Black Tree

Okay Black Tree is now a cash only place so just be sure to have lots of money with you lol. Despite this minor annoyance Black Tree is incredible. Great bar vibe with incredible food. The staff is always friendly and welcoming. I have been here before for lunch and loved it but last night elevated my opinion even more. The pork belly bao was delicious. The pork bun was perfectly light and airy coupled with the gelatinous pork belly. Just on point. This place has moved to regular rotation now.

Little hole in the wall with the typical NY exposed brick feel. Great sandwiches, decent beer, owner thinks he’s too cool for school. I liked it!

I actually heard about thia place from the food network. I jumped on the opportunity immediatly. I ordered the summer pork. Nice concept but i got a dry piece of pork. The way it looked on tv was more juicy. Then someonw ordered the same thing and it was a better cut so i would auggest specifying a juicy piece. The bartender described a thick bacon type and it was dry pork. Not bacom type at all. I guess i was looking forward too it to much. The amiance is nice. U also can watch the chef cook the food.

Had the summer pig sandwich. A nice glazed and marinated pork belly slab with pickles, I also had burrata cheese added on. This is highly recommended to add the cheese with your sandwich, it is because the cheese balances the sweet pickles and marinated pork belly.
The only downside to this dish is that, it does not feel like a sandwich that can be held with your hands. It seems impossible to do so, and now you have to eat them with cutleries they provide.
The ambience of the place is quite soothing for a date night, serves draft beers of different kinds. Which adds a last check on a balanced summer pig sandwich.

Amazing dinner. I’ve never eaten at a place where everything on the menu is amazing. From the buratta, duck wings, brisket sandwich to the cocktails everything was delicious. I also recommend the pickle backs. Everything is mad locally or in house, so even the pickle juice is phenomenal.
If you are looking for a delicious, farm to table meal, look no further, come here!

Black Tree is a special place.
Every week there is a special menu and they utilize the entire animal of choice making everything from scratch in the process.
Tip: Make sure you come in before Sunday if you are looking forward to a specific dish because, being that they stay true to eliminating waste, they do run out of the more popular dishes towards the end of the week.
We came on the week of the cow. The steak was delicious, the Philly cheese steak was truly special (as funny as that sounds the cheese sauce sealed the deal), oh and the burrata was amazing.
The cocktails are also amazing with a mixologist on staff and local spirits at hand.
The one downside is the presentation, it could use some help and the wood boards were way too worn.

I came here for dinner on a Tuesday night with some friends. There isn’t too much table seating, so I can see it being crowded on a Thursday or Friday night. Also it’s cash only!
We ordered the Spicy Carrot Artichoke Dip, which was delicious and very rich. It’s quite heavy so it’s a good thing to share with others at a table. It wasn’t crazy spicy where my mouth was on fire but had a nice kick to it. A very nice play on the usual Spinach Artichoke Dip.
For my entrée, I ordered the Bao (Honey Ricotta, Fried Breast, Scallion Relish, Chives and Pear Apple Relish). It was one of the most tastiest things I’ve eaten. The flavors played into each other perfectly as it was a tad sweet yet savory.
They do something unique here where they have a featured animal for a time, this time it was chicken. I like this idea though because I will for sure be back as they change the menu so frequently. My new go-​to.

Ate lunch here today. Came in and the place was pretty empty but the bartender Bianca made me feel right at home. I had the hummus plate, two blood orange pale ales, a cocktail, and a shot (oops). The food was super tasty. Hummus is served with pickled veggies, cinnamon apples, and amazing warm toasty bread. Cocktails and beer were bomb af too. A very chill spot to stop by if you’re in the lower east side and want a discreet classy drink or snack.

This place has a different menu almost every week depending on what animal they are featuring. I have been fortunate enough to try some of the most delicious dishes I’ve had in NYC at this establishment. Everything from their sandwiches, to their ramen, steak, burgers and more has always been on point. Serious compliments to their chef, I’m not sure how they fire up such amazing meals out of that tiny kitchen.

Friend and I came Thursday afternoon and it was super empty… which was nice (:
Burrata: …so YUMMMM. Okay, disclaimer — this is my first time trying Burrata. However, regardless of that, my taste buds are HAPPY. The bread came hot and it was the perfect combo of crunchy outside and amazing warm, fluff inside. The Burrata itself is extremely light and paired perfectly with a light olive oil and sea salt. It’s like gooey mozzarella on steroids. highly recommended
Kale Caesar Salad:
It’s so good. It’s just really good… and the egg is crumbled all over the salad so you get some egg in every bite. The kale is extremely fresh! All their veggies are farm fresh
Short Rib sandwich: great portion! The meat is extremely tender, the veggies fresh, the sauce on point. I recommend adding the Burrata to it! I thought adding the Burrata would make it too heavy, but it actually had the opposite effect of making it taste more light and fresh

I was having a crazy Saturday night in and saw on Diners, Drive-​ins and Dives this gem being featured. When I see a well-​made pork belly sandwich, I just knew I had to check this place out. The uniqueness about this place is that it focuses on Farm to table ingredients.
I came here during Sunday brunch hours and not realizing that only brunch items are sold during brunch, the menu was limited in sandwiches but fortunately they had the main sandwich I was looking for: the Pig’s sandwich. It seems that they vary the ingredients to accompany the season which is great. In my sandwich, there was greenpoint braised pork belly, a beautiful fried egg, cooked down apple slices, all encased by a wonderfully crisp ciabatta. Delicious! The pork belly was super soft, the fried egg had a runny yolk and the apple was mild, perfectly complementing the rest of the sandwich.
I also shared the breakfast burrito that was stuffed with scrambled egg and arugula. It was huge and everything was perfect for sharing. The service was also super nice and attentive. I would love to come back during dinner hours and try their short rib and mushroom sandwich.
Sidenote: The only thing I wish they would do is update their website. The menus do not reflect what I was offered when I came, which was slightly frustrating because I had every intention of ordering the short rib sandwich which was shown on their brunch site but not when I sat down.

To anyone heading to the Lower East Side soon, go to Black Tree. To anyone not visiting that neighborhood soon? Change your plans, and then go to Black Tree. This restaurant gives farm-​to-​table mentality a cool, edgy twist. My boyfriend and I went here and loved it. While the menu changes each week based on available ingredients, I must say that the artichoke dip was on another level (it sounds dramatic, but I’m serious) and the duck plate we shared had us wanting more. The restaurant itself has a cool, semi-​industrial flair; however, it’s small so try this option during off-​peak eating hours.
Need anymore incentive to spot by? Just check out its Diners, Drive-​ins and Dives episode. You’ll be sold.

Ambiance sympa dans ce restau. Chaque semaine, une viande particulière est mise à l’honneur. Si vous etes végétarien, foncez sur l’artichoke dip, c’est un délice.

As seen on Diners Drive in’s and Dives. This place is a SoHo Hit! Come for dinner come for brunch you won’t leave disappointed from this Lower Manhattan gem. Very cozy (small) rustic atmosphere. The highlights of this place is their stance on using locally produced ingredients and inspired menu that changes weekly depending on the chosen meat of the week.
So quickly check the menu before you head to Black Tree and get ready to be inspired.

Came here on a Saturday for brunch and there was no wait. We got seated right away. I came here because it was on my list of places in the neighborhood I wanted to try. I was looking for a particular sandwich to get but it seems like they change their menu seasonally.
I came here with my brother and we ordered the root vegetable sandwich and one of their salads that was suppose to have pears and a pear vinaigrette. However, we got apples and some other salad dressing sauce that was definitely not pear. For $ 13 the salad was definitely not worth the money. It wasn’t a bad salad but I wouldn’t order it again. The sandwich on the other hand was really good and fresh. This sandwich had a mix of veggies and a fried egg. The egg was cooked perfectly. When you bite into it, the yolk will spill out. This is definitely a place to get a good sandwich.

One of my favorite places to eat in LES. It’s a small place, half the restaurant is bar/​counter seating. We were quoted a 45 minute wait for two but we asked if we could sit at the small counter across the bar and they kindly cleared it off for us.
On the menu that week were different types of pork sandwiches. We were told they take in an entire pig and use it to make different dishes until they’ve used up the whole pig. So we both had a different kind of pork sandwich and their heirloom tomato salad. The sandwiches were decently sized and the pork juicy and not overly salty. My favorite was the heirloom tomato salad served up on a small cheese board — the most refreshing thing I’ve tasted in a while. It was almost as if they plucked those tomatoes right off the vine before they served them. Very pleased with the food and service, can’t wait to go back!

This place is among my favorite spots in NYC for savory, largely carnivorous indulgences.
Absolutely get the short run sandwich. And the pork belly. And the other various takes in their rotating animal of the week.
The space is small but nothing out of the ordinary for the area. Great beer and awesome staff. All around among the best restaurants in New York

On NYE, I decided to have dinner here. I ordered the mushroom skillet which was disappointing. I love garlic but for the amount I’m paying I better taste more than garlic (I didn’t). I also had the pumpkin sandwich which was stuffed with fall spice ricotta, mozzarella, roasted seeds, ricotta, and herbs. I can’t say this is something I would ever crave for. It was edible, the idea of it sounded magical but there was no wow factor at all. The waiter convinced us to order champagne and we shared it with strangers because it was just too much for 3 chicks pressing on time. Overall, the ambiance was nice that night but the food was upsetting.

The barter was AMAZING. Can’t remember her name but she was talkative but not gushy, if that makes any sense. I listened to her humor another guest for a bit while he talked about some other bit of nonsense without batting an eye or seeming the least annoyed. Bravo. When it was our turn for attention, she explained the menu and let us know that some of the drinks weren’t available because they were changing the seasonal menu. Even still, she manage to MacGyver us up a few drinks that were close to what was on the menu with a few substitutions. I can’t remember their names but Fall is over and they’re on to their winter menu now so, sorry?
Then the food arrived! I had the Fall Pig and my wife had the Cauliflower sandwich. Both were amazing. I suggest going to visit during the early afternoon. It wasn’t crowded at all and we got the chance to sit back, enjoy a few of their amazing drinks, and take in the atmosphere.

Went here to meet up with friends and have a bite. Waited the bar and ordered drinks. I ordered a drink called Pear and it was the worst I have ever had… It tasted bitter and plastic. I’m sorry to say I didn’t ask for a new one, chickend out…
Nothing on the menu really spoke to us after that so we left.
Small and cozy place. Nice staff and service but not a place for me. Sorry

The burrata is possibly the most amazing thing that I’ve ever had in a bread category.
Went during pig week & kinda sad they ran out of the pork bao but! Had the winter pig and it did not disappoint! Delicious delicious sandwich. Perfect for a cheat meal

My girlfriend suggested this place becos shes been here and the food tasted very good. However, the risky part is they change their menu weekly and each week they dedicate a different animal meat. And everythin on the item would be cooked w that animal.
We came during the week of pig. After a long time of debatin what to get cos most of the items were sandwiches. My gf and i ordered a steak and was alittle excited that we found somethin non-​pig (but we should’ve asked to be clear). Turns out the 30 oz steak is pork belly. (Duh! It was pig wk, and no wonder the waiter didnt ask how’d we like our steak done. But we jus never knew pork belly was called steak as well) it was tender in some parts but very hard to cut through the pork belly skin.
We then tried the spinach dip which had bacon in it, served w bread. It was the saltiest dip i’ve ever had.
So by this pt, we were pretty unsatisfied. Maybe it was a bad wk for us since the choice of meat was pig. Maybe i’ll be back when its another type of meat such as cow.
Overall, the atmosphere is dim. Bathroom is super dark. Few tables in the front (abt 4 – 5) and short bar w seatings and friendly staff.

The food was amazing. That’s not the reason for my poor review. The reason is the waitress we had.
She was rude, condescending and had a huge attitude. When we were about to order, my friend was on his phone and she flipped out, asked him why he was on his phone when he was with his friends, took his phone and shoved it in his pocket and asked us what was wrong with us. Maybe that was supposed to be funny but it wasn’t and it completely put us off.
Then, when we ordered a gin and asked for a separate glass of tonic water afterwards, she asked us why we hadn’t told her that in the first place. Does she hate us? We did not feel welcome. We did not like her sour attitude towards us. She gave us the check immediately before asking if we wanted to order anything else. We were happy to leave, and it’s such a shame because the food is really, really great.
We had the wild pig and abuelita and both were incredible. Maybe I’ll get over it and decide to come here again, but probably only for take out so I don’t have to deal with people who don’t know what hospitality means for customers.

Came here recently with a group of 6. We had reservations so getting seated wasn’t an issue. This place is really small so I would not do more than a group of 7. It could get cramped quite easily.
Because their menu changes frequently, our menu at the time was the pork.
For appetizer we had the PumKing Artichoke Dip and Dipalo Burrata. Both of these dishes came with the same type of bread with sea salt sprinkled on them. I thought that the salt did help, but most of the time it was too salty because it was big sea salt chunks. If they could have used a little finer sea salt, it might have been better. The «Artichoke Dip» was really good. It had bacon bits in it and the dish itself wasn’t overly salted, only the bread was. There was enough to share amongst 4 people. The Burrata was also really good. The burrata (a type of fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream) really complemented the bread and salt. The cheese itself is not salty and fairly tasteless.
For main course we ordered the Shephards’ Pie, 30 oz blade steak, and Heirloom Cauliflower. I had a chance to try all three.
The blade steak was good, seasoned well but seemed like it wasn’t really true 30 oz since I think they counted the bone into the weight. Would have been more worth it if it was just the entire piece of meat. We split the dish up with 5 people and it was enough for everyone to taste test. The potatoes was good, borderline over seasoned.
The Shephards’ pie was flavorful but the meat was a little dry. I did like the cranberry jam that came with it. Everything together kind of reminded me of Thanksgiving. «Turkey» + stuffing + cranberry jam. This was a very good balanced dish.
The heirloom cauliflower, one friend got it as is, another got it with an egg on top. Unfortunately the piece I tried was bland. Nothing special was done to the cauliflower. I felt this dish really missed the mark. Out of all the dishes, this would be the least recommended.
Overall, service was excellent. Because it is a relatively small restaurant, it was annoying to be able to smell the smokers from outside. Kind of ruins the experience. This place is a solid 3.5 stars. It didn’t quite reach the 4 mark because majority of the dishes were over seasoned and one dish was really off. I would still recommend this place and would give them another try since their menu changes so frequently.

Charming, Delicious little place tucked away in Orchard Street. Everything is farm to table and local (within 300 miles). Very friendly staff and creative menu. We started by sharing a cocktail — quince, maple syrup, ginger and burboun — deliciousness. Then burrata from DiPaulos around the corner in little Italy with a wonderfully earthy olive oil and spice mix on fresh bread. The piece de resistance was «the Fall Pig» — pork belly, Apple, eggs, chocolate mint. I’m not a pork eater, generally but this place was well worth breaking my pork rule. The duck hash and cauliflower sandwich looked amazing — will have to come back to try them.
The place is tiny but the wait wasn’t long on a Saturday afternoon, even with the party that took up most of the front room.

Hidden in the lower east side, this place is small and super cute.
Explained by the server, the menu is always changing with the exception of 1 sandwich that is a staple on their menu.
Only (1) sandwich is a staple on a menu!!! That had «must try» written all over it.
Food: We started with the loaded Artichoke dip. It was good for what it was but a bit heavy for my taste. Generous portion that came with a mini loaf of bread.
The Pork sandwich was the one thing that did not change on their menu. It came served with a fried egg which sweetened the order even more.
Have to order a chicken item since Black Tree is known for their chicken, so we ordered the fried chicken sandwich. The chicken was super tender, moist, and meaty. Every bite was just as good as the first one.

Oh Black Tree, what on earth do I say about you? Everyone I know loves you, and I’ve been drinking with you for, what, two years now? Somehow I managed to never eat here before. Truth be told, I’m recovering picky eater, and your complex sandwiches intimidated me.
But I’m done with that nonsense, ya hear? You’ve won me over even more, your food is amazing,
I don’t even like burrata, and I’ve found myself thinking of yours ever since I ordered it. I also don’t like artichoke, but your artichoke and crab dip has also been in my thoughts. Me and my friends sopped up every last bit with our bread, talking suddenly ceased. Maybe I like these things after-​all, or maybe I just like them when you make them, I haven’t decided.
The pork belly sandwich with apples, mint and a fried egg was delicious, and makes a great breakfast the next morning.
I love that your menu is hyper local, hyper seasonal, changing every week. That I show up and when you’re out of things your waiter helps me find something new I’ve never tried before. You care about food and community, it shows in everything you do, and we love ya for it.
Edited to add: Their porterhouse in a mild chimichurri sauce was also absolutely amazing, possibly the best porterhouse I’ve ever had.

This was our first meal of the trip and it was the best way to start our adventures in New York. We came in on a Wednesday evening during happy hour and we had no trouble getting seated real quick. The menu rotates, with a different featured protein and we had chicken. The server found out that we were first timers and totally took care of us. We got:
— Deviled Duck Egg
— Chicken Fried «Rice»
— Fall Pigl Sandwich + Egg
— Heirloom Cauliflower Sandwich
Everything was BOMB! Fresh, locally sourced ingredients with each dish really letting the food be the star, paired with a great beer selection. What more can you ask for? As I reflect back, I will crave and come back for any of the sandwiches and that deviled egg. Best meal of the trip, hands down.

Went on a buffalo week so wasn’t excited about that but the kale salad was amazing! !
The heirloom watermelon sandwich was surprisingly good!
Cool waitress, gave us free shots:)
Only Con was that they didn’t have alot of the things on menu

Don’t let my 2 star rating defer you from the food — the food was amazing. My rating more has to do with the worst service I have ever received from a restaurant period.
We got the kale salad, the tree-​fil-​a, and the artichoke dip. Out of all 3, the artichoke was a definite standout. It had little bits of bacon in and the texture was more that of mashed potatoes than an actual dip. It came with steaming hot bread (too hot actually, it burned the roof of my mouth). We decided not to stay for dessert due to our incredibly rude server.
The server not only was rude, but was condescending and admitted multiple times that he always «forgets about this table» (referring to our table) — when just a few minutes before he had just thanked us for being «small enough» to fit at the side table since it usually goes unused because most people are «too big». That resulted in us having to stare at our food for 10 minutes until we could get his attention to bring us some silverware. We also asked him if he could bring us the appetizer first — which I don’t think is a crazy request — and was just met with so much attitude that it wasn’t even worth arguing for.
Its a shame because the food was really great and was looking forward to bringing my husband… but the food is not worth having your night potentially ruined by terrible attitude from a waiter and below average service.

The following observations are why I changed my rating to three stars from four:
1. $ 15 for a small burger with potato chips. Waiter initially said they only cooked burgers assembly line style and couldn’t cook medium rare, which makes no sense considering it is a tiny restaurant.
2. $ 7 for an ear of Mexican street corn.
3. Nonstop punk music becomes unappetizing to eat to.

Came in for the seafood fried rice, accidentally acquired a mushroom sandwich and cest la vie.
Even before tasting this sandwich, I know it’s a good one. Truffle butter aroma gets right in my face as I open up the foil container. K friggin O! It wins over my weak appetite as I just have to pop one of them shrooms in my mouth.
Popping open the rice container, oysters are spotted and I do like I frequently do by eating one immediately. Super plump and creamy. Eff the raw ones, cooked oysters is where it’s at.
Food quality is very good so it’s not really a surprise since when walking into this LES joint, glass canisters of veggies and fruits are all along the wall which sais to me that they like experimentation and flava.
Even when I was walking home with my grub, I wasn’t sorry to pass by Petee’s Pies tonite. I was excited to check out the delicious fare I had with me from chef Nash at Black Tree.

Not going to lie — I really only decided to come to Black Tree after I saw a Blackboard Eats deal for 30% off. So I checked out the menu and everything sounded pretty good. They had a seasonal menu, interesting cocktails, and everything is locally sourced.
Unfortunately, everything sounded better than it actually tasted.
Here is everything we ordered:
Burrata — this was actually very good. It was very smooth and creamy. Plus the bread that accompanied it tasted like pure, unadulterated crack. It was hot, buttery, toasted to perfection on the outside but warm and soft on the inside.
Crab and artichoke dip — this didn’t have much crab in it. It was very cheesy. I’m normally all for cheese. Hey! The cheesier the better. But I was expecting crab and artichoke. If I wanted a cheese dip, I would have just ordered some more burrata. At least this too came with some crack bread.
Short rib sammie — the meat was a little tough and dry.
Summer pig pork belly sammie — this was alright. Definitely easier to swallow than the short rib sammie. The bread was also kind of hard.
Drinks — ordered some kind of whiskey cocktail and it didn’t taste like anything but super watered down whiskey. Stick to the beers because the wine isn’t good either. It tastes like those $ 3 wines you get from Trader Joe’s.
We couldn’t finish the sammies so we asked the bartender (since we were sitting at the bar) for boxes to take them home. They didn’t have any boxes so he thought it was okay to put his bare hands onto our leftovers (most likely after handling money and dirty glasses of course) and wrap it up in foil for us. That is not okay. Maybe if he took it to the back and did it, then fine. I mean ignorance is bliss right?
Overall, the only thing I really actually liked was the burrata. But I doubt I’ll be coming back just for that.