Free Williamsburg

The Williamsburg Brooklyn-based culture guide to New York and beyond.

Syndicated

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Call us haters, but we typically don’t like movie theaters that serve food. In concept nothing could be better, but in execution the food typically sucks. That’s why we love Syndicated, a dine-in cinema in Bushwick/East Williamsburg that actually has tasty grub. Up front, there’s a large bar with two big screens that typically run campy 70s and 80s fare. In the back, there’s a proper 50-seat theater that has daily screenings of indies and classics. There’s a bar menu and a theater menu, both serving fried American fare including Chicken Sandwiches, Burgers, and Tator Tots. Gourmet? No way. But you won’t be disappointed if you’re craving comfort food. Cocktails are in the $12 range and have fun, film-themed names like Blade Rummer, East Rider, and A Sidecar Named Desire. Come for a movie or just a fun night out at the bar.

Featured Reviews

  • This combination American restaurant, bar and movie theater in Bushwick serves burgers, sandwiches and crowd-pleasers like loaded tater tots, along with cocktails and seasonal beers. Separate from the dining area (but with its own menu), the 50-seat screening room shows a couple of films each night, often curated according to director or other themes.

  • There’s no gleaming 1930s-style marquee beckoning you through the doors of Syndicated, a cinema-bar-restaurant hybrid sitting inconspicuously in a barely marked former warehouse on Bogart Street. Instead, those Art Deco touches can be found within the 70-seat main dining room, which is dressed with geometric sconces, high-vaulted ceilings and projector screens playing muted classic movies. Anchoring the space is a four-sided marble-topped bar that’s packed with moviegoers guzzling craft cocktails before catching throwback screenings of Wayne’s World and Do the Right Thing… An all-in-one movie date. Behind the kitchen lies a 50-seat, dine-in cinema rigged with rows of cushy banquettes, half-moon two-top tables and five varieties of house-made popcorn ($6), including curry powder and caramel corn.

Getting There

Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos

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A family-run spot with homemade tortillas and some of the best, authentic Mexican food to be found in Brooklyn. The atmosphere is without frills and the waits can be longish, but the tacos are well worth the hassle. We love the Carne Asada and Chorizo tacos, but you really can’t go wrong.

Featured Reviews

  • Los Hermanos’ menu is so straightforward, the staff doesn’t even feel the need to take your order. To avoid anything getting lost in translation, the system here requires you to jot down your picks on a piece of scrap paper and slide it across the counter to the ladies working the grill. Grab a Mexican soda out of the fridge, or better yet, crack open your BYO-six-pack and wait for your name to be called. If the main area is full, you can even walk into the factory – mind the parked car and the tortilla equipment – and cozy up to one of the tables on the other side of the glass. With tacos priced at $2.25 a pop, tostadas for $2.50, and a quality sized quesadilla for $3.25, you can have a delicious and filling meal at Los Hermanos for under $15. You’re out for BYOB Mexican food, in a garage, in Bushwick.

  • At the taquería, there are seven different filling options—carnitas, enchilada, beefsteak, cecina (salted beef), chorizo, chicken, and veggie—any of which can be had in taco, taquito, torta, or tostada form. The very best of these choices, and everybody’s favorite, is the chorizo. The ground sausage tastes of cinnamon and red chilies, in a floral-funky way. The mix includes bits of creamy white potato slicked with a flavorful orange chorizo oil.

  • A tortilla factory, cranking out fresh, soft patties of corn and flour from its warehouse just off the Jefferson L stop in Bushwick. But in 2006, the owners wisely added a small cantina to the space, where they serve tasty, super-cheap tacos, tacquitas and quesadillas that have been described to me by far more discerning West Coast taco connoisseurs as “the real thing.”

Getting There

Tutu’s

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Just off the Morgan L Train stop, Tutu’s, a cute gastropub serving reasonably-priced American fare, has the vibe of a locals’ hangout The dining room is adorned with dozens of paintings, seemingly hung at random above its spacious booths. Venture to the back room in the evening for live music and performance. The staff is always friendly, making Tutu’s a nice place to have a meal or a drink. The brunch is popular and has a great Bloody Mary. At night, we enjoy their Veggie Burger and the crunchy Sriracha Chicken Bites.

Featured Reviews

  • Tutu’s is the kind of place you can depend on. Whether you’re here for the oyster happy hour or a solo late-night burger or a hangover healing brunch, the food is solid, the prices are reasonable, and the vibes are good. There’s also plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and it transitions from more a restaurant to a bar feel as the night goes on. Come late enough, and you can join a dance party in the back room.

  • Near the Morgan Avenue stop on the L train, Tutu’s is part of the blossoming ecosystem around Roberta’s, the pizza joint that ascended to destination dining. The sprawling split-level space includes a bar cluttered with weathered booths and old portraits, and a raw basement space warmed by space heaters.

Getting There