Stone Park Cafe

The food was good. However, the racket is not limited to the bar area (where a TV blares sports). Even in the back, the music drowns out conversation so that people have to shout to hear themselves heard above the din. It's unfortunate, because in other ways it's an ideal brunch place, and the decor ? plain, soothing ? is at odds with the bar-like loudness. Go there for lunch, if you can: they have a good prix fixe, the food is just as good (if not better), and it's quiet. But for brunch I'll go elsewhere.

Pros: good food

Cons: very loud

Posted 10/31/09

This is the kind of brunch spot that you will crave. Something on the menu for all walks. Whether you are in the mood for simple eggs and bacon or codfish cakes. There is always a bit of a wait, but not too bad.
The actual restaurant is warm , open, and very comfortable to be in. The only problem with the ambiance is their choice of music. Way too loud and noticeably distracting. My experience with the servers is usually good. Attentive and friendly. Although I experienced one rude server who rolled her eyes when I requested something from her. The other thing I don't understand is why everyone looks like they just rolled out of bed and decided to wear pajama's to work that day. Oh yeah and let's just throw some flip flops on too. Kind of turned me off . Servers in any kind of restaurant should be a bit more presentable.
All in all definitely check it out!

Posted 02/21/09

OK....so I love brunch and always get the same thing wherever I go - pancakes, 2 scrambled eggs, and good coffee. I've been to Stone Park before - once for dinner, which was yum and a few times now for brunch. Typically, I am very happy with the food and not overwhelmed by the service but satisfied enough. Well, today I had a very different experience. I ordered my usual pancakes and two scrambled eggs (for $3 per egg, mind you). Easy enough. The plate comes out with half of a scrambled egg. I should have taken a picture. I specified two eggs as I have at a gazillion other restaurants. I know what 2 eggs look like. I told one waiter that it didn't look like 2 eggs and he was skeptical, told our waitress who asked the chef, who said that it was two eggs. Incredulously, I cut the two bites of egg on my plate in half and asked, "So this is one egg, and this is one egg??" She said yes. Now mind you, I am very nice to waiters having worked in food service before, so I'm not just a nit-picky customer. She then asked me if I wanted another $3 egg and I said no (b/c I just wanted the full portion of $6 scrambled eggs I'd paid for already). Ridiculous. If customer service was good, Stone Park Cafe would A) Not have the audacity to charge $3 for an egg anyway and B) At least have the decency to give customers the portions they are overpaying for. And C) Know the difference b/t one and two eggs for such an expensive brunch. Hell, for good measure -- they should have offered to bring me another egg just to be courteous. After all, it wouldn't have cost them more than 25 cents. Go to Rosewater instead for your overpriced organic brunch. The pancakes are better. The scrambled eggs are sublime and the portions make the prices worth it (even if the staff isn't necessarily falling over with gratitude to serve you). OR, better yet, go to Cheryl's on Underhill and Lincoln and get the whole package-- smiling service and amazing fancy pancakes.

Pros: Tasty food

Cons: Poor service despite high prices

Posted 02/20/09

Don't ever go here for brunch. After waiting over a 1/2 hour in the cold, we asked the manager when we could be expected to be seated. He gave us a dirty look and even though he had the list in his hand and could have approximated, he said " I told you it would be 20-30." Since we had already been waiting that long and the food is expensive and the brunch service is not very attentive, we left. My friend had been promised a phone call when there would be a table and they never called us.

Honestly, I've gone here many times for dinner and I thought I'd give the brunch a try again, but it will never happen again. The new managers are horrible and rude. Table service is usually pretty bad. Even if the food is good, you can have a pretty bad time here when the front of the house is rude and doesn't pay attention to you.

Pros: Decent food

Cons: Bad, slow service.

Posted 12/13/08

Went to the Stone Park Cafe on a whim on a Saturday night and only had to wait about 10 minutes even though we didn't have reservations. Everyone here is saying that the service is terrible, but I found it exactly the opposite. Our waiter was extremely attentive and friendly. We ordered the cheapest bottle of wine wine (at $33) and got the roasted duck appetizer special. Excellent. Highly recommend the beef tenderloin and the grilled scallops, which were both out of this world. Even the bread they give you before your meal was excellent. I never order dessert in restaurants, but the food was so good that we didn't want the meal to end. The pumpkin cheesecake was amazing, and the smoked chocolate ice cream was a really unique twist on a classic. Can't say enough good things about this place. It is a bit pricey, but if you want to treat yourself to a fantastic meal and evening out, go to the Stone Park Cafe.

Pros: Delicious food, great ambience, wonderful service, good wine selection

Cons: can be pricey, but definitely worth it

Posted 11/10/08

The food was really good and our waitress was great. The octopus salad is my favorite. It's definitely on the pricey side and thats the only real problem.

Posted 09/29/08

It all started with a napkin that reminded me of my kitchen dish towel, then came the waiter who told us we had to order appetizers, or else we'd starve for 25 minutes for our two fish dishes(?!). As it turns out the fish came in a timely manner, uncooked. Now, if we had ordered sushi we would have obviously not complained but to eat a sea bass raw wasn't our choice of meal for $27. We asked the kind waitress to exchange the order and she promptly apologized leaving me with my salmon that was just about ok and taking the sea bass cut in half back to the kitchen. Nice presentation of the dishes, but seriuosly lacking in the taste department. She came back shortly with a burning hot plate and the identical two poor pieces of fish. I am not sure of the health regulations required but isn't it the case that when food leaves the kitchen it can not go back and then back to the plate? I think McDonnalds has this policy, does it not apply to "stylish-wanna-be" restaurants? There we were with three apologies and two pieces of rubbery fish! Maybe if we were offered another meal instead of apologies we wouldn't have had to leave hungry.

Pros: AMbience

Cons: Food

Posted 08/17/08

The food was ok, but too expensive considering the bad serivce and loud, overcrowded "ambiance." I think this restaurant is way overrated and we had to wait several weeks to get a reservation.

Posted 04/26/08

I am a frequent brunch customer here as I live close by but lately I have been extremely dissapointed by the service. I was offered a seat at the bar for brunch and I vow never to sit there again.
The barman had an argument with another staff member in front of the customers one week and the week after that when I sat there again all you could here were the same staff members bitching about customers. Not only that but they messed the orders up so we had to wait an extra 20 minutes for our meals to arrive.

Posted 04/02/08

I ate there because of the 2-star review in the Times, but I didn't think the food was worth the price. It was OK, but I've had better for less money. I have no desire to go back there

Pros: Service was good/food was OK

Cons: Food not worth the price

Posted 03/02/08

The service is horrible! The food is well worth the price, but having reservations is pointless since the host keeps you standing at the bar with no direction. Bad Attitude!! The waiter tried to up sell us an appetizer and desert, too aggressive! Not an enjoyable night out at all. I used to go all the time, brunch, dinner for the bar menu, but refuse to support a place that lacks customer service. Don't bother shelling out any money for this joint. Take the train into Manhattan.

Pros: Food Very Good

Cons: Service not so good. Very cold by the front door.

Posted 02/18/08

I belong to a brunch club and we try out restaurants in the Park Slope area. We've been to several places and so far this is my favorite. We had a group of ten. I arrived early to make sure we had a table big enough for all of us and they were very accommodating. Service was fast and they checked in on us throughout the brunch to make sure we stayed happy. The highlight of the brunch was when our waiter brought over a sampler plate of hash and bisquits and gravy. It turns out that those are 2 of their most popular dishes and no one had ordered them so they wanted to make sure that we each got to try it. The bisquits and gravy were better than my grandma's. I'm definitely getting that next time. I had the grits with shrimp, fried egg and scallions and a side of bacon. Everything was perfect. Ignore the bad service reviews. They are bunk. This place is fabulous.

Pros: Excellent food and service

Cons: Gets crowded after 11

Posted 01/12/08

We practically live next door to this place but stopped going here because of the rude service. It's not very neighborhoody, and the people do seem to act like you should feel privileged to eat there. The food is pretty good but nothing you can't find elsewhere, with nicer service.

Posted 06/29/07

I made reservations here b/c it was a friends birthday and was excited to bring a group of us here. When we got there I asked the host and manager if they do anything special for birthday's and he said yes. Long story short we all order steak and burgers which will all over cooked. I think this was b/c we all got salads and wanted them done medium they were on the grill too long. When we went to send them back the manager suggested we all order something else, referring that the meat was cooked medium even though we all had a charring taste from the meat. We all wanted the same thing we ordered just cooked the right way. Long story short we decided not to order anything all all, HIGHLY disappointed. We order all ordered desert and they did NOTHING for the birthday as promised. When we left and I talked to the manager about it they had nothing to say. This is the WORST PLACE EVER and not work the horrible service.

Pros: Nice decor

Cons: Horrible service and food over cooked

Posted 06/19/07

Two of us went for dinner. I order the special 3 course menu, and my girlfriend ordered a la carte. The host recommended a wonderful wine by glass -- both he and our waiter were very helpful with the menu and wine choices, and were friendly. The appetizer was an asparagus risotto that was wonderful. We both really enjoyed our entrees (steak with a chimichuri sauce and lamb with rosemary), but what I keep dreaming about later was the dessert: it was a sort of peanut butter mousse thing... YUM. Stone Park Cafe is certainly not inexpensive, but ordering the special menu is a better deal for the money and the overall quality makes it worth it. We had 3 glasses of wine, an app, two entrees, and a dessert and our bill was about $100 (before tax and tip). We liked the clean and simple decor, too.

Posted 06/09/07

I used to love this place, but not anymore. When you pay a premium for food, you at least expect to enjoy your meal and get decent service. WRONG! The maitre d'/manager, Josh, gave us attitude and treats the customers as if they should feel privileged to be in the place. The prices have creeped up to Manhattan levels, but they forgot they are in The Slope. If I wanted Manhattan prices, I'd go to Manhattan. They should try to lose the attitude, fake a smile and focus on the food and service (or lack thereof).

Pros: The Bartender, Agnes

Cons: The Attitude and Manhattan Prices

Posted 06/03/07

While the food at Stone Park Cafe is usually of top flight, I continue to be disgusted at the service received. As such, I find myself compelled to warn diners against the restaurant. The food is simply not worth the service.

If one manages to move past the rude phone manners of the staff, from the moment the diner arrives, the diner is made to feel as if they are not welcome. It's not even that the staff sees the diner as privileged to be present, as too often the case in a restaurant that has received such fine reviews - it's that the diner is simply not wanted. The diner stands in the doorway and is ignored. The diner stands ignored by the bartender, drinkless, while the bartender ignores and talks to her friends at the bar. The diner is, eventually, and begrudgingly, led to a table and ignored.

After several such experience, this diner finds the experience far too frustrating. Skip the place, and wish for its replacement.

Pros: Food

Cons: Incredibly poor and ineffective service staff

Posted 02/13/07

I've been here for dinner twice and brunch twice. Both are great. The omelette with the tomatoes and mushrooms was fresh and delicious. I've tried several of the fish dishes...scallops are very tasty. The food is always good, never dissapointing and the service is usually good as well. In the summer they have a nice outside deck.

Posted 12/11/06

I'd been wanting to try Stone Park for a long time. What a disappointment. The food was just okay, the service was just okay, and one entree arrived cold as if it had been sitting for a while. There was just nothing special about this place. Maybe it was an off night, but I doubt I'll be giving them another chance.

Posted 12/11/06

I've eaten here three times, twice for dinner and once for brunch. This restaurant is another shining example of refined New American Park Slope cuisine. The food and service were consistently good. It is above average prices for Park Slope, but the wine list has reasonable selections, and you get what you pay for out of the kitchen. The brunch was great, the biscuits and gravy were everything they lived up to. The staff was friendly and accommodated us when we walked in without a reservation. Overall a very positive experience; I will go back here again and again.

Pros: Brunch, Dinner, Atmosphere

Cons: Expensive for Park Slope, can be crowded

Posted 10/14/06

Ugh. Don't go if you're hungry; as the food is tiny and the service is beseechingly annoying. How many times do I have to swat away a waiter's arm,"Are you done with that?" NO!! I've been workin on it cuz it's soooo small!!

Pros: the rents from jersey will be impressed

Cons: average food at an above average price

Posted 09/06/06

Loved it from day one, the food is consistently great. Glad to see they have maintained the same high standards. Brunch is by far the best in the slope (miss the old bartender at brunch he was so accomodating) Bloody Marys were fantastic and adjusted to your taste on request, what a great attitude on a crazy day. Wonderful female Maitre d'. Great wine list with great half bottle selections. Dine at the bar it has a great atmosphere.

Posted 09/01/06

Took a little while to get a table on a Sunday afternoon, but it was worth the wait. Pleasant wait staff and great food--try the hangtown fry! It's delicious.

Posted 08/15/06

Seriously people, they are to die for. My mother even thinks Stone Park's Biscuits are absolutely amazing, and that woman can cook! But don't get too blinded by their incredible brunch delights so you can leave room for dinner. While I don't like to brag, I have eaten more than my fair share of burgers in this town and honestly, the Stone Park Burger comes in at #1. For the longest time I thought that it was the spices they use that make their burger taste as good as it does, but then one day I actually asked and to my surprise Stone Park Cafe doesn't actually add spices to their meat, but rather it is just the high quality meat they use that creates a taste putting the Stone Park burger over the top.

Pros: Wine list

Posted 06/07/06

The brunch menu is really good. I tried a few things already and there are all good but the fried oysters and the buscuit and gravy are delicious plates!
The service is also very attentive, they have little details that are difficult to find in a restaurant these days (they fold your napkin every time you leave the table...)
Also if they are packed, they'll call you when they have a table for you. The waiting is less than 15 min.

Pros: Brunch, Service

Posted 05/21/06

Stone Park Cafe is an exceptional find. The depth of the menu is surprising, with sandwiches, salads and a full range of entrees and appetizers. The food is very consistent and of a very high standard. The service is hurried, but that is about my only complaint. Finally, the value is outstanding. Fish of this quality is very hard to find at this price. I had the Striped Bass and it was sublime and my friend had a massive, juicy pork chop that sets the standard (the waitress said they brine them). The wine list is pretty great, with some great values. After reading the review of the guy who hated everything (9.3 on a scale of 1 to wha???!!!) I have to think this guy has some kind of vendetta, for the place is not only undeserving of such scorn but one of the best restaurants in town.

Pros: food, value, atmosphere

Cons: service spotty

Posted 05/04/06

we stumbled upon stone park after unhappily leaving blue ribbon bakery...the host was kind enough to seat us right away...the server was friendly and knowledgable...the food was great...the short rib burger is a must have...and any restaurant that actually has a noticable management presence is a plus.

Pros: atmosphere, staff, location

Posted 04/04/06

The food quality is superb; the ambiance is pleasant; the prices are commensurate with the quality; but the service is subpar.

For brunch, I HIGHLY recommend the biscuits and gravy -- they are unmatched. The other dishes were also delicious, but not as remakrable as the B&G.

The restaurant is decorated in a simple, casual, but refined style; one word: pleasant. The tables are close to one another, but that is expected in the five boroughs.

Call for reservations. The walk-in seating service is awkward, as there are two entrances (neither of which appears to be the "main" entrance) and the hostess stand is oddly situated somewhere between both entrances. The wait service was nothing to complain about.

The prices are a little high for the neighborhood, but not when you consider the quality of food served. Brunch was $11.95 or so without a mimosa/bloody mary.

Pros: brunch, food, wine

Cons: service

Posted 02/01/06

I am still ticked off about the $225 dollars I dropped at this arrogant, hack nightmare of a restaurant. Every dish was subpar with the exception of the short rib ap. From the lame salads to the dry, inedible chicken without any seasoning was hands down the worst food I have ever seen. My girlfriend spit out the dessert. This stuff wouldn't work in a West Virginia buffet never mind in NYC. Hey when you order Bone Marrow, you know what I like in the bones, marrow! There are at least 5 restaurants on their block better than this restaurant and Bruni gives them 2 stars? What exactly impressed him? The cheap setting, bad service, the hack food or the indifferent owner. This is not just a bad experience this is an embarrassment of a restaurant. Two stars? Say it a'int so Frank, say it a'int so.

Pros: its got a front door, bathroom, free water

Cons: hack food, bad service, expensive

Posted 01/03/06

Let's see. A 50 minute wait after a promised 20 minute one, while looking at empty tables. A rude, unorganized maitre'd who did not keep a list and then got defensive and borderline aggressive when I pointed out he was seating people ahead of us. A waitress who got our order wrong, then seemed to forget that we existed. A salad that came with enough salt to choke a goat. While waiting for a table, tried to get a drink from a bartender who seemed more interested in arguing with his waiters. A terrible, awful dining experience. The only redeeming thing was the excellent bloody mary, but seeing as how it took 30 minutes for the bartender to get around to serving us, I really can't even recommend that. Stay away.

Pros: bloody mary

Cons: poor front of house, bland food, slow service

Posted 10/23/05

Decided to try Stone Park last night after reading great reviews, went inside to where the maitre'd is. First some waiter stares at us and goes "You know the front door is over there, you used the side entrance, we don't use that". Well the front door was closed and there was a table blocking it! The waiter then says, hold on, let me see how the wait is. Then he proceeds to go wait on tables rather than look for a table as he had promised. Finally, the maitre'd comes in, and looks for a table, says the wait would be 25 minutes, but at that point, we had decided to leave. And as we were leaving, "You know we DO take reservations..."

Sorry, I'm sure the food is wonderful but when people act rudely, it's not my cup of tea.

Cons: Rude waiter

Posted 10/19/05

The experience was truly lovely. Good beers. Great food. The company was nice too, but is not included.

Pros: food, tasty, pretty

Cons: a bit expensive

Posted 08/28/05

I've had brunch here a few times and the food has always been excellent - french toast and hangtown fry are delicious. The seating policy is a bit confusing - often we waited 20-30 minutes while staring at several empty tables. Recently, I tried to take my family here for brunch and we were told they couldn't accommodate our party of 8, even though we saw a row of 8 empty seats. We were told that the kitchen was too small for a party that large, although they offered to seat us as 2 separate groups of 4 at the same time. I don't understand how dividing our group eased the burden on their kitchen that much, especially since there were several open tables and we would have ordered the same amount of food. Our party of 8 was welcomed across the street at Cocotte for an equally delicious brunch....

Pros: Food

Cons: Seating policy, Slow service, Bad for groups

Posted 05/21/05

I've had brunch here two weeks in a row and both times it's been great. 1st time I had the eggs benedict eggs. The poached eggs were done perfect, the sauce was great and the cibatta toast it was served on was delicious. Second time I had Crabcakes benedict, again everything was done right. The white bread toast was crispy, but not hard and explodes in your mouth with texture and flavor. The crabcakes were some of the best I've had. They had a wonderful sweet crab flavor and no annoying shells like many crabcakes. Keep it up!

Posted 02/09/05

We went there last night to celebrate my husband's birthday. The food, service and ambiance (except they MUST change that dreadful music) was great. The food was delicious. And the staff was so sweet, especially when our younger daughter knocked over a glass of red wine! She was so embarrassed but the staff was so sweet, they brought her cookies later.

The food is really good, we shared the rib eye and it was done perfectly!! Wonderfully spiced with some rosemary.

Highly recommended and a great addition to the Park Slope restaurant scene!

Pros: service, food

Posted 01/13/05

Had a good time last night at Stone Park. I heard good things and decided to try it with my parents. Place was nice, warm, and inviting. Everyone was friendly. Only complaint was that the food took awhile to arrive but they made up for it by comping us with appetizers of fried oysters (delicious) and foie gras (sweeter than I like but excellent nonetheless). All four entrees were excellent. My scallops were buttery, the short rib special was moist and delicious, the rib eye steak was suprisingly great, and the newport steak sandwich was tender and tasty. Prices were reasonable and dessert clinched the deal...good work...I'll be back.

Pros: warm and inviting, good service, excellent food

Posted 12/16/04