Hamilton’s

Ok, this is mainly for the service, and only half for the food (which is typically decent, not amazing). Went w my wife, son, and friend from out of town yesterday (June 9) for lunch. It was a little crowded, and there was only one girl (blondish) who I initially felt a little bad for bc she had to cover all the tables. But when someone doesn’t smile once, never asks ANY table how they are doing, just takes an order as though she’s annoyed and then drops off the food and then bill… come on. I live a block away and have for 15 years. I could be coming here often, but not with this horrible service. Come on. Whoever owns this spot needs to send in some secret diners and witness it first hand. I wouldn’t call it a one off… I think someone of her age has her DNA set, and unfortunately it’s not made for the service biz. Please fire her and do the hood and your business a favor. Sorry truth hurts if you’re the waitress and reading this — but someone has to tell you.

The Down East Cider is pretty dang good. And the Grilled chicken sandwich was yummy. I came for a solo lunch and sat outside at one of their cute tables. The staff was courteous and the neighborhood is peaceful. I’d come back for brunch.

You know, it is the little things that stand out in your mind, good or bad, that shade your opinion of a place. In Hamilton’s case, it was a mere 50¢. More on that later.
We sat outside after being seated for 10 minutes before a server arrived to greet us, but when she did, I ordered a Bell’s Two Hearted IPA, but all the drafts are $ 6-​$ 7, MUCH LESS than most places in the NYC metro and they have a GREAT SELECTION. I had to hunt down another server because ours was nowhere to be found, ordering a Smuttynose Old Brown Dog (also $ 6 on the menu), but after another 10 minutes our food had arrived and still no Smuttynose, so I reminded our server. It arrived 5 minutes later while my dinner cooled whether it needed to or not.
My wife ordered the large Salty Pretzel ($ 4) and a Mac and Cheese appetizer ($ 8). The Mac and Cheese arrived with my sandwich, but we had to remind the server about her pretzel which took an additional 5 minutes to arrive. The pretzel was good, but it was hot from the oven and too crunchy, not warm, soft, and chewy as a good pretzel should be. The mac and cheese was tasty and a decent size portion for an appetizer.
My Reuben Sandwich ($ 15) was piled high with «house made corned beef», sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing. It was very good overall, but the house made corned beef had a slightly strange aftertaste which I could not quite put my finger on, or my tongue in this case. The accompanying potato wedges were scarce, but decent, nothing special.
When the check arrived, I have to admit that it was one of the smallest totals we have seen since arriving in NYC, but the Smuttynose was listed at $ 7 instead of the $ 6 stated on the menu. I called our server over, showed her the menu and the check, and asked her to make the correction to the $ 1 error. Those things happen. But when she came back, she had NOT deducted the $ 1 error, but had discounted the check by a mere 50¢! Rather than argue about the 50¢, I deducted it from her 20% tip along with a tad more for her inattention during our meal. It is always the small things.
CombatCritic Gives Hamilton’s 5 Bombs Out Of 10 After A 2 Bomb Service and Check Error Deduction … More Bombs Are Better!

I am torn about this place. With the exception of the burger, the food is mostly mediocre, and on occasion, like something my kid would serve to me on Mother’s Day morning. In fact, one recent-​ish breakfast sandwich consisted of overcooked eggs and burnt bacon. Even my go-​to Burger is best ordered when the place isn’t too busy to better guarantee it won’t be cooked past my preferred medium-​rare.
What this place does well is create an ambience that somehow feels welcoming both to locals hanging at the bar to get their drink on, and toddlers nibbling on mac ‘n cheese and oven fries at neighboring tables.
I’m a fan of the M-​F Happy Hour, though the featured Pinot Grigio isn’t the best. I confess that the last time I was here, I could not deal with a second glass of the stuff and ordered a «regular price» Albarino even though Happy Hour had not yet ended. But most of the time, I’m not that discerning. Hubby loves the $ 2.00 off deal for selected craft beer on tap. Whatever you do, do not order a Soju Cocktail. So not well-​balanced. So not worth drinking.
Ultimately, I am grateful to have this spot in the ‘hood. But it has succeeded as long as it has because it is the only place like it along the «Fort Hamilton Parkway restaurant strip.» If anything similar with better food opens up nearby, I’ll be all over it.

Great selection of beers on tap, friendly and knowledgeable service.
House wine is a nice concept.
The food is terrible, which is a
used to be good but in the last year or two it’s been a complete waste of money. Even the Brussels sprouts were flavourlessly boiled instead of the usual broiling.
There’s a TV for those inclined to watch — I prefer my bars without a screen but not a huge deal.

I am still dreaming about the salad I had last week at Hamilton’s. Arugula, cannellini beans, beautifully roasted tomatoes, and crispy artichokes made the perfect combination (left off the cheese to make it vegan). The veggie burger is house made, I think there were beets in it (!) and I got it on sourdough bread instead of the brioche bun.
Awesome little spot in my neighborhood!

We were looking to stay local for a bite, so I suggested Hamiltons for a light lunch. Although we are all family, at the same table, our orders couldn’t have gotten more diverse as the menus allowed. Mom went with the Mushroom Orzo. Very tasty, creamy, and full of flavor. The crispy onions really add a nice texture component to thus dish. Sister went with the Smoked Salmon Toasts. Absolutely loved it. Very large portion too, not too common when smoked salmon is involved. It was excellent. I went for the Reuben Sandwich. House made products are usually top notch IMHO, or why would they bother making them. and Hamilton’s did not disappoint. The corned beef was unbelievable, almost a sin to serve in a sandwich, but along with the crispy bread, tart sauerkraut, and cheese, made this sandwich awesome. We all really enjoyed it here, and all were very impressed how well they made each dish. Looking forward to getting back here again.

Staying in the Windsor Terrace neighborhood for an extended visit and trying many restaurants. Hamilton’s seemed a logical, convenient choice. Who could have it expected it was such a gem. At first glance, the menu seemed a tiny bit limited, but then they had a variety of specials and a lovely creamed chicken soup that was delicious. My strip streak (off the regular menu) was cooked perfectly rare and served on top of some amazing braised cabbage and potatoes. My husband had the salmon special and it was cooked perfectly as well. Oh and the salad with crispy artichokes was also exceptional. Our waitress was charming, helpful and attentive. Can’t really ask for more.

For a neighborhood spot, it’s great. The food isn’t something to trek to the hood for, but the selection is solid and well done.
I will say this, the atmosphere is really top-​notch. very laid back and inviting.

I love Hamilton’s. My fiancé and I live in the Kensington/​Windsor Terrace area and this is definitely our bar of choice.
They have a great beer selection: IPAs, stouts, ciders, you name it. Their food is also really delicious. They’ve got great snack food (pretzels) all the way up to a New York strip.
Also, Joe the bartender is the freakin man.

I came to Hamilton’s with my girlfriend the other day. It was very slow and just started serving the dinner menu. (They change the menu according to time, brunch, lunch, dinner)
They gave us corn nuts which are amazing! And Free!
I got a delicious Root Beer that I believe the guy said was a local soda company. Simply amazing. Very spiced up yet sweet. I loved it.
Amanda was our server
My girlfriend got a regular beer (can’t think of the name) but she liked it as well. She usually doesn’t drink off tap due to miss-​care of the tap system causing the beer to taste like crap. But she likes the tap at Hamilton’s!
We both got the Veggie burger which was okay. I wish it had more of a kick? Maybe something spicy or even salty. Other than that, it just takes like black bean. I do like the poppy seed bun, because I HATE sesame seed buns.
Then I ordered the Strawberry short cake. Fresh strawberry, nice and sweet whip. Pretty big size for all the meals/​drinks.
I’ll be back!

I’ve been here 3 times. The first time I came in, it was around 10 PM. The food was great, service was great, everything about that night was great. The Mac and cheese was heavenly. I was in love.
BUT THEN…
I came back a second time. This time for lunch. And I was disappointed with the food. The Mac and cheese that I craved was watered down, the chicken wings were stiff. But on the bright side, our waiter was a sweetheart, so I brushed off the not so special food for that day.
FOOL ME TWICE…
The third time I came in here, the lady who seated us was rude and seemed to be in a bad mood. The waiter who served us was just as rude. He brought out the Mac and cheese that I ordered. I was really hoping it was a one-​time thing where the food was «ehhh», but, alas, I was wrong. The mac and cheese was so salty! It was swimming in «cheese». I kid you not, it tasted like it came out of a microwave. It wasn’t even hot. To top that off, the waiter was being smug when I asked him why the food tastes so different.
Fool me once, then fool me twice. I guess I’ll have to get my Mac and cheese fix elsewhere.

I wish Hamilton’s was as good as the reviews I read online. However, it was just average. I came here for brunch with my boyfriend and we were really excited to try it due to the rave reviews.
This place is loud… Like really loud. Not only that, but the menu does not have that much of a selection, causing me to be Indecisive. I ordered an orange juice which was such a disappointment when it came out. It was TINY! literally one sip worth of juice… And you pay a good $ 4 for it. Ridiculous. I couldn’t choose between the burger or the corned beef hash with eggs, or huevos rancheros. I ordered the burger but then later changed my order to the huevos rancheros.
I seriously regret doing this because it was not good… At all. When it came, it looked good but was not. The egg was not cooked and it was runny, the beans tasted like out of a can, the tortilla was CRUNCHY, not soft like it should be, they give you only 3 small pieces of avocado, the cheese is not fresh, and the pick de gallo is tasteless. YUCK!
When it was time to get the check, they messed up and charged us for the burger. It took them a while to actually fix this. I was so disappointed with my experience at Hamilton’s and so was my boyfriend. Sadly, I do not think I will be back. I would recommend finding another brunch spot.

Came where awhile back as part of the Queens Beer Book with Ingrid S. Good beer selection here and really nice interior and exterior environments. We chose to sit outside since it was a nice day and service was friendly and efficient. We also got complimentary seasoned corn things to eat and they were really delicious, we even got a second serving — huzzah!
Tons of mermaid stuff inside makes me a super happy camper — plus a delicious fruity Gose beer and a pretty delightful mac n’ cheese rounded out my experience here quite nicely.
Their brunch sandwich, «The Ella» looks amazing and I really hope to swing by here for brunchy brunch sometime soon :).

Probably one of the best and better bars and restaurants in the further deep Windsor Terrace/​Kensington border neighborhood. I’ve come here only twice so far but their beer selection is top notch. They have a happy hour but it sadly always ends super early at 6:30pm. Barely feasible if I rush home from work and immediately order a drink. But it entails $ 2 off all beers/​cocktails, $ 5 wines, $ 5 mini burgers, mussels, and $ 2 off Sigmund’s (which tastes like sex) pretzels.
The first time I came was in the middle of the summer and we were situated outdoors in their café area. They had cute little electronic glowy fake candles and complimentary corn nuts that were seasoned so well we ate like two bowls of them. We had split an order of their elbows in white cheddar cream with breadcrumbs and bacon. For only $ 7 it was a pretty substantial small side of macaroni and not too shabby. Really creamy but flavorful and toasted on top for a nice texture. The macaroni was 4 stars and definitely a winner.
I came back a few weeks ago to finish up my brooklyn beer book coupon with a friend. This time around we sat at the bar and I noticed they had more than one mermaid statue, that I quickly filed down photos of because of a certain person obsessed with all things involving mer-​creatures. The beer menu was as awesome as I had remembered as last time switching from trying sour beers and goses over the summer to now in the winter embarking on some porters and stouts. I chose for my beer the Anchor Steam’s Big Leaf Maple but not after sampling the Pretty Things Babayaga Stout. If you’ve never had a dark beer infused with rosemary, you’ve never lived. Glad to have a decent bar and restaurant out in this neighborhood and so close to my apartment. Just wish their happy hour ran a bit longer!

Cute little place on a corner. Nice old punky music selection. Glassware was a bit spotty. They might want to call the company that takes care of their dishwasher machine. I’d give them 3−½ stars if I could.
Very casual service like many comfort food restaurants. When I walked in, there wasn’t even anyone to get me for about s minute or two, as the bar maid who was waiting on tables had gone out to get something.
The mesclun salad that came with the sandwich had a pretty boring dressing. The Reuben Sandwich was a bit odd and didn’t have a very big portion of corned beef in it, but the beef was soft and tasty, and the bread was great. I definitely liked the sandwich.
It was decent. I’d eat here from time to time if I lived closer by, but I won’t go out of my way.

I’ve been meaning to come here for a while now. Alchemy, their sister restaurant, is one of my favorite places to go for their great food, service and half priced food and drink menu. I figured if Alchemy is such a great place, Hamilton’s has to be just as good… right?
Maybe not as good, but fairly good. Well, some aspects. I arrived with 2 people and we were immediately asked by someone how many we were and if we wanted to sit inside or outside. We chose outside. The woman walked away to grab some menus and within 3 seconds, another woman came by and asked the same thing. Then, the first woman came back and sat us.
After a minute or so, someone came for our drink order, and yet again, about a minute later, someone else came by for the same thing. Come on people. Either the restaurant has too many staff who don’t know what to do, or someone is a terrible communicator.
The first woman who took our drink order became our waitress. She was super friendly and all smiles each time she approached our table. She either thought one of us was cute or was high on drugs… she was that happy.
2 of us got the beef hash with 2 sunny side eggs and 1 got 3 scrambled eggs with potatoes. We also got a honey-​ginger cocktail, which was subtly sweet and filled with chunks of fresh ginger and a Bloody Mary which had good flavor but was slightly watered down and was lacking on the spice factor. I should mention that the woman who poured the cocktail (not Smiles) gave me a mini bath, noticed, and didn’t apologize or offer to clean the table or my pants.
The beef hash was tender and the eggs were perfectly done. It came with a side salad which was fresh and a light dressing on top. The beef hash, although filling, was significantly more hash than it was beef. So technically it was hash beef. Maybe that’s why our waitress was so happy! Now it’s all coming together.
Hamilton’s…a place to go because there aren’t many better choices in the area.

A great neighborhood joint that’ll be full of Kensington locals.
Big fan of the beer selection, and the menu’s got a lot of variety. Feeling rotund? Salad’s for you. Starving? Sammies for days.
Seems to have plenty of room no matter the time of day, so that’d a bonus. Can’t wait to come back!

Wasnt crowded when I stopped by on a wknd, yet it was at the odd 4−5pm resetting time which limited the adult menu items to 5 choices. Glanced at watch. 4:05. Fu@&n-a. Anyways we are already here and its a nice atmosphere. Although, I happened to notice them writing some tempting dinner options on chalkboard for later. Mental note to come back at said proper time.
The food seems proportionate to the prices. I had the KALE SALAD WITH CHICKEN which comes with sunflower seeds and friggin craisins! Forgetting to ask for dressing on the side is a mistake… you will be eating what seems like a dessert salad. Could end up saving your boo $ in the end. Additional chicken pieces on top had a very nice garlic flavor. they did so awesome on that! My amigo had the GRASS FED BURGER which he said was a 8 outta 10. His spear like fries were a lil undercooked. It definitely looked like it seemed to be a worthy burger with that melty cheese n onions. Went with a friend that doesnt always automatically offers bites. Not kewl dude.
Got the BRAEBURN APPLE GELATO… Very refreshing and noticeably made from apples with a firm icy consistency of popsicle pieces. It was definitely a winner in my books.
GOOD MENU
COMFORTABLE INVITING ATMOSPHERE
AVG PRICING
BAR AND RESTO SEATING
NICE STAFF
FOOD SATISFACTION
MENU HITS ALL 5 TASTES

As a newbie to Kensingotn, Hamilton’s is one of my favorite spots in the neighborhood. Brunch was excellent both times I went. My go to breakfast of fluffy eggs and home fries was a level above what I’m used too. They’ve got some interesting breakfast sandwich combos too– check out the Ella Fitzgerald.
All of the cocktails are soju-​based, if you dig that, and there are some microbrews on tap. The «Tricerahops» is a pro choice for those of you who like strong, hoppy IPA’s. I hope they keep it on tap.
Here’s the vibe I get–
Brunch: Family and friends
Dinner: Casual date, nicest place around
Small bar: Good for either
They play some pretty good 2000’s indie here too, which is a nice bonus.