Gotham Market at The Ashland — Restaurant in New York

Earlier today, a coworker and I dined at Mason Jar. One of several eateries located at GWA. As the dining area was mostly empty we were immediately seated. A waiter quickly came over to greet us and offered to bring us glasses of water. My coworker and I both ordered the $17 lunch special, which consists of a burger (several to choose from), chips/guac, and a beverage (including a couple of good draft beers).

The wait for our meals wasn't long and the atmosphere was great for time-passing conversation. Presentation was good and my sausage sandwich looked amazing. Sadly my coworker's brisket sandwich wasn't as pleasing to the eye. The brisket was extremely dry and had none of the greasy, drippy fat that you'd find at other southern-themed restaurants. I must've watched her add barbecue sauce to the sandwich at least five or six times. After the meal I asked our waiter if the brisket is normally served dry and he said that it is. I suggested that he warn other customers in the future. Considering that GWA is situated so close to The Smoke Joint, I think we'll be going back to Smoke to get our barbecue "fix."

The lunch special is a great deal, considering the normal price for a burger is $12-$15 dollars. The chips are thick, crunchy, and bland and the guac is equally "meh." See if you can substitute them for a side salad. I noticed there was another side item on the menu but we had high hopes...

Love the space and options. Service is good and friendly. Had a good meal at Boqueria and a horrible meal at Mason Jar. Mason Jar would be good for drinks only - nice cocktails. The food there, however, is horrendous. Went for brunch - got the Mason Jar Special or something like that. Ordered eggs over medium and got some cast iron skillet full of liquid with some eggs floating on top - pretty gross. To add insult to injury, this is a barbecue place so you expect some good bacon. Well, lower your expectations because you can find better bacon at Key Foods in the packaged foods section. And while we're talking about lowered expectations, the brisket reminded me of ET carved up, if you carved up ET at the part in the movie when ET is really sick. But that would probably be more flavorful. And finally, the potatoes. The Marriott called and they want their...

Great environment. Bright and airy, open space. The food though all have some issues. Had the Fried Chicken with two sides, beans and fries, from Flip bird. The Chicken was nicely fried, with crunchy exterior and juicy interior, but was way too salty. It was the same with the fries, way too salty. The beans with chorizo was great, however. Tried to order the crab cakes from Crabby Shack, but apparently they didn't have the batter ready so it wasn't available. Had their crab taco and shrimp taco instead. DIdn't care for the tortilla at all, it was kind of half fried, so it was chewy and not very good. The crab filling was excellent and the...