Sweetwater Tavern--Brooklyn

718.963.0608

For those of you who lamented the closing of arguably the best punk jukebox ever compiled, (next to Zeitgeist in SF perhaps), the mourning period should be over by now. Get over it. Sweet, you used to live here before Union Pool became the mecca for all people tattooed and under thirty, that doesn't mean that people who just moved to the burg are less cool than you. Don't get me wrong, Sweetwater’s closing as a bar was a tragic loss, comparable even to the replacement of our beloved contraband for the now-defunct Levee about six years ago. Fortunately for us though, Sweetwater is now a consistently good restaurant.

The food isn’t so unique; it’s comforty with an European aftertaste. In terms of actual menu items the lamb burger is certainly good as is the pork loin. I've actually never had an unsatisfying meal, and that's something to be said considering the number of times I've visited. The important thing to remember with all restaurants of this ilk, and a tough lesson to stomach, is that the atmosphere lends itself to being casual. When I mean casual, I mean casual. Don’t come here hungry or in a hurry. The owner will most likely seat any friend/hot chick/celebrity before he sits your party of four. It’s his place, and obviously he opened it to get himself laid. This laisez-faire attitude seeps into the service as well, as the servers and bartenders are more inclined to have a good time than turn the restaurant during a busy dinner rush. If you can handle a little bit of a wait, and some forgetful service, then this place will become an old standby in your repertoire of Williamsburg restaurants. If you can't, then coming here will only drive you crazy.