The Commodore

“Warnings aside, the chicken is incredibly moist inside and deliciously crispy outside served with amazing biscuits and honey butter.”

“Cool dark hipster bar with a comfort food menu that looks like it's gonna be a greasy afterthought.”

“Fried chicken and pina coladas
quotes from the table:
"These guys really know the deal with fried chicken"
"This is amazing!”

The Commodore

Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes

Price range.

$$ Price range $11-30

8 reviews

  1. I'm giving this place 1 star for many reasons, but the most important reason is that I was incorrectly charged on my credit card after inputting the tip amount/final total.  My bill after tip was for $50 flat.  I checked my credit card statement and they charged me $50.55.  I don't know how that happened, but this isn't right and they are cheating me out of my money.  Since it is only 55 cents, I am going to let it go, but please please pay attention to your bill and what you're actually charged.  I don't know how $50.00 looks like $50.55 on a receipt.  If they could do it to me, they could do it to you.  Also, something else to keep in mind is the way they keep your credit card when you leave a tab open.  I don't recommend doing this and you should pay as you go.  All of the credit cards are lined up on the counter at the bar.  This isn't safe and anyone can come by and swipe your credit card.  I saw a huge pile of credit cards just laying there and I was glad my credit card wasn't one of them.  

    Now on to the food:  I love fried chicken and I'm always on the hunt for a good chicken sandwich.  The place is very nondescript and it is easy to miss.  There is no sign outside.  The place is also very no frills, hipster filled and it's a first come first serve, seat yourself kind of place.  It's also dark and very divey.  It looks like a good place to come have a beer and chill out so don't come here and expect too much and you will be fine.  Oh yea, and don't expect any service.

    Fried Chicken Thigh Plate – I love love love fried chicken, but this fried chicken just didn't wow me.  It was nice and fried yes, but it lacked any taste.  I think the taste is supposed to come from the sauce and honey butter that accompanies the dish.  I don't like it when places do that since that means you can achieve that "taste" at any establishment and you don't need to come here.  The chicken pieces itself were piping hot.  It wasn't the juiciness I was hoping, but it wasn't dry either.  I was most disappointed in the taste factor.  It definitely could have used some seasoning and spices.  The chicken shouldn't have to rely on being dipped in sauce to make it taste good.  I think with a little tweaking, the chicken has great potential.

    Chicken Sandwich – The chicken in this sandwich is breast meat.  I'm normally not a fan of breast meat since I think it's dry, but I actually thought the chicken sandwich was better than the fried chicken thighs!  The chicken breast was nice and juicy and flavorful.  We got it medium and it was perfect since I can't really do spicy.  Between the two, I would suggest trying the sandwich if you want a good piece of chicken.  

    Mac n cheese – Don't order this.  This was tasteless as well and it was extremely oily.  All of the mac on the bottom was swimming in a pool of oil.  There also no flavor to it and I was really disappointed.

    The beers here are cheap though so they have that going for them.  I won't be back.  This is not the type of place you can come and relax and enjoy your food.  If they are going to serve fried chicken, you have to provide for your guests some type of surface for them to eat on.

  2. One word about this place DELICIOUS. Ok you guys don't be freaked out about how it looks trust me when you bite into that chicken or the hot fish sandwich you forget all about the interior. It's basically like a hub with a outside part. It looks old but it's pretty cool. I sat outside the back ordered guacamole, and the hot fish sandwich. My friend ordered the 3 pieces chicken. I forgot to mention that it's sit yourself and you basically order with the bartender. Also the drinks are refreshing but not that strong. The bill was pretty cheap. Our food didn't take long to come out and when it did it was hot. We bit into it and omg!!!!! The flavor and the spicyness of the food had me sold. I'm honestly looking forward to going back. Def a place you have to try!!!!!!

  3. The Commodore
    NY BK East Williamsburg
    10pm Wednesday 8th June 2016
    Four Stars

    It's retro, cheesy, hipster, but ultimately really fun. The bar has leather spinning chairs with a back.  They serve classic cocktails for $6-8 which include sloe gin fizz, perfect manhattan, rum punch, old fashion, pina colada, mint julep, commodore, and others.  We ordered a drink at the bar and then head to the partially covered back patio, where we sat on lawn furniture and hung out with hipsters of all sorts. Some were wearing jumpsuits, others had seafaring beanies, most had mustaches, and all wearing skinny jeans. This place smells delicious. I will come back and eat some Fried Chicken and Biscuits and probably a burger and fries at the same time.

  4. Divey, fun, no bullshit place despite the ~trendy~ customer base. Cheap comfort food, cheap drinks, not-too-expensive cocktails, lots of space & friendly bartenders. Definitely best during the day/late afternoon, when it's not too crowded.

  5. This place is dope! For a classy dive bar with killer fried chicken and snacks, the Commodore cannot be beat. I'm a sucker for kitsch, so having a bar decked out like the interior of a boat with a couple of arcade games (pinball!) earned a lot of points in my book. Add a nice happy hour deal with $3 pints of Harpoon, and you have yourself a very happy camper.

    And the food! Crispy, juicy fried chicken with (small) biscuits and various hot sauces and honey butter will always put a smile on my face. The large order of well-seasoned fries for $5 made for a nice side to share. All this, plus the Commodore's late hours make this joint a new standby of mine in Williamsburg.

  6. This is a divey place that has bomb fried chicken sandwiches and nachos. The pina coladas are strong, the bathrooms are gross, and the tables (if you can manage to grab one) are sticky–but it's a great, fun, no-nonsense bar that doesn't take itself too seriously. There are three main areas, the bar, the "dining room" and a back patio. Order your drinks at the bar and your food at a little walk up window.

    It's not the fanciest bar, and it's not pretentious either–a perfect place to kick back a bit and have drinks with friends.

  7. I'm not high maintenance, especially when it comes to ambiance, and I can saddle up to the counter at a surly, greasy spoon joint with the best of them. Actually, it's one my pet peeves when I read one-star Yelp reviews that are all like "Food was the best I've ever had, but I think I saw the waitress roll her eyes at me." If the food is good, don't throw off my Yelp navigation with your social anxiety, ykwim? But I had to take off a star for the icy demeanor of the bartender who deadpanned all of my attempts at smiles. Moreover, said bartender told us they were only serving brunch, but failed to mention that they'd start serving the lunch/dinner menu about 20 minutes after our arrival.

    Anyway, I digress — the food here was really good. (Also, I know you don't walk into a bar known for frozen cocktails and fried chicken and immediately think "KALE!" but the sauteed kale here was pretty amazing.) Fried chicken is spot on and I'm a sucker for a pina colada, so I'll definitely be back to Commodore.

  8. The Commodore! Okay, I stopped here while really drunk, but I had a seriously fun time here. My friend says this place has the best chicken sandwich in WIlliamsburg – which I cannot confirm, because I haven't tried it yet – but his word is pretty solid. (And other reviews seem pretty ecstatic about it.)

    This bar was pretty crowded, but nothing too overwhelming. I spent most of the evening on the patio, which is a little claustrophobic, but I appreciate anywhere that will accommodate my smoking habit. I drank gin and followed it with their house drink, The Commodore, or in other words The Commodore's tasty spin on a Piña Colada.

    Bathrooms were clean, ID guy was friendly, and bar staff was nice. I'd like to come back here.

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Metropolitan Avenue 366
11211 NY US
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Monday, 4:00 pm - 4:00 am
Tuesday, 4:00 pm - 4:00 am
Wednesday, 4:00 pm - 4:00 am
Thursday, 4:00 pm - 4:00 am
Friday, 4:00 pm - 4:00 am
Saturday, 11:00 am - 4:00 am
Sunday, 11:00 am - 4:00 am