of that brioche french toast, I found it slightly soggy and undercooked. There is absolutely nothing worse than undercooked french toast. You know that! My veggie sausage, on the other hand, was severely overcooked. Come now, Relish, I'm sure you've served enough BK vegetarians to know how long to prepare fake meat by now.
My friend ordered the tofu scramble with a side of home fries. Our server told her it automatically comes with home fries. It doesn't. An employee was nice enough to bring out a small side of home fries for her later. Look -- if we can't be honest with each other, we have nothing.
I just don't get it. People told me such great things about you. Maybe this was a bad first impression. I think I might be willing to give us another chance. But are you just going to let me down again?
Gosh, I don't know. Okay, let's just have our space for a while. I'll come to you when I'm ready.
Sincerely,
Rosalin
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Relish is a great place with character and sits well in the neighborhood. The old diner car that it's built off of is a piece of American history and makes for a cozy spot to hang out (the back room less so). Food is good, sometimes brilliant. Music is good, sometimes a bit rockin but you can count on being able to digest your food - no thousand bpm house/jungle garbage.
The staff are nice and skilled at what they do. There is an all pro blonde girl who often runs shit on weekend nights that you can count on. Some reviews are too preoccupied with labeling people because they look good. I think that's a bit absurd. Always with the negative waves Moriarty, always with the negative waves. I'd be more concerned with the delicious, giant onion rings. Yes, the drinks are fantastic. Cocktology!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Relish always seems to have shitty service. Why does everyone that work here look like they walked off the set of Cry Baby circa 1990?
All in all, the food is decent but tends to be on the greasy side (although slight disclaimer - I've only been her for brunch a couple times). It kinda depends on what you're in the mood for. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here but the setting is old school and the food isn't bad.
My boyfriend is a vegetarian. In a former life this would've been a deal breaker, but he's awfully attractive and has lots of money (kidding, i kid). Anyway, I now relegate myself to meat once a week at brunch because, I am a black woman and I need bacon like I need air!
I've had better food and better service but, Relish is truly unique and captures the spirit of Williamsburg Hipsters perfectly. The service ranges from vacant to coke head cheerful, but like everywhere else in New York- be assertive and ask for what you want.
The food is more than adequate for brunch and they do some things really well, like biscuits and gravy!
again...being in Williamsburg do not forget to wear your Chuck Taylors or relic from the not so distant 80's.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (11)
Cool (6)
Get a chocolate cola (not soda, cola). You will thank me forever.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
I don't know how I could have failed to reviewed this place until now. It is one of my reliable favourites in the hood due to its excellent food despite its other shortcomings. From the outside, it looks like a diner that could have been spat out from the '50s or some other era of Americana. The front room interior isn't much different, but their back dining room is cozy with a subtle hint of upscale that is quite lacking in the hood. Nothing pretentious or fancy, but enough to set the mood that you're about to experience something slightly above the ordinary.
We arrived for dinner, and while it wasn't completely packed, we had to wait for a table for a good half hour. The food here makes it completely worth it. None of the dishes are particularly innovative or demanding to the palate, but everything is prepared incredibly well that the quality of the meal makes up for lack of imagination.
The burgers are absolutely delicious. I have to admit that, as much as I enjoy a good burger, I can't go all out on these for fear of stomach combustion. While the patties look small and unimpressive at first glance, it is a force to be reckoned with when loaded with cheese (choice of a few different kinds including swiss and blue) and tackled with a mound of perfectly crisp fries. Bacon is an optional add, and the one time that I did add it, I think my heart happily palpitated a bit (in a "oh this shit is absolutely divine" kind of way as opposed to "this rubbish is going to do me in" kind of way). For the non feint of heart and ample capacity stomachs, I highly recommend the burger with cheese and bacon.
Their steak frites are also quite impressive. Their rare is a bit closer to medium rare than I prefer, but still a great grade of steak. It's juicy, tender, and flavoured perfectly with the simple ingredients of salt and pepper. A very hearty meal for those days when you just need a hunk of meat to slap a smile on your face.
Their mixed drinks are quite good as well. During the summer, they're most enjoyable, especially in their dimly-lit spacious backyard equipped with tables and chairs. It is a great place to have a large group of friends mingle and chat over refreshing drinks. It's definitely better to come early because it gets packed, and the tables go quickly.
The only thing this place lacks is good service. The servers are disorganized, partially because of the crowds but also because there seems to be some confusion of some sort. They're not unfriendly, but they're always rushed and remind me of people who always seem busy but actually don't have that many things to really do. However, not knowing how it really works here, perhaps I'm being overly critical. I do know, though, that on certain occasions, service has been downright absent, which can make an otherwise excellent meal into just pretty good.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
The waitress wiped a coffee stain from our table with her shirt. Without flinching. Now THAT's a dining experience. And that's all you need to know.
You'll be an outsider if your skin is not marked and your tie is not thin, but the diner fare is solid. Expect to wait a few minutes at peak breakfast times.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This is a very cool place. I think this is the American version of what Moto is -- instead of a 1920's funky French vibe, it's a 1950's hipster American vibe. The Cadillac margarita was one of the best I've had in the city, if not THE best. I had a burger and fries. The burger was plump and juicy and the fries were crisp and tasty. My girlfriend got the pork special, which she thought was a bit of a one-note and overly salted. Also, the food is pretty expensive if you get anything other than the burger. We sat in the front diner part -- there is a big back room that looked like more of a lounge (with some film [?] being projected on the wall). The music was loud and it was a young vibe, but not too annoying. (Sometimes I feel like the only person over 25 in Brooklyn.) :-)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Lovely diner car setting serving creative American food. The burger and fries are good stand-bys, but so are the pasta dishes and steak plates. This used to be a fave brunch spot too, especially the decadent chicken sausage gravy with flaky palm sized biscuit. I have been back but usually with trepidation after a friend got sick twice after eating the brunch egg dishes here. The alcohol from the liquored up egg cream should kill most bacteria though.
i relish gimmicks, and relish definitely has some great gimmicks going for it.
retro diner outfitted with funky lighting? home cooking [pork chops, halibut, burgers] with slight 'fusion' twists? perfect. strawberry jalepeno margaritas? cilantro caiprihinas? pumpkin cheesecake with maker's mark whipped cream?
relish is delish.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
I went to Relish not really having any expectations, high or low. But when my veggie burger came, it was amazing. It was loaded with condiments and put In N Out Burger's secret sauce to shame. The burger itself is almost like a squashed falafel ball with lots of vegetables and comes fried to perfection - not greasy. The mixed salad that came with the burger was good but maybe could have used slightly more dressing. Not that I even really cared about the salad anyway...
The exterior of the place is just as amazing as the interior, and reminds me of the Jersey diners I used to frequent when I was growing up. And maybe it was because we were there on a quiet night, but I thought the service was excellent. Our waitress was really cute and also very attentive.
Relish is four stars pending five upon my next visit. And let me tell you, I already can't wait to go back.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (1)
Cool (4)
Outside and in, Relish resembles an old-fashioned diner of the Airstream metal variety, complete with oversize booths and lunch counter. The resemblance ends there, however, as the food is upscale and the staff hipper than thou. The menu provides a fairly wide variety of fish and meat items and there are plenty of cocktail varieties to warm up on. My favorite is the steak frites and harpooned shrimp. The food is the best thing about the place, while the service can be rather aloof when it gets busy. In the warmer months, Relish opens their garden, which has recently become THE place for young hipster parents to bring their kids to frolic and gambol.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Fun establishment recommended by local brooklynites. I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at this classic exterior, hip interior joint. I feel my bacon cheeseburger thoroughly met my expectations of a great NYC burger spot. I also tried the local Brooklyn beer.
There was a full menu although I felt you come here for the burgers thats it. Good times!
So I am a little mad at myself b/c I couldn't remember the last time I had dinner at relish. Fortunately I had a customer copy of my receipt, and according to my receipt I had a pretty good time b/c my check was $76.95 with tip.
After a brief figurative jog around the old noggin I was reminded of the awesome time I had there. Awesome with a capital A
The food was great. I the place wasn't so darn packed I would have licked my plate.
I definitely look forward to going back.
b/c i looooooooooooooooooove it!
Yes! Finally! 5 stars!!!
Dinner was exxxcellent. We had always put off hitting up the Relish because of the entree prices and the lack of real veggie options. But now, it's a different story so we hit up last night. First of all, there is plenty of outside seating and it was a gorgeous night - so there's a couple stars. Delicious iced tea -- another star. My food and Mark's were both a delight. I got the burger (it's a good marker to judge everything else by) and it was perfectly cooked served with huge onion rings - Yum. Mark got the tuna steak which was cooked a teeeeeeeny bit more than we usually like but the sauce made up for it. There were a few perfect bites in the middle. We waited 45 minutes for our food because it was packed and I didn't even notice. It was truly excellent.
-- We saw people being so rude to the servers and hostess and it really made me thankful for people in the food service industry. I've been there too people and sometimes the way people treat you is unforgivable. Keep on doin' what you're doin'.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
The waitress had on a really tight t-shirt that said "Support your local team". How amusing.
Menu appeared to be a little light.
The food here is good, bordering on VERY good, but the holier than thou staff always ruins it for me. I really enjoy the pork tenderloin when it's on the menu and I had some sort of bow tie pasta dish that was really delicious.
It's the "other" diner in Williamsburg...you know, the one that isn't THE Diner.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (3)
Decent food, nice outdoor area, slow service.
Between Relish and Diner, though, I'd take Diner any day. Their menu changes every day, and the service and atmosphere are much better.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Went here with a group of 4.
Fries have the flavor of that step up from BK as you wouldn't be surprised to receive at a restaurant.
We all had desserts. Everyone was excited before hand, but I don't think the excitement held past the first few bites. banana chocolate creme pie, blueberry lavender lemonade layer cake, banana split.... Sounds good, sounds really good, sounds...
The menu does look great with a no-nonsense theme. I sometimes appreciate the need to save ink on menus. The booths are fine, wasnt too crowded on July 4th. Staff was very nice to everyone.
Its not like a diner, which has EVERything. What makes what a diner? I say more than a couple of pages of menu. I may be wrong, and it may be the layout of bar stools and booths, then I concede to the Diner name. Until then...
I did see the outdoors dining, and that did look nice.
This is a good place to go if you don't actually care about eating that much.
Good for most of the senses, less so the palate.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Best Huevos Rancheros hands down! I've gone to the brunch there twice in my life. The servers are cute hipsters, and the bar is kinda sexy indeed. All of this does not stack up to the food, though. Really inventive takes on kind of staple diner foods-- presetation and portions are generous. You really should sample the egg cream drinks while you are there. I really enjoyed both visits to Relish and would like to go back again.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
i think that everyone that works there has tattoos. not that that's a problem, but is that some sort of pre-requisite of getting a job there? anyways, brunch is great as long as you don't mind the wait and the usually slow service...
I kind of like this place. The decor is inviting, there is lots of space, and they have an amazing garden.
The food is mostly good here, tho it's probably 20% too expensive for what you get. To justify the higher prices on a menu that basically includes a burger, a chicken salad, chicken cutlets, a pork chop, and a couple pasta dishes, they have added tons of meaningless adjectives into their food descriptions, the most ridiculous to cling to my memory was "butcher cracked pepper."
The last time I went there, nothing in particular seemed to hit me as an original dish that I had to try- and there didn't seem to be any relationship from the apps to the mains.
If you're gonna spend this money, I'd say check out Fanny, Paloma, Diner, Marlowe & Sons, or even Silent H.
the cheddar sage scone benedict is single handedly the top food item i miss the most about living in williamsburg.
even more than sweetwater's banana caramel oreo pie.
eta: okay, maybe on par with dumont's delivered mac & cheese with bacon.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (3)
I have never had a bad meal here. It has become, hands down, the only place where ALL of my friends will happily agree to eat for birthdays or get togethers. The dining car, back room or outside are all comfortable spaces and the service is usually exceptional and laid back. It's in my top three places to eat in Wiiliiamsburg. (Dressler and Aurora being the other two.)
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This place is a really great diner to eat and hang at! A gi-normous metallic trailer on the corner that you can't miss, with 50's-style booth seating inside, and they play the best music (whenever I go at least).
Oh, and I haven't even gotten to the food!!! The brunch is AMAZING, and I highly recommend the biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs.
Whoa.
One other thing I love - they have mango juice. Who ELSE has mango juice?! Seriously good stuff.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Every time I go there I'm forced to face my inadequacy of hipness. The staff at Relish are very hip, sometimes too hip for service. It makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Vomit doesn't mix well with otherwise decent food.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Probably one of my favorite brunch spots whenever I am in New York. A great diner feel with wonderful food - I always go with the classic eggs benedict (their hollandaise sauce is wonderful and the canadian bacon is always great). They also make a mean egg cream and chocolate milkshake.
The atmosphere is what you are really going for here too - I haven't been here in the colder months but I have a feeling I wont love it as much as the outdoor patio area which probably adds another 50 people to their capacity.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
great place for a yummy breakfast with friends, especially when it's warm enough to sit outside. good coffee too.
without fail, you will encounter the information that the "milkshake" video was filmed here.
also, i'm subtracting a star because i don't like to feel like i'm supposed to be kissing my server's ass. what's up with the attitude? listen dudes, YOU are supposed to be pampering ME, that's why i went out to brunch! if i wanted someone to thrust food at me with a disapproving scowl on their face, i could have gone to my parents' house!
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (6)
Cool (3)
yum yum...i love brunch.
and i love eating outside on a beautiful day.
i got the huevos rancheros and my friend got the goat cheese, spinach and red pepper omelette, both of which were super tasty.
their coffee is reallly good too, and the service was perfectly fine...we were never left waiting for anything we really wanted.
i might start coming here instead of the lodge, and i love the lodge...
I went here with my girlfriend around New Year's. I got the pork chop, which was completely amazing. My girlfriend got some noodle dish that was also very, very good. The place is very hipster-ish, but the service was excellent. The only drawback was we tried to buy a gift certicate for a friend and no one could help us, even when we came back the next day. Open a Relish in San Francisco.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I like good southern cooking. This place doesn't quite have it. I'm not sure anyplace outside the South is. There's a place in my memory somewhere though, that's for sure. Maybe that's the only place I'll find it. Anyway, food here is decent, but service is "I have more interesting things to do than wait on you" type service, and overall, I was disappointed.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
The food is really good, in a kind of sexy atmosphere. A wee bit pricey.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Top 10 Restaurants
Some of my favorite dining destinations in… -
My Neighborhood
Places within walking distance of my apartment....… -
My VIP Visitor List
Do your tourist thing in NYC, but when you're… -
the williamsburg list
since i've already organized two other brooklyn… -
Top Restaurants
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the… -
My Neighborhood
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Hot and New
- S'mac
154 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village
- The Jakewalk
13 reviews
Neighborhood: Brooklyn/Gowanus
- Clinton St. Baking Company
148 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Lower East Side
- Caracas Arepa Bar
135 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village
- Clover Club
6 reviews
Brooklyn, NY