Berg’n

(This is a review of Samesa, which for some reason doesn’t have a separate listing here on Unilocal.)
Berg’n was a Brooklyn blindspot for some time, even though I have a few friends who live in Prospect Heights and it’s pretty centrally located in the Brooklyn neighborhoods where I visit. One reason behind that might be the general paucity of food options at the place. For a food and beer hall, there are generally just four stands, two of which are mini-​chains which can now be found at different places all over the city.
Which is why I went right to Samesa for a snack in between a couple beers and a few pretty serious rounds of Scattergories at Berg’n on a recent Saturday. The weather was cold and babies hadn’t gone home yet, so it was a full house of adults, children and occasionally popping balloons. The table service for beer was a nice touch, but it doesn’t bubble over to the food, which is ordered at the counter.
I got a nice chicken pita pocket along with a bit dip. I housed the sandwich, which was a really nice pita, while the accompaniment was slightly consumed over the course of the next half-​hour. Not particularly convenient to return to due to the crowds, the pita was at least a very nice snack.

I got Berg’n for the Victory Pints meetups on Wednesdays, and its awesome! Not only do they have a great selection of beers, but they also have table service with really friendly staff. I like the vibe of Berg’n, and if I lived closer to it, I’d probably hang out there regularly. The big open space is a welcome departure from smaller bars in the area.
They also have great food! I liked the burrito shop that was in there, but the filipino joint, Lumpia Shack had taken over that space. They make great lumpia (egg/​spring rolls). Their rice bowls are tasty. II had a vegetarian bowl. I grew up eating filipino food, and this didn’t seem very filipino to me, but it was great nonetheless!

One of my favorite places to hang out in the neighborhood.
The space at Berg’n is awesome — it has kind of an industrial/​warehouse type vibe, and the building is very spacious. There are long cafeteria style/​communal tables as well as smaller tables along the side. During the day it’s not uncommon for you to see people chilling, reading, or working while enjoying a cup of coffee. As the day progresses into the night, it becomes more of a beer hall, where they have a pretty nice tap selection. Rotational food stalls are there in case you have the munchies — most recently I’ve seen Mighty Quinn’s BBQ and Lumpia Shack. FYI, Ramen Burger is no longer there if that’s what you’re looking for.
Such a versatile space: coffee shop by day and beer hall by night with excellent food options. The place is perfect to come chill at alone or with big groups. Definitely a great neighborhood spot!

Cafeteria style, Berg’n is a great place for groups or for casual fun. With a full bar in the back, several food options available, and a dessert area (although that closes early), Berg’n pretty much has it all and will satisfy the needs of any group.
They have service at the bar and waiter service at the main tables. Every time I’ve been I’ve had friendly waiters and waitresses who are willing to split all bills. The food is paid for at their individual stands.
The atmosphere is relaxing and pretty quiet on a given afternoon. It can get a little loud on a Friday or Saturday night but that’s mostly due to the number of people laughing and having a nice time.
It’s not particularly cheap – actually it’s on the more expensive side – but it can be a good place to hang without feeling pressure to buy more and certainly a good place to visit and see friends.

Great idea to pre game, pick a lil something up to eat a couple of drinks then go party on the town. Many vendors to pick from so you and your friends don’t have to try to pick just one… awesome idea!
However, truly my only problem was the crowd and the price. I’m a carnivore so the vendors menu selection did not bother me however, my herbivore friend was not please with any of the selections. The crowd seemed very odd some people were having a grand time others looked pissed to be alive? Which did not go with the vibe of the place. Also if you are looking for superb service… ahhhh this aint it either. The service was not awful but the attitude is very kitchen lady buffet.
I would go back but I would keep in mind the price mostly.

Great idea in theory, unless you are there at 9:30 on a Saturday night and trying to order food. Then suddenly all the food places are closing up, and rudely telling you to try someone else.
Gets 2 stars for an interesting if overpriced beer selection.

Fun spot! I know this is billed more as a beer/​food hall but honestly the spacious, light-​filled windows, free wifi and nice coffee/​Dough doughnuts set-​up made it seem like a perfect space to study/​get some work done while enjoying a fun vibe (and maybe a beer or two). I went with a bloody mary which was okay (wish they’d added a salted rim), and I was a bit disappointed with the food vendors. They don’t have Pizza Moto or Ramen Burger anymore, it’s Lumpia Shack, Mighty Quinns and one or two other random spots. I had a kale salad that was passable — essentially raw kale, pita chips and a yogurt dressing. This might have been a 3-​star review but for the awesome ambiance and the great service — maybe don’t come here for the food but if you want to hang out and chill in a lovely space, you could do a lot worse.

There is nothing bad about that I can say about this place… Except that I wish the food was less expensive.
In previous reviews, it was not clear to me that this place is an open dining hall that gives you the option of 4 different types of food vendors and there is a full bar. It’s a super chill-​cafeteria style spot that is ideal for casual lunch dates, large groups, working remotely from the office, or taking casual meetings.
The full bar is definitely a bonus and if you live in the neighborhood try to walk or bike… There’s no parking in front at all… Unless you’re lucky!

I visited Berg’n for the first time earlier this year with a group of friends. I loved the concept, it was super cool. Berg’n reminds me of the beer halls that you would find in Europe. There needs to be more places like this popping up.
At the time I was able to select from bbq, Ramen Burger, Asia Dog, and an Italian pizzeria. There was a full service bar and a coffee shop had their own area as well.
The only downside was how quickly the seating filled up. Altogether there were four of us and scoping out a seat to fit us all, was close to impossible. You have to be quick and vigilant when trying to find seats at a table. People are like hawks and before you know it, swoop in and take the seats you have been waiting for.
Luckily, my friend and I were able to snag a couple of seats at the bar. Shortly after two more become open. Sitting at the bar is probably the best option if you want to enjoy a beer or cocktail. I noticed that it was quite difficult for people to order drinks from the bar who were not sitting there.
The food options were limited, but crazy good. I ended up getting the fried brussel sprouts with an agrodolce, baked beans, and burnt ends from the bbq place. I loved the combination of food on my tray, I was in foodie heaven.
The whole concept of the Ramen Burger was completely unappetizing to me. I could not get myself to try the popular creation that is. Even watching the person next to me devour it, was not pleasing. But to each their own.
If you are in the area and have not been, check it out.

This place has so much potential. Absolutely beautiful, big space. Fun idea of having multiple vendors, which could be a perfect solution to gathering with friends with different food preferences. Or at least, that was the idea when a friend and I picked Berg’n as a meet up spot for brunch.
Unfortunately, almost everything from the vendors was meat-​oriented, fried, and/​or too expensive. And there were hardly any choices for brunch even though they advertised brunch on a board outside.
Please, please get more veggie-​centric, less fried, less expensive, and more brunch-​oriented offerings (especially before you market being open for «brunch»).

This place was pretty rad. It’s cafeteria style with 4 vendors, a bar and dessert/​coffee section in the back.
Came here on a Tuesday and it was trivia night. The place was packed so me at my friend had to sit in the back, on the stools, away from the action like losers. Whatevers. We had great conversation and awesome food + beer.
As a Filipino, naturally I tried the Lumpia Shack. WHAT. A hip Filipino spot in Brooklyn? I was throughly surprised and tried the food. I had the sisig bowl which was super delicious but far from actual Filipino food. But it’s cool it’s a start.
Anyway, Bergn is an awesome place to chill with your friends and eat awesome food. Come hang and I’ll school you in trivia.

As a Michigander, I was psyched to hear about Ed & Bev’s serving Coney Dogs (something that has little to do with Coney Island, Brooklyn, and instead is the Detroit speciality of a hot dog smothered in chili with raw onions and mustard.) My interest quickly turned to disgust when I found out they charge $ 7.50 for a single Coney Dog. In Detroit, the same thing costs $ 2.35 at Lafayette Coney Island, arguably one of the best places for coneys in the city. Ed & Bev also serve Coney Fries (french fries with chili and onions and mustard) for $ 7.50. The same thing in Detroit goes for $ 2.80, and even going outside the city limits to the suburbs, you won’t find insultingly high prices like you’ll find here. (At Leo’s Coney Island in Royal Oak, you get a Coney Dog, Coney fries, and a Greek salad for $ 8.09.)
I get that businesses have to account for the exorbitant rents in Brooklyn and the city, but c’mon. At these prices, this place will have less traffic than the People Mover!* This place is more corrupt than Coleman Young!** If this place were in Detroit, it would be prime for Devil’s Night!***
* Detroit’s mass transit train, which no one rides.
** Former mayor of Detroit who contributed to the fiscal collapse of the city.
*** The night before Halloween, when Detroiters burn buildings down.

Welcome gentrification. This spot is cool because of location otherwise it’s mediocre. Drinks are affordable & quite good, served with a smile. I love cool bartenders who rely on smiles instead of their lady parts. Besides that there’s overpriced grub and the tiniest quesadilla available in the Mexican spot.
Came here for a birthday party.
Opened my own tab at bar (I know better than group bills!) Bar was a much better seat.
There’s an extensive beer list because well, it’s a beer garden.
Boom.
Enjoy if you’re in the hood. Don’t go out of your way. Can’t find it? Follow the trail of gringos.

Came here with colleagues last week for a happy hour. It was a beautiful day, but very hot, so we stayed inside. The beer list here is extensive, which is great, and they have a wonderful rotating list of guest food places inside the building.
The picnic tables are a little awkward in that you can’t really slide into them from the side, but that’s a minor thing. There is a reputation here that the servers are rather slow, and I did find that to be true as well, but it wasn’t enough to bump them down a star… yet.
Beer halls are the best. Glad there is one in Crown Heights!

I think I hate this place but I’m not actually sure. I like that there is plenty of space to sprawl out, get some work done in the day or meet with a friend, grab a craft beer or some food from one of the food vendors here (support Asiadog! theyre the best!) Theres a good amount of outlets for computers/​phones if you look and despite the iced coffee being extremely expensive for the size, its a good café replacement. They’re open pretty late most days and closed on Mondays.
The downside is this is basically mecca for hispters, so expect a lot of man buns, top knots, loud white youth, and indie music playing. Bring a friend or headphones.

Came here on a nice Sunday afternoon and thought this place was pretty cool.
Very spacious with a hell of a beer menu. If you want to try something different theres plenty of random beers on tap and by the bottle. They have 4 different food stations and you can sit anywhere at the table area to eat. Choices for food are Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, Asia dog, Ramen, and Pizza. Decided to go with Mighty Quinn’s and grab the spicy wings. Holy moley were those wings spicy!!! They were def flavorful but be prepared to have a glass of water on deck! Overall this is definitely a cool place to come and grab some food with friends without having everyone confined to eating just one thing because theres 4 different choices!

Just moved to the wonderful neighborhood that is Crown Heights and I’ve been here 3 times already. I just can’t say enough good things about this place. I was able to come during the time frame when they were serving ramen burgers (sadly, they do not anymore, although to be honest they aren’t anything to brag about), but they always have a good variety of 2 – 3 places putting up shop for X amount of time.
The cider that they have on tap is my absolute favorite cider of all time. The place is HUGE — there is a large open area inside with farm tables and a few board games (jenga, etc), and then to the left of there is an outdoor patio, with tables, chairs, and most had umbrellas. Then next to THAT is another quasi-​outdoor, indoor area… a much smaller room, but big enough to hold a party. For example, the first time I went, there was a teeny-​bopper party going on in this room. Second time, they had live comedy and a live band playing — but because this a bit away from the main hall, it almost feels like a different bar.
They also have a tiny coffee shop /​barista corner. What! Which ALSO sells things like bagels, muffins, cookies, etc.
Definitely worth a visit for the summer.

I’ll start by saying I think this place is fine. I recommend you try it out. I sat at the bar and had a beer when I was there but the concept is kind of neat in theory.
So imagine if Pottery Barn and the Gap decided to build a retro beer hall/​cafeteria/​coffee house/​social club/​Montessori School and wanted to staff it with casting straight from a United Colors of Benetton ad. This is what that would look like. I’m not saying that’s bad or good, that’s just the feeling I had.
There were food stalls where you could get a variety of (slightly) overpriced food that looked good. There’s a coffee/​pastry section. There was a DJ with a dadbod who was playing inoffensive tunes with at least a little edge. I visited on a Saturday afternoon and as others have mentioned, there were toddlers and strollers everywhere. (Watch your step if you’re carrying a tray because you might trip over little Everly or Clementine!)
My bartender was very cool and I liked the beer selection. But I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a Disney-​fied version of something that could be made to feel more authentic. I would go back and I’d say you should give it a shot but there’s something… I can’t quite put my finger on it… that leaves me a little cold.

This bar is awesome! I love the space.
I was really impressed by one of the bartenders. After I asked a question about the drink menu, I got a quick lesson on different types and flavors of gins. Who does that on a busy Friday night?
The cafeteria style seating with surrounding bar and food stations is a cool concept. BUT it gets really loud. Space wise, it’s great if you’re trying to get a lot of people together at once. But I wouldn’t recommend if you’re trying to have actual conversation with a date or friend, you’ll end up feeling like you’re screaming.

I thought I was going to fall in love at first sight, but unfortunately, I’ve been to places just like this before and they were done much better. If it wasn’t for the insane vendors of food that scream amazingness, Berg’n would be a 2 star with me not coming back. But that food though.
First, Berg’n is not that large. It’s got the beer hall type tables where everyone and anyone can sit together, play card/​board games, and mingle, but it’s just one hall with a separate area for small parties. The food area is all along one wall and it’s amazing. Ramen Burger, Asia Dog, Pizza Moto, and Mighty Quinn’s with Blue Marble by the bathrooms. I mean, that’s enough of a reason to go. The beer list didn’t blow my mind and after featuring a few of their cans, I realized they were all garbage. For being a place with so many food options, throw me a few shitty, cheap beers please.
Honestly, as the night went on with some friends, I started to think Berg’n was more of a cafeteria of great food options than a beer hall that I need to go back to. If I do go back, it’ll be for the food, but I feel like this might be far and few between.