Good Enough To Eat

"The Upper West Side may not be flush with noteworthy dining out options, but they certainly have one meal on lockdown - brunch. Good Enough To Eat has been an institution up in these parts for a good 30 years. It's essentially like going to eat at your Aunt's house in the country. You know, the one that hoards random kitchen chotchkies and cooks up a storm. They recently moved out of their homey, lived in upstate-in-the-big-city space, to a new, bigger room with nowhere near as much charm. The new spot feels like they decorated the local Irish pub with a bunch of Vermont flair, which is kind of sad. Regardless, G.E.T.E. is the jam for brunch. Good Enough To's #EEEEEEATS are nothing fancy. Simple, heavy handed home cooking that's free of pretension. We're all about the biscuits with strawberry butter, the omelettes, the pancakes, the chicken salad and all the baked goods. Although they're most well known for their brunch, which you'll always have to wait in line for, G.E.T.E is serving all day long. It's a great spot for Moms to bring the strollers during the day and also a sleeper spot for local Dads who need to get out of the house for a couple hours to watch a game. Sitting at the bar with beer and burger in hand isn't a bad situation. Although it really doesn't matter at a place like this, it needs to be mentioned; the service is deplorable. Literally, non-existent. On our most recent visit, a single poor soul was handling the entire inside dining room. We had to walk up to the bar for water refills, mosey on over to the register to ask for a check and decided to start bussing the table next to us ourselves after it remained empty for a full half hour. You're welcome, 30 people waiting in line to be seated. We're trying to help you eat pancakes sooner rather than later because clearly, no one else is. We'll end this review with a quote from one of our favorite wordsmiths Sloane Crosley, who summed up Good Enough To Eat pretty perfectly in her Friday Fives a couple years back. "There are other brunches that will fill your stomach with better pancakes, cholesterol and a side of regret (egg!), but none look like the state of Vermont had an orgasm, put tables in it and is now seating…” Food Rundown Pancakes The simple ones with their ridiculous strawberry butter and syrup always do the trick, but we usually go with the special chocolate chip pancakes, which aren't on the menu. They're like oozing, soft, doughy chocolate chip cookies. Also, have we mentioned strawberry butter yet? Bacon Waffles Waffles that are stuffed with chopped up piece of double smoked bacon. Yup, this is a good idea. French Toast They make their french toast with cinnamon swirl bread, which sounds like something I would have demanded when i was third grade, which is awesome. And delicious. And a reason to come here for breakfast. Oh yeah, and strawberry butter. Migas They make some mean Mexican egg dishes at GETE, migas being our favorite and one of their more popular options. Scrambled eggs over a bed of tortilla chips with onions, peppers, cheese, salsa, sour cream and a couple tortillas. Make sure to plan for a long nap after brunch. Omelettes The BLT omelette is a favorite, that's one of our go-to's. The Gramercy Park omelette with granny smith apples and Vermont cheddar is another gem. Really, you can't go wrong. All omelettes come with two incredible little biscuits and, of course, strawberry butter. Honey Walnut Chicken Salad If you're into chicken salad, you should check this out. We're really into it. A massive serving of shredded chicken with grapes, honey walnuts and a some romaine lettuce. It's peppery and zesty and you could make four separate sandwiches from the ridiculous amount of chicken salad they put in here, it's crazy. Take the leftovers home with you. Burger/Turkey Burger/Veggie Burger All solid options. Simple, nothing fancy and they get the job done. Dessert The desserts are all things you might see at a bake sale, or home during Thanksgiving. They do mean pies, cakes, cobblers, homemade ice cream, cookies and an awesome devil's food cake w/chocolate frosting. This stuff won't change your life, but it will certainly enhance it for those brief and precious moments in between its arrival at your table and quick disappearance into your stomach." - Andrew Steinthal

"This Upper West Side staple has been feeding families since 1981, with an emphasis on salads, sandwiches, chili and the like, and with special attention paid to breakfasts ranging from Austin-style migas to eggs Florentine. There’s a build-a-burger option that runs to dozens of choices, and an opportunity to order thick shakes alongside. No mystery why so many families with small children dine here. Dinner features a bargain prix-fixe menu of four courses." - Eater Staff

"This brunch staple on the Upper West Side has been serving up homey, hearty comfort food since 1981. There’s a wide variety of fluffy pancakes on the menu, including the place’s namesake four-grain version, a Belgian chocolate-coconut option, and a seasonal fruit variety. There’s pastel pink-hued strawberry butter to smear on all versions, too." - Eater Staff

"Upper West Side restaurant Good Enough to Eat turns 40 this year, according to a restaurant spokesperson. The restaurant has added several new menu items, including an Impossible meatloaf sandwich, buttermilk fried quail, and a crispy chicken biscuit sandwich with gochujang." - Tanay Warerkar

"Roving Gothamist restaurant critic Scott Lynch dives into the new ramen menu at Upper West Side staple Good Enough to Eat’s spin-off outdoor pop-up, Good Ramen To Eat." - Erika Adams