Amber B.'s Profile

Went here on part of a quest to "try new places" in the nabe. Based on the other 5 star review, I made reservations for this spot at 9pm on a Thursday. When we arrived there was only one other table of customers, and I think they were friends with the owners. The decor is cute and I could see the space working really well if there was lively music playing and a crowd of people already enjoying themselves when we arrived, but alas, the whole vibe of "Yay a customer!" was an early red flag...

Had the trio of tuna for the appetizer - this was the highlight of the meal. Definitely enough for two people, a good value for the price and quite tasty.

Grabbed a few oysters on a whim since they look like they are trying to push the Oyster Bar concept, but the selection was meager. Settled on basic Blue Points, which all came still attached to the shell. Having to fight with your oyster destroys all the sexiness they could possibly have, and at this point I became pretty glad I was not on a first date. (Also, only one sauce was served with the oysters, which seemed like it couldn't make up it's mind if it was a red sauce or a vinegar sauce. It ultimately failed at both.)

It was a bit later, when I began wondering why it was taking so long to receive our entrees, that the server brought us more bread. :/ Not a good sign, considering we were the *only table in the place*. We started taking over/under bets on how long until this place closes. The servers were quite nice and attentive, the issue was clearly back in the kitchen.

Ultimately the main courses did arrive, though. I had the sea bass, which was crispy and delicious. It had to be, since there was nothing else on the plate but some potatoes in an unremarkable sauce. He had the swordfish pasta, which was a huge thumbs down. The pasta itself was somewhat rubbery, and the flavor combination of caramelized onions with the unseasoned fish pieces was just a big 'ol mess.

Verdict: Would come here again to do a wine and small plate/appetizer thing, and to sit outside and people watch when the weather is nice. Not worth sticking around for a full meal.

One of the things I asked on various Brooklyn forums before moving to Park Slope was "where is there to play pool?" ... so you you know this review is some srs brznrs.

Over the last 2 years, I've gone to Oceans 8 maybe once a month. I would have gone a *lot* more if the service wasn't incredibly, incredibly bad. Sometimes the place would be completely empty and I would still have to walk to the bar to get my drinks. I once found my "server" on the phone in the bathroom when I was desperately in need of beverage and there was no one else around.

And forget about a Friday or a Saturday night.

BUT  Apparently there has been a complete management changeover and they hired all new staff - bartenders and watiresses alike. I was there on a Saturday and actually had two - count them TWO - waitresses fighting over my table.

Other than service, I don't have any complaints. There are 20+ pool tables and a selection of bar-quality snacks. I usually get the jalapeno poppers because they are almost impossible to destroy between the package and the fryer.

The tables themselves are mostly decent. They are regulation size and all got refelted during the remodel about a year or so ago. Most of them could stand to get refelted again... There are "house" tables on one side of the place that are nicer. Don't expect to play on them unless you know the owner or you know the hustle. As someone who is used to playing in places full of rich old white guys before moving to NY, I gotta say that the play style on the house tables is fun to watch. You can learn a thing or two.

If you go on certain nights where thingz be goin' onnnn (usually Thurs - Sat night), be prepared to get metal detected. The crowd is normal, but the security means business.

Since I work in finance and found the bar because it was near my old office, I'm not going to knock the bar for the fact that it's full of finance-types. (FTR, I don't think I really qualify as a "finance type" myself)

I go to Whiskey Park and pay $15 a martini for one reason, and one reason only: the free pool table in the back. It's regulation size and it doesn't suck. If you get there earl(ier) or on off-peak nights, there is almost never anyone playing. On nights where it is busy, well... isn't it fun to kick a little finance d-bag ass once in a while?

Open pretty late, the same or later than the nearby Hudson (which also has a free table, but even more surly bouncers)

The food is excellent, especially if you are vegetarian or vegan. This is my go-to place to take people that come visit me because it is often a novel experience and something unexpected. While they only have 2 beers (Heineken or Corona Light) they have a ton of food choices.

We always order the vegetarian combo platter (2 of them) and they will combine it onto one big family style platter. Visitng peeps usually order the house Meskerem combo, which is the same thing but with a selection of variously spiced and curried meats as well. I know people have been disappointed by the lamb, but I wouldn't know since i never had it.

Service is service, nothing special. At standard busy times this place can get PACKED with an hour wait (there are only about 12 tables) so stop and have a beer at any of the hundreds of nearby bars. Problem solved.

2011 UPDATE: Since moving from Brooklyn to Manhattan, I've gotten to try some of the other Ethiopian spots around the city. The food seems to be about the same at every one of the, but Meskerem is still my favorite in terms of ambiance. (Simple and not faux-fancy.) The very limited drink menu is still a definite negative.

I ate in a group of six here on a Saturday night, 8pm-ish.  I was shocked that they seated us after only about 20 minutes at the bar, even without a reservation. The bartender was friendly and poured a great dirty martini; a  little more expensive than normal, but not at all out of the realm of expectation.  @Anna P. RE: girls getting served... I had no trouble, but it might have also been inadvertent good service since my husband placed the order, and I hear he's cute. :P

The food was delicious, though for someone who is a veggie+fish eater, there weren't a TON of options.  Still, the sea bass and salmon I tried were excellent, and the white chocolate bread pudding & dark chocolate dessert were so rich all six of us had trouble finishing one  slice of each.  We also had an appetizer with some stacked combination of portabello, mozzarella, tomato, etc, and it was perfectly cooked, texture perfect and not watery.  

Decor was hot & modern, and my friends found the wait staff to be of above-average attractiveness, though at least one of the former had slept with at least one of the later.  I stress "least."

Stopped in with a few visiting friends after dinner on a Saturday night, thinking this was more bar-like, then it turned out to have more of a "sit-down" style.  We got the last table in the place, but there didn't seem to ever be a wait.  It turned out this place was even better than someplace more bar-style because I could actually hear myself think.  

Our waiter seemed knowledgeable about the wines, which is good because none of us had heard of ANY of them.  In the end, though, he tried to sell us the most expensive wine in its category, and all servers should know to always at least go one cheaper on a recommendation so you don't look like an asshole.  By the way- we were told that the wines were not all South African, but were "South African Inspired."  I'm not so sure what that means, but it was definitely wine.  We got a bottle of some Chenin Blanc, I believe, for $40. The bottles ranged from $26 - $100ish, but there were several in the $30 - $40 range, which is what we were looking for.  

At any rate, the atmosphere was dark and a bit ethnic-themey, but didn't hinder the drinking process.  The music was actually pretty awesome, awesome enough that I wanted to ask what it was... and that's pretty awesome.  

2011 UPDATE: I've gone back here a few times since, and completely recommend this as a great date spot. Dark and sultry, with consistently great service. Besides the delicious wines available by the glass, the small plates are all yummy and fun to share. The portobello with goat cheese is to die for, and the olives are nice and spicy. I'd steer clear of any of the dried meats, though, as gnawing on a Slim Jim is really not a sexy date behavior.

First went to Therapy several years ago when my friends were in college and it was the place.  Just went back last night so as not to go to Vlada AGAIN... and it is still exactly the same, but like, not necessarily in a good way.  I guess we're getting old because I noticed that the crowd upstairs was much younger than I remember... or maybe not younger, but more "immature." Like, rowdy frat style.  But the drinks were good and I could pretty much hear myself talk over the music, so it can't be all bad.

Bonus girl-in-a-gay-bar points for having [unisex] clean bathrooms with actual stalls.  With doors, no less.

And I do love the floor with the pond in it.  That never gets old.

I can tell this place must be "the spot" right now because it's the only place my gays want to take me anymore.  Great drag show that genuinely made me laugh.  The hostess also plays a game where you get a free drink ticket if you have whatever random item she calls out in your pocket at that moment (Think a Sears credit card or equally esoteric item).  Hilarity ensues.  Drinks are average Manhattan prices, I believe the shots were $7 a piece.  The crowd, overall, is friendly and there were several other (presumably straight) girls that popped in during the night without being scorned.  Adequate lounge seating upstairs.  Thumbs up.

I get my morning coffee and egg & cheese on a bagel here almost every weekday.  The bagels are great, the service is quick and the counter staff is friendly and efficient, and the pricing is average.  I went on a Saturday this week and it was a bit of a madhouse around noon - not surprising (strollers everywhere).  They also have a side deli that has what looks like good deli salads, muffins, Boar's Head meats, etc, though I've never tried it.  

My only wish is that there was more in-house seating, it's definitely geared towards order and go service.  They also tend to put my stuff in a bag sometimes before I can catch them that I don't need the extra packaging,but I can handle that.  

I'm also a big bagel & lox critic, and the sandwich is definitely above average here.  Lots of lox & fixins.  The "Lox Spectacular" is your standard tomato, onion, cream cheese, capers, and the "Healthy Lox" subs cucumbers for the capers.  I'm not quite so sure how that makes it healthier... but it's a nice fresh taste.  And it makes me feel better about myself.

Stopped in on an Tuesday night around 8pm, mostly because we were just in an adventurous mood - and anything evoking images of pirates can't be all bad.  Despite the website's suggestion to make reservations, we were the only people in the place save one other couple that came in as we were leaving.  The food was awesome AND reasonably priced, as covered in other reviews, and I could see why they get busy enough to recommend reservations on a Friday or Saturday night.

The decor was nautical, if not pirate-y... and it seemed a little strange to have a fancy-schmancy type menu and wait staff in a pirate "themed" restaurant.  I feel like they should have gone all the way or not at all with it, but hey, whatever floats your boat (oh god, i slay myself)...

Unfortunately, our waiter seemed to loose interest in us about half way through the meal, and he missed out on the extra tip if he had stopped by to get us more beers.  Or the check.  Or the credit card.  It became so egregious that I started coming up with witty phraseology to include in this review while at the table, stilllllll waiting for the check.  In an empty restaurant.

Still, awesome, delicious food and I will totally give it another chance on the service.