Ducks Eatery

Ducks is definitely a different option in the east village neighborhood, not your typical bar food. Distinct southern/​cajun flair to food, would recommend the mussels and the north country rice. Also: Tuesday is brisket day — heck yeah. Food is delicious! Only downside, the outside eating area is kind of dirty and crowded. The inside is a much better atmosphere. Drinks were also a little weak.

Came here for brunch, it’s pretty good but ridiculously expensive. Id recommend the waffle and duck. Though does it make sense that the waffle alone is $ 15? Add $ 6 for the duck and you’ll feel better off going to Harlem to eat waffle and chicken for half the price.
There was this shrimp in grits dish that reminded me of congee, not sure if that’s what they were going for but I enjoyed it (reminds me of when I flew to Asia and when I ordered the congee I was reminded: you might not like this. Americans usually don’t. That’s why I mention it)… Drinks were super good and fairly strong. Their special drink sold out within a couple hours :(
Takeaway for brunch:
Do come! It’ll take your nausea hang over away. You won’t have much to choose from outside of the waffle and duck though.
Bonus: service was on point.

My last visit was not my first rodeo. I honestly thought I wrote a review.
I ALWAYS order the Hickory Jerk Wings. the Best wings in town! During my last visit, I also ordered the North Country Rice. This is a new Side addition. It was quite tasty! I was looking for the Nasi Ulam Rice but they removed it from the menu.
As a great conclusion, we shared an order of the Beignets.
It’s a tiny place so try to avoid extra baggage.
The staff is very accommodating and attentive.
I will be back!

Okay this place is getting 5 stars because of the goat neck dish. It was amazing!!! So tender and the coconut rice was the perfect compliment. I was so taken aback by how amazing this dish was! Just get it. Please !
I mean the chicken wings are good, but only 4 come with the serving so I don’t know if it’s worth it.
The waffles and cornbread were recommended by the waiter but again, it was nothing compared to the goats neck.
In summary, get the goats neck with coconut rice. It will blow your mind!

Got the duck & waffles & it was really freakin good.
The cornbread took forever, was black on the bottom… not appetizing.
We dined around 10pm on a Saturday & a drunk guy at the bar stood up on his chair & jumped off & nearly took me out. If I didn’t raise my hands up he would’ve been in my lap. Not sure why he wasn’t kicked out?
Not the ambiance I expected for at such a small quaint place.

I have been to Ducks a number of times– The food never disappoints. It is a small space with laid back service, but offers really interesting flavors. I always get the clams– It comes with an amazing broth and a hunk of bread. If you are really looking to feast, the smoked whole goat neck is incredible and is served over a delicious coconut rice. Other great options: pig ears, the chicken wings and the smoked duck salad.
If you are looking just to have a drink at the bar, they have a nice choice of cocktails and a small, but good beer list (ie. Modelo, Dale’s Pale Ale, etc.) Oh, and don’t miss out on the craw fish boils on Thursdays (seasonally)!

Dined here last summer with a friend to catch up– first off, the waiters are really cute haha. Not only that but being my first time, my waiter was super attentive and thoroughly explained the menu to me which I think was great and think everyone in the service industry should do so. Ordered a few appetizers but my take away was definitely the goat’s neck. I would like to say I am pretty adventurous when it comes to eating. When I dived my fork into the plate, pieces of the goat’s meat were just falling off and my first bite had all the right flavors in it. Also, the dish was huge so I would recommend sharing it with someone. Menu is very different which was great, perfect for anyone who is adventurous like myself. Can’t wait to come back when it is warm again– hopefully the cute waiter still works there lmao.

This restaurant is right in the middle of some popular restaurants along this street. In warm weather the eating spills out onto the sidewalk. The food here is comfort with a twist. The duck and waffle was very good. The duck skin rendered nice and crispy the waffle slightly sweet works well with the saltiness of the duck. I liked the chicken wings with its smoky flavor and crispy exterior. I actually really like the crunch pig’s ear. We decided to sit at the bar with the friendly bartender. Ducks Eatery is a casual East Village restaurant with good food and casual vibe.

Highlights of the night: Goat neck & Duck and waffle. If you are to try anything, get those! Goat neck was so tender and fall off the bone. Fatty but worth it. The flavors in the duck and waffle. juicy, salty and sweet mix.
The cornbread was decent, but the sauce. THE SAUCE. I could eat it with a spoon (not sure if they have it on the normal menu. they were out of the regular pig ear appetizer and replaced it with a cornbread with pig ears inside).
The ribs were also very tender and a bit fatty but so flavorful. The clam dish was also spot on. Wish they gave more bread to dip in the sauce.
Pretty much everything was spot-​on. Still hurting the next day over how bloated I am :)

This is one of my favorite casual restaurants in the city. Interior is dimly lit and has a southern feel to it. Very casual but can have a tendency to get loud in the evenings. I came here with one other friend but would recommend making a reservation and coming with a group of people as portions are large and meant to be shared.
Food was absolutely amazing. I would describe it as southern BBQ with southeast asian influence. In some ways it reminds me of Pig and Khao or of Fette Sau with an Asian twist. Goat neck and pigs ears are must tries! Goat neck was tender and the coconut rice that came with it paired well. Pig ears were crispy and came with lettuce leave wraps. They occasionally do a pigs ear special with corn bread, which I would not recommend ordering. I also loved the yakamein soup and the cured and preserved charcuterie plate.

Never had French Creole cuisine but i’d definitely come back for more next time I’m in town. My friend and I came here for an early dinner and there was no wait. It got really packed around 7 so I recommend arriving before the rush. The restaurant is dimly lit and there’s an ongoing projection of Jackie Chan movies… so random, but I love it!
But let’s get to the food! We ordered the cornbread with pig ears (they switched up the normal pig ears dish), short rib (special of the night), the wings, and some collards greens (had to get something healthy, right?). Every dish was phenomenal! If you like cornbread and bacon, you’d enjoy the first dish. The hickory smoked wings were my favorite. Make sure you add a squeeze of lime for a nice tangy flavor. The short rib special was really well done, smoked till the meat was tender and falling off the bone.
Overall, fantastic experience. Make sure you check Ducks out!

This is one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.
I came here for Valentine’s Day with my boyfriend and we were so excited. We were greeted by a friendly young woman and she sat us at a table by the wall. Yes, this place is very small but in my opinion, it adds to the cozy feeling accompanied by the candle lit tables and dim lighting.
Our server told us about the specials for the night and we decided to try the salmon tartar as an appetizer. He told us that we were the first ones of the evening to try this dish so we were really excited, but unfortunately there were too many bones in the salmon. My first 5 bites each had several large fish bones and my boyfriend ended up swallowing a smaller one that got stuck in his throat for a bit. We hate to do this, but we sent it back and asked for the crispy pig ears instead. Our server was very apologetic and we were given the pig ears and a dessert on the house!
The crispy pig ears came on a loaf of corn bread with a butternut squash purée. Very good!
Then we had the duck and waffle. Highly recommend!!! The duck was very juicy and a tad salty but we thought it went well with the sweet waffles.
Next we had the smoked whole goat neck. AMAZING. The meat is so tender it just falls off the bone and the rice was delicious.
We finished the night was the beignets, which did not disappoint. We devoured them within 2 minutes.
All in all, we had a lovely experience and want to come back to try the other dishes. Thank you Duck’s Eatery for a wonderful Valentine’s dinner!

Dropped by during February to celebrate fat (ty) Tuesday for their one-​day-​a-​week brisket, which for some reason I thought was a sandwich, and for an even crazier reason assumed would come with plasticware when it wasn’t (it did come with completely unnecessary and not-​my-​style BBQ sauce). The absolutely phenomenal meat that set me back $ 17.42 made up for that oversight and the large man who basically harangued me with nonsense-​talk for a still-​unknown reason when he walked in just after 5 as I sat at the bar awaiting my food.
FYI

I’m really struggling here.
It seems harsh to give Ducks Eatery 3 stars, but my experience here last weekend really didn’t warrant 4. Duck’s is a cozy little spot that you makes you feel all warm inside the moment you step in. Candle lit and tightly spaced, it is perfect for a date or smaller parties. I came here with a girlfriend and we settled in to catch up on our lives lately.
We ordered the pig ears, which I really really really wanted to like, but they were literally fried to a CRISP, and not in a good way. It reminded me of that dramatic scene from Harry Potter where Voldemort screamed in excruciating pain before dissolving into sand. (Did I just make that up???) At 25 going on 52 I actually had trouble chewing the hardened bits. My canines definitely didn’t like me that day. While pretty, the red cabbage and the green lettuce didn’t really complement the pig ears in any effective way. They were probably just as confused as I was as to why they were there. Still, my Yakamein Soup was pretty solid. The broth was hot and heavy and the few fat clams swimming in it made me really happy.
Maybe I’ll come back to try something else. Maybe something duck to honor the namesake. Until then, 3 stars. Sorry, Duck.

We came in today Ina stormy day. It’s my birthday, but bc of the weather, only a couple and us were dining there. The service was a little slow (I meant the food came about 20 min after we ordered), but the food was amazing. I love the shrimp and grits! Very creamy and rich in flavor. You can feel the grits bumping in your mouth, unlike some other kinds of grits where the grits were ground completely. The shrimp was also tender and big.
My friend ordered the Eggs Pontchartrain, which was yummy, too, especially the trout in it.
The ambience was nice too. Overall, it was a great experience despite the blizzard outside.

I caught this place on Diners, Drive-​Ins, and Dives, and it really intrigued me, since I was heading to NYC, and it looked like it had some pretty interesting fare. It didn’t seem like the typical restaurant on DDD, so maybe that’s why it stood out. The place is pretty tiny, but we ended up getting seated at the bar immediately, and that was probably because it was a bit later on a Tuesday night. It did end up filling up while we were there.
First off, everyone working here was super friendly, especially the bartender. Not only did he make some great cocktails, but he was very funny and easy to talk to. Kudos to that guy for being sociable and for also helping us decide on some meal choices!
We ended up starting off with the okra and pig Ear small plates. The okra didn’t wow me, but my sister loved it. The pig ears were awesome in my book. Beware though, they’re incredibly crunchy to the point where you might feel like you’re about to break a tooth. You’ll have to get used to that part, but the hot sauce and pickled cabbage that accompanied it made the dish so delicious!
Duck’s is known for the goat neck entrée, but I ended up going with the red beans and rice, since that’s one of my favorite dishes. This one is made with lamb rather than andouille sausage, and it’s so so good and tender. It was probably just the right amount of food too after eating the appetizers. My girlfriend had the chicken wings, and I would have eaten all of those too. I’m a huge fan of any kind of good jerk rub, and the chicken was incredibly juicy. I had a small bite of my sister’s brisket sandwich and loved that as well. It comes on an English muffin which I haven’t seen before.
Side Note: Brisket is available on Tuesdays!
I was pretty full by the end and didn’t get to try the beignets, which I really wanted to do! Hopefully it doesn’t take as long for me to get back to NYC as it had up until now, and I’ll pop in here for dessert. I highly recommend anyone in the city or visiting to check this spot out.

Underwhelming.
After watching their episode on Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives and reading the great reviews about this place, we were excited to finally try it. We’re fatties so we ordered fat on meat on fat on meat — the bone marrow, ribs and the goat neck. The ribs came out first, the spices were good but the actual rib was a little dry for my taste. Keep in mind their bone marrow recipe has changed. It is no longer topped with ricotta but replaced with a strong fishy anchovy taste. After our first bite we thought the bone marrow tasted spoiled. We actually called our waiter over and he explained he’s received the complaint from other customers as well. The goat curry came out next, the flavor was on point but the dish itself is very heavy and oily so I was only able to enjoy a few bites. The standout from the entire meal was the rice! I guess that’s a compliment coming from an Asian.

The food here is fantastic and is also not as expensive as other restaurants in New York. A friend and I ordered the Red Beans n Rice ($ 12) and St Louis Ribs ($ 13), and both of them tasted so good. The star of the night was the ribs, where the hickory smoke dry rub for the ribs was so ingrained in the meat and even the texture of the rub seemingly tasted good. The meat is cooked to perfection and was so tender.
The restaurant is a small cozy area with a warm glow from the lights and candles, an ideal environment for a date, if that’s what you’re looking for. I would definitely come back here again.

This little rustic looking eatery has a lot going on… My friends and I came here for an early dinner over the summer. The food may have actually been pretty good, but the service and other things threw us off a bit. The wait for the food was pretty long, but the waiter made sure we knew they were working as fast as they could. I loved the décor (recycled chairs maybe?), but at the same time didn’t; it’s a cozy space and the set up felt a little cramped especially since the chef tripped on my chair as he went to greet someone at the table next to ours…
We ordered the Duck and Waffle, Yakamein Soup and Red Beans with Rice. I personally liked the Duck and Waffle, perhaps the best dish out of the three. The duck was flavorful and paired well with their unique pesto and purée. It wasn’t amazing, but they made it right. My friend thought the Yakamein Soup was good, but the flavor wasn’t as strong as she would’ve liked, maybe just a preference thing. My other friend just didn’t like her Red Beans with Rice. I don’t think having it served in a plastic Chinese bowl complete with the plastic spoon helped either. I feel like they have some things to work on, but I wouldn’t mind coming back to try other menu items.

Ducks Eatery is an awesome place.
I was looking for a nice quaint restaurant in the east village to celebrate my birthday and I found out through a Unilocal friend about Ducks Eatery. After reading her informative review and seeing some pictures of some great looking dishes I made 8pm reservations on a Thursday night for a party of four. Upon my arrival I was greeted by a friendly hostess who had a table waiting.
Ducks is a very cozy and relaxed eatery. Their tables are small enough to accommodate a party of two. If your party is larger I recommend you make a reservation. They also offer outdoor dining in the warmer months.
For appetizers we went with:
Shrimp Chips, They are a light fluffy chip that taste like shrimp. Price $ 5.00.
Rocky Point Oysters with jalapeño mignonette. They are 3 per serving at the price of $ 8.00.
Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings, with a jerk rub, lime and cilantro garnish. Price $ 12.00.
All were excellent but as for the shrimp chips I could have done without.
For entrees we went with:
Goat’s Neck served as a portion for two, but if your appetite is hearty, the portion is good for one. It’s seasoned with yellow curry and bing cherries over coconut rice. Price $ 34.00 and worth it. The meat is so tender, it falls right off the bone.
St Louis Ribs that are hickory smoked with a dry rub. Price $ 13.00. Very good.
Side’s:
Nasi Ulam, fried shrimp and rice seasoned in fine herbs, coconut and sambal. Price $ 8.00. It was packed with a lot of flavor.
Collard Greens made with Benton’s Bacon. The flavor of the bacon consumed the entire dish. It was delicious. Price $ 7.00.
Cocktails:
I had the «Currant Farmers Market» which is seasonal and made with blueberry jam, red currants and gin. Very flavorful drink. Price $ 14.00.
I also had the Watermelon Gimlet cocktail. It’s made with Gin, watermelon, lavender and lime. It’s another seasonal drink on the menu and worth the $ 12.00.
Dessert:
I had the Beignets. Which are a fried dough shaped like a pillow and alone tastes like a zeppole. It comes with a rich chocolate espresso spread that is delicious. Four pieces per serving. Price $ 6.00.
I was pleased with my experience and would definitely return in the future so I can try other options on the menu.