Three nice things about this place: (1) it had a cute patio in the back; (2) it's BYOB; and (3) the food is pretty good. As the weather gets nice outside, I really love eating outside and in New York, outdoor space is definitely hard to find. So while the patio isn't really decorated well (it's basically a few old rusty looking tables and chairs), it just nice to be able to sit outside every once in a while.
I didn't realize this place was BYOB until I noticed other people drinking beer while Dan was frantically combing the menu for their alcohol list. But by the time we realized it, we were too lazy to go out and bring some beers back to the table. Oh well, something to remember for next time.
Now on to the food. The menu is fairly small but includes burgers (regular and truffle burgers), grilled cheese, pulled pork sandwiches, a variety of other sandwiches and salads, mac and cheese and randomly udon and wonton noodles. I opted for the steak and cheese sandwich with spicy fries ($12) and Dan got the burger with gorgonzola cheese and bacon ($11) and sweet potato fries. I was intrigued by the udon noodles but it just seems weird to order it in a non-Asian place like this, but maybe next time. Our food did take a little bit to come out, but when it did, it was steaming hot and you could tell that it was fresh off the grill. My steak and cheese was thinly sliced beef mixed with caramelized onions and cheese (but not too much cheese, which was nice). Unlike the Philly versions, this came on a soft brioche bun which was a nice change. The sandwich was surprisingly delicious and flavorful. I couldn't tell what kind of cheese it was but it definitely wasn't the canned cheese whiz type. I devoured my sandwich in about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, my spicy fries were actually waffle fries with a light dusting of all spice. They were perfectly fried and crispy and who doesn't love waffle fries? They are just far superior to a regular fry. I didn't try Dan's burger but he said it was cooked exactly medium rare and tasted great.
What I also liked about the place was the really nice "waitstaff" - it was just one guy who ran the whole place. He was attentive without being annoying and just generally had a really pleasant attitude and demeanor. He also had the neatest handwriting of any waiter I've ever seen before. I know this sounds weird but when I got the bill I noticed he had written out every single word of our order in amazingly neat letters. I was just really amused by it.
The downsides: cash only, limited menu, and after we came home, Dan and I felt a dehydrated so we're thinking there was a lot of salt in the food. If I lived within walking distance to this place, I could see myself going here more often and just bringing a bottle of wine or 6 pack and just chilling in the back with a burger or udon noodle.
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