The Cardinal

Not surprised this restaurant died. This was faux authentic Southern American BBQ joint for people who have no clue about real Southern cuisine. They condescended to say that they were putting out ‘North Carolina inspired’ Southern soul food but I doubt that any real North Carolinians would actually go to place like that. Unlike in the real Southern joints they were aping, the food was more of a Yankee fusion with too small portions that were way overpriced served by feckless skinny Holier than thou Hipster/​Model types in an uninviting setting with a décor and vibe not dissimilar to any of the other crappy Yuppiecentric bistroesque restaurants popping up all over downtown. It was pretentious and irritating and devoid of personality… Completely unlike a genuine Southern BBQ/​Soul Food joint down below the Mason Dixon. Glad to see it died. You aren’t missing anything.

Went here out of options for Brunch. The place is really nice, until you go down into the basement. Dirty and smelly feels like a garage. I had boiling water dripping from the pipes directly on my head, plate and clothes.
Ordered a hamburger, which arrived cold, but the bread and condiments where even colder as if out of a fridge, same for the fries. I swear first ever cooked burger at home had definitely a better look and taste.
Asked for eggs on the side, literally got a side plate with two eggs and nothing else. No condiment no care in presentation.
Only plus the unlimited mimosa, but… hey who doesn’t give those out.

Quite possibly the worst service I’ve ever experienced.
–The manager was cocky and rude
–Half our table received food while others had to wait nearly 20 minutes to get theirs
–Half the orders were wrong
–Warm coffee, served cold
— The food took over 90 minutes to come.
stay away.

I came here for brunch last weekend and was disappointed.
The food was just ok. But it was made worse by how cold it was in the restaurant. We sat downstairs and I saw at least half a dozen people eating with their coats on. That’s not normal. Also, the place reaked of gas– we were told there was a gas leak next door. Needless to say we didn’t smell yummy fried chicken and bacon, all we smelled was gas. There was also only 1 waiter for the whole place. He did as good a job as he could, but service was slow.
I probably won’t go back.

Went here for brunch with a big group. They had a great deal of $ 5 + entrée for unlimited mimosas. The booze was def flowing the entire time. I order the chicken and biscuit and it was delicious. Highly recommend that.
Though the service is really really really slow. Came here a second time and they were out of everything. It was a bummer.
Fyi cash only.

Absolutely delicious. Ordered the Choad in a Hole: challah bread, a fried egg in the center, bacon and a kale salad. I thought I died and went to heaven. But, of course I was revived when noon came around and I could have my bottomless mimosas (only $ 5). A perfect southern style breakfast in Alphabet City!
Note: It’s cash only

The place is nothing great. A bit dusty, actually. My friend developed an allergy attack.
Service, provided by Alex, at first was quite attentive, but as the night got busier, the service got slower. More on that later.
The food was memorable only for very salty fried chicken, cold ribs and very dry brisket. Sides and apps were just ok. Drinks were generic. Desserts (both options… of only 2 options) were bad.
After dinner, took us about 30 minutes to flag down a waiter (only 2: Alex and a young woman – from now on, «the girl»). Finally the check arrived. We pulled out our cards (since Unilocal,the site where we made reservations, and the receipt we had just received!!! al said CC were accepted). The girl gave a us an: «Oh, we DON’T accept CC!». When I mentioned that Unilocal said so, her reply was: «I don’t write the website. You can talk to the owner if you want.» with quite a lot of attitude. Since 5 people in our party of 6 would’ve had to go out and find an ATM, I was very upset. When I tried to talk to the owner, he was condescending and disrespectful, and clearly has NO CLUE was customer service means. Meanwhile the girl gave us an obscene amount of attitude from the second I complained about the disconnect between their advertised CC policy and the reality. Needless to say, we had to shlep in the cold night to the ATM to get cash. Alex remained nice an apologetic and is the only, albeit not sufficiently so, redeeming quality this place has.
Overall, bad food, deficient service, horrible management, and a very unsavory end to an evening that was otherwise lovely thanks to great company.
DO NOT GO THERE. THERE ARE AT LEAST 4900 BETTER OPTIONS ON THIS ISLAND!

I liked this place the second time around. Though, to be honest, there were some of the same issues the second time as I hated the first. As several others have mentioned, the service here is… spotty, at best. We moved a couple people out of the way and sat at the bar, which I dont think people «Do» but we did and it was smart, if we do say so ourselves.
The brunch options are not many but each of the items we ordered were tasty. I got the sausage and eggs, which came with a side of grits, which were a hit. We also got the unlimited mimosas for $ 5. That was cool and they did keep them coming. Cant complain about that.
A decent neighborhood spot.

Came here because we got the Gilt City coupon, which let us order two entrees and two sides. We ended up getting the fried chicken and the fried pork chop entrees, and four sides: mac and cheese, fried okra, collard greens, and mashed potatoes.
The food itself was okay. The pork chop plate came on top of a bed of mashed potatoes, and was covered in gravy that had a huge undertone of coffee to it — not a fan. Imo, the fried chicken and the mashed potatoes were the best items off the menu that we got. The fried chicken itself is breaded in a pretty thin layer, so it doesn’t taste overly fried, and the mashed potatoes were just. really good, haha. The fried okra came with a garlic-​y sauce that was good (I dipped the biscuit in it as well, and it tasted better too). The mac and cheese just tasted weird. and kinda sour? to me.
The service was pretty good! There weren’t that many people when we went (Tuesday night), so the waiter was pretty attentive and helpful.
As for the environment of the restaurant, it’s pretty small, with an upstairs and a downstairs area. The tables for two people are really small, so it was hard to fit everything onto one table.
Overall, a little too fried for my taste.

Came here because it was one of the few places that I found serving black eyed peas near my apartment. My husband wanted them with some greens to celebrate the new year. We walked in to a cozy little place, fairly empty and playing Wu Tang. The fried chicken was excellent, I think he had some plate envy, as he is cautious about fried chicken in NY, but he stole some of mine. He stated it was the best he has had outside of Texas. Biscuits were solid, as were the collard greens. The catfish was fine, but nothing special. Prices are NYC, but you get a large amount of food for it.
The only downside was that it took a while for the food to come, but I think the chicken was worth it.

I really want to like this place.
Ordered the fried chicken for delivery, which I rarely ever eat, and really enjoyed it.
Went to brunch there today and the service was so amazingly slow our coffee came at the same time as our food. And there were only 3 other tables.
The French toast was cold, burnt on the bottom, and the fresh fruit was cranberries. Cranberries are bogberry and should never be called fresh. The bacon was the best part but costs $ 2 per piece. Just wasn’t satisfied. I’ll try one more time, but at the moment, it scores a solid meh.

Came here for a casual brunch and got the Fried Chicken with Biscuits and Sausage Gravy. Apparently that’s the item to get and I thought it was a solid brunch dish for when you are wearing your loose pants and want to splurge (calorie-​wise). Pricing is not bad either and all but one brunch item was $ 16 and below. This spot is definitely flavors over presentation, so if you’re looking to Instagram anything you’re at the wrong place. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, so no qualms with my actual food.
But I am taking a star off for their coffee, which was not strong at all, and another star off because it was FREEZING where we were sitting. I think downstairs might be a bit better, however we were on the upper level where the entrance is and I felt a cold gust of wind whenever someone opened the doors.
I hear this place has $ 5 brunch cocktails, so perhaps if you are happily buzzed on that (which I wasn’t) you won’t mind the cold so much. I will come back if I’m in the area, but probably won’t make this a destination brunch spot.

The fried chicken and biscuits were bombtastic! I came for a friend’s birthday brunch and we basically took up most of the first floor. We also had unlimited mimosas and I think it was only $ 5 per person. They brought it out in pitchers and were very attentive in refilling it.
I thought the service was good, and the fried chicken was really good. I thought the gravy was thick but not overpowering. I didn’t have any BBQ though and I think most of the other reviewers weren’t too keen on that. Some of the people got the burger and everyone said that was good as well. I think it’s a solid boozy brunch place!

Braved this little gem of a place last night with some girlfriends — even after having read some of the less than stellar reviews— and I have to say I was impressed.
Yes, it’s tiny… like studio apartment tiny. And Yes, it’s a little disorganized: the bar was missing some of the basics & checking in for our reservation was slightly awkward. Oh and Yes, a lot of info about them is inaccurate. For example, THEY ARE INDEED CASH ONLY. Yup, even with a «CC Accepted Here» sticker on the door…
BUT! The food def held up its end of the bargain, and then some. We used a Gilt City voucher for the Fried Chicken dinner for 4, which came with a massive plate of perfectly crispy fried chix piled to the ceiling atop what was quite possibly the BEST biscuits I’ve ever had in New York City; a delish crisp kale salad with radishes/​cornbread croutons/​shaved manchego-​y cheese; four sides to share (we chose: baked Mac & cheese, black eyed peas, collard greens w. Pork, mashed candied yams); and wine that was nonexistent (so we got cocktails instead). Without the voucher it was $ 116 total. Not bad if you ask me!!!
We ate til we were stuffed. And still had leftovers to take home! Hats off to the talented kitchen crew. They (not literally) put their foot in it last night. Kudos also to the two-​man wait staff who were awesome & attentive.
After last night, The Cardinal absolutely has my Vote! Take that haters.

This litte place has great fried chicken and drinks, but the downfall is that it is pretty expensive for the plate for what you get. The sides were really really good. The mac and cheese I couldn’t stop eating and the collard greens my friend devored. I don’t think I will be back though because the meal just wasn’t worth it for $ 100+ for 3 people for only 2 plates of fried chicken, a burger, and a few drinks.
Also, they only take cash :(

** Note: I would have given the food here 5 stars because it was delicious however the service was so terrible — I could not give an overall rating of more than 2 stars (and that’s being generous).
I’ve had Cardinal on my bucket list for months now, so was excited when I saw on Gilt City a brunch deal here for two: 2 side dishes, 2 brunch entrees & 4 bloody Mary’s or mimosas per person, totaling $ 54. Sounded like a bargain.
We arrived yesterday & were seated upstairs right away. The restaurant wasn’t crowded at all for a 2pm on a Saturday afternoon & there was NO one waiting outside to be seated, but apparently they were «swamped» due to the large party seated downstairs — or at least that’s what our server Alex said. Perhaps this restaurant just gets easily overwhelmed on a typical Saturday, so they should really look into fixing something here.
We ordered our 2 side dishes (home fries & eggs) and our 2 entrees, specifically telling Alex that we were sharing the 2 entrees, and wanted to start off FIRST with the fried chicken & biscuit, and LATER have our 2^nd course act as our dessert since we were getting the challah French toast.
Me & my girl friend were chatting away and hadn’t paid much attention to the time, until we realized that tables all around us that arrived WAY after us were already eating there food. It was now almost 3pm!!! It doesn’t take an hour to fry chicken. Alex was hard to find & when we did grab his attention, he didnt even flinch at the fact that we didnt have our food yet — as though he didnt think it was abnormal to wait an hour. His poor attempt to apologize was actually just him blaming the large party downstairs for getting the attention of the kitchen. Ask me if I care!!! What actually happened: he had forgotten to put in our order… Realized this once we mentioned it to him and he ran to the computer to try and fix it. Hunger pains was an understatement at this point.
We finally got our food, and as we expected: it all came out at once (exactly what we had asked NOT to do). Alex didnt even remember what our original order was to have the chicken come out first & later the French toast and he wasn’t the one to even deliver the food to us. One of the other waitresses whom was sweet & apologetic — offered to take back the French toast & keep it in kitchen until we were ready for it, but what’s the use if it’s going to just sit there & get cold anyway?! Grrrr…
The manager came over & attempted to make things right by apologizing for the delay & offering to comp the meal on the house & that he will only charge us for the drinks. I told him that it would have been a kind gesture had we not already given the Gilt City coupon upon arrival & that our meal had actually already been paid for in advance. He looked at me with a blank stare and sort of shrugged and walked away, as though there was nothing he could do at that point. Ummm… He could have given us BACK the coupon at that point and told us to return again a different day. But he didnt. So what offering did that do anyway?!
It is unfortunate that the service here is so terrible, because I would have definitely returned for the food. The fried chicken & biscuit was very tasty and a good sized portion for $ 16 value; the eggs side & te home fries were very good too, and the challah French toast was very well made & came with some fruit sprinkled atop. However I most likely will not return due to my lousy experience and very little that was done to make up for it by the manager.
The straw that broke the camel’s back: Alex had the audacity to circle the total bill amount which had been paid for already of $ 54, (since we still had to pay tax & tip) and write it in pen: «$ 80 value … thank you»… I think we understood what the total value WOULD have been but I think we knew at that point what tip total he really deserved… We’re no dummies: no need to write in what the value was. This left an ultra sour taste in our mouths as we walked out. Still annoyed …

Last night a friend and I dropped by for dinner, and it was delicious!
We took advantage of their 2 – 1 happy hour beers, which paired well with the pimento cheese appetizer that was to come. I hadn’t had pimiento cheese in years, and not only did it bring back good memories, but it was also delectable.
As entrees she ordered the pulled pork sandwich, and I ordered the kale and watermelon radish caesar salad. Originally, I wanted to order the fried oysters, but upon ordering, was informed that they were out of them. The salad was fresh and went well with the pimento cheese though, so I was satisfied with my selection.
With limited seating and a limited menu, I suggest going at off-​peak times for the best service. Based on what I have read in other reviews and what my friend has said, they are often out of items and, if it gets too crowded, the service is spotty. And I could definitely see that in my experience last night; we had to be proactive with ordering, and only by doing that and being friendly did we have a pleasant experience.
Nevertheless, I chose to give The Cardinal 4 stars because of the high quality of the food, as well as the reasonable prices. And if you go into your experience with adjusted expectations regarding the service, I think that you will be a fan, too!

I made a reservation the day of for Sunday night for 7 people and was able to get right in. Unfortunately, that was probably the highlight of my overall experience with The Cardinal. When we arrived, the windows and doors were open and it was 80 degrees and humid – inside and out! We requested to sit downstairs where the AC was pumping (we were the only table in the whole place) but they wouldn’t let us. So right off the bat we were extermely uncomfortable.
The service was inattentive and slow, and to make matters worse, our $ 8 Ommegangs (in bottles!) were not even cold – awful! I thought most of the side dishes were bland (we had the mac and cheese, pickles beets, fried okra, salad, mashed potatoes, greens, and beans – I would only order the okra and pickles again). The fried chicken, like other reviews have noted, was really juicy and perfected cooked/​seasoned, but it wasn’t enough to pull this place up to 3 stars.
If this was properly managed and served COLD beer, it could be actually be a pleasant dining establishment.

Came in as soon as they opened (11am on Sat) to beat the brunch crowd and get my chicken fix.
Spot right at the bar (under a blasting heater albeit) and quick service to get my order. Got the fried chicken and biscuit ($ 16) and a can of beer ($ 7). Steep on the price, but kind of knew that going in.
The chicken was crunchy and hot, but not as meaty as I hoped. Biscuit was flavorful and buttery. All of it was doused in a gallon of gravy however. The gravy wasn’t bad, but it overpowered the meal. I did finish everything.
Decent meal, but not at that price. Might go back if someone else really wanted to.

No frills barbecue, most likely run by hipsters. Only grass-​fed, heritage, free-​range stuff here, which I do somewhat appreciate. However, I’m more appreciative of most everything being homemade, especially the pickles. There’s also a very random beer selection, but most beers that they did have were quality and delicious.
We got the Gilt City (or Livingsocial?) deal for the discount on the President’s platter and it was delicious. Basically it’s a huge tray of brisket, ribs, and chicken along with 4 sides and a pitcher of Radegast. The 4 of us stuffed ourselves silly, and still had a ton left to take home. I will say the mac and cheese was good, but a little mushy for my taste, and the rolls looked like they were taken out of the package. Everything else, though was great, and the meats were just the right texture and fattiness.
We got seated in the lower level, which wasn’t too bad, except the waitress definitely forgot about us for awhile. I do expect to get at least some water refills when I’m gorging on barbecue. C’mon son.
Food is pretty good, ambiance is so-​so, beers are pretty standard. Come here if you don’t want to wait for good barbecue and don’t care about the plain décor.