Brennan & Carr
“The fries are always cooked nice and crispy to go with the roast beef as well.”
“I went over board with the Gargiulo Burger double dipped hamburger WITH roast beef, cheese and grilled onions.”
“You can also tell them how you'd like your sandwich: double dipped, au jus on the side, or dry, etc.
A hidden gem that's worth the trip.”
Brennan & Carr
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Oily fatty goodness located in Brooklyn. my friend was raving about this place for several months so I decided to finally give this place a try. we ordered their roast beef sandwich (regular and gargiulo), fries and mozzarella sticks. The fries were alright. We loved the mozzarella sticks since it came out fresh. our only complain was that they should have put more cheese inside. There was a generous amount of roast beef on each sandwich. My only regret was not ordering the dip on the side. The sandwich was drenched in dip and it ended up being a bit of messy meal. Don't forget to bring cash! Their parking lot is a bit small so you might have to look for parking elsewhere.
A institution in Brooklyn. You'll find this restaurant and quick take out roast beef sandwich shop. Things to order and only order are the roast beef sandwich and fries. There's a take out window which is very convenient. Order up at the window, get your order, and your back on the street. Good service with a smile.
Definitely get the roast beef sandiwich dipped as the au just sauce mixes well with the roast beef and bread roll. Decent size but not overwhelming and along with the fries makes a great meal. The sandwich was spot on. Tender roast beef with lot's of flavor and the sauce compliments it well. It's a great sandwich treat when in this area.
Food: 2.5/5.0
Service: 3.0/5.0
Value: 3.0/5.0
Decor: 3.0/5.0
Overall: 2.5/5.0
Brennan & Carr is one of those weird old school Brooklyn spots that conceptually you either love or hate. Now, if I were to objectively assess a roast beef sandwich that in its entirety gets drenched in a pool of gravy that I think is more accurately described as meat juice, I would ask why the heck you would want to drench the whole thing. The meat itself should be juicy enough that you wouldn't need it, and at most you could justify saucing up the meat while leaving the bun alone. Buy a higher quality bun, and you wouldn't need to turn it soggy. Sadly, I felt the roast beef was a little skimpy at least in mine, and it just didn't come together as anything more than a quirky try-once kind of sandwich. If I had to go back, I'd probably go for the gargiulo burger instead. For what it's worth, the fries were decent though.
This place is a classic. Opened in the 1930s and still has the decor and look from then. They kept it classic and feels like you're eating in a home. Of course I went there for the roast beef. It's good. Not GREAT like I've heard. But it may just be me. It's a little too raw/pink for my liking. The gravy is delicious though. There is also more on the menu than just the roast beef. Outside, they have a take out area which is good if you don't want to stay. Also a plus … Small parking lot.
After 3.5 years of dating, we finally took the big step of going to Brennan & Carr. After going to Roll N Roaster for years, we went to vote and then were nearby, so we stopped in. I followed his lead and got a Beef Plate. So. Much. Food. Rare roast beef sliced thinly, in an au jus broth, served with vegetables and fries or onion rings, with a roll on the side. The beef was tasty, and the au jus was great to sop up with the roll. It looked like a plate that would have been served in 1938! But delish all the same. Service was fast, friendly, and we even chatted to the cashier and waiter for a bit about other Brooklyn "must-eats". This was very high on my list. Will DEFINITELY be back! CASH ONLY.
Listen, I know this place is an institution. And I love the homey decor and old man feel – I just can't lie and say I loved the food.
The cheese fries, wings, rings etc are good – but they seem like they are probably just frozen and deep fried. They have the same taste as any small drive up snack stand.
The chowder was ok too, but I am not so sure they make it on site or anything.
The roast beef sandwich was a little dry. I did have the au jus on it, but did not realize I could get onion and cheese too (the menu inside wasn't super clear and I wasn't familiar on how I should be going about this). I suspect a double dip with onions and cheese may have been better, but that would just be covering up the beef part.
Don't get me wrong, nothing here was bad. I just didn't really get the hype. I never say 'such and such in Boston' is better in regards to NYC, but I think the roast beef sandwiches are better in Boston.
Three stars because the price is right and you should try it just to say you did. I wouldn't make another dedicated trip though.
I've always walked by it or seen it when I'm on the bus, but never tried it. Apparently it's a well known and very old place (since 1938). The food is not as good as what some reviews say it to be. Just some regular and average roast beef sandwich and burger, I've had better honestly.
There were no other customers in there when two friends and I walked in. The waiters were all sitting at a table and chatting, the boss (some old man by the cashier I assume is the boss) had to tell them to get up and attend to us.
The one who served us was friendly and patient while we decided what we wanted. We ordered the roast beef sandwich ($6.50), Gargiulo Burger ($7.70 – such a weird number), cheese fries ($4.30), and onion rings ($4.50). To be honest, I felt things were a bit pricey for the amount and quality we got. Some of the fries tasted like it wasn't fried enough and definitely didn't have enough cheese on it. The onion rings were very hard and dark colored, looked and tasted like it was fried over and over again. Upon taking the first bite, the whole piece of onion comes flying out, leaving you with the rest of the fried part.
The beef sandwich was just okay, nothing special about it. Probably because I forgot to get cheese with it. However, the Gargiulo Burger was quite flavorful from the beef broth that the burger was dipped into. I only asked for it to be dipped once, afraid that the roll would be too soggy. And it had cheese with it, makes it even better.
This is definitely a one time thing, I honestly don't think I would return if the most commonly ordered things on the menu tasted just okay.
The famous joint featured on man versus food is a place that in my opinion is good for what it is. I go their on occasion because their is a serious lack of burger joints on Avenue U and it is close by my girlfriends. The burger is very very juice y but also somewhat fatty, the bun gets soaked in oil and blood that the beef to bun ratio of dry to wet beef is meh tasting. The chicken sandwich is just a seared price of chicken on a flat top on a piece of bread. The French fry portion is very small for the price. The burger platter is good due to portion and mixes of veggies, bun, beef and fries. The hot beef sandwich and platter (what they are known for) is good.
The price is a staple but the quality has suffered through time while the prices seemingly went up. Also the cash only stint in 2016 is a bit ridiculous.