Diner
| Address: | 85 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11249, USA |
| Phone: | +1 718-486-3077 |
| Site: | dinernyc.com |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 10AM–12AM 10AM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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A Private User
Ive noticed the description for ambiance of many establishments in Brooklyn as "hipster". I didnt know hipster was an ambiance, but here we are. It is in the schema of hipsterism that Diner is listed without any such reference - irony being the ultimate hipsterism. The architect of hipster ambiance had an eureka moment and Diner is the zenith and the mecca of hipster affected effortless dining. A contrived rickety shack under the BQE/Williasmburg Bridge. I would take this over the wannabe SATC experience any day of the week though: Friday night is a date night, which consist of a genuine human connection followed by a healthy round of athletic sex. The rest is just window dressing.* Apparently all of hipsterville had the same idea, because the room was filled with bearded dudes and their stringy haired, pouty and grimacey-faced lady friends. We shared a table with another couple who would soon provide the evenings entertainment. A lovely lady server greeted us with the evenings options, which she scribbled on the paper covering the table (paper so your average faux artist hipster can waste no time in art creation even during dinner, so accommodating.). Its not fair to call it scribble, because her penmanship was so good. Our neighbors did not like any of the wines on offer, whereby the manager even offered to dash next door to pick up a bottle for her. No. Her exacting attitude doesnt end there. Wait. Appetizers came. We got the squid salad, which was delicious. Little did we (that would be us plus the man half of the other side of the table) know, tragedy would hit shortly after. On our end, we faced a mediocre cut of steak and anticlimactic burger. But in view of our neighbors disposition, I cant complain. As soon as the appetizer plates were cleared, the girl dashed off without looking back. Girl was out so quick he couldnt speak to her breeze. Dejected, sullen, and dismayed, there arent enough words in the English language to describe how the guy mustve been feeling. Meanwhile, homeboy just sat there until the entrees came, and you better believe he drowned his sorrows in both dishes when they did. I wish he had, but he packed them up to go. Two entrees! To go! On a Friday night. Ladies, if you hate your man, this is the way to go for a break up. Order all courses and abandon immediately, but only do this with mediocre food unless you hate yourself. No chance for cancellation. A lesson in remorse: when you feel it, its too late. The next couple who joined us looked like they took a break from World of Warcraft to stuff their face, so their interaction was, as expected, snoozefest. Not the most informative review, but there are so many, I went for the funzies route. Go, be entertained.
LO
Lon Binder
We went on a whim to Diner during the recent heatwave. What a great find! Its lovely that the menu changes daily and while the waitress jots some notes on the paper tablecloth to remind you of the items, its hard to remember the details of all ~12 items, we had to ask her back to the table twice. In the end, it probably doesnt matter what you order, everything was delectable. Wont go into the details of the food items, since they change, but will call out the bruschetta-inspired appetizer: This was hands down one of the best either Jessica or I have eaten. Perfectly created slice of bread with beautiful herbal dressing, egg, and tender beef tongue. We got there fairly early and notices several families dining, so cool that its family friendly. As long as your kid is not picky (ours is not). There is always a burger on the menu. Two negative dings as to why I cant give five stars. First, the rabbit was over-cooked and chewy. And second, if you walked in you would see a perfect, hipster Diner decor, the name is Diner, the food is far from Diner fare, closer to New American Bistro. For that the decor is definitely sub-par. Also the service started out strong, but as the evening went on and more tables filled, the servers seemed to struggle to keep up. All in all, the food was really good, and prices very reasonable.
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A Private User
The food here ranges from bland and bad to good, but more often just bland and bad. Generally, this seems the result of the chef strategy. It appears they choose ingredients, often of good quality, and throw them together in a way to make their reading of the specials more appealing. The culinary knowledge is surely lacking, but by chance, they do occasionally make a good dish. There are few things as disappointing as paying for what you might guess would be a nice meal of fish and receiving a nearly tasteless meal. Or bitter greens too bitter to eat. The vegetarian fare here is also limited enough to scare the veggies away. The staff is nice to look at, but with few exceptions offer little in the way of quality service. Highlights include the atmosphere of the cozy diner car and the well crafter drinks, but considering the quality of the meal, I’d recommend potential diner diners choose another destination.
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A Private User
One of my two favorite restaurants in Brooklyn (and the city at large). The food is invariably expertly prepared, inventive, and delicious. Very seasonal menu, local ingredients, top-notch beef. The menu can vary quite a bit, even depending on the day of the week or the time of the night. If they have one of their large cuts of beef for two, take it! Same with the beef heart, or any of the medium-sized fish plates. The burger (the only thing thats always there no matter what) is delicious; get it medium rare, and dont even bother with ketchup. The smaller cuts of meat (like an 6/8-oz top round) are good but not the best value. Great waitstaff, friendly, professional and efficient. Top-notch drinks as well, although the wait at the bar can sometimes be long. It can be noisy when its full, though the music is usually really good too.
MI
Michael Hintze
Im not sure why anyone would rate this restaurant low. Yes it greats crowded, so does every place that is good. Yes the wait staff is busy and not their every second, your paying for good food here not impeccable service. Yes their are hipsters in Williamsburg, clearly you are also one which is why your sitting in Diner. Once you get past all the nonsense you realize that Diner is an amazing neighborhood place that has a rotating menu featuring farm fresh local ingredients always using in interesting ways. Everything from the chilled beer soup, "diner-style" cheeseburger, fresh sea bass, and local green is always carefully prepared. Dont miss out on this neighborhood gem.
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Tom Hayes
Very hipster vibe, you cant just get a cup of coffee here, they have to make a french press setup for you, which taste good and all but after tip its over $6 for 1 small cup of coffee. Its like a Portlandia extras fest in there, and if you dont know what Portlandia is or your over 40 your already over your head, youll probably be mocked there and have a bad time. Remember when Diners catered to customers instead of the other way around, way to many phonies who think there cool for me. Way to many nerds from the suburbs whos parents pay there rent but now there living in BROOKlyn they think there Frank Serpico or Lenny Bruce.
MR
Mr. Mustard
This is one of those hipster joints that thinks they are being cool by giving you overpriced, yet average quality food. What they are doing is wrong, they dont show you the prices of the food, because if you saw them, you would instantly leave. Everything is overly rustic. The food is decent, but nothing more, yet the prices are those of a gourmet restaurant. I chose to get the cheeseburger, which was nothing special at all. You can get a better burger at "Five Guys," or "Bobby Flays Burger Palace," which are chain restaurants run by corporations. I would give this negative stars if I could, but unfortunately I cant.
