The Federal Bar

Great whiskey selection. We loved the Rock and Rye — one of the best cocktails in Brooklyn! Food was amazing — chicken and waffles and cheese plate are highlights. Amazing service; music was a highlight!

I have an expression for elements of gentrification in North Brooklyn that don’t align with my conception of what’s healthy for the area. «That’s so Silver Lake,» I say only just audibly with a sigh, then return to whatever startup social network is popular that particular week.
I’ve never been to Silver Lake, so this is strictly an exercise in imagined geography. You see, to my extremely untrained mind, Silver Lake is an area of below the line entertainment workers, lifecycle coaches and people developing new micro-​nutrient diets. There are restaurants and artists, but they are more «restaurants» and «artists» than anything approaching the real thing.
It’s subjective nonsense, of course. There are interesting, creative people in Los Angeles just as there are (God knows) plenty of pretentious douchebags in Bushwick.
But just when I’m ready to turn into a squishy relativist, I eat dinner at place like The Federal Bar. Attached to and affiliated with the Knitting Factory, the restaurant promises «cohesive ties» with the venue’s «music roots.»
Now while the models photographed here might seem like they are having an enjoyable meal, I assure you this is just art. The wait staff appears to have been chosen for their looks, and while they have strong cheek bones they don’t have any understanding of the menu or common courtesy.
This is a place where the waiter returned repeatedly for a drink order, even coming back to take it two more times after it had been placed. One person’s beer didn’t arrive until halfway through dinner. The merquez corndogs come in an order of two. Is it possible to add a third so each member of our party could eat one? No. The person who didn’t get to eat drew the long straw, however as just because you charge five times as much for something doesn’t mean it actually has a pleasant flavor.
The menu is overthought and unchallenging variations on American comfort food. The concept appears to be to add as many trendy or expensive ingredients into ordinary fare, with no concern for whether or not it tastes good. There are not prices listed on the website (how fancy!) but be assured this all costs much more than it should.
I’m not saying that The Federal Bar is a fifth column to ruin the reputation of the Brooklyn dining. All I’m saying is that before they opened here, they had a restaurant in North Hollywood.

One of my favorite meals in a while! Everything from the atmosphere to cocktails to food was a wonderful experience. I had the cauliflower which I would highly recommend. For drinks I had The Autumn which was very well crafted. This place is great for a date night or a group dinner (which is what I was there for). I bet happy hour is amazing too. Looking forward to coming back!

I was worried Federal Bar would be one of those hipster food places that just don’t serve enough food — i was pleasantly surprised to leave stuffed (:
The bar burger is pretty good but out of the 2 ordered at our table medium rare, ⁰⁄₂ came back as a true med rare (more of a medium).
Fried chicken sandwich is perfectly crispy and even though the sandwich itself isn’t huge, there are more than enough fries to fill yourself up!
Pulled pork sandwich is served inside of two thick slices of. I dont know how else to describe it, but a black pepper butter toast? It tastes weirdly spicy (in a good way), again you fill up mostly on fries.
Drinks are good but be warned they’ll charge you extra for a whiskey neat pour (it’s a 2oz pour vs 1.5 oz)
All in all food is decent and service is nice but i think this place is still getting its bearings.

My friend and I have been trying out new places in Williamsburg and the Federal Bar was next. The reviews looked good and I was excited to try the Pulled Pork sandwich.
The vibe inside consists of an old fashioned, colonial décor, as it is styled and furnished to fit in seamlessly into the 19−20^th century time period. There’s even a huge illuminated globe hanging from the ceiling.
Our server was great. I think he had an Australian accent, but regardless, he was very informative and helpful and gave great recommendations.
Unfortunately, they were all out of pork and none of the pork items were available. I was surprised since it was only seven o’clock on a Wednesday night and there were not many people inside.
I ended up ordering the dry aged burger which was great. Each bite was delicious and juicy and tasteful. We also had two rounds of cocktails which were also great. I wish I would’ve had the pulled pork sandwich I wanted but I really enjoyed the burger I got instead and am eager to return and try the pulled pork.

My girlfriend and I love checking out new places to eat in this crazy smörgåsbord we call New York. Most are great but some stand out. The newly opened Federal Bar in Williamsburg is one of them. Just shy of four months old, this place is gonna get really popular really quick.
Located in an early 20^th century carriage house, it’s design from Brooklyn based Hecho Inc. features resurfaced brick and wooden finishes, early era cash registers and deposit boxes and period furniture giving it a style personality reminiscent of the 1930’s prohibition era. Owned by the iconic music company Knitting Factory Entertainment (which is right next door) and one of three Federal Bars around the country, this one has a distinct Brooklyn flair, specializing in hyper-​local beer and locally sourced food. Speaking of food, lets get down to it…
We started with some cocktails made by bartender extraordinaire Abbra Sherp. The Infidelity, high-​proof rye, tart Cherry Herring liquor, lemon juice, Mezcal Simple, and an egg, was excellent, having a smooth and buttery texture. So was The Autumn, made with vodka, Saint Germain, cucumber, pineapple and lime. To begin our feast we tried the Beef Heart Poutine and Lamb Merquez Corndogs. While the beef hearts were simply delicious, the corndogs stole the show. I’ll honestly never be able to eat a corndog at the State Fair again. You’ve gotta try them. They come as a plate of three and my girlfriend and I were nearly fighting over who got the last one (of course she won as usual).
For the little vegetarian in us we ordered the Collard Greens and Farro salad. With watermelon, fennel, Ricotta salada, pomegranate and sunflower seeds and citronette, it was the perfect accompaniment to our main meals of a Blackened Red Snapper and Roasted Turkey Leg. The Snapper was a-​snappin’, served with a collard green salad with fresh herbs, Heirloom cherry tomatoes, fennel, pickled watermelon rind and South Carolina peaches that were hand-​picked by Executive Chef Brendon Doyle himself from his recent trip down south, all dressed in a fine jalapeño lime citronette. The Roasted Turkey Leg looked like something out of a Renaissance Faire, the only thing missing being the big breasted wench serving it. So big was the turkey leg that we couldn’t finish it even together, and that means it was big as I can stuff a lotta food into my ever-​expanding gullet.
We ordered two more cocktails, the Bitter Bitch and the Green Mile, from our exceptional host and server Elijah, and were gonna call it a night until he told us about their specially made dessert of the evening, it being a pineapple upside-​down doughnut cake. Huh? Yeah, that’s what I said. It’s a bread n’butter pudding made with Peter Pan donuts, topped with a pineapple glaze à la pineapple upside-​down cake. Thanks a lot Elijah for busting my waist yet again.
We had a Great Time at this latest addition to the ever-​expanding Williamsburg food scene. You will too. Now, let’s go next door and listen to some music…

Very cool atmosphere and vibe. Got in on a Friday night no problem for two. Very cool waiter that made the dinner very chill. Had the dry aged burger. And cauliflower as starter … Everything tasted great …

The burger isn’t bad (a 4 star burger if cooked properly), but, apparently, when they cook a medium as medium rare, they re-​cook the same patty, cut it in half, and give it back to you well done. It’s kind of the chef equivalent of the middle finger, but, guess what, you should be able to properly cook a $ 20 burger? — just thinking out loud here. May also want to look into changing the bun because, despite the burger being a half pound, there’s still way too much bread. CIAO.

First and foremost, Joe (bartender) made my entire experience at this already gem of a spot. Sexy ambiance. Killer beer list (exclusive and GOOD local selections). Not one liquor bottle on their shelf I wouldn’t stock in my own home. And slammin dishes coming out of the kitchen. Doing it right guys, cheers.

Great place for food and drinks at reasonable prices. We ordered the dry-​aged burger (one of the best burgers I’ve had in NY) and a pulled pork sandwich (very juicy with a great side of fries). Also ordered a couple of drinks which were excellently prepared. Lastly, our server, Elijah (Australian guy), was the man — helpful, attentive, and genuinely a nice person.
Can’t wait to become a frequent patron.

Probably best restaurant/​bar/​service I’ve been to in Brooklyn. Came here planning my good friends birthday dinner which is always difficult, and made reservations after reaching out online. (Note they had trouble picking up the phone for a few days so I messaged on their website and the manager reached out to me within an hour)
Get to the restaurant, awesome vibe, GREAT food and BEST service ever. Elija (Australian waiter) should get a raise for dealing so kindly, professionally, and quickly with my huge party. Seriously, I think best service ever. He was awesome for recommending thing, and when I asked him to sing happy birthday to my friend (cause she’s never had that happen before, I apologized a ton) he gladly obliged and made it happen.
Chicken and waffles, special cocktails and local beers were awesome. Seriously best service and food!!! Great for groups.
Totally will leave my Manhattan borough to come back here again!!! You guys don’t know what your missing if you haven’t been here.

I came here with my boyfriend last week to check out their happy hour specials. Unfortunately, what was advertised on their website & what they offered were totally different. One beer & one cocktail was offered. The food was good, but the staff seemed a little annoyed that we were there so close to when they opened. Not sure if I’d go back, which is unfortunate because I like to support all my neighborhood spots.

SO FREAKING GOOD.
Our server was super friendly & informative and made great recommendations. As a vegetarian there were enough options where I didn’t have to just have a salad.
The vegan burger was delicioussssss & my friend raved about his red snapper with every bite. We also had the sautéed greens & dirty rice sides, and I’d actually go back just for those two things.
Didn’t try any cocktails this time around but the menu looked really fun & I’ll definitely be back so, next time!

Everything was delicious, the service was outstanding.
I had the chicken and waffles, not sure if it’s a hidden menu item or not, but the server recommended it. I am struggling to think of anytime I’ve had better chicken wings. In the absence of any recollection to the contrary, I can come to no other conclusion than that these are the best wings I’ve ever had. That’s saying a lot.
For some reason this place was not packed, it should be.

We stumbled upon this gem originally on Unilocal and decided to check it out. We were pleasantly surprised by the staff who were very kind and welcoming. The food was great and bitter bitch is a must! Mama D coffee cake FTW

I’ve stopped into the Federal with some friends when The Commodore was closed for construction.
I was about to order the $ 20 turkey leg, but then my friend asked if there was a happy hour menu, and there was! Yay! We all ordered the burgers with cheese, as well as the lamb corn dogs, pork meatballs, and several cocktails.
The burger was totally tasteless (and I’m NOT a foodie or picky eater by any means). My well done burger was burnt, the buns were cold and doughy, and the burger doesn’t come with pickles. My friend’s medium burger didn’t taste very good either. The fries were not crispy. We asked for pickles for the burgers, and got soggy sandwich pickles.
The lamb corn dogs were really gamey. I took one bite and couldn’t finish the rest. The crispy breading and the dip that came with it couldn’t mask the gamey taste. The pork meatballs were okay.
Overall, all of the food we tried was disappointing. I do not recommend any food from their happy hour menu.
Also one of our fries also came with a screw! I would never come back here again.

This is as close to perfect as it gets. I probably shouldn’t say that if I want the place to myself again!
My husband and I visited on a Tuesday night, and like I said, it was rather quiet. We sat downstairs and had 2 tasty cocktails (one gin based and one bourbon) and an order of the lamb merguez corn dogs, which were amazing! The server was really welcoming and had great suggestions. I’d love to go back for a special occasion, it’s perfect for groups.

This place is ACE. The staff is incredibly passionate about what they do and it shows. The menu is not your typical Brooklyn fare. The beer selection is some of the best and most unique I have seen in the city and the food is positively unreal. The dry aged burger was top shelf. The corn dogs — don’t sleep on those. You have to try this place. They also have killer tunes playing and a super friendly staff that makes you feel right at home. This will be my new neighborhood joint.

Stopped in after brunch so can’t speak for the food but cocktail game on point. Brunch drinks had some envelope-​pushing concoctions, including a kale-​cucumber-​fennel– mezcal boozed up juice generation concept that sounds crazy but may get a hungover you to straighten up and fly right. There’s a delicious bourbon-​cold brew coconut milk one as well. Pictured, the fantastic French fizz (think a French 75 absinthe milk shake) and the Bitter Bitch (a negroni sans vermouth, plus lemon, Pamplemousse and bubbles). Will definitely be back to sample the food. Menu looks inventive.

Amazingly curated bar program, perfectly executed food and a friendly and welcoming wait staff! Brooklyn fabulous.