Gator

Oh, Lord, this burger is worth every ounce of hype you see. But, do not sleep on the mac n cheese. I rolled in on a friday evening about 7:30 and was shocked how empty it was. But by the time I left the main dining room was pretty full. The interior is super nice. I have no idea how you would describe, maybe mid century modern? A lot of the furniture gives 50s vibes with a contemporary flair. The service was great. I was not rushed and the server gave some great recommendations. In any case: the mac n cheese is elite. The breadcrumbs offer the perfect crunch to the rich creamy cheese sauce. So many flavors hitting you at once. A very untraditional noodle for mac n cheese, but these long rectangular noodles honestly work really well. The burger? Bursting with flavor. The tempura mushroom offers so much crunch and umami. The yuzu aioli offers a bit of brightness to off set the richness. The bun is beautifully toasted and light. God, I got the meat sweats thinking about it. This place appears to still be flying under the radar, if you were on the fence- this is your sign. Go!

Really impressed. Clean, warm interior with music that was mellow and conducive to conversation. Service was friendly, prompt, and informative. Really appreciated that they were not pushy when it came to drinks, too! The food was all about highlighting great ingredients with smart combinations and execution. We got the potatoes, which were shredded, fried, and topped with marsala onions. Behind crispy and so satisfying. Carrots were narinated, grilled, and served over a himemade whipped ricotta with chicki crips. These were so flavorful -swert, rich, spicy - we debated ordering another side of these, they were so good! Split a whole dorade, served with crispy shredded parsnips on top and a side of chili crisp chimmichuri. Really rich meal, and the sauce added such a pop of a flavor.

TLDR: A nice little neighborhood spot over in Greenpoint. New American-ish fare. If coming for brunch - definitely get that egg sandwich! Solid burger as well. Gator was on our list for awhile and we happened to be in the area and came for brunch. It's a small spot but very nice and cozy. Very retro/vintage decor. We got the spiced potatoes, the burger, the egg sandwich and the mushroom toast. Spiced potatoes were nice and starchy, a good amount of seasoning and because I hate ketchup - they were nice enough to give me some yuzu aioli on the side. Mushroom toast was served on focaccia. The mushroom had a lot of nice flavor but for me soaked into the bread a bit more than I'd like. Personal preference! If you like mopping up sauces though, this is great. The egg on top was good too although this yolk wa not too runny. Egg sandwich. Love love love this. The pillowy brioche was great and it's a nice soft steamed egg with CRISPY mortadella. The swiss cheese was a nice touch but with the buttery bun a bit rich - however, pickled shallots made it just right. Will return for this dish solely. Burger was tasty, a tempura mushroom on top, yuzu aioli, nice and juicy. It is stacked quite high but good to try. I think we may come back one evening for dinner.

I've had Gator saved a while so was excited to finally try it. I had a reservation around 12 on a Saturday. The restaurant was mostly empty when we got there but by the time we left it was pretty full, so I'd recommend a reservation if you're going for a late brunch! For two people, we ordered the sweet Dutch baby, baked pecorino grits, and mushroom focaccia. Everything was pretty tasty overall! The sweet Dutch baby was your typically Dutch baby but what made it stand out was that they topped it with whipped labneh instead of the typical whipped cream! The baked pecorino grits were super creamy and yummy but it was definitely too salty for my personal taste! If it was my only dish it probably would've been too much saltiness to finish, but since i was sharing and had a sweet dish to complement it we were still able to finish. My favorite was probably the mushroom toast. The mushrooms and cream on top were seasoned well and had great flavor that went well with the focaccia. The interior of the restaurant is also super cute and the dish ware matched with the decor as well. Overall, I enjoyed all the food although some of it ran too salty. I'd definitely come back and really want to try their dinner menu!

Incredible new spot, featuring a small menu with nothing but hits. A cozy dining room with great service, it's everything you could ask for in a neighborhood restaurant for a nice dinner. The focaccia is excellent to start, as are the radicchio and shaved brussels. On to the larger dishes, the sheet pasta Mac & Cheese and Cheeseburger are absolute musts, but the Crispy Chicken Paillard and Hake are not to be missed either. The desserts are simple, but excellent too. Try either the Flourless Chocolate Cake or Bruléed Bread Pudding for a perfect ending to the meal.

This could not have been disappointing since I had no expectations going in. The seating arrangement was very tight for a party of 5. The atmosphere was fine a little loud. The staff were friendly enough. Here where the real critique comes. The menu is very limited and there were no additional menu items. That being said a few items on the menu were not labeled well. First the Caesar Salad had no resemblance to a Caesar Salad. I was a chopped Kale Salad that was very spice forward. Next Was the Mac & Cheese was not Mac and cheese the description was fine yet sheets of pasta in a brown butter sauce is not Mac and cheese. No ooey gooey. The chicken paillard also not a great description. The chicken may have been pounded out - yet it was dry/ overcooked. Lastly the Steak was cooked perfectly. All that being said it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves.

Highly recommend!! The food here is on another level! The focaccia was so fresh. The crispy potatoes were delicious and had this incredible in-house freshly made ricotta. The lamb was out of this world, and the gnocchi could not be more perfect and pillowy. The desserts were also spectacular. I will be returning for more panna cotta with rhubarb & kiwi (and to try everything else on the menu). This place is lovely and intimate; It'll be great for a date night with my husband. On this visit, it was a nice spot to catch up with some family and I felt lucky to have gotten a table on short notice. I definitely recommend a reservation!

Overpriced for mediocre food. $16 for a tiny plate of fried potatoes is crazy. Burger was fine but meat was overcooked and too hard to eat

Intimate (check!). Thoughtful (check!). Sustainable (check!). Trendy (check!). These are all the words I'd use to describe dining at Gator. It's the most up-to-date socially conscious restaurant I've visited as of late, but it all works. Mostly because the food is damn good. If you're going to visit Gator, be prepared.. it's a small space and that intimacy actually plays into it's strengths as a local / neighborhoody date spot. Overall, our experience was great.. although they have to figure out a way to keep the cold air from getting into their small space from the front door... good luck to those unfortunate diners who have to sit at the table towards the front. yikes. The food: - House Focaccia :: It was ok, not my favorite that I've had. Think you can possibly skip - Charred Cabbage :: not a menu item I normally indulge in, but this was awesome. Flavorful, nicely charred and with a touch of heat/spice. - Mixed Mushrooms :: I could eat a large bathtub full of this stuff. It was nicely balanced and came with a bit of crema to help balance the spice - Roast Beets :: another menu item I don't normally care for, but it definitely worked here. Really flavorful and fresh - Hake :: damn good, nicely cooked beautiful presented and the crispy black rice stole the show - Pork Chop :: one can easily screw this dish up, but they didn't. Nicely cooked, extremely tender with a really nice char with flavor. Apparently it's part of their move towards sustainability that the crust is made of ash. Interesting touch, nicely executed. - Flourless Chocolate Cake :: only works because the toasted meringue is damn good! Mostly a wine list, no other liquor, so hoping that'll change at some point because I imagine they'll have some very creative concoctions. Overall, I'd say go to Gator now before the lines get even longer and it's harder to get in. I hope to see them expand their menu throughout the seasons, but I really enjoyed my experience.

Came here as a walk-in in on a Saturday night around 5:45. They seated us immediately but asked for the table back at 7. They only serve wines and beers at the moment. There's a bar at the back, so I'm guessing a liquor license is probably in the works. There were a handful of wine options, so I tried a Grenache. We were the first party seated and the bottle looked out of the fridge, so I'm guessing it was from a previous night. I decided to go with a Spanish blend instead with was served at my preferable room temperature. We started with the charred cabbage served over a carrot purée and topped with a scallion chutney, I'm big fan of roasted and charred veggies, so the cabbage was right up my alley. I liked the purée and sauce too. As someone who tries to cook vegetarian at home, I appreciated the thoughtfulness of this dish. Next, we had the short rib with coconut grits. Came with cilantro and scallions to complement the coconut. Creative and unique dish. Our other main was the cheese burger with a fried mushroom. Goal here is to be a umami bomb and it was certainly achieved. This was easily our favorite item. For dessert, we shared the brûlée breading pudding. Another creative dish. It came with a milky glaze. Service was attentive and helpful. There was one single occupancy restroom that we had to walk a couple steps too. Nearly all the seats were available when we left around 6:45.

A cute neighborhood spot perfect for date night or catching up with friends. Ordered the potatoes to start which were . The mac and cheese was an elevated grown up version but still so yummy and satisfies your craving. The chocolate cake was delicious with a nice toasted merengue and fantastic rosé! Would come back any night or the week :)

LOVE this place. I went on Saturday night with three other people (first time for all of us) and we were well taken care of! Our waiter was super helpful re: how much to order, food was delicious, drinks were great... tbh I can't wait to return for another great meal!

Run, don't walk to Gator! I actually think this is one of the most exciting new spots to open in Greenpoint. The food is really great, everything we ate was fantastic. On my third visit, I had the burger which might be my favorite in the neighborhood. The menu is both very accessible and satisfying, while also having some unexpected or interesting elements. The prices are very reasonable. And its really a small, local and personal business. Its a joy to eat at Gator. The room is cute and comfortable and the service was so sweet and attentive. I'm excited to go back soon!

The food was amazing. We enjoyed the hake, scallop crudo, roasted cabbage and a blueberry dessert. Everything was packed with flavor. Mostly beer and wine one their beverage menu, with some non-alcoholic options. Knocking off a point because it was unbearably hot in the back area near the bar.

We had a wonderful Sunday brunch at Gator and we will definitely return. Upon entering Gator we were warmly greeted by Adam who showed us to our table. He took our drink order and mine was spectacular. It is beer mixed with the restaurant's own home made rhubarb syrup...best beer I ever tasted. My brunch was tomato toast with soft boiled egg and salad greens. The toast was perfect and the tomatoes were very fresh. A tart tomato jam gave an unexpected and delicious kick to the dish. My wife had the grain bowl in which crispy black rice was a standout star among other ingredients perfectly blended. We shared delicious roasted potatoes and enjoyed the excellent music that was playing. You owe it to yourself to to dine at Gator!

Great brunch! Wasn't sure what to expect but the food was delicious. Space is quite nice, as well.

Dinner and service at Gator were both amazing. Food came out FAST. Servers were nice and knowledgeable. Fun atmosphere, great aesthetic, and a pretty corner spot. Burger is a must-- just elevated enough to feel special and delicious, but without unnecessary pretension (it still had the "yum" and comforting factor you want in a burger.) Mac and cheese was a nice compliment too, with a little kick/ freshness--Not too heavy. Good portion sizes for both. Flourless chocolate cake and blueberry compote/ lemon cake were also fantastic. Wish we had had more room to try the other dishes! Definitely go!

Had reservations open for an hour out but waitlist said 15 minute minute wait so we joined thinking we'd be fine. Then an hour and a half later we still weren't off the waitlist so we showed up and they said we couldn't be sat.

Food is great here. Nice vibe. The Mac and cheese and burger were delicious. Dreamt of that burger the next morning

Incredible neighborhood spot. One of the reasons greenpoint is the best hood is places like this. Chef is amazing. Staff are amazing. Food is unique and amazing. Culinary exploration and skill that's accessible and you can still eat every day. Truly love.

Outstanding. Came here for Valentine's Day and every bite was amazing. We had the house-made focaccia, which had the most delicious butter, scallops that I'm still dreaming about, the pork chop, and the burger. The burger is as good as everyone says. The wait staff was super kind. I highly recommend. New fave restaurant.

The service and ambiance are both nice but unfortunately the food was some of the worst we have ever eaten. We ordered several appetizers and several entrees and every item was nearly inedible.

The focaccia is some of the best bread I've had in a minute. The gnocchi was simple, but fresh and nice on a summer night. Also really loved the orange wine. Will be coming back to try more

So grateful to have this restaraunt close by. They've done an amazing renovation to the space and the ambience is perfect for a weekend brunch or dinner. A super original menu and wonderful ingredients. You can't order the wrong thing. The servers always make us feel right at home, they're not pushy, and you never feel rushed out the door even when things get busy.