08/03/08

Not that bad ... really.

by cwnyI

I read the reviews on this site before I went to GYC and was a little nervous about going to the place. I'm not a big brooklyn fan in general - which I probably shouldn't be admitting on "City Search Brooklyn" - as it seems like there's an air of "too cool for school" that permeates the entire western portion of the borough, but figured I'd go check it out with a couple of my friends that live on Hoyt and Atlantic.

Our waiter wasn't a bad guy despite being a little high on himself, the service was good. He was a little sarcastic, which I get the feeling some people writing reviews about this place have mistaken for rudeness. I bumped him by mistake and it was *totally* my fault ... but he actually comped us a pitcher anyway. Is that poor service?

If you're looking around checking everyone else out, yes, you will notice a lot of younger individuals that seem like they've been transplanted from Murray Hill. Okay, not my cup of tea either, but if the company you're with is that miserable that you feel the need to pass judgement on everyone sitting around you, get new friends.

I will agree the bathroom is gross. It sort of reminded me of summer camp in the berkshires with the concrete floors and faint smell of urine mixed with v-mit. I think it's fitting, though ... really goes along with the ambiance of the place, in a good way. Have a few beers and you won't even notice it.

I'm 30, a floor contractor, live in queens and walked into the place wearing keens and a shirt covered in paint ... you know what, I didn't get a single look, nobody gave me attitude and the service was still good. This place seemed okay ... maybe it's the people writing the reviews with poles up their asses that should just find somewhere else to frequent. If you want to go out, drink, eat crappy food (that tastes good after a few bluepoints) and not worry about how loud your voice is, this place is for you.

• Pros: decent beer selection
• Cons: it's in brooklyn

06/10/08

Crappiest people in the world!

by sharonto

It was close to 100 degrees when I went to the Gowanus Yacht club with my boyfriend. I was ID-ed and I didn't have my ID with me. To my surprise I was shut down from ordering a measley PBR. I was shocked that I was ID-ed in the first place since it seems like they're trying to pull off a tacky dive bar on the street anyway -- plus, I'm not ashamed to mention it, I'm cute. I ordered a veggie burger from the greasy looking, waiter, and after he spent five minutes walking around smoking a cigarette, he told me they were out of the veggie burgers. I was hot, miserable, and filled with nothing but hate for the stupid stuff like the rules posted on the chalk board and the fact that the ugly waiter id-ed me. Totally not worth it.

• Pros: Beer selection
• Cons: Service, Crowd, Seating

05/27/08

Fresh & Warm

by MrandMrsofBrooklyn

My hsuband & I grab bagels from here at least 4 times a week. They're always warm & always fresh.

The only problem is the smell from the Beer Garden next door. If you go very early on a Sunday morning to get a bagel & the paper you can smell the sour smell of OLD Beer & fresh P!S5.

It's shame.

• Pros: Fresh/Warm bagels & great counter service
• Cons: Right Next Door to a Rat-Trap.

02/29/08

Fast Bottled Water or Soda - - - NO other reasont o go.

by BensonhurstTransplant

It's an OK shop. Large selection but WAY over priced. And once I found out that this place was owned & run by the same people who own & run the filthy Gowanus Yacht Club I figured how clean could this place be?

A lot of yuppies take their kids in there for a quick bite then head to Carroll Park. Over paid rude people in their 40's & 50's with 4 & 5 y/o kids & ignoring the kids while you try to eat is a turn off, too.

• Pros: large selection of realtively fresh bagels if you get there early
• Cons: Same filthy people run/own the the pig sty yacht club next door. I won't eat food from there now!

12/30/07

PRETENTIOUS TRUST FUND BABY CROWD!!!!

by iwantquality

Typical pretentious herd that thinks they are cooler than everyone else. I purposely brought my bay ridge friends to this place just to annoy the hipsters there. I love watching the hipsers look at some of my buddies with thier yankees jackets and erin go bragh t-shirts.

this place is pretentious, you can hear the mindless babble coming from some of these trust fund babies about some gallery opening or some too cool store,

why dont you go out and by a bar a soap with your money instead?

• Pros: dont know
• Cons: pretentious, hipster too cool for you crowd

10/07/07

Don't waste your time!

by apomerantz23

The food is below average and the service is far worse! I stronly urge you not to eat here. My girlfriend and I ordered two cold cut sandwiches with only one other customer ahead of us. It took the brilliant staff of 5, not including the rude, stuck up bimbo behind the register, 15 minutes to make the sandwiches. When the second sandwich was finaly done, the bimbo behind the register laughs and says, "oh, ha ha, didn't you order the 'american hero', I say 'Yes we did', She laughs and says "he made the wrong one, do you want this one"? When I say no, the bimbo had the nerve to give me an attitude about it , sighed, rolled her eyes and sent her genius co-worker back to make the correct sandwich.

10 minutes later, we finaly get the sandwich we ordered a half an hour ago, and we're on our way home to eat. Get home, the bread is stale, the tomatoes on the sandwiches are the end pieces with the green leaf still on, brown as sin avacado chunks and lettuce so brown a starving rabbit wouldn't eat it . So after removing all the extra ingredients from the stale bread, we take a few bites. Realizing that cold cuts are not supposed to be dry and crunchy, we throw the rest in the garbage. So please, don't wase your time!

• Pros: location
• Cons: The service!

09/23/07

rude barmaids and over zealous anti-minority patrons

by flores27

After forgetting my food order a couple of times the waitress had the nerve to charge me for an extra pitcher of beer. I didn't want to make a deal of it and to confirm I asked my friend who agreed that she was wrong. So I made my claim and the waitress said "I'll take it off but I know I'm not wrong and you did get an extra pitcher" now that said I have gone to this hole for years only because it had a viable outdoor area so I respond "so you are saying that I'm lying and trying to get an extra pitcher?" and the idiot barmaid kept saying "I know I'm not wrong" and immediately this bimbo next to the bar starts ranting at me claiming "I'm not a local" and begins a non sensical tirade in front of the other patrons. I don't like pulling a race card in these situations but being this place is full of white yuppie "hipsters" I found it odd being the only latino in the place that these 2 ganged up on me along with the stupid bouncer adding in a nice overly blatant sarcastic tone "have a nice night". The people that go and work there need to get a grip on reality and realize how pathetic the so called "community" ideal is what makes the rest of the world hate americans and places like this.

09/03/07

Great food great prices!

by hbrooklyn

This is probably the best juice bar--not over-priced and they'll make anything you want. I love that they will make more gourmet versions of an egg and cheese on a roll and not charge a bundle---forget American cheese, you can get gruyere plus many other varieties and have it on whole grain bread or other options. the coffee is decent for deli coffee and the sandwiches are enormous, fresh, and reasonably priced--highly recommended!

• Pros: gourmet alternatives to comfort food, reasonably priced
• Cons: often busy

08/31/07

Bad attitude, disgusting toilet, surly service, not-so-great beer, too-cool-for-school patrons, etc.- gone downhill

by thinpig

What a f___ing joke this place is. There is a "waitress" there (long, stringy, black hair, tats, piercings, sullen, surly looks) who typifies the place: bad attitude personified. GYC is a little, stinky slice of attitude-laden Williamsburg in our wonderful Carroll Gardens 'hood. The staff is beyond unfriendly- they are comically rude and uncaring, as if they've done you a favor to bring you a beer or one of their attrocious "food" offerings. The bathroom is- no joke- the most vile sh_thole toilet I have EVER had the misfortune to experience- think about that as you bite into your hotdog.

GYC has gone straight downhill. They probably figure that, what with their cool, hip, ironic moniker and easy-to-find location, they've cornered the market (beer garden wise) and don't even have to try. But oh, how they're wrong. More and more places with gardens are opening up, which will eventually mean GYC's demise. No one I know goes there anymore, and I say good riddance.

• Pros: near the subway
• Cons: still open

05/24/07

"Restroom Out of Order"

by billyvent

This Summer will be my 4th Summer in Carroll Gardens. Sorry to say, but i won;t be going to the Gowanus Yacht Club any more. That Yacht SANK!!!

I've spent alot of time drinking beer in The Gowanus Yacht Club. And would have drunk a lot more, if they had a working restroom. On the few rare times that the workers let people use the bathroom you were ankle deep in a combination of liquids that I won't try to guess.

But I'd even settle for that on the nights when I had a few too many beers. Guys are told to go down the stairs to the train station to "use a corner" or "the wall" while the ladies are sent to beg other restaurant owners in the area. You know what's funny? The Owner of the GYC is also the co-owner of the Union Cafe BUT the Union Cafe won't let you use thier restrooms. And what about the Bagel Shop? Same owners, so why not open that bathroom?

A "Beer Garden" with no restroom is an Accident... too late. I wet myself.

Hey, when I was 22 watering a nearby tree was kewl but at 28... Not So Much. Especailly since I live near the GYC. But the customers they get who are NOT from Carroll Gardens don't care where they leave their mark especailly when they are encouraged and/or dared by the GYC workers.

• Pros: Cheap! Cheap! Cheap! and outside.
• Cons: No where to "go" & unless you drink fast & often the wokers get nasty.