40 minutes to get a burger. Not a good start. Â I hate being impatient, but when your on anhour lunch break and you are waiting 40 minutes for your eggplant and chick pea burger with a side of sweet potato fries (which was excellent btw), you can become irritable. Â BUT, when you get GOOD FOOD, great service (a complimentary glass of wine), and a pub that represents an upgraded version of old school NY that exclusively sells local beer and wine, supporting its friends, its hard to stay upset. I was very pleased with my lunch order, that I ate at the bar. Â The sweet potato fries, were crispy, sweet and light. Â The eggplant & chick pea burger an a whole grain roll was savory with the addition of the tahini sauce. Â The floor plan is open and spacious and yet homey. Â I recommend! Â I have to believe they had an off day in the kitchen getting the food out on a timely basis.
Review Source:Great neighborhood joint with amazing burgers. must try the royale burger if you like meat and cheese and caramelized onions, so good. bar and wine list should get a mention since its lots of local stuff. staff is super friendly and accommodating. wasnt a big fan of the mac&cheese. roasted beet and goat cheese salad was good, big chunks of beets, but salad was overdressed. I would go back if I was around the hood.
Review Source:An unlikely place to go to catch a sports game, but a wise place to choose on a off night if you want to avoid the standard most likely will be packed sports bar. Came here twice to catch the NBA playoff games;  once on Wednesday  and the place was packed with groups that were there solely to drink, eat, and socialize (uh, who doesn't do that when they head to bar right?). This gave me and my friends ample space by the bar to watch the game while consuming glass after glass of their finest brew. My second visit happened on a Tuesday and the place was quite empty with the exception of a few tables taken by diners. We were able to score a high table literally in front of the television, so we had ourselves a few drinks and dinner. The spicy chicken and mushroom steamed summer rolls weren't anything to write home about, BUT the kale salad was definitely the highlight of the night. I would definitely come back here on a off night for a group drinking session or a to catch a sports event.
Review Source:Brinkley's is a really fun bar and I love the crowd in there. Â The last time I was there it was a Tuesday night and the crowd was quite light, but I still enjoyed my visit with a friend. Â The two of us had a few glasses of wine which to be honest is not that great and kind of expensive, but still drinkable. Â I think all of their wines are from local vineyards which explains why the list is limited. Â I think I will stick to cocktails the next time I am back there and I would come during happy hour so our tab is cheaper.
Review Source:I've decided to update this review. When I went to Brinkley's a few months ago, I loved the burger and fries but not the presentation. To wit, the plates were too small to maneuver the food on. Then I got a note from the management on here that Brinkley's had taken that under consideration and started using bigger ones. So based on that proactive response, I'm raising the rating here from two to three stars, pending another trip down there.
Review Source:This downtown space is oddly laid out, with only a handful of tables...so brunch reservations are a must. There is ample bar area, so I imagine this as a "happening" after-work spot. The food was very good, though the service was a little lacking..my friend experienced three mistakes with her meal. I will say, the management offered us free dessert to make up for the mix-ups, which we appreciated.
If you like Mac & Cheese, theirs is beyond decadent!
Going out in Soho often ends up badly for me. Â If we don't end up at a creepy dive bar or an achingly hip place where the guys spend hours grooming their beards to look like they did not groom their beards, we end up at a lounge smaller than my apartment with a humiliating door policy and a terrifying table minimum.
Enter Brinkley's on Broome Street. Â I must admit I was hesitant at first. This is because my friend who suggested the place (and goes so often that he practically pays the electric bill) has monogrammed luggage. Â Not a good sign. Â
However, I was proved wrong. Â I have now been a couple of times and I definitely like the place. Â It looks and feels like a turn of the last century corner saloon / tavern, without the "we are trying to recreate an early 1900's saloon". Â That gets annoying. Â The bar area is a fairly large room, has high ceilings and a long bar, so it is relatively easy to get drinks. Â You don't feel overly cramped even when it is crowded. Â
We went on a Saturday night, so it was crowded with a small line outside. Â Good music was playing on the stereo. Â The scene was very lively, and was comprised of a mildly upscale, young crowd, but not in an obnoxious, immature, keg-standing sort of way. Â This is definitely a good go to spot in Soho if you want to have a good time and don't want to be humiliated by a door policy, or hang out with people sporting the "distressed longshoreman" look.
this was my first visit to this establishment. Â I did not order anything to eat but, had a few cocktails. Â They wer mixed well but, the prices were typical NYC cocktail prices. Â I visited at around 5pm on a Saturday and the place was pretty packed. Â While, I did not order anything to eat, the dishes being sent to the others patrons looked appetizing. Atomosphere was decent for the area and the staff was friendly. Â Will try for dinner one night.
Review Source:I'd been to the Brinkley's on the Upper East Side and loved it so I was excited to try this Brinkley's location. My boyfriend and I both ordered the burger with brie, which we had tried before at the other Brinkley's. We were not very impressed- the burgers were well done when we had ordered them medium rare. The drinks are amazing here, though! I would recommend this place for drinks but probably not for the food.
Review Source:Jamie and crew are GREAT.
Did they care that there was a Real Housewife in the house? Sure, but I felt like they cared for me just as much.
And damn did they make some good cocktails. It felt like a great neighborhood bar with a staff that cares and food that was great (get the duck fat fries and ask for aioli to dip them in). In the end, who could not like a bar that has a bear in a suit and bowler riding a pennyfarthing as its mascot. Just saying.
Long waits, and an ok single vibe... usually more guys then girls, and guys are actually aggressive which is a new thing I guess. Â
Food is great... Burgers if you're able to handle them are amaze!!! I just chowed down on the Royale medium rare, and the blood juice squirted all over the table and on my sleeve. Â Best action I've seen in food all day. Â The crowd is full of locals, and work peeps, but almost always a group of guys walk in together. Â If I were single - which I am - this would be my 2nd favorite spot to be at other then a cupcake shop. Â Also, brunch is low key, and pretty decent to just chill at, and they take reservations. Â Don't get caught out there walking in and waiting an hour.
A bit of a walk from the usual "going out" spots like Chelsea, LES, and East Village, but it's definitely worth the trek every once in a while.
Trendy scene -- lots of well dressed 25-30 something white people. They take away most of the tables after a certain point in the night so it really opens up with lots of standing room. Beware, there is a line at peak times on the weekends. Go a little early to miss the rush and grab a spot at an available table.
Great beer selection with good prices. You don't have to break the bank to go out in Soho.
I will definitely want to come back to Brinkley's for dinner and brunch.
The menu may be small but it packs a big punch - the food is absolutely stellar. Â Truffle mac&cheese, grass-fed burger, duck fat fries, and an amazing seasonal (spring/summer2012) kale salad. The happy hour is priced perfectly, and the atmosphere is a win. Â The place feels like somewhere Brit Lit prodigies would come to have a beer or three. Â Did I mention the brunch? Pancakes and an egg sandwich to die for. The waitstaff are generous and patient. Â Came here once a little too early for the lunch menu and the waitress kindly let us nurse our drinks until it was time enough for us to be on the lunch menu. The place is packed with young attractive people around 11/midnight on weekends, and the space is a bit small so it can get crowded. Â The beer list is long, local, and lively and the waitstaff know their stuff. Came here once with a friend who wanted a Stella, and the waiter brought him a local brew that could've been a replica.
I 100% recommend this place for food, drinks, or both. Â I tell everyone visiting NY to stop here!
We went here for my friend A's birthday. Â They took her reservation completely wrong. Â They took us down for standing at the bar instead of sitting at a table and eating. Â Who makes a reservation for 15 people to sit on a stool by the bar? Â We were also seated half an hour after the reserved time.
The food was incredibly salty. Â I thought it was just me, but when I mentioned it, everyone was like "yes, holy sh*t everything is so salty." Â When I mentioned it to the waitress she gave me a sarcastic "thank you". Â
The burgers were undercooked (rare) with a really salty goat cheese, the duck fat fries were so salty that we didn't finish them, the calamari tasted like it was being preserved in salt for a 15th century sea voyage. Â
I can go on, but suffice it to say, whoever the chef was last night was fu*king awful. Â He/she either didn't taste any of the food before it went out or has no taste buds. Â
This place tried it's darndest to ruin A's bday, but we persevered and moved the party on to Whiskey Tavern in Chinatown.
I WOULD NEVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN. Â Oh, the beer selection is good. Â There...balanced review.
Regarding the below response by management: There is no way we were an hour late. That's preposterous, in fact most of us were early. I don't know the details of the reservation, but your service was sub par. Â The fact that the food was salty was not the opinion of only one person. 15 people agreed that the food was almost inedible. I don't think anyone of us will be returning to take you up on your offer.
Very disappointing. Â My friend G brought me here to check out the establishment as a potential spot for birthday dinner with friends. Â The hostess was welcoming and friendly and even showed us around and suggested what I could do if I chose this place. Â We briefly discussed booking the middle enclosed sit-down section and took down my information so that a coordinator could get back to me. Â Matthew reached out to me and seemed pretty helpful in planning my event. Â According to him, in order to make a reservation with the amount of guests I have, pre-order platters are required. Â Which I did. Â I requested for a party of 15 and for a 7:30 reservation which he confirmed.
1. They had my reservation for 8 instead of 7:30. Â I even showed the hostess my email where 7:30 was confirmed. Â Apparently, there were still people in "my area" so my party wouldn't be able to be seated yet. Â So I did what any New Yorker would've done, and waited.
2. Â At 8, we were shown to our area. Â They gave us two high tables across from the bar that barely fit 2/3 of my group. Â I specifically wanted the sit-down section but according to the hostess, she didn't realize that it was me that she spoke with previously. Â Of course this would happen. Â She obviously did not know how to handle the situation and brought the manager over to speak to me.
I told the manager that not only was my reservation time messed up, the area I had requested for originally was not given to me. Â Drew stated that he had 8PM on his contract and that pre-paid platters are more of a "social gathering event - where some people sit and some people stand while snacking on food". Â This was NEVER mentioned to me at all prior to the event or I wouldn't have agreed to it. Â At this point, my friends saw that I was frustrated and losing patience, so they graciously took over. Â We eventually had another table and stools added. Â We all tried to enjoy ourselves nevertheless but that's not all, folks.
3. Â Whoever was manning the kitchen had a heavy hand, the duck fat fries, calamari, la royale burger (it was rare), and even the romaine lettuce that came w/ the pounded chicken salad was seriously saltier than the Dead Sea. Â One of my friends actually threw up later on in the night because the food did not settle well in her stomach.
Overall, I don't appreciate that the staff chose to defend themselves over redeeming their mistakes - which was due to an obvious lack of communication and poor planning. Â In response to my friend's review, Matthew even placed the blame on me for confirming for the wrong area and being late (we were early!!) - that is sub-par hospitality. Â Maybe the only commendable gesture of the night was the complimentary Champagne and that the manager gave his apologies as we were leaving. Â Too little, too late.. by that time I've already moved on and will never look back. Â I would've left if I didn't already pre-pay for the platters.
Your reply below aptly reflects the attitude of your management. Â The party was always going to be a dinner, Â Attached below is your initial e-mail to me.
Hi Annie,
Thanks for thinking of us as a great place to host your upcoming Birthday! We'd love to plan your party!
I saw you were interested in hosting a dinner? Are you looking for a prix fixe style menu, did you want open bar for your guests?
Let me know and I'd be more than happy to put you together a proposal.
Thanks,
Matthew
--
UPDATE: Below is the latest email from Matthew, I will no longer waste my time w/ this as the lack of professionalism shows for itself..
"While I do appreciate feedback, I don't know what you think you had purchased? There was no miscommunication, in fact the only miscommunication was your perceptions of your event.
Your tone and accusations through yelp is preposterous, I don't know what else have could have been done to please your group.
I am sure all your friends in Fresh Meadow with potty mouths will take your advice... "
Went to Brinkley's for drinks only to celebrate 2 friends birthdays and their engagement. Â We reserved a large table and in the back and the place offered exactly what we were looking for. Â A semi-private area for all of us to hang out in, close enough to the general population to feel part of the mix. Â Drinks were reasonably priced for ny standards. Â Solid beer selection. Â The bartenders were great, really prompt, chill, were super helpful when trying to make a beer selection. Â I can't really comment on the food, but if you're looking for a place for like 10-30 people to get together and have some drinks, check this place out.
Review Source:Much better then I expected!!
Brinkley's has a great happy hour with reduced drink and food prices. Â I stumbled in already tipsy at 6:30 after happy hour with colleagues and made it just in time to get a huge plate of hummus and veggies (yup, that's my drunk food)! Â They offer lots of other goodies too, so if your more of a bar food type you'll still be pleased.
Lots of younger prep type cute guys, casual cute tomboyish girls and great music. I hear it's really busy and fun on the weekends too.
Minus one star for being unnecessarily  expensive
Minus another star for one of their employees for being rude to the birthday girl at my table
but have to give 3 stars for their incredible mac n'cheese and bread crumbs on top.
Do not leave Little Italy/SoHo area without trying this!
**Place is conveniently located right next to the NYU Broome Street dorm--great for students who don't mind paying a little more for great food.
This place is dirty, over-priced, and can't make a basic cocktail. Â
Came here on a saturday afternoon to wet my whistle. Â The bar was filthy and nobody came to wipe off the colorful spills and puddles right in front of me. Â Ordered two old-fashioneds, which our bartender had obviously never made before. Â He should have asked, and I would have been happy to tell him what's in it (or go back there and make it for him...)
I wound up with two frothy pink, fruity cocktails at $13 a piece. Â What a joke.
Added bonus--fruit flies!!
After dining at Rawlicious (they don't have an alcohol license yet), we were "thirsty" for more conversation.
I was desperately seeking a stiff, strong drink. Yea, that is how I like it. Nothing frilly please. Scotch on the rocks or a martini. But tonight, a Negroni or two will suffice.
My friend really wanted to try the duck fries, so I just watched her eat the whole plate of fries in front of me without salivating. I am loyal to my duckie friends.
Did they round up all the hot, anorexic European men in the city and made them slaves to this place? Yes, why, yes, they did!
Lots of eye candy, spacious seating, many tap beers for the beer lover in your life.
If you're in this neck of the woods, head to this place for a night drink or two, and walk out happy and short a few brain cells!
I like that this place only serves NY beer and wine. Â It's pretty cool that they have a sense of where they are from. Â There is a good selection of beers and the wine list looked good (I guess??? no idea about wine).
The place looks really nice. Â It has those old white tiles from the subway (although some could use a good cleaning). Â The seating area is spaced nicely and the bar is a mid range size.
The food looked good and all, but I wasn't hungry and it was actually quite expensive for lunch. Â I'd like to give this place a try for dinner though.
I've been here twice. The first time it served as a stop before a dance filled extravaganza at Southside Night Club next door kicked off. It bridged the beginning/end of the night quite nicely, so I'd recommend this combo.
The second time was after a soccer game with a crew of smelly soccer kids. We certainly felt a bit out of place as the ambiance was a bit nicer than we were sporting, but no one said anything. Food is fine, drinks are okay.
Everything is a bit overpriced for me to make this a regular spot.
I didn't hate it or love it.
I got the Aussie Virgin (?) Which was really good. But then I got my truffled mac and cheese. It was oppressive with fontina; way too heavy for me to finish.
My server and hostess were very polite, and service was fast and friendly.
I'll give them another shot on another day.
So the food here is fantastic, the duck fat fries are something to write home about, the drinks however are a bit sub par, as is the service, that why I'm putting it at a 3.
The crowd is undeniably preppy, its like Dorrians moved southward. If you are looking for a boarding school crowd with good food this is the spot.
Extremely versatile bar/restaurant. Â Warm, welcoming atmosphere with a non-douchey crowd and good music (but not for dancing). Equally great for (i) weekday happy hour (ii) drinks on Friday night or (iii) a burger and beers on Sunday afternoon. The burger is excellent; the rest of the food is pretty mediocre. Â Scotch is overpriced. Â
Stick to what this place does best and you'll have a great experience.
Expensive (but the area as a whole is, so I guess not a valid ocmplaint), but OK.
They had a pretty extensive wine list (I assume that's what they're known for), but was pretty annoyoed that both drinks I wanted were out (tap...).
Burger was standard. Waffle fries were standard. Pigs in a blanket were very good (it's a spicey Italian sausage type thing with a great pastry surrounding). The Mac and Cheese was rich... The truffle taste definitely came through, but not something I would order again.
In terms of ambiance, it was pretty relaxed. People were in jeans and my friends and I were in our work suits.
There's a good amount of space for groups, although I went on a Tuesday night, so I am not sure if the place would feel as spacious if it was packed.
The table was REALLY annoying (it wabbled every time we put anything on it).
The servers were OK... Not the most polite, but didn't blow us off per say.
Overall, I would come back if I was invited, but not a place I would actively seek out.
Brinkley's  is great place for an after work drink or two.
A coworker and I were looking for a place to unwind on Friday after a particularly stressful week and we stumbled into Brinkley's. We weren't expecting much but Brinkley's delivered.
The crowd was very downtown-ish (in a good way). And even though the place was packed there wasn't much of a wait for a drink. The space is pretty large and not cramped despite it there being a lot of people there when we went in.
Drinks were a little overpriced (?) ...but I suppose when you consider the location and space the prices aren't terrible.
A lively spot in a great location, Brinkley's is an excellent choice for after-work drinks, a large group dinner and everything in between. At least that's the impression I got, and this is my review.
There's lots of local beer on tap (Greenport, Sixpoint, Ommegang, Southampton, Genny, Capt. Lawrence...), great plates to share, and serious entrees if you're interested in ordering dinner. The menu is a versatile mishmash of American classics and a few ethnic-esque items.
The kitchen can do a steak or a piece of trout justice, but I'd almost rather make a meal out of the duck fat fries, the truffled mac and cheese and especially the perfectly fried, slightly spicy quail wings (my favorite Brinkley's bite so far). The sandwiches are solid, but if you opt for the lobster club or the braised pork belly, prepare to have burger envy. They also have the Nettle Meadow Kunik (triple cream) on their cheese menu, which is never a bad decision.
I must admit that I'm not really sure what the prices are like though. I don't remember being shocked by anything I saw on the menu, but I actually ran out on my friends midway through the meal and didn't pay for anything (if you don't mind everyone hating you, I highly recommend doing this).
Brinkley's is one of those bars that does well, always has a crowd and is incredibly well located... But at the end of the day is just not all that cool.
Whenever I come here I'm reminded of the Marina neighborhood in San Francisco. Full of white, preppy straight people wearing a lot of J.Crew and a faint scent of vomitus burp in the air. The food is all pretty classic American tasty. I really love their lobster club ($25) and the spiced quail wings were a table favorite when I lasted dined here. Overall a solid spot for a group dinner, but don't expect anything too special.
Okay...a  little background.
My two friends and I were dressed in holiday gear for SantaCon and had been drinking since 11am. It was now 10pm..and though we had a breather, some nourishment and a rest...we were still in yuletide garb. So we went here to kick off the evening portion of the 'Con.
We managed to find the only bar in Manhattan that had ZERO santas. Cool. But they didn't bat an eyelash, and neither did the INCREDIBLY attractive blonde bartender as he mixed up a phenomenal dirty martini. Blue point and a Southhampton for my compadres. He also made us some shots that were chocolatey and chased with a maraschino cherry.
The only negative was the belligerent drunk who complained that no one likes him "because he's gay, moved to LA and too fabulous for New York now". Newflash coppertone, no one is too ANYTHING for New York, perhaps his fabulousness is just simply not up to par.
I'd like to come back here and try some of the wonderful looking appetizers!
Love the setup of the venue. Â A fun place to hang out and chill with friends. Â We just stopped by for a quick drink. Â Felt extra small sitting at their big long table and small elementary school sized chairs.
Didn't have a bite to eat but did order an old fashioned, which wasn't very good. Â They had a good beer selection, next time I'm in the city, I'll remember to stick with that.
With a fellow Yelper on the eve of Hurricane Irene awaiting to slam the Northeast of U.S. on a dark grey Thursday, we finally met after a series of correspondence. Â Service is attentive and friendly at Brinkley's. Â There are couches to lounge restfully and table service as well as bar counter. Â A partition of a wall bookcase gives the cozy home atmosphere to this pub and eatery. Â The Pigs in a Blanket at $10.00 for dinner menu under Bites comes in a artisanal sausage selection in pastry served with mustard, amid no miserly in portion size. Â Bar and pub food where my small appetite to hone bites is perfect for I am unable to currently stomach full entree size going on a month now. Â Price is reasonable for one misery glass of white wine contained in a non-wine glass; one Shirley Temple drink and one order of Pigs in a Blanket.
Brinkley's hosts a live jazz quartet playing on Wednesday nights from 9pm onwards into the night.
Business cards are printed on post consumer recycled Kraft paper 100% wood pulp (60% post-consumer; 40% pre-consumer) conveniently with a map on the reverse side.
This place couldn't have sucked more.
I wanted to like it, but on a very slow Sunday, with a pretty empty restaurant, we got no love. A table of eight, we arrived at 7pm, and still didn't have our food at 9pm - with no explanation and no consolations.
The longer version of the story is more painful -- they were out of 1/2 the items on their menu, the waiter didn't want to take our orders, I'm not sure there was even a manager on duty, we ran out of drinks while waiting, and the food that arrived well after two hours was COLD -- but let's leave it at this: Brinkley's blundered.
Their staff was completely uninterested in helping. I have no idea why
their kitchen service was so messed up. And the waiter seemed embarrassed but oblivious as to what to do to help besides avoid us.
I should add that no other tables in the place seemed to have food, either.
We ended up leaving and going up the street to Spring Natural, where they loved on us and brought us all our (fresh, healthy, tasty) food in 10 minutes flat. With a smile.
I would say save your money and your time and don't go to Brinkley's, but honestly they don't seem to care if they're around much longer.