Ali’s Restaurant
“My girlfriend and I came about this bar/lounge by chance as we walked past Maria Hernandez Park on a Sunday night.”
“The owner works his butt off to make great homemade food, while being the bartender, host, busser, and bouncer.”
“My 2 favorites are the margaritas and, Mojitos, both are $5 each.”
Ali’s Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
6 reviews
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The best part of the experience was Ali. He said he's been in the neighborhood for over 30 years..close to 40 I think…and he has a very pleasant and welcoming disposition. He stands by his food and is confident of his culinary skills…as he should be!
I ordered the chicken pita wrap – now this was very good, don't get me wrong. That said, while satisfying, I've had better when compared to the vast number of other Lebanese places I've been. I would like to check out some of the other items as I have a feeling they could rise to the challenge.
I think this is worth checking out. I would inquire more on what is most popular and what Ali thinks is the "best". The bar seems chill – I could see myself coming here with a friend or two…grabbing some drinks and sharing a few items…might be a good options if you want to test the waters IMO.
Ali, the owner, is what makes this place so great. He's such a calm, down-to-earth dude. He was the bartender when I went and he was awesome! I was on a no-sugar diet and asked him to make me a virgin, no-sugar-added mojito and he did it! And did it well! It was so good.
The area in the back is refreshing because it's an open space with chairs, so you can chill and get away from the crowd in the front.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to check out the food, but their menu looked promising.
If you live in the area, go check this place out!
Can't say enough about this place. One man show! The owner works his butt off to make great homemade food, while being the bartender, host, busser, and bouncer. And all the while, he is talking to his guests to make sure that everyone is having a good time.
He will be the first to offer up his life stories, and seems to genuinely enjoy hearing yours. He will be happy to have a drink with you, and even buy a round. Before you know it, he'll be headed into the kitchen to get food for you just to let you try something you've never had. The fava beans ($6) are imported from Egypt and an absolute must try!
Beware: he won't serve the super drunk! He will in cut off people who have had too much already. Even if it costs him a sale, or annoys regular customer, he will do what he thinks is right. Apparently, his business had has issues with this- among other things. He has a bar story about everything! He has seen it all. And he's not a racist (despite what another review implies). A misunderstanding, but there is more to his version of the story that has nothing to do with race. Somehow, we got on the topic and he explained what happened.
Regardless, the food is awesome and he is even trying cutting prices on drinks and offering more specials (like shot & a beer for $5) to build more of a bar business. It's a great place to go in Bushwick.
When I first moved to Jefferson-vicinity Bushwick last Spring I wasn't exactly blown away by the bar choices in the area. NEK is a good spot, but it's often jam-packed, and anyway I'm a sports guy; when I sit down with a shot and a beer I like it accompanied with a ball game.
I started frequenting 280 because Shelby was just about the cutest and friendliest bartender in NYC. And like other reviewers have mentioned, the owner, Ali, is the best. The man works 14 hour days, pours his heart into this bar, makes his patrons feel like family, and is a crazy-amazing chef to boot. And if you ask him nicely, he might just cook you an off-menu middle-eastern dinner that'll make you think about moving to Lebanon.
I don't know of another place in the 'hood that'll give you the remote, let you sample free new culinary creations, and make you feel as comfortable as if you were sitting in your favorite hometown pub. Just leave the drama at the door… the owner doesn't take any shit from thugs or meatheads.
We had a lovely dinner here. My wife had the stuffed cabbage with meat. The taste was great though the color was a bit grey. I had the cauliflower in tomato sauce and it came with rice. Both of our meals were tasty and the man who greeted us, waited in our table and cooked was very pleasant. No frills but perfectly adequate.
Would love it if they had some combo played as there were several dishes I wanted to try – like the okra, vegetarian stuffed cabbage and kibbeh. Very vegetarian friendly. The menu online isn't very clear about this.
I had the special which was a marinated bottom round steak with potatoes, onions and peppers. I believe Ali said that it was actually marinated in root beer? I'm totally underselling this dish, it was super good! I'm not completely sure what he did to that steak but it was so tender and flavorful . Ali was very warm and welcoming; we had a pretty good chat while I ate and I really did enjoy his company. My only disappointment was that my phone was dying and could not stay longer for drinks and dessert.