Fatty ‘Cue

Sub par experience.
Walked in and bartender walked out from the bar to have a near 10min conversation with some friends. We nearly left and then the bartender came around. After ordering our drinks I noticed the music went out and all we could hear was a server singing to the chef from the food pass.
Huge fan of Fattie Crab but these guys gotta tighten up. I’ll be back to give it another shot with hopeful expectations.

While originally planning to go to another restaurant, we passed Fatty Cue and decided to go here instead. After all, Fatty Cue seems like it’s been a buzz worthy restaurant for a while.
I have to say though, it didn’t live up to the hype. We started off with the tater tot poutine — tater tots with melted cheese. Simple, but pretty good.
We then shared the fried chicken with watermelon salad and a tangy dipping sauce. It was MEH — okay. Not some sort of blow-​your-​mind chicken. The price didn’t blow me away either — most entrees were $ 20+.
I’m only giving this place 3 stars because the service was very good — speedy and friendly wait staff.

Good Asian/​BBQ. The dishes were interesting. We liked the pork shoulder served w/​toasted nan bread and the pork over pickled salad was a creative and delightful app. The pork ribs (2) were tasty but too small an entrée for an eater. The bacon infused Manhattan cocktail sounds more interesting than it was. We were at a weird small (wobbly) table but that we didn’t mind. The waitress rushed us through the courses despite the fact there wasn’t anyone waiting to be seated. Matt the bartender was a charming craftsman, and a welcome sight in this hipster neighborhood. Drove two hours to enjoy the pork, and enjoy it we did.

Came back on a Saturday at 8pm… What the hell happened?! I guess they don’t care to serve dinner on Saturdays! The music was blasting, it was like going to a club at 1am. There was no way to carry a conversation without screaming, and even that would not guarantee that you would be heard.
They also raised the price of the pig head to something unjustifiable for a head!!!
Ackk. I’m so sad and disappointed by this experience. I thought we had something going, Fatty ‘Cue! What the hell happened?!

After reading the previous reviews I was hesitant to visit this restaurant. My boyfriend and I had a gift certificate for Fatty Cue and of course we were going to use it, but I had my reservations.
Ambiance: the restaurant is small, but well decorated, very clean and cozy. The music is great and the lighting is perfect.
Service: for a two star Michelin restaurant I was expecting a more formal service. The key word here to describe the service is CASUAL. Hipster waiters and waitresses who are honest, relaxed, cool and kind. No complaints on the service at all.
Food: BOLD flavors, rich sauces and small to medium sized portions. We had the noodles, peas, trout and pork shoulder. All dishes were exceptional, but I thought the peas were salty. I do think the seasoning leans towards the saltier side, the chef could take note on that one.
We loved it and had an amazing dinner experience and definitely would recommend and go back.

Very good pork ribs and fried chicken. My bf and I enjoyed both dishes and there was so much chicken (5 pcs) that we had to take one pc to go :)

Please, read me!
*Bartenders: very rude treatment. I Was there for an early dinner with a friend and the music was so loud I couldn’t hear my voice. I politely asked the bus boy to lower the volume and when he did it, he’s been questioned from the bartender n.1, which gave me a look. (Lol!!!) Time one minute and the music was blasting again! So I went to the counter saying to bartender n.2 that I was trying to have a conversation and he gave me a look, lowered the volume as well, but not pleased. At this point bartender n.1 asks what’s up and bartender n.2 says «she’s trying to have a convo». Time one minute, the music was blasting again.
So I was a costumer, having drinks and food with a friend and I’ve been treated like a not welcome person, which it’s not only inhuman and rude, but also not clever, since nowadays they should know that anyone can go online and write a bad review.
**food: of course the food lost his spot in this review for what happened with the service. which I am sorry about it, because the hostess and the rest of the staff was pretty nice.
The food was quite interesting, even though I had a bunch of raw veggies and the boy chock was not washed as it should, having still pieces of dirt in it… I have to say food was good, but still, a little TOO SPICY for my taste.
Overall disappointed, and no, I am not going back.

Carnivore heaven. Asian fusion ‘bbq. Got that down right…
but somehow i feel a bit confused, if a bit hurt by the expectations that failed to meet my pallet.
Appetizers–
Dragon toast. Good Bread. From the chinese bakeries perhaps. with melted butter. GOOD at its best. who doesn’t love buttered toast, ay?
Pork riblets– sticky goodness but infamous cantonese cuisine, i can stir fry myself. The addition: honey. makes it sticky. Should not tell my homecookin’ mother I ate this dish. Home cooked probably will only cost $ 2 to make. LOL.
the salad that was suppose to cleanse the sweet ol’ tang of the ribs was way too tangy. needed water to balance. Needs some good old bok choy to balance this out, really, not tangy tang tang salad.
Fermented sausage– I got a feeling now that they’re infusing cantonese home cooked staples and adding a bit of a bang to it. Not hating, just don’t see the hype. Rice cakes into little balls. GOOD. but the more you eat, the saltier it becomes. They should add chinese sausage in this dish too, just tasted like a steamed minced pork dish.
Beef Brisket with steamed baos– Who doesn’t love steam baos. This was most exiting. Really good brisket, lean and a bit fatty– Fatty Cue, derrrrrrr I get it now. YUM.
Prime Rib– lean slices again with toast-​gosh too much bread by now, they want me to make a sammich out of everything, not too fond of the saucesssssss. And that wasn’t KIMCHI, i ate. where’s my real kimchi?
Drinks– ehhh. not strong enough. Got the ginger rum (can’t remember the name) that was good but not enough liquor, though I did feel the ginger kick. Ginger juice, it really is.
The décor and vibe is chill and pretty
and worth a try at least once.
It def settled the hype and anticipation of trekking out hurr.
Super down to earth staff… and groovy tunes.
but probably won’t ever crave this again.
cuz.
mama, i’m coming home to you.

This was not just dinner but a memorable true Williamsburg experience!
Don’t come here is you want white glove service and pretentious staff. This pace is for adventures eaters with sophisticated palate, but a laid back attitude. The entire atmosphere and warm wait staff allows you to let your hair down while enjoying outstanding food and creative cocktails.
We came here to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday with 4 of our friends. Were very pleased with their cocktails, especially their pickleback shots were out of this world! A guy is our group has dined there before, the waiter recognized him and we were treated like family.
We left it up to our server to surprise us and that he did! We were servered several fantastic «small plates» to share, every one was winner! I specifically enjoyed the peas, eggplant and a plate of think french toast with pig-​fat as a dipping sauce. There were 4 more amazing dishes, which included a whole fish (they actually fried it’s bones for us — yummy!)
The star of the show was a half of a pigs head! Delicious doesn’t begin to describe it! It was the whole experience, where we all got to wear rubber gloves, so that we could dig in and retrieve our favorite bites! It was such a novel and memorable affair, experience beyond dinner.
Then they brought us complimentary deserts and the bill ended up being only $ 98 per couple! What is not to like?

I have not had a bad time here yet. Service, and food have always been a big hit. Although details and employee behavior could be refined a bit. Overall I’m a happy eater at Fatty Cue.
Brisket, Noodles, Pork Shoulder all amazing.

Fatty Cue is kind of awful.
This place somehow has received two TWO Michelin stars which makes me dislike everything about it even more.
We orded the noodles, green peas in curry sauce, and fried chicken bao. everything tasted like it was made the day before and reheated which would be fine if i didn’t have to pay for it… at a Michelin starred restaurant?!
NYC is full of delicious food. food that gets cooked for you WHEN YOU ORDER IT. don’t waste your money here.

I had high expectations for this place, and unfortunately it failed to meet it. I regret eating here instead of the many restaurants around.
The Highlights:
— Service was good. Our waitress was helpful and nice. Food was brought out quickly and our drinks kept on coming.
— Noodles were good. It was something I could have made at home, but tasty nonetheless.
— Briskets were tender and flavorful. It was even better with the soft buns.
The Failures:
— EVERYTHING else we ate was so salty
— We ordered the smoked prime rib. It seemed like an interesting concept – a slice of Texas toast, fermented yogurt, and thin slice of prime rib, all dipped in jus. I would have enjoyed it had it not been coated in salt. I tried each aspect of the dish separately to find the culprit, but found each of them equally salty. I could only eat one slice of the prime rib.
— At the end of the meal, I ordered dessert hoping it would take away the disappointment of the prime rib. We ordered the caramel apple pie. It looked promising. We got a hefty slice of pie that looked delicious. That was the only thing it had going for it. It was cold and lacked the caramel flavor. The crust was hard and SALTY!
I wish that I had read the prior Unilocal review about the saltiness of the dishes. I will probably not be coming back here again.

I love this place. It combines 2 flavors that I adore, BBQ and Asian. Fatty Cue doesn’t pretend to be a BBQ restaurant or hardcore Asian, they are mixing elements that they like and do best– Fatty Cue is what it is… fusion and it works. The 3 occasions I’ve been here have all been excellent and have left me wanting to return and even when I’ve brought people here with palates that are a bit less developed, they’ve loved it too. It’s just good food. The only downside is that the portions are petite, and since the dishes are made to share, a maximum of 3 people is probably the best idea… otherwise you will leave dissatisfied OR order 9 different items. Don’t miss the brisket, lamb ribs or clams. Chicken was anticlimatic. All in all, delicious and repeatable.

To me, heaven is delicious meat-​centric food. All I really want, sometimes (not always), is something I can sink my teeth into and think «Oh God! I could never be a vegetarian!»
Yes, Fatty ‘Cue is all the rave right now and you will experience a wait to eat here. I knew this well in advance but knew it was definitely worth the wait. Came here on Saturday night at about 8pm. I would recommend coming here even earlier if waiting isn’t your style.
The staff, although super busy, made every effort to seat us as soon as possible. We only saw 2 servers, both guys and both hilarious. We were seated by the door at a 4-​top. A server immediately came over and filled our water glasses and talked up the food. I like when a server is excited about the food — it shows that the person actually cares and tried the food. Think about how many servers don’t even eat the food their serving (that should be illegal!)
The other guy was our server and was absolutely fantastic. He apologized for any wait we experienced and explained they were a little busy in the back — no prob, dude. We’ve all had nights like that.
We ordered a few drinks, all of which were delicious. Then he explained that the dishes were small and meant to be shared.
Our order came out in no particular order, but everything was absolutely fantastic.
First came out the ribs, 2 orders of them since they’re 2 ribs per order — but they’re worth the hefty price. The ribs were giant, so it took at least 10 minutes to finish each. We were sitting there gnawing away at the succulent meat and licked each finger clean. It was one of the best pork ribs I ever had.
Next up was the black-​eyed peas, which was out of this world. At no point should a vegetarian dish be this good. They must be sprinklin’ some tasty fairy dust on this because we literally licked our plates clean. We’re a classy bunch.
Then the noodles came out, which was the least exciting dish. The hot sauce that came with it was outstanding, but the noodles themselves weren’t that flavorful regardless of the scallions and beef juices. I thought the noodles had a nice pull to them and were very fun to eat, but the flavor just doesn’t compare to the other food we ate that night. I ended up using them to soak up the left over sauce from the black-​eyed peas, which was YUMMY!
Next up was the bacon and clams dish, which was super tasty. I only wish they gave more bread to soak up the incredible broth. Each of us had about 7 clams, perhaps more, and only a few of us were brave enough to eat the giant chunks of bacon that made this so tasty. It was definitely a fun one to share since its served in a giant bowl.
And last was the brisket and bao which was OUTSTANDING!!! Before we started eating it, we thought that we’ll need to order more cause we weren’t full. Holy crap these little guys are filling.
We eat got one and there were fun condiments to add a little extra flavor. I had a touch of the hot chili, some garlic aioli and some pickled onions. The bao was so soft it melted in your mouth. It added a hint of sweetness to the succulent brisket. This dish is so good I can’t stop drooling as I type this…
Overall, the dinner was amazing. The service was spot on and the food came out at just the right time so we transitioned from one dish to the next without much overlap.
Like I said, definitely worth the wait!

Came here as my first stop for my most recent NYC visit per Jessica C.‘s recommendation and it was fantastic!
The staff was awesome, down-​to-​earth and very helpful and attentive throughout our meal. We were seated in the backroom away from the bar crowd too which made for a cozier atmosphere and easy conversation without having to talk over anyone’s voices — always appreciated. As for the food:
Heritage Pork Ribs — Delicious! Plenty of meat, exceptional smokey flavor and super tender without being excessively fatty.
Dragon Pullman Toast — A great deal at only $ 4 for big, thick slices of brioche toast, but the fat didn’t add much in any regard.
Brandt Beef Brisket — Quite tasty and better than other brisket I’ve had in the past.
Hand Pulled Lamb Shoulder — Nice resilient consistency with great texture and flavor. Loved the kick from the garlic yogurt sauce.
Pork Shoulder — Such a creative twist on pork shoulder and the sour cherry glaze complemented the smokiness really well!
I’d also high recommend their Dark & Stormy if you’re in the mood for a cocktail, it was the best I’ve had yet and the stick of ginger extending the entire length of the glass and then some was a sweet touch =D

Meat meat meat meat meat! If you’re vegetarian you best stay back because you’re in carnivore country but if you must stay then order one of the really great cocktails and steal a pickle off of your friend’s plate now and then!
It’s «family style» servings but I’d liken it more to small to medium tapas plates of some very choice cuts and the occasional piece of delicious offal. Between three hungry dudes we ordered about ten plates with the biggest being the brisket with buns and the half chicken but even then don’t expect anything huge.
Think of this as a place to sample small dishes of meats with very unusual and savory treatments and unique side items like vinegar-​laden broths, pickles and creamy, tangy sauces. It’s also not a bad place to visit if you just want a couple of snack dishes and hang out for a few cocktails at the bar. I may very well do that on my next visit.
I can’t think of another place that approaches meat the same way Fatty Cue does and while it is pricey as hell it’s worth at least one try and while you’re here definitely get the pie. If you’re really looking to go in to quality protein coma by the pound then Peter Luger’s is a block and a half away but you don’t really wanna steak do you? Where’s the fun in that?

The concept is intriguing and the food good, but I must agree with Hideki «Notorious P.I.G.» K.‘s review. It is way over rated. Of course I should have expected it in this area. This area does not seem to be for established classic restaurants so we will see if this lasts. In my opinion someone just got an idea to make money off of the naïve in Williamsburg rather than someone opening a restaurant because the cuisine they cook is their passion.
One thing that stands out about great restaurants is something in the cooking that you can’t quite put your finger on. It is passion and love! Though as I said not bad at all, there is just an element missing.

Fatty ‘Cue is exactly what hipsters would create if they wanted to open up a barbeque place. It looks like a dive. The plates are the old cliched Chinese design plates that get at Chinese restaurants (I can just imagine them buying the plates second hand from Goodwill) and they give you chopsticks and a fork to eat with. Because being able to use chopsticks shows that you’re «cultured.» And they have Pabst.
The service, however, was very unhipster-​like being that they were friendly, genuinely helpful, and pretty attentive.
While waiting for our table, I drank my elderflower soda, which is handmade by them. I love the delicate floral taste of the soda. Not too sweet and refreshing. I shared the lamb ribs, hand pulled lamb shoulder, and red curry duck with my friends. I also got to taste the smoked crab laksa and beef brisket. They serve the food as the food is ready.
When we got our small plates, it became clear why Fatty ‘Cue was called Fatty ‘Cue. You certainly do get very fatty cuts of meat. As someone who truly prefers leaner cuts of meat, the fattiness of the meat was too much for me. I couldn’t have much of the lamb ribs and duck because they were 90% fat. I did really like the hand pulled lamb shoulder with the garlic sauce, as I ate all the lean meat and my friend ate all the fatty pieces. We were a good team.
The smoked crab laksa is pleasantly spicy and had good flavor. The beef brisket (the lean pieces) were tender and were served with bao. While I do recognize that the food at Fatty ‘Cue is good, it’s not really for me. The BBQ meat is too fatty for me and the other dishes that I liked, I can get elsewhere in the city that are more convenient for me.
If you love fatty meat and/​or live and/​or work in the area, you might want to consider giving Fatty ‘Cue a try.

When I told my NY-​er niece about my fatty meat tooth, she suggested dinner here. Woohoo!!!
The vibe of the place is like the obnoxious drunk hipster who hits on you, then sobers up enough to show you his real personality. Initially all you see is a loud, shallow façade — but suddenly sobered, he’s got more substance than you thought he would.
45-​ish minutes after arriving, standing at the small bar trying to hear ourselves over the loud music, then going to the bar next door to wait, the 9 of us were seated in a hidden back room — beneath a cool-​looking loft seating area. We caught a glimpse of a lamb carcass being manhandled in the kitchen, and though the free wifi was painfully slow, they HAD it (RIBSRIBSRIBS) — and an outlet for my rapidly dying iPhone next to my chair.
Though I was sad to hear that the half pig head was a 4-​day reserve-​ahead thing, the rest if the menu looked great:
Snacks
Lamb Ribs ($ 12) — 2 super fatty, smoky riblets, caramelized and oozy, taken to another level dipped in a rich and creamy goat yogurt sauce. My fatty meat tooth was in heaven already!
Smoked Crab Laksa ($ 24) — super spicy bone broth with scallions, chili, basil leaves, shiitakes, thick and chewy udon noodles and smoked crab pieces. Super flavorful and spicy!
Specialties
Hand Pulled Lamb Shoulder ($ 19) — pieces of tender and smoky lamb, served with thick and freshly made chewy pita and a garlicky goat yogurt sauce. The lamb pieces were leaner than the ribs, and this yogurt sauce was different. Good, but I liked the lamb ribs better.
Fazio Farm Red Curry Duck ($ 35) — fatty fatty fatty! Half a crispy-​skinned duck, served with a delish coconutty Thai spiced smoked red curry sauce, white rice with scallions, and pickled daikon. The first few bites of the bronze-​skinned duck was amazing, but after a leg, it was bordering on too fatty for me. The sauce was amazing though!
Brandt Ranch Beef Brisket ($ 25) — served with a chili jam, aioli, pickled red onions, cilantro leaves, soft bao and a bone broth for dipping. Our server pointed out the separate fatty and leaner smoky brisket pieces, and instructed us to assemble a bun with the components. I skipped right to the fatty meat/​chili jam/​aioli part and was in heaven!
A few of our party were vegans who I later found out had eaten previously, so I am hereby apologizing to them for the carnage at the meaty end of the table.
The drinks on the menu were interesting too — the not sweet at all sodas (Elderflower and lightly Smoky Cherry Cola) and the strong Fatty Manhattan were interesting.
I loved the food here, because I love my meat fatty. If you don’t, you might want to think twice about ordering what we got — but if we’re on the same page, come and git you some Fatty ‘Cue!

I’ve been wanting to try the Smoked Crab Laksa after it was listed by Sam Sifton as one of the best dishes of 2010 in NY Times.
My friend and I trekked out to this restaurant in the bitter cold wind. Was it worth it? Eh, yes I guess. I’m glad I tried it, and I enjoyed some of the flavors, but I don’t think I’d come back unless I moved to the area or something.
We ordered the side of broccoli, the smoked crab laksa, half bobo chicken, and the lamb shoulder. There is no real separation of appetizer and entrée and the dishes came out as they were ready. We got the broccoli and lamb first. The broccoli had an unique mixture of tastes, which I enjoyed, but it was a bit too salty. The lamb eaten with pita, yogurt, and herb was delicious, but I have had better lamb dishes. Next came to the chicken. My friend told me that it reminded her of soy sauce chicken, which you can get in Chinatown for much cheaper. I kind of agreed with her, but I did very much enjoy the texture of the chicken and there was an additional smoke flavor. The sauce was subtle and a little sour.
Finally it was the smoked crab laksa, and it was yummy. The noodles, mushrooms, and crab meat were cooked well. There was a myriad of flavors that I couldn’t place, but it tasted good. I can say though that the two dominate flavors were crab and something sour. The broth was not really drinkable.
We were still hungry so we ordered the two dessert pies (grapefruit and something lemon-​y, the latter I dubbed as the «love-​it-​or-​hate-​it» pie because that’s what the waiter told me). They were fine. I also had a cocktail — the Fatty Manhattan, which had smoked cherry coke. It was strong and smooth.
I did enjoy the food, but it was quite pricey and so I’m not sure if I feel that it’s worth the value to eat there again. The waiter was very nice though.

Overrated and overpriced.
I was really looking forward to trying this place. I’d heard great things! My boyfriend, our BCFFs (Best Couple Friends Forevah) happened to be hungry for dinner at 6:30 (I swear we’re not elderly) and figured we’d be able to avoid the normally massive wait. Even though we were nearly the first people there, the service (though friendly) was slow. They had a Restaurant Week menu that I was going to order off of… until I realized that if I just ordered the items I wanted a la carte I’d save $ 15. Making your Restaurant Week menu a ripoff is straight-​up shady!
We all ordered cocktails, which did not arrive until after half of our food was already on the table. I think the bartender saw our order and then went on a smoke break or something. Three of our cocktails were okay, but my boyfriend’s Rootbeer Sazerac tasted exactly like cough syrup. Charging $ 13 for two oz of Robitussin? NOT cool.
The food was extremely hit or miss. My Dragon Pullman Toast turned out to be Texas Toast that you could dip into a little carafe of animal fat. I won’t lie, it was delicious. But, y’know, it was salty bread dipped in fat — what’s not to love? The bacon appetizer was thick, juicy and salty. My friend claimed his bowl of ramen noodles was «quite good — but, y’know, it’s an $ 11 bowl of ramen noodles.» My boyfriend’s Bobo chicken was exemplary: very juicy and moist, with a dipping sauce that tasted like something you’d find in a bowl of pad thai. My friend’s pulled lamb shoulder was nice.
But the major, devastating disappointment was my lamb ribs. Lamb is delicious. Ribs are delicious. How could lamb ribs be anything short of mind-​blowing? I had such high hopes, but these were shriveled, dry and unbearably salty. When they arrived I bitched about the small portion, but then I couldn’t even finish them… my body just refused to process that much salt. When the waiter came over, he acted absolutely shocked that I had left some on my plate. So much so that I had to beg my boyfriend to finish them (he said they were «good, but very salty»).
For $ 50/​person, I feel like we could have done a lot better in that ‘hood. We went for a cocktail at Dram bar afterward and were shocked to see that in the past month they’ve added amazing-​looking small plates to their menu. Next time we’re eating there!