fantastic food, service and ambiance! great movies, arcade games and music. Nachos are amazing. and my second favorite burger in the United States of America. read more

Crispy, juicy fried chicken with biscuits and honey butter will always put a smile on my face, the best Fried Chicken.

Fresh squeeze juices for cocktails, organic meat, beyond meat, 3-4$ beers, a Backyard, and a Dj every night of the week. You can't go wrong at this place. There's no waitress so just order at the bar.. which is faster at a busy place anyway. There's a guy named Randy or Richie, he touched me once and I saw his thoughts... changed my life. read more

My favorite bar in Williamsburg- and all because of the nachos. The fried chicken sandwich and pina coladas are a winning combo. It's a very Williamsburg vibe inside (no frills) but that's what makes it special. The space is small and sometimes hard to find a spot to perch, but worth it. read more

This has been the single worst dining experience that I've ever had in my life. Sunday, July 10th at 7pm. My wife was verbally abused and berated to the point of running out of the restaurant crying by a short, slightly chunky woman with heavy mascara and brown hair whow was delivering did from the kitchen. She refused to get the manager saying she was the manager here and had been working there for 3-4 years. First off, my wife and I went there to try out this supposedly great fried chicken. Turns out, that this place isn't a restaurant at all. It's a bar. Either way, we went in and since seating was almost impossible to find, my wife scouted out the seating while i waited at the bar to order the food. Yes, there's no waitresses taking orders or a line/window for food. You must order food from a crowd at the busy bar waiting for drinks. After finally waiting only 15 minutes, and you'll see why I say only 15 minutes in a moment, to just order the food, I placed the order. Unfortunately for me, I forgot to order drinks. That was a huge mistake. I went out and found my wife still standing in the outdoor seating area waiting to grab a table as it's a seat yourself type of place. She asked me to get her a seltzer water. Another thing I didn't care for is that the whole back eating area has no smoking signs but pretty much every single person there was smoking. Not enjoyable for dining. I went back to the bar and waited to order a seltzer water. 10 minutes went by. Then 20 minutes. The crowd of people waiting to order wasn't moving at all. The people around me started complaining about the wait. The two bartenders must've been new or something, because in the 45 minutes it took me to get to the front of the line, I watched them spend more time fumbling around with people's open bar tabs. It looked like they had misplaced credit cards or something. They only produced about 3 drinks in that 45 minute time frame. It was the slowest bar service that I had ever seen. By this time, the crowd had built up around me to at least 20 people waiting to get drinks. Eventually I got the seltzer. I walk out to find my wife sitting down with the food that we had ordered. The look on her face was not happy. She had waited for me to start eating and the food was now cold. I went back in and flagged down a woman who was the food runner. She didn't take orders but just dropped off the food. I asked her if she could warm up the food or flash fry the chicken quickly again. She took away the plates and then we waited another 20 minutes for the food again. By this point we had been there well over an hour and had not eaten yet. I explained to the woman what was going on at the bar and how they weren't serving customers at a reasonable pace. She immediately started blaming us and saying that she had dropped the food off at the table and passed by numerous times and noticed that my wife wasnt eating and that it looked like something was wrong. But why didn't she stop by and ask her what was going on? She told us that we should've approached her and ordered the drinks from her, but when we walked in, we were directed to order all did and drinks at the bar and that there was no table service or order taking at the table. Although I mentioned it was not her fault at all several times, she continued to blame us for creating this experience. Then she finally brought the food. She had to say something again she just couldn't keep her mouth shut. She said something to the effect of its our fault and that next time my wife shouldn't gotten up and grabbed her. Then my wife opened her mouth to this woman for the first and last time. She simply said that there probably won't be a next time. Then the woman walked away. We proceeded to start to eat and i don't even know if we got our first bite in before this woman came storming back to our table, crouched down and looked my wife in the eye and told her that she didn't appreciate the tone of voice that she has used with her and how she went above and beyond to serve us and personally cater to all of our demands. I immediately stopped her and told her not to talk to my wife like that and to talk to me if she had a problem. Up until those point my wife never uttered a word to her other than there not being a next time. She went on and on causing a huge scene in the restaurant saying how my wife had "iced" her, whatever that means. Maybe it means a dirty look as far as I can guess. I don't know. At that point my wife had tears pouring down her face and was so humiliated and ran out of the restaurant. We just left. Everyone has had a bad restaurant experience. Bad food. Bad service. Cold food. Long wait. Whatever. I've never seen the waitress verbally abuse and yell at someone to the point where they cry. It's the worst ever. I'll make sure I tell everyone I know how this waitress at the Commodore treated my wife. This was the worst dining experience I've ever had. read more

Worst customer service experience of my life. The female bartender was not happy with her tip so she came around the bar and took the drinks out of my hand. When my girlfriend tried to give her more money she literally threw the money back in her face. It was totally uncalled for and unprofessional. The fried chicken and fruity drinks were delicious but we had to leave after this rude woman insulted and embarrassed us. Never coming back here. read more

Great atmosphere, FREE VIDEO GAMES! great cheap beer (do the Williambrau pitcher for $10, it doesn't disappoint) and good food. But the fried chicken is OVERBREADED. I had to peel back layer upon layer of gristle before I could get to the nice, juicy dark thigh meat. Everyone else had chicken sandwiches and loved them. My biscuits and honey butter were amazing. Well priced for W-burg. read more

The Commodore: a solid place for a drink and cheap dinner...bartenders are sometimes nice, sometimes not. I've never had a necessarily bad experience with them, but never a necessarily great one either. The drinks are totally over-priced though for what the commodore is - i understand expensive drinks at Huckleberry Bar or Maison (boo @ Maison), but not here. Stick to Modelo or another beer. read more

Know what you are getting into first: this is a bar. And frankly, poor service for a bar without food. But this bar has food and you must eat it. If you're at The Commodore, you're getting fried chicken. The vehicle can shift. I think the plate of three giant, extra crispy yet juicy thighs are a must. With it comes honey butter, a vinegary hot sauce, and a hot-honey based sauce. A few tiny biscuits are there. They're great but focus on the chicken. For brunch get the chicken biscuit. Others say the sandwich is good. I believe em. But get the plate first. And the chips with queso or nachos. Wash it down with some modelos, a Commodore cocktail or a mint julep. Come on a Sunday to extend the weekend read more

I do not write yelp reviews. Ever. I'm only doing this because the fried chicken is that good. Best I ever had..like that drake song. The hot breast sandwich has the crunch, the spice, the juice and the flavor. The fried chicken plate comes with 3 big piece of cripsy chicken, biscuits, honey butter and hot sauce. The drinks...STRONG. I highly recommend this to this place to anybody that needs food to survive. They should change their name from "The Commodore" to "Vegan Converters." read more

This is an absolute must! Don't be fooled by the blackout windows, it is open. Once inside make sure to order the nachos. They do not disappoint. There is also a back patio here - tip the bartender early to get your food fast. read more

Best cocktail for your money: try Bourbon cooler. Good music most nights. read more

Looooorrrddd have mercy! Met a girlfriend for dinner and a movie this was the middle ground. Very dive bar ish. Music was rock and roll and loud. It's seat yourself and we had to stand for awhile but the bartender brought out another chair and made a 3rd turn to the other side so we could sit. I thought all the staff was nice and did their job. We split the fried chicken and the green salad. The salad was great I liked the pickles! But the fried chicken. Taking me back to my grandma and her cast iron. They do it right! I will be back. Big momma is bringing her appetite!! Oh and I need to buy one of their hoodies. "People are animals" my style. read more

we had the place to ourselves. it was the 1980's with a touch of motown delusions. the fries i inhaled were salty, hot and good. there were no brick houses or dutch commanders spotted in the vicinity. read more

before arriving i was only slightly preoccupied with the chance i was late to a bday dinner of a few, choice friends, and as roommate invited only as gesture, with expectations i wouldn't show. however, madison's crew likes to party, and i felt welcome just blending into the backyard and finding a corner spot to drink my $3 williamsbaugh draft and watch the girl in the red skirt whose birthday it wasn't flash her ass. madison mentioned the storied commodore fried chicken as she drank from a stolen glass when she invited me in our kitchen the week prior. for sanitation purposes i was grateful the commodore reeked of fried chicken, since some of my other favorite olfactory sensations include gasoline, cum and sunscreen. a naked photo of james' sunburnt body was circulating through the friendzone via his phone, and actually reached me at the outskirts. james wasn't thrilled that i saw his penis and passed the phone to my friends, but i assured the back of his head that no one should be ashamed for having a penis. i became physically intimate with other drunken patrons while waiting to order my life's first pina colada, sipping it in the corner in anticipation of my chicken plate. for a venue this chaotic the food distribution system successfully caters to the drunken patron (as it should) with minimum confusion: the bartender gives each drunken patron a cute, little sign with a number on it upon ordering. this cute, little sign makes it easy for the runner to identify and differentiate orders no matter what position the customer is slumped. shaina watched me scarf my chicken plate without self pity and sat on the arm of my chair as i gasped from excitement the chicken gave me. she smiled and said "look at you!" and i looked up and smiled back with grease and honey butter dripping down my face. the thigh is the most misunderstood of the chicken unit, but three monstrous thighs for $12 means commodore has re purposed it into a credible component again, personally on par with the ever-present breast. sun asked for a bite on my sauce drenched thigh. chewing, i handed it to him, but he waved it towards his mouth then leaned in and took a bite without hands. the hot oil burned his lips. he took his shirt off when we sang happy birthday but madison asked him to put it back on. i finished my pina colada and received no hydration. the commodore was as busy when i left it as it was when i first walked inside. read more

Some people are breast men. Others ass men. I'm a thigh guy. Obviously, I'm talking about fried chicken. The Commodore specializes in an extra crispy version where the the skin almost looks like it is jumping from the meat that it is attached. The crispy, crusty skin had the texture of chicharrones when they come straight out of the fryer: light, airy, crackly, but without any heavy greasiness. The thighs didn't have the same juicy, meaty quality as Pies n' Thighs or Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken (try saying that five times fast), but the lack of flava of the meat was more than rectified by a triumvirate of tasty sauces. The ketchup-tabasco remoulade had a nice sweet and spicy pungency; the tabasco sauce kicked it up a notch; and the sweet, creamy honey butter beckoned to be slathered over everything on my plate. The Harpoon IPA proved to be a surprisingly excellent pairing with the fried chicken, as its dry hoppiness served a dual role of muting the spiciness of the ketchup-tabasco remoulade and cleansing the palate for more thigh action. I ordered another beer, the Williamsbrew, because I felt like being cheap and ironic. Conclusion: Hipster chicken is finger lickin'. read more

Probably my favorite bar in the city. Love the drinks. The fried chicken is fantastic. Get the full plate with biscuits and honey butter. The nachos are also a personal favorite. They play old movies by the bar, and this place is usually pretty packed, but if you can snag a table it's a great place to hang out. read more

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One of my best friends from college was supposed to help her boy move into his new apartment. He called his no-show girlfriend and she replied "happy hour got in the way...Sorry!" Although she didn't tell her boy where she was engaging in daytime drinking, he appeared an hour later at the Commodore and said, "I thought you would be here". Yes, she loves it that much and no, I don't blame her. 3 Thighs, 3 mini biscuits with the famous honey butter, 2 for 1 happy hour drinks...how could you not like this place? Though the fried chicken wasn't the best I've ever had (I don't really like chunks of meatless fried chips hanging off the thigh), I couldn't stop myself from scooping the honey butter with the fried chicken. You think it's gross now, but wait till it's staring you right in your face, taking your sense of smell for a loopy ride. Don't judge me. The drinks were sub par (opt for the tap beers..gimme that Sweet Action!) and the "I'm too cool for you because I'm a hipster and I pretend like I don' care about anything" service brings it down a couple of notches. read more

i felt like i walked into somebody's unfinished basement. that some awesome dad with a huge beard was going to yell down at any moment and ask if we all wanted to go smoke a joint out in the garage because mom was at her reiki class. perfect atmosphere. some annoying hipsters but they were well behaved. hella room in the big booths up by the front door. the bar area was perfectly lit and sparsely adorned with the best wall furnishings i've seen in a while. the fried chicken is ON POINT. i'll go here instead of squeezing my ass into pies n thighs from now on. the Hot Fish sandwich was a little too spicy. the green salad was yumtown. and the water was delicious. ima diggin' it. read more

As a long time fan of Black Betty who considers herself a foodie, I really wanted to like Commodore. But within a few minutes of walking in for drinks and some grub I was nonplussed. Why? Attitude, people. The low-rent Grizzly Adams behind the bar and his Quasimodo-like brunette sidekick acted like they were doing us a grandiose favor by smirkily answering a couple questions my friend had about the menu. Speciality drinks were solid, and the food was good too (ordered the hot fish sandwich and pork du jour), but if you're serving food with a Southern flair don't forget one of the most important ingredients: HOSPITALITY. I don't think they cracked a smile or said a nice word (to anyone) the entire time we were there. As someone who has worked in clubs/bars etc., this is beyond douchelike behavior, it's just ridiculous, unnecessary, and bad for business. We went early on a Weds, and by the time we left (8ish) the handful of little hipster toddlers running around screaming were starting to leave (thank the lord) to be replaced by bespectacled older hipsters (damn, it made me miss the kids). The layout of the place is stodgy and stiff... none of the laidback flow of Black Betty here... but I guess the stick-up-the-ass owners/service staff wanted a decor to match their attitude. I won't be back, I don't care how good your damn fried chicken is! read more

Hot breast is very hot. Not like you would expect. It's seriously spicy and so so delicious. Get there early because it starts to fill up with douche bags around 11. Nachos are so insanely good you'll swear there's a solid amount of PCP mixed in with the cheese. Greg the bartender is the raddest. Great DJ's too. read more

Two words- Honey Butter! The fried chicken is well made, and some of the best fried chicken I've had. What really puts it over the top though is the honey butter! My bf and I both ordered the fried chicken meal which comes with three large pieces of chicken, little side biscuits as well as three sides, BBQ, Hot Sauce & HONEY BUTTER! We bought some drinks while waiting for a table to open up, which is quite a game. Don't come here on too empty of a stomach because chances are you might get a bit buzzed while you wait for that table. We did come here on a Friday night so it wasn't too surprising but a bit overwhelming how packed the place was. My bf had had been there once before with friends and said the place was a bit more dead the last time he was there. So it leads me to believe that you could be able to have a nice quite dinner there without fighting for a table on weeknights, maybe even the occasional Friday/ Sunday. Finally a table opens up, we stand over them waiting, only to have a girl just meeting her friends from the next table snatch a chair from our table before we could move closer. Keep in mind, there where only two chairs and two of us..... *cough* *cough* rude *cough* *cough* inconsiderate *cough* *cough* We ordered anyway, both of us standing over our table with our drinks and laughing about our one chair. Luckily though a big party left and I kindly asked the new table that sat down if I could have their spare chair, which I got just in time for our food. The system is a bit confusing in some ways, my bf ordered, and tipped the bartender he ordered from. The bartender gave him a number to put on our table and a waitress came over and brought us our food. She also checked up on us and cleared our table. I wanted to make sure she was taken care of so I asked how the tipping works, and she said that the waitstaff does get a cut of the bar tips, but lead me to believe that its not much. Some people leave tips on the table for them, some don't and tip the bar. We tipped her as well, but I'm still left a little confused about who we where technically supposed to tip. I also feel a little bad that I made my bf double tip =P Other then the crazy musical chair/ table snatching and the great debate on who we're supposed to tip, I did enjoy this place a lot. The fried chicken here is hands down better then Pies N Thighs, which is good, but dryer, and lacks the taste that the Commodore has. I felt the biscuits here where pretty great, Also, you HAVE to come here for the honey butter alone. I think I could die and go to heaven after dipping almost anything into that stuff. The drinks here aren't the cheapest, but they're reasonably priced. We both had "The Commodore" which tasted like a much awesomer (is that a word?) Pina colada. The bouncers, servers and staff here are really nice. At one point the bouncer "upgraded" our chairs to nicer softer ones, which was cool. He also told us that we didn't have to stand in front of the restaurant to smoke, and recommended we take our drinks to the back outdoor area, which was exceptionally nice and considerate. Its Winter, so we didn't get the whole back area experience but it looked very chic and pretty with lights hanging everywhere. I will definitely come back here. I loved the food, the bar area, the drinks, the ambiance, the staff and the pin ball machine didn't hurt either. The ONLY thing Pies N Thighs has over this place is a much more organized seating/ tipping system, and well just in general a lot more seats. I was also a little sad that they didn't have mac n cheese. I usually like a little side of mac n cheese with my fried chicken. I hear they have a great burger, but I'm not sure I could bring myself to come here and not have the fried chicken, its just too good to resist! read more

5/5 - chicken biscuit (they said it was the only fried chicken dish they had on their Saturday brunch menu and we went there for their fried chicken). OMG, the biscuit!! It crumbles and melts in your mouth in such an indescribably delicious way. The chicken (I think it was breast meat) was also well cooked, surprisingly moist. The batter was perfectly crispy. Their honey butter was a really nice complement, and I usually don't like to mix my fried chicken with sweet stuff. It was a moving experience, really. 3.5/5 - atmosphere. Didn't know what to expect. It was self-seating, and we didn't find the staff to be particularly warm or friendly. My sister said one section of the restaurant was packed, so maybe that was why (staff super busy)? Anyhow, can't wait to go back and try their full range of fried chicken options! read more

The food is great, but it doesn't get all five stars. I came here around noon and they were exclusively serving brunch until 4. The regular menu was not an option. All food had to be ordered at the bar. The bar staff was reasonable but could've been a little more attentive. The credit card minimum was $20, which is a little steep. Definitely a great restaurant, but something this expensive should be a little more customer friendly to get a perfect rating. read more

Hate the crowd here. But love the food, which consists of sandwiches (think fried chicken) and other sorts of "southern comfort" or "American" foods that are delicious, prepared well and very reasonably priced for the area. So I use this place as a takeout joint. If the bar itself were a bit better it would be a 5 star spot. read more

Went here today while the Nachos and Fried Chicken were decent the service here just sucks. The do it yourself vibe is lame for the price and the place is just filthy. The bathrooms, the tables, the bar and the patio are gross. The whole entitled hipster bullshit staff can suck it. They kept turning the lights off in the backyard and it was dark as shit and full of bugs. I'm over this place. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, whatever I'm a life long NYer save the bullshit this place is steeped in customer dis-service and I'm over it. The food isn't as good as it use to be and for all the attitude fuck this spot. read more

divey. hipsters. blender cocktails. a bit small, but only in respect to the amount of people coming in. i love my cocktails, but this place made me want to drink something on tap. the real reason i'm here.. the food. heavy, tasty bar food. - fried chicken - ginormous portion (3 thighs) in a cripsy fluffy batter. I could only eat one. - biscuits with honey butter. usually im not a big carb muncher, but this was like candy! - the bestest yummiest grilled cheese i've ever eaten. sure it was a little "junky".. but its so good. really good.. awesomely good.. so good, it has to be bad.. very bad. - the burger - not memorable as the grilled cheese and fried chicken blew it away.. I'd go back just for the grilled cheese. Which i found out is a concoction of cheddar, mayo, cream cheese, peppers, yadda yadda.. An artery's best friend. read more

Food: Great & simple southern food,seasoned very well. Service: HORRIBLE for food,but good for drinks at the bar. My overall problem w/this overly-hipsterized place is that once they take your food order & collect the $$ for it(in advance here),they stop caring about their customers' well-being. They oversell orders beyond their seating capacity,so people are literally standing around w/plates in their hands,eating over the pinball machine or even over the open garbage can in the backyard! That's NOT folksy. That's greedy,on the owners' part. They just sell as much as people will buy,& let 'em stand wherever they can,food in hand. Or cram 'em in on little benches. At least buy some folding chairs! But these greedy bastards know that the masses of trustafarians & poseurs in the "new" W'burg will just keep giving 'em money,b/c they have no common sense. Anyway,if you go here:bring your own chair & tv-tray. read more

Best goddamn grilled cheese I had in a long ass time. Freaking fried chicken was also so goddamn good. Tasted like it was battered in pork rinds. Damn. Just so you first time hos know, go in - grab a table - go to the bar and order yo drinks and food. Pay. Take yo drinks back to the table and wait fo dem hipster fools to bring you yo eats. DONE. read more

I would have probably given this place "4" stars, but then I noticed how many whiney babies hate this place- so knowing they probably won't be coming back here is all the more reason for me to love it. read more

On my last day in NYC, my friend and I met up with another to eat lunch before I had to leave. We met him at The Commodore and I couldn't have been more pleased with my final meal! It's an interesting place; there are no menus on the tables, you have to go to the bar and place your drink and food order and then it comes out to you. You guessed it! You don't pay your server, you pay the bar. We started off with some frozen drinks, although it was really cold outside. I believe the drink was called a Hurricane: frozen, $9, and very delicious and strong. We all got the same drink, and after one, I could probably drink one more before being quite tipsy. It was their brunch menu and I was feeling very hungry, so I went all out and ordered the Chilaquiles. It was incredible! The Chilaquiles was made up of eggs, stewed tortillas, chicken, and cotija. It was all blended beautifully into one organic mess on a large plate, and after dousing it with hot sauce, I grabbed my fork and jumped right in. The flavors were all interesting and delicious and it mixed together perfectly. I highly recommend this meal. It's $11 and completely worth the price. My comrades ordered the Chicken Biscuit and the cheeseburger and were both happy campers. All in all, this was the perfect last meal for my NYC trip. read more

We stopped in here for a drink before a show at the Knitting Factory. We saw the couple next to us get fried chicken and it looked incredible, so we put in an order. We were blown away for $13 you get 3 huge pieces of chicken and 3 biscuits. This was some of the best fried chicken we've ever had! Good dive bar with great cheap eats! read more

Yo everytime I come here there is the girl at the bar that always gives me a problem. She's the one with the arm tattoos and rolls her eyes at everyone. Instance 1: didn't make the drink that I wanted and I had to opt for something else. Instance 2: constantly rolling her eyes and not enjoying being a bar tender. Instance 3: asked me three times what drink I wanted, and was also drinking behind the bar. Isn't that a little bit unprofessional? I love this place for its food and its atmosphere; but don't treat me like some second class hipster who buys pbr and has sleeve tattoos. Stop hiring people who don't love to bartend. It's quite unbearable; I'm writing this as I am here eating and she's running around taking selfies. read more

AVOID! AVOID! AVOID!!!!!!! Gosh... Where to begin. Let me begin by saying that if I was JUST talking about the food, this place would get beyond five stars. The chicken is crave-worthy good, the salads are alway fresh and inventive and the biscuits with honey-butter... oh! Em! Gee! However, the "service" is horrendous. Beyond. The bartenders are the rudest women I've ever encountered. This is a bar. Ok. No biggie. I'm fine with procuring, cleaning and bussing my own tables. Fine. BUT when I ask you for a drink at the bar and you don't even look me in the eye and THEN throw attitude my way? Whaaaaa? I also tried repeatedly to get the floor server's attention to make sure she was cool if we took a table. It was crowded and a lot of people were standing around. I was trying not to be an asshole. She LITERALLY didn't look at me and her boyfriend (who doesn't work there) had to help me. Again, whaaaaaa??? Our food arrived. It was good (although not as good as it normally is). We ate it. I walked up to the bar to pay and a third rude girl LITERALLY threw my check at me on the bar. Look... I know that you're probably reading this thinking, "What did this person do to piss off everyone?" I'm telling you I did ABSOLUTELY nothing. I worked in restaurants for ten years. I'm beyond polite when Im dining. I bend over backwards to help out the servers. I've NEVER complained about a place before. But then again, I've NEVER been treated so badly before in my life. I left a $2 on a $27 bill simply because I couldn't bear to leave nothing (which they honestly deserved since they did nothing and were rude on top of it) but I wasn't going to reward rudeness. I don't think I'll ever step foot in this place again. I'm still pissed off three days later. Again, it's so sad because it's the best fried chicken I've ever had. But it's not worth it to be treated like sh** by waitresses who don't seem to give a damn. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!! read more

Super crowded late-night hipster bar, better known as a restaurant in the daytime. The décor and booths remind me of a old-school diner. We weren't expecting the DJ to be playing 80s lounge music! Super efficient and helpful bartenders, reasonable drink prices. The pinball machine is a nice touch, too. I feel obligated to come back for their famous fried chicken. :) read more

The chicken....simply amazing. best fried chicken in NYC. The hot breast sandwich is so satisfying, I think I could at 3 of them in one sitting. Only draw is that its more expensive than other bars in the area. Despite the pricier drinks, I will always come back for the chicken. read more

I'm really glad this place opened. After the sad decline of Black Betty, The Commodore has reinvigorated the space with the flavors of the day. The chef seems like a really cool guy, and I hear he's a rocker, so props for that. First off the bat is the burger. They must put butter in that thing it's so juicy and delicious. It's also $7 and WAY better than Dumont Burger. It's also not overrun with FRENCH tourists clutching their travel guides going to where they read the best burger in Brooklyn is for a truly "authentic" experience. I digress. More on Dumont Burger later. Anyway, it's organic meat, the perfect size (not too huge) and has a delightful texture. There is also a stroke of value genius involved: it doesn't cost extra for cheese! What an innovation! I love it. A restaurant finally displays some compassion for its customers by not gouging them $1 (or even $2 at some places!) for a simple slice of cheese. It doesn't come with fries, and I'm okay with that. The fries are really good, though, but they're more like a lot of fries I have these days. The pulled pork sandwich is excellent as well. It has the perfect marriage of slaw, pickles, and sauce. They also have a distinct spicy fish sandwich that is just a tad spicy for me. Same with the spicy chicken. The fried chicken is very similar to that of Pies n Thighs (everyone's probably already said how the chef used to work there), but I must confess it's not quite as good. After the meat-o-logue you just read, you might be surprised to learn that The Commodore is also a great place for vegetable dishes! Their plain old green salad is a tasty, chopped delight with fresh pickles that aren't too sour. They also have an outstanding hominy soup. I really do appreciate value, and The Commodore has it coming out its ears, especially if you go for happy hour when the drafts and wells are 2 for 1. Even if you miss that, there's still a nice $3 pint. You can't even get that in Bushwick, can you? Oh yeah, I almost completely forget that this place has stellar cocktails. One of the few blended margaritas in the neighborhood, and certainly the best I've had. "The Commodore" is a pina colada with a float of Amaretto. Yum. And if you're into that shot-with-a-shot-of-some- kind-of-juice trend, you can take it back to the old school with tequila banderas: shot of spicy tomato, shot of tequila, shot of lime juice. You can all have a party in your mouth, and yes, everyone's invited. OK, I'm an old man, so I have to gripe about organizational skills. There is no hostess, no table service, and it can get confusing, especially if it's crowded and you're hungry. I'm a big guy and I feel really awkward standing around staring at people waiting for them to leave their table so I can snag it. You also order your food with the bartender, but they're busy making those awesome drinks, so they get overwhelmed, and they're really nice, but it seems like they're on the verge of telling someone to fuck off. Maybe it could be a little more like a traditional restaurant in this regard? Still, I come here every week or two. It opened amidst a flood of deserved hype, and I'm glad that it's still going strong and hasn't turned into a total douche-o-rama. I love it! read more

What a great little place to eat a huge plate of yummy fried chicken, and drinks. All my friends were drinking daquiris which are supposedly the drink to order here, but honestly, I am not a daquiri person. The food was good, and they have a good choice for drinks. There is a lot of seating here, which is great for groups, but this place got pretty darn packed and warm! I would come here again but it is difficult to come here if you don't get a table. But come hungry. That fried chicken is good. read more

I'm dangerously obsessed with the food here. I live two blocks away, and if I let myself, I'd eat the Medium Breast chicken sandwich three times a day, every day. (the Hot Breast is insanely spicy, even if you like spicy. Just a warning.) The sandwich is HUGE, so I usually cut it in half if I am getting any sides. My boyfriend thinks their fried chicken platter is the best fried chicken in the city. The fries, garlicky sauteed kale, and black eyed peas are all great as well. I'm taking one point off for the ordering system. I like to call in my order so I can come over and pick it up, but the phone line is usually disconnected for some reason. To order food, you have to stand at the end of the bar and if it's a busy night, it can take forever to get the bartender to take your order. There must be a better system to do this, like designating one employee to just take food orders when the bar is busy, so that the bartenders can be serving drinks and not having to be distracted with food orders. The bar has a good beer selection and I love the rum punch. It's $10, but it's so strong that the last time I had one, it was the only drink I needed for the night. read more

I stumble upon The Commodore while searching for dessert after a show last night. Instead of dessert, I ordered the "Hot Breast (Or Medium) topped with coleslaw & pickles.: Chicken Heaven. I found no room for improvement, just perfection. 10 out 10! My partner love her "Driving Miss Daisy minus the ham." She was impressed. read more