Defontes

Should you try these large, over the top, infamous, TV-​documented, somewhat overpriced sandwiches? Defontely!
Ew. I didn’t like the way this text is looking. Hold on, while I figure out how to change de font.
WARNING: They run out of the hot stuff way before closing, so get here earlier
WHAT TO GET: Chicken sandwich or a Steak Pizzaolo maybe
WHAT ELSE: It’s defontely worth a try, although it’s anyone’s guess if you will become a regular
If they poured some sugar on your sandwich every time you order one (in the name of love), it’d be renamed «Defleppards.»
Situated right by the industrial docklands of Brooklyn, when you’re driving through this area, you really feel like you’re in a mafia movie. Drive down to the end of one of the docks and look for suspicious cement blocks, if you dare.
Known as the best sandwich in NYC, when de facto, it’s probably not. But in Brooklyn? De Facto, it may well be. Hence the change of name from Defontes to «DeFactos.»
But oh, my, the sandwiches.
These are some of the best sandwiches in New York, but they might not be quite as flavourful and off-​the-​charts as a lot of people would have you believe, including Guy Fieri, many Unilocalers, and the prices, which aren’t obscene (like Katz and Carnegie) but also are generally in excess of $ 10 for a sandwich, and you can’t get a smaller order.
If it gets vandalized in disgusting ways, it’s temporarily renamed «Defecates.»
I’ve tried the famous Steak Pizzaolo, which was good, and I enjoyed it, dripping in tomato sauce as it was, which is known here as «gravy.» However, when they were out of Steak, I tried the Chicken Cutlet with that same tomato sauce instead, and I have to say, I liked it even better. To the extent that I might say the chicken is the go-​to hot sandwich here.
If it ever closes down (I hope not), it’ll be renamed «Defunct.»
If you want better sandwiches than Defonte’s in Brooklyn, without going into Latin (such as Caracas and Guacuco’s Arepas), or Middle Eastern (such as Goulette), then you’ll be hard pressed to find any. Perhaps way down at G & S Salumeria, or over in Manhattan (Cheeky Sandwiches, Parisi, DiPalo’s), and definitely Hoboken (Fran’s and the others, best in America), but the point is that there aren’t many. And as much as I adore Queens, the most famous sandwich shop up there (Sal, Kris & Charlie’s), while more economical and even more filling, are not quite as good as these specialty hot sandwiches at Defonte’s.
And if you always end up ordering the same thing here, I guess we will rename it «Defaults.»

Possibly the best sandwich I’ve ever had. Had the red hook special without any bacon. The guys at the shop are so friendly. Everyone was really sweet and cracking jokes. The «small» has HUGE. small fully loaded sandwich and a soda for 13 dollars. Pretty awesome deal. Only downside is that they don’t accept card– cash only– but there’s an ATM inside.

The best sandwich hands down! Amazing! I ordered the prosciutto mozzarella, roasted peppers and eggplant and it was so delicious. The soft sesame Italian bread was so chewy and it complimented the deliciousness of the salty prosciutto, sweet peppers and fresh mozzarella. I ate half of the sandwich and I was tempted to eat the entire sandwich. I am still dreaming about it! So so good! Finally a place that takes pride in their sandwiches!

Food: 4.0÷5.0
Service: 3.0÷5.0
Value: 3.0÷5.0
Décor: 2.5÷5.0
Overall: 4.0÷5.0
Awesome sandwich shop in Red Hook. ‘Gem’ came to mind as soon as I stepped in. A detective with a handwritten order for six sandwiches with his weapon on his hip, eight-​ish burly guys who look like blue collar workers waiting for their sandwiches, and one hipster looking dude with a messenger bag checking out the menu. A team of guys in red shirts behind the counter job shopping the heck out of the different orders. Step in, give your order to a guy who frees up, and watch him do his thing. The sandwich was tasty, and a little pricey but very large. I think it may be a notch better than L***i’s.

I live next door and come here every week. The restaurant itself is spotless. There is always someone cleaning. Secondly, the service is fantastic. They are prompt and have a sense of urgency when serving you.
Everything here is excellent and they have the largest variety of Snapple I have ever seen.
I wish they were open later, but I understand why they would close early. Family time is important and the location isn’t the hottest around town. A lot of police/​fireman eat here!
I like it when they make the large sandwiches for catering. They are SO big and I need an excuse to order one.

Normally I love this place but today the pastrami tasted Like rubber
Bread was hard and the potatoes and eggs was cold
I know you guys can do better than this
This is first bad expierience out of 500 times

I first came here after i Saw It showcased on diners drive ins and dives. I got the steak pizzaiola sandwich and was very pleased. It is full Of flavor and the steak melts in your Mouth. The bread and mozzarella cheese add to the experience
This is worth the trip you will not be disappointed

I now only come once a year, as a birthday treat. I used to hit Lioni’s in Bensonhurst for a same day comparo, but too much traffic on the BQE these days.
On-​street parking is usually available, the neighborhood is looking up, I don’t know from this ½ or ¹⁄₃ business, I always take a half.
The Nicky’s Special, basically an Italian combo with a slice of fried eggplant is my usual order. The giardinera will make any Chicagoan happy. I have ventured afield, the roast beef with mozzarella and eggplant is awfully good, the meatball parmigiana is probably better than at your local place but not at the level of the others I have tried. The roast pork looks awfully good but I can’t travel all the way here and not have a Nicky’s Special.
One thing that is surprisingly good is the mustardy potato salad, which, color wise, reminds me of a New Orleans potatis salad, but doesn’t taste the same.
Come on a nice day, sit on a picnic table and stuff your face with one of the two or three best sandwiches in NYC.
Why can’t they make sandwiches like this in Westchester?

So we were driving around Red Hook today wanting to go to Hometown BBQ, but it was CLOSED! And THEN we could NOT find parking, and ended up over by Defontes. My boyfriend asked me if I had heard of it, and I was like, «I think?» because it just LOOKED like an institution. We walked in and were taken back to an OLD SCHOOL deli full of construction workers and firemen and a staff of dudes who were brought to this earth to make you happy with cold cuts and slices of bread.
The sandwiches are OF COURSE huge. I got a «small» which was ¹⁄₃ of a loaf with prosciutto, roasted peppers, mozzarella, and breaded eggplant. YUM. It was SO good I ate half right away, and the other half later– and I’m usually REALLY weird about leftover sandwiches. My boyfriend got this pastrami sandwich with this DELICIOUS mustard on it and some other stuff I can’t remember but I wanted to take all of it away from him.
Needless to say, this is a bucket list type of place but I’m sure we will have a few more days of giant subs and sitting by the pier.

Yeah yeah the sandwiches are kick ass but seriously, is it me or back in the day every NY deli made a sandwich of this quality?
Walk into any NY deli today and ask for a small hero. They’ll take out the Boars Head Roast Beef out of the wrapper, then the Boars Head cheese out of the wrapper, then the Boars Head.
ENOUGH!
My dad owned a supermarket in the Hamptons. Back them, the deli manager would roast a huge hunk of roast beef for slicing. Walking around the IGA, you’d have this intoxicating beef smell. Then she’d call me over and make me a hot roast beef sammy. OMG!
What I just described is still being done at Defontes. 100+ years as a matter of fact.
I don’t eat deli sandwiches too often because of the Boars Head take over. I do enjoy a hot sammy.
Walking into Defontes, its not a fancy joint. First off you’re in Red Hook. The hipsters are taking over but it ain’t Park Slope up in here. There are no tables or chairs to sit and enjoy your sammy, just a small counter where you can stand and read the Defontes newspaper clippings. My son and I ate our large hero on the hood of our car.
I want a simple, hot hero. I enjoy chicken parm heroes, shrimp parm heroes, pretty much anything «PARM» you had me at hello.
We decide on splitting a large Hot Roast Beef Parm Hero (Minus the eggplant, to me its like eating slugs) We go outside, rip open the bag on the hood and I take a bite of a warm roast beef hero.
Takes me right back to my dads store. Hot freshly sliced roast beef, topped with fresh mozzarella and roast beef gravy, its simply a home run hit.
Brooklyn, we’re famous for so many things. Whatever you call them in your hometown, grinders, subs, whatever.
Come to Defontes and try the real deal from Brooklyn!

Yes, it’s difficult to get here. If that’s a problem for you, you should either 1) buy a car; 2) buy a bike; or 3) buy a comfy pair of running shoes. Either way, when you boil it all down, you really just need to get off that fat @ss of yours and engage in some form of locomotion (be it vehicular or self-​generated/​bipedal); reason for all the moving around is actually quite utilitarian, especially after partaking in one of the sandwiches from this joint.
A buddy and I decided to take advantage of the ideal weather situation that was going on this past Saturday, as we took our bicycles on the scenic route to Coney Island (19.5 miles one way, for yours truly…). For such an endeavor, an appropriate amount of protein and carbs was essential, and Defontes delivered in spades.
A lightning quick order was placed, with even faster prep and delivery of the ‘wich into my hands. A roast pork sammy, with broccoli rabe, sans cheese, with a bag o’ chips and bottle of red Gatorade to wash it all down. Needless to say, $ 15 well spent.
The meat was super moist and juicy, with the slow cooked flavors shining through the generous amount of gravy/​jus poured on top. I was surprised with how well the bread held up after seeing how much gravy was poured over top of sandwich. Luckily, the broccoli rabe made the whole sandwich SO much more healthy (so I didn’t have to feel like a fat @ss after eating everything in one sitting, chips and drink included).
I should’ve stopped by on the ride back from Coney Island… the 19.5 on the way back to the frozen north of Queens was a lot more difficult without one of these sandwiches percolating in muh belly.

These sandwiches are yuuuuuuuge.
I wish I would have gotten the roast beef like I saw in the DDD episode and as immortalized in one of the greatest 30 Rock episodes of all time. Instead I got an absolute monster of a sandwich with just about every ingredient on the planet that inhibited my ability to walk. It was great though.
When you see pictures of all those famous Italian New Yorkers (including James Gandolfini RIP), you know you are in an authentic spot. I will definitely be coming back.

Brooklyn Sandwich tour. Stop #2. (A three part series)
Defonte’s was our second leg of the tour (see other reviews) and I was encouraged by Mike to try the roast pork sandwich. The pork was sliced thin, topped with provologne, spicy vegetable salad, broccoli rabe, and the hero was then dipped in au jus.
From a flavor standpoint, this sandwich was a knockout. The pork was delicious and the au jus was the perfect addition of flavor. The bread was my favorite of the tour as well.
I deduct a star from Defonte’s because surprisingly this sandwich was the skimpiest of the three stops. At a food shop like this, I’ve become accustomed to heroes that are thick and stacked with meat. They definitely could’ve laid the pork on a little heavier. In fact, the bread was probably the most prominent ingredient.
Disappointing. Delicious. But disappointing.

Whoa. Seriously good sandwiches… all around… Italian Stallion, The Dino, hot roast beef… Italian tuna… meatball

Used to order the roast pork special, this is probably the greatest sandwich I’ve ever eaten.
Fresh (hot) roast pork, broccoli rabe, provolone, eggplant with red sauce, on an Italian hero.
These guys don’t £%*@ around!

Best sandwich I ever had in my life. The service was awesome!!! Highest recommendation. Even got a t-​shirt the people are awesome…

Awesome– the real deal.
Totally satisfied my old fashion red sauce sandwich craving.
Quality ingredients and nice staff.
Get the steak with mozzarella and sauce sandwich. It’s super messy but totally worth it. Ill for sure be going back.

Traveled from Long Island and they were closed called phone message said they were open.

I had been to the Manhattan Defontes several times and continue to be devastated that it left that location (and nothing even replaced it), because I loved it. Finally, after much too long, I made my way out to the Brooklyn location.
Despite walking in the wrong direction several times coming from the F train at Smith 9^th street (and feeling mildly unsafe during parts of the walk due to some street harassment) I finally made it to the shop. As everyone else said, it’s classic Brooklyn — straight forward, and no frills. The few bar stools were occupied, so after ordering, my friend and I had to take our food to her apartment to enjoy (be prepared to do the same, there was a steady flow of customers while I was there).
The red hook sandwich was out of this world good. I requested this sandwich without bacon and that wasn’t a problem at all (phew!). My friend had the eggplant Parmesan sandwich and it too was amazing. We’re both average sized females and we were both completely satisfied after eating half of our large orders. So for $ 11, we both ended up with 2 really filling, awesome meals.
The staff was polite and quick, the food was amazing, the prices were totally reasonable, and the trip there is worth it.

Ok so what can I say this is a good place to go for a great sandwich. My hubby and I came here after a little shopping at Ikea and we’re so glad we did. The sandwiches were soooooo delicious. I had the pastrami and cheese with peppers and my hubby had the meatball sub. OMG both were amazing. I couldn’t finish it so my daughter ate the rest of mines. I would have given this place 5 stars if only it was closer to my house. I know that seems unfair but hey it’s far from me. The décor is great. It has so many pics of famous icons who’ve visited and ate there. Will defiantly be returning when I’m in the neighborhood.

I was looking for a good sandwich, so where better to go than one of the best sandwich spots in New York City. Everything about it is old school, classic, it almost takes you into a different time walking in.
Onto the important portion now; the food. Now when you walk in, all over the front, and everywhere behind the counter is another sandwich they make, we went with the Red Hook Special ½ & the Chicken Cutlet Mozzarella ¹⁄₃. Pro tip, get gravy on whatever sandwich they put in front of you.
The special, huge delicious sandwich. Chicken, bacon, their deli turkey, the gravy savory and unique to this spot. This is a days sandwich, as in, you may not have to have anything else after a half of this. The chicken Mozzarella we got a little smaller, and regrettably, because we agreed that this was even better than the special with the fresh Mozzarella and peppers, plus a nice dollop of gravy on top.
The only thing I wish I could change is like any old-​school place, it is a bit disprderly, I advise you know what you want before you even walk in.
Returning soon!

I first heard about Defonte’s when they appeared on DDD on the Food Network. When I saw the quality of the heroes and meat that they made, I just had to make a trip to Red Hook asap! I read a ton of Unilocal reviews about how they were always crowded and that there was a line out the door, but during the few times I’ve been here it’s been pretty quiet.
The set up here is simple. Walk in, take a look at the selection of heroes they have on the wall and someone will assist you pronto. The great thing about the service here is (1) they have quite a few people behind the counter (2) the employees are very proactive and friendly asking if you need some help. As for what I’ve tried, I’ve ordered the large Chicken Cutlet and large Steak Pizzaiola heroes ($ 12 each) and both were ridiculously awesome!
Both heroes were humungous and, if you’re coming here to order one for yourself, it will probably take 2 sittings to eat each half. The chicken cutlet hero had 4 huge slices of fresh mozzarella laid on 4 pieces of chicken cutlets, basically enough to make 4 separate sandwiches! The bread, chicken cutlets and mozzarella were extremely fresh, especially the mozzarella as I could see it glistening in the sandwich. The Steak Pizzaiola was my personal favorite though. This was the sandwich featured on DDD and, if you order this one, you might never take a look at the rest of the menu again! The steak and sauces seeped into the crevices of the bread and were so flavorful. The steak was soft and just melted in our mouths. It was … the perfect sandwich! And maybe the best one I had ever eaten! If I had to choose one sandwich to eat for the rest of my life the Steak Pizzaiola from Defonte’s would be right up there!
Also, don’t bother taking your sandwich home because the chances are that the bread will get too moist so eat it on the spot inside.

I tried to write a Review a few moments ago, here goes there food is up with the with finer Italian restaurants. There Mozzarella is real fine melts in your mug. There sangys are wonderful. Portions are more than fair.
I recommend these folks. I grew up with my mothers favorite couple an Italian folks took me to there families outtings and eaten the best homemade food at Defontes is a favorite of mine. Square Buzzness in honor of a olé Italian friend Andrea

Yes, Red Hook is far, but you can walk back to civilization after scarfing down one of the biggest sandwiches you’ve ever had.
Defontes is as old school as it gets. It keeps strange hours. You have older Italian guys yelling at you. And the deli meats are fresh as can be, and they load em up.
Friend and I split the Nicky’s special and the roast beef/​mozzarella/​eggplant (doesn’t have a catchy name). The Nicky’s special was basically everything they could throw into a sandwich. Tons of veggies, eggplant, and Italian meats. I liked the roast beef better. Perfectly pink, and the eggplant added a nice texture.
If you ask them what the difference is between the two sizes, they’ll just tell you with a straight face that one is bigger. Get the bigger one. For $ 1 more, it’s totally worth it.
They also have a backyard with a few tables.
This place is as Brooklyn as it gets.

Not really seeing the hype here. I’m guessing I got the wrong thing but the red hook special really was nothing special. I made the long trek from midtown which consisted of a 20 minute subway ride, followed by a 20 minute bus ride and then a 10 minute walk. Not the easiest place to get to.
I was originally planning on going for the steak piazzola sandwich but at 1230 they had apparently already run out. Panicking I decided for the red hook special with mozz. First off the sandwich is huge, however it was sloppy, the ingredients were meh (mozzarella was great), and overall it was definetley something you could get in Manhattan. If you go I would recommend getting something involving marinara sauce.

Ordered the Italian Stallion, and it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. I usually don’t like Italian style subs, but this was outrageously good.
Definitely check it out if you get the opportunity!

We had the shrimp parm hot hero and fish hero (flounder, Cole slaw, broccoli rabe and tomatoe) …a little bit of a line but it was worth the wait… will definitely come back soon.

This place. Wow.
When staying at the Comfort Inn Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with a few friends last week we found Defontes as the closest food nearby. The first day we tried to go for dinner but they close early. But we didn’t give up and came back for lunch the next day after a long night out.
I had the chicken bacon ranch, and my two friends had the sausage and peppers, and buffalo chicken sandwiches. It was delicious. I don’t know much about Brooklyn. But this place definitely feels Brooklyn. Came back the next day and got a meatball sandwich and it was even better than the chicken bacon ranch.
It was like $ 12 for a pretty big sandwich but you get what you pay for.
Also, cash only.

Not sure what the fuss is all about. Maybe if it’s the only hero spot in the neighborhood. But we’re in Brooklyn, where great food and tradition is everywhere you look.
Had the prosciutto hero, worse experience ever, they left the skin on the sides of the meat, with 3 bites the entire sandwich was pulled apart.
Had the eggplant/​meatball parm hero. Much better than the prosciutto.

Great sandwiches made with fresh ingredients on fresh bread. Staff is very friendly and quick when making the sandwiches.
Make sure you bring cash, they don’t take credit cards here.
Get the Red Hook Special.

Really good food! Sandwiches and various other types of dishes are what this location is all about. Located in Brooklyn amongst factories, this place is a goldmine. A great place to come for lunch during a busy day. The prices are on the high side but they don’t skimp on portions. Defonte’s has been around since 1922, previously owned by the grandfather of the current owner. You can feel the family vibe the minute you walk through the doors. Defonte’s will be closed from July 4^th until July 19^th so check your calendar!

We were just heading to IKEA when my GF shoot STOP!
There is that sandwich shop I hear so much about!
Really?
Sure, why not it is 10.50am and almost lunch time.
From the outside it’s not a big deal but inside the line actually wrap around.
People are already ordering their sandwiches for lunch!
The line was long but the sandwiches are worth the wait.
Tip: There are a couple of picnic tables in the lot next to the store to eat but we drove over to IKEA and ate in the public park by the waterfront.
Personal lost: I’m sad to report the Defontes on 3^rd Ave. and 21 St. is closed and have moved.

We came here under the recommendation of Mr. Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-​Ins, & Dives.
I assure you, even if you haven’t seen the episode of triple d before coming here, you’d still feel a positive vibe from this deli.
You walk in, and although it isn’t the location where they started, you can still feel the history of this place! They’ve got collages, memorandums, photos of celebrities, newspaper articles of their successful establishment, and the guys who were there from the start and I’m telling you now… it made me really freakin’ excited to order a sandwich!
It’s an Italian spot so I went with the Roast Beef, Fresh «Muzzarelle» & Eggplant sandwich served with salt, pepper and their delicious gravy!
Long story, short — if you want a great sandwich, appreciate ingredients made in-​house, and friendly staff, come here!

My boyfriend and I saw this place on Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives and we had to try it after seeing those sandwiches.
We came in at around 8 on a Saturday morning. It wasn’t packed, but it was definitely starting to get busy. Even with all the people, we didn’t have to wait long. Those guys really hustle! There are seemed to be a lot of locals and regular there, which is always good sign.
I got the Cuban (roast pork, Ham, melted Swiss and gravy — I didn’t want any pickles) and my boyfriend got the roast beef with mozzarella and eggplant. I’m not a big fan of eggplant, but I can honestly say his sub was delicious! My Cuban was So. Good. I wish there was a bit more gravy on there, but that’s fine. The meat wasn’t too dry and the cheese was perfectly melted.
Plus, the staff is great and make you feel right at home. (Or maybe just me, since I’m a native). They’re easy going and will joke around with you! I will definitely be back.