Front Toward Enemy

Actually liked this place… sad they closed. Came for brunch in the early days (when they had the bottomless cocktails) and HH drinks. The cocktails were great (the food so-​so) and they sometimes took the ‘hipster’ thing to the extreme… seems like it fell victim to both the location (can’t compete with Queens Comfort for food), somewhat high prices, and the larger than necessary space. Hopefully Irish Passage will be a decent replacement.

I got a Groupon for here and went during the day for some of their food.
The waiter was super nice and the food was very tasty. I loved the atmosphere as well.
I’m only taking away one star because the price was a bit high for what we got. I burgers we had were really only fair to be honest.
My advice would be to go here for the drink not just for food.

Stay tuned Astoria residents, visitors and passerby-​ERS. I was just sent a message by FTE and they are tweaking some of its interiors.

I’ve always had great experiences at Front Toward Enemy. The atmosphere itself won me over from the beginning. It’s lively without being too overwhelming like some of the other bars down Steinway. The food is also very refreshing, with a variety of options that are perfect pre– or post-​hangover.
My only complaint during the summer was the heat. I wish air-​conditioning would have been more utilized.
My only suggestion would be a movie night. The projector and screen is wonderful, and there are plenty of Astorians who would love a little throwback movie classic to accompany their meal. Even if it was once a month, it would offer something different than the rest of the spaces down 30^th. Not to mention it has what most of those don’t — space, a great crowd, and a platform to watch film.

Front Toward Enemy (FTE) is conveniently located on the other side of Steinway on 30^th Avenue. It brings zest to that side, which acts as the wicked step-​cousin to the ever-​popular «30^th Ave drag.» However FTE stands alone as one of the better restaurant/​bars in Astoria. The space is HUGE and roomy, offering tables and booths for diners and the bar and games for the night hoards.
I have frequented both as a bar and restaurant patron– both very pleasant experiences. Their waitstaff is attentive but does not hover. Their food is also pretty delicious for both dinner and brunch. Additionally, their bar staff is well-​versed in the drink variety. However, my one critique of this bar is that their space is so large that they are not utilizing it to it’s full potential. There is a giant projector screen in the back for sporting events, however the back section is rarely used otherwise. They should think about hosting a FTE movie night, so they can bring in more money on their off days and attract a different crowd. FTE is a bar that you should check out if you have yet to go, or re-​visit if you already have!

I’m not gonna lie. I came here for the BLT with my friend. It was so crunchy and delicious! It could’ve used more bacon though… It was probably about 80% bread, 10% tomato with 5% each of lettuce and tomato. Fries were amazing though!
They have ring toss and darts here! Had a lot of fun!

This place reminds me of a spot I would find in Brooklyn. Love the drinks here and the food is amazing too. The burger is definitely something you may want to try. They also have live music sometimes

I went here last night for the second time with my boyfriend. Our first visit being over a year ago, we always bring up this spot and how much we loved it. Our second visit definitely lived up to our expectations.
We started with the Mac and cheese, it came out super hot and delicious. The menu did mention brioche crumbs on the top, which were missing, but definitely still a great plate. My boyfriend ordered the rack of lamb and I ordered the spicy honey chicken. The lamb was cooked perfectly and was a good portion size. It came with potato gratin and vegetables. Everything was great, the vegetables were cooked but still had a great crunch to them. Honestly, they should probably charge more for this plate! My chicken was also amazing. Cooked perfectly and came with mashed potatoes and vegetables.
I absolutely love the décor of this place, they did a great job with the build out. It is trendy and new but also very cozy. They also have a stage for live entertainment, but nothing was going on while we were there.
All in all, great experience. We will definitely be returning!

I’ve never eaten here so I’m only reviewing the bar scene.
It’s a great place to go for drinks with a group of friends. They have a spacious location and I’ve never seen it too packed.
They have some cool bar games such as darts and this game they call Irish ring toss. The ring toss was really fun and I’ve been stuck for hours in friendly competitions with this friends playing this game.
The drinks are good. I ordered a compari spritzer with a splash of orange juice and they nailed it. Even though they’re considered a pub they have the right idea when it comes to making drinks. They have really nice ice cubes (I know this sounds strange but it’s true), and they know what kind of ice to use for the right kind of drink.
Will definitely be found back here.

Hate to go back to a place and find out how it has changed for the worse but my experience here a couple of weeks ago was nothing like my experience when it first opened. I think they have a whole new crew working there as everything I had was pretty close to being horrible.
My drink, 21^st century, tasted like lime juice and sugar. I had to send it back and settled for a glass of the house red wine instead which wasn’t much better cos it tasted stale. My wife’s seafood pasta made me feel like they were wondering how to make it taste good and the only thing they could come up with was: «well butter makes everything takes good, let’s just put a shit ton of it». The dish was swimming in butter — pretty disgusting and a quick way to induce a heart attack. And my fish and chips? Oh for the love of humanity put some friggin fish on the plate will ya? It was as if I had a ordered a plate of fries with a side of fish (and pretty bland tasting at that, which I could only eat by smothering on their mediocre tartar sauce). If you served this «fish n chips» dish in London, there would riots.
Blurrrgh!

I don’t see what all the hype is for. Or perhaps the other reviewers are just star-​generous or, easy? Hey, I give up stars, but you can’t just wow me with a large portion and expect me to drop some stars on your lap*.
The food and pretty much the entire establishment is geared around drinking. Makes sense, as alcohol is your highest margin item on the menu. The menu comprises of primarily bar food meant to get your throat thirsty. Though not overly salty, its clear the majority of the food is meant to go GREAT with a pint or cocktail.**
The servers have no clue where or how their meat is sourced, leaving me only able to assume its conventional factory farm/​sad slavery meat. So I opted for a salad. I asked for bleu cheese. Turns out they don’t carry it. Well, you gotta stay lean in the restaurant business and if that means not having a large cheese selection that includes a fun cheese tgat rests on the more basic/​expected side of cheeses then so be it.
(Yes I know. I am being a snob. If they didn’t carry american or mozzarella, then I believe id have every right to blast away in Unilocal rant mode)
Its a central spot in Astoria that’ll deliver reliable good tasting food with polite service in a not queens level typical dingy atmosphere.
Don’t grip your armchair prepping to be blown away by anything outrageously delicious, creative, or jaw dropping.
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* and yes… in this case there is a correlation with size. Larger tends to get fewer stars. What do you expect? When restaurants rely on size they’re usually LAZY. You still gotta hustle for taste!
** additionally, you can’t get to my stars by just having a coupla good drinks

This is an ideal spot to spend the winter months.
What exactly does that mean?
In the summer, I like pubs with outdoor space or at least a lot of sunlight so I can pretend to enjoy the nice the weather.
In the winter, I like the dark windowless pubs because it doesn’t matter what the outside looks like. we’re just here waiting for the summer.
Front Toward Enemy has a nice open window area in the front, but it’s a pretty dark place. It’s the sort of place where your eyes will need to adjust if you come out of there after some day drinking.
That being said, it’s a solid option when the weather is crap.

I’ve actually been here twice, once when it first opened and then recently this week with a large group of friends. I have to admit the first time we came it was awesome. The drinks menu was really yummy and inventive, the food options sounded awesome. They had these amazing chickpea fries that were the bomb dot com. That was probably a year ago (?).
Sadly, it seems that since then they have «revamped» the menu and drinks. They have a nice selection of mostly local beers on tap which I’m always a fan of, and they even have a halfway decent selection of wines by the glass. But the cocktails all look much the same (take your pick of fruity bourbon or hardcore bourbon, or fruity rum) with the exception of a single tequila drink (sadly with the addition of absinthe which I’m personally not a fan of). It was such a disappointment from the first time we went. I had a really fantastic cocktail that I didn’t see on the menu anymore.
The food menu has changed as well, and those awesome chickpea fries are no longer on it (or they’ve been moved to the lunch menu?). I had the flat bread appetizer which was totally uninspired. It was supposed to have arugula on top and it was mixed greens with an itty-​bitty drizzle of dressing which did nothing. The flat bread itself was reminiscent of flavored cardboard. Even the caramelized onions and red peppers were cold (which I wasn’t expecting and it wasn’t listed that way on the menu). I also ordered the truffle Parmesan french fries. You could smell a faint wiff of truffle but couldn’t taste it and if there was cheese on there they could have fooled me. I saw nary a strand. To their credit the fries are cooked well and fluffy on the inside so I can’t fault them for that.
Other table guests seemed likewise ambivalent about their meals. Nothing tasted off or horrible but none of it was truly knocked out of the park. Which is such a shame because I remember having such a great meal there the first time I went.
As far as service goes, our waitress was kind and sweet though clearly new and not confident. It was a little frustrating but I’m sure such a large table was really overwhelming to her. I wish she had asked for help or assistance, it could have made the whole experience for everyone better.
All in all it wasn’t terrible. And it’s a great spot for large groups, they have tons of huge tables and booths. But I wouldn’t take anyone here if you wanted to impress them.

Who doesn’t love brunch? Haha. Oh Astoria, the queen/​king of brunches. (in my opinion anyway) Came here late Saturday morning. Was actually intending to go to Queens Comfort which was next door, but of course, it a huge line and big wait outside. So we didn’t even try. We saw that Front Toward Enemy was open next door so why not go in here. We just wanted to eat. (really hungry people)
Anyway, the waitress seated us on the high top table. She was very nice. I couldn’t decide right away what I wanted so I asked the waitress her recommendations. So I went with the first one she said which was the duck and beans. Both of my friends got the burger, which looked great. As a brunch special, they have $ 3 gin/​tequila punch. If I wasn’t driving or was looking for a good time, I would have ordered more. I got the gin punch and it was good. Quite sweet actually. The tequila was okay for me. But I think either one you pick, you won’t go wrong.
The duck and beans were good. It came with egg which I ordered over-​easy. My first impression was that it kinda tasted like BBQ sauce and the duck tasted like chicken. But I can’t really complain, I was hungry. It was good. The sourdough bread was really good cause it was toasted in butter. Ugh. So bad and yet so good.
Great bar restaurant. The waitress was super nice and honest. Price was decent (maybe a bit on the expensive side). Definitely a good second choice if you couldn’t wait for Queens Comfort. The décor was nice and rustic style.

I really love coming here for cocktails. The drinks are really innovative and strong.
the bartenders are nice.
The place is really big so its nice to come with a group, or on a date and be able to have space and enjoy yourself.

I came here for brunch on a Sunday and loved the atmosphere, service and food! I
Also came on a Friday night for drinks in which they had a band playing. The food was really good as they have a brunch special on the weekends. I did not take advantage of the unlimited mimosa or drink specials they had with brunch but will next time! It’s also a great place to come watch the games as they have a massive TV screen in the back. This will become one of my top favorite neighborhood restuarant/​bars in Astoria!

Came here for brunch with the lady friend and sat down to near the back. The space here is huge, a lot more than you’d expect. and we were seated in a big booth. I ordered the burger while she got the 3 cheese omelet. The burger was a little on the sweet side because of the marmalade which made it a little weird. A little too much sweet.
The brunch cocktails were good-​the mimosa was pretty well made-​if a little slow and but the Gin punch was a nice concoction– a gin fizz.
I walk by here a lot and it’s worth another shot.

This place met our expectations. Sometimes you find unexpected place more pleasant and enjoyable. It was a last minute decision to spend our family brunch date in this place as the next door restaurant that were supposed to go had wait time of 2 hrs.
We were impressed when we walked in. Decorations are awesome. The wait staff was welcoming. We were given a nice spot for our party (7). We were the first customers and felt we owned the place.
Menu selection is limited, price range is average and the deal for the day was unlimited tequila-​line drinks during at meal. I had steak with tomatoes on top and potatoes/​salad as my sides. I find it favorably. My family members tried salmon over bread, burger & fries and roasted duck. All these meals had egg on the side and could request the cooking style you want for it. We had 3 rounds of drinks. The price we paid was worth it. The best part, we were not pressed with time. We could probably stayed longer if time just permitted us.
Overall, everybody was happy with the experience. Will come back again.

I actually discovered this place by accident! My family and I had planned a Sunday brunch at Queens Comfort, but they didn’t have room for a party of 7 without a 2-​hour wait. Thus, we felt going right next door was the best Plan B. And after our experience here, I don’t regret it one bit.
First off, the name itself gave me a chuckle. «Front Toward Enemy» were the words embossed on M18 claymore mines. And very appropriately, the majority of the art hung on their walls are politically charged. Fell in love with the atmosphere and décor! For 12:30pm, we were the only customers in the entire restaurant so we were given prime seats in a large circular booth just past the bar.
Their brunch menu was limited, with only 10 items ranging between $ 10 – 24. But you also get unlimited pours of gin-​lemon or tequila-​lime cocktails for the duration of your meal — both of which were just the right amount of strong and sour, but were served with too much crushed ice in glasses that were too small. I ordered their smoked salmon and scrambled eggs over slices of sourdough bread, which came with a side salad. Delicious! My aunt wasn’t expecting her slow-​roasted duck to be shredded and prepared chili-​style with the rest of her dish, though.
Overall, I think most people overlook or dismiss Front Toward Enemy because it’s located right next door to the single most popular brunch spot in Astoria. But I can say that it’s definitely worth a visit, especially since they’re better known as an evening cocktail bar.

«What’s in a name?»… to quothe Shakespeare. Would a restaurant with any other name sound as badass? Unlike the rhetorical question posed in «Romeo and Juliet», I can answer with a resounding no: a restaurant with any other name would not sound as badass as Front Toward Enemy.
And true to form, the happy hours and brunches are equally badass. Happy bites and drinks come at reduced prices, with a drink special and food special coming at a special price… special stuff huh? On our particular happy hour, $ 5 Pinot Noir and $ 7 pulled pork sliders were the game day players. Definitely a good impression. We also wanted to try the chick pea fries (what the what?!) but fresh out, so we went with some onion rings with a nice frilly design (if you’re into that sort of thing).
The brunch though was of a legendary calibur. The «punch brunch» to be more precise. They stipulate the terms of the punch brunch, a hybrid of a bottomless brunch. So long as you’re still dining, you can keep drinking these conditionally unlimited boozy punches. The punch options are Lemony Gin and Limey Tequila, with both being pretty damn tasty to boot. End result: the cheapest drunk brunch this side of the a East River, all at the cost of an obligatory food order.
Our server was on point, making sure that libations were well stocked throughout the dining experience. On these merits alone, I say that I will never turn my back towards this frenemy of an establishment.