Rustik Tavern

This is my second home and a place I love to frequent. From the lighting to the atmosphere. I always feel welcomed, whether I dine for brunch or dinner. I love the menu, the crab cake I've been eating literally over a decade. I love the salmon burger. It's to live for, but honestly I've had everything on the menu. For dessert I get the brownie with ice cream or my fav peach cobbler. The hard cider on draft is always a hit. I've had and continue to make great memories in this place!

Overall rating: 4.2 I was in the neighborhood with a friend and we stumbled on this spot. The waffles of the chicken & waffles were so good. I kinda still think about them.. However, while we were a walk-in, the host said every seat is reserved and that we had to sit at the bar. Totally fine. What I don’t understand is.. for the full 90+ minutes we were there- we saw 4 tables that were empty the entire time. What gives?! I don’t understand the logic but I’m hurt. There was a nice table for 2 looking outside the window that was empty the entire time. On top of that, the beer was flat. The bartender was super nice and let me change drinks. When I ordered the sangria, thinking I was getting sangria- I saw he put seltzer water in it. The menu doesn’t have seltzer water shown. So either update your menu, or serve what the menu says. 😒 Because if I had known there was seltzer water in the sangria, I would not have ordered it. I liked the grits too, but I was really turned off by the drinking experience. I think I’d probably get those waffles to go & not sit back.

My partner and I wanted to try someplace new for brunch and came across Rustik Tavern. This spot is nestled on a quiet street in Clinton Hill. The design plays into the name of course and upon entry, I was swept away by the super moody interior — raw natural materials, woods, antique pieces, textured textiles, and an earthy color palette. There was also outdoor seating available in the back that was stunning.This location also set the tone with great music and mainly played afrobeats and amapiano. The boozy brunch option is $35 per person with your choice of unlimited mimosas, Bellinis, sangria or vodka and grapefruit. This is a great option for bigger parties and if you’re on a date I suggest the $25 unlimited mimosas or Bellinis instead. I opted for the sangria which is sweet and refreshing, especially being it was a super hot day. I can say that service was a bit slow when it came to more rounds of drinks but to be fair, it was Sunday brunch and the place was busy. As for the food, I can say I was pleased but it was nothing extraordinarily special. I ordered the chicken n waffles and breakfast potatoes. The chicken was flavorful but could’ve been juicer and the waffles were nice and light, topped with coconut rum sauce, strawberries and whipped cream. The breakfast potatoes made with both regular and sweet potatoes were nicely seasoned and soft and had cooked with peppers and onions. We wanted the Brussel sprouts as well but they were out for the day. My partner ordered the St. James Benedict Breakfast which came with poached eggs, salmon , hollandaise on a brioche and house salad. He described his food as good and also ordered the steak and eggs. Overall, I recommend checking out Rustik Tavern for either their brunch or dinner service to get a feel for yourself. I can see us returning!

Bartender was chill. Had great recommendations when I asked. Some of the most excellent music playing during a late afternoon/early evening. While I was initially taken a bit aback by the menu prices, I got over that as soon as my food arrived. Worth every penny. Glad I got a chance to give them a visit during my own visit to Brooklyn.

We had a reservation and were immediately seated, which doesn’t happen to often at other restaurants. From the atmosphere, to the service, and then the food, everything was amazing. The mimosas were STRONG. Worth every single cent of the bottomless price. We had the steak & eggs, catfish & grits, and waffles. Fish & grits were my favorite but everything was outstanding. Definitely a place you need to come to.

This isn’t a bad review, but an honest one. I went here for brunch today after reading the good reviews. The ambiance and service was great, no issues there. However, as a southern belle I cannot let y’all slide with that fish and grits that I had today. I was so confused. The fish was fried to perfection but I was disappointed when I tasted it because there was no seasoning on it at all. I had to smother it in hot sauce. Never have I ever had salsa on my grits. Had I known the grits were prepared like that I would’ve ordered something else. It was so much salsa. The salsa took away from the grits. I know sometimes restaurants add sautéed tomato and onions to their fish and grits which is fine. But to dump salsa on grits seems like the lazy route. My friend got the shrimp and grits. The shrimp was great but he also was confused by the salsa. I’ll more than likely go back for dinner and possibly brunch. But I cannot recommend those fish and grits unless the recipe changes.

Omg this place! 100/10 We enjoyed every bit of our brunch. The service, the food everything! Our server was amazing and the food was even better. The mimosas?! I need 1000 more. I'm usually too full for dessert but I had to have their brownie and it was perfect! I'll be back whenever I'm in New York again.