Monday marks the beginning of Restaurant Week, Grand Street’s semi-annual restaurant event! From August 14th to August 27th, you’ll have the opportunity to try 11 of Grand Street’s restaurants both new and old at lower than ever prices. 11 of the best eats in Williamsburg are offering 3-course prix fixe dinners at discounted rates from $20 to $35 in North Brooklyn’s annual celebration of local cuisine. With all these offerings on 6 blocks, it might be difficult to make a decision. This guide is here to give you all the answers to why you should visit each participating restaurant on Grand Street, and what you can order for the best experience. Each of the following restaurants and bars has special Restaurant Week menus, so just ask if you don’t see one.
As always, take a picture of your wine and dine experience and post with #DineonGrand for a chance to win $50 to a Grand Street BID business of your choice.
Follow @grandstreetbid on Instagram and Facebook for the most up-to-date information on the event!
Grand Street Classics
GRAND MORELOS—$29.50
A Grand Street staple, Grand Morelos has been with the neighborhood day and night for decades. The late-night diner & bakery has seen us all at our finest and not-so-fine hours. The Grand Morelos bakery is also one of the better-kept secrets of our food scene, so take advantage. Guacamole & Chips is our go-to appetizer, but we also recommend the Chicken Wings if you’re extra hungry. Bistec Con Camarones (Steak & Shrimp) for your entree will fill you if the app didn’t, but try to save room for the Tres Leches. Flan and NY Cheescake are your other options for dessert. Once you’ve fallen in love with Grand Morelos stop back in for affordable cookies & doughnuts from the bakery and amazing iced coffee (not just by diner standards) any time you want - literally.
Ramen from Ryujin
RYUJIN—$25
This Grand Street staple has been serving Japanese comfort food to the neighborhood for over 12 years. Something about the ramen from Ryujin leaves us stuffed after every bowl. Now add an appetizer and dessert to the mix to really make the most of a 3 course dinner. Keep it light with your app so go with the pork bun or the edamame. You can choose from 6 different options of ramen bowl, but our favorite is the samurai miso bowl. Finally, the meal is paired with either beer, or mochi ice cream. The jury is out here so we’ll leave that choice to you.
THE CLONARD—$25
Known for their lager and bar food staples, The Clonard has been open for just over a year but is already Grand Street Classic. They’re offering bar staples Mozzarella Sticks and Jalapeño Poppers to get the appetite going. Then you can enjoy an 8oz burger, with the option of going for a Beyond Burger if you’re looking for a vegan option. Enjoy a Clonard Lager, or a glass of Pinot Grigio if you’re feeling classy, with your meal for the full bar eatery experience.
Shawarma from Dar525
DAR525—$23
A Grand Street classic, Dar525 just celebrated its 12th year on Grand Street back in February. Serving up Middle Eastern classics, Dar525 is offering extreme value to Restaurant Week’s with four courses for only $23. You can start with hummus or babaganouj, but they’re offering other apps as well. Next you can choose from kibbeh or a cheese and parsley roll. For the main course you’ve got a variety of protein choices including the vegan falafel and the not-so vegan chicken shawarma. Top your dinner off with baklava or basbous for a fantastic four-course meal at amazing value.
Critically Acclaimed on Grand
All pasta at Ammazzacaffè is made in-house
AMMAZZACAFFÈ—$35
Winner of a coveted Bib Gourmand title from Micheline Guide, Ammazzacaffè has already built its reputation for affordable fine dining at its best. Be sure to try the Tartare crostino with sea trout, Lettuga salad with Botarga, and sunchokes as an appetizers. For your entree, try the Reginette—pasta with pork shoulder ragu — it’s a perfect dish. Finish the night with their daily dessert offering for the perfect date or special night out on Grand Street.
The Backyard Burger from BK Jani
BK JANI—$35
There are a lot of burger joints in Williamsburg, but only BK Jani’s burgers come with mint chutney as a sauce option. Featured on Infatuation’s The Best 20 Burgers in NYC, you can’t go wrong with a burger here. They’re offering Two Lamb Chops to start, then any burger of your choosing. We recommend The Jani Burger; ½ pound of custom blend ground beef, cooked medium rare, mint chutney at the bottom, grilled tomato and a touch of raita. Included in their special is a soda or one of their house drinks.
BAHIA—$25
Bahia has been on Grand Street for over 20 years, serving up pupusas and other delicious Salvadorian dishes. After decades on Grand, they’ve been recognized as one of The Best Restaurants in Williamsburg by Infatuation NYC. We recommend you start with their famous pupusas; you can choose from a wide variety of options but some favorites include the revueltas pupusa stuffed with pork, refried beans, and cheese, or jalapeño pupusas .For the main entrée enjoy their delicious Carne Asada, Pollo al Limon, or Tilapia al Sarten. A glass of either sangria or wine is included in your meal, alongside a delicious slice of amaretto cheese cake to finish.
Filling Favorites!
TACO EDITION—$24
Taco Edition variety of Taqueria classics never disappoints. The prix fixe menu starts with a choice of Esquites, Chips and Guacamole, or Fried Sweet Plaintains. We, of course, recommend any of these delicious options. With three hearty options to choose from for dinner, our favorite are the Nachos. Don’t miss out on this tasty dish that comes with chicken or as a vegetarian dish. Churros are for dessert, served with a chocolate sauce it’s the cherry on top of a perfect meal - or grab any of their beers/frozen cocktails!
Brisket Pho from Lucy’s Vietnamese
Lucy’s Vietnamese is Grand Street’s newest restaurant, and most affordable Restaurant Week Special! Coming in at $20, Lucy’s is offering a Summer Roll, a bowl of Pho or a Bánh mì, and one of either their of their in house made Vietnamese Coffee or Iced Tea. At the core of Lucy’s dishes is its brisket which is smoked for 14 hours. They also offer other proteins including chicken, vegan chicken, and tofu. With a wide array of proteins available in their dishes, Lucy’s is covering all bases. If all of those options overwhelm you, you can’t go wrong with their signature Brisket Pho paired with the refreshing House Iced Tea.
Curry from Thip Osha
THIP OSHA—$25
This Thai spot nearby the Grand Street L station always feels cozy. With a diverse prix fixe menu, Thip Osha has altogether 50 combinations to choose from. There is surely something that will please everyone from curry to noodles to fried rice. Out of all of those choices, our favorites are the crispy chicken wings with red chili sauce to start, green curry with chicken, and banana sticky rice for dessert. Stop by this tiny spot for big flavors.
CARNEVAL—$35
Carneval is inspired by the owners’s own cultures and carnivals from countries they’ve visited around the world. This comes in the form of a wide variety of different cuisines all fused into one. Start with Carneval Bao Buns, then follow it up with Dominican style fried rice dish Chofan. Finish your meal with either a delicious Coconut Flan, or Nutella Crepes.