Butcher Bar

Reviews 4

ST

Stephanie Perez

So I live up the block from Butcher Bar and theyve been on my "to eat" list for quite some time now. As far as stars go Im between 4 and 4.5 - but Im not ready to bump it up to 5 until I go back and check out their "Meat Candy" Beef Burnt Ends and their "Butcher Bowl" (mashed potatoes, fresh corn & jack cheese topped w/your choice of Smoked Pork or BBQ Chicken.) Last Saturday I came here for dinner with my fiancé after a fun filled day in Brooklyn. We were planning on going to one of my favorite Italian food restaurants but the MTA had different plans for us so we decided to go here. He had been here for cocktails and I had been here...never - although I truly, truly, truly regret not checking them out back when they were BYOB - (RIP because now they sell booze themselves). As my entree I ordered their Half Baked Mac & Cheese off of their appetizer menu. They describe it as being their famous creamy mac & cheese, oven baked in a cast iron skillet topped w/ grass fed beef chili, bacon bits & jack cheese. I asked for the chili on the side because I worried that if it was too spicy then it would ruin the meal for me. The waiter asked me if we were sharing it and I responded back that I was gonna treat this cheesy sucker as my main meal. He was concerned that I wouldnt be able finish it all on my own. He also stressed that this was a serving for two and that I would not be able to handle it all on my own...yeahhhh...he clearly doesnt know me, lol. I stood firm in my order. My sweetheart ordered their Smoked Ribs. There are two options here - House Dry Rubbed and Fall Off The Bone Sauced and he opted for the latter. On BBs menu they are described as being "smoked til they fall off the bone" and "sauced just right". He gave me a rib and Ive gotta say, IT TOTALLY FELL OFF THE BONE aaaaaaand WAS SAUCED JUST RIGHT!! Lol. These ribs are easily in the top 3 ribs Ive ever had at a restaurant. Yes, they were that good. My mac and cheese was delightfully creamy and Im happy to report that while the beef chili had a little bit of kick, it was totally fine for me! Trust, my tolerance for spicy anything isnt great and their chili was super flavorful and generously meaty. The mac also came with crispy bacon bits (of kind of thick cut bacon...sooooooo not complaining here!) and was really good without being overpowering. We also shared sides of mashed potatoes and their french fries (go hard or go home, amirite?). The mashed potatoes were really delicious and made chunky with the skins on - just the way I like em. The fries were unbearably salty for me. I could barely get through 4 or 5 before throwing in the french fry towel. I did like that they were clearly hand cut, with the skin on and rather thick. Just a little less salt tossed in next time would make me a happier camper. Both my fiancé and I really enjoyed our meal here. Even though it was like a 20 minute wait to get a table - it was a Saturday around 7ish - so totally understandable. Everyone was great from the hostess, to the bartender, to our really attentive and personable waiter. Great service, great food and located in a fantastic location. I love you Butcher Bar and I cant wait to be back! :)

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JO

Joanna Kim

My husband has been here 3 times in one week - for brunch, lunch, and dinner! The food here is excellent, and Im bummed we havent started coming here sooner! Brunch: Brunch Burger: it came with home fries, and a salad! And it comes with a perfectly sunny side up egg! My mom devoured her entire plate, and kept commenting on how amazing it was. Meat candy burnt ends: YES PLEASE. I had this, and it was perfectly juicy and meaty. Calling it meat candy describes it perfectly. It however gets super dry and non appetizing when you try to reheat at home, so eat it all there!! Dinner: Animal Burger: I had this, and it was so good. It wasnt what I was expecting as I was thinking it came with some lettuce and tomato and it was going to be a thick patty, but it pleasantly surprised me. I need to bring my dad here to eat this burger - he would love it! Caramelized onions, special sauce, and a flat burger patty on a toasted brioche bun. YUM. Bobs Burger: My mom had it, and we were also a bit surprised at this since we expected bacon, but supposedly the bacon comes blended in the burger patty. Still really good, I would choose the Animal Burger over it any day. I traded half my Animal Burger with my mom since she was looking at mine a bit wistfully! PBLT: my husband had this at dinner, and also at a lunch a few days prior - hes a fan! I tried a bite and it was quite good, but my Animal Burger had most of my attention! I had their baked beans as a side and I loooooooooooved it. Slightly sweet, with bits of bacon - MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm. Weve also been here for dinner when my husband ordered their rib eye, which was one of the best steaks weve had out! It was pricey (around $45 for his steak), but it was totally worth it! One of our favorite restaurants in Astoria now!

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XI

Xiaoli Guo

I heard about the Butcher Bar from a friend and over the summer I decided to check it out with a separate friend of mines. When we arrived, we were given the choice to sit either inside or outside in the patio. We decided to sit outside given that it was mid August and a beautiful day. Our server was named Gina, and she was incredible! She walked us through the menu, told us what was popular and helped us decide what we would like. Since it was our first time, we decided to go with the Gimme the Beef platter. They came with sides but my friend and I couldnt decide between the Mac and cheese or sweet potato wedges but we went with the Mac and cheese. Gina was so patient with us while we were indecisive. After she took our orders, she came back with burnt ends for us sample (despite the fact that we were getting burnt ends in our platter anyway) Our food came pretty quickly (if I recall, it was about less than 10 minutes). I was very surprise that Gina gave us the sweet potato wedges (it was on the house) simple because I wasnt expecting it and they were delicious! I thought that the corn bread with honey butter was genius and it was soooo good. Throughout our meal, Gina came back a few times to check in on us. Towards the end, we got a free refill on our drinks and some free homemade apple cakes. The food was so fresh and delicious. You can tell it was made with care and good quality ingredients. The meats were so tender and well seasoned. What really brought my experience over the top and why I speak so highly of the Butcher Bar is because of Gina. She is an incredible server who made us feel that she really cared about us and it definitely showed through. If you ever stop by and Gina just so happen to be your server, you will NOT be disappointed.

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ME

Melisa Adiram

This review is dedicated to our excellent server, Chris. Thunderstorms were imminent, our bellies grumbled and Butcher Bar was our safe haven. The hostess that greeted us was friendly and sweet and sat us in a nice comfy table in corner. I had no idea how well reviewed this restaurant was on Yelp. Upon sitting down I figured Id open the trusted app and check out what fellow Yelpers recommended here. Four star reviews and over 1200 of them? Jackpot. A free side when you check in? With a side dish of creamy mac and cheese that I was already eyeing up on the menu? Say no more fam. Chris came over to bring us water and I eagerly asked about how we redeem the free side promotion. He so graciously offered to take care of it for us and also mentioned hed bring us corn bread with honey butter on the house, because it was our first time. Chris is the real MVP. I ordered a 1/4 rack of the sauced ribs with the mac and cheese and my honey ordered the burnt ends sandwich which came with slaw and pickles. Ribs were delicious, mac and cheese was indeed creamy and I loved that they used cavatappi pasta for it. The burnt ends was phenomenal, the toasted buttery bun they used for the sandwich was probably my favorite part-- it makes the meal 1000x better. Im a coleslaw snob and Butcher Bar did not fail. Their coleslaw is delicious and pairs impeccably well with their meats. So much so that we ordered an extra side of it. The corn bread and honey butter were excellent additions to the meal as I found they helped to neutralize our palette from all the well seasoned, saucy, rich deliciousness we had going on. They should sell that honey butter! There is so much more on the menu that we want to try so well definitely be back! Thanks again Chris!

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