07/22/09

good food, but what happened to the service

by patsu78

My friends took me to back forty for my birthday dinner. We enjoyed the food and the drinks there, but the attitude that we were getting from our server was ridiculous. We felt like we were in a Chinese restaurant, being rushed to order and rushed to pay the check. There was nothing genuine about the service. When we tried to split the check between three cards, we were told that the restaurant only splits between two cards. I heard of this once upon a time in another decade, but nowadays? For a $50 meal, we expected a lot more from the restaurant and our server.

• Pros: food, beer selection
• Cons: rude service

01/25/09

Great atmosphere, crappy food.

by mchmiel8

I've given Back Forty 2 chances because it's really quite a beautiful restaurant with a great atmoshere but unfortunately both meals were quite under par. The grass fed burger was well..lets just say grass may have tasted better. It was completely flavorless and dry. The brunch i had also was nothing spectacular. I would describe the meals as edible and nothing more. The prices, for what you get, are a bit steep as well. 1/2 a chicken is served on a plate with NOTHING ELSE and that's $16! If you want a side of fries you need to fork over another $5. As if the food wasn't bad enough we asked not to be seated by the door since it was freezing outside so the waitress took us to the backroom and sat us by the back door which i think was even colder! And then our server forgot to bring the ONE DRINK we ordered...i mean come on man...we ordered ONE DRINK...is it really that difficult? So unfortunatley, i'm giving Back Forty a big thumbs down on the food....But a big kudos on the decor though i wish i would have just looked in from the window.

• Pros: Atmosphere
• Cons: Food

07/07/08

you must go

by girlfromthere

I had such a great time there. The food was very good and unpretencious. I really enjoyed the trout. It has to be the best fish I have ever eaten. I am hoping to go to brunch soon.

01/25/08

Very good food

by RDaneel

Very nice place. Food was locally grown and the place had a feeling of a neighbour's kitchen serving friends. Great for a nice quiet casual dining experience

01/15/08

great wine, nice casual/laidback feel, good lighting, amazingly FRESH FOOD

by nycfoodie123

WOW! Where do I begin! We started with the wine North Fork, Long Island (the winery makes wine just for this restaurant)...amazing!!! The food was simply amazing, and I have been to much more expensive restaurants that didn't roll out FRESH AS EVER food like Back Forty. Even the KETCHUP was unbelievable!!!

No complaints....very attentive wait staff....when we got the bill, we were so impressed, we ordered about 80% of the menu and the price was VERY VERY GOOD!

• Pros: Food very fresh/authentic
• Cons: They don't take reservations!

12/19/07

Local farms inspire the look and cooking of this urbane East Village eatery.

by Contributor

This multi-room East Villager courts nabe dwellers in their late-20s and early-30s, but it's nonimposing enough to draw in their parents, too. Earthy details abound, including lots of wood, mounted farm tools and a subtle landscape behind the bar, while the softly lit white walls and tall windows lend the space a crisp, elevated quality. Chef Peter Hoffman (Savoy) works with locally sourced ingredients and the dessert selection is brightened by seasonal fruit pies made by Hoffman's wife, co-owner Susan Rosenfeld.

12/01/07

Lovely

by msquared11

We sat at the bar and the food was terrific and the bartender was friendly and attentive. The brussel sprouts were amazing and I ordered a BLT. Who would have thought you could get so much enjoyment out of a BLT but it was delicious. The back forty cocktail was quite yummy as well. Worth a try.

11/16/07

Rock solid

by terrafina

I have to disagree with the other post. My recent and first visit to Back Forty was a nice encounter. Loved the burger. The chicken a friend ordered was dripping with flavor. What they're doing with the side veges was new and a nice change! The fries rock. All the food was market "fresh". Price of our meal was not bad at all. You have to consider the "quality" of the food they're serving. Great ambiance. The service was genuine and welcoming. I'm glad I know this place. There is no doubt when I'm in the area I will return to this restaurant. . Oh, and by the way, excellent drinks.

• Pros: Superb food. Great Drinks!
• Cons: Short menu

11/03/07

Great Concept, Mediocre Execution

by mayamayanyc

We went to this place because it's right around the corner from us. The restaurant seems to have a relationship with a farm and features such items as "grass fed burger" and other such sustainability-conscious items. Although the menu of mains is small, we were attracted by the reasonable prices: $9-$20 and the tasty-sounding veggies on the side. I ordered a resonably priced draft beer because I was disappointed to find that wine ran $9 a glass (although a generous portion). While the atmosphere was not bad, the real disappointment came with the food. The half-chicken was incredibly dry and seemed to be more so because of the dusty seasoning. There was no side at all save for a few shreads of limp parsley. My friend's burger was much better, but again, having to order a side seperately just seems a bit stingy. So we ordered brussel sprouts with cranberry butter and wow, were these the disappointment of the night. The small dish featured a small handful of tiny brussel-sprout halves that had been burnt bitter. The butter that came on top both cold and hard. Although the brownie and ice-cream was very tasty, it's difficult to mess that up. All told we still left paying close to $70 for a very mediocre meal. I could have gotten a whole rotisserie chicken and a side of rice and beans at La Isla for a mear 7 bucks.With all the great and inexpensive restaurants in the area, I can't see how this will stick around. I would suggest beers at the bar and appetizers (some squash tempura looked tasty) and that's it.

• Pros: nice ambience and bar area
• Cons: lame food