Carlton Park

If I was solely rating this place on the food, I’d give Carlton Park five stars. I’ve been here for dinner twice and for brunch twice, and the food and cocktails are excellent. The options on both menus are great, too. You’ll probably have a tough time deciding on what to order, but it likely won’t matter because just about everything is great (ok, everything I’ve tried is great).
On to the service… It’s hit or miss. Had the same brunch waiter twice and the guy was great. Extremely friendly, helpful, and attentive. Sometimes he seemed a little overwhelmed, though, and I attribute that to the lack of additional staff up front. Service at both dinners was so-​so– the staff seemed a little spaced out, especially our bartender, who was nice enough but equipped with a broken awareness meter. It took him 20 minutes to take our drink orders (we’re sitting at the bar… directly in front of him… with one other couple) and he avoided eye contact with all of his customers as if it were in the job description. This made it slightly difficult to get his attention for most of the night.
Overall, really good. I’ll definitely be back– probably several times– I just hope the service is a little more consistent.

Carlton Park is great but sort of infuriating sometimes.
The food is beyond reproach. Pretty much everything on the menu is excellent, whether I’m there for dinner or brunch (and I have been there many times for both). Highlights include the butternut squash ravioli, the cassoulet, the shaved Brussels sprouts, and the bahn mi. I also have enjoyed the pork sliders and the crispy shrimp appetizer. The food is well cooked, well presented, and always satisfying.
The wines are decent and the cocktails are pretty interesting.
What’s frustrating about this otherwise top notch restaurant is the pacing and service. Sometimes it is sloooooow. More than once I have waited 15 – 20 min after ordering my first drink to get it. And often I’m waiting 20+ minutes after finishing a course for the next to arrive. Last time there I had these waits and I was the first table seated at 6pm so there was no business excuse. My sense is it is more of a kitchen and bar workflow issue than a waitstaff issue, but who knows. This is the only reason I don’t eat here more often.
But I still give it 4 stars because the food is great, the atmosphere is nice, and the staff is friendly though not bearing food as often as I’d like.

New neighborhood gem! Dinner there tonight was really wonderful. All the ingredients were amazingly fresh & delicious. Definitely a spotlight on ingredients. Lots of innovative menu items, wish we could have tried more things. Will certainly return. Very friendly staff also!
Really good for kids too!

I’ve been here twice for dinner and haven’t been blown away, particularly at their price point. Everything tastes oversalted, for one. Nothing stands out, which, for a neighborhood that has Franny’s, James, and R&D, when it comes to plunking down $ 20+ for an entrée, this place does not compare at all.

Went for brunch on Sunday and must say, I was thoroughly impressed and eager to return to try a lunch, dinner, or just another brunch. I had told my GF that I was in the mood for a local, organic place with a neighborhood feel. I had recently been to Friend of a Farmer by Union Sq and was looking for a BK equivalent. This could not have been a better match: local, organic, fresh and not an hour wait on a Sunday for brunch! We did have to wait about 15 minutes (host said «5−7»), but did so at the bar where we ordered a pressed to order fruit juice from the smoothie and juice menu.
I had the Belgian waffle and fried quail which was heavenly, while my had the salmon eggs benedict which was on a potato pancake rather than a traditional English muffin; we «split» the egg sandwich on a biscuit with potato hash. The waffle could have been a little fluffier, but wasn’t bad especially with the maple butter instead of maple syrup. The fried quail was the highlight of the dish though. The batter was nicely spiced and the quail itself was so moist and flavorful. I just wish quails weren’t so small! The buttermilk biscuit sandwich was good with just a fried egg and Swiss, but I forgot to ask for the egg to be scrambled (personal preference). Served with potato hash for just $ 6 (what an amazing deal!), I justified ordering it as just a «side». The clear winner, however, was the salmon eggs benedict, which I hear the waiter recommend to another table. The single bite of the fresh slices of salmon on the potato pancake instantly won me over.
The scene on a Sunday for brunch was definitely a diverse, local crowd: small groups of young adults, couples, and parents and children alike all enjoying the welcoming neighborhood environment. The seasonal menu means frequent visits back before items are removed, but also means routine visits to try the new items as well. I am looking forward to going back to try the lunch or dinner menus too, or to just enjoy another weekend brunch!

So apparently weekend brunch is kind of a NYC institution. It’s different from how I know it in California as a meal to be eaten BETWEEN breakfast and lunch. Instead, here it typically goes from 11am to 3:30 or 4pm. How does that work? Honestly, I don’t know for sure, but I think its because New Yorkers tend to stay out until the wee hours of the morning, stumble home around 4pm, and sleep until noon. So that means their weekend «morning» doesn’t typically start until the afternoon.
My friend had a picnic gathering in Prospect Park in Brooklyn for 1:30pm, so we thought we’d go for an «early» brunch around noon. Carlton Park is conveniently located across the street from the 7^th Ave. stop for the Q. We figured we would wander around looking for a brunch spot close to Prospect Park, and this place fit the bill. There was no wait, but there were people dining. And the food looked pretty good. The one thing I do have to say about this spot though is that they seem to be having an identity crisis. What’s up with having a smoothie bar AND a regular bar AND playing Latin music, but serving classic American brunch fair? Not that I’m complaining, but I’m just not sure what to make of their vibe. They do tout themselves as using local and organic produce and products though, which is a plus.
For my meal, I went with the two eggs, bacon, toast, and potatoes. Their eggs were nice and soft, the bacon generous in portion (4 pieces!), the toast just okay but it’s toast, and the potatoes were the star! They had a nice crisp crust to them, but were obviously home diced and freshly grilled up. I also ordered a peach bellini and an extra biscuit. The drink was quite refreshing, if a bit small because it came in a champagne flute. The biscuit was definitely worth it! It was a bit dry, but it perked right up with some butter and the raspberry jam. It was slightly sweet and very flaky; obviously homemade. Prices were extremely reasonable at $ 8 for my basic breakfast and $ 2.5 for the extra biscuit. I thought that the drink was a bit pricey at $ 10, but that seems to be the regular going price for bellinis and mimosas in NY. I also saw a lot of parties order the Bloody Mary, which is gigantic.
Service was a bit slow, but somewhat expected given the leisurely pace that is typical of the NYC brunch experience. I thought the server was nice and unobtrusive. Also, the have a slot in the table for your phone! I thought that was really clever especially because the tables are so small. I started to take a picture, but then I saw that someone else had already posted one.
If I ever return, I want to try their take on chicken and waffles, which sounds especially delicious.

So, my outfit was way too cute yesterday to just go to the gym post-​work, so I grabbed my hubby and we scoped out Carlton Park for a drink. My first question is: with a weekday buy-​one-​get-​one happy hour deal from 5:30 — 7:30, why in the world was no one at this place?!
Admittedly, it was a little awkward at first. We arrived about 5:35, and the front door was locked. We had to go around to the open garage door window to confirm they were open. As I mentioned, we were the only ones there. The staff was still setting up for the night and we almost felt like we were intruding. They were also a little slow to respond to our presence and take our drink orders. However, once we settled in, it was nice.
The atmosphere is lovely. The restaurant is open, airy, and modern. The bar area is intimate, but not claustrophobic. You are separated from the main dining room, but in a way that makes the bar feel special, not quarantined. There are two large garage doors that serve double-​duty as walls and when open make the space seem larger as tables spill onto the sidewalk under awnings. The sidewalk talbes would be a great spot to linger over dinner or brunch.
Their wine list, draft selection, and cocktail menu provide plenty of choices. The happy hour includes wine, beer, and two cocktails of the evening. A pretty good deal. While there we also indulged in their cheese board, which included a selection of 3 cheeses (a Maytag bleu, a soft goat’s milk cheese, and a hard sheep’s cheese), a savory cranberry walnut bread, fresh figs, and black truffled honey – Amazing.
I am giving this 3 stars for now to be conservative, mostly due to the aforementioned awkwardness. However, we plan to return for dinner and I think this place will really shine. I recommend scoping it out for the happy hour alone. You know, on those days when your outfit is too good to waste.

I think this place will be a 5 star restaurant soon. Similar to places like Applewood in south slope this is a destination for organic and local fare prepared tremendously well. Everyone is always hitting me with local and organic and I fully support it, I mean why buy the same thing from cali if you can get it from upstate. Reduce that carbon footprint. They have truly pulled this off.
All the beers are from the NY and NYC area, the booze too even most of the wine. I am sure that was no easy task finding locally sourced and produced spirits and wines that you can pair with excellent food.
I am told the menu is always changing based on what is in season which I love. I was attracted to the salmon 3 ways but ended up with the butcher cut of the day. We first started with the zucchini blossoms and shrimp which was very very good. I had the Skirt Steak with mushrooms done in bone marrow and gnudi, what I can say it was excellent. My wife had the encrusted yellow tail tuna with corn flan which was was also awesome. The portions were not enormous but were not too small either. The taste and flavor combos were perfect. We even had desert, which I never have. A vanilla panna cotta with fresh berries, perfect ending to the meal.
It lost star because it took forever to get our first round of drinks. I have complained about this before I need my first drink quick so I stop thinking about. It did not come until after the app was served. Not a huge deal but worth mentioning.
Overall this is great addition the hood, well priced and great food!

Carlton Park sits at the intersection of Carlton/​Park/​Flatbush which is a pretty good perch to see pedestrians strolling by. That, combined with their sidewalk seating was inviting enough to lure us in to check the place out for brunch. Two garage doors open up to an interior which is a schizophrenic mix up of rustic chic (reclaimed wood, edison lightbulbs), crunchy juice bar (colorful chalk listings) and early 2000’s yuppie chic with curvilnear bar and room divider veneered in stripey wood.
After asking to be seated, we sat and sat and then eventually tracked down the hostess to ask for menus. That set the tone for the service as we had to flag someone down to place our order, after which another server came by, prepared to take our order. We then waited forever for coffee and desperately asked two staff members before getting caffeine in our systems. It wasn’t like hipster waiters with attitudes ignoring you, it just seemed like the restaurant was staffed by family members who didn’t know how to efficiently provide service. I should note that the group of race runners who were there before us were ravenously eyeing our food as we ate it and still hadn’t been served when we paid for our check. I guess we got off lucky.
As for the food, I agree with the other posters who comment that the price points are too high. The coffee was $ 4.50 for an indistinct Americano (no regular coffee on offer). Ditto for the Eggs Benedict ($ 12) which seemed reasonable until you realize it comes naked on the plate, no sides, and we had to order potato hash for $ 6, bumping up the total price to $ 22.50 for a brunch item, side and coffee.
Not the best deal in town considering that the biscuits were dry and dense and the bacon we had subbed for the Canadian bacon was so dry that it shattered into pieces and had to be mixed with the Hollandaise. The French toast with grilled peach was also decent but dry. The hash, on the other hand, was delicious — buttery with a really nice crust on the bottom even though the portion could have been more generous as what they gave us fit onto a plate they also use as their coffee saucer. I suspect that the food can be good, and the overall dryness may be a question of the food sitting around for too long in the kitchen
Despite the great location, I doubt we’ll return to this place as there are so many other brunch options in the neighborhood. Overall, it seems that the price points are just too high for you get even before you figure in the unprofessional service. I’d much rather walk a few blocks and head over to James for that fiendishly good stack of pancakes with a secret stash of berries at the bottom.

Fantastic new restaurant with a great vibe and ambiance. Local and organic foods come out perfect from the open kitchen. Creamy crab dip and kale salad were delicious. I got the Bass special entrée which was cooked to perfection and came with a spicy avocado sauce. In all a great meal.
PS check out the cookie sandwich dessert/.

My wife and I went here for dinner. We saw this place which was new for us. It looked had a nice atmosphere and was airy.
The service was excellent.
The food that we had was not good.
I had the grilled chicken. The salad that came with the chicken was the only portion of the meal that had any taste and that is not good since the chicken is the main portion of the meal. The chicken had no seasoning. It had a crispy batter around that just made the chicken taste oily. It was devoid of flavor. I wish I had asked for ketchup to make it taste better.
My wife, who is a vegetarian, had the grilled veggie sandwich. The veggies were just grilled and had no flavor and the hummus. that is inside the sandwich, had no taste.
I am not sure what the other options on the menu taste like, but I was not happy with the food that I ate.
For what I ate, the meal was way over priced.
The service was excellent but I would not recommend this place for dinner.

Tonight was our third visit to Carlton Park. They are 3 for 3 in my book.
They promote themselves as farm to table, and that has been in evidence not only by the quality of our dishes, but each time we have visited the items on the menu have shifted. Generally we have enjoyed the new offerings each time. I tend to order the daily special and the sauteed vegetables (which have been seasonal).
One of my favorite things about the offerings is that they have a decent range of prices. I can have a steak of the day ($ 24ish tonight) while my budget-​conscious friend can order a pasta dish for $ 14 or a sandwich with a side for around $ 12. The wine and beer are also well priced, with wine on tap for $ 8 a glass, and some great beers from the New York region.
Both of our weekend visits started out with an amuse bouche, the first was truffle popcorn, and tonight we had a cucumber slider with some pickled veg, maybe jicama. We also visited during the week, where we did not get a bonus appetizer.
If I had any criticism, it would be that I would like to see a few of the specific local breweries, Greenport and Six Point are some of my favorites that I wish Carlton Park had on tap.
I look forward to frequenting Carlton Park, and think it is a fine addition to the neighborhood. More affordable than Farm, and I am a fan of the ambiance.

This is one of our favorite restaurants in our neighborhood. We took a couple of foodie friends here tonight, and they both loved it. The quality of the ingredients are top-​notch, and the dishes are interesting and flavorful. This is the kind of place that makes Brooklyn a culinary destination.
I’m surprised by the comments that complain about the restaurant’s décor. My husband and I are both professional designers. Both of us were impressed by Carlton Park’s design and ambiance.
We come here for the drinks in addition to the food. They have a great selection of local beers and a couple of high-​quality wines on tap.
A couple of minor things I would change: the prices are a bit high for some of the menu items. If the restaurant reduced them by about 20%, we would go there more frequently. Also I wish they would bring back the aged goat cheese ravioli. It was fantastic, probably the best pasta I’ve had in Brooklyn. I understand that the menu is seasonal, but that would be a popular item year-​round.

Crispy Oyster Salad was our first taste of Carlton Park. What can I say, we wanted more!
So we followed with the Pulled Pork Sliders which came with caraway slaw. Sweet sliders with a little bit of kick and soothing slaw. More please!
A Grilled Shrimp BLAT which is bacon, lettuce, avocado, chipotle aioli and tomato on toast. Also had a little bit of kick, but tasty sweet shrimp balanced that out. this sandwich came with old bay fries which were just not crisp enough. That’s why four stars and not five.
Service was attentive and courteous. Our waitperson recommend the Kelso beer and I couldn’t resist since it is from Prospect Heights. A winner!

Most of what’s been said about the location is on point. The architecture is unique, even fun – if you enjoy chatting with the chef or simply meeting new foodies at the bar seat next to you.
Well poured drinks, which included a local bourbon old-​fashioned (ok, 2) a hibiscus vodka cocktail and mini carafe of Rose later… we were then treated to a bounteous appetizer plate of «bib lettuce tacos» of smoked pork belly, cilantro and yoghurt sauce… yum. Followed that up with the Plancha of seared squid over escarole, olives and chickpeas. I swore that the Plancha was going to sear the squid into rubber-​band land, but was I mistaken. Perfectly cooked squid is hard to come by – try it.
Finished up with the BLAT sandwich, a grilled shrimp sandwich topped with, of course, smoked thick bacon, surrounded by lightly spiced perfectly cooked fries. Talk with Chef Bill, and he’ll tell you that the new restaurant is pushing to give Brooklyn customers more for their dining dollars – a bit more quantity, a great deal more in quality and for less than what you’d pay across the river for the same meal. This is a keeper for us. Oh… and talk to the patrons next to you… they are usually nice people trying to move from Manhattan to Brooklyn!

We’ve been here twice, on beautiful nights so the doors were open, I could see how the entire space would change if they were closed. That being said, the servers are VERY attentive, the food is good, had decent meals & one delicious soft shell crab sandwich. The beer list is good & they have decent, affordable wine on tap, all others on the list are too expensive.

I have to say, the exterior of Carlton Park certainly didn’t prepare me for what was waiting on the inside. I was immediately impressed with the layout of the space; the clever separation of bar seating for eating, bar seating for drinking and the rest of the dining space (+1). Yes there are two separate bar spaces which don’t take away from any of the ample space left for table dining. The bar seating for eating gives you an open view of the kitchen staff as they prepare their culinary creations. I find this ideal as you never know when you’ll be on a dud of a date or simply dining alone; a little built-​in entertainment never hurts. I was in the space for drinks that night so I took my perch over in the bar seating for drinking section. Again, the architectural work designed to separate the sections was impressive.
Onto the drinks. Great selection of both beers and liquors (+1). Often times you’ll find your typical well and shelf type bottles to choose from along with perhaps one or two of the owner’s personal choices. I can tell that Greg took a different angle here bringing in probably his own personal library of hard alcohol selections. Well done!
Shortly after perusing the menu, I turned to take in the rest of the restaurant and was amazed at the openness of it all. (+1) Literally! The design element of the restaurant continued to surprise me as I saw huge garage doors had been opened in the back of the restaurant to let in the beautiful evening air. Airy corner indeed, Patrick G. This feature truly elevates Carlton Park above any establish along North Flatbush, if not most of the North Slope.
The final, and lasting, impression I walked away with was of the patrons. Sure there are those nights when you want to just get away, have a drink, and you’re not overly concerned with who is drinking next to you. My evening was no different but I couldn’t stop from noticing the people around me. Not to say they were «my type of people» but they were definitely a respectable group. I think that says something about the establishment. You always want business but there’s good business and bad business. Carlton Park will attract good business from Brooklyn, well beyond the limits of Park Slope and Prospect Heights. (+1)

Came here for dinner because we were intrigued by the design and ambiance. It was a cool place to sit and relax, and with the windows open on a nice day it was a really pleasant experience. The staff was very attentive and friendly. They have a great beer list, and the cocktail we tried was phenomenal.
As far as the food goes, we were only really in the mood for burgers and the prices on everything else were a bit high for what we were expecting, so we only got the burgers. We ordered them medium well which in my opinion is supposed to be still a tiny bit pink on the middle (maybe I’m wrong, but that’s how it usually comes out when I order it this way). They came out pretty well done and were kind of dry. The fries were pretty tasty though.

I don’t normally review places, but MAN. THIS WAS SOME GOOD EATS.
It was (is?) my birthday, and me and my dad walked by, and we gave this place a try. There are some people who complain about space, and Ill admit this place is small. It seems pretty obvious this place was designed with the fact that the garage doors would be open. Thankfully the doors were open today, and I love how it flows! Right on the corner, so there is some people watching to be done.
Now, back to the food. I had the Sorrel Martini, as suggested by our waitress. (she was a bit over attentive, but NOT in a bad way. I guess more then im used to in NYC) Great! Refreshing, tart, and sweet. Just what I like.
We had the Buffalo Quail to start. Excelent! Great sized portion for two. Fried, but still juicy, and the blue cheese was great!
For the Main we had the Salmon, and the Goat Cheese Ravioli. The Salmon, was melt in mouth good! I loved the bed of pea purée it was on, really gave its a nice look and taste. The Ravioli, was… SO GOOD. The tangy goat cheese, with the tomato sauce was fantastic! My ONLY gripe about anything here, was the «micro greens.» It tasted WONDERFUL with my ravioli, but just was a little heavy handed? My pasta had grass, and it just was weird to look at. SO MINOR. STILL DELICIOUS.
And to top it off I had one of the ice cream sandwiches. The cookies were warm and the ice cream (I had the salted caramel) was over powered by the chocolate in the cookies. It was still very good. Made me feel like a big kid!
Presentation is great here! Love the white dishes, they fit the food perfectly.
Thats really it! I know this place will do very well! I will most absolutely be back with friends!
You made my birthday dinner wonderful! Thank you!
Im sooooo sorry I forgot the name of the staff who helped us, but everyone there was so pleasant it doesnt even matter!

Most of what you need to know about this place, you’ll be able to tell from a glance at the menu, and a peek at the interior: somebody spent a lot of money, and didn’t get much back. If you eat here, that somebody is gonna be you.
To begin with the menu: Pret a Manger wore out the ‘organic when we can’ fig leaf some time ago. Trotting it out for mileage this close to the Park Slope Food Co-​op seems to be asking for trouble. It’s not clear where their ‘grass-​fed’ beef comes from. Their ‘Free Bird’ chicken is indeed free range, and as local as Pennsylvania, but not organic. In fact, the menu doesn’t specify that a single ingredient actually meets any organic standard. Toss in the Atlantic Salmon option (Monterey Bay Aquarium: ‘Avoid’), and one gets the sense that the procurement officer is not a true believer.
Given that a half-​chicken (not organic) will set you back $ 21, I went for the burger. $ 12 will get you a hockey-​puck sized patty with at least one inch of brioche bun overhang on all sides. Avocado, bacon, and cheese (not organic) will set you back $ 2 –each-​. The condiments were delicious, especially the crispy, meaty bacon, and thank goodness for that — the burger by itself is a snoozer. Flavorless meat on a boring bun.
We also had a beet salad — a mixed bag. For $ 9, it was a decent-​sized portion. Hazlenuts instead of the usual walnuts was a good move. The red beets were delicious, but the yellows had no flavor.
If you’re gonna really break down that 2-​star review, you have to hand it to the décor. It looked as though someone went on Pinterest while drunk. There was a chalkboard menu with flowery writing. Garage doors. Beautifully etched stainless steel floor tiles. An entire wall of staggered reclaimed wooden posts, backlit by green LEDs. A glass partition with captured pressed grass. Laminated tables. A drop ceiling above the bar with a different laminate. Too-​loud uptempo music, and the crown jewel of the heap, a flatscreen television playing the Food Network («Man, look at what we could have been eating!»)
Bottom line: You can’t show up with an uninspiring menu, hit-​and-​miss purchasing, tenuous claims to green bona-​fides, and a dining room where you’d be embarrassed to wear a tie, and ask $ 32 for a steak.