Gargiulo's — Restaurant in New York

Gargiulo's is probably the most over the top of the old school Italian restaurants left in Brooklyn. It seems almost out of place today around the corner from Nathan's in Coney Island. But it's been there since the turn of the (last) century, and has only changed owners once over fifty years ago. Due to a hefty amount of post-Sandy damage, it has also been redone. The place itself is huge with 30 foot ceilings, and one huge dining room in the front with another in the back. It is designed not just as a restaurant but also as an event venue, and it shows. You have to climb the stairs up from the lobby area to get one of the hosts to notice you; otherwise the staff will look at you like you're from outer space. Old school places like this are regulars-driven, after all. My grandfather frequented Gargiulo's and even had his retirement party here a few decades ago, so this place had been on my to do list for a long time. After seeing the Brooklyn Italian restaurant week deal they were running, I finally got my butt out to Coney Island.

The host seated us in a very good spot along the wall in the center of that front room. I had a view of the aquariums, which I was happy about. But then other than being given water and bread, we were left alone for the next 20 minutes. Finally, probably the youngest waiter in the place came up without apology and asked for our drink order. He was slow for most of the night, and he was especially mediocre next to some of the more experience waiters, who as I saw were excellent. In an old school place with prices like this, you don't have room for error as a waiter. He wasn't the worst I've ever had, but he was clearly lacksidasical and we didn't appreciate it. He also lied about their Brooklyn restaurant week special and them being able to make something off menu for me. Next time, I'm asking the host/owner for an experienced waiter who knows how to treat customers.

However, Gargiulo's is a good enough restaurant that it doesn't just rely on service: the food is the main reason you come, as it should be. As others have mentioned, the baked clams are stellar. Fresh and perfectly cooked, with the right amount of breadcrumbs. They are second only to La Palina, as they are a bit salty--especially the juices in the piping hot pan they were in. The linguini with lobster special was tasty and fairly priced at $22, but it didn't bowl me over. I got it fra diavolo and it came nicely spiced, but I felt the tomato flavor could've been bolder. It was laced with lots of lobster juices though, even though the pieces of lobster weren't actually cut up much. Good dish, but it completely paled in comparison to the shrimp special we got. The shrimp were grilled with some lemon and oil and served over arugula. They were huge; almost the size of a small langoustine. From the freshness of the ingredients to the preparation to the way the lemon and oil laced everything without being too assertive--it was one of the best shrimp dishes I've had. This dish I would come back here for alone; pricey at $28, but worth it. It was Italian cooking at its best and was far superior to anything I've had at the more modern Italian restaurants I've been eating at recently. This special also came some sautéed zucchini, summer squash, onions, peppers and potatoes, which made for a nice cheap lunch the next day and helped to give my wallet a break. For dessert, we split an Italian cheesecake with coffee and espresso. I also asked for the waiter to bring a bottle of sambuca (an old school Italian thing that goes with coffee) and he instead brought me a glass which he then charged me for. The cheesecake was homemade, a bit firmer than I'm used to but still good, and the espresso was very good unlike most old school Italian restaurants.

Service aside, the food at Gargiulo's lived up to the hype for me. Dress relatively nice, get an older waiter, and you'll eat a great meal. It's one of the last of its kind and it's well worth preserving. You get what...

Let's talk about Italian food. Better yet, let's talk about Italian American food. You know what I'm talking about. The real deal, South Brooklyn kind of Italian American food, rapidly disappearing and being replaced with pale "hipster" imitations at sky high prices and are found all over Manhattan, gentrified New North Brooklyn, Long Island, Miami, Las Vegas and elsewhere. Well, Gargiuo's is no pale imitation. This is the place which has been around for over 110 years. This is the place with the Great Room with high ceilings, dark wood panelled, with the bar with "the game on". Cozy well spaced tables and friendly professional tuxedoed waitstaff. Of course this is the atmosphere you want. It is the atmosphere generations of born and raised Brooklynites expect. After a day spent at Coney, we Greenpointers were pretty much famished and were very happy to be seated quickly without a res. We started with house red, mixed hot antipasto, outstanding garlicy crisp baked clams and a delicious oreganato stuffed artichoke. Then moved on to what for me is their house special pasta; Penne con Cavolfioro, which is pasta with oil, garlic, breadcrumbs, olives and roasted cauliflower. Stellar. Entree's were a classic textbook chicken scarpariello, cut into bite size pieces ON THE BONE in an amazing picante garlicy gravy, risotto pescatore with mixed fresh seafood, and a perfect grilled veal chop. Of course these places include a home made potato crocquette and a delicious mixed vegetable side. WOW. Then keepin it real, we went for spumoni and tartuffo, always terrific and sourced from Nasto's Gelateria in Newark. Portions were huge, service super nice, atmosphere was rollicking with happy families and totally unpretentious types ( a welcome change from North Brooklyn for sure). Prices were totally fair, way below what you would pay in North Brooklyn or the City. We'll definitely be back. My advice to y'all New Brooklyners and all others seeking "the real Brooklyn" is to hit up places like Gargiulo's and do it quick. They are becoming extinct! NOTE: Gargiulo's is fine dining with a minimal dress code. Here's my advice: if you are a disgusting slob in a sweaty T shirt, gym shorts and an attitude, please take it to the Boardwalk. There are plenty of options...

I am so sorry to say how disappointed my family & I were when we dined here. After so many years of hearing how fabulous the food is here, I cannot agree. When we first walked in, there was no one to greet/seat us. We were standing there for quite some time before someone finally approached us. We had an 8:30pm reservation for 6 people & were told our table was not ready. About 20 minutes later we were shown to our table. Our waiter introduced himself & asked if we wanted something from the bar. We asked what types of drinks/liquors they had & were told "I can get you ANYTHING you want." My sister asked for a Mojito...only to be told, "I'm sorry, we don't have the mix for that, so I can't get you that."...if I'm not mistaken, a Mojito consists of rum, club soda, limes, simple syrup & mint...you need a MIX for that?!?!?!? I asked for a frozen Piña Colada...after the 1st sip it was obvious this was made from a mix as well...no fresh pineapple (not even a splash of pineapple juice), no coconut, barely any rum, & FAR from frozen...my youngest daughter ordered a Shirley Temple & there were NO cherries in it... We ordered our appetizers & entrées hoping for the best...unfortunately we were not impressed...definitely not what we were expecting especially after hearing all the hype... The sauce is bland & the pasta is NOT fresh. My oldest daughter ordered the tuna & she said even that tasted frozen. We did enjoy the cappuccino, the cheesecake (which was Italian cheesecake & should be stated on the menu; not everyone likes that type of cheesecake, some like the creamy NY style) & the tiramisu was very good (but it's not a regular staple on their dessert menu). We get our bill & I was disappointed to see that my daughter's dessert was not comped (we were there to celebrate her 13th birthday, which they were informed about) & I could not believe what our total was. I always knew they were a bit on the pricey side but to pay that much for mediocre food & expecting the best of the best, really stings... Sorry to say, we will not be...