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The Stanton Social
Categories: Restaurants Tapas/Small Plates Nightlife Tapas/Small Plates, Nightlife
99 Stanton St(between Orchard St & Ludlow St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
(212) 995-0099
- Nearest Transit:
-
Delancey St (F)
2 Av (F)
Essex St (J, M, Z)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 1 am
Sat-Sun 11:30 am - 5 pm
Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
1147 reviews for The Stanton Social
Review Highlights
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"I highly recommend the french onion soup dumplings." In 332 reviews -
"Red Snapper tacos were incredible and full of flavor." In 173 reviews -
"Goat cheese pierogies with truffle creme fraiche." In 98 reviews
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1146 reviews in English
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Review from William M.
New York, NY
5/22/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Went here with a friend from work and my girlfriend. The food was very good. All the plates are tapas style -- meant for sharing among the table. Prices are reasonable. The service was excellent -- our server was very attentive and the food came from the kitchen at a perfect pace. The atmosphere is fun and vibrant -- it is the LES after all!
We ordered about 7 different tapas and left stuffed. The braised short rib tacos were so good (the favorite of everyone at the table) we had to order a second order!
Don't forget the cocktails! The Blood Orange - Jalapeño Margarita - jalapeño-infused Milagro Reposado, blood orange juice, fresh lime, Cointreau. Soooo good!
- Creekstone Farms Braised Short Rib Soft Tacos cherry tomato relish, poblano crema $19
- Hand Pulled Chicken Arepas jalapeño salsa verde $10
- Red Snapper Tacos - creamy avocado, spicy mango $10
- Kobe Beef Burger $7
- Rhode Island Style Lobster Roll $9
- 'Kobe Philly' - truffle & goat cheese fondue $9
- Beef Wellington grilled filet mignon, foie gras mousse, and mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry $22
Fun restaurant. Great food with perfect single bites of flavor. You can't go wrong! -
Review from Karen S.
New York, NY
5/17/2012
Okay, food is off the chain here, and the cocktails were pretty slamming too. I had the Sidecar and a whiskey sour, and...
Lobster roll
Kobe slider (DA-YUM!)
Short rib tacos
Arapas
Tuna carpaccio
Philly steak slider
Perogies
I'm a nut about good service, and there were a couple of service issues here - like some others, we also got asked to move to the bar after about an hour and a half. Yes, we were comped a drink and dessert, but with small dishes coming out in waves, there should be more thought put into planning. Also, I wasn't keen on the way our waitress demanded we order everything at one time, and got huffy that we ordered an additional dish later in the meal. I get it, I just didn't need the attitude about it.
Go, eat, drink, enjoy, shrug off the "eh" service. It's worth it. -
Review from Jon R.
Manhattan, NY
5/16/2012
every dish was ridiculously good... there is absolutely no reason for ANY place to have such great food AND great cocktails.
And the staff was incredible. Sedrick [the manager] needed our table, so he bought us a round at the upstairs lounge bar, where we met Malory, the cheerful and friendly waitress.
My fiance loves this place. I love this place. I'm glad she brought me here.
Can't wait to go back for the Kobe slider. -
Review from Crissy H.
5/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Considering that I will be the 1,412 person to review Station Social - I will keep things brief and to the point.
First - Love the décor. Like the staff. Hate how loud it is and how close you sit to the next table over.
Second - Review of what we had
-French Onion Soup Dumplings - Loved. My favorite. Could have eaten the whole thing myself :-)
- Chicken n Waffles - Both me & my BF were disappointed. The chicken n Waffles were a bit dry.
- Thai Calamari - Very good. Liked the kicked up Thai dipping sauce.
- Thai Spiced Baby Back Ribs - Borderline loved. My second favorite. Packed with flavor and so tender they were literally falling off the bone.
- Warm Donuts - Good, but I have had better. They were not as doughy as I like them.
- Peanut Butter Bon Bons - Wasn't really a fan. Could have passed on ordering these.
Third - They knew it was my BF's birthday (well I told them) and they brought him out a complimentary cupcake. I thought that was really nice since most place won't do anything for you or they would charge you.
Fourth - Drinks were good, but kind of small, but then again we are in NYC. -
Review from Sheenon O.
Los Angeles, CA
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Ok, I was recently in NYC for work. My good friend Sharon told me this place was great and I mentioned it to my boss. Well, we got reservations for our large Party of 15. My Boss bless his heart decided he would just order for the table.
The plates are set up tapas style. So basically, we would order a dish and there would be enough for one of the dish for everyone. We ordered basically one of everything on the menu. Accompanied with Champagne and Tequila shots. And yes those go together....really well, might I add.
Anyhow, the food was so amazing every dish I had was a knock out. We literally had 13 dishes come out. I had to eat everyone even though I was stuffed after the 9th one.
french onion soup dumplings
Perogies
kobe beef sliders
pulled pork sliders
chicken and waffles
wasabi salmon
ravoli's
short rib taco's
meat ballls
mack and cheese
spring rolls
chipotle shrimp
octopus
grilled asparagus
As I said this place was great. loved all of it. -
Review from Sean S.
5/7/2012
Last week I stopped in here to join friends for a drink. My my how the lower east side has become superbly swanky.
This place has every bit the vibe of a hotel bar, but with a bit more the cozy atmosphere as well. Step up to the bar, and enjoy the eye candy. In my case the female bartender was distracted (I'll use that word...) and required a bit of hand waving to get her attention. But boy when she started mixing your drink, she was fast as hell. My Manhattan Sidecar came up aces!
I made a note to myself that this place would be perfect for a date with someone special, although late night it got really really loud. Otherwise, a great space, very nice decor. -
Review from Vivian H.
5/6/2012
I'm not usually a swanky gal, I tend to like hole-in-the-wall places and this place is a paradox to my existence, but when the food is this good, you just have to surrender. I check my morals at the door.
I met a friend here for dinner and at 7pm, the place is still filled with people enjoying happy hour. We took two seats at the bar and immediately ordered up some cocktails. This is a cocktail kind of place, so order a COCKTAIL. We started off with a few blood-orange jalapeno margaritas and they were perfect. Strong drinks with a bit of a kick. This was the beginning of an interesting Monday evening.
For food, we ordered a few different tapas. I was FLEXI-VEGAN that night (read: I was willing to eat some dairy and egg). My friend wanted to get the french onion dumplings and I was OK with that. We also ordered some herb dusted frites, an order of fried calamari (which I didn't eat), a tofu dish (can't remember the name), and mushroom ravioli. Everything I ate was well-made, flavorful, and really, I can't complain about any of the food.
What I will complain about is the sulky, sultry waitress. She seemed entirely disinterested to be there, and really didn't seem to want to serve us at all. She was absolutely gorgeous, but because she was such a bitch, she actually looked less hot. Personality really makes up for a lot. In any case, we had to deal with her all night. Could someone please take the pole out of her ass?
I had no idea this place was so hopping on a Monday night, it was like a night club. They played a lot of old school hip hop and well, when the drinks start flowing and the head starts swimming, the result is the bon bon starts shaking!
I had a great time here! Food was good, drinks were better, and wow, the bathroom was spacious and out of this world! -
Review from Kerry C.
Boston, MA
5/22/2012
Food is excellent however servers don't go above and beyond or even want to. They can come across as they don't care. Definitely go and eat, the food is amazing. Just don't expect friendliness from the staff.
-
Review from amy b.
Flushing, NY
5/21/2012
I've been wanting to come to this place for a while because of the rave reviews. I felt it was hyped up and the food was pretty mediocre. Service was really good and attentive. Came by to refill my water quite often. Then again it was 6pm, but still a huge crowd/filled restaurant. Music wasn't loud at all. I was able to carry on a conversation with my friends comfortably. Delivery of food could be a little faster. Came out to around $130 for 4 people.
My friends and I ordered:
-the "highly recommended" French Onion Soup Dumplings - not worth the hype. tasted strange.
-Bistro Salad - grape tomatoes were very fresh and sweet.
-Red Snapper Tacos- had no depth. no better than any taco joint.
-Grilled Apple and Brie Quesadilla- the worst dish. mushy with no balance of flavors.
tasted like a really sweet, mushy cheese quesadilla.
-Spicy Lamb Souvlaki- it was moist. that's it.
-Kobe Beef slider- cooked well. it won't blow your socks off. it was ok. the side of vinegar and salt chips were pretty good and helped bring the dish together.
-Lobster Roll
-Arroz con Pollo - not great. wouldn't recommend it.
-Calamari - the only dish that we liked. so we ordered another towards the end. the tangy mayo dip that comes with it tasted really good.
Overall, most of the dishes were unmemorable. Nothing really stood out. Maybe we ordered the wrong things, but with all those misses I don't think we'll be coming back. I recommend the Calamari. -
Review from Holly C.
5/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm still drooling over the Kobe Beef sliders. I have been dying to try it ever since I saw it on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" show on the Food Network. I would come again judt for those sliders and a drink.
Even though we had rservatiions, we still had to wait a good 15 minutes. We grabbed a drink by the bar (Cucumber-Vanilla Cosmopolitan: cucumber & vanilla house infused stoli, white cranberry, fresh lime; was a very refreshing cocktail) and waited for our table upstairs. Both levels had a trendy decor, but the upstairs had more of a lounge feel.
1) French Onion Soup Dumplings
2) Baby Spinach Salad (roasted corn, smoked goat cheese & spiced cashews)
3) Kobe Beef Burger
4) Grilled Cheese Slider (jalapeño bacon, fried green tomato, lemon aioli)
5) 'Kobe Philly' slider (truffle & goat cheese fondue)
6) Grilled Asparagus (smoked sea salt, lemon)
7) Lobster ravioli
8) Lobster roll
Everything was pretty good but the dumplings, kobe beef sliders, and lobster ravioli were the ones that stuck out. The salad wasn't anything all that great but we thought we need some kind of vegetable in the mix. The service was great although I felt a little pressured to order more (we were a table of 4 but none of us were hungry, hungry).Listed in: Restaurants (NY)
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Review from Kathy V.
Reservations needed, credit card hold and turn out to be MEH.... When I walked in I thought Stanton Social looked lavish but the food was either salty, bland, plain or way too cheesy. I only enjoyed one item out of the five dishes we ordered. FYI the way the food is served is tapas style, since we were a big party we ordered two of each.
Spicy Lobster Benedict ($13) **** 4 stars, favorite dish
Kobe Philly ($7) -Meh
Red Snapper Tacos ($10)-Fail-too fishy
French Onion Soup Dumplings ($12)-Salty
Social Mac & Cheese ($12)-Bland
Chicken n Waffles ($19)-double fail
*Service was great but I notice every time we asked our busser something he would not smile. I won't be back. -
Review from Sally C.
5/1/2012
I love the Stanton Social! It's one of those places that always comes to mind almost immediately when I am thinking of good places for group dinners and I have come here again and again for tapas. This review is for dinner only.
The ambiance is great. It's dimly lit and well-decorated, and has a great energy about it. There's a bar upstairs that your group can grab drinks at before you sit down for dinner. There's a great selection, and the Strawberry Fields is really REALLY good!
The tapas come with a set number of items, but the kitchen usually tries to work with your group so that the numbers work out with the size of your group. I love tapas because you get to try some of everything.
I've set up dinners here for large groups of 10+ people and it's always been great to work with the staff. When you have a large group, you can do a pre-fixe for $48/person (not including beverages, tax, and gratuity). Your group gets to try 11 different items - 7 tapas, 2 sides, and 2 desserts - that you select from a set menu that includes many of their most popular items. If you also wanted to include a seated premium open bar for 2.5, the price goes up to $96/person (not including tax and gratuity).
Here's an example of a pre-fixe menu I've chosen before in the past, which I think is a great deal considering how much food you get to try!
Example pre-fixe dinner menu ($48/person)
- French Onion Soup Dumplings (DELICIOUS. MY FAVORITE. 5 Stars)
- Potato and Goat Cheese Pierogies (I don't really like goat cheese but other people like these. 2 stars)
- Red Snapper Tacos (Pretty good, but not out of this world amazing. 3 stars)
- Grilled Apple & Brie Quesadillas (I love brie, so this gets 4 stars)
- Braised Short Rib Soft Tacos (3 stars)
- Chicken n' Waffles (2 stars. Was slightly soggy)
- Kobe Beef Burgers (4 stars. Yum)
- Herb Dusted Frites (4 stars. Whatever they put on it was addictive)
- Miso Glazed Mushrooms (4 stars)
- Warm Doughnuts (5++++ stars. These were like crack! Comes with 3 dipping sauces)
- Jaime's Cookies (5 stars. Delicious!)
Other things on the menu I've tried:
- Mac & Cheese (3 stars, decent but I think their take on it changes since I've never tried the chorizo one they currently offer)
- Crab cake corn dogs (5 STARS!! One of my favorites and a great twist on corn cogs)
- Chocolate tasting (3 stars. Great variety but got too sweet for me)
- Strawberry Shortcake Sundae (4 stars, YUM. Good, not too sweet)
- Ice cream sandwich (3 stars, very typical but yummy. Love mint chip)
Coming here is always a very filling and delicious experience! I can't wait to come back here again! -
Review from Courtney D.
Jersey City, NJ
5/3/2012 3 Check-ins Here
JUST THE COCKTAILS ALONE
The Stanton Social has a ridiculous adult beverage menu and they even have a wine wall! There are so many selections even the pickiest person--ahem NOLA--will be able to find something. They have:
-Wine by the Glass
-Cocktails
-Wine Selections
The first time I saw the cocktail menu, I knew that I had to try them all! There are 15 items on the menu, all of them are super delish but with a lot of hard work and some strong disagreements with my pals, I was able to come up with my "Fab Five Faves"
1.Amiguita's Old Fashioned
2. Basil Lime Gimlet
3. 1940s Champagne Julep
4. The Social Green Tea
5. The Manhattan SidecarListed in: Best Happy Hour
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Review from Elliot T.
San Francisco, CA
5/1/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
THIS WAS A GREAT SPOT TO EAT! Get reservations because it is worth it! I was very happy to try here and will be back next time I go to NYC! I love my experience at this restaurant with great food and service. There was only one bathroom but it was ok. Very good tapas with a modern twist!
Food:
Foie Gras- Sweet, buttery, and Tasty
Beef Carpacio- SO SO SO GOOD! I only eat raw meat at places like this!
Shrimp and Grits- I am getting hungry thinking about them! Excellent dish!
Chicken and Waffles- Modern twist on chicken and waffles but it was good
Donuts- Perfect way to end the meal, the carmel sauce was BOMB!
Must try! -
Review from Pamela T.
Brooklyn, NY
4/24/2012
I finally made it here 2 weeks ago with a group of friends after hearing all about it. They will not seat you until your full party has arrived, which is like most places in LES. 5 of us sat in a booth and it was a bit snug, but that's ok, didn't bother us much.
We ordered 8-10 tapas and were so full towards the end, even the guys stopped eating!! I remember ordering -
Potato & Goat Cheese Pierogies - yummy
French Onion Soup Dumplings - I thought it was ok but the guys loved it
Red Snapper Tacos - my favorite
Spicy Lamb Souvlakis - not that spicy but tasty
Chicken n' Waffles - nothing special
Thai Spiced Baby Back Ribs - tasty
variety of sliders - all yummy
We didn't have room for dessert but heard that the donuts were the best on their menu. Will definitely save room next time to try them. -
Review from Bonneil K.
Phoenix, AZ
5/9/2012
My girlfriend had made reservations here for a double date, on a Friday night. And based on the waiting time even with our reservation, I told myself, "this place must be pretty damn good."
Never had a Guinness in a wine glass before, but I guess anything is possible at The Stanton Social. We enjoyed our drinks prior to getting seated at our table.
Once we got seated....it was Slider Paradise. We had ordered a vast array of sliders, including the Kobe Beef, Jalapeno, and Philly Cheese. My girlfriend, especially, who had wanted to try out these sliders for quite some time, loved the Kobe Beef. The Kobe Beef Slider, unquestionably, stole the show.
I loved the Lobster Ravioli and the Lobster Rolls. Both were very, very delicious.
Service was wonderful even with the packed house. I would come back here for the Sliders alone, without question. Two thumbs up! -
Review from Shiori I.
Manhattan, NY
5/7/2012
I have four words for dinner-goers. GET. THE. MILKSHAKE. SHOTS. They are 90 proof Maker's and caramel ice cream. Just do it. They are $3 and full of awesome. You can't lose. Get two rounds even.
I've been here twice now. Once for dinner for a Gilt City deal and once for brunch.
Highlights for me for dinner were the pierogies and chicken arepas. The rest was good, but not sure if I would be willing to pay the price for it without the deal. The famed French Onion Soup Dumplings were not that soupy. I was expecting it to be Asian dumplings style. But the gruyere on top was yummy.
For brunch, we were recommended the banana pancakes, which were delicious. I also loved the lobster benedict, which had a huge chunk of lobster. They did not skimp.
Attire is fairly casual and the ambiance is laid back. You would feel comfortable here in jeans. Just like with Beauty and Essex, they are REALLY quick with bussing the tables. I guess this moves the diners along more? For brunch we got seated by the bar area in the highest floor, which was great because that is really the only part of the restaurant that gets good light, and the day we went was a beautiful day.
Not my favorite brunch space but will recommend as a fun place to try for brunch if you're feeling like small plates. -
Review from Alexandra P.
Manhattan, NY
4/19/2012
If I could give - stars, I would. Unfortunately, I have to give at least one.. To make it short.. If on Thursday night I take a cab to go to a Lower East Side from West Village, take a reservation one week in advance notifying that this evening is important, and taking friends from Europe for their night out, I don't expect:
1. To be sited 1 hour 15 minutes after the time of our reservation;
2. to be proposed a table right next to the entrance door;
3. twice to speak to completely unqualified manager that is not able to solve any issue;
4. to be charge $15 for 1 inch lobster roll (which was just ok, however, it's hard to distinguish since it's just 1 inch);
5. the waitress to give not even one smile when you have a check for $250...
I mean, honestly guys?! What is it? New trend - screw you all the way around?!
Guess what! There are so many nice places in this city with better food and service that want my money. I won't bring them to Stanton Social never again for sure. -
Review from Wing L.
4/13/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
The decor screams "New York." It's chic, trendy, lounge-y, loud, and expensive. But you didn't just come for the decor right- you came for the food also. Like all things NY, food comes in small portions with big price tags. Make no mistake about it, these are Tapas. But, what it lacks in quantity makes up for quality. While this place can handle bigger groups, I say the smaller the party, the better your tasting experience. I'd say 2-4 people is the ideal number. Any more and 1 plate will not be enough; you will be eating the scraps off the bones. I'm not kidding, you will.
Everyone keeps talking about the French onion soup dumpling, covered with Gruyere. A modern twist to the traditional asian-style soup dumplings. I dig it and it's worth trying.
The shrimp and grits? My favorite dish in terms of taste. Functionally though, it's a messy dish. Foregoing that, the shrimp was juicy and the grits had a nice spicy kick to it. I devoured this quickly.
Thai Spiced Baby Back Ribs : Sweet and Savory. The meat falls off the bone nicely and for a tapas dish, it's surprisingly a large dish.
Skillet Roast Octopus with chorizo, garlic, and sherry vinegar: One of my other favorites. The octopus was grilled nicely and was seasoned really well. No fishy aftertaste which is always a plus.
Come here for the loud and trendy atmosphere. Having good food here is a plus too. Just make sure to have your wallet loaded a bit; prices will add up. And remember, be sociable- it's a New York thing to do, no? -
Review from Sarah M.
Medford, MA
4/17/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I went to Stanton 5 years ago with friends... and it stood out to me. I remembered it five years later. I specifically remembered the beef wellington. So, to me a place you remember fondly 5 years later, is a place to revisit.
And they did NOT disappoint. I was so happy I chose to bring my sisters and mom here for my sisters birthday. We had the wellington of course (my favorite). Melts in your mouth.... the mac and cheese which was sister 1's favorite, the dumplings, brie and apple flatbread, mushroom ravioli, and asparagus.
The service was outstanding, and we pretty much got to try every dessert on the menu. Our waitress Sarah was super friendly and helpful and the manager there was superb. I will be back.
If you try a dessert the red velvet twinkies were my favorite... but my sister said the truffles were "little orgasm balls", so try those as well ;o)
sisters second one of these guys
https://twitter.com/#!... -
Review from Sarah R.
Jersey City, NJ
4/20/2012
This plaze is great! I celebrated one of my birthdays here. We had a pre-fixed menu and it was roughly 50 dollars per person (not including drinks or tip) The Goat Cheese Pierogies makes me salivate just thinking about it. I think we ordered another one after we finished the first one! The Warm Doughnuts are amazing, and the dipping sauces compliment it so well.
I haven't come back in a while, I think it's time to revisit this awesome place! -
Review from Ian R.
Brooklyn, NY
4/12/2012
If you see a penny on the street do you pick it up? A nickel? A dime? A quarter? Is the risk of touching spare change covered in boogers and dog poop worth the addition of 5 cents to your net worth? If yes then this ain't the place for you.
Do you like to eat in a sexy place that makes you seem cool? The kind of place that should (but doesn't) blast LMFAOs Sexy and I know It on repeat. If yes then this place is for you.
You'll eat some things that taste good (red snapper tacos and warm doughnuts for me). You'll eat some things that are 'eh'. Then you'll get a bill for about $50 a person (without drinks). At that point you'll either get all grumpy and crotchety like an old person at the pharmacy or continue on in your new lafreaks.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah. -
Review from simon p.
New York, NY
5/2/2012
The new trend in LES: pricey and snobbish restaurants ! We were lured by the design interior so made a reservation to eat there the following week. When we came there (on time) we had to wait more than 1 hour (and we were not the only ones in this situation).... after 1 hour or so, we were proposed a small table by the door... hello ?
Did the manager apologize? I don't remember.
Finally we got a decent table, the night club music made it impossible to talk. so we had to focus on the food:
tapas style, looks not to expensive when you look at the menu but it turns out that you need to take at least 4 dishes + desert if you don't want to be hungry (angry) when you get out..so it is at least $60 pp without drinks excluding tax and tips. The food is not bad, but nothing special.
So I guess there are plenty of other restaurants where I will spend a better time for a much better price ! -
Review from Jennifer H.
Manhattan, NY
3/25/2012
Yes! Yes! Yes!! Make a reservation. Lovely candlelit atmosphere. Get the the french onion soup dumplings, red snapper tacos, and goat cheese pierogies. Get everything. I loved it all.
Trendy, delicious-looking people everywhere. Yummy food. I had been going strong on my diet but my resolve broke the moment I saw the menu and I am not repentant.
Both the upstairs and downstairs were VERY crowded, but with a classy crowd. Nice music. Upstairs is very loungy and I think people start dancing in the later hours. It can be difficult to hear your companions in both areas- and you have to squeeze by to get into your seat- but that is forgive-able. -
Review from Harper S.
4/7/2012
I've been to this restaurant numerous times and have always enjoyed my meal. The french onion soup dumplings are outrageous - I could eat those all day, all night. The pierogies are excellent too. Those are my two favorite dishes - although there are few other dishes that I don't like (of the veggie options).
The service was fine, nothing to write home about. The food honestly came out too fast - too many plates on the table.
I put in a request (via OpenTable) to have the donuts come out with a candle for my friends birthday. I confirmed the waiter knew - and he did. Next thing we know, the table is clear and they bring out plates and the donuts. We were never offered dessert so it was weird. Then they brought out something with a candle. It just should have been done in the opposite order. Bring the candled dessert first!! -
Review from Jason P.
Nestled in the Lower East Side is a plethora of local community restaurants. Deciding where to go can be difficult, tastebuds can vary, but Stanton Social is one place where you can whet your appetite with a varied selection of tapas. The scene is small and cozy, tables slightly squished, decor is classy and hip. White painted brick walls, half-circled booth tables, dark wood-lacquered furniture, black tablecloth napkins. It's a great place to celebrate with a group of friends. If your group is large enough, there is a private room that you can reserve.
I recently celebrated my surprise birthday party here. And I was treated to a very tasty selection of dishes:
- Warm Doughnuts - These warm doughnuts were served fresh without a hint of staleness to it. Biting into all that airy and sugary goodness was delicious, but the caramel dipping sauce definitely heightened the sweet flavor just enough to make it a very enjoyable dish.
- Croque Monsieur 'Satays' - definitely one of the better dishes of the bunch, maybe even my favorite. Inside these little bite-sized brioche bites were country ham, gruyere and meunster cheese, each served on a toothpick. It was almost like a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, cheese nice and melty, ham warm and salty along with a subtle crunchy bread. Yum!
- Potato Latkes with sour cream and apple sauce - These little fried fritters were crispy on the outside, potatoey on the inside. It was perfectly fried at the right temperature so oil was not absorbed into it. Light and flavorful with a healthy dollop of sour cream sauce and apple sauce made it almost refreshing. Fried food refreshing? Go figure, but definitely a crowd pleaser. It sort of reminds me of a tater tot.
- Huevos Rancheros Soft Tacos - scrambled chorizo & eggs, black beans, 'salsa fresca', aged cheddar. It was a solid taco but fell short of amazing. It made for some sloppy eating as the ingredients kept falling out. There was a little too much egg in each taco, which overpowered the scant portions of chorizo. It could have also used some more salsa to give it a refreshing flavor. But, overall, an enjoyable dish but probably one of my least favorites.
- Kobe Beef Burgers - These bite-sized slider type burgers filled with a plump and juicy kobe beef patty. Very pink on the inside cooked to about medium-rare, topped with a melty cheese (that I cannot recall). The bread bun was slightly buttered, making for a very tasty beef burger that I wouldn't mind eating a few of these. The side of salt & vinegar chips definitely helped to give the burger some crunchy texture.
- Chicken n' Waffles - brick pressed chicken, aged cheddar waffle, corn pudding, and balsamic spiked maple syrup. I wasn't too particularly fond of this dish, maybe because this was the last dish and my stomach was about to burst. The white meat chicken was tender though could have been juicier by using the darker meat variation. The waffle was subpar, not really adding much to the dish, making it feel more like an afterthought, rather than a compliment to the chicken and sweet syrup.
Stanton Social does, for the most part, serve some delicious dishes. The ambiance and good food make for a very enjoyable dining experience. I will definitely be back with my friends. -
Review from Melissa C.
Queens, NY
4/1/2012
My friend and I came here on a weekday for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it! Definitely come here then because it isn't crowded, you can actually hear the people you're with, and the service is pretty good.
Between two people, we ordered 6 plates, and we were STUFFED. We had the red snapper tacos, arepas, pierogis, french onion dumplings, social mac, and the doughnuts for dessert.
My favorites were definitely the red snapper tacos and the arepas (surprisingly good). Pierogis and social mac (a rather large portion) were solid as well. My least favorite were the soup dumplings. they were doughy and the cheese started to get cold because the waiter neglected to tell us these are best eaten immediately :( The doughnuts, however, were AMAZING! So airy and wen so well with the caramel and raspberry sauces.
Drinks were pretty good - probably sounded better on paper than they tasted though. I got the Vanilla Cosmo and my friend got strawberry fields.
The ambiance was quite hip, although i didn't like how dark it was. I could barely see the person I was with and the food.
All in all, I don't have much to complain about here. For two girls splitting 6 dishes and two drinks, we spent about $50 each. Would I come back? Probably not for dinner since it can get costly for what you get, but would definitely for a round of drinks and snacks. -
Review from Jake D.
Brooklyn, NY
4/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
This review is only for the upstairs bar area. I did not eat in the restaurant.
Went here on a Saturday night to possibly snag some dinner in the bar area. One of the servers was very accommodating and let us know if and when a table would open up. In the meantime we ordered some drinks. The drinks were awful. I had a Manhattan and it was one of the worst I've ever had. I believe they dilute their alcohol because I could not taste the bourbon flavor. Since the drink is all alcohol, something was amiss. My friend's martini did not taste right as well.
Once we were seated at a couch area with a tiny coffee table, we were told that we had to wait until the other people on the couch finished eating before we could order. Such an awkward situation with the other people on the couch. We didn't order food and just left.
I'm still holding out for the food and sitting in the restaurant downstairs but I would not recommend anything upstairs in the bar. -
Review from Dan D.
Jersey City, NJ
3/29/2012
Long overdue but.......
If you do not like crowds, either pass this place up or get a reservation for 5:30 as the space becomes truly packed whether you're waiting for your reservation downstairs at the host stand or up stairs(one flight) at the bar.
Very inventive cocktails so don't go for your typical "go to" drink and give one on the speciality list a shot.
If it's your first time, please ask the server what would be a good amount for the table and then base your decision on how hungry the party is. Can always order more as the night goes on but on one visit the manager approached us with an offer for a drink upstairs to open up the table. We did consistently order throughout the night and were more than understanding. Truth be told it was so crowded upstairs that we passed on the free drinks(I know......I would be disgusted with me too) but couldn't help but appreciate the offer.
Anyway, few dishes that I would highlight are -
Pierogies
French Onion Soup Dumplings
Yellowfina Tuna Sashimi
Red Snapper Tacos - my favorite of the night
Sliders - Pick whichever tickles your fancy
Wasabi Pea Crusted Salmon
Chicken n Waffles - interesting take but pretty good
Can get up there in price if you get caught up in the night(which I always do......sorry to my fiance) but well worth it if you have yet to try.
***Handicap accessible and ramp down to the main dining room. Be sure to let the host know if making the reservation over the phone*** -
Review from Tony L.
3/28/2012
A friend and I were visiting NYC for the weekend (coming from Boston) and I had made reservations for this place in search for some good tapas.
The atmosphere is nice and pretty romantic, everything was candlelit. For the section that we sat in, the tables were very close together so we ended up overhearing conversations from our neighbors (and probably vice versa). The funny thing about that is we ended up making new friends with our neighbors and partied the rest of the night with them!
The menu options looked very promising, but the quality of the food was a bit disappointing. Some of the better dishes in my opinion were the French onion soup dumplings, the warm piquillo pepper bruschetta, and the Stanton Social sliders. The Social mac & cheese was pretty decent too, but I'm a mac & cheese fiend.
The highlight of my overall experience here was really about the classy ambiance and social environment that the Stanton Social provides. I think in the future, I would probably come back here solely for pre-dinner happy hour drinks as opposed to a full dinner service. -
Review from Sara E.
3/23/2012 Seated via OpenTable
My mom was in town for the week, and I'd always talked about taking her here so shocker of all shocks, I actually did.
We were seated at 7, and there was no one around. It did fill up as dinner went along, but it was nice to have the place to ourselves when we first got there. The hostess/waitress was sweet and accommodating, and chatted with us throughout the meal. She recommended the fish tacos, which were a bit spicy but yummy.
Of course, I had to order the chicken and waffles cause I've basically not shut up about them to my parents. They were good, but the real treat for us was the beef wellington. Yes, it's expensive for a dish you're going to share, but actually when it got to the table, we realized it was the size of something we'd share for a real main course.
By the time we left we were buzzed on good wine, stuffed with good food, and my mom got to see a part of the city she'd never been to before, which is always exciting.
Sorry, Dad, next time... -
Review from Ashley B.
3/16/2012
I like Stanton Social. I've always had great service. I like the vibe and the decor. The cocktail list is interesting and the wine list is nice. I don't think the food is everything its cracked up to be, but they do have some good dishes. Its tapas style, so it gets expensive.
Luckily I have a cool boss who is a foodie and likes to go other places other than steakhouses every time he comes to town. And lets face it I am a lush and will not pass up free food or booze ... Here is what we got last time
Stanton Social Plateau - The lobster was huge, but who serves lobster without lobster crackers? We had to have the kitchen crack them open.
Potato & Goat Cheese Pierogies - These were very good and everyone liked them.
French Onion Soup Dumplings - This dish was awful and smelled like feet...gross.
Red Snapper Tacos - Solid. Good flavor and well cooked fish
Crabcake Corn Dogs - Interesting, but just didn't do it for me. It looks like a corn dog, but tastes like a crabcake...
Chicken n' Waffles - They were fine, I just don't understand this combination.
Shrimp & Grits - WINNER! Good flavor, spicy, get it.
We also got dessert which was the absolute highlight of the meal, other than the shrimp and grits:
Hot Chocolate Shot - who can pass up chocolate and bourbon?
Donuts - Awesome.
The Mint Sundae - Delicious, you can taste the real mint.
The sliders look and smell amazing. I can't believe I've never ordered them. Next time... -
Review from Liang Teck P.
White Plains, NY
5/17/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Great food and great ambiance and service. Each plate is rather small, so be ready to spend at least $50 to have just enough to eat. Likely the same in other good tapas places. Totally enjoyed the food.
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Review from Alka J.
5/13/2012 2 Check-ins Here
red snapper tacos are a 5 but the law of averages makes this place a 3. the service good, the music is loud, the drinks are strong, and the rest of the food is just ok. don't go here with anyone who you want to have a conversation with..
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Review from Christina R.
Tampa, FL
5/5/2012
Definitely a place to go with a group of girl friends. I went last year on a weekday evening. The food was creative and tasty and everyone loved it!
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Review from Manuel L.
San Bruno, CA
5/6/2012
Awesome! Boom! That's all I could say bout this place! Bam!
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Review from Tiffy S.
Flushing, NY
Enjoy the good food an the well size taps drinks are great as well but how ever they need to do something with there bitchy host we walked in with out a reservation on wends night he said its 15 min to 2 hrs make sneces ? It didn't to me I didn't think much of it so I said fine we will b upstairs having a drink I go to chk in on yelp an see they use open table mind u it was 9:18 at the time we get a drink an I was like let see if I can make a reservation a table I made it for 9:20 an it was open we closed out at the bar an went back down stairs an I said I have reservation now he was beyond pissed an had to seat me. Just made me think why he would lie or try to scare me off by saying almost a 2hr an 20 min wait ? But beside that love the food an drinks i will be back an only using my open table before I walk in
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Review from Ron M.
Manhattan, NY
3/26/2012
Went to a friend's birthday party here over the weekend and it was amazing. We all had the prie fix menu and I was blown away. Everything they offered was flavorful and beautifully prepared.
The drinks were strong, the ambiance and decor was great, and the service was prompt and friendly. Even though we had a lot of people with us (20+) we were seated very nicely and all had a great time.
Highly recommended! -
Review from Christopher W.
Aberdeen, MD
3/21/2012
This place is great for a night out AFTER dinner. However, if you are looking to eat a meal please look elsewhere. Went with a large group of good friends and the portions were small and most likely served as a sampler.
I could tell that this was a popular place as it was packed and the line was out the door. The price however is about right for NYC so the night was not that terrible at all. Can't critique on a full dinner service from what I have been hearing but dinner as a large group/party is a no go. -
Review from Jeff M.
Manhattan, NY
5/22/2012
Pretty disappointing... For all the hype around this "celebrity chef" helmed establishment I felt the meal came up short, especially considering the price. The staff was quite friendly, but the service itself was very rushed. I was advised by the waitress to order 5-6 dishes for two (which I did), and was told that the service would be staggered. Not so, all 5 dishes were served within a 15 period, and dishes 1-2 & 3-4 came out simultaneously. If you really have your heart set on this place my advice would be order each dish individually. The big disappointment was the chicken & waffles. The waffle itself was disgusting, a doughy mushy mess. It actually represented the exact opposite of what a good waffle should be - a crisp exterior with a light fluffy interior. Eggo does a better job! The chicken was on the dry side and had soggy skin. Now I am not a chef nor a professional food critic, but if you can't put out a passable waffle and piece of chicken in the first place, you have no business reinventing a classic. I'm sick of novelty food!
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