First and foremost, I really didn't want to support this place since I was so sad about Black Betty closing. But since my office is nearby I figured I'd finally try it out. The new look is "meh" and the food is just "eh." The most infuriating thing about this place is the no table service (as others have mentioned). GET IT TOGETHER PEOPLE! I can't believe what a dumb set-up they have going and haven't bothered to changed after all the complaints. It would have been SO EASY to have the girl who delivered the food and bussed the tables to take orders! When we decided to change tables (since the music was way too loud in the bar area), it was a complete fiasco. Had to tell the server, then get through the crowd at the bar to tell the bartender, who then had to relay it back to the server. And they all seemed kinda pissed to have to change their way. PAH! Our friend who came in 20 minutes later than us got her food before my friend and I. STUPID. I give the 2 stars only for the strong (and reasonably priced) drinks and the yummy potato salad (from Saltie no less). I will not go back. And quite frankly, the dining experience really made me miss Black Betty even more. LAME! read more

Somehow I always end up here, which is cool. I'm a Floridian and it holds a lot of nostalgia for me. Its always PACKED here, even in the backyard. It really is just A ok for me, most of the time I just get the standard beer and shot and enjoy the postcards. read more

Heeding a warning not to come to a nearby event ravenous I decided to take this opportunity to check out the chicken here. Its like planet fitness, this was a judment free zone great since I was dining solo. I enjoyed the $3 happy hour beers(with a great recommendation from the bartender) and got a chicken plate. The chicken was taking forever so the bartender went to check on it for me and came back to report it was taking longer than usual because the pieces I got were massive, my thinking was yea ok, good one. Well it comes out and omfg those thighs were huge, like mega huge genetically engineered to be part of a super chicken army with plots to take over the world huge! Tucked under these mega thighs were 3 biscuits the size of dominos, I figure I couldn't complain cause the chicken was so good but seriously? they were bite sized which made when even sadder when I tasted them, they're perfect before I even added to my heart attack with the honey butter. As for the chicken soldier on my plate, yea she was de-friggin-licious, I made it through 1 and a quarter before I threw in the towel. I placed another order of biscuit mini's to go and am happily chomping on my leftovers as I type this. I will most definitely take the trek back out here cause everything was worth it especially for happy hour. read more

The Commodore - My mountain of deliciousness, "just" 3 thighs and miniature biscuits - Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Awesome grilled cheese, a good burger, plenty of dranks and no budget killer? Call me a fan for sure! The kitsch cocktails are definitely a nice add, and I was shocked to find out they were only recently opened. They definitely don't operate, or have the crowd factor, of a newly opened spot, but rather a local watering hole that residents adore. Not exactly along my way, but I'll be back if I'm in the hood for sure. read more

The fried chicken deserves 5 stars. It's so crispy and juicy! Yum. But the service is sooo terrible. You have to order food at the bar and the bartenders usually act impatient. They have really cheap 'house beers' that taste like flat miller highlife. read more

I love their biscuits and honey butter. The Commodore's adult cheese (a grilled cheese sandwich with some aged cheese and hot peppers) is tasty; they get the bread super crispy on the outside, probably by using more butter than I would ever use at home. The batter on the fried chicken is amazing - probably the crispiest and lightest ever. But beware, the chicken meat itself is very salty. read more

GET THE HOT BREAST!!! It is so tasty and delicious. But be forewarned, it is HAWT. The vibe is cool, I love the games and the music was pretty good. I just got beer, no cocktails- which are supposedly really good here. But the bartender still let me have a mini umbrella, so I was happy. If you're looking for great fried chicken and a cool place to hang out- do eet!! read more

Whoever their Thursday night 6/29 bartender was, is a shit person. Service sucked and mathed drunk me into a $20 tip for himself by never giving me the change! Ive worked service in NY for 8 yrs now, and have never written a yelp review. But this guy deserves it! Be weary of the bald bartender all, he will take advantage! but 2 stars bc everyone else has been cool thus far, and the chicken is tits! read more

Came and saw and drank and moved on. It was definitely packed on the Friday i came so service to getting everyone was pretty slow. the drinks were alright. i heard the food was good and people looked like they were having fun eating so it still sparks my curiosity as to what the deal is with that. i may come back around next time... read more

best, fried, chicken, ever! oh the biscuits are heavenly, their adult version of grill cheese is making me salivating right now. Forget about this review, I'm heading to commodore now. read more

The fried chicken here is soooo good! Prices are pretty good! Drinks are also good. This is the type of place you come with a group of friends and pig out! The chicken was so good that my group ordered more. The sides are pretty tasty also, I tried the Kale & Nachos which were YUM! Definitely have some honey butter with your biscuit (it comes with the chicken). Even if you are watching your carbs the taste is so divine its sooo worth it! read more

The best fried chicken, a destructively good burger and some trashy frozen cocktails more than make up for the meat market vibe.

Oh man. These fish tacos are amazing. The slaw on top is plentiful (& tons of cilantro too which I love!) 2 salsas that are both equally amazing, and the fish is perfect. Can't believe how cheap it is, too! Woah. New fave food place read more

Food was ehhhh alright didn't really wow me it was the only option we had on a Friday night we we're really hungry my wife and I decided to try it wasn't really satisfied with it read more

I actually prefer the fried chicken at Pies N Thighs but the biscuits here are perfect! My friend got a fish sandwich which he didn't really like, but he thought the fried chicken was amazing. I will definitely come back; want to try some of the veggie sides. read more

Can't say much for the ambiance, cocktails, or service, but the burger is literally haunting my dreams. The fried chicken is super satisfying, although I made the mistake of ordering it just for myself- too much even for 2 people, I'd say! read more

Gastrodive! I wish I'd made up that word but sadly someone else got there first. Sums up commodore nicely. Cool dark hipster bar with a comfort food menu that looks like it's gonna be a greasy afterthought. And then they serve up the best mf fried chicken this side of dixie. read more

Commodore is the greatest place in the world. I fully realize that no one should have such strong feelings about a divey hipster bar with great fried chicken, but, in my heart of hearts, I also (at least half) truly believe that Commodore is the greatest place in the world. The happy hour (7 days a week!) is great, and sitting on their weird kind of dirty patio drinking one of their excellent micheladas is one of the best ways I can think of to spend a summer afternoon. The best part, though? The food. OMG, the food. The veggie nachos are insane (and topped with radishes and real crema fresca, among other delicious things), but the fried chicken is what truly makes this place deserving of five stars and my undying love. I'm from the south, so I take fried chicken seriously. So does Commodore. The hot breast sandwich, a huge piece of chicken topped with coke slaw and pickles, will change your life forever (and if you don't get it spicy, then you should rethink your life choices). Best thing in the world. A little hyperbole? Perhaps. But Commodore and it's spicy chicken sandwich cause very strong feelings for me - try it yourself, and see why. read more

I came here after a show at the knitting factory (across the street) because a friend constantly raved about the pina coladas. I believe it was a friday or saturday night - which should be taken into consideration as the ambiance might be drastically different other nights... though, I doubt it. The most memorable part of my visit was easily the smell, or stench. It was basically a locker room with a touch of fried food and cleaning products - it took me right back to the days of sneakling into that one shady bar in college that you outgrew before you even turned 21. I really dug the layout of the place, but neither the clientele nor the $10 pina colada were worth it. I definitely will not be back - regardless of how good the food is supposed to be - can't imagine eating in a place that smells that bad. read more

Price to tasty ratio is off the hook here. Salad, grilled cheese, fries, and beer. Grand total $20. Grilled cheese was perfect.

The Commodore has good food and drinks, but is also usually really crowded and is dark and dank. I've eaten there a few times, and the burger and the fries are good and the fried chicken is really good (the hot sauces that come with the chicken, one sweet, one vinegar-y = A+++). Once I had a buffalo chicken sandwich--which I didn't see on the menu last time I was there-- and it was so spicy I couldn't eat it, and that made me sad. (I don't think I've had trouble eating something labeled "buffalo" before). The blended drinks are both fun and delicious. The bar is dark and crowded, but usually provides for good people watching. Oh and the staff seems to all be really nice and sweet, which really pushed the Commodore from a 3 to a 4 star review for me. read more

With a heavy heart and after hundreds of review, for the first time giving a place a 1 star review. Terrible service provided when my friend and I went for a quick bite last night. Looking at the reviews, I am not surprised that others have had a the same experience. So 10pm ish we get to commodore - super excited to try their fried chicken+burger. The lady tells us to take the free table. We ask for the menu - she brings it - then - we dont see her for some time - and after getting her - we tell her we want to order. She mentions to go to the bar to order - we do so. Also tells us when asking for water - to get it from the bar - also clear. After 15 minutes, not sure if food would come to our table or the bar - we ask about it, and she says "relax, you will get your food" - which sounded very rude since it was a relatively simple question. At the 20 minute point (we were quite relaxed) - our fries come- upon which we ask the logical question - when we would get our food. This hit a nerve .. and she says "do you need exact time in minutes... you know this is not a fast food joint ...".... This did piss me off - and I asked her why she was being unnecessarily rude ... she goes "I've already wasted a lot of time explaining how this place works" .... I told her "hmmm you work here - so that's your job" - which seems to have offended her even more and clarifies she is a foodrunnner not a waiter. After being aggravated - she has the audacity to tell a paying customer "you know I can kick you out of the restaurant".... Not trying to lose my cool and quite perplexed at the interaction, I stay at my table for couple more minutes. At the 30 minute mark our burger and fried chicken were here..but our appetite was gone. Feeling insulted and embarrassed at the interaction - I went back to the bar - gave the food back and told the bar tender that the waiter (*food-runner) was quite rude, and preferred that I leave - so I will do so without eat (and after having waited almost 40 minutes). The bartender was apologetic saying that he will waive the bill or give me a free drink... I wanted to pay (and so I did) and didn't want any freebee, since I wanted to leave the impression that we were not even). I was more sad than angry - sad for such shitty service in a reputable place...in Brooklyn, and also sad I couldn't try their fried chicken. No matter how amazing their chicken is - I can assure you that's its not worth the terrible service we got. read more

This is living. Excellent bar food at reasonable prices. Cheeseburger, hot breast sandwich, and nachos, all divine. Best burger in town. Whenever I am here I feel at ease and happy. To a guy like me who wears Hawaiian shirts all the time, The Commodore is the place I want to be whenever I can. Destination spot for all occasions day or night. read more

Love. This. Place. It does get crowded on the weekend, but if you're patient enough, you can grab a table. It also can get loud, making it hard to have a conversation, but that happens when you have a lot of people in a small space. Here's a list of my go-tos: The Commodore (piña colada) Biscuits Mac & cheese Nachos Hot breast sandwich Fried chicken plate I haven't tried too many of the other menu items, but these will not disappoint. This place is good vibes, good food/drinks, and good times. read more

This dive bar has amazing food. The meat and chicken that they use is raised right, no hormones, organic where possible and everything is impeccable. The nachos are literally the best I have ever had in my life. I am aware that this is a huge statement, but I will stand behind it. I would walk 50 miles for these, no joke. They are fairly new to the menu and unfortunately took the place of the macaroni and cheese, but damn, I sat outside waiting for them to open with my girlfriend because I had an itch for their nachos. Everything is great, the fried chicken is impeccable and they use thighs (for people who actually like the taste of chicken, this is great, if you don't like dark meat, get a fried chicken breast sandwich, which is also amazing) the only reason that I am giving four stars and not five is due to two small facts: The lettuce on the burgers should be replaced with something more copacetic (Iceberg, romaine, etc) I believe that they are using green leaf lettuce or bib, regardless, it's mealiness gets in the way of an otherwise great burger. the other detractor is the size of some of their drinks, drink menus seems unbalanced - a "commodore" (pina colada) is massive, while an old fashioned is barely a shot of bourbon with some ice in it. balance it out guys! its not that big of a problem, because nachos and negra modela are perfect without mixed drinks. read more

Dive bar with great bar food and good drinks. I liked the atmosphere, burger was excellent. Ive been a few times and it never disappoints.

I cannot stay away from the mild breast chicken sandwich. I go and get my fix about once a week. Yes, the service is slow. So don't order a complicated and expensive frozen beverage. Grab a beer, (Michelada for me, made with Cholula, yum!) and chill. Just please leave me the seat under the TV. read more

Yeah....I don't think the Commodore is going to see me again on a weekend. Came out with a large group of folks for my friend's birthday festivities. While my drink, though nothing serious (my old reliable when not in the mood to drink, a Shirley Temple) was still good and the drinks of others I tasted were as well, there were just way too many people there on a Friday night and not enough places to sit (it probably didn't help that it was 1230a and I'd been out since 9am). Also, insert some snarky comment here about hipsters. There were some quirky elements I could enjoy though, like the odd, old movie being played in the background, and the sauteed kale on the menu, and some interesting drink choices (including frozen margaritas). But it just got to be too hot with too many people, so a few of my friends and I defected (since they were being silly and skeptical of bar food) to go get some bad food at Foodswings. From the looks of the other reviews though, perhaps I'd have more positive things to say had we stayed and gotten food there. I don't frequent Williamsburg often, but I wouldn't say it's a bad place to be. The drinks were apparently strong and relatively cheap. And if you dig that scene, it's cool. read more

Best bar food? Yep. I only tried the nachos because some friends ordered them but they were absolutely amazing. The atmosphere is very chill and it was packed when I went (Sunday night). I definitely want to come here in the summer and check out the back and eat more of their food. read more

There isn't a bad thing to write about this place! Fried chicken is ridiculously delicious, cocktails are on point, service is amazing, staff is warm and friendly, there's a pinball machine! and the music is awesome! read more

Delicious fried chicken with amazing side of honey butter sauce! Super duper extra crispy! However, personally, I am going to start avoiding this area on the weekends. On Saturday, we sat next to a table proclaiming how white and privileged they were. As much as they were possibly trying to mock themselves, they seemed to be children of the 1%. It left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

Stab me in the back, I don't care. Who cares about service when the chicken is so good?

*Does wall twerk after ordering their chicken sandwich*. I love this place. I love the food and cocktails. It gets slammed here sometimes and it's a bit annoying (and hard to order). But if you're patient, then you won't be bothered by it. read more

from best to worst based on two visits in august/september. space/decor: reminiscent of dad's basement from the 70s. you know, the sort that would host key parties. sleazy, but cool. and with old school arcade games. the drinks: fun cocktails & a boring beer selection. the food: pretty good, but nothing THAT amazing. think we may have ordered the wrong thing though. the adult grilled cheese was good, but not as other-wordly as it had been hyped up to be. and the biscuits were tasty but not amazing. my friend was a big fan of the chicken claiming it was even better than pies 'n' thighs. i never returned to find out the truth myself. the service: awful. took forever to try to flag down a bartender on the first time & the second time we were blatantly ignored. the bartenders were too busy eating sandwiches and talking to one another to serve drinks and make tips. we walked out and supported a bar that deserved it. will not be going back. as a new bar on the scene with a lot of competition, a little friendly service could do them some good. especially when you can get chicken & biscuits down the street. read more

On Friday night I made it back to the Commodore with my GF. Back in September I'd had their hot chicken sandwich and thought it was one of the best things I'd eaten all year. I was looking forward to a rematch. Our timing was impeccable - a table had just opened up and we slid into our seats just as the place began to get crowded. We knew the drill - I stepped up to the bar to order food and drinks while my GF defended the table. Alas, the tasty pinto beans and pork dish that I sampled last time wasn't on the menu. Instead they had black eyed peas - I passed. We both ordered the hot chicken sandwich and the giant plate of fries for $3. The room was filled with young men who looked like lumberjacks and their molls. We sipped our beers; the people watching was choice. Ten minutes later the food came out. My GF was impressed by the amount of fries but found them soggy. She's more exacting about fries than me - I thought they weren't crisp but otherwise they were fine. The biscuits were excellent. Our sandwiches looked great - giant juicy pieces of chicken plunked down on sesame seeded potato rolls. (For those of you scoring at home these are Big Marty's. If they weren't widely available in supermarkets they'd be a cult item. *Any* sandwich tastes better made with a Big Marty.) Unfortunately the kitchen sabotaged itself by putting a punishing amount of hot sauce on the sandwiches. They were barely edible. I don't know if there's any thought process behind this sledgehammer approach other than pure stupidity. Nobody likes their sandwiches this way. Nobody. This is pure macho bullshit. We mentioned the insane heat level to our server (a ringer for a young Laraine Newman) and she told us that you can order the hot sauce on the side. This was the equivalent of being told that you don't need to pick up the red hot frying pan with your hands, you can request a pot holder. You have now all been officially warned. My GF is carrying a grudge about the meal. For my part I'd go back in a month or so but I'd follow Laraine's advice and wouldn't let the lunatic in the kitchen ruin my sandwich. My meal in September was 4 star. The hot sauce insanity of last Friday was a 2. read more

This place fuckin rocks. I got the spicy chicken sandwich, and holy shit it was spicy! Loved it! For the pussy that said it was too hot, grow a fucking cock already. Or don't order the spicy one, dumbass. You seat yourself, and take a number, a lot like other bars in the area(Matchless etc). These fuckers that need bottle service in a fried chicken joint need to go back to fucking manhattan. The collard greens are a must have as well, never tasted them so good. Girlfriend got the burger and liked it, nice burger-to-bun ratio, kind of in between a steakhouse and a fastfood burger. The fries were fries, and the beer was decent as well. They've got double dragon but only one joystick works. They've got shinobi, and a pinball game as well. They are free. Wish that joystick fucking worked. read more

Southern cocktails and Fried Chicken under the same roof..c'mon now.

The Commodore is my new favorite bar in Williamsburg. The co-founder of Williamsburg's famous, Pies-N-Thighs (who also used to cook at Diner, and Egg), opened The Commodore, a great neighborhood bar, serving up deliciously cheap cocktails, beers, and stellar American bar food. There is a simple, home-town feel to the atmosphere, with dim lighting, and numerous wooden tables and booths to sit with a date, or large group of friends. It's the kind of place where you just feel cozy inside, so far removed from busy New York and want to just spend a couple hours sipping on cocktails, enjoying good food, and chatting with friends. The drink list includes classic cocktails including Sloe Gin Fizz, Planters Punch, Tom Collins, Bloody Mary and Old Fashioned. They also have frozen drinks, including their famous Pina Colada. I ordered the Hurricane, made with rum, fruit juice and grenadine served with a maraschino cherry and orange wedge. Kyle got the Old Fashioned, made from muddled dissolved sugar, bitters and whiskey served with a lemon wedge. Both awesome and under $8. A couple of drinks in, and you'll be more than ready to gander at Chef Steven Tanner's menu.... The Commodore is infamously known for their burgers and famous fried chicken sandwich. Kyle ordered the burger which lived up to everything we had heard and read about, and I ordered the 'Hot Breast' which I had seen on NY Eater's 20 best sandwiches to eat before you die. A rendition on Pies-N-Things famous fried chicken, coated in a pepper sauce, served with housemade coleslaw and pickles. I chickened out (pun intended) and went with the "Medium Breast" because the waitress said the "Hot" was insanely spicy and I wanted to fully enjoy my sandwich without my mouth being on fire. Served on a soft, warm sesame seed bun, the sandwich was so good! The fried chicken was incredibly tender and juicy, with a crunchy, crispy exterior, combined with cool and creamy coleslaw and sour crunch from the pickles. The Adult Cheese is also supposed to be the best grilled cheese around, with white cheddar, pimento and poblano peppers... Check out the Commodore for an after work, or weekend cocktail. Be sure to come hungry (and not on a diet). read more

Anyone who said this place have really good fried chicken. You must be hipster from out of state that never had REALLY good fried chicken. For $11 chicken plate, i rather buy a bucket of fried chicken from KFC. The fried chicken tasted like pure grease like KFC. Service suck but you expect this when you walk into this place. I also had the HOT breast sandwich, its ok but for $10 without any sides. Its a ripped off. I wont be coming back. Enjoy! read more

I went midweek as I heard they do a tasty sandwich. There was a decent crowd and a good selection of beer (pitchers) and cocktails at good prices. I would definitely recommend the Hot Fish sandwich! read more