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All Reader Reviews of...
The General Greene
229 Dekalb Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11205
at Clermont Ave.
718-222-1510
| 6.2 | "Mixed Reviews" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Good but just missed the "great" mark
vcmeremaid from 11217 | Posted on 11/10/09
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Living in the neighborhood, I waited until the dust settled to eat at General Greene. The interior was well thought out with wood paneling and a wide bar that conveyed a relaxed confidence. My party of 5 sampled a number of plates that ranged from very good (whole dorado with citrus and olives) to less inspiring (radish salad seasoned with anchovy). I wanted to love the candied bacon but the pieces on the plate were inconsistently cut and cooked. The house made savory ice cream almost hit the right balance. I would easily go back to sit at the bar, but with all the dining options in FG, I'll likely spend my money on dinner elsewhere.
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Shockingly BAD
davidmichael from 11211 | Posted on 4/6/09
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After reading some good reviews, my girlfriend and I decided to go last night. We weren't expecting anything amazing and while the decor was nice (minimal/rustic but not cliché) the food was utterly disappointing. First up, Lamb and Cucumber Salad, good but wouldn't make me go out of my way to have it. Next was the Turnips, Bacon, and Leeks dish. OK, but he turnips were under cooked and hard (I like vegetables raw sometimes but this didn't work) But truly offensive was the Braised Pork Ribs with Sweet Spicy Chili, not sure the chef had any idea what 'braised' means; A good braised rib should be falling off the bone or close to it. Braising means that the fat will render into the meat, creating an amazingly tender and delicious dish. None of this happened, it was way under cooked with large bits of inedible fat (fyi I love pork fat) while the crust was charred to death. It was the worst possible combination. Plus the sauce could not have been more mediocre; any Chinese take out place could serve a better rib. The Ribs would have ruined any meal. NEVER GOING BACK!
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A waste of time in FG
Naureen from 10016 | Posted on 3/18/09
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With so many better places all around it, we were very surprised at the poor quality of the food. A group of 4, we barely got any of our food at the same time, leaving us in the embarassing situation of trying to "share" a single chicken leg among us or one of the other tiny dishes that came out. The food itself was irrelevant - hardly tasty. Decor was nice though, might consider going more for a drink than food.
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yum!!!
159hillwood from 36608 | Posted on 2/10/09
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I went for lunch and loved this place! It has a great atmosphere and attentive staff. The sandwiches are delicious...a great way to spend a saturday. The menu is quirky but nothing too crazy. Very well decorated...It is a bit cramped...curious about the very spacious back area of the restaurant without anyone in it?
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Really nice
CakeGirl from 10019 | Posted on 12/20/08
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I have eaten here several times, on different days. The food has always been great. I think it's best experienced with several people. The dishes are great for sharing and come out at different times - if everyone chooses two things, you'll have a wonderful stream of dishes, and a fun dining experience. The butternut squash soup is really delicious, and so are the chicken/grits, the burger, the steak, the lentils - and don't forget dessert. The ice-cream is house-made, the cookies are great, and they're very proud of their espresso machine. Nate at the bar is great, and our overall experience (once with 5 people, another time with 8) has always been great.
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Hmm...I REALLY wanted it to be good!
collettephoto from 11238 | Posted on 12/11/08
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I really wanted this place to be good. But the boiled meat taste of the ribs and the portions...some things simply do not work as tapas style. When you cant share it with at least one other person it is too small and you should offer it in sizes small and large. The cookie was good but there was definitely something missing in the experience. Like the reader below, I went out to dinner afterward.
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So bad we left and went out to dinner!
Abbey from 11201 | Posted on 10/4/08
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You know a place is really sub-par when you stop eating, ask for the bill and then go out to dinner again. The "main" dishes we tried were either undercooked, under-seasoned or flat out bad. We had a little warning that the meal might not be all that good when when we ordered an old tapas standard while we waited for our meal - bacon dates...easy and satisfying on a cool autumn evening...but these? cold, encrusted with so much sugar you literally could not taste the bacon....the setting was really very simple and beautiful and so we were so surprised that the food didn't fit the environment. And a pet peeve - they served what they called a 12oz beer in a jelly glass! nuff said.
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Great night!
legato66 from 55105 | Posted on 8/17/08
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This was a great place. I was in a larger group so I got to try most everything on the menu. The stand outs for me were the steak, which was cooked perfectly and smothered in garlic. The Canadian bacon, that had a rich smokey flavor, and bread pudding. Also, try the cookies for desert! The service was quick and consistant through out the meal. I just had a great time.
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I liked this place
majormajor from 10016 | Posted on 8/17/08
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It was worth the 45 minute subway commute from Manhattan. The pork meatballs were delicious, as was the steak. Maybe I'm jaded by Manhattan prices but I thought the food here represented good value for money. All in (including wine and beer) the cost was about $45 per person, and we all left feeling full. The wait staff was friendly and down to earth. I would definitely go back.
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Like Tapas But with Comfort Food
rsthoma from 10038 | Posted on 8/17/08
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Certainly in its stride when our party of nine dined there, last night. Steaks tender and wonderfully juicy-garlicky. Great, thick slabs of smoky bacon, too. The ham-gruyere bread pudding and collard greens complemented both of these dishes (and each other perfectly). It would be a shame, perhaps, to forgo these dishes for "just a hamburger" -- except that the hamburgers are also exquisitely done (thin enough to hold their succulence, but not so much of a good thing that one forgets or discards the bun). Other recommendations: the blueberry beer; the chocolate mousse; the peach cobbler. Finally, I really liked the tapas-style menu. Each dish was very reasonably priced (and not all-that small). Given our numbers, our table was able to order and share practically everything on the menu. Very impressed with the complementarity of most dishes; the lone diner would have a tough time assembling a bad combination of main dish and sides. I've seen reviews here faulting General Greene's service. Obviously, folks are still working out the "routine." But frankly, I find that the most exciting phase in a restaurant's lifecycle. Not just amazing aromas, but endless possibility in the air.
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