Sweet Science — Restaurant in New York

I randomly visited Sweet Science a couple of months ago and had such a great brunch experience, that I bookmarked it in my notes for a future return.

This visit was vastly different from the first. On a not-so-busy Saturday, my friend and I walked in to the bar area to dine and drink. There were two other groups of guests - one group got seated and the other was finished dining and exited.

After about 8mins of sitting at the bar, we began to feel ignored - no greeting/acknowledgement or water placed for us. As we waited, what occurred was truly bizarre to me:

A waitstaff/runner filled several water carafes right in our faces and never offered us one. What seemed to be a “manager”, circled around the backside of the bar, as if she was hiding from us. When she did come around to the front, she looked at us, walked away, shared a hug with a patron, drank some water and stood outside of the bar, in the main dining area, gazing off into the distance as if she didn’t know we were there. At this point, the waitstaff/runner guy, comes back behind the bar, continues pouring water and ignores us until my friend yells “Excuse Miss” (referring to the “manager” who is standing just outside the bar). The runner guy turns around, the woman turns around. The runner guy says, “I’ll get her for you”. Instead of her coming over, she whispers to a completely different server (dark hair/makeup) to come over and help us. THAT server takes about 3mins to do so and when she does, she tosses down two napkins and says (with an eyeroll), “can I get you something to drink?” I say, “sure, water for now”. She shoots back “water’s coming” and walks away. Following this, I put on my coat and my friend and I exited. The entire ordeal last ~20mins.

I really wanted to ignore this encounter and not write a review and just chalk it up as “maybe someone was just having a bad day” but I also thought, what if I were the person having a bad day and got out of my bed and drove to a place that had previously made me happy, expecting a good time and received this level of service?

It was the most disturbing display of leadership (though this is a reach), hospitality and service that I’ve ever experienced. As a foodie/frequent diner, mixology enthusiast, world traveler … I have never felt so unwanted in an establishment until yesterday. ZERO respect. Kudos to the team for killing such an incredible Saturday brunch experience. 0/10 won’t...

A Bitter Experiment at "Sweet Science"

I recently visited Sweet Science for brunch, hoping for a well-balanced experience, but unfortunately, this experiment in dining went completely wrong.

From the moment we walked in, the only thing truly "sweet" was the energy of the DJ, who had the bar area alive with music and celebration. The hospitality, however, was anything but scientific—our server, Isaac, skipped the basics of service, offering no welcome, no recommendations, and no introduction to the menu. Instead, we were met with a robotic “Are you ready to order?” as if we had walked into a cafeteria instead of a sit-down establishment.

The drinks? A failed formula. The rum punch tasted like bargain-bin Kool-Aid, completely lacking the rich, fruity depth that defines a proper Caribbean cocktail. My Uncle Nearest Old Fashioned was so overloaded with orange bitters that it looked like it had been exposed to radioactive oranges. When I pointed this out, the server’s solution was to “just add more whiskey.” A laughable suggestion, considering the drink was already unbalanced. The second attempt was slightly better, but still far from a successful result.

The food was equally disastrous. My steak and eggs were a chewy, under-seasoned disappointment, and the honey biscuit—if you could even call it that—was so dense it could have doubled as a self-defense weapon. My friend’s chicken and waffles suffered a similar fate; the chicken looked burnt from being fried in old grease, making it as unappealing as it was inedible.

To top it all off, the check came with an automatic 20% gratuity, presumably for the DJ—because it certainly wasn’t earned by the kitchen or our server. While I respect that service industry workers need to be paid, forcing gratuity on such a subpar experience felt more like an added penalty for enduring the meal.

Sweet Science may have a great atmosphere, but when it comes to food, drinks, and service, they need to head back to the lab—because this formula is...

After getting my hair done, I strolled a few blocks down to Johnson and Graham Aves. This corner establishment is almost blacked out from the outside looking in. I entered and the first thing I noticed was a full bar. I thought someone would greet me, but I only caught the attention of a patron sitting at the bar. That was strange and then one if the bartenders asked me if I needed help. Red flag #1: I asked for a hardcover menu...unavailable! So while it took a few minutes to go online, my first inclination was to walk out. The diners seemed happy and the bar was popping with regulars, so I decided to stay. I sat myself and proceeded to read the entire menu. A bit confusing the way it's listed, but I chose the Shrimp & Grits and a Lemonade. I got the attention of the waiter, who said he barely spoke English. NP, we're in Bushwick. I finally got one of the bartenders to take my order (attitude and all)! Red Flag #2: She and another lady, began circling the tables to see how the guests were doing. The food came and I was excited, the plate was beautiful, hot and delicious! Red Flag #3: Service includes a 20% gratuity. After paying the bill, I noticed a separate dining space behind the partition where I sat, that looked unappealing. The food was good however, the turn-off for me was waiting as long as I did to be seated! I understand that catering to your regulars at the bar is top priority, but at least have enough wait staff to serve the folks who are dining!!! The overall impression was that this place needs a complete upgrade, from the 1800 planked floors to the glass partitions. Making it brighter and more open might do the trick. It's a cross between a classic tavern or dive bar...