[jilluary]

New bar on 6th and 21st - I know it is connected to Kitchen Bar in some way. I suppose I could just go ask them myself, but does anyone have an idea when they open? It looks like it should be great.

[shishkab]

it's going to be brick oven pizza.

they're not opened yet, but i know they're doing some sort of soft opening/tasting soon. hubby and i signed up for that, so when it happens i'll be sure to report back!
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Get your paws off my canned chicken

[Smitty]

I saw it too! Very excited.

[pluvious]

i hope it's better the the kitchen bar, which i liked initially, but have since soured on, due to crummy service and spotty food.

[Amethyst]

I walked by there yesterday and it looks like a very nice, relaxed British-style pub. A sign said it would open this Tuesday (3/11).

[lostingreenwoodhts]

Private party tonight (03.10.0 and "officially" opening tomorrow at 4pm.

We need reviews!

Place looks a bit "fabricated," but nice.
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A word or two from the highest point in Brooklyn--Greenwood Hts.
...elevation, not just inebriation...

[jilluary]

Hmmm... stopped in last night for a beer and to scope the place out. I understand opening night can be rough but things seemed to be running well.

Pluses
- Good beer selection
- Service was good, friendly

Eh's
- The only food is pizza, and the prices started at about $13, if I remember correctly. The pies are small - people were eating one apiece... so $13 seemed steep to me
- It's tiny
- Only one bathroom. My husband predicts that this will be bad news

I look forward to trying everything (well, maybe not the pizza) and seeing how it settles out. Either way, I think it's a welcome addition to our little corner of the borough.

[gayley]

I just walked Toby's to see a blaring NO STROLLERS sign, with smaller wording saying family friendly (uh, yeah, right). Now, when it comes to the stroller wars, I sympathize with the bar crowd who want a child-free environment and I've never taken my kid into a bar. But Toby's is not on 5th Ave in North Slope. It's the top of a residential street in a very residential nabe. When Kitchen/Bar opened, the owner seemed only too happy to serve the families that are a mainstay in this area until it became a hipster haven and now we get visible attitude every time we go in (at 6 pm! with a well-behaved kid). Needless to say we no longer go.

I understand that strollers take up space. So set aside a corner for folded strollers. Or have a sign that says something polite-ish, a la, Kids are welcome but we don't have room for stollers. I don't know why this is getting me so riled up. Maybe bc it's on my block and I've had to deal with myriad construction projects only to be told by a restaurant, we don't want your kind. Maybe I'm overreacting. But I won't be going there, certainly not for mediocre $13 pizza.

[lostingreenwoodhts]

[jilluary]

Not to beat the issue to death - I stay out of the stroller wars debate since it does not affect me - but Toby's would be hard pressed to find a spot for (even folded-up) strollers. It is that tight when it fills up. I wonder if that sparked the note on the door?

In terms of its family friendliness, there is markedly more room devoted to eating rather than drinking ... so it is sort of like kitchen bar in that respect. The bar is physically bigger here, but the room is dominated by tables.

I will be curious to see how the crowd responds. If no one goes for the pricey pizza, the tables would probably just be commandeered for groups with pitchers, which would serve me just fine.

[Flexichick]

[lostingreenwoodhts]

OK, putting my Mod hat on...if this devolves into yet another "stroller war" tread, completely off-topic, then I'm going to lock this baby.

Play nice, goto Toby's...drink a lot (with kids or not), eat expensive pies and report back
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A word or two from the highest point in Brooklyn--Greenwood Hts.
...elevation, not just inebriation...

[jane_birkin]

my neighbors and i have been anticipating this arrival and i plan to give it a shot! will report back on the exciting beer and pizza.
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Culture is what we make it Yes it is...Now is the time to invent
----Sleater-Kinney

[puckey]

My boyfriend and I went for a beer tonight. Based on what we saw of the menu and what we saw of the pizza, I don't think we will order the food. Not that the pizza didn't look good, it was just too pricey for our taste.

We ordered the IPA which was a British IPA and thus not really up to American IPA standards (only my opinion of course.)

The place was packed which made me happy. I like to see local businesses succeeding. But it was packed with people whom I have never seen before at any of the other local establishments so that was kinda dislocating.

The service staff was really nice and helpful.

[pluvious]

the "hipster" vibe at kitchen bar is what finally turned me off. not from the crowd, mind you, but from the staff, esp. behind the bar. i hope the new place doesn't develop the same dilletante contempt for its customers. life is too short...

[Ezn]

Anyone been to Franny's on Flatbush Ave b/t 6th & 7th?

Toby's is similar but with the pub atmosphere. Pizzas are expensive (just like Franny's!) but i have to say they're worth it. Had dinner there with my wife on Saturday, staff was friendly, pizzas were great - try the one with the truffle oil (most expensive @ $18 though). It's worth the occasional splurge. Great for just a bar as well, it is a 'pub' after all.

$3 Budweiser (!) but they were out of Bud sadly on Saturday. Most places gouge with $4, it's Bud! (Yes, I like Budweiser and don't care what anyone else says or thinks about it.) There's the $3 Toby's Cheap Bear on tap, like an amber lager, that was pretty decent as well. Oh, happy hour from 10PM to Midnight, which seems odd but I guess they won't get much after-work crowd at their location anyway.

Only thing is their huge widescreen TVs - the whole point of widescreen TVs is to not have black bands (gray here) at the top & bottom of the picture, but there they were. They need to hook up the HD correctly so the entire screen gets used (yes, I am a tech geek).

Expensive pizzas but worth it. Cash only, but the ATM charges $1.50. And too small for strollers anyway - there's nowhere to put them. Looks like there might be outdoor seating inside the perimiter fence when it gets warmer.

[besus]

I'm a parent. I saw the sign that said "No Strollers." The reason they have said sign is because, if you bother to look inside, there is no room for any freaking strollers. The space is a bar, an oven, some tables, and room to move between the first three.

You'd have a traffic jam if 2 strollers were parked in the place.

Also - they have a place to lock your strollers outside with free locks.

As far as being family friendly. The manager has nothing but sweet to my family, including my daughter.

Before one goes off half cocked, they might want to investigate the matter further.

Oh, lastly, the staff at Kitchenbar has been overhauled...so if you had a problem with "contmept for customers," check it out again.

[jane_birkin]

checked it out with my honey last night. our pizzas were good; nothing spectacular but nice thin crust with good flavor. decent prices on the pitchers. nice, friendly dyke waitress. (i like frequenting queer-friendly places.) all in all a good neighborhood place and we'll be back.
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Culture is what we make it Yes it is...Now is the time to invent
----Sleater-Kinney

[Ezn]

And you gotta try Bam's Beef Jerkey. $5/bag and written up in New York Mag: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/tobys-public-house/.

[besus]

Bam's beef jerkey is solid. As is their feakin' truffle pizza.

[Flexichick]

their pizzas are good and the staff has been great the 2 times I went.

which bartender is Bam? The guy who has a little Anthony Kiedis thing going on?
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The Crazy Train is now making all local stops and has picked up at least 2 more passengers.

[besus]

[Kikintina]

Is it still family-friendly? Or has that gone by the wayside? ie: Do they have a high-chair? I can handle the no stroller thing, but without it, I need a high-chair to sit my kid in.
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Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

[besus]

I have seen families there. I'm not sure about the high chair though. Maybe give them a call and find out?

You can bring a stroller, you just have to leave it outside - they'll give you a bike lock for it(or if it's raining they'll put it downstairs for you).

[Ezn]

I saw a family ask for a booster seat but they didn't have one. In theory, you might could use a bar stool, but then again that might be a bit dangerous without a seatbelt; they have backs but no sides. Family-friendly enough, though, seen plenty of families in there.

[La Face]

Oh! I didn't know this place was queer friendly, i always see a bunch of sports dudes hanging out there so i was skeptical. I Just moved into the hood and had a few beers there on saturday and they were good and cheap- the bartendars were nice and I felt welcome, but now that I know it's queer friendly i'll be more likely to go back with some dykes.

[Ezn]

There goes the neighborhood.

[Ezn]

OK, I have a big problem with Toby's that I need to get off my chest.

A bar/pub/saloon/restaurant/honky tonk should have music playing and not have the TV sound on.

Sports should be on mute. We can see the score.

Many times I have passed by and would have stopped to spend my dollars, but I need music at a bar, not headache-inducing repetitive sports reporting at obscene volume levels. When I hear the TV, I keep walking.

I like sports, I really do, but if you want to hear the broadcast, you should be at home on the couch with a beer. A Public House should be playing a decent mix of good music.

There, I said it. I feel better. I hope Toby sees this!

[La Face]

EZN
i guess you hate queers

[La Face]

we are here, and we are gonna getcha!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[Ezn]

I was just messin' around. I'll see you at Toby's, if they have music on that is.

[La Face]

ok EZN i'll buy you a beer.
I might have to pretend to like the jets if the dykes are in there though.

[gretch]

I am Mets fun and I do not mind having game on instead of music, their music selection, to be honest, often kind of sucks. I was there yesterday and some people were singing along really really loud and cheesiest earlly 90's pop song or something, I thought I was gonna die. There are decent amount of bars in the area now, I think it's ok to have variety.

[Amethyst]

Yeah, I know I've gone to Toby's with friends for the specific purpose of watching a game, so I guess I'm on the side of liking the sportiness. (I'm too cheap to pay for cable so I'm forced to go out to enjoy the occasional playoff game.)

[gretch]

Mee too, Amethyst. No cable at home. Toby's getting business from me that way.

[Smitty]

When I am watching a baseball game at a sports bar, I definitely like to hear the commentary and sound of the game.

[Ezn]

But is it a sports bar? I know of no Brooklyn sports bar that serves $18 truffle oil personal pizzas.

Fine, have yr damn sports bar. I'm going back down to O'Connor's.