Fawkner

We enjoyed our sandwiches and fries, although the separate self-​service food set up is a little confusing. Also, the back lounge area is cute, but the couches are SO uncomfortable. After testing out all of the seating, we ended up in one of the booths, which is just a flat wooden plank, but was an improvement over those couches. All in all, we had a pleasant time, but it’s not high on my list of places to return. Maybe we’ll try trivia!

Wonderfully decorated bar with fun booth nooks! The bartender was super helpful, and I am only taking off one star because it is hard to get to for me

Fawkner, I don’t know what to do with you.
You have insane potential — but your layout is holding you back.
Went for an after-​dinner drink with a friend and was having an OK time at the (nearly empty) bar when I spotted some people in the back area. Curious, I made my way there… and was surprised to see tons of people and a gorgeous lounge! I’m talking booths full of diners, a big leather couch, couples relaxing in front of the fireplace — it was like I’d entered a whole new bar.
And it’s a shame because I imagine many people come to Fawkner and sit in the empty front area without ever discovering the real party.
I’m not sure what the solution is, but Fawkner has too much going for it (awesome cocktails, nice bartenders, great music) to not figure SOMETHING out.
Good luck, guys. I’m rooting for you.

I really want to give this 4 or 5 stars for the atmosphere alone, but they still have a few kinks to knock out.
The food here is great! I ordered a burger and poutine… YUM!!! My burger came with a whole pickle, I love details like that. What I didn’t like about Fawkner was that apparently our beer was flat because something was wrong with the kegs. Why would you not tell us this and/​or discount our beers. The bartender didn’t seem to know exactly what he was doing. And while the staff was nice and attentive, their nonchalance seemed out of place for an incredibly gorgeous atmosphere. They have booths that are inset in the walls and in the back a huge fireplace and gorgeous paintings. It was a fun time, but they are fairly new, so I guess it will take time for things to fall into place.

Terrible place. Female bartender was nasty, bad attitude and her drinks will leave a sour taste in your mouth, literally. Bartender is incompetent, cannot make a decent $ 12 cocktails. Had ask to get something else, of which she responded «if you want to pay for it». First off, you made an inedible drink and y you want me to pay for it. B*tch please. Save your money and go elsewhere. Do NOT order the cocktails. Came here for NYE first time and will never come back! This place will be out of business in no time with poor service and staff with bad attitudes. Karma! You will never gain any loyalty from locals by functioning like this!

Four Things I Like About Fawkner.
1. Poutine. Poutine is always good, even when it’s bad. Here, it’s pretty good. Somewhat Fun Fact: Did you know that ‘poutine’ autocorrects to ‘pouting’? This is wrong on several levels, one of which is that nobody is ever pouting in the face of poutine. At least no one I care to ever, ever, talk to.
2. They have a fireplace, and enough antique* couches for me and every single one of my [four] friends to lounge back there for an entire weekend afternoon.
3. The personable bartenders. Some of whom look like they are going to be jerks, but turn out to be sweethearts, which is always a pleasant surprise. More importantly, they execute classic cocktails fairly well, and are capable of going off menu if one of your party decides she wants a bourbon grapefruit thing.
4. Their beer nuts (spicy, of course). Addictive, and I have yet to come in and not get a bag of ‘em.
Four Things I Don’t Like About Fawkner.
1. The signage on the storefront. I don’t know why, but the owners of this fine establishment didn’t consult me when they commissioned it, which was a mistake on their end. It actually kept me from coming in for a couple weeks, and that was a mistake on my end. Let’s call it even.
2. It turns out there are lots of people that like poutine, fireplaces, nice bartenders who make excellent cocktails, and delicious beer nuts. Unfortunately, this means that weekend nights tend to be loud as hell/​all that beautiful seating can be taken, which is too much for this old man (sometimes). Luckily, I like to drink every night of the week.
3. One time we saw a star (I use this term loosely) of a popular Netflix series at the bar, and we couldn’t remember his name. This probably isn’t Fawkner’s fault.
4. The next day, we saw that same star elsewhere in the neighborhood, and I’m about 26% sure that he recognized us from the bar and thinks we’re stalking him. This almost certainly isn’t Fawkner’s fault.
Since just about all the things I don’t like about Fawkner are basically bullshit, I think I’m going to come back in here plenty.
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*Although, a few of the couches really feel their age, and are no longer comfortable as a result. At least they look good?

Best fried chicken sandwich I’ve had in awhile. Not too greasy. The corn pudding and slaw add interesting flavors without overwhelming the delicious fried chicken. Fries came with your choice of dipping sauce. The maple sauce and the spicy Japanese mayo were delicious. The bartender was also very friendly and attentive.

Love this place! Service, ambiance, and food is great!

Nice bar. Staff is attentive. Don’t expect a buy-​back; They are all about business and collecting your money. Prices are a little high but it’s a proud place.
I’ve been here 5 times in the past 2 months and haven’t received a single complimentary drink. (Buyback) They just don’t seem to think tipping and being a regular is important.

I want to love this place. The bartenders are AWESOME. But the beer list is very hard to find something great in and the food service is confusing.

When Ceol closed I was saddened that the neighborhood had lost a pretty good bar, so I’m quite pleased that Fawkner has taken over the space. It’s the cozy back room that really makes Fawkner stand out. It’s like an old hunting lodge out of one of the 19^th Century adventure tales, or maybe like the parlor of an old manor where a murder mystery once took place. It’s cute, comfy and super cozy. The fireplace will definitely be a coveted spot as the temperature drops this winter.
It was not too busy on the Saturday night we went, though I foresee that changing. When we went back on the following Tuesday, it was actually busier than on Saturday night.
The drinks selection was pretty great and they had an interesting selection of beers on tap. The first time we went we just had a couple drinks, but the second time we got food.
At first we were a little hesitant on the food because it seemed like every sandwich had one questionable ingredient. Roast pork with Caesar dressing? Fried chicken with corn pudding? A hot dog with remoulade? A burger with white sauce? What is «white sauce?» Is that a bechamel? Is it the same white sauce from the halal cart?
We tried the ribeye, the burger and the hot dog. They were okay. For the price (around $ 10-​$ 15 for a sandwich) I wish they would have come with fries or salad or something, otherwise they are a tad over priced. Overall the food was just okay. But I guess if you’ve been drinking and need something in your belly, it’ll work well enough. I do like that you can order and pay one at a time, which makes the place great for groups — no having to figure out a complicated bill at the end of the night.
Will definitely be going back, but probably just for drinks.

I didn’t eat at Fawkner, so this review doesn’t have anything to do with their food.
BUT-​the drinks and the atmosphere were great! My boyfriend and I arrived at Fawkner at around 4:30 pm last Saturday and the bar was pretty full, as were all three booths. There was only one couple in the back room though. The front section has the bar and some tables that are great for groups. There is a deer in a glass case that looked like something from the Museum of Natural History, which I thought was kinda cool. The middle section has three big booths and a spot to order food. The back is darker and has leather couches, comfy chairs, bookcases, paintings, a fireplace, and a skylight. I really loved the atmosphere and thought it was romantic and perfect for a cozy date! There is also a small outside area with string lights, two chairs, and a bench.
My boyfriend had two glasses of wine and I got a glass of wine and a whiskey ginger. Happy hour was $ 2 off of wine, beer, and well drinks. The bartender was super nice and friendly. I collect business cards from places and he very nice when I asked him for one!
Fawkner was great because it wasn’t too loud and had a nice mix of seating. The front and back have totally different atmospheres, so you can go there with friends, family, or a date. I also liked that it was laid back and comfy. Great addition to the neighborhood!

Fun, low key new bar in town. Great sandwiches– we had the roasted pork and fried chicken.

Lots of great choices for beer and good wine pours — no complaints, especially considering all the seating throughout the bar and couches in the back. Once my boyfriend and I saw their food menu, we decided we’ll have to come back to try it out, so I’ll update my review when we do.

Solid bar… could easily be 4*…just need to fix a few things. First of all the outdoor area (which obviously won’t be of much use for a while,) could be made a little more welcoming. Inside, there are lots of cool spaces (sometimes too literally: ventilation and cooling systems are odd… we had to move a couple of times after getting stuck in freezing spots.) Sandwiches hit the spot. Drinks are good. Bartenders are friendly, but not completely on the ball: ran a tab one night, had at least a dozen drinks in my group and each time the dude asked me my name. Could be really good and comfortable. Not yet.

Fawkner still has to work out a few kinks, but it’s definitely a solid bar. It’s from the same people who started the Bell House, Floyd and Union Hall. There’s a backyard, but it’s kind of too chilly for that right now. They don’t have any activities like Floyd/​UH does, but they do have taxidermied animals, so… I guess there’s that. They also have a bouncer checking IDs outside, which is similar to the other spots, but it’s very out of place on Smith street.
Anyway, the décor is great. There’s ample seating at the bar, tables with mismatched seats in the front, booths opposite the kitchen, and a bunch of couches in the back room lounge.
Great beer list too. They have food, but you have to order it separately. One of the kinks is that you can’t share a tab between the kitchen and the bar. Hopefully they sort that out soon. You order food, grab your number, and then they bring it to you. Easy peasy.
Of course, I had to go for the fried chicken sandwich that everyone’s been raving about. Definitely one of the best fried chicken sandwiches I’ve had in NY. There was a little more bread than chicken, but that’s mostly because the bread was huge. Lots of delicious sesame seeds. The chicken was thinly breaded and crispy. It was thigh meat, so much more juicy than breast meat. The chicken was layered with chow-​chow (relish), corn pudding and fried onion strings. The corn really added a nice flavor layer to it, very southern tasting.
There was also a side of maple syrup. It was strangely viscous. The sandwich really didn’t need it, but it was a good option.
The only other kink I need to mention is the bar service. There were two bartenders. One of them took my first drink order and then spent like 25 minutes counting money. This left the other bartender fending for herself, helping out people seated at the bar, people trying to close out their tabs, and people ordering drinks for their table.
Will definitely come back. Seems like the new «it» spot in the neighborhood. And not a moment too soon, now that Char No. 4 has shuttered.

I’ll start with the positive– the space is big, open and aesthetically appealing but sadly, that’s about it. The concept of «self-​serve» with no wait staff means you must wait in line for your food and then again at the understaffed bar for your drinks. However, no one explains or even smiles when you walk in so you look like a jerk while looking around to figure out whether you are supposed to wait to be seated or move forward on your own. The whole thing is poorly conceived.
And the food— We both had the ribeye sandwich on which there was a ton of coleslaw and almost no ribeye. The sandwich was slathered in an herb butter but served completely cold. Oh and they only have tiny bar napkins to use with your food. The manager was nice enough to comp our drinks when she saw the scene at the bar but otherwise I’d expect way more from the team behind The Bell House and Union Hall.

This spot is amazing. I came here with hubby on Friday night and we were really impressed with the service and the décor. Leah, our bartender, was really sweet and made us the best manhattans we have ever had! She then gave us some great beer recommendations. We hung out for a few hours and really felt at home. The ambience is really nice as well. We will definitely be coming back on the regular !

Bar
By the
Bell House peeps.
Good booths and beers,
Small patio, relaxed, and sandwiches.

Yes! Finally, a sandwich place where I can get my money’s worth. The $ 10-​$ 16 sandwiches are enormous! And delicious! Love the order and pay at the window and seat yourself at a booth layout. The space is huge with a bar up front, awesome cavernous booths, and a large couch area with fireplace in the back. I got the roasted mushroom sandwich and the hubby got fried the chicken sandwich. Both were delicious and my husband was especially pleased to finally find a local fried chicken meal that was satisfying and filling (vs. the tiny portions he’s been getting at the other «artisinal» fried chicken places around). The Japanese spicy mayo that came with the fries enhanced the flavor of the meal. Can’t wait to return to try more sandwiches and frites.