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Alobar
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch American (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
46-42 Vernon BlvdLong Island City, NY 11101
Neighborhoods: Hunters Point, Long Island City
(718) 752-6000
- Nearest Transit:
-
Vernon Blvd - Jackson Av (7, 7X)
21 St (G)
Hunters Point Av (7, 7X)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 12 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
79 reviews for Alobar
Review Highlights
79 reviews in English
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Review from James R.
Long Island City, NY
5/19/2012
Three of us, weekday lunch. Although I'm a fan of rock and/or roll, I didn't think the Cold War Kids and so forth issuing from the speakers 20% too loud was suitable for a restaurant, but them I'm old and bitter.
The food was uniformly good - these guys know their meat and all of it was cooked well and was deeply savoury: a thick, well-seared burger, a clever duck sloppy joe and a generously portioned steak sandwich using quality steak, not some stringy offcuts. Superlative fries too. Only bum note was the relatively pointless gravy that came with the steak sandwich, tasting as it did of nothing more than a dissolved beef stock cube thickened with corn flour. Nice beer too. -
Review from Barbara Lynn C.
ASTORIA, NY
5/10/2012
Went to Alobar for the first time tonight. Was not disappointed. It was late and I wasn't feeling too adventurous as I hadn't eat all day. So instead of going for the mussels or charcuterie (faves) I opted for the Hungers Point burger. It was great. Everything, including the bun, was flavorful. It came with fries instead of potato crisps as listed on the menu, but that was a nice surprise. The fries were thin and crispy and I think I even detected some truffle oil. Nice touch.
My friend ordered the popcorn with maple bacon to munch on. Super tasty.
I also recommend a cocktail that wasn't on the menu (yet?). The server - who was great and super attentive without being pushy - recommended it when we sat down. Bourbon with crushed mint, fresh blackberries, sugar cube and ginger beer over ice. It was really refreshing with a nice combination of flavors.
Will be going back to explore the charcuterie and mussels. And most definitely the roast pig. -
Review from Dustin K.
5/7/2012
We ventured off to the far and distant LIC from Astoria last night to check out the hype for my sister's birthday. My first impression of Alobar was that it was nicely decorated and was pretty spacious. Apparently, it used to be an Irish pub and it retains that nostalgic charm while having the necessities of a typical restaurant.
Our waitress, Alex, was very spunky and chatty, and also, gave us good descriptions and recommendations from the menu. We were informed it was "Sunday Funday," which meant that Alex's best friend Mary (the lamb) was being roasted, and thus, a special to eat Mary was on tap. The lamb was not on the typical menu, however, Alobar does "family-style" specials on certain nights. For $25 per person (although not everyone needs to partake) you get lamb and greens and a dessert of bread pudding. The lamb was really fantastic and the bread pudding was pretty good as well, although its not really my type of dessert.
Also, we tried some small plates prior to devouring Mary. We had the calamatta rosemary, which is listed under "pickles" however, it is just ordinary kalamatta olives. We thought they had infused pickles with the kalamatta flavor, but nope, just regular olives. We had the steamed mussels as well, which was very tasty, but a fairly small portion size (probably only best for 1). Lastly, we had the beet salad, which is definitely recommended.
All-in-all the meal was really good. I think the portion sizes are a little on the small side. In fact, our bill had 4 orders of lamb on it, and there were only 3 of us. We were informed by the waitress that she accidentally put in an order for 4 and that is what we were served, but they adjusted the bill for us due to the glitch. If the portion of lamb that we received was for 4, it was a definitely a little on the skimpy side. It didn't even really make sense why an order would be put in for 4 when there were only 3 of us, but I guess no harm, no fowl (only Mary). -
Review from Steven B.
BAYSIDE HILLS, NY
4/16/2012
We had dinner in this new restaurant in Long Island City, and we were pleasantly surprised and pleased at the quality of the food, and the service.
The menu choices are divided into small and large plates. For the 2 of us, we ordered 3 small plates and 2 large plates.
The small plate of charcuterie was satisfying. The mussels, steamed in a tasty broth, were terrific. The "wild mushroom toast", with ricotta and topped with a duck egg, was outstanding. Rich and flavorful.
I tried the "roast pig" entree- this is a specialty of the restaurant, which slaughters a pig each week, and cooks the various part to serve each day, until the pig is gone. The evenings cut was the picnic shoulder. It is not my favorite cut of pork, but I was pleased with the preparation- the meat was roasted with the skin, for more flavor, and served and a very satisfying bed of risotto. The roasted chicken was nicely cooked, if a bit bland for my taste.
We shared a dessert of very tasty bread pudding.
Service was very alert and friendly. Prices were reasonable. We will definitely be going back! -
Review from Rachel G.
4/10/2012
Alobar is a great addition to the Hunter's Point area. There really is no other place like this on the main Vernon Blvd. strip. The food at El Ay Si isn't as good and there aren't as many options. The only real alternative is LIC market but they have weird hours are you have to walk to Court Square.
Anyway, the food at Alobar is delicious. I love the mushroom toast appetizer, and the fiancé is crazy about the bone marrow. The burger was good (not the best but good) and we've been pleased with the other entrees we've ordered. The desserts are also fabulous (walnut pie, yum).
My only complaints are the service and the prices. While the waiters are very friendly, it doesn't seem like they have everything down smoothly yet. The last time we were there it took us 2.5 hours to get through 3 courses because it took forever for the food to come. We saw other parties sit down and finish their meals in the time we were waiting. But when we spoke to the manager, he was very apologetic and brought us glasses of dessert wine on the house. This shows me that while there may be a problem, they care about their customers.
I also think the prices are a few dollars too high for some of the items (mostly the entrees). It's too expensive for me to be a regular. I realize that the food is sourced locally, but so is the food at LIC Market and it's cheaper and, I would say, better. The prices don't seem to be hurting them though- the last time we were there it was packed. I'm very happy that a local business is doing so well.Listed in: Long Island City/Hunter's…
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Review from Kate F.
ASTORIA, NY
Updated - 5/14/2012
We went back for a dinner on 5/12 and had another great meal. My other half had the pork belly with crispy, crispy skin and I had the roasted chicken with yummy root vegetables. It's a very low key atmosphere with super professional service (a to find combination). The cocktails are really, really yummy. There's a berry/bourbon drink that's not on the menu which is delicious. And for something light and fun; I recommend the LIC Lemonade. Jeff, the owner, was talking with costumers and we had a really nice chat with him about Alobar and the food scene in LIC/Astoria.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/1/2012
Alobar is a very handsome restaurant with new american food. I've been here twice for dinner and… Read more »
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Review from Kim Y.
KEW GARDEN HL, NY
5/24/2012
I been to Alobar twice and I think this place is too expensive for LIC! The happy hour prices suck! I will not be returning ever again after last night. A bunch of friends meet for happy hour and we had drinks at the bar. When we all got our bill we saw that they charged us gratuity on each individual bill! Who charges gratuity for having drinks at the bar?! Outraged!
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Review from D O.
New York, NY
5/23/2012
come here quite often now for brunch and dinner, it's been a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
food is amazing and creative. you can tell these guys care about quality and service.
for brunch usually get the wild mushroom toast, the pancakes, or the french toast croissant. can't go wrong with them, but quite honestly all the other choices are quite good. coffee is fantastic too. -
Review from D M.
New York, NY
5/14/2012
Big Fan.
Great Beers. Try the can of DAB pilsner.
Excellent Menu (I've had the mac & cheese 3/4 times Ive been here!)
Also the bacon popcorn is excellent.
Thumbs up -
Review from Emma L.
3/24/2012
I really wanted to like this place. Reading the menu, it is a foodie's wet dream.
Pig tail. Bacon popcorn. Bone Marrow. +++ in LIC.
The restaurant is huge. Very spacey and comfortable filled with heavy wood decor. Sadly, the food kind of fell flat. To me, it was kind of bland. We ordered the whole fish which looked phenomenal but when you feed yourself pieces of this stuff you taste the fish, you taste the sauce, you taste the veggies... Ehh? We also ordered the carbonara mac & cheese... it wasn't really mac & cheese, it was a very very very very heavy/creamy carbonara pasta. The other bland items we had were the roasted chicken and lamb shanks. I really wanted to like you Alobar but you made it very hard for me to do so. My b.
Very pricey, again. -
Review from Grace H.
Long Island City, NY
4/13/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I really want to really really like this place, but right now it's a I like this place. I've been several times but I would say it does have consistency problems and the food sounds better on the menu than on execution. I really like the service, decor and overall vibe of this place.
The star of this place include the wild mushroom toast app with delicious. The duck egg melted on top brought the bread with the well seasoned and sauteed mushrooms together. I would say this is my favourite dish on the menu.
The pig tail was fatty..and is not my favourite cut of meat and the sauce was too sweet for my liking.
The bone marrow was good, but the bone I was served seemed a little on the skimpy side and wasn't cleaned thoroughly.
The pumpkin risotto was good, but didn't wow. It didn't have an over powering pumpkin flavor but it was creamy and rich.
I really liked the arugula salad, very fresh bright flavours, but I think they have altered the recipe since I first had it.
I liked the subtle flavours of the bacon maple popcorn, but the price point is a tad high for what it was...more salt would also make it a better dish.
The hunter's point burger is absolutely huge, but the meat was fresh and cooked to your liking. It's a great stand by for not adventurous eaters.
The rabbit was okay, but mine was dry and fried too long. The overall taste was rich but too oily.
The salmon and other fish (I forget) were okay, but I wish they were dressed more creatively. -
Review from Mike S.
New York, NY
3/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
A friend and I stumbled upon this place by accident. We were trying to find a place to eat all day, trying to make last minute reservations in the city. He suggested we try something outer boro. Brooklyn, of course, has so many choices but who knows what the wait time would be. We decided to meet up somewhere in Queens. Our original intention was to try and hit up "Salt and Fat", but when we got there, it was like an hour wait. Detour to L.I.C. and a quick look on Yelp* I find Alobar. Why not?
We walk in and they were able to take us immediately. This was around 9. We sat down and looked around. The place looked promising. A nice crowd (looked like locals with some outer boro folks mixed in), wood decor that made the room feel warm, and a small open kitchen, so you know they were keeping it clean.
Our server was a real down to earth guy. He kept everything brief but wasn't bothered when we had questions about the menu. We heard the specials, ordered our drinks and were ready to go.
We decided to order some dishes to start instead one app per person, but stuck to 1 entree for each his own.
Charcuterie - This was good. It looked like some of the stuff was made in-house so that in itself gets points.
Alobar Trout Salad - This was really good. A bit sharp cuz it was overdressed with vinegar. However, i love vinegar and it was dressed well to me. Also, in hindsight, the acidity balanced out the smoky and salty flavors of the trout and bacon.
NOTE: before I go on, this is one of those places that LOVE to use bacon and pig.
Amish Pig Tails - This is one of the first things that jumped off the menu. Pigs tails braised with brown sugar. This isn't for everyone. If you don't like cartilage and bits of skin and meat, this isn't for you. My friend and I really liked this. Sweet and savory and porky.... Yeah man...
Maple bacon popcorn - The 2nd thing that screamed LOOK AT ME... I was expecting something slightly different. I guess I was expecting sticky popcorn with bits of bacon. What we got was popcorn with CHUNKS of maple bacon. The bacon was bigger than the popcorn. Slightly confused but still good eats. I would order this at any bar that had the sense to serve it.
For our entrees:
My friend got the Kentucky Fried Rabbit - This was just like it sounds. Finger licking good. Moist and crispy and delicious.
I had the Roast Pig of the day. Now to be honest, I can't remember what my dish came with because I'm writing this review 2 weeks after we ate there. However, I do remember the pig was absolutely delicious.
The entree portions are pretty big here so when you come, come hungry. I will definitely be going back here... soon.... -
Review from Marie L.
Long Island City, NY
3/16/2012
yes, yes, yes.
It's places like this that remind me that Long Island City is really making it happen. I went her for brunch and all of us ordered different dishes. I got the "sloppy joe" but would have been happy with ANY of the items that came to our table. The service was awesome (very good looking dudes) and my coffee cup runnith over through the meal.
I then went back for dinner. Holy moly. Order a bunch of small plates and get an order of their garlic french fries! Again, service was awesome (more cute dudes!) and the space is as romantic at night as it is cute by day.
This place will not disappoint. -
Review from Derrick J.
Jackson Heights, NY
3/19/2012
After reading an article about this restaurant in Details magazine I got a group of friends together who live in the area to join me for dinner. The article spoke highly of this place and I had to check it out.
I was not disappointed at all. The staff was very friendly, making me feel at home upon entry. The decor is simple-chic and the wine selection was good. It made us even more excited to try the food, which was fantastic!
We had the cauliflower and fennel, Amish pig tails (which are really pig tails!), ribs, mussels, beet salad, roasted bone marrow, roast pig and mac & cheese. The staff also threw in the wild mushroom toast for an appetizer and bread pudding for desert on the house!
All of it was incredibly tasty. Who knew that pig tales would taste so good?
I'd recommend everything that we had except the only thing that I'd skip on the next time is the bone marrow. The bone wasn't cut so you had to work a little too hard to get at the marrow but it was delicious nonetheless.
I'm looking forward to going back soon. My goal is to try everything on the menu.
By the way, a big shout out to Kim, our wonderful waitress. She was fantastic. Ask for her and tip her well! -
Review from Steve H.
New York, NY
4/26/2012
You can get a $5 sandwich from a local deli, or you can dine at Alobar. It was well worth the money - I loved the skirt steak (it was good enough to eat with no sauce). The mushroom toast was fantastic as well. My wife is in love with their salted caramel bread pudding and the bone marrow appetizer.
This is a Manhattanish restaurant right here in LIC - I highly recommend. -
Review from Doug C.
Queens, NY
3/19/2012
Probably the best Mac and Cheese I've ever had.
I live in the neighborhood and am moving soon. If there 5 restaurants like this in the neighborhood, I'd probably stay. It's like an oasis of a modern restaurant in a neighborhood sorely lacking in that. The Mac and cheese beats any I've had, including eatery, schillers and dumant. The lady had lamb, which was tender and perfectly cooked. -
Review from marie r.
Astoria, NY
3/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Loved it! Great decor, fresh food, sweet waiter, made me (a vegetarian) wish I ate bacon.
Oh bacon, how I miss you sometimes.
There was truly nothing wrong with this place.
The veggie burger was a huge beet topped with, mmm, blue cheese, mmm and the mac and mmmm cheese mmmm was so ... mmmmmmmm.
Sorry, gotta go wipe the drool from my mouth. You get the point. -
Review from Marcelle L.
Long Island City, NY
4/13/2012
Kid friendly restaurant. Staff is kind and courteous. Food is fresh and tasty. The chef prepared complimentary butternut squash for the wee ones. Recommend the bacon maple glazed popcorn and little neck clams.
A special thank you to the staff for not rolling their eyes when the Mommy brigade rolled in for lunch.
We will return. -
Review from Rachel C.
3/15/2012
I've come here on two occasions- once for brunch and once for dinner. I can say that this is definitely a great spot in the neighborhood.
The service is over the top friendly and there hasn't been a time that I've had to wait at all for a table. The restaurant is spacious enough that you don't feel too close to the tables next to you. The dining area also looks into the kitchen so you can see the chefs hard at work.
The menu is a little bit heavy but the place does sell itself as a comfort food kind of joint. They do a have a few salad options as well and their beet salad is good. I'm personally a lover of beet salads so any time I see one on a menu, I have to try it. The first time I came, I actually had a drink spilled on me by the waiter (NOT FUN), but the waiter was quick to apologize. They also bonused us some very yummy ricotta cheese pancakes that made a great dessert to our brunch. One thing on the menu that I really made the mistake of ordering were the kentucky friend apples. I guess I had expected them to be sweet, but instead they came out a bit soggy, salty and hard to bite through since the skin was left on them.
Dinner here is delicious. I would highly recommend the whole fish. Definitely treat yourself to a drink! They can make an old fashioned and it's delish!
I'll be coming back for sure! -
Review from J D.
Woodside, NY
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Go here for brunch. Because I did and walked away happy.
Food: Salmon Benny (smoked salmon, English muffin, hollandaise, fried potatoes). Nothing fancy/new about it, but delicious and the portion kept me full all day.
Duck Sloppy Joe: pulled duck in a rich dark sauce (Asian elements to the flavor rather than a straighforward slopy joe sauce). Fried duck egg on top, brioche bun and a side salad. A little heavy for brunch, but order it anyhow, because it's good to the last bite.
Maple bacon popcorn: very popular as I saw several tables ordering it. Our serving was on the oily side, so prepare with several napkins and take a jog after eating this. Bacon chunks were larger than the popcorn, which made it a little awkward to eat. I was hoping that this dish would be more of a brittle/toffee and more on the sweet/sticky than savory/greasy. Order it anyway so you can tell people you ate that.
Chocolate peanut butter parfait comes in the same glass they use for water, meaning it's not big but it's so rich and chocolate-y. it will give you diabetes after 5 bites. Peanut butter crumble on top makes it a reinvented "Reese's" peanut butter cup. Share it with someone and then waddle your way home.
Service was excellent. The hostess was friendly. Our waiter had his role down pat. He asked us if this was our 1st time here, offered menu suggestions, kept checking our table to see if our food was out, if our water was replenished, etc. etc. We didn't have to worry about a thing under his watch.
I would compare this place to William Hallet in Astoria, of which the service and space isn't up to snuff as Alobar. Will come back! -
Review from Patty P.
Jamaica Plain, MA
4/27/2012
As a vegetarian I was worried about not having anything to eat but my worries were unwarranted. The mushroom with the duck egg was out of this world delicious. The service was great, and the vibe was comfortable and casual.
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Review from Emil N.
Long Island City, NY
4/14/2012
The Alobar concept is a promising one -- and one that you'll really want to like. My review is based on several visits for brunch and dinner, since Alobar's long-awaited opening. A significant amount of buzz surrounded the restaurant long before the doors were opened - and I eagerly dined here, each time expecting to be impressed. Unfortunately that moment never came; and a largely meat-centric, incohesive and poorly executed menu makes for a sadly disappointing experience.
At brunch, the beet salad was a refreshing, well dressed and seasoned plate, if a little expected and small for the price. An honest-to-god travesty was set in front of me with the arrival of the duck egg sloppy joe. The sandwich, as described on the menu, promises euphoria (duck confit, fried duck eggs, etc.); though, the experience of eating it is appropriately described by the acronym WTF. First things first, duck confit doesn't want a sauce, and certainly not a sticky-sweet, one-note sauce that resembles something out of a bottle. Ergo, don't make a sloppy joe out of duck confit, just don't. You just can't appreciate the glory of duck cooked in its own fat. Secondly, those fried duck eggs should be fabulously rich and delicious, but they too get lost in the saucy business. Overall the dish is overkill upon overkill, but people will buy it because they like overkill. Well, at least the bloody mary was good - spicy, but not too spicy, savory, no overkill.
Upon revisiting for some late-night drinks and snacks, I found myself leaving satisfied with the drink selection, but again offended by the execution of the food. A good selection of wines offers something for everyone, and the craft beer list is nicely curated and I enjoyed a great Prohibition Ale from California. We ordered pig tails, pickled cauliflower with fennel and bone marrow. Pig tails are a swine lover's dream - the meat to fat to skin ratio makes them hard to fuck up, but Alobar manages to do so. Like the aforementioned duck confit, the tails were drowned in a mediocre sauce and never allowed to achieve and sort of complexity in texture or flavor. The cauliflower was offensively vinegary, and I had a hard time enjoying more than one or two florets. Any hint of fennel was nowhere to be tasted. The true sacrilege was presented as an undercooked, poorly accessorized plate of bone marrow. This again, is a dish that should be hard to fuck up - just season it properly, cook it through to delicious creaminess, and give me some bread. Instead, we were served bone marrow that resembled a cold block of butter, with some braised greens, snail butter (failed homage to M Wells? copying M Wells?), and some croutons. Just about inedible, really.
The service though certainly friendly and pretty well-informed seemed a bit robotic, and lacked personality. Maybe I've just been working in the industry for too long and I'm being overly critical, but come on guys, smile! - waiting tables is fun! Alas, perhaps robotic is what the management is going for. Fine.
The decor and environment of the restaurant can almost be compared to the service. It's feels as if they picked a restaurant package from a catalog and had everything shipped over. Sure, on the yuppie, cookie-cutter conventional stretch of Vernon Boulevard, its different. But in the grand scheme of things, it's really such uninspired design.
I will come back to Alobar, because its in the neighborhood, and because I believe in it and its potential. It just needs some inspiration. Please? -
Review from Christine B.
Sunnyside, NY
2/5/2012
Alobar had me with their spicy Bloody Marys! Delish! However, not everyone likes the spice like me, so the bartender, Joe, put in some extra tomato juice to put out some of the fire in my friend's drink. They also had excellent coffee, to which I probably had 3 cups.
For our meals, my friend had the Salmon Benny and I had the Wild Mushroom Toast. We sat at the bar, and Joe, the bartender, took the time to discuss the dishes and how everything was locally sourced. At first, I was hesitant to order it because of the ricotta, but once I had it, it was fantastic. Great flavors with perfectly cooked eggs. My friend was also pleased with her dish. We had the panna cotta (I think that's what it was called?) with berries and caramel crunch, which was light, tart, and sweet all at the same time.
Overall, I really liked the vibe of the place, from the details of the decor to the background music. I thought the menu was interesting, yet will still be able to bring my friends with more traditional tastes here. Looking forward to coming back! -
Review from Jane K.
New York, NY
4/18/2012
I wish I can give this place 4 stars!! 3.5!! After a day of 5ptz and getting drunk at PS1 my BF and I were on the hunt for some good food. I took out my trusty Iphone and yelp app. This was the closest to where we had wandered and we thought we'd give it a try. The space itself is nice and they sat us all the way in the back. It was a Saturday and around 7PM and we had our choice of seats.
Had some wine... don't remember what kind. Prices for wine were Manhattan prices and not outstanding.
Shared the large cheese plate. YUM the Hudson Red is now a favorite. There was also a goat, some blue and the last one escapes me. Was not impressed with the accoutrements. It was toasted bread some pickled onion chutney and something else.
The we had the beet salad and the pumpkin risotto, It took forever and they were both pretty good. The waiter apologized and said the chef was not happy with the risotto and made a new one and that's what took so long. OK. The service was attentive and the waiter was very nice and brought us a free dessert to make up for the long wait for our entrees.
Oh the dessert was some sort of bread pudding. Yummy. -
Review from Violet F.
ASTORIA, NY
5/5/2012
Second visit -- maple walnut pie desert was the best thing on any menu. The baby back rib piece at $3.50 was literally two bites. Not even enough to mop up the lukewarm sauce. The mussels and melon salad was dry and flavorless. Melon was not ripe enough. Mussels were dry. Arugula salad was heavy on nuts and cheese, so if you like that part of a salad you will enjoy the salad. Burgers are big but my bun was so stale it flaked into pieces. The blackfish was definitely not worth the $27 price tag. Don't see any real reason to go back.
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Review from Wookie S.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
2/4/2012
Mom and Dad have been to Alobar twice since it opened a few weeks ago. They really enjoyed their food and said it was delicious, especially the deserts. I was sad because they didn't bring home any Doggy Bags. Mom says it's because the portions were too small.
I really hope they go back again soon and that they portions get bigger so Wookie can have a Doggy Bag. -
Review from Alex J.
Long Island City, NY
3/19/2012
I found Alobar to be very well designed and the food excellent. The mac and cheese is really extraordinary and I look forward to sampling the other items on their menu.
The staff was very attentive and polite and I plan on returning with a large group and spend a little time at the bar.
And to Amanda L. and other people who use Yelp as their own personal power trip...get over yourselves. It's hard to open and run a restaurant. Be accurate but fair, especially you Amanda L. Maybe you'd like it if a bunch of people went to your job and rated your performance. I wonder how you would do? Or how you would like it? You seem like a drama queen and quite frankly a tad unstable or perhaps one of those people who uses a negative review to get free stuff. Whichever the case....please calm down...
Good Luck Alobar! You have great food! As is noted by most of your reviews... -
Review from Melanie D.
ASTORIA, NY
1/15/2012
Dined here last night with 3 other adults and one baby. They were more than accommodating for a stroller, and we appreciated the spacious/open feel of the restaurant. The food was delicious. We had the mushroom toasts and littleneck clams for appetizers and the braised short ribs, salmon, and mac -n- cheese as entrees. The ribs were so fantastic and tender and paired wonderfully with the mashed potatoes. We also tried the bread pudding and walnut pie -- both really wonderful desserts. Service was nice and friendly, however they didn't seem to be very knowledgeable or enthusiastic about the menu or wine. The food certainly didn't suffer for this, but I do like to ask servers for recommendations and feel that they can guide me through a dining experience.
Overall, we had a great time and will be back. Their menu is really great, and I look forward to trying new things next time! -
Review from Randall T.
Long Island City, Queens, NY
3/28/2012
Love this place. Have been nearly ten times. I think I've had everything on the menu by now. Love it all but would like a couple more vegetarian options since dinner parties always have that element. Love the bar, great signature cocktails. Enjoying the staff and management.
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Review from David H.
East Northport, NY
1/1/2012
I am giving this restaurant 1 star because I have too. Save your money Do not go here.
Went in on Friday night with my wife. Was sat in the back. waited about 10 min for service. When the cheese platter came to the table there was barely enough for 1 person forget about 2. The drinks are so so. The beer what brands are these?
My wife suggested we pay the bill and finish our dinner at another restaurant.
What a disappointment. I must be missing what the rave is. -
Review from Scarlett S.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
3/3/2012
I've had both brunch and dinner here and both experiences were exceptional. What a gem in LIC!
The servers were friendly an attentive, the atmosphere was laid back and comfortable, while the food was succulent. For dinner, do try the lamb shank, roasted pig and bone marrow. For brunch, pig tails, baked eggs & porks & beans and duck eggs "sloppy joes" were delightful.
Will definitely come back! -
Review from James F.
Long Island City, NY
1/10/2012
My wife and I were very excited to try this new restaurant on Vernon and were disappointed. We went with another couple and we didn't have anything that was prepared well.
The ambiance of the place is really cool. We opted for a booth. I was surprised to see lots of staff when only 3 tables were taken. Was it our waiter's first day? Sure seemed like it. He didn't really know how the dishes were prepared or any of the more unusual ingredients of the cocktails.
The cocktails we had were good. Mine was a little on the small size - but tasty.
I ordered the bacon popcorn and when it arrived at the table, I was surprised to see a bunch of unpopped kernels sitting on top. Most of it was soggy and chewy.
I ordered the pork of the day. It was dry and chewy. My wife's fish was too salty. (and she's a fan of salf)
The other dishes were not very well done either.
We ended up getting only one dessert, which was the worst part of the dinner. The bread pudding was small, chewy and had very little flavor.
They really jumped on the bacon and marrow bandwagon. So there is very little choice if you want seafood.
If the dishes had lived up to the menu descriptions, we would've had an okay meal. Instead we got poorly prepared food following the usual "bacon and friends" trend with prices that rivaled Manhattan. -
Review from Reuben L.
Long Island City, NY
1/28/2012
Food: for starters we shared the bone barrow, which was excellent - loved the blue cheese spread, as well the beet salad (goat cheese, nuts and beets...nothing special but OK). Main course was the lamb shank with onion and polenta. The lamb was excellent. Polenta was mush under the lamb and onion. Our other main was chicken with carrots and sweet potatoes -- very good but salty.
Service: needs work. Waiter was clearly trained on upselling the most expensive dish whenever we had a question, which is annoying.
I finished my main plate before my wife. My plate was removed while she was still eating (rude). Then the waiter asks me if I'd like a dessert menu -- this was while my wife was still finishing up her main.
This place has potential to be great but not there yet. -
Review from Hillary S.
Brooklyn, NY
1/15/2012
I went here last night for dinner with my partner, and had a very positive experience.
I made reservations and while we went early and probably didn't need them, I would suggest making them if you're going on a Saturday night or a night that is busy. The service was very friendly from the hostess and our server. Everything was clean and warm which was important considering how cold it was outside. They sat us in the back so we were comfortable.
Here is what we we got:
Large cheese plate
Arugula Salad
Pumpkin Risotto
Hunters Point Burger
Rose wine
He was VERY pleased with the burger, and was talking about it after we left. I loved the salad and the risotto. Overall, it was a really positive experience, and we plan on returning in the near future. -
Review from Ashley L.
12/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Living in LIC, I had to try this new place. I was happy with the ambiance of the place but the food and service was lacking slightly in my opinion.
Gibson H. and I each ordered an appetizer and entree (actually he ordered 2 appetizers) BUT both his appetizers came out first. I sat for 7 minutes (yes I actually timed it lol) waiting for bone marrow appetizer to come out. I was told it takes longer, which is fine, but as a kitchen it's your job to get the time right so everyone gets their appetizers at the same time. It's just awkward when someone at the table is eating and I am just watching. My boyfriend was almost finished with both his appetizers before mine finally arrived on the table...
We sat right by the open kitchen, I believe I saw the head chef expediting. My boyfriend ordered the burger with the battered bacon (extra cost), which they forgot to add on the burger. I heard and saw him ask the cook for a side of bacon while the burger and my braised short ribs sat in the pass for a few minutes..these minor mistakes are probably because the restaurant is fairly new but it definitely killed my dining experience slightly...this separates average restaurants from good restaurants
I would recommend the BRAISED SHORT RIBS with mash. They were done very classically but really well. The mash that came with it was really good too! The burger was average and hard to eat with the battered bacon. Had one cocktail, a little too sweet for my taste.
Service was okay, not as attentive as I would have liked. I was missing utensils when my entree came, someone tried to take our bread plate away before we were done with our bread...
Personally, I would explore other restaurants in LIC before coming back here again.
Food: 6.5
Decor: 8
Service: 5
*ratings out of 10 -
Review from Emm C.
Manhattan, NY
1/11/2012
The menu looked good and my friend's been curious about this place so after a long hard day we arrived hungry and ready to feast. We (3 of us) had several drinks....the LIC Lemonade was good (refreshing), Sazerac is good if you like whiskey ($12), and red wine from Chile.
We love the Amish pigtails (AMAZING), short ribs ($25, *super* tender), citrus beet salad ($8), and little neck clams ($10) & apple dumpling dessert (yum! not too sweet with perfectly sliced and baked apples). Service was spectacular..the managers introduced himself and our server was way cool. I really appreciated the attention to customer service and desire to make the restaurant a top one in LIC (or even NYC). So far, it's well on its way. The only thing I would not suggest getting is the Roasted Pig which was hard as a rock...though they recognized that and were nice about it. That in itself won my future business. I hope management continues to stay attentive on quality of ingredients because one bad day when you're dying for good food could mean a loss of business forever.
The decor was really homey, in a good way. I coule tell a lot of time was taken to nail wood on the ceilings and decorate the bathroom. We were starving so it came out to about $60pp with drinks but you could easily get full on just short ribs as well.
Would def go back! Can't wait for the summer weather to arrive because apparently there's a little backyard with 4 tables. -
Review from Alexandra F.
Brooklyn, NY
1/6/2012
Really great new restaurant in LIC!! Farm to table concept with lots of interesting, unique dishes and a fabulous staff of waiters and servers who are attentive and friendly.
We'v eaten there twice now, including bringing a group of friends there for New Year's. We loved it both times.
Great quince cocktail.
Mushroom toast is delicious.
Octopus and oxtail dish is super interesting and yummy!
Pickles are all tasty.
Mac and cheese is scrumptious.
Pork belly is indulgent.
Nice, big open restaurant that never seems to get too loud. Simple and classy.
So happy for LIC to have another restaurant to choose from. And this one definitely increases the quality of options in the hood. Worth the trip if you're not based in LIC. -
Review from John R.
New York, NY
1/15/2012
Had Sunday brunch here and enjoyed it. The pancakes were really nice - don't be fooled, they are more than enough for a full meal. The baked eggs, beans, and chorizo was also really good.
The service was very attentive and helpful as well. This place will be a hot spot in no time. Oh, and the prices are reasonable too - anyone traveling from Manhattan will be pleasantly surprised. -
Review from Jorge C.
Brooklyn, NY
5/5/2012
The place promises great things from the outside and after they got featured in Edible Queens with various hipster Chefs cutting up a pig in the back yard I was really looking forward to it. I went with some colleagues for lunch and was really dissapointed. Of course I ordered the pulled pork and it was not what I expected at all. It was not pulled but rather served in hard chunks without any of the luscious fatty love I was looking for. The menu needs a makeover as well. The combinations dont make sense. One of my friends had a bacon burger and it could have come from any diner. YES the bacon popcorn was good. For me the best part of the meal were the pickled vegetables, especially the cauliflower -- they were great. Other than that it needs work. Go to Testaccio instead and walk away having had a great porchetta!
-
Review from Marianne M.
New York, NY
1/3/2012
Big fan of this place and can't wait to go back.
Great, homey decor. Good service and a well-paced meal.
Between two people, we shared three small places and one large and it was TONS of food. It came out to about $30 a person, which was a great deal for the quality of food and how many dishes we were able to sample.
The standout dish was the wild mushroom toast - it's HUGE and tasty without being greasy. Loved it! Try it for brunch or dinner.
We also had the pumpkin risotto, pickled beets, and the salmon (large plate). All were delicious. The salmon dish in particular is the ideal winter meal - hearty with flavorful, nicely cooked fish on top of greens and a delicious mash of parsnip with a touch of horseradish.
