AWOL Eatery

I enjoyed the food at AWOL, but until the waitress promises not to read over every single item on the menu, I can’t go back. If I have questions, I’ll ask. Otherwise, please don’t shorten my life by explaining in detail what a ‘slider’ is.

Delicious and fresh. We started with the kimchi fried rice and the pork buns and were not let down. The fried rice was perfectly seasoned and the kimchi was a nice addition. The pork buns had pork belly and were delish, perhaps slightly on the bland side regarding the bun (my girlfriend’s opinion, I liked the pork buns). Then we split the vegetable plate and the polenta fries in an effort to be healthy for the first time since 2004. The vegetable plate delivered. The carrots, asparagus, fennel and hummus came together really nicely for a delicious yet healthy dinner. Use of hummus as a moderate addition (it was drizzled on the plate rather than used as a dipping sauce) was memorable and unique. Polenta fries had a great texture and taste.
Weird thing to note, but it enhanced the experience: the water was ice cold and tasted like water should. Ambiance was stellar. Decent volume and solid intimacy. Decorations were curious without being gaudy. Service was dope. We’ll be back.

The All Walks of Life Eatery certainly lives up to their name. While their menu reflects this, so too did their desire to accommodate the special diets of myself and my dining companion. Our server was super nice, and on this particular day (a Sunday around brunchtime, strangely) it wasn’t too busy, which might also have helped.
I wanted to comment on what we ate, which was all good, but lost my receipt and delayed too long to write this review. So, er… I know I had 3? gluten free tacos with a tofu scramble and spicy aioli? and my friend had a potato hash pizza-​looking thing. I know that doesn’t necessarily sound appetizing either, but I’m tellin’ it like it is, man.
If you are vegan/​veggie/​gf/​df/​yeast-​free, etc, or celebrating Passover, Lent, whatever. AWOL will make sure you have something you can dig here.

What a freaking nightmare, The hostess/​waitress was a complete disaster, in the beginning, she was really attentive until some people walked by with a pit bull puppy. That’s when we lost our hostess/​waitress for literally 13 minutes. She then started holding the puppy and taking selfies instead of checking on clients. She then decided to walk up right next to my girlfriend while she’s eating her brunch to take a photo of the puppy by the vines on the left side next to the supermarket entrance. What a nightmare this girl was!
As for the food, it was okay but not worth the price. The huevos rancheros needed a little punch to it and the veggie tacos were okay but small in portion size for what they are charging. I really wanted to like this place after reading some good reviews on Unilocal,Now I’m not sure if I should try the dinner service to reconsider this SO/​SO brunch. What really made me upset was at the of the service, the hostess/​waitress brought over my check and was not able to take a credit card payment due to their machine not working. I was asked to wait for 2 – 5 minutes. After 10 minutes the hostess then tells me «we are sorry but our credit card machine is down.»
Just great not I have to look for an ATM!

Legitimately farm to table AWESOME.
My boyfriend and I were looking for a healthy but nice dinner spot and decided on AWOL. We kept it veggie heavy and tried:
–Spring Salad
–Roasted Brussels Sprouts
–Corn off the Cob
–Crispy Squash Blossoms (insane!)
.and my personal favorite/​new restaurant dish obsession — The Vegan «Meatball» served over vegetables and tomato sauce. Easily my new favorite meal.
Everything including the service was really great. We didn’t get dessert but I noticed they had a banana churro on the menu, which is a must try next time!

I am slightly obsessed, so please ignore the drool. Of the beaten hipster path and casually unassuming, this small eatery is a hidden gem. The staff are friendly and provide the right balance of attention and privacy. The vibe is earthy and natural. There are many gluten-​free, vegetation, and vegan options, along with meat, leaving everyone satisfied.
Food: tip– pace yourself and choose wisely. The plates are perfect for sharing. The grilled corn is a grownup version of America’s favorite «vegetable,» topped with herbs and crema. The roasted Brussels sprouts are special and hit every note from the sweet caramelized shallots, crunchy toasted hazelnuts, and crispy fried sage leaves. The Mac and cheese could have used more meat, but if you like smokey cheese, you’ll love this. Save room for dessert– the banana churro is spectacular. It has a crunchy «churro-​style» shell, sweet Nutella and caramel, and salty hazelnuts.
I will definitely be back. Thank you for a lovely birthday dinner!

Sending out the 5 star flag for this awesome neighborhood spot. The grub holds up to the high standards that AWOL has set both in-​person and as delivery.
In fact, delivery might be even BETTER than in person… The meals arrive in eco-​friendly packaging, quickly and in large portions.
So, what are you getting into here? How about a wide-​variety of seasonal deliciousness!
Each day there are 3 – 4 special items in addition to a well-​curated list of «New American» classics: Sliders, Mac & Cheese (w/​short rib!), individual pizzas, veggie plates. Then, you have some odd, but delicious items (kimchi fried rice, tempura beef taco). Having sampled over half of the menu, I think it is safe to say… ITS ALL GOOD!
The Garden Crema Tacos were a strong standout, as
Lots of vegetarian options. Small interior, but quick seating and friendly service. This is my kind of place. Do it!
P. S. Nice, funky restroom décor.

Yum, yum, yum! Everything we tried was fabulous: mushroom hash, street corn off the cob with Chipotle sauce, sea bass slider with calamari. We have been wanting to try this gem for so long and finally made it. Not sure why we waited this long, geez… So many items on their menu that sounds mouth-​watering!

I went on Friday with my non-​vegan girlfriend and my vegan self. She had the steak, and I ordered their vegan options. I had the vegan meatball, brussels sprouts made vegan, and sweet potatoes in coconut milk. All items were quite good. As a vegan, my only complaint is that their only vegan dishes (which you must order many of as its a small plates kind of restaurant) don’t go well together at all. Spicy pasta with sweet potato in curry sauce didn’t make sense. I also didn’t particularly care for the sauce. It was a bit too spicy for my tastes. Anyway, don’t get me wrong, the food was pretty good, and it’s a good spot to come to in the neighborhood if you’re looking for someplace to eat with someone who has a restrictive diet of some sort (vegan, gluten free, etc.).

Quick review from a visit in 2015 —
Décor — pretty basic with no real vibe other than maybe slightly better than your average diner feel.
Food — The food is about the only thing kind of saving this place, but only enough that I give 2 stars instead of only 1. Definitely like Champs better for vegetarian cuisine.
Price — The «$$» signs needs to be changed to «$$$» or at least based on the amount of food you receive for your money. Definitely had buyer’s remorse as I had to go eat again after leaving here.
Service /​Management — Had a really bad feel of pretentiousness associated with an attitude of being «holier than though». Kind of get this at a lot of Williamsburg spots, but it was very evident here. Really weird for a very average restaurant. Service was not good, but just adequate enough that you do not have to serve yourself. Being that I am not a bad tipper even when it does suck, I still tipped 20% as I believe most of the time it is bad management that causes this kind of behavior.
I would try it again sometime in 2016 as maybe they are going through some growing pains or hopefully there will be change management. The way it is run now leaves much to be desired.

My new favorite spot!!!
first, they have half bottles of wine Monday through Thursday. AMAZING!
All the food we ordered was delicious. The truffle pizza was different because they grill their pizzas but it was so so good. The Brussels are so yummy with macadamia nuts on top — delicious. Our favorite dish, though, was a specialty dish: carbonara pasta made with acorn squash instead of meat. It was out of this world! John, I hope you keep the carbonara on the menu forever!

I was looking for a place in Brooklyn with a good menu for vegetarians and non-​vegetarians. Where else should I search other than the Williamsburg/​Greenpoint area? AWOL came up on Unilocal and I decided to pay them a visit on Friday night around 8 – 8:30. I don’t usually eat dinner this late, but the place was packed with parties of all sizes (not that I really recommend having a party larger than four here because with five people, one person will be stuck with an awkward chair at a booth. They also have a whole section on the right side where you can merge tables together, but a lot of people want to eat here so finding that much space for a large party is not the best idea!).
We didn’t have to wait too long maybe 5 minutes for a two-​person table to clear up. One issue is that if it’s super cold out, you might have to stand awkwardly next to someone’s table as there isn’t much room to wait inside.
But let me tell you — the food is delicious. The grilled caprese salad was pretty good, two slices of grilled tomato and mozzarella cheese over a arugula drenched in balsamic. But the real star of the show was the pizza. For all of y’all who love meaty pizza, ditch it this one time and try their truffle and mushroom pizza. The truffle oil is delicious with the thick cheese and the crust is actually pretty well seasoned. They also have a «sliders» section but it’s not three sliders, it’s one slider packed with meat. The dishes (other than the pizza) are relatively small.
I really wish I could give this place five stars because it really deserves it — the beautiful, «perfect-​for-​a-​date» atmosphere, its accommodating menu for all diets (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-​free, and meat lovers if there is such a name for a diet), and its delicious pizza. However, our food did take quite a while to come, which is why I deducted one star. Service was super nice though, just took a while.

This is hands down my new favorite neighborhood spots. My husband and I have probably been here ten times in the last few months. The service is amazing, the food is delicious! What may sound like unusual pairings, are actually insanely mouth-​watering! There is so much flavor in everything, it’s divine! Check their daily specials, such as half off bottles of wine! I’m allergic to gluten and dairy, and the kitchen has always accommodated. By far the best quality food in the area. My husband’s favorite is the sea bass slider with calamari and short rib Mac and cheese. Mine has to be the kimchi fried rice and the vegan meatball (with gluten free pasta).

Oh man. I just moved to the area and am so stoked to have discovered this place.
I ordered delivery with some friends a few weeks ago — everything arrived surprisingly quickly and was FANTASTIC. We got the roasted brussels sprouts, short rib mac & cheese, mushroom risotto, creamed kale, curried sweet potatoes, and 2 pizzas (I forget which ones). Everything was amazing. My favorite was probably the tangy risotto, but seriously, everything was to die for.
It’s a little on the pricier side, but nothing out of the ordinary for Greenpoint/​Williamsburg, and absolutely worth it for the flavor, quality, and originality. Also good to know they offer many GF and V options. I can’t wait to try their other dishes in person!

For my first visit, I had the House Burger, with so many choices, is kind of hard to pick, well, I am glad I did ! OMG ! I hit the jackpot, I found one more place with a fantastic tasty Burger ! what makes it fantastickly tasteee?! the MEAT flavor ! the meat was seasoned just right, that is the most important part for me, since I don’t like to eat too much meat, but finding a good seasoned meat that is a challenge. Whatever it is they use to season the meat burger is just right and delicious, it didn’t have any meat taste, but all the taste of great seasoning, the burger was cooked just right.
There is a part of the menu that changes everyday, so in order to taste all those different dishes, frequent visits are needed. I have to come back because their wide variety of desserts are very promising, I will be updating this review as I taste along. I am exited about bringing my sons here, that is next.
Dessert choices:
* White Chocolate Flan Cheesecake
* Tres Leches Tiramusu Rice Pudding
* Banana Roll
* Fruit Cobbler

This place is really awesome on so many levels, from the super attentive waitstaff to the eager manager/​owner to the obviously delicious food. As a restaurant, I think the food style straddles the line between new-​American/​modern cuisine and tapas style, as a lot of the dishes are smaller and catered to be shared. I disagree with some of the comments about the restaurant being overpriced. The food is excellent and the service make up for what some may perceive to be «expensive.»
Being a relatively slow night on the Sunday we visited, my GF and I had the opportunity to speak for some time with the manager/​owner, Esther. Super bubbly and friendly, she spoke at lengths about their partnerships with local merchants and how the restaurant is chef-​run (which I’m guessing means lots of changes in menus and specials, which is great for customers and cooks alike). Even if the food wasn’t good, I’d go back just to see her again!
But the food here is great! So of course I want to come back to gorge again. We ordered 4 small dishes (though most were NOT small) to share between the two of us and were very full by the end. We started with the Beef Tempura Tacos which my GF, a food blogger with HungryNYC, claimed it to be one of her top 3 tacos in NYC. It had fresh ingredients including the greens and tomatoes over a bed of crispy beef pieces and drizzled with a sweet Asian-​style sauce. I absolutely loved it as well and thought it was the best dish of the night.
Then we had our Lamb Chops and Skirt Steak. The lamb chops were good, served over a sea of tzatziki sauce (dunno how to spell that) and beside a large salad. The chops were good but felt a tad small compared to the salad beside it. The meat was very tender and not gamey at all. The Skirt Steak was great too, but instead of serving it directly on top of the sweet potato mash, I think it would have been better on the side so that it didn’t feel like a potato topping. The Steak should have been the star, but it didn’t feel that way. But both elements of that dish were, regardless, very good.
The last dish, the Short Rib Mac & Cheese, was surprisingly light yet flavorful. I wish there were more meat pieces in the bowl, but the kale that it came with was surprisingly delicious and complimentary to the cheese. The cheese was very light, not something that I’m used to in restaurant macs, but man, it was so good! I’m a little torn on the fried (onion?) strings on the top because it adds texture and aesthetic beauty to the dish, but they were a tad bit stiff and tough. I think despite those small flaws, it was my favorite dish of the evening. STRONGLY recommend trying it out!
We ended the night with the White Chocolate Cheesecake. It was very sweet and came with a dulce de leche cream (I think, I can’t remember if that’s actually what it was). I liked it a lot because it wasn’t overly cheesecakey and had a strong white chocolate flavor. My GF thought it was too sweet, but then again she doesn’t like sweet stuff in general.
I wavered between a 4 and 5 star. The food was great but some of the execution felt a bit off, but the warm, enthusiastic staff more than makes up for any of its shortcomings. A restaurant is really about its vision and will to present their own dedication to the craft, and AWOL Eatery does a stellar job of that on all fronts. I hope to be back and try out some of their other dishes!

This place was fantastic!
Came here with my mom for brunch. She had the braised beef short rib Mac n cheese which was good (her portion was a kind of small though). I had the cheesy grits with braised beef short rib and it was incredibllllle! I can’t describe how good those grits were! We both had perfectly cooked over easy eggs with our dishes.
We sat semi-​al fresco where we were just inside but the front opens up to the outside. Our server was friendly and informative and everything including the bathroom was spotless clean and nice looking. Can’t wait to go back.

Had a wonderful dinner at AWOL tonight. Steamed pork buns were succulent starters, with a punch of spicy flavor. Two main courses were shared and the flank steak was perfect! The corn off the cob is a great side dish bursting with flavor. Jolee, the server was attentive and the outdoor dining area cozy. A must try when in Brooklyn.

Woke up super early on my vacation just to write this review before going to explore more of nyc. Had this place book marked since my visit last fall but we didn’t have the time. My sister’s baby was sleeping so we didn’t want to go out, luckily AWOL does take out and delivery but my best friend and I really wanted a glass of wine :)
The design is simple but gorgeous. It sets a nice casual but intimate theme. The chalk boards and candles were a beautiful touch.
We told them we would be doing take out for food but wine to stay:) we sat down and looked at their menu which had new daily specials then what we saw online.
Making our choices were so hard lol we «settled» for
1. Short rib mac n cheese (creamy, cheesy and not too heavy but packed with flavor)
2. Risotto (Leeks and Japanese mushrooms which gave it a slight sour taste! Delicious)
3. Burger (they asked how I liked it :) good sign when they aren’t looking to over cook the burger :))
4. Sea Bass Calamari Slider (huge, amazingly crispy and lightly battered calamari and great tar tar sauce)
5. Last but not least Polenta fries!!! My heart jumped a bit at first sight of polenta fries on the menu. They shaved some delicious parmesan on top and it honestly tasted like fried mac n cheese. I’m still dreaming about it now.
The wine service was so great that I decided to tip them for the take out too! My friend ordered the dry reisling and during tasting found it too sweet and they automatically offered and different one, she got the Sav blanc instead. I got their Argentinian Malbec which was great and definitely a nice amount in my glass.
The service, menu, atmosphere, drinks and food were all deserving of 5***** :) maybe I can get late night snacks delivered by them tonight haha

Got take out. It was a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ split between dishes that were way overpriced and poorly executed and dishes that were phenomenal.
The tempura beef taco was exciting and flavorful. The kimchi rice was also good (though they didn’t give us quail eggs per the menu, just chicken eggs, grrrr).
The spicy stewed sweet potatoes were bland and the creamed kale tasted burnt, with a terrible stringy tough texture, and was far from creamy.
Seems like the food can be hit or miss here. I don’t enjoy playing russian roullette with hard-​earned cash, though, so likely will not be risking it again.