Delicious sandwiches. You could never go wrong with a fully loaded fresh sandwich. Service was great. Easy going and ask me what I would like. Answered a few of my questions. Overall it was very clean inside. Good amount of seating area read more

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I was really impressed by how great this spot turned out to be. The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere with a wonderful variety of comfort food options. The Double Smash Burger was fantastic - juicy beef patties, American cheese, bacon jam, special sauce, and pickles served on a potato roll. The burger came with fries -- also delicious. The toasted Pugliese bread paired with their beer cheese and garlic that you spread on the toast was incredible too. I am sure everything else is tasty. Definitely try this place out. read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I love their weekly Monday trivia! Great ambience and great vibes. The host is super funny and the bartender was super nice. My friend did have to manually rub his garlic onto his bread when he got the beer cheese, and the tater tots were a little salty, but I'll be here on Mondays until my friends and I win trivia. We especially love how it's more traditional where you write your answers rather than inputting them online! read more

Ear'ls beer and Cheese is the type of place that has a great vibe as soon as you walk in. The food ambiance and service were all amazing. I had the chicken parm Sandwich and the bun was soft and delicious with a nice tomato sauce and the addition of pesto was a great touch. The chicken itself was crispy and juicy and flavorful. I had a few glasses of a wonderful Spanish Rioja. Overall highly recommended. read more

Okay, let's be real -- you know the type of food this place serves. Comfort classics, nothing groundbreaking... or so you'd think. But somehow, they manage to turn grilled cheese into a hero, soup into a mic-drop moment, and Caesar salad into something that makes you whisper, "Not bad, not bad at all." It's the kind of place where you sit down expecting a plain old lunch and leave feeling like you just had a small, delicious victory. The salads are crisp, the soups are cozy, and the grilled cheese? Let's just say it's doing God's work. Honestly, I might start measuring all my future comfort food experiences against this one spot -- high standards have been set. If you're in the mood for solid classics that hit way above their expected weight class, this is your spot -- come expecting pleasantly shocked taste buds and maybe a little existential appreciation for bread, cheese, and soup. read more

Earls Beer and Cheese is so close to my neighborhood. The food is delicious and that's why I go there. The atmosphere is comfortable and clean and the employees are friendly. I'm glad they have survived all these years. There was a time I thought they wouldn't last! If you are in the neighborhood go for drinks and or a meal. You won't be disappointed! read more

Hole in the wall where you get your own beer and food from a single guy doing it all. Want water? - he will point you to the container and glasses so you can get it yourself. Drink and food - ok. Prices don't reflect the albiance/service and worse they stuck us with a bill that was wrong. Should have checked there but he just presented the total on the pad. Feel Ripped Off! read more

Very chill vibe to this place. The food seems pretty well priced, and they had games which was super fun! I would go again for the vibes if I was in the area Famous beer cheese 3/5 The cheese sauce was good and the bread had a nice crisp to it. However, I wish the garlic was slightly cooked or was a garlic butter so it was easier to get on the bread. You basically rub a garlic clove on the bread which really didn't get it too garlicky read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - Famous Beer Cheese - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Don't be fooled. This place is one of a kind. This dive bar which sits tucked away has a welcoming bar tender and fun music. The chef is one guy working on the grill to prepare excellent made to order food. My husband enjoyed the best burger and I got the hot honey wings. We got Mozzie sticks and a basket of fries for apps. Our friends ordered from their extensive list of beers and my husband and I were blown away. Don't sleep on this place! read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - Marc couldn't even wait for the picture, he had to dive on in! - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

The hot honey chicken sandwich was not only a delectable experience, but an emotional one. If you haven't had the pleasure of having one of these, I implore you to indulge in one whenever they're open. I kid you not I asked for Earl Himself to thank Him for his work. Yelp only allows 5 stars, I'd give them 100 for this sandwich alone if I could. It's a special at the moment but we (you, me, the other Yelpers™) must band together to make this a permanent menu item. read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - The hot honey chicken sandwich in question (R), an equally good chicken caesar wrap (L), but this review isn't about her. - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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I love beer! I love cheese! I love this place! I just keep going back! The bartender is very warm and will talk to you about all the options and you order the food from him and he brings it to your table. read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - We grabbed a table in the back room. So much fun. - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

great spot, love everything about it. came to watch a world cup game and had great options for food + beer. plenty of seating to go with friends read more

if you blink while walking by you'll miss it and if i was a regular id love that and gate keep hard af by dishonestly saying it was bad the 1991 burger wasn't food porn but made sweet tender love to my taste buds beer selection caterers to all minus maybe the guinness on tap guys happy energy flowed from Elliot the bartender gave whole place cheers vibes like everybody knew my name super attentive anyways id claim this bar for my own and protect it from strangers if i was local but I'm not sigh read more

I came here last night and it was amazing. First it was for a group event and Dee was amazing. We emailed prior to the event. He was very helpful and we stayed within budget. We ordered the beer cheese, fries, mozzarella sticks and the wings. I loved the beer cheese. The beer cheese was amazing, the bread and the garlic with the cheese spread was so delicious. We sat outside and it was a great time. I would definitely come back to have other items. We also had ciders and beer. He gave us tickets which helped to us to keep count of the drinks. read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - Famous Beer Cheese - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

OVERALL/WHAT TO KNOW: -High quality food for good prices in a simple, casual environment. ARRIVAL: -Heard about this place via an Instagram story, specifically the NY state cheddar sandwich. -Came here at 12:30pm on a Wednesday. No other customers were there or arrived while I was there. They had just opened the kitchen and were still getting set up. FOOD/DRINK: -I had the NY state cheddar to stay and I got a 3peat with fries to go (for my partner at home). -the ny state cheddar was delicious. Each ingredient was cooked perfectly and tasted high quality. I was expecting more of a grilled cheese type sandwich, but it was closer to a Reuben in terms of the ingredient ratio and structure. I was not disappointed at all though because it was still cheesy enough for me. It was served with bbq flavored chips, which I loved. The ingredients of the sandwich didn't blend in any special way that knocked my socks off, but they still tasted great together. It was also pretty messy so be careful. -I only had a bite, but the 3peat was absolutely packed with flavor. SERVICE: -Service was terrific. The staff were really friendly and chill. They gave me some helpful suggestions about what to order and bagged up my to-go order very nicely. -I ordered and paid at the bar area in the front and then they brought it to me at a high-top in the back. -They have a water station with ice water so people can get and refill their own water cups. ATMOSPHERE/LAYOUT: -it's very casual with a dive bar kind of vibe. The seating is mostly simple wooden picnic tables with benches. In the back there is a hightop bar with stools as well. -The whole space is pretty small. It's narrow and long with a staircase that goes down to a restroom that I did not use. -The kitchen area is in the far left corner of the back room and is exposed so you can see the chef working, which I always think is cool. -the lighting was very dim and warm other than the sunlight coming in from the windows. I liked the low lighting, but it did make it harder to read the menus because of their orange background. -They have a couple tvs on different sports channels as well. SUGGESTIONS FOR BUSINESS: -It would have been awesome to have wet wipes available. Like somewhere out for people's hands since the bbq chips and sandwiches can get messy; like the individually wrapped kind they have at bbq restaurants. read more

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This is a casual, no frills type of place that locals frequent for an afternoon/evening hang out. They have a solid draft craft beer menu and unique cans too. They also have wine for non-beer lovers. They offer a number of shareable bites, but they are best known for their toasted bread with beer cheese. The bread comes with fresh roasted cloves of garlic that you can be spread on golden brown slices of bread and then topped with thick delicious beer cheese. Pairs beautifully with an ice cold brewski. In terms of service, there is usually one waiter, one bartender, and one cook so it's more of a place where you go to the bar to grab your drinks and put in food orders with the waiter. Of note, if you sit inside, there's a good chance you're going to smell like fried food as there is no separation between kitchen and dining area. read more

The people who work here are all super kind and remember me whenever I walk in, which is important to me as someone who is born and raised in this neighborhood and usually does not feel welcomed in the establishments that open up (despite being a 30 percent tipper and both a service and healthcare employee). The prices here are affordable and the food is good, but I really come back for the bartenders and the kitchen staff. I'm not sure how much of this is actually on ownership considering their other establishments are MUCH less diverse, but at least at earl's beer and cheese they're getting it right. The Cuban Reuben is delicious and if you like your loaded tots EXTREMELY loaded with toppings, you'll be in love with these. I've never tried the Mac and cheese, but I've heard good things so that's next on the list. read more

Best taco and best BEC rendition in Manhattan. Scallion pancake taco is a surprise I was ready for. And BEC cheese with kimchi and pork belly.... Kiss kiss read more

We went here to celebrate a friend's post-doc approval (it is right next to the main campus of Mount Sinai). Earl's Beer and Cheese is a really casual, awesome spot to catch up with friends over small bites and a couple of cocktails/beers. It's quite reasonably priced and I can see why it would be popular on a weekday night given the food and location. We ordered the beer cheese to share and I also ordered the NY State Cheddar. The pork belly and kimchi given was a generous portion and it had a lot of flavor. Albeit I'm typically never in the area, if by chance I am, I would definitely visit again. read more

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Great food and a cool rustic vibe. Very friendly staff that was looking to please. Small hole in the wall but don't let the looks fool you

It's a cool place to hangout, it's a very small local bar with a few beers on top but with some pretty kick ass grilled cheese sandwiches and cheese related items. Once you get there, you head for the bar where you find the menu and where you do your ordering. After ordering, they give you your drinks and you find a place to sit where they deliver your food to your table. The food: Beer cheese- New York State cheddar cheese spread with toasted Sourdough bread. This is the item to get here, it was really good, it kinda had a pimento cheese feel. So, the first thing you do is take the piece of garlic and you rub it onto the warm sourdough bread, then you spread the cheese on top then eat. I enjoyed the cheese spread, it was nice and had a little bit of a kick, but the warmed sourdough with all that buttery goodness was really good, it kinda felt like a brioche. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=ik4bL-iB-XxmYUhJKZ6fLA&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA N.Y. State Cheddar- Pork belly, kimchi, fried egg on Sourdough. I thought the sandwich was really good. I enjoyed the egg and the quality of their sourdough was really great, it was a different kind of sourdough than the one served with the beer cheese. I did enjoy the sandwich but I did wish the kimchi had a little more kick, I felt the kimchi needed to be more fermented and it would have been nice if the the pork belly had more flavor and I wish the pork belly had some texture to it since it was soft throughout. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=E7H-8ARMBRtOz4Z3396oPA&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - N.Y. State Cheddar- Pork belly, kimchi, fried egg on Sourdough - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Interesting, cozy little gem up and over....While searching for some exciting eats around the New York Academy of Medicine on 5th/102, Earl's was really the only place that remotely fit the bill. Narrow, wood, inviting, holiday lights, beer. Very nice host, small eclectic menu focusing on cheese, pork belly, kimchi, beer cheese. Lee and I shared 2 great creations... the Reuben and the NY Cheddar... both requiring a 2 hand hold. The Reuben was the winner for me... we also split the Open faced Taco which was fantastic. Funny they had a can of Melvin DIPA on the menu, we have a bunch in the fridge. There is dim lighting, board games, a small but diverse beer menu and a whole open space to meet new people and have a great time. read more

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I had a great experience here. Their food was great along with the drinks. The staff did excellent work! The ambiance suits the food well.

Best damn taco you will find in this city. Young Adam recommends...The people of the UES need to save Earl's

Went here for lunch while in town working at Mt Sinai. Had the New York Cheddar sandwich. It was very good. Sat at the bar. They had a great beer selection on tap and in cans. It wasn't very busy for lunch, but from speaking to the very attentive and courteous staff they just recently started to open for lunch. They had a nice sized seating area up front and a larger dining area in the rear. This place is probably very busy at night as it was a great vibe and all around excellent food and service. read more

Came to this little establishment on a whim and last minute with a friend. This place is very tight spaced and narrow but has an appealing aesthetic about it but then and again it's the city. Upon walking in, there's seating in the front, bar in the middle and seating in the back. Cook straight ahead in bird's eye view on the grill and surprisingly my friend was sitting to the right of the cook station. At least you can see who's making your food. The seating itself isn't the most comfortable as you are sitting on wooden like, benches and bar stools. Nonetheless, I ordered a drink in which they only serve beer and wine, but the bartender whom I believe is the owner suggested he make something i would like, because they did not have Moscato but whatever he had, He added a little bit of ginger ale to it and it was quite pleasant and to my liking. The menu on the other hand, I did look up prior to coming and nothing seemed appeasing so I had no idea what I was going to order to fill my stomach prior to hitting up my next spot. But my friend was eating some sort of wings that smelled like ginger and she suggested/strongly that order these wings because they are fire meaning absolutely good. So I ordered the Korean barbecue wings and I am very pleased that I did because they were absolutely delicious and I've never had Korean barbecue before. I don't believe it's on the menu, but it is something that they can make. So if you ever visit this spot, definitely order the Korean barbecue wings. read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Such a great neighborhood spot! And the drinks and food are wonderful. Elvis is a new bartender there and was very attentive and provided great service. read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - New bartender! - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I love bread pudding. We were in town for my birthday and instead of cake I wanted bread pudding. We were staying near Times Square and made the trek for the Bread Pudding. It did not disappoint. The window ledge seating made for good people/city watching. If you're ever needing good bread pudding this is your place. read more

Super rude and frustrating staff and 45 min to make a single taco. Pretty certain it was not made until I went up and tried to close out tab, they probably forgot to make it. I saw the guy notice me come up to pay and put an order in the kittchen after taking my order 35 min before. He even thought he to make fun of me or joke with the chef who sits on a chair in the sectioned off part of the bar because I was looking at them. Used to be great place to come on a weekday now it is run by the laziest staff, I live a block away and have lived here my whole life and am so disappointed giving this once amazing bar another chance. Will never come here again! Too bad I live close and it would have been great to be a patron again. By the way taco was disgusting... El Paso right next to it and much much better food and deal same with a ton of other great spots in the Spanish Harlem area read more

Overall: Cozy, humble, and delicious, Earl's is the place to be for a laid-back meal. The good: The TBD breakfast sandwich, which is a classier McGriddle, really hit the spot. The brioche buns were laced (and seemed pan fried) with maple syrup and served with jelly on the side, which took the savory yet sweet combo to the top. As for the atmosphere, it is humble, semi-divey, and unique. The lone cashier/server was friendly and the music was good for a low-key morning. The not-so-good: They don't serve OJ, due to the fact that they make their "OJ" in-house, so they have to save it for mimosas. The food also took awhile, considering we were 1 of 2 tables. Atmosphere: 8.5/10 Service: 8/10 Food: 8.5/10 read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - The TBD - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

It was my first time here for happy hour and i LOVED it. The owners were super sweet and helpful- will definitely be back for the food next time! read more

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM. So yum! My roommate trekked here on a cold Sunday afternoon for Brunch and it was so worth the walk in the cold. Earl's is a casual bar/sit down place that serves amazing food. You order at the bar and they will assign you a number and bring it to you. I can't say what it is like during the evenings but I bet it is super fun. A great place for people to chill, drink beer and eat beer cheese while playing Jenga. For brunch, they only serve the brunch menu Saturday and Sunday so menu is different. We shared the beer cheese regular size which was huge. It could be easily shared between 3-4 people. The bread was out of this world. Perfectly toasted with a buttload of butter on it. The beer cheese was delicious. It was creamy with kind of a ricotta texture. It was cheddary with a hint of spice to it. So good with the bread. As for the main meal, I got the NY Cheddar Grilled Cheese. Just as delicious. The bread was again beautifully buttered and toasted. Soft with a crisp crunch on the outside. It contained a fried egg, cheddar, pork belly and kimchi. It all worked wonderfully with each other. So much of everything in every bite. It was a fat meal but so worth it. All of it was so cheap too. Eight bucks for the sandwich, seven bucks for the beer cheese. Cheapest meal I have had in the city in a while. Worth every cent and calorie. read more

Earl's Beer & Cheese - NY State Cheddar Grilled Cheese:pork belly, kimchi and cheddar with a side of chips - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Earl's is one of the only places that I can convince my downtown friends to make a trip uptown for. It's the perfect place to casually hang out with your friends or chat up the bartenders or locals and enjoy some amazing food and beers without breaking the bank. I lived near Earl's for years so I've had almost everything on the menu. You really can't go wrong but I'd highly recommend the Beer Cheese, Calabro Mozzarella Grilled Cheese, Earl's Taco, Tomato Soup, Cuban Rueben and Mac & Cheese. Since I've been here so many times, here are a few of my "veteran Earls-goer" tips: 1. Come with friends if you're hungry or indecisive so you can share a few things. 2. Rub the garlic on the bread that comes with the beer cheese. You'll smell but it's worth it. 3. The mac & cheese and the Calabro pair well with the tomato soup. 4. Order just a side of beer cheese for your chips that come with the sandwiches or for your bread that comes with the soup. 5. Treat your bartenders well and they'll treat you even better. Everyone that works here is awesome and makes you feel like you're home. As far as the drinking goes, if you're a craft beer lover, this a must. There are 6 beers on tap and usually 6+ cans to choose from. The selection changes every few days but they will bring back fan favorites. If you're not a beer drinker, do not worry. They have canned rose and red or white wine by the glass. If you hate beer and wine, then order some fresh water on tap and still come for the food. Yes, Earl's is quite north but yes, it is totally worth it. read more

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I came here with some friends just for the beer cheese. This place was super cute. The vibe inside was really nice as well. It is a chill bar vibe. The staff was super friendly allowed us to try different beers before we ordered. He was so amazing he also asked us what we liked to better girly out pallet. It was a great experience even before the food. They do have indoor and outdoor options but we opted for indoor dinning. It was a great experienced we ordered at the bar for both food and drinks. The Mac and cheese was delicious. The beer cheese was amazing along with the fresh baked bread and garlic. We added the garlic to the fresh bread by rubbing it on and then spread the beer cheese. It was great. We even bought a 16oz container to go home with us. I would definitely come here again I really enjoyed the ambiance the food and the friendly staff. read more

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We were supposed to come here a while ago for a going away get together for one of my husband's coworkers but instead, went to another bar. Some time after however, hubby called me because we luckily had similar schedules. We rolled up and found parking nearby. We ordered our food and drinks at the bar. They actually lead with the request that you make your order at the bar. There aren't any servers; all you have at your disposal is the bartender and a guy that occasionally brings food upstairs from the kitchen. We stayed true to the restaurant name and ordered a small Beer Cheese and Torpedo Sandwich. I was unsure of which beer I wanted but tried the Bloodline and a Maui Coconut Porter. Both were really good so I decided to take both. The beer cheese was served with thick, buttered toasted bread slices and a couple garlic cloves. I wasn't sure what to do with the cloves so I sliced them up, rubbed the raw garlic on the bread, put some garlic slices on and smeared some cheese over the whole shebang. It tasted great. Rustic cheesy goodness. We didn't order much off the menu but I would love to come back here for an after work drink and small plate session. Too bad hubbs changed jobs... read more

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It's about time that the far Upper East Side where East Harlem meets starts getting spots like this that you would normally find only downtown. Earl's Beer & Cheese is located in a pretty vacant stretch along Park Ave and 97th where the train overpass meets the tunnel underground. Not much of a view but who cares when all you need to look at are your terrific beers and wonderful cheese plates. As others here have mentioned the place is insanely tiny. Personally, that does not bother me as long as I can grab a seat or spot to enjoy my brew. For others I can see where they would become claustrophobic quickly. When we arrived here around 6PM on Saturday there were only around eight people there, but by 7PM I had counted around 25 and it was jammed packed. This place has become popular very quickly in this neck of the woods, and for good reason. Basically, it is one long communal table that seats 8-10 people. A small counter with a few stools looks out the front, and there is another narrow counter along the wall to stand at. Really, before we left a few hours later there still must have been close to 25 people in there and it was rocking. They were playing a cool mix of 80's rock and I remember hearing The Cars and The Police playing a lot. Also, it can get a bit warm in here but they had the whole front open letting in a nice evening breeze. The place resembles a faux hunting lodge with mounted deer heads on the walls, murals of deer in the woods, and a bathroom that looks like you are in a wooden shed. The menu features some creative takes on cheese. We had the Beer Cheese which was terrific. Comes in basket of bread that is presented as toast points buttered on each side. So airy and crispy. You get a good amount of spreadable cheddar beer cheese, and a tin with garlic cloves too. Yummy, yum, yum! Mmmmm......Beer Cheese. Just thinking about it is making me drool. There are other plates such as a cheese board, grilled cheese sandwiches, Asian Gnocchi & Beef, Mac & Cheese, a gourmet Eggo waffle with foie gras, cheddar, and coffee-cured bacon, among a few other items to choose from. From what we tried, and talking to the people around us eating, everything here is on-point. Just order at the bar and the staff will bring it over to you. Accepts credit cards too and everything here is pretty cheap overall. Can I mention the beer selection? I was pleasantly surprised at the craft beer options on tap and in cans. Draft beers served in glass mugs go for $5 - $6, and canned beers run $3-$8. They even have Growlers To Go - $19 Refills / $4 for a Growler. The four line beer selection rotates and they bring in different brews constantly. Autumnation in cans, Victory Pilsner on tap, and Troegs Stout on tap were just a few that we enjoyed. They pair exceptionally well with the cheese plate selections here. Personally, I love a small place like this that serves the local community. Saw a mix of younger newbies and older stalwarts of the area in here. There was even a group of older ladies visiting from Poland that came in to down a few pints next to us and then head out. It was too funny. Again, this small place is probably not for everyone, especially if you can't deal with crowds and being squished next to other patrons. I guess it also depends on what time you go as I heard that right after work hours / early evening is very busy. Still, this has become a new favorite of mine in my hood. So glad it is not downtown or in Brooklyn, as it is only a few minutes walk from where I live. Easy access for me to go and try out some more wonderful cheese concoctions and thirst quenching tasty beers. read more

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Favorite place in NYC. Hands down. Done. No words. Speechless. Can't talk. Drooling. Can't stop. Won't stop. If this isn't a gem in this neighborhood (or in NYC), I don't know what is. Beer cheese. Toasty bread, soft cheese, and 2 garlic cloves. Uhh... what do we do with these raw garlic cloves? WE RUB THEM ON OUR BREAD, SON. Ingenious. Just ingenious. Pulled pork taco with scallion pancakes. I never really liked pulled pork, but when it's full of fat and flavor, I'm game. With the crispy scallion pancake on the bottom, it just worked. Cilantro and lime on pork. How perfect can life be? Oh, by the way, they are NOT closed on Thursdays. And yes, I ran home to write this review. *** 3/9/12 (next day) Damn right I went back the next day. Pork belly sammich with kimchi and fried egg. As good as what I had yesterday. Golden egg yolk sipping into toasty bread and salty pork belly. I never liked kimchi but it added just the right kick to this. I've been spreading the word to strangers I see on the streets and at work. This is serious. read more

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Came here with my wife for a quick bite. We had the New York cheddar sandwich and Beer Cheese Spread as an app. The food was very enjoyable and the IPA on tap was delicious. The bartender/waiter was very friendly and I'm not sure but could be the owner. Since they were very short handed, it was basically just the cook and him. It was good reason I guess for the lack of attentiveness, since we didn't see him again after getting our food. The seating could have been better, pretty much just hard wood benches. Cool hole in the wall though. read more

You may wonder why there are two cloves of peeled garlic in your savory Beer Cheese (New York State cheddar cheese spread with toasted bread). Yup, those are for rubbing your toast. I accidentally took a bite of it, and nobody would want to talk to me that night because of my breath. Lol. Great starter! Bread Pudding was pretty amazing too -- a must try besides their craft beers. They also offer a lot of IPA in cans. I kept hearing Finback while I sat at the bar. read more

Okay, full disclosure, I'm having a period of doubt regarding whether or not certain types of Yelp reviews should be written, or even read. I'm cool with reviews of static entities, things that are what they are and don't materially change. A museum or an art exhibit? Have at it. A one-time happening, like Simon & Garfunkel playing Central Park? Perfect. But what about entities that change? No two performances of a play are the same. No two trips to the Highline are the same. No two meals at a restaurant are the same. Is it accurate or fair to give a restaurant a star rating that will live forever in hyperspace based on a fleeting impression? Shouldn't the reviewer make a dozen or so trips to the place under consideration before their opinion is considered validly formed? The answer is yes, all that is true. But I just had a sandwich at Earl's Beer & Cheese that blew my mind. It's called the New York Cheddar. And my mind is blown. I was in the area, thinking about maybe stopping at Dough Loco, when I passed Earl's and decided to check it out instead. Because I hadn't planned on this stop, I wasn't sure what I should be ordering. And their menu, written on a chalkboard that towers over the single, large communal table, is a wee bit confusing. So I settled on the New York Cheddar (all the sandwiches seem to be named after the type of cheese they contain). Pork-belly, fried-egg, the eponymous cheddar, and kimchee. Can't go wrong with that. Or can you? Because after I placed my to-go order, I started to think, "What have I done? What type of idiot orders a sandwich with melted cheese and a fried-egg to take out? This is going to be a disaster." But it wasn't a disaster. After a 15 minute wait that I spent watching their TV (tuned to ESPN with the sound off), the counter guy handed me a nicely packed cardboard box containing my sandwich. When I opened that box 20 minutes later, inside I found my New York Cheddar, still warm, wrapped in heavy paper and resting serenely on a small pile of potato chips. It was pristine. And delicious. Since I've itemized the interior of the sandwich above, let's focus for a moment on the exterior. It was a high-quality white bread, lightly toasted, more than up to the task of containing the goodness inside. Did I mention that the sandwich was delicious? So, where I'm at right now is, I'm thinking that after I have about a dozen more of these bad boys, I'm going to have something to say about them. I better get to work. read more