November 30, 2006
The Hungry Cabbie Eats The Outer Boroughs: Junior's
I could tell there was something fishy going on. Everyone told me to stay away from Junior’s. As far back as Master Cabbie Taxi Academy, my classmate told me that Junior’s wasn’t as good as it used to be. So many of my frequent fares out to Park Slope treated me like I was some sort of stupid Midwestern tourist for even showing interest in Junior’s. And now that Junior’s has opened another location in Times Square, people act like going there would be the equivalent of doing business with Saddam during the embargo.
So I avoided Junior’s like Bubble Boy does the sun. No matter how hungry I was or how convenient it was, I never sat down for a meal. I was always drawn to it – the lights seemed so inviting -- but I’d just heard too many bad things.
I stopped in to pick up their famed cheesecake a couple times, and it left me sorely disappointed. I’ve never been crazy about cheesecake, but I have tasted amazing ones. There was a genius woman named Helen who sold cheesecake out of a kitchen on Union Street. Helen’s cheesecakes were so creamy and rich. My favorite variety was pistachio. Helen made me into a lover of cheesecake sheerly by the skill and love she put into every slice. Junior’s cheesecake is crumbly and dry, and it only serves to make me miss Helen terribly.
But I’ve got to trust my own eyes over what the strangers in the back of my cab tell me. I’ve witnessed countless Brooklynites pouring through Junior’s doors for food. And the ones walking back out always seem to have big smiles on their faces. When I see that at an amusement park ride or a movie theater, I get in line. So I decided to throw caution to the wind, and I sat down for a meal at Junior’s.
The menu is ambitious to say the least. It’s got everything you’d ever want out of a classic diner plus a bunch of gourmet choices like “Broiled Flounder Stuffed with Crabmeat Stuffing” and “Fresh Salmon Cakes with Dijon Hollandaise Sauce.” But the option for barbeque fried chicken caught my eye. I’ve gone great distances for honey fried chicken, but this variation intrigued me so I ordered it.
While I waited for it to come out, I feasted on a delicious beets and onion salad along with some high quality sour pickles. I was already happy. So when the bread plate arrived I was ecstatic. The corn bread, which can be bad even at great soul food restaurants, was some the best I’d ever tasted. It was warm and sticky, buttery before I even put the butter on it.
When the chicken arrived I was already glad I’d come. And the barbeque fried chicken was a taste sensation. The tangy barbeque sauce must have been slathered on just moments before it hit the table, because the chicken beneath it was still undeniably crispy. And the meat stayed tender and moist.
I was beyond satisfied with the meal. I don’t know if I’ll ever trust my fares again.
386 Flatbush Avenue at DeKalb, Downtown Brooklyn 718-852-5257
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mmmm, sounds good! i had heard very bad things about Junior's food too, but I might try it the next time i have guests in town!
so ghetto
Juniors! Last weekend after a hectic trip to Brooklyn Museum to see Lebowitz and Mueck, the only think made me survive was thought of Juniors. Eventhough I took the wrong train to Manhattan, I went back to Brooklyn again for BBQ'ed fried chicken and full dill pickles. Because Time Square one doesn't have the BBQ'ed friieeeed chicken!
So ghetto? Really? I don't know exactly what you mean by 'ghetto' (yeah right), but the last time I went to Juniors, the place was filled with a bunch of people who certainly wouldn't qualify under your implied definition of ghetto.
I never trust a person who doesn't like Junior's Cheesecake.
other than their cheese cakes (they're amazing), juniors is over-priced and about as good as an upstate greek diner.
I love Junior's! The black and white cookies are fantastic and I really dig their weekday specials. I usually get the Roast Half Chicken, which comes with soup and salad for $15! See for yourself.
You didn't mention the service. The main reason that people treat this like a tourist venue is that the service exactly the same that one would expect to see in one of the times square theme traps. You wait and wait, and when they finally do bring the food, it's with a full helping of 'tude on the side.
No thanks, there's much better diner and soul food, even just blocks away.
I have only eaten breakfast and their cheesecake - but very little I have consumed compares to Junior's corned beef hash with a poached egg...hmmm hmmmm cholesterolly goodness! Each precious bite taking a few minutes off my life - but well worth it.
It's not that it's bad. It's hit or miss, a lot like Sylvia's. When it's good, it's really good. When it's not, it can be average. Get a bad streak of average (depending on your tolerance), and you start to lose faith.
Food aside, I was surprised by attendants in the bathroom. One wouldn't think to carry cash or a purse to the latrine, so I was subjected to an evil eye upon departure. It wasn't really fair since I washed my hands and skedaddled while the other women were actually using all of the drug store products on offer.
Anyway, I like Junior's.
Those Park Slope fares that pointed you away from Juniors are the Park Slopies, by way of the Midwest. Real Brooklynites know that Juniors still rules.
My best friends live in Ft. Greene a few blocks from Junior's, so I've been there a few times. I've never had a bad meal there. Great burgers and chicken, and I'm a fan of the cheesecake. The bathroom attendant freaked me out a little, but otherwise it's a good place to go.
Good soul food can also be found at Night of the Cookers, a few blocks away on Fulton St.
You probably already know this, but the (roast, not fried) chicken w/ BBQ sauce at Waterfront Ale House on Atlantic Ave. is also terrific.
I would hardly trust park slopers for opinions on juniors. when i was in college at hunter ten years ago, i lived in the LIC dorms on flatbush and lived at juniors. one cup of their coffee could keep me up all night. if you weren't a meateater though you were out of luck. for the most the food was good.
While I've never been there, I've heard a different tale about Juniors. Everyone I know says you need to go to the original one in Brooklyn but avoid the one in Grand Central like the plague. Definitely will try it soon after this review.
I like Junior's. I'm not sure that it's worth what they charge, but it's a nice splurge every once in a while if you live in the neighborhood.
Interesting. I live in Fort Greene and have had so much Juniors over the years that I just sort of forget it's there. Before the big fire - might have been in 1980 or so? - they had a pretty standard NY Deli menu, along the lines of Carnegie Deli or the Second Ave. Deli. The neighborhood has changed since the founding of the restaurant though, and the menu has apparently evolved. I love the idea that fried chicken and cornbread might be s better choice at Juniors than pastrami. (Hell, fried chicken is ALWAYS a better choice than pastrami) but the idea that classic deli before-meal treats (pickled beets, onion rolls) and barbecued fried chicken followed up by pineapple cheesecake is one of the wildest gustatory combos I ever heard of.
Reverand Al, is this your fault?
I love New York : )
That cornbread photo is disturbing. It took me 5 minutes to realize that the light colored chunk is butter - I keep glancing at it quickly and thinking it's some kind of extracted tooth.
anonymass--are you high?
On our occasional visits (because our church is nearby), we've found the service friendly even during Sunday-morning rush, and the food perfectly described above as "upstate Greek diner," which is to say, hot and tasty but hardly inspired--and a long way from classic Jewish deli. As for the cheesecake, the plain is superlative--I just wonder why anybody opts for the variety that comes with a lid of rock-hard strawberries embalmed in magenta mucus.
Happy Birthday Dave!