144 Restaurant and Lounge

I was forced to eat here during a recent stay at the Hampton Inn JFK Airport Hotel.  Unfortunately these hotels are situated in an area that is not in walking distance to ANYTHING.  I didn't feel like taking the shuttle to the airtrain to Brooklyn or Manhattan for dinner, so I ate here.  The rotisserie chicken was fine, albeit a bit hard to eat since it came bone-in.  The Brooklyn Lager was very good, but for the price wasn't a very big pour.  The server was very friendly.  This place felt a bit sterile to me, likely since it was situated in an airport hotel.

It's a restaurant, in queens, in a hotel.  After reading the reviews, I was expecting $30-$40 entrees and a menu that had burgers and fries.  That was definitely not the case.  Appetizers range from $6-$15 and the entrees do not go over $25.  The only thing is that sides are ala cart.  
I ordered the fish tacos off the appetizer menu and was I wow'd!  They had sprouts, salsa, slice of avocado as well as guac and salsa for a side!     Did I mention they were fabulous tasting too?  I also had the hummus appetizer, which was good.  Perfect start.  
The best part was the service.  My waiter was great - but I was seated at a table near the bar and there was a female Bartendar who greeted almost everyone by name and those she didn't know, you knew she was learning their names.  She was so on point, outgoing and on top of everyone sitting at her full bar - that I was jealous she didn't know my name.  A friendly atmosphere for sure!  I'll be back the next time I'm at JFK airport and I'm so sitting at the bar!!!

144 Restaurant and Lounge is the hotel bar and restaurant inside the recently-rennovated JFK Hilton hotel.  

Let's begin by talking about the location.  There are very few choices in the area.  There is a strip of about 5 hotels on this street that all serve nearby JFK airport, each of which with a restaurant and bar, and there is NOTHING else nearby for quite some distance.  If you are at this bar (or thinking of patronizing it), it is because you are 1) a guest at one of the hotels, or 2) live in the residential neighborhood across the street.  No one in their right mind would go our of their way to this area for food or drink.  Consequently, this review will be based on its suitability as a source of sustenance, rather than as an attraction.  

The modern interior features granite countertops and table tops, and is clean, spacious, and well-lit.  There are a huge number of large, flat-screen TVs about which make it suitable for watching sporting events.  The service at the tables is quick and friendly.  Counterintuitively, the service at the bar is quite slow -- the bartenders don't manage their time well, and seem distracted by other tasks in the back, where they often disappear to.  

The clientelle is a hodge-podge of hotel guests that run the gamut from grizzled road warrior to wide-eyed gee-we're-not-in-Kansas-anymore types.  Based on my observation, there also seem to be a number of locals who are regulars; given the dearth of any normal, independently operating bars in the neighborhood, it seems they have settled on this.

The food prices are high; yes, this is New York, but there's a little fleecing of the captive audience going on as well.  

The quality of the food is adequate without rising to the level of good.  Also of note: while the restaurant is technically open until midnight, you can tell the cooks start shutting down the kitchen after 9 or 10 PM.  The hamburger I got at 6 PM came with lettuce, tomato, and onion.  The one I ordered at 10:30 was just meat on a roll. Other reviewers on other sites have mentioned (and complained about) the same inconsistency.  Plus it took forever at the later time.  What's going on?  The staff are cleaning and stowing all the kitchen supplies so when quitting time comes, they can quickly clock out and leave.  

Conclusion: if you want to drink and watch sports, come by and enjoy.  If you just need some so-so food to tide you over, and you don't mind overpaying for what you get, come on in.  If you're a foodie who won't compromise, or a student on a budget, go elsewhere.