Bar Bolinas

"We’ve always believed that if a restaurant can’t be great at everything, it will be most valuable if it can figure out how to be really good at one thing. Sort of like a Silicon Valley start up, but with an actual business model. Bar Bolinas’ one thing is eating a burger outside. This Clinton Hill restaurant from the team behind Allswell does that very well. The burger here is a unique creation, mostly in that it’s served on Dutch Crunch bread, which has a sweet crust on the outside of the otherwise soft bun. It’s a very interesting, very good hamburger, and it comes with very good fries. It can be consumed anywhere in this small Myrtle Avenue restaurant, but it is best consumed on Bar Bolinas’ excellent patio, ideally for lunch when things are less crowded than they can be at night. That’s not to say that there aren’t other good things to eat at Bar Bolinas. It’s a solid neighborhood restaurant with nice people, good drinks, and occasionally excellent desserts. But lots of places have those things. Nobody else has this burger and that patio. Get it in your portfolio. Food Rundown Cheeseburger A tasty burger with a big fat patty, some cheese, a big pickled onion, and the aforementioned Dutch Crunch bread for interesting texture and a bit of sweetness. Oysters Start with a dozen, finish with a burger, repeat. Green Chile Coconut Soup The soups at Bar Bolinas are always interesting, and this one is made up of liquified green chiles and coconut and hopefully a little Pepto. Tagliarini with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Ricotta Salata A nice, light pasta that we’d come eat once in a while if we lived nearby. Don’t feel the need to travel for it. Summer Fruit Crumble With Fennel Custard Dessert options at Bar Bolinas are few but generally worth it. This fruit crumble is basically what you’d expect it to be, except for the fennel custard which...tastes like fennel." - Chris Stang

"Bar Bolinas is very good for exactly one thing: eating a burger outside. The ivy-covered back patio is the ideal place to get involved with the thick burger on Dutch Crunch that they serve here." - katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg

"Has everything you’d want in a neighborhood spot: good energy, ample seating, and an eccentric but considered menu to accommodate a range of appetites. The spicy fried chicken sandwich and a grain bowl with green stuff are highlights. The Teen Angel, a bourbon cocktail topped off with pamplemousse rose, is a must-try drink." - Stefanie Tuder

"Allswell owners Sophie Kamin and Nate Smith are both Golden State natives, and Bar Bolinas is their ode to Northern California. A number of dishes lean Mexican, with many seafood and vegetarian options throughout, like a greens and grains bowl or grilled shrimp tacos. The brunch menu includes classics like eggs benedict as well as surprises like a fried oyster sandwich." - Alexandra Ilyashov

Order the nachos (that somehow feel...healthy-ish? health-adjacent?) and the excellent burger, too.