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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: East VillageFor great updates and secret deals follow us at http://twitter.com/The... and become a fan of The Smith http://bit.ly/HbYUR
Astor Place (6)
3rd Ave-14th St (L)
8th St-Broadway (R, W)
Mon-Tue. 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Wed-Thu. 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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I would like to give a 3.5 but alas I cannot, so 3 stars it is.
The place is crazy packed for Sunday brunch, I made a reservation so it was fine, although they wouldn't seat us until every person was there, not even when we were just short 1, a little annoying but OK. We sat downstairs where they sit the larger parties, which was better I think, slightly less noisy so you could have a conversation, you still have to yell a bit but better than upstairs.
We were having brunch so we got a free drink with our choices. Minus a star for the fact that the waiter never brought the two people in our party the juice they ordered, even after they were reminded.
This is what eveyone ordered:
Crocker - really delicious!, a nice take on a croque madame
Mac & Cheese - we got this to share for the table, OUTSTANDING!!!!
Ranchero Scramble - it was a miss for me, I wish I had gotten just the mac and cheese or the crocker
Egg White Omelet - I didn't have any but my friend loved all the goat cheese in it
Potatoe waffle eggs benedict - these looked amazing, and I will have to try in the future, my friend said they were delish!
French toast - My friend said it was sweet and delicious.
Steak and eggs - Miss on this one, steak a bit too chewey.
Cheese biscuit - really yummy, perfect amount of cheese, scallions and chewey yummy bread texture.
The service was not the greatest here. My (vegetarian) friend asked for some salsand 10 minutes later was greated with a plate of sausage, haha. The staff didn't check in much and never getting the juice was a little annoying. However, that mac and cheese was to die for as was the crocker and biscuit. I would be back. If you're going, make a reservation, I'm glad I wasn't one of the many parties waiting at the bar or outside (it was really cold out)
My impressions of The Smith before going there were as follows:
1. Used to be Pizzeria Uno.
2. Excellent place to snag a bathroom in the summertime when out and about (private stalls, common sinks, unisex).
3. Looked bustling and had a decent ambience when the doors were wide open during the warm weather.
My impressions after having been there:
1. The food was decidedly mediocre and had a very mass-produced, prepared beforehand look, feel and taste.
This reminds me of a story:
Apparently, back in the day there was a restaurant in NYC called Schrafft's. It was around well before my time, but from what I understand, it was an institution in the New York City restaurant pantheon; a place where everyone went at one time or another as sort of the default for a quick meal when in the bustling city. My parents talked about it with some nostalgia, although not necessarily the good kind. My mother would use it as a metaphor for any restaurant with mass-produced flavorless food. Any miracle mile chain restaurant we'd go to she'd say, "It's like Schrafft's," which meant it had completely uninteresting food with impersonal service. I always had this picture in my mind of a huge kitchen in back with machines extruding mediocre victuals onto plates in a conveyor belt production line, with masses of faceless, nameless servers waiting to whisk them out for delivery.
I won't go quite that far with The Smith because our server was pretty sweet and nice, but the food was dramatically uninspired. It was like... SCHRAFFT'S, fer chrissakes. The food sounded moderately interesting on the menu, but the execution was disappointing.
I had a caesar salad, which was probably the most soulless, vapid version I've ever experienced. Chopped romaine unlovingly coated in some badass caesar something-or-other and strewn haphazardly on a plate. It was accompanied by a blood orange mimosa that was equally insipid and lackluster. Bad ingredients, bad net result.
My pal had the "Potato Waffle Benedict, with spinach, caramelized onion." This consisted of three overcooked poached eggs under a heaping helping of flavorless spinach sauce with nary a caramelized onion to be found in flavor or in fact (I must add, overcooking poached eggs is a cardinal SIN in the brunch department -- in my personal little kingdom people get SHOT for that sort of thing; drawn, quartered, tarred, feathered, dragged through the mud, and then dipped in honey and hung upside down by their toenails in the midsummer noonday sweltering desert sun -- just sayin'). He said the potato waffles were akin to cement or lead or something that you might use a jackhammer on. Suffice to say he wasn't thrilled with it, by any means.
3. The venue was LOUD. LOUD, LOUD, LOUD. Did I mention LOUD? It wasn't quiet in there. No, not in the least.
4. The scenery was good, as all the just-got-fucked-and-rolled-out-of-bed-hottie-types had just rolled out of bed after sex and landed there for a noisy cup of joe and a mimosa in an attempt to create that "hair-of-the-dog" hangover repair experience. Frankly, that'd probably work my last nerve if I were hungover, because my non-existent fillings were rattling from the cacophonous vibrations reflecting off the subway station tile walls. Did I mention it was LOUD in there? I think I might have, but I can't remember from all the brain cell loss after being in such a LOUD place at brunch -- and that was two days ago. I still have not recovered.
5. The high point was the service. Our waitress was chipper and pleasant, and gave us her version of the meaning of life, which was really an accomplishment given an atmosphere not exactly conducive to clear thought. She was efficient, timely and to my recollection, easy on the eyes. It's hard to say because I'm still brain-dead.
Let's put it like this (and I think this kind of sums it up quite plainly): This restaurant made me nostalgic for Pizzeria Uno, of all things, which is the pizzeria version of SCHRAFFT's, fer the love of Pete. How's THAT for a recommendation?
Two stars is being generous here. Given the obscene variety of great brunch places in this nabe, there is no reason to go here at all. And this company is the same one that owns Jane? Hard to fathom.
Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere, especially if you'd rather retain your fillings and avoid an unnecessary trip to the dentist.
Now, what was I writing about? I swear I can't even remember.
I love the smith!!! The portions are for about 3 people though so basically you should pick one thing to order so as to not waste food. Parmesan Blue Cheese Potato Chips!!!! Only other place I've found these since moving from Ohio and they're GREAT.
Some pretty good cocktails too. Pretty much all the food is amazing and I've tried a lot of it - breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner and enjoyed all of it every time (just TOO much).
A little too loud to have conversations with people - at least when I've gone with my parents that's what they've complained about but the food really is great yummy big bowls of comfort food.
two words: country breakfast. holy damn that shit is good: cheddar grits, ham steak, delicious buttery biscuit and gravy. YES PLEASE. oh and did i mention blood orange mimosa? weird combo, i know. but it made my tummy and my soul very happy.
also, beer battered string beans? so good as a late night snack!
Smith, you haven't disappointed yet. let's keep it up!
When I think of my last meal of tomato soup and mac and cheese. Those dishes done here are the prototype. We ate here for Thanksgiving lunch and we could not have been more thankful.
This is a professional restaurant owned by professional restaurant people. You sit down and bread, butter and bottled water arrives(both flat and bubbly). The Smith has many beers and about 10 on tap, listed from the lightest to the darkest. Alagash on tap for me for $6 bangers.
I have eaten here several times and generally order the same thing so we added those on to the TG special which was $21.
Starting with tomato soup topped with melted Vermont cheddar. This soup is simply DIVINE- American comfort heaven.
Ordered: TG special which was sliced turkey with a rim of skin, bangin' sage stuffing, fresh cooked cranberries and roasted brussel sprouts.
Shared: Mashed sweet potatoes and the killer mac and cheese served in a cast iron skillet.
Also shared: A custom sundae- made up one of our own with chocolate and caramel ice-cream, caramelized bananas, hot fudge and butterscotch. Great meal!
I usually don't review a place until I've eaten there 2+ times, or tried many dishes, but I wasn't very hungry and only tried 3 items on the menu. All 3 were BLAHHHH.
Onion rings - looked so tasty. within 5 minutes the plate was POOLING oil. i swear, the onion rings oozed oil when i bit into them...disgusting. I don't like to waste food, so I got a box to take it home, and then the BOX started pooling oil through the box/bag. I threw it away.
Garlic bread - no garlic flavor. pesto is just for show, didn't taste it at all.
mediterranean salad - hard to mess this up, but it was like a salad of cilantro.ew.
will update when i try more dishes. I do like the decor/atmosphere, and that they give complimentary sparkling water.
The Smith is decked out in my favorite farmhouse chic style. It almost seems a little out of place on third avenue. Came here for brunch a few weeks ago, wait time was about 15 minutes for two people. It's a spacious place, I can see a group coming here, but I can't imagine the wait being short.
I ordered the chicken sausage and eggs. I thought the whole dish was a little weird, but not exactly bad either. It comes with a cornbread that soaks in the gravy of dressed over the chicken sausage patty. ONe thing that really bothers me is wine served in stemless glassware and the Smith does that. It's either too chic or too tacky for me.
never had a bad meal here, but i also can't really remember anything specific i had - soooo yeah.
i think the decor/atmosphere leads you to expect a different type of food. maybe something a little more... interesting?
that said, the food is consistent and the service always great, so i will happily keep this in my rotation of affordable food spots.
A solid brunch spot. I choose this place for a busy weekend of visitors because I knew it would be able to seat 15 people easily. Naturally, 9 of those 15 people were too hung over to even answer their phones for brunch, so a party of six did perfectly well.
I had been to the Smith for a late night meal during the Tribeca Film Festival and was pleasantly surprised with the avocado salad that I had at the time. This past weekend, being my first time here for brunch, I was delighted to see something different from the norm eggs benedict, french toast, and pancakes that usually occupy a brunch menu. The Smith has a nice variation of the traditional brunch menu.
I ended up having the Chicken Sausage and Eggs over corn bread and topped with spicy gravy - a southern eggs benedict if you will. I loved it!! It was a nice change from my normal temptation, however the one down side of my dish was that the yolk in my poached eggs were overcooked. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the meal. Our waiter even brought us complimentary items - an OJ for my friend because it took so long to bring out and some banana french toast for no apparent reason.
The only thing that could possibly make this better would be some kind of a drink special. Their drinks were pricey, so wasn't worth getting. Even if A drink was included with a meal or some kind of 2 for 1 deal would have been awesome. But I guess there is only so much one could ask for.
Lets write about it, It feels like it wishes it were a subway station under Smith st in Brooklyn if there even is one. A dumpy diner that served the worse dish of ravioli I ever had. The pesto sauce was a disgrace, and the goat cheese on top was cold. The bathrooms felt like a barnyard, maybe appropriate for all the Marilyn Manson types here. If your local, you can see the wannabeness of it from ten miles away. Unfortunately I was extremely drunk when I walked in here, and I wasn't gonna wait 45 minutes for a table for two at Ippudo.
Favorite brunch spot in NYC.
Eggs Benedict was superb. Steak and eggs satisfied my friend. But the french toast, HOLY MOTHER OF FRENCH TOASTS!!!! Way undercooked but so amazing. Huge slices of yummy goodness just melting in your mouth. Plus it comes with a free drink. Also got cheddar biscuit which was slightly undercooked but the combo of the chives in it was just the right amount.
Yea its loud, its a brunch spot in NYC. That is what trendy NYC brunch is! The waitstaff has also always been awesome which helps the whole experience.
This East Village diner is mediocre at best.
Service was friendly.
Noise level was deafeningly loud. Couldn't hear a thing.
Ahi Tuna salad was tasty, but nothing special.
Free sparkling & still waters at your table are pretty sweet.
Yet, the pomegranate daiquiri was clearly not strong enough to make me forget that everything here was overpriced.
Almost gave it 5 but held back - I was here for an awesome bday - had 4 cocktails, birthday cake, waiters singing, presents and no one let me pay for anything so I might be biased in my assessment.
GREAT FOOD, FRIENDLY (HOT) WAITER, REASONABLE PRICES. ROCKIN VIBE. Do come. AND they gave us fresh made doughnuts on the house!!!
I absolutely love coming here for brunch because on Sundays you get a complementary cocktail (I prefer the blood orange mimosa, it's delish). It's a little pricey here, so I try not to go too often. Also, it's usually crowded, and if you don't have a reservation then expect to wait. However, it's too hard to pass bad judgement on a place that makes the best apple walnut pancakes I've ever had. I've also had their eggs benedict, which were excellent, but OMG THE PANCAKES.
Also, as soon as your seated, you receive a bottle of flat and a bottle of sparkling water for your table. Nice touch, I must say.
I rather enjoyed my brunch here this morning, so am surprised to see so many low ratings. Maybe it's not such a great spot for dinner? But Sunday brunch was a keeper.
It's neither cheap, nor expensive, but fairly priced. I had the potato waffle benedict, which was really delicious. Other kids at the table had french toast and the country breakfast -- all sizable portion wise, but not totally gluttonous.
Clientele is also pretty attractive, so a nice place to refuel, relax and gaze away a Sunday morning. I'll certainly be back and curious enough to check it out for dinner some night.
The Smith has great food. Unfortunately it is also super loud and the service is terrible. We had reservations for dinner at 9:30 but we were not seated until almost 11, at which point we weren't even really hungry since we had been eating snacks and drinking expensive cocktails at the bar for 2 hours. The hostess was at least nice enough to get us a free round of drinks at the bar while we waited, but still...
We saw our waitress only twice and she was kind of snarky. Never came back to see if we wanted more drinks or see how the food was. We had to ask a bus boy to find her so we could get our check.
Bathroom situation is bad too, it was so crowded while we were waiting to be seated that when I went to the bathroom there were 25-30 people in line. SUCK!
We went for brunch. The food was good, but they play the music LOUD. Our waitress had to lean in next to each person to take the orders. Everyone was yell-talking to be heard over the music. Maybe I'm getting old, but I found it annoying.
Also, the waitress kept referring to the drink that comes with brunch as "free." The brunch was $15. There's nothing free in that.
Solid food but can be overwhelmingly loud.
Bar is mostly people waiting for tables.
Lots of NYU kids.
Great comfort food, cool bar.
Don't miss the mini sundaes for dessert.
The Smith is the E. Village's answer to an Applebee's or T.G.I. Friday's. The menu is diverse, there's ample seating, and while the interior may be a bit classier, it still lacks the charm of its sister restaurant The Jane. As far as the food was concerned, my meal was good, not spectacular, but again I was a bit taken aback by the array of choices I was provided with. If I wanted to I could've ordered anything from Chicken Pot Pie to a steaming bowl of Korean Bi Bim Bap. I'm not sure there are many places in the city outside of a couple dodgy midtown delis where that's even possible. In short though, The Smith is a good alternative for large groups as it is large, noisy and has a rather diverse menu.
okay, i finally got the chance to go back and order the bacon cheese burger and fries - and let me tell you, this place is DELICIOUS!
the burger although overcooked, was juicy, flavorful and huge! every component worked perfectly - i got the smith so it also had a special sauce (russian dressing) and i ate the whole thing.
the french fries are seasoned perfectly and i will gladly and definitely be coming back for another burger soon.
two other items on he menu that are a must:
- homemade potato chips with blue cheese fondue (homemade blue cheese sauce on warm, crispy potato chips)
- baked beet with sour cream, chives and bacon (imagine a baked potato but beet instead with warm sour cream, pieces of bacon and chives)
both of these items are a must eat when at The Smith in addition to the burger and fries!
i'm glad i decided to go back and even more happy that the food was so yummy!
as for my friends, they thoroughly enjoyed there food as well - so i'll give this restaurant a vote of confidence and say skip the salads and go for the other menu items.
i had the roasted chicken salad with brie and it was good, but let's be honest, there is obviously… Read more »
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! It's one of my standbys. We snagged a reservation for 4 on a recent Friday night at 8pm the day of. The restaurant was bustling when we arrived, but we were seated immediately, and had another great meal. Based on this and past visits, I recommend: the fried calamari (nice thick marinara sauce), the string bean salad (great dressing, perfectly cooked beans), the steak salad (tasty and filling), the pork chop, and the lamb milanese. Basically, I haven't yet been disappointed by a dish here.
I like that they give every table a bottle of still and sparkling water off the bat. I like that service is prompt and efficient. I didn't like feeling rushed by the busboy (who cleared 2 of our plates while the other 2 were still eating), but as long as The Smith continues to deliver on atmosphere, a tempting menu, and taste, I'll be back.
One star for the food and good service. One star for the concept which is carried out well, but lacks the heart of the real Brooklyn restaurants it's trying to evoke.
As others have written, the place is NOISY as hell, but at our table we were able to converse without too much strain.
The studied menu offers a nice selection of yummy dishes. Two of us had the cod over pumpkin spatzel and another had the grilled shrimp with cheesy grits -- all very well-prepared although too heavily reliant on butter. Go ahead and let them upsell you on a large carafe of wine and a $5 ice cream sundae for dessert -- both worth it.
The Smith was fine to try once, but frankly I'd rather eat in a real Brooklyn restaurant where I won't be as jostled by the throngs who congregate here and deafened by the din of Manhattan kids pretending they're in a swell Brooklyn eatery swilling their old fashioned cocktails and ogling the naked ladies in the vintage pictures on the walls.
It was kind of meta to be a Brooklynite in Manhattan eating in a Brooklyn-themed restaurant, but my two girlfriends and I had a decent dinner here last night.
I've been asked to eat here on several occasions, but refused each one for the same reason.
"Uh, it has less than a four on Yelp. *head toss*"
Well, Yelp is sometimes wrong. Gasp.
We started with the string bean salad and mac & cheese. So far so good... The salad was fresh and tasty, and enough to share with five. The mac & cheese was indeed as good as everyone claims.
I had the pork sandwich with kimchi and cauliflower. This was fantastic! I only ate half of it and was looking forward to the other half the next day, but found out the server mixed up my order with my friend's. I had her half-burger instead, which was also good. I sampled a few other dishes, and surprisingly liked the sea bass very much.
Portions were generous, our server was great, and their ice cream sunday desserts are oh-too-cute!
Food: Had some appetizers only. Liked the mozzarella and garlic bread alot. Bread was toasted well, nice and crispy. Mozzarella was melted just right, so that it was confined between the bread and not leaking out or anything.
Drink: Full bar and low end selections of wine. Macro brews for beer and few craft beers on tap (always a plus). Cocktails aren't weak by any stretch of the imagination but not stiff either. Just in between, which is serviceable for most chicks.
Service: Average.
Crowd/Ambiance: Crowd and decor has a fell of where old friends come to catch up. Front end of the establishment opens up so you can see the bustling street of 3rd Ave. Spacious place and comfortable enough seating.
Very, very loud. Sitting by the open front windows, but the noise was all from inside, making it impossible to hear someone sitting across the table, or even someone sitting right next to me.
The food is not as good as its prices would suggest. The cocktails are interesting--in particular the Dirty Jane, which is a savory vodka and tomato drink. Our table got the potato chips with blue cheese appetizer, which was the highlight of the meal. Everyone's main courses were okay, but seemed to lack something. They were all sort of bland--even if they had bacon, which I had previously though impossible, since bacon makes everything delicious!
The few occasions I've been to The Smith were before shows happening around the corner at Webster Hall. They've always had space to seat us quickly, the waitstaff is friendly, the atmosphere is pleasant in that inviting, warm, dark, faint smell of wine sort of way. It does get quite loud in there though. The Smith has an interesting menu with quite a variety, and I've never been disappointed with what I've ordered (or what my friends ordered; we share).
You could definitely do a lot worse for the start of an evening out.
The Smith is a great go-to for dinner - I have yet to go for brunch. I've never been disappointed by a meal; have had everything from burgers to entree salads to fish. The cocktail menu is awesome; my favorite is the Dirty Jane, which is a picked green tomato martini. Also, save room for dessert as their ice cream sundaes are to die for : )
It's a great place to bring a group as it's super loud so you won't be disturbing anyone attempting a romantic/quiet dinner. Also nice in the summer as the entire front of the restaurant opens up onto the sidewalk.
Not bad, just not great. If you want a quick meal, decent food, fun atmosphere, and good drinks; then go.
It's going to be better than many of the area restaurants, like the Uno's Grill that it replaced.
see, i haven't ever eaten or had a drink at the smith.
this review is strictly for the photobooth in the basement. it was the first stop of the east village photobooth bar crawl.
it works really well! talks singles! and there's porno in the basement! you have to look through the holes though.
(that sounded SO dirty)
A vibrant and friendly brunch place that is definitely worth trying if you are in the Union Square area. Just make sure you are prepared for a 30 minute wait. A smaller party is always ideal if you want to get a seat within the 15-minute wait estimate. Prices are a tad pricer than your typical Moonstruck Diner per se, but they are pretty much in line with what you expect in the EV. Each item comes with a free glass of juice, mimosa, or bloody mary.
Last time I went, we were treated with complementary filtered (tap) water and sparkling water. (That's a first!) Secondly, an order of French Toast on the house. Hot! They were soft and warm, but light on bananas and sauce. But you can't complain about free food. The poached eggs benedict is excellent and reliable, even if the salmon is a bit dry. The fried calamari is overly crusty, but it is definitely helped by a nice kick from the spicy tomato sauce. The rum pancakes are fluffy but low on the rum. The steak and eggs option offers surprisingly tender and juicy steak.
Portions are generous, the wait staff is very friendly, and prices are fair. A great choice for brunch despite the long wait. And of course, food on the house is absolute gravy.
3.5 Stars!
At first glance this place looks like a hisptery/NYU restaurant, and a bit overpriced at that. However, I accept and embrace it, and tuck into the food, because it's pretty good. (And I went to NYU myself so I can't really complain--no one really liked the Pizzeria Uno that used to be in this space anyways)
I do have to whinge a bit because everything seems a bit pricey for what it is. If the dishes were a couple dollars less I'd give it a solid 4, but for now I'm sticking with 3.5.
For brunch, I had the Croaker, which is delicious but a heart-attack on a plate. It's potatoes, covered with ham, topped with cheese, and 2 sunnyside eggs on top. It was a greasy party in my mouth.
Oh, and thumbs up to them providing still and sparking water gratis!
Here we go, New York City! This was going to be an awesome trip, and after a kind of long flight made more comfortable thanks to Virgin America, I stepped out into the heat. I had been warned, but was so very unprepared. Nevertheless, it was time to get into the awesome food with the Queen of Cupcakes (my title for her) Melissa Z. (http://www.yelp.com/us...). Amidst the sight seeing, we set out to consume awesome food. Local food, halfway across the city food, savory food, and of course, sweet food.
First stop was a lunchtime stop at a place called The Smith. I'm always a bit un-hungry when coming off the plane, so I was looking for something lighter to eat. This place is a few blocks from where we were staying, and made a lot of sense for a good starting point. At night, the entire venue opens up onto the street for some nice outside dining. During the day, they do the smart thing and keep it closed up and their Air Conditioning on. As a California boy, this AC was the most amazing thing in the world for the next hour or so.
Amusingly, my review isn't based on my food (as it was alright, but nothing memorable), but instead on Melissa's which she was so kind to share. She had a pesto + poached egg on waffles, and while that was too heavy for me, it was quite good. I believe it's on the menu as "Potato Waffle Benedict", and is worth the trying. The sparkling water is free, which feels increasingly rare in the city, so that was a nice touch to the meal. All in all, we got through around $15ish a plate. We never really felt rushed through the meal, but it was also amazingly quiet.
All in all, I'd say this place is solid. I wasn't blown away or anything, but I got quality and service that was exactly what I expected. I have a feeling if you're planning on hitting some clubs at night, this is a great place to get some food, drinks, and get the energy going.
---
New York with The Queen of Cupcakes
List: http://www.yelp.com/li...
Stop: 1 (Aug 09) Friday Lunch
On a Friday night, this place is loud and crowded. For people who are old like me and believe that good food can be enjoyed in New York City without screaming your dinner conversation and leaving behind the notion of personal space, this is a dealbreaker.
No complaints on the food front. I had a burger, which was cooked perfectly, and an heirloom tomato salad that was even better.
But seriously people, this place is loud.
*Update: I recently went back for brunch on a Sunday morning. Also loud, loud, loud. And they forced us out of our table after the meal by literally taking the water glasses out of our hands. But -- I must say -- the food was good. Toss up.
217 Reviews (as I write this)... why write one more? Because my love for this place compels me!
I wont write much except to say that I have yet to be disappointed with the Smith. Brunch or Dinner, its an amazing place to hang out by yourself or with friends.
Good beer. Good Food. Just plain good.
Stopped in for a drink with friends before the night's festivities began. Pretty decor, white tile and dark wood combine to create a grown-up speakeasy ambiance. Sort of reminded me of a fancier version of Spitzer's.
Bartenders are very friendly and prompt. I'll definitely go back to try the food.
after walking by here a few times, i always wanted to come inside. everyone at the bar always seemed so happy, and the ambiance is so cool.
after leaving free fridays at the moma yesterday and did not want to wait on a long line at burger joint, we cabbed it over to the smith. on a friday night, a table of 3 only took us 10 minutes - awesome!
the music is WAY too loud, i couldn't hear the conversation at my little table. so that is the only annoying thing.
but the ambiance is super chill...love the tiled floor, gas lamps, booths, its just very cool. also, the food is YUM! the fried stringbeans were SO good. it was like tempura. the grilled shrimp with grits was a great portion size and i ate all of it. my sis got the burger and said it was good.
waitress was super nice, hostess was adorable, and i definitely would come back to booze/eat. just turn down the music a little!
It was 8p and we were just told there would be a 1.5 hr wait at Ippudo. We scanned our options and despite Yelp's ratings/warnings; the allure of a comfortable looking place coupled with rising hunger pangs got the best of us. We ordered 3 dishes between 2 people--all of which were uninspiring:
1) Thursday Special (Spaghetti and Meatballs): If salt was still used as a currency, then this dish would be worth a million bucks. However as a dish, they owe me $15 and money for my impending high blood pressure pills.
2) Ahi Tuna salad: 18 bucks for a salad with a couple of slivers of low quality tuna. Breaking it down, it is just a raw deal.
3) Bucket of Mussels: 17 bucks for mussels in a tall skinny pot. How stupid and ill conceived was this application. You need work halfway through the shellfish (which they've found a way to filter out all flavors) before you get to the sauce...which again was UNINSPIRING. Maybe their next big idea could be to serve beverages on a wide flat plate.
Had a very nice dinner here on Sunday night and will definitely be back. Our waiter was very kind and gave us great service.
It was a rough weekend so no drinks...so no comment there.
Had the pork-chop and really liked it! It had been a long time since I had eaten pork so it was a nice surprise. The peach salsa was a great compliment to the meat, and the side of corn mash was very good, too. The meat was cooked well and had a great flavor, although the cut of meat did seem a bit fatty.
Shared the dessert called Pink Pussy Cat (I think)...had vanilla ice cream instead of strawberry. Liked it, but didn't love it, as the red velvet cake it came with wasn't anything special.
Will go back and I'm excited about trying brunch. This review is really 3.5 stars, although something tells me I might bump it up to 4 after one of those bloody marys...
the smith is consistently good, and they turnover fast, which means i am not waiting a long time to get a table during a weekend brunch .. the vanilla bean french toast is def the way to go, especially when you split this sweet dish with something savory ...... also, a fun, hip scene .. i also enjoy eating at their bar, which is long, spacious .. highly recommend this place !
Went here for labor day brunch. While they're brunch menu isn't a big jump from their regular menu they do have some nice dishes. I had their Burger Deluxe with bacon, chedder and special sauce. It was a pretty standard burger but exactly what I was hoping for, thick cut bacon that you could actually taste and cheese strong enough to contribute to the burger and not be over powered.
The rest of my party got the bucket of mussels which was devoured and the BLT+E with the egg being the "brunch" portion. We all agreed that the fries were very nicely done.
All in all a place that I will likely go back to, but have to check out a few more places first.
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: French
Neighborhood: NoHo
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: French
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