BABA on Withers — Restaurant in New York

Baba on Withers initially appears unassuming from the outside, but stepping in reveals a completely different atmosphere. The indoor space was surprisingly loud with music, immediately signaling that it was not the place for a quiet conversation with my friend. Our hope rested on finding space in their outdoor patio.

Fortunately, there was room, and we were incredibly glad we stayed. While the patio may not be the most meticulously curated, it possesses a distinct rustic charm with decorations that clearly show thoughtful effort. Outdoor light globes, heaters on ceilings, comfortable outdoor sofas, and even a disco ball (!!!) contributed to a wonderfully free and relaxed ambiance. It felt so good to be there with people, their babies, their dogs, and the gentle breeze.

The servers were very chill and laid back while still being attentive to their jobs, which we deeply appreciated. They were flexible with us moving tables when the weather got colder, demonstrating that carefree yet fully attentive attitude.

We ordered the fries, and they arrived unsalted. I am unsure if this was intentional or an oversight, but it is something some people will like and others may not. The cheese sprinkled on top did help. It is a good order to have as a finger food if you have already eaten.

To start, we also got two glasses of white wine called "Couple Goals." It tasted good; nothing particularly stood out to me, but it was tasty and a safe option. I would want to try another white next time.

We then got two red wines, "Premises," which kind of tasted like natural wine. While it was not what we were expecting, it was interesting, and I liked it a lot, though my friend was not the biggest fan.

The bathroom was clean, which was a pleasant surprise for a bar, and I hope it does stay that way.

I would absolutely return to Baba on Withers for the patio, though not for the indoors, and because of the excellent servers and the overall vibe. I have not yet tried their more substantial food items, which I would also like to explore on a...

Carrots were good but overpriced in my opinion. The Whipped Ricotta was actually really really good. The bread it came with was also good if not burnt. (Asked for another order of it but it was kind of burnt which wasn't as enjoyable as the first order) & Salmon could've been bigger in size given the price but to be fair, the salmon was cooked very well! Crispy skin, soft and juicy fish meat that was nicely salted too. The beans that came with the salmon was GREAT I loved it lol

Ambiance was cute but not enjoyable during the evening because the lighting was really bad. I could barely see my food. The lamps they provided did little to no help to provide light. I actually ate something bitter towards the end of my meal when I scooped out some whipped ricotta on to my bread. My suspicion is that maybe a bug flew right in and got stuck somewhere but since the lighting was horrible, I couldn't really see. So anyway, that part wasn't enjoyable. Ample lighting would've helped.

Service was ok- good. Nothing great. Just being honest. They were nice but maybe understaffed? Not sure. But I'm saying this cause I felt like I had to follow up stuff.

Overall 4/5 could've been better if the outdoor area had better lighting, and if portions were just a little bit kind of bigger for its price :) but the food in terms of taste alone is good, 5/5 imo.

Simple but good.

But maybe go during the day not the evenings to appreciate everything...

This review is for Babacool in Williamsburg, for dinner only (I haven't been to the other location or had brunch there). I've been to Babacool at least 5 times, so I've given it a few tries before I wrote this.

Pros: Certain dishes are very good (fried brussel sprouts, gabi noodles, whipped ricotta), atmosphere is casual and inviting and the backyard is nice. The owner is lovely and very personable.

Cons: Wait staff leaves a lot to be desired. Waiters are sloppy, disorganized, and uninformed. The bathroom had no soap, there was food on the floor and overall cleanliness was not great. On multiple occasions, the waiters could not describe to us what we were eating. Appetizers have been forgotten. At our last dinner, I ordered a mocktail and confirmed that it was alcohol-free. The waitress carelessly responded that she "wasn't sure" if it had alcohol in it. She proceeded to put the drink down in front of me and walked away. This is totally unacceptable. Honestly, it feels like it's everyone's first day on the job.

We are repeat customers and transparently, we have sworn off this restaurant multiple times, but continued to go. Some of the dishes are really good, even though their flavors are confusing at times. Our last dinner's service and the lack of attention and accountability of the staff were so disappointing that it will be our last. Good...