In this city, restaurants come and go faster than you can say "ethically sourced ramen burger." And even though there are great new additions to the culinary landscape popping up every week, you've gotta give kudos to anyone who can stick it out for over a year. With that in mind, we bring you Still Got It, our tribute to establishments that continue to serve mouthwatering meals and drinks long after the buzz has faded—or where the lingering hype is still justified.
Is the double cheeseburger at Anchored Inn the best cheeseburger in Brooklyn? Hell if I know, I'm not really into ranking things in extremely specific numbered lists. Is it the best deal in Brooklyn? Well, to be honest, no it usually isn't although in the modern casual upscale economy that food like this burger exists in, $13 for a double cheeseburger and fries isn't bad. However, is the cheeseburger happy hour deal at Anchored Inn the best deal in Brooklyn? Take it from me, the guy who has BROKELYN tattooed on his body, yes, yes it is.
The Anchored Inn is a good bar to stop in at if you find yourself in or near the post-industrial mystery zone bounded by Bushwick Avenue, Meserole Street, Morgan Avenue and Grand Street. It's also good to seek out, if only to see their collection of black velvet paintings of dogs and world famous dictators. It used to be the only game in town if you wanted a bite or a drink before a show at Shea Stadium, and while there are more competitors now, sometimes the old ways are the best.
But about that cheeseburger happy hour deal. Every Monday through Friday, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., you can get a double cheeseburger, fries (you could get a salad but come on get the fries) and a draft beer for just $15. With five different $6 and $7 drafts, you're saving money AND getting a complete meal (even without the salad, the burger comes with grilled onions, lettuce and a tomato and that counts enough for a vegetable serving) for less than $20. Eat, drink and sit back and take in the bar's impressive collection of paintings of world leaders and animals.
Don't want the burger? Hey, there's no law that says you have to get it (yet...). You can also go light with a single dill pickle for a dollar or a romaine salad ($6/$9) if you need some light fare before a show at The Paper Box or Shea Stadium (it's coming back, damn it). Or, if you're famished after a show you can go with a crispy buffalo chicken sandwich or torta ($11). Or, you can get truly decadent and get the Carmen fries, which are your standard french fries covered in cheddar sauce, Oaxaca cheese, bacon, scallions and chipotle mayo. The Carmen fries should not be eaten alone.
Of course, The Anchored Inn is also a bar, and beyond their draft beer options, they've got a roster of cheap American domestic bottles and cans for just $4, and no cocktail will run you more than $10. Or for the more sugar-tolerant among you, there's the $10 Flight-O-Rita, which is, yes, a flight of three Bud Light 'Ritas for your tasting pleasure.
And while The Anchored Inn already had a pretty good thing going in its one room, the demise of punk/metal club The Acheron provided the kind of crisistunity for the bar to expand. Pool and pinball and little more room to move might not be exactly what you want instead of more music space, but as FREEwilliamsburg pointed out, it's way better than "handing over the keys to some Excel-proficient over/landlord."
The Anchored Inn is located at 57 Waterbury Street, (718) 576-3297
