Little Cheese Pub

My mom was in the city for the weekend, and knowing that she loves all that is cheesy — jokes, awkward smiles from ugly children and kindergarten macaroni projects turned into dinner — I wanted to take her to a hip cheese joint. However, lacking the enzyme to digest dairy has always been an obstacle for me. Luckily there was Duane Reade Lactaid stockpile nearby.
After gaining super human Lactaid powers, we ventured forth. At first, we were a little disappointed because the lunch menu was limited, and the dining portion of the restaurant was roped off. Yet, never fear Captain Gruyère — I ordered the Cheese Monger grilled cheese and she ordered the Swiss mac and cheese. My sandwich was good, but holy Queso Mary, her mac and cheese was amazing!
There is no doubt that I would visit again for a lactaid-​fueled night of cheesy debauchery!

Not bad. Not the cheese selection I hoped. Service very good, however. Cute spot

OK, back up to a 3-​star «A-​OK,» but I’m thinking this will be my last update here for a while.
I went for another of my quiet, only-​person-​in-​the-​restaurant lunches here.
Got a hot coffee, which was actually remarkably good and flavorful, and a refill.
To eat, I had the sausage platter. The sausage was delicious, but when you hear «platter» you generally think of a less petite dish. The plate came with one sausage (a juicy, tasty, great-​quality sausage), one thin slice of grilled toast, a small portion of sauerkraut, a tablespoon of apple mustard (very good), a tablespoon of potato salad, and a tablespoon-​sized mini-​cup of pickled carrots. I’m not exaggerating. It was really a tablespoon, no more, of potato salad. I’m not sure why. Potatoes are really, really cheap! Why not give a big heaping scoop?
Still, if you’re in the mood for a light lunch, everything was tasty.

I went to the Little Cheese Pub thinking (and hoping) I’d learn SOMETHING about cheese. I wasn’t exactly disappointed, but I wasn’t thrilled.
I don’t know much about cheese, I wouldn’t ordinarily order a cheese plate, so I went filled with excitement about ordering a cheese plate. We chose a few that sounded delicious, and after asking the server for a few other suggestions, I realized he knew probably as little as I did. He knew about the types, but couldn’t really describe them. That’s like a server at a wine bar saying «oh you like whites? get a pino. but i don’t know the difference between the pinos. sorry.»
The décor is cute — hanging, swiveling stools, straw cow heads on the walls and old-​style wooden tables.
The menu is an interesting combination of Little Cheese Pub menu and the Brats Dogs menu (recently closed — same owners). If you like cheese, sausages, dips — you’ll certainly find something you like.
Not bad, not great. I’d go back for happy hour! $ 4 beers & house wine.

I am probably just making junk up, but the atmosphere at Little Cheese Pub reminds me of a Prohibition-​era saloon with its long dark wooden tables and stools, brick walls, and laid-​back vibe. Of course, the visible case of chilled wines on tap breaks the Prohibition feel, in the best possible way.
I ordered the La Pampa Mac and Cheese, made with machego and spinach. You can order any of the macs and cheese in one, two, or three person sizes. My one person serving came in an adorable mini cast iron skillet, piping hot. Let’s just say I hope nobody was watching me wolf it down. I don’t expect I looked too dignified or elegant.
As I mentioned, the wine by the glasses is served from a «draft» bar. The wine list seemed really interesting and varied, and I am always impressed when the bottles are kept in a temperature-​controlled environment. Beers were mainly cans or bottles, with just a handful of draft choices. While I like a larger draft beer selection, I thought they had plenty of good bottled choices. Beer prices were a bit high but not out of range for NYC ($ 7+).
Would I go back? Hell yeah, with my eating pants on. There’s a whole case of cheese I didn’t get to try yet!

Well, it was little and there was cheese, so I suppose no false advertising there. Still, I did leave feeling uninspired. The establishment itself is quaint, but not very warm. The food was just ok. We split everything, and to be honest there was only one thing that I actually enjoyed (one and a half if you count the brie):
Port Wine and Blue Cheese Dip — Any semblance of port wine was totally eclipsed by the pungent blue cheese. Pass
Spanish Olive and Chickpea Dip– Was surprised to actually like this.
Pâté Crostini — WAAAAYYYY too salty. Pass
Pig Lardo Buns — Almost exactly the same as the Pâté Crostini (which the waiter neglected to mention), except it had pork on top (but the pork was yummy)
Chef’s Selection of Cheese — Like I said, the brie, in my opinion, was the only one that was edible. Granted, it’s not like there wasn’t a description provided of each cheese, so I will assume culpability for that.
However, as a cheese pub, I would expect more substantial accompaniments then just pickled apple pieces to go with my cheese (maybe some honey, relish, etc.)
Disappointing, but no doubt I will find my cheese haven … one day …

Cheese + Beer = :)
I took my friend here for a celebratory job quitting dinner and we had a great meal. We started with the green dip (awesome) and port and blue spread (awesomer). I didn’t think it was possible to pack that much flavor into a grayish paste, but the combination of blue cheese, honey, and port wine was to die for.
Next we had the grilled cheese (good but average) and sampled some mac and cheese. It was rustic and hearty and comforting and perfect even on a warm spring night. The only questionable part of the meal was the bee-​nut butter bar dessert we shared. The peanut butter honey bar bordered on power bar texture, but we still ate the whole thing.
And guys… if you’re looking to pick up chicks this is a great place to hang out. The other night the place was packed with only 95% women.

I started coming to this pub back when it was BYOB and since then they have acquired their liquor licence and have some truly fantastic beers available.
Definitely one of my favorite places to go with my wonderful wife for a «date night.» Perfect lighting (for romance) — but even more perfect… Mac N’ Cheese (still… for romance)! Yes, I’m a fatty. I love their food. We always start out with some snacks — some tapanade, blue cheese dip, etc. We’ll split a Mac N’ Cheese and maybe one of the small grilled cheese sandwiches (they also come with a pickle that they do in-​house) and definitely a cheese plate.
We always leave extremely giddy and full of cheese and we visit them quite a bit. Highly recommended.

Cute place to grab a quick bite & beer, but wasn’t that impressed with the cheese.
For a place that specializes in cheese, I’d expect the grilled cheese to be BOMB. I could probably make a better grilled cheese at home! We also got the Italian cheese plate & the parmesan mac & cheese. Go to Eataly for a better cheese plate, but the mac & cheese was pretty good (put crispy fried onions on anything & it’s good)
Curious to see their brunch because i LOVE baked eggs… so overall review of the restaurant is still TBD.

I went here for dinner and a drink. It’s quite small inside, but very cozy and cute. The waiter was nice enough, but he said that he normally worked next door, so he was not incredibly knowledgeable when we asked for recommendations. All in all, it was a good meal, albeit a little overpriced.
I ordered a glass of Sangria, which was fine. Not bad, but certainly not the best I’ve ever had. My date had a beer they had on tap, not really sure which one.
We had the roasted chestnuts, which were really smoky, and took a bit to get used to, but when I did, I found them to be quite tasty. The mushrooms turned out to be picked slightly (or soaked in some sort of vinegar) so I didn’t touch them.
The cheese assortment we ordered was quite plentiful, although I would have liked to have some crackers, not just bread.
We also order the Dutch Kaas Mac, which was the highlight of the meal. Really tasty and rich, but not too rich.
All in all, I’d like to come back, but I’m not sure that I can justify the $ 60 price tag for a meal that was good, but not excellent and service that was fine, but not exceptional.
The place itself is adorable though. I might come back for the ambiance.

This place is good and will probably get a lot better over time.
I love cheese! So this place seemed perfect. The actual physical space is small and I really liked it (although I could have done without the mirrors on the wall… I hate seeing myself eat).
Their beer selection is top notch and they are very helpful in giving you advise, and will even let you try the beers before ordering.
The food is generally good. I did not care too much for the chickpea dip, nor for the tomato dip, however, the toast that these came with was good.
We got the Parmesan based fondue which we enjoyed. The barnyard macaroni and cheese was really good.
Again, I think this place will get a lot better in the future, and is probably worth trying now while its not as packed as it can be.

True fact: Groupons trumps freezing rain!
One day in NYC’s unseasonably degenerate March, I undertook an expedition to seek out Little Cheese Pub and redeem my Groupon, straining in what felt like 5 miles of performing the nordic-​trak action across 23^rd street. I skiied into the blessedly warm pub, and since it wasn’t very crowded on account of the crap weather, I nestled my bottom onto one of the swiveling stools at one of the large tables. I admit that at first I was concerned that the little stool would not be able to stand the awesome mass that is Fats, but this worry was for naught. The stools not only withstood my weight, they also held El Queso Grande. We did have a worrisome moment when out overhead lights went out, but within a few heartbeats, our cheese genius waitress had the lights back on, the better to study the fun menu.
True to form, we were tempted by most of the menu. It took a few minutes to tame our avarice, but with our helpful waitress’ input, we picked a few choice items:
1. Green Dip (3 items for $ 11) — Stir-​fried spinach and edamame blended beautifully to create a very creamy and smooth dip. Whilst it was wonderful on the long garlic toasts, it was even better on the softer, smaller bread pieces that accompanied our cheese plate
2. Cayennized Pecans (3 items for $ 11) — If you get these maple caramelized pecans within 5 ft of a nut-​lover (like El Queso Grande), you should be prepared to fight to the death to keep a few of them for yourself… in other words, they were pretty amazing! I just wish we got a slightly larger portion!
3. Port Wine & Blue Cheese Dip (3 items for $ 11) — Featuring subtle hints of honey and melon, this dip was good but paled in comparison to our other items. On the other hand, I don’t generally favor stinky cheeses, so take that into account
4. Barnyard Mac ($ 13) — With mozzarella from NJ, preserved truffle and cracker topping, I was quite excited to try this mac & cheese. When it arrived, it was absolutely covered with a layer of the preserved truffle, and I was very excited. Unfortunately, the truffle had very little truffle flavor, so it did not contribute much to the dish. However, the delicious cheese and perfectly firm homemade pasta made up for the flavorless truffle
5. Cheese Plate (3 for $ 13) — Since El Queso Grande loves cheese (perhaps even more than nuts), he was in charge of selecting cheeses. He was set on two, and our very knowledgeable waitress steered him towards a great third option. The plate was good with plenty of bread and an amazing little ramekin of sweet dijon diced apples. The flavor was unusual and quite extraordinary
6. Cheesecake ($ 7) — We expected great things from the cheesecake at a place called Little Cheese Pub, and it was good, but far from mind-​blowing. I did not like the crust
7. Drinks — I really enjoyed that most of the wines were available in reasonably priced 3 oz. (taste) sizes. It was a great opportunity to try new wines with low investment
PARTING THOUGHT: We had an good overall experience at Little Cheese Pub with great service. I do hope to go back to try more varieties of mac & cheese

If you don’t like cheese, there’s a very strong possibility I don’t like you.
It’s gooey, creamy, tasty, delicious, and awesome. And thank the sweet cheesy lord above that the people at Little Cheese Pub understand this. And then, thank your lucky stars that they try to make everyone appreciate cheese as much as they obviously do.
We only sampled three things, and two of them were mac & cheese. Honestly, I’m not sure you need anything other than those. With homemade pasta from sister location Brasserie Klee and gooey cheesy bechamel-​y awesomeness, the crust-​forming toppings and inclusions (salty black truffles? crushed beer-​infused pretzel crumbs?) are the decadent ribbon on the perfect cheese-​gift.
I’m a boring purist by heart, so I get very persnickety when people try to change what I consider classics. LCP’s mac & cheese doesn’t do that. The dishes are effortlessly simple and yet do a complex dance on your tastebuds. I wasn’t blown away by the grilled cheese — my friend stated that she could do with a bit more of the Vermont cheddar, and she was absolutely right — but the poppy-​seed bread was panini-​grilled to perfection, and the accompanying pickle was surprisingly refreshing.
The beer selection is insane — mostly bottled, but the range is enormous, and the descriptions really help you pair the right brew with your meal. Check out the Web site; they mention how cheese is naturally better-​suited to beer than wine, as it keeps consistent with the food dynamic: cows make cheese; cows eat grass; grass is grain; beer is grain; ergo: cheese and beer = logic.
It’s a logic that works, effortlessly. The whole operation seems fluid and laidback, from the waitstaff to the simple, unadorned meals, to the giant hands-​free bathroom. Everything felt relaxed and leisurely … and do you really want to be rushed when you’re attempting to eat your body weight in dairy?
PS — those Trappist monks sure know how to make a kickass beer.

Imagine this as a first date: You are in a beautiful, cozy, rustic-​style room, gazing across the wooden table through the soft lighting at your potential future lover, with bleu cheese crumbles spilling from your mouth. Ok, maybe the last part is a bit ridiculous, but the rest of it makes for a pretty good date spot.
I myself came with a group, which luckily they were able to accommodate. There are 2 or 3 long tables in the room that seats up to 10 people (I think). The remaining few tables are pretty much for groups of 2, 3, or 4.
I ordered the pâté toast to start, and it was really rich, but pretty tasty. I ordered this with my boyfriend because we are both cheese addicts and figured splitting the plate of 5 cheeses would not be enough for our gluttonous needs.
We were wrong. The cheese itself was rich and filling, and we had cheese leftover. Next time, I’ll skip the appetizer.
It’s easier to order by number, and I’ll say this: Order number 50 if you like a sharp cheddar. It’s an Austrian cow’s milk cheese aged for almost two years. It was amazing. That’s pretty much all I remember, aside from a pecorinio that we tried (that was just a bit too waxy for my taste) and the first of the two bleu cheese choices under their favorite picks on the menu. The bleu cheese was really intense. I can’t imagine what the second bleu cheese tastes like, because apparently it’s even stronger. It was good, but way too strong and we couldn’t finish it.
The service wasn’t at all stuffy, like you’d think you’d get in a specialty cheese restaurant. In fact, the server almost seemed a bit uncomfortable recommending cheeses, which seemed odd to me. If I worked at a cheese place, I’d be so excited to be surrounded by cheese that I’d probably encourage people to try everything (that is, when I wasn’t busy stuffing my own face with cheese… did I mention I love cheese?)
In addition, +1,000 points for beer selection. They have a fantastically large menu.

brunch
loved the vibe
loved the décor
nice folks
having said that…
orange juice: tropicana.
no juicer?
coffee: eh.
no half n half, just milk.
coffee gets that weird weak color and thin consistency and taste. coffee needs to be killer and needs cream. c’mon, this is breakfast. 90% of brunch is coffee.
cutting corners in the wrong places. trade in those dish towel napkins and maybe squeeze some oranges instead.
daily special: mac n cheese w/​baked eggs over shell pasta. nice idea. couldn’t wait.
having said that…
with fresh squeezed juice and ace coffee, the main dish is really just a formality. whether it’s great or just decent, you still feel like a king. which is important with the rest of the day looming. you wake up feeling like a plebe, like a martian, and new york will grind you down before lunch.
and so the weight of pedestrianism becomes a burden.
the meal was tasty, heavy as all heck, like it should be. the cheese had good power, shells had nice chewiness, flavor all over the place, plenty to eat. thick, gooey, heavy food, great hangover food. actually, great college food. pot bellied young buck beer drinker next morning paradise food. i am none of those.
but couldn’t help noticing how small the eggs were. i’m so used to the dutch amish farmers’ routine jumbos, i forgot there were other sizes, and the notion seemed silly: why trade in small eggs? is it less work for the chicken?
and the frying pan serving dish. waverly diner has had a patent on that for 20 years, and it’s getting pretty tiresome there. so it’s a bit stale or maybe pretentious to engage in second-​hand cuteness. serving dish plagiarism is uncouth, and why would someone choose to eat out of a pan anyway when they go out, since they can do that all the time at home. i suppose out-​of-​towners, jerseyites, connecticutters and sitcom fans may get a rise out of it given the dearth of creativity in their cultures. but it seemed the restaurant equivalent of putting a lampshade over your head. i really would have liked a nice ceramic plate. even white is ok. a pattern might be better. round is ok. advanced geometry would be better. trapezoid would rock at brunch. maybe something with intelligent design (heh heh). call me elite. call me effete. call me victorian.
oh, you already do?

Delicious, rich food, and mac n cheese to die for. (Vegans, forget it!)
The space is cute and very intimate; we had no trouble getting a table for two on Saturday at 8pm.
The food is quite good, but very rich: we started with three dips (Green, port wine and blue cheese, red wine and cranberry beans) that we very good but I think we got too much of them, if that’s possible. They need to be cut with some vegetables or something lighter than toasts.
The mac n cheeses we got were amazing. The Dutch Kaas was topped with some amazing breading; the inside was creamy and mild. The French Man mac, minus the duck meatballs, was incredibly rich and cheesy and oozing with goodness.
We had no room for dessert!

I absolutely love cheese, and this place didn’t disappoint. They have six different kinds of mac and cheese, and plenty of other cheese options as well. The place is really casual (there was a family with some little kids sitting next to us).
Liquor license is pending, so be sure to BYOB!

Two words for you… CHEESE COMA.
Dinner this week at The Little Cheese Pub was beyond delicious. This new addition to Chelsea is a darling meets hipster style restaurant lightly appointed with rustic farmhouse touches and bar top tables. Our server, Tim, was the perfect host as we nibbled gorged on the extensive menu of cheeses, grilled cheese toasts, soups, mac & cheeses as well as veggie dips.
Highlights of the night included… the Port Wine & Blue Cheese Dip with melon and clover honey; the Cheese Monger Grilled Cheese; and at the brilliant recommendation of Tim, the Barnyard Mac with mozzarella boccocino
preserved black truffle & rye bread topping (…seriously, Tim, if you’re reading this I feel compelled to offer you my first unborn child for leading us to the Barnyard Mac).
Although they didn’t have their liquor license yet (wine and craft beer to come…) the staff was incredibly accommodating and allowed us to bring a bottle sans cork fee. Head over there asap and take advantage of such a rare BYOB opportunity — the rest of the meal is well priced and designed for sharing.

I’m no cheese whiz, but I do love me some dairy and I enjoyed my experience at the cheese pub.
I went with a group of friends after a movie;, one of the girls was a cheese expert, and ordered for us.
To an untrained palate, the cheeses were pretty good. One I didn’t love because it was too herby, but I think it’s just a matter of preference.
We also ordered some other appetizers — tapenade, pickled cauliflower, and spanish almonds. They were all decent, tapenade a little sour for my taste.
The cheeses come with bread, but I think there should be options for different types of bread and crackers, because some cheeses didn’t go well with the bread provided.
Ambiance was great– fun music, nice lighting, cool tables. Service was courteous and helpful.
We were pretty much the only ones in there, and it’s kind of a small place. Once the liquor license is approved, it might be a hard place to get a table for a big group. For now, it is good for going out with a group, and trying something different.
I definitely want to go back, before the place gets too popular.

I love cheese. Went here opening day to warm up with some gooey cheese. They are still pending their liquor license so for now it’s BYOB but their wine list looks pretty good.
We started of with the grilled cheese which was absolutely delicious, cheesy and buttery. I had the Swiss mac which I really liked, it had crunchy onions on top. My sister had the Dutch Kaas which she did not like that much, it didn’t have any cheese really and it was bland.
It was opening day, so they are obviously still working out some kinks but I look forward to returning when they serve wine and trying one of the other delish macs and a cheese plate.