Brick Cafe

Doesn't Recommend

ss20102010

Joined 3 years ago

Rip-Off!!. I went there tonight because I knew this place around the corner for years as a BAR. Now, they think that they are hot stuff and consider themselves a restaurant??? Let me explain.

First off their menu is printed so small so no one can read, even with GLASSES!!! The lights are dimmed attempting to create a romantic atmosphere but there is one caveat: it does not feel romantic at all and actually feels frustrating when you want to see what's on the menu and with the lights so dim you feel you are damn blind!!!

So I asked the waitress for the specials. She mentioned about "Mayan Shrimp" appetizer indicating that they are 3 shrimps that are bigger than jumbo shrimps. So, we ordered salads and that shrimp (BWY the shrimps were NOT bigger than jumbo shrimps), main course and dessert.

Everything seemed OK when we were hit with the bill. We could have dined at a very nice, romantic and upscaley restaurant with that price tag! That shrimp that was an appetizer cost us a price of a regular main course! What??? I though there was some misunderstanding and asked to speak to a manager. I explained to the manager that they should have included the shrimp appetizer as main course dish in their menu because of the price they charge for that appetizer and stated that it was outrageous to pay the price of an appetizer equal to a main course dish. This manager remained unwavered and thanked me for my comments??? He did not even attempt to adjust the bill.

Overall, it was a disappointment and I won't go there again which I told the manager. He said OK. So, if they don't give a damn about me spending my wallet in there why should I give a damn going back there. There are so many nicer restaurants with good food and outstanding service.

When you spend a lot of money on food you may want your food and the service be on the same level. It just wasn't. Well, you learn from your experience and the notion that Astoria cafes and restaurants/diners have is so overrated - they think they are the best (like the Greeks say), but guess what, they are RIP-OFFS!!

And while we walked out of that place, I immediately realized why their lights were so dim and the menu prints so small - there is a trick there my friends, and the trick is for us NOT to be able to see what's on their menus so then we will be HIT by a HUGE BILL!!!

That manager should go do some other job - he is just not fit for that type of job. He thought I owed him something!!!

Check out for some other better restaurants - there are so many out there with an accommodating and welcoming spirit!

I would give a 0 rating but since there is none I have to go with 1 star.

Recommends

cubalibra

Joined 3 years ago

Always have a great meal here. My wife and I really enjoyed the homemade pasta and love to order their daily fish specials....Wine selection is fabulous as well as their beer selection....Always has a good vibe and lots of energy....Lastly, it remains consistent with its service and food quality!!!!

Doesn't Recommend

membernamesrstupid

Joined 3 years ago

Don't even bother. i don't know about you but when i go to a restaurant, it's because i'm hungry and i'm hoping for a decent meal. After eating here i wished i went to McDonald's instead. I could've made their food better if i cooked it at home. It was such a disappointment. If you have any decent taste in food, i suggest you don't bother with this place unless you're planning to sit and have a bottle of wine. that's the MOST i would do here. i'm surprised it's still open.

Recommends

Represent0the0ppl

Joined 4 years ago

Very inconsistent service and food. We had a great salad for an app - it was delicious! My boyfriend's entree was very good also, however, my dish was nothing but horrible! I had the duck - so do not order that dish from there - the meat was discusting, but the side was great also - the seasoned mashed potatoes ;). The waitress was a little pushy - it seems like they have bad management - they made her read out of a piece of paper the specials for the day - that was like a poem that we were not interested in listening to, but felt like we had to... Altogether, with the exception of the good/bad service, and great/bad food, it is a great place, however the food is just a little too pricey!

Recommends

green01

Joined 5 years ago

decent restaurant. I went to Brick a number of times. The food is nothing special but it?s one of the nicest places I?ve ever been to in Astoria. I?ve tried their burgers and all main dishes with seafood ? they were all pretty good. I also tried their chocolate cake but it was mediocre. Overall, I think it?s overpriced and it can get really crowded. Once my mom and I had to wait for at about 15 minutes because all small tables were taken and they didn?t want to sit us at a table for 4 people (which was what they ended up doing eventually?). There is also one rather obnoxious waitress who likes reciting menu specials even if you tell her right away that you already know what you want to order. Other than that, the service is pretty good.

Recommends

ria08

Joined 5 years ago

Wonderful casual dining. I just had dinner with my boyfriend last night at Brick Cafe. It was our first time going, and because I was so pleased by the experience I decided to write my first ever review on citysearch. The atmosphere for one thing is very cosy and warm. We went on a Saturday night, so the restaurant was full and had that energy of good friends going out for a good meal together. Secondly, the service was great. Our waitress was obviously very knowledgeable of both the food on the menu and the wine selection, and was able to recommend both a delicious and affordable bottle of wine as well as the very tasty rigatoni with veal ragu which was very satisfying. My boyfriend had the homemade gnocchi and added some bits of prosciutto to it , with the suggestion of the waitress, which really made the meal. I'm very glad we stumbled upon this restaurant and look forward to planning another dinner there soon. Overall the atmosphere is superb, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and the prices are worth what you get.

Doesn't Recommend

SQ82

Joined 5 years ago

Very inconsistent. We went for appetizers and dessert a few months ago. The drinks were good & the apps were great. For dessert, we ordered the "Chocolate Bomb." It sounded good, but when we got it, it was stale & rather tasteless. The very sweet waitress immediately removed it, asked if we'd like something else (we ordered the crepes, which were wonderful), and said she'd remove it from our bill. Apparently, when she informed the manager, he made her return to the table and find out exactly what was wrong with it. Perhaps we should have been more forceful, but we just said that the taste was bland and the consistency was unappetizing. The manager then refused to remove it from the bill, stating that it was exactly as described on the menu. Now this was patently untrue and it seems extremely shortsighted for a manager to refuse to comp an inadequate portion of the meal, especially if it's a $6 dessert. And to ask the waitress to return to find out exactly what the problem is--absolutely classless. I've waited tables & when there is a problem, the MANAGER goes to the table to get the specifics: that is not a responsibility to be delegated. This guy forced the poor server to relay the decisions that he made from "on high."

Anyone could have a bad night, so we returned to Brick a month later with another couple. As before, the service was great; however, the manager displayed remarkably poor leadership. It was a special occasion, for which I had brought a *very* nice bottle of wine to have with dinner ('82 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild). He refused to allow the server to open it. Now ordinarily, I would never do that, but it's a very special bottle of wine for a very special occasion (engagement!), AND i offered to pay a corkage fee equal to the most expensive bottle in their cellar. Again, the apps were great (shrimp, especially!), server was nice. Pasta was okay (I can make better). We didn't order dessert.

For a neighborhood place, this kind of service is unacceptable.

Recommends

souldusa

Joined 5 years ago

My favorite place in New York !. I moved in NYC from France 7 years ago, working as chef in small Manhattan restaurant and spending a lot of time out dinning and looking for new ideas. I am so happy becouse I discovered Brick Cafe, the unique place in whole Astoria. Their food is more then good, selection of drinks is great but a friendly service is something that it makes me go back there every week! When I am in Brick I feel like home, I wish they don't change ever !

Doesn't Recommend

PerpetuallyNauseous

Joined 5 years ago

Terrible Service. Tastes like Wedding Food. The food tastes maybe one step above wedding food.

The service is really inconsistent. There are a few staff members who are amazing, but far and few between.

We've been long time customers and each time we go there we become a little more disappointed.

Skip it. Go to Locale.

Doesn't Recommend

letseatsumcake

Joined 5 years ago

Don't take my cake, Bro!. whoa, guys, they did the same thing to me! Took my cake, stuck it in a

fridge, and then were all like, "Cake? What cake?" And then I noticed they had

cake crumbs around their mouths and frosting on their fingers. so let

this be a warning to all you cake-carrying peeps out there: leave your cakes

at home!!!