Grand Army

Serveur adorable et à l’écoute des envies. On repart avec plein d’idées et de choses à faire à NYC !

came here for brunch yesterday.
Bloody mary was average, but the biscuits and gravy and the sardine toast were delicious. It’s impressive what they can do with the small space. looking forward to going back for oysters and dinner.

I made a reservation at Grand Army for Chinese New Year as my gal was sad to be away from her family over the holidays and it is custom to eat fish on Lunar New Year’s Eve. I really hoped to make the occasion special even if we were to spend it on our own. When we arrived at Grand Army, we saw a sign on the door indicating the restaurant was closed for a staff party. Given the circumstances, my gal was devastated. Although Grand Army was one of our regular places, I don’t see us going back anytime soon.

Stopped in for happy hour recently, since it’s in my ‘hood and they have oysters. Oh, and I just had to see those eyedropper tinctures for myself.
The place is dark and cute — interiors are in the Brooklyn vein of trendy rustic Americana. The gap between the wide floor planks ate my stiletto heel. It was as if the place was goading me for coming in dressed as if I was visiting the meatpacking district.
On to the libation and oyster review… We had a couple of east coast oysters — the names of which escape me, but were appropriately fresh and briny. The small glass tinctures were a nice touch. Thai pepper, mignonette (without the actual shallot bits), hot pepper and ponzu were on offer for the day. The cocktail I enjoyed was a fruity rum based drink, named Ziggy’s Stardust (this was the week of David Bowie’s departure).
All in all, a nice option for dollar oysters and fancy cocktails for the neighborhood.

Sitting here for 15 minutes felt like sitting in the middle of a campfire. Poorly ventilated, couldn’t even enjoy my cocktail.

Oyster happy hour was perfect. Great tasting oysters, great service, good drinks etc. That bread tho… had high hopes for carb overload but it was kinda cold and hard. Butter almost made up for it… But didn’t.

Was here around 1am on a recent Thursday. A few folks were milling about.
Not too much going on in the area around then, so this is a solid option.
It’s definitely more of a restaurant with a bar than a traditional bar-​bar, but hey whatever.
Average drink prices, average service. Food will set you back a few $$. Overall, not bad.

I love this place. Love it. I have yet to find a cocktail bar that such a great place in the neighborhood to meet people for drinks after work. I can’t say that I’ve sampled much of the food here, but it’s an excellent place to meet up with friends for a tipple.

Ah, Grand Army. I live a block away, and I’ve been inside your gorgeous space five or six times now, and I still don’t know how to articulate how I feel in an overarching sense. So I’m going to do that thing where people break up the review into its main components, mostly because the elements of this bar are pretty disparate. If you don’t want to listen to me babble on and on, there’s a TL; DR at the end.
Cocktails.
Let’s start with the good. Your cocktails are uniformly excellent. I’ve ordered off the menu, I’ve ordered off-​menu, and I’ve never been sad. There’s no vodka-​shaming when my wife wants a martini, and even when you incorporate ingredients I’m not necessarily fond of, the overall effect has been balanced and quite tasty. The Bosses’ Cabinet in particular has always been a good decision, especially since it’s a rotating cocktail that is always a slightly more affordable $ 11 (to the standard $ 13).
I would love to complain about that pricing in general, but that’s pretty much just what good cocktails cost these days. Do I wish they were more affordable, so that I could be a regular? Of course. Do I wonder who could pay that much for cocktails regularly? Yes. But then again, you’re on the same block as $ 4.5 million townhouses… and I’m betting whoever lives there can handle it.
Food.
The oysters have always been fresh, and when you come in for happy hour, $ 1 apiece is a welcome price point. (Actually paying MP? I’m not going to do that because I futilely dream of one day having one of those townhouses.) Some may find it too cutesy, but I actually appreciate the eyedroppers of different sauces; I like the variety of a little bit of jerk on this one, a little bit of ponzu on that one, or the standard mignonette or cocktail sauce… all in exact amounts that I decide. I do usually go sans sauce with fresh oysters anyway, but options are nice.
Unfortunately, none of the other food particularly appeals to me. I’ve tried a few of the «larger» plates, some of the raw bar, and I’ve had all the breads (formerly known as the fancy toasts), and I didn’t find any to be worth revisiting. They tend to be prettier than they are tasty, and that kills me. I was sure I’d love the breads, too, as with such a small menu you expect them to be carefully curated, but it hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps their food is just not my style, but living so close I wish it was.
Service.
Uneven. My bearded bartender friend, I believe his name is Damon, is great. He’s generally friendly, obviously well-​versed in the art of booze, and he’s a pleasure to watch. No wasted motion in his game.* Unfortunately, some of the table service has ranged from just fine to inexplicably rude to painfully awkward (twice I’ve seen a teenager working, and he dropped silverware and flushed/​cringed so hard I hurt for him). It’s also a bummer when I come by for a nightcap an hour before they ostensibly close, and I’m turned away. I understand that folks are just trying to get home though, and I suppose I can save some money and drink my own booze. But my cocktails (usually consisting of liquor and ice) aren’t nearly as tasty.
All in all, I will continue to come back for oysters and cocktails. And I’ll keep trying the food as well, because I want to update this review. I want to be a regular. I want to love Grand Army. And I hope it happens.
TL; DR: The food is overpriced and underwhelming, the service is uneven, but the cocktails are excellent and worth the trip.
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*There was also a day I came in that he was grinning ear to ear, and let me know that his 1^st grade teacher had just walked in. Which is awesome.

This place is truly a hidden gem, and so underrated! I probably passed by it many times — there is no sign outside.
But somehow, my partner in crime found it in search for fresh oysters, and here we were, enjoying their happy hour for drinks and oysters.
4 kinds of east coast oysters were available for happy hour special ($ 1 each), but we also could not resist Kusshi from BC. All were fresh, and Kushi was so tender and so good! (yeah, we reordered *few* more times, could not stop!)
Other items on menu are worth trying, of course — grilled octopus with celeriac & celery oil was tender and perfectly cooked; and «Surryano» Ham is nice charcuterie dish to nibble on.
They also have pretty extensive drinks menu — I had Little Blue, and liked it a lot. Served in frozen metal blue mug, it’s bourbon-​based drink with a little bit absinthe, and minty aftertaste.
Atmosphere here is relaxing, it’s down-​to-​earth bar. Staff is super-​helpful and very, very nice.
Everything came on time, no delays in food or drinks — which was muchly appreciated since we had to go to the theater after this little adventure. Even check arrived in seconds after we asked for it.
I enjoyed it a lot, definitely will come back for Happy Hour!

I understand why restaurants are replacing FOH staff with IPads and such.
When a couple walks into a bar the first thing you should do is greet them and smile, not check your watch, suck your teeth and walk away. But I didn’t come 30mins out my way to leave, especially when you close in an hour.
Rude waitress tells us tables are out and we have to sit at the bar, cool no prob I came for liqour anyway. We over hear that the kitchen is closed but the kitchen guy doesn’t mind doing oysters, wanted to see if we could also do shrimp cocktail since its from the raw bar. At this point the bartender has yet to greet us. (I know we should’ve left) Anywho, rude waitress is walking by, I tried asking her a question but before I could even get the first word out she states
” You’re going to have to ask the bartender since you’re at the bar”.
Just know, Rude waitress that you are an EPIC TURD.
Bartender comes over she’s sweet a little bit crazy but we like it. Makes my drink, super weak, I ordered GIN (The Fountainhead) because I Like to get a bit tipsy not chug it down and still be sober.
We ordered oysters which are ridiculously priced especially for a place with such little variety. They were okay anyway. The concentrated sauces were delicious!
We only like ratchet once were drunk, please get us drunk before you as the staff start sitting at the bar and cursing loudly and talking about all the other crap in your life. We definitely wouldn’t have minded if someone asked if we would like another round.
Business is business, teach your staff this.
Two stars for the Male Asian guy who was talking his mess and still doing his job thank you for clearing the empty dishes that sat in front of us.

This review is for happy hour (5 – 7 Monday to Friday) at Grand Army. Love the ambiance of the restaurant but loved the $ 1 oysters even more. So, so worth it. We came and waited only a few minutes for a table and then splurged on 24 beautiful, cheap, delicious oysters perfectly presented on two tiers of ice with little droppers filled with different sauces. Beer prices were lowered for happy hour too and I loved the mixture of a sour beer with my oysters. Definitely recommend this place for drinks and snacks, although doesn’t seem like the menu is really for a full dinner.

This gem in an unexpected are is a nice addition to the neighborhood. It is great for a variety of diets– gluten-​free, vegetarian, and clean eating. The vibe is intimate and comfortable. There is a decent-​sized bar, a couple of booths, and seating for a few dozen at small tables. The space is cleanly decorated and dimly lit so that I felt about 20 years older as I read the small-​printed menu by the glow of the tea light on the table.
Drinks– They definitely try hard to be the creative cocktail joint so much so that they do not even have cranberry juice. That being said, the drinks taste great and are heavy on the alcohol; so put aside your judgment when the server brings a tiny glass for which you paid $ 13.
Food– warning** I do not eat shellfish and this will not include info about the oysters. That being said, everything else I tasted was absolutely delightful. The combinations are creative and well-​thought out. The sea bass is served as almost a sashimi and topped with a curious blend of sweet pickles and spicy peppers. The burrata, don’t freak out fellow Italians, is served with beets and (gasp) curry sauce. This is a must try! Downside– only 1 dessert :(Nevertheless, get a few plates and share with friends; you’re gonna want to try it all.

Oh man there’s this drink called the Trans-​siberian that tastes like how I imagine a cocktail would taste in a fairy tale. It’s like orange blossom and magic.
I had two drinks and was feeling super buzzy. The bartender had a nice pour, which I appreciate.
The bar is really pretty. The toastie things are really good. The oysters are yummy. I wish they would label the dropper things for the oysters. That’s my only complaint though. :) I look forward to many tipsy evenings here.

Great happy hour. Nice servers. Great oysters. Lots to choose from. Octopus was off the hook. Tartare was also exceptional. Accommodated 7 of us at the bar nicely even during high time.

Just went back for brunch, and once again, I was very impressed with the flavors, textures, and attention to detail. Sure, the vibe is a little hipper than thou, but they have a lot to boast about. The soft scrambled eggs with salmon and caviar was absolutely glorious, and the bloody mary was good and spicy, loaded with horseradish, crisp and creative garnish.

The first time I visited here was I would of rated it a 3 based on the drinks. But after visiting a second time I realized that there was more to offer. I think it was an off night at first. The cocktails I had the second time around were much better. I think its all about what you order. In life, generally I like to give people a second chance! Grand army didn’t prove me wrong. One drink I ordered was the New Orleans cocktail off the summer menu. Excellent choice! The other drink was bartenders choice so there is no use of me mentioning it because I forgot the name. It was tiki and pretty good though. :)

Great cocktails! Dollar oysters M-​F from 5 to 7pm!
Try the Westbrook Gose — this beers sour, salty after taste is delicious.

We stopped in for happy hour one night while wondering the street. Very nice little spot. I could see myself as a regular if I lived in the neighbourhood.
The oysters were very good and came with a variety of sauces. I really enjoyed the jerk (as in jerk seasoning) vinaigrette.

I’m kind of borderline between 3 and 4 stars.
What I loved:
–Smoked Shrimp Fancy Toast — shrimp were diced up and combined with a cream cheese like spread; shrimp themselves had a great smokey flavor and the combination of flavors with the pickled veggies was excellent
–Ricotta Fancy Toast — Another terrific marriage of flavors, and the ricotta was outstanding.
–One of our servers
What I didn’t:
–My old fashioned. Wasn’t on the menu, but I expect a place like this to be able to make a decent old fashioned. Mine seemed like nothing more than bourbon with a little sugar and some zest. Not good, and kind of offensive at $ 13.
–Bread and butter also disappointed, and was a rip off at $ 8. The bread service at maison premier, a place I don’t especially like, is $ 4, a selection of breads, and better seaweed butter.
–the server in training who said, «chef suggests you…» 2004 called, they want their style of service back
Middling:
–Octopus — it was OK, but Melanie thought it was kind of expensive at $ 17 for what it was… she was right!
–Scallops — too much garnish; couldn’t taste scallop; better with half the shiso leaf and jalapeño.
Loved the décor. Cool and comfortable.

Last Wednesday after a mini family reunion at my cousin’s home down the street, five of us (female cousins) decided to try this place out. I think we got there about 11 pm. Nice looking place, and interesting menu, but we weren’t hungry so we just had drinks. All the drinks were good.
I would have given a higher rating, but some guy who works there came over to our table and told us we reminded him of «The Golden Girls» — what!!! Dude — that is NO compliment! That show was about some 65+ year old women, and none of us are anywhere near that! What an insult. The manager needs to school the employees on how to talk to customers — especially females.

I like oysters. I like drinking cocktails. I love seafood.
I like Mile End. I follow Daniel Krieger on Instagram. And I love Prime Meats.
Basically, Grand Army had all the ingredients to be an awesome bar. I went even though there were several bad Unilocal reviews just to see for myself. Unfortunately, the 50,000,000 Elvis fans weren’t wrong this time.
Maybe I should save this review until after they complete their first month, but Pete Wells I’m not.
I came by on a Tuesday and according to the bartender, it was unusually slow. That should mean great service, right? Actually, no.
They really treat this place like it’s an industry happy hour. The head bartender spends his time talking to his friends seated at the bar. When asked what’s good on the menu, he provides a very unhelpful answer of «it’s my menu, so I think it’s all good». He also told my friend the same thing when he asked later. Come on, dude. You know what the fuck I mean. After some teeth pulling and telling him I wanted a drink on the stronger side, he came back with The Granville, which is a pretty weak gin drink with mint.
I had the misfortune of being sandwiched between two people who were also friends with the head bartender, so I was basically ignored for a good 15 minutes before I could place a food order with a different bartender, who was a much cooler/​warmer guy.
Their oyster prices are actually pretty ridiculous. I feel like they’re trying to be Maison Première, but don’t have the oyster variety or the reasonable prices. I ordered a variety of Washington oysters, starting at $ 3.75 apiece and ending at a whopping $ 4.25 each. The Kushi’s were pretty bad, and the Shigoku’s weren’t anything special. The Totten Virginica’s were pretty good though. Everything was a little on the lukewarm side, which isn’t a good sign. Their eyedropper bottles were really gimmicky, and kind of spit in the face of fresh oysters. But I’ll have to admit, the Jamaican jerk sauce was interesting enough.
So that’s at least three strikes, if we’re keeping score.
Against my better judgment, I stayed for another drink and more food. The drink was the Kansas City Southern, which was a much better drink and basically what I wanted the first time around (and when I was $ 13 richer).
Around this time, the head bartender overheard my friend and I talking about other bartenders in the area we knew, and he finally started talking to us like we were worth his time. It felt like a networking function.
Anyway, I also ordered two of their small plates. The first was the dayboat scallops, which were two small portions of scallop pieces with pickled jalapeño, puffed rice (which gave it a weird texture and no extra flavor) on top of what looked like leaves. Not filling at all, and really did nothing to emphasize the scallop flavor (and I love scallops).
Also had the shrimp cocktail, which was 4 pieces for $ 12. The shrimp were fresh and decently sized, but at $ 3 apiece, I expected better.
All in all, Grand Army has a lot of promise, but I’ll give it a month or two before/​if I return so they can hopefully get their shit together. Because right now, it kinda blows.
Good beer selection though.
If we’re still keeping score, they’re at 5 strikes and minus 3 stars.

Sea urchin!
Fancy toast!
Awesome cocktails!
Yes.
This was that little café space on the corner of State and Hoyt that has somehow been expanded a bit. It’s a small space. There’s a good sized bar and then maybe… 10? tables? Lots of fancy custom cocktails (although the table next to us thought that $ 18 was too high for Brooklyn — usually I would agree but with apartments in the area topping $ 4-​zillion a month things may have changed).
You’ll come for the cocktails and stay for the oysters with all the little eye droppers of sauces. The octopus is on a bed of dashi and celery root that will hurt your brain as it is so light and airy. The uni is served on a shiso leaf: delicious.