The Breslin

Perhaps a reflection of the shaky US economy, gastropubs have been popping up all over NYC.  A gastropub can be described as a bar/restaurant that serve high end food and beer without pretension (and high prices).  While the lack of pretension may be true about most gastropubs, I'm not so sure that's true about the Breslin.

The Breslin is almost always packed and does not take reservations so expect at least a half an hour wait.  If you can snag a seat at the bar communal table and don't mind the crowd, this is your best bet at the Breslin.  The bar menu at the Breslin is the same as the dining room menu.

Our service was terrible.  Our waitress would appear at best once every half an hour and our meal took over two hours (we ordered burgers!).  Our appetizers were brought out as separate courses, not together.  When I ordered my dinner, I asked the server if I could add tomato to my burger, and the server simply stated "no" (and did not offer an explanation).  I asked the server why I could not add a tomato and she said that the Breslin did not have tomatoes.  That should have been her answer the first time I asked.  And what restaurant that is known for their burgers doesn't have tomatoes?  Because our server was M.I.A., we had to get the hostess' attention for the bill.  When the server finally returned our credit cards, she handed us someone else's credit card.  Breslin service was a big fail.

Luckily, the food was much better than the service.  The Breslin's menu is filled with obscure choices, like pig feet.  But everyone knows the reason you go to the Breslin is for the Breslin's lamb burger.  I enjoyed our meal but based on the horrendous service and long wait times to be seated, if I go back, I would be more inclined to snag a spot at the communal table for a burger and beer.

What to Eat:

The Breslin has a "Snacks" section so we ordered the Caramel Popcorn.  While the caramel and nut popcorn was sweet, salty and overall delicious, the presentation was better suited for the bar area.  The popcorn should have been presented in a bowl, not a cellophane bag (it would have been cute at the bar, it came off as tacky on our the dinner table). 

For an entree, get the Lamb Burger with Feta.  I love red meat and enjoy it prepared medium rare but the Breslin's medium rare burger was at best rare and more accurately somewhat raw (the right half of my burger below is oozing, which is kind of gross).  The meat was so under cooked that one half of my burger was falling apart because the meat had not been cooked long enough to form a solid shape (there was no way I was sending it back, eating around the raw meat was preferable to waiting another 30 minutes for them to get me a burger that was cooked).  The lamb burger, served with a layer of feta, was flavorful, but make sure to order the burger at least medium.  I enjoyed the warm bun, which was crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside.  The Breslin serves its burger with perfectly cooked and lightly seasoned.steak fries.

 

If you have room for a side, try the Roasted Carrots.  The multicolored carrots were roasted in thyme, garlic and butter.  The different color carrots had their own slightly flavor but were equally tasty.

In need of a fancy burger? Check out the Breslin,

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