Restaurants with no waiting?

My BIL and SIL are coming tomorrow night to go out to dinner-they are from the suburbs and are used to huge restaurants where you never have to wait. She is always complaining about how small Park Slope restaurants are and how you sometimes have to wait for a table.

Anyway, any suggestions for a good restaurant in the hood that is largish and there would be no (or, a very minimal) wait? We are open to different foods.

I've never had to wait for a table at Sheep Station or Maria's, both on 4th ave.

Subject: Re: Restaurants with no waiting?

LongTimeSloper wrote: My BIL and SIL are coming tomorrow night to go out to dinner-they are from the suburbs and are used to huge restaurants where you never have to wait. She is always complaining about how small Park Slope restaurants are and how you sometimes have to wait for a table.

Anyway, any suggestions for a good restaurant in the hood that is largish and there would be no (or, a very minimal) wait? We are open to different foods.

tell her to enjoy her Olive Garden and Applebees.

although a little loudish, i say 200 Fifth has some really good food and pretty good turn around time.

Try Canaille on 5th, where Red Cafe used to be. French food & nice decor.
I've only eaten at Melt once, but service was fast and the meal was good.

I would avoid Maria's the service is really bad there and food is... well, it was only decent. Sheep Station sounds fun, you can have drinks too.

You can also try a place that takes reservations.

But in general I see waiting at a place that takes no reservations as a sign that it is good.

Some things are worth waiting for. ;-)

hey, I go to Sheep Station all the time . . .
can y'all PLEASE not take your bitching relatives there? Besides, they serve alot of lamb. Don't your SIL and BIL think lamb is weird?


If you want a white table cloth place, Tempo on Fifth Ave is fairly huge, and good for big family groups. Long Tan is good if you want groovier and more informal, pan-Asian.

Subject: Re: Restaurants with no waiting?

metalnyc wrote: [quote=LongTimeSloper]My BIL and SIL are coming tomorrow night to go out to dinner-they are from the suburbs and are used to huge restaurants where you never have to wait. She is always complaining about how small Park Slope restaurants are and how you sometimes have to wait for a table.

Anyway, any suggestions for a good restaurant in the hood that is largish and there would be no (or, a very minimal) wait? We are open to different foods.

tell her to enjoy her Olive Garden and Applebees.

although a little loudish, i say 200 Fifth has some really good food and pretty good turn around time.

We go to 200 Fifth with them a lot-I kind of didn't want to do that again, but, thanks!

pitu wrote: hey, I go to Sheep Station all the time . . .
can y'all PLEASE not take your bitching relatives there? Besides, they serve alot of lamb. Don't your SIL and BIL think lamb is weird?


If you want a white table cloth place, Tempo on Fifth Ave is fairly huge, and good for big family groups. Long Tan is good if you want groovier and more informal, pan-Asian.

OK-I know Maria's is Mexican food, but, what sort of food is Sheep Station? Hubby loves lamb-LOL!

Tempo is pretty high priced isn't it? Like in Blue Ribbon league?

If you're willing to take them across Flatbush, I've never had to wait for a table at Tavern on Dean.

LongTimeSloper wrote: [quote=pitu]hey, I go to Sheep Station all the time . . .
can y'all PLEASE not take your bitching relatives there? Besides, they serve alot of lamb. Don't your SIL and BIL think lamb is weird?


If you want a white table cloth place, Tempo on Fifth Ave is fairly huge, and good for big family groups. Long Tan is good if you want groovier and more informal, pan-Asian.

OK-I know Maria's is Mexican food, but, what sort of food is Sheep Station? Hubby loves lamb-LOL!

Tempo is pretty high priced isn't it? Like in Blue Ribbon league?

Nooooooooooooo!

It's Australian, but not really. The chef is from Montreal. It's a super simple bar menu, but with raw oysters, lamb chops/sandwiches, and meat/veg pies. I seriously love it, and I will call you out if I see some suburban-types complaining to a suffering LongTimeSloper. There are not a million tables there...you've been warned...

Tempo isn't quite as expensive as Blue Ribbon, but probably not far off. They've been doing a prix fixe menu...the price varies from weekday to weekend, I think the weekend version is $35, which would be okay if you're wanting an app, main and dessert with *good* service. I'm sure they have a website with details. And they most likely take reservations as well as walk-ins.

Moutarde works pretty well for relatives too -- if they're impressed with Frenchy bistro mirrors. The hangar steak and lamb are both good, as are the green beans. It's not the most popular on the strip, so you can get in . . .
And then there's La Villa for the localized better-than-Olive-Garden experience. It's pretty big.

and there's Song, which is huge but f*king loud.
perfectly edible Thai-ish

One of my favorites is Coco Roco on 5th Ave (near 6th St). Lots of tables so no wait. Sometimes they have live music that is enjoyable and not very loud (usually guitar or guitar and sax). Oh, and a pitcher of sangria there is pretty tasty.

(I don't work at CR or have any association with it other than often craving their food.)

pitu wrote: and there's Song, which is huge but f*king loud.
perfectly edible Thai-ish

love Song! but, BIL and SIL are much older than us and BIL can't take the noise level in there. Plus, I have been there on weekends and you usually have to wait.

Coco Roco is a favorite of mine also-but, tend towards sloooow service, something else that makes SIL nuts-LOL!

I am thinking we will end up at La Villa or 200 Fifth-but, keep the suggestions coming~!

Chances are you're going to have a wait at LaVilla on a Saturday night - unless you go really early or late.

How about Bogota Bistro? It is noisy but very festive... and they have a lot of seats.

Ooh-never tried Bogota-is it any good? What sort of food?

La Villa sounds like your best bet. Tempo, Pieramides (the new Mexican in South Slope) Belleville, might all work. Also the Hibachi place near Blue Ribbon is fun for families, and NEVER crowded. They also have a full sushi menu. But Coco Roco? WHAT?!! I love their food, but have walked out of that place more than once after waiting in their, yes, small and crowded non waiting area. You actually hover over people as they eat, and you wait. Awful for both!
Have fun, and just make a reservation if it will help everyone relax.

La Villa will almost definitely have a wait on a Saturday night. Expect 15 to 20 minutes. Some of the Japanese restaurants on Fifth can be half empty on a weekend evening. YOu could try the hibachi place on 5th between 2nd and 1st streets - has the added benefit of entertainment with knives.

[quote="pitu"]hey, I go to Sheep Station all the time . . .
can y'all PLEASE not take your bitching relatives there? Besides, they serve alot of lamb. Don't your SIL and BIL think lamb is weird?


****************************
As a meal or a Date?

While the hibachi place on 5th is good for entertainment value-I find the food to only be "eh".

We decided to go to a restaurant in Brooklyn's Chinatown that we love, Diamond On Eight. Really good food, huge place and interesting things on the menu. Thanks everyone!

LongTimeSloper wrote: [quote=pitu]and there's Song, which is huge but f*king loud.
perfectly edible Thai-ish

love Song! but, BIL and SIL are much older than us and BIL can't take the noise level in there. Plus, I have been there on weekends and you usually have to wait.

Coco Roco is a favorite of mine also-but, tend towards sloooow service, something else that makes SIL nuts-LOL!

No offense to your in-laws, but you are a saint.

Trust me-if you heard more stories of my SIL, that 'saint" part would be totally true-LMAO!

grab a car and take them to a outback steak house or those apple bee type places within the borough so they stop bitching.

Bogota is fantastic, but you will end up waiting 10-20 mins there on a decently busy night, I promise you.

The Chipster wrote: But Coco Roco? WHAT?!! I love their food, but have walked out of that place more than once after waiting in their, yes, small and crowded non waiting area. You actually hover over people as they eat, and you wait. Awful for both!
Have fun, and just make a reservation if it will help everyone relax.

Really?? Over the past 2.5 years we've probably averaged eating there at least once a week, tons of brunches and plenty of dinners (but maybe not many Saturday nights). Not once have we waited for a table or has it been very crowded even! We did go to the Cobble Hill one once it seemed much smaller so I could imagine a wait there, but the Park Slope one has one of the biggest dining rooms in the area compared to the other places we eat. When do you go? I'll be sure to avoid those times

Sea in Williamsburgh on North 6 Street would be perfect. Joking! Going there is like going to the Department of Motor Vehicles, where you get a ticket and wait around an hour for your number to pop up on a big computer screen.

rachmouse wrote: Chances are you're going to have a wait at LaVilla on a Saturday night - unless you go really early or late.

How about Bogota Bistro? It is noisy but very festive... and they have a lot of seats.

I always have to wait at the bar 15-20 minutes there on weekends. I have better luck with Nana, the Asian fusion place that serves a tasty roti bread appetizer and shrimp soup right next to Bogota Bistro.