James
“My friend got the kale salad which was delicious and felt virtuous without tasting like cardboard.”
“Instead, I went with the The Classic, 8oz grass-fed, Black Angus Burger with Vermont Cheddar, brioche & herb fries.”
“We each selected the endive salad, sauteed skate and tried both desserts (a lavender creme brulee and a grilled lemon pound cake).”
James
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This place is absolutely fantastic! Bang for your buck when you come here. We left with our bellies packed full.
On my second time here, I ordered the chicken and apple sandwich, and it came with so many fries I was about to topple over from the amount of food I consumed. It was savory and sweet and so delicious. My boyfriend got the burger and this is the FIRST TIME I've heard him say it was good after all the brunch places we've brunched at.
Service can lag a little during the weekend brunch hours but wayyyyy worth the trip!
Been here for brunch and for dinner. It's always looked frighteningly packed, but I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated. Waitstaff is super friendly and accommodating, and parents will be happy to know that I've seen them easily squeeze in multiple larger groups with several kids, which didn't disrupt the ambiance one bit.
Can't recommend the Busiate Trapenese Pasta enough. So tasty! The cocktails were also great–you get a lot more bang for your buck on the cocktail front here than you would at other similarly ~hip~ joints in the neighborhood.
Be aware, the "small plates" are just that. Lots of restaurants will use small plates to refer to appetizers/shareable tapas-type dishes, but this isn't the case here. These small plates are definitely only suitable for 1 person. Still delicious, though!
I've been to James twice, and wouldn't you know it? I was a bit inebriated* both times.
Visit One.
We came in for post-brunch cocktails, and ended up staying for hours because the cocktails were so good, and we couldn't just stop at one. James actually shuts down between brunch and dinner, but they were nice enough to let us stick around until we started bothering them because their staff family meal smelled so delicious. So when my other employment opportunities fall through (probably because of the drinking), I might have to hit them up for a job.
Visit Two.
In the neighborhood for some strange reason, we recalled the excellent cocktails and smells from our previous visit and stopped by for a late dinner. It turns out that the deliciousness extends past family meal to the items on the actual menu as well. We shared shortrib, scallops, pasta, salad, cheesecake, and an excellent, excellent burger. I can't say that I recall that many details about the meal beyond that, but it seems that the staff at James is composed of friendly and hospitable folk who have no problem with long, loud conversations about the acceptability of sweat pants and various related topics.
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*Hamsauced, even.
This is a Brooklyn must go. My fiancé and I come here regularly for its laid back yet upscale atmosphere. The menu never disappoints, with the shrimp and grits being some of the best in the city. The menu is particularly appealing to me, as it's very vegetarian friendly. Usually I create my own meals off side dishes at restaurants, but James offers a variety of veggie friendly options that aren't just a side of roasted vegetables. Don't let the fact that it's packed scare you away either. Each time we go we've never waited more than 15 minutes for a very comfortable table, and theres a lovely bar area to enjoy some craft cocktails while you wait.
Think of 5th Ave…. Madison Avenue upscale resto hidden on Carlton Ave in Park Slope, Brooklyn with the NYC PRICE TAG attached….. lol.
My take is if you are not passing through the area… you wouldn't even know that it existed… the fabulous James restaurant. It is common to the residents of the area….
I walked in on a Saturday night with a friend. Small comfortable restaurant with a bar with literally a few tables. Like my friend said verbatim, "it feels so homie"…. and I would agree…
The staff was very pleasant and professional…. not just professional…. but their whole vibe was above my expectations…. everything about the place was upscale.
The food:
Complimentary toasted warm bread bites…. there was something about the butter spread… Delicious!
Arugula Salad w/ goat cheese…. very good.
The Burger… I must say that was one of the best burgers I've had..
Scallops… my friend thoroughly enjoyed her dinner.
Lastly, the desert…. Chocolate Brownie Cake with Creme Fraisse…. Yummy yum yum yum… with the green tea thyme ice cream out of this world.
James Resto…. well done!
Came here last night for dinner. As with a lot of BK restaurants, it was fairly quiet until after 7pm, when it got busy. I started with the oysters, which were quite good. Then I had the burger, which was also very good. What was less good were the fries. I like herbs, and I don't mind them on my fries, but there were too many herbs that the french fries were overpowered and I had to eventually shake the herbs off and eat around them. I washed everything down with a few IPAs. The service here was quite excellent: efficient, timely, attentive. I had a brief, awkward holier-than-thou encounter with one of the employees, which is entirely negligible, although for what you are paying here, you should be paying for service that mitigates such interactions with grace and ease. I guess if I want more sycophancy I can always go to Manhattan lol. Whatever. I'm really pickin nits here. Wonderful food and very good service.
First beautiful weekend in a long while and of course I brunched. As nice as the weather was, the wait at James wasn't horrible compared to average wait times of 1-1.5 hrs at more popular brunch spots in NY. The wait for two on Sunday around noon was maybe 30 mins.
The picturesque restaurant is minimalist with a touch of vintage charm and fits in perfectly with this quiet little brownstone-filled street. Our server, who was also the bartender, was very warm and inviting. When it was time to order, I went with the Carolina Shrimp with Harissa Jus and Creamy Polenta, which was good but I wouldn't have minded a couple more shrimp. Aside from wishing portions were larger, I enjoyed my quartet of flavorful shrimp combined with creamy polenta and yolky poached eggs. I'm not sure how spicy harissa is supposed to be but I didn't taste any heat, which was fine by me.
I'd love to see a bit more brunchy variety on their menu (i.e. the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes sounds like an interesting departure from your typical pancakes) but otherwise, James is a lovely, low-key restaurant in the neighborhood and worth a visit.
I had the delicious shrimp over polenta, a lighter version of shrimp and grits. My friend had the super yummy lemon ricotta pancakes, and we both enjoyed fun cocktails (mine was the Escobar fizz). Service is really friendly. Prices are high – it's easy to throw down $40+ per person for brunch here – but the quality is so high that it feels like a worthy splurge!