Summary

French dips, let alone good ones, are pretty nonexistent in NYC. I’ve had a good one up in Upper West Side at Jacob’s Pickles, but other that I usually get my cravings by making my own. We just got out of watching the movie theater, and we were reasonably close to this new location. The chef used to work as an executive chef at 4 Charles Prime Rib in the East Village, and they picked a fantastic location on St. Marks between 1st/2nd Ave in the East Village.

The french dip sandwich came with shaved beef, horseradish on the side, gruyere, cherry peppers on a garlic bread, and served with au jus. This actually pretty good. The horseradish definitely doesn’t have a spicy kick to it, but it’s super subtle. It’s like eating light horseradish mixed with sour cream. The meat in the sandwich was actually pretty tender, and the sandwich itself is a decent size.

The buttermilk fried chicken came with fried chicken, coleslaw, cherry peppers, and mayo on brioche. I love fried chicken sandwiches in general, and I felt this one satisfied my hunger for it. The chicken itself was tender, moist, and hot. The flavors overall were a good combination in that you get a little of the sour/spicy from the cherry peppers and the coleslaw/mayo to counter. Eating this was a little messy, but it was definitely worth it.

I love these small sandwich shops around town that are new but try to bring back something a little different than your typical deli style bodega sandwiches. This is a small shop, so don’t expect to wait and dine here for a sophisticated meal.

Final Verdict

If you had to make one choice, I would definitely go with the french dip sandwich over the fried chicken sandwich. It’s good. Pair this french dip (or chicken sandwich) with a soda, and it’s a great delicious tasting cheat day.

Yelp Jabs

Though they seemed fresh out of the fryer, they’re the thicker kind without any crisp or snap to them.

You can probably ask them to do it “well done”, i.e. cook the fries a little longer. Some people prefer the fries to be on the soggy, and some prefer it to have that crispy edge. If you’re the type that has to have an opinion on something, it doesn’t hurt to ask.