Lunch Counter Series: Where to Eat When You’re East of Manhattan Ave

Some say the leisurely liquid-friendly Mad Men lunch is a thing of the past. However, as we’ve learned from our research on this Lunch Counter series (we gave you the update on the northern side of Greenpoint and the southern side of Greenpoint), restaurants in Greenpoint are providing all-day sustenance, with options for a quick lunch break or a more relaxed meal. So turn off that computer and trade your bytes for a bite at one of these spots off McGolrick Park listed after the jump.

Name: Lucky Luna Restaurant and Bar
Address: 167 Nassau Ave
Cuisine: Taiwanese/Mexican
Specific lunch dishes and offerings: One could use that passé F word – fusion – to describe Luck Luna, but I’d rather think of it as a reinterpretation of street food favorites that happen to originate on opposite sides of the globe, in Oaxaca and Taipei. They are only open for lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and during that time offer the full dinner menu (but with free Wi-Fi). Crowd favorites are the steamed buns, especially the duck confit bao (duck confit, scallions, chicarrones, hoisin mayo) and the tacos (veggie, carnitas, pork belly and kimchee, chicken and mole colorado or chorizo and potato). Fun fact: Lucky Luna hosts monthly artist salons where you can meet aspiring painters and poets who gather to share their arts and craft. While the event happens post-lunch, sometimes you can find the same scene during the day.
Drinks: Beer, wine, cocktails and mocktails. Happy hour from 12-7pm W, T, F and includes $8 cocktail specials, $7 shot-n-beer or $7 wines. Not included in the happy hour, but still available, is the ever-popular kimchee and nori bloody mary made with spicy bloody mary mix, vodka, house-made kimchee and nori (that’s edible seaweed). If you are feeling adventurous, they are always experimenting with new takes on this favorite brunch cocktail.
Lunch hours: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday starting at 12pm
Average price range of entrees: $5.50 – $10

Name: Pie Corps
Address: 77 Driggs Ave
Cuisine: Pie
Specific lunch dishes and offerings: Founders Cheryl Perry and Felipa Lopez are self-described “pie-oneers, trying to make life tastier, one bite at a time.” There’s a variety of ways to get a fill, so don’t feel crummy and instead get a pie to satisfy your sweet or savory craving. The menu is seasonal with daily tweaks, but catch spring specials like curry potato and pea, spinach and asiago, mushroom ragu, chocolate caramel ganache with chocolate sea salt crust, lemon basil custard or chocolate bourbon pecan. They also have pie pops, breakfast pie and even doggy treats made from the delicious pie bits that don’t make it into the owners’ offerings.
Drinks: Brooklyn Roasting Company coffee, house-made lemonade, freshly-squeeze orange juice or hot chocolate.
Lunch hours: 8AM – 8PM
Average price range of entrees: $5 pie by the slice, $4.25 for 4-inch mini pies or
$35 to $37.50 for 10-inch pies.

Name: Little Dokebi
Address: 85 Driggs Ave
Cuisine: Korean
Specific lunch dishes and offerings: As the name implies, Little Dokebi is the smaller version (both in space and menu) of its sister restaurant in Williamsburg. There are only seven tables inside, but you can snag seats at the bar or outside if weather permits. Try the KFC. No, they aren’t in cahoots with Colonel Sanders, here it stands for Korean Fried Chicken and comes in different varieties, including soy ginger, spicy or extra dokebi spicy. Another crowd pleaser is the BiBimBahp, a big bowl of rice, vegetables and chili sauce, topped with a fried egg and the protein your choosing (tofu, pork, tuna etc.). All of the dishes, kimchee, sides, sauces, and dressings are made from scratch onsite.
Drinks: Several varieties of sake, wine, beer and soju
Lunch hours: 12PM – 12AM
Average price range of entrees: $5 – $16

Name: Slick Willies
Address: 179 Meserole Ave
Cuisine: American
Specific lunch dishes and offerings: This place pays homage to Willie Sutton, the prolific bank robber. The décor follows suit with a modern Wild West saloon vibe and many of their staple dishes are named using heist humor. There’s the contraband burger (a brisket-short rib-sirloin blend stuffed with American/cheddar/gruyere blend and served on bun with pickles, red onion, butter lettuce & tomato) or the free bird double dipped cornflake chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato-onion relish and spicy mayo. There are also breakfast options for the early riser / latecomers.
Drinks: Coffee tea, full bar.
Lunch hours: 8AM – 4PM
Average price range of entrees: $6.50 – $13

Name: nhà minh
Address: 485 Morgan Ave
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Specific lunch dishes and offerings: This establishment is a unique blend of “Vietnamese restaurant meets coffee shop meets art show venue”. They showcase new art every 6-8 weeks and have an opening reception each time with the artist and drinks/food. The menu itself is small but nourishing. You can choose from “Big Bowls” with grains of the day and vegetables of the day and a variety of add ons such as fried eggs, smoked trout, beef bacon, smoked Vietnamese ham, among others. You can also get sandwiches made with herb focaccia bread, such as the Vietnamese (smoked Vietnamese ham, chicken liver pate, pickled carrots, daikon, herb spread, fancy mayo) or Seitan (asparagus seitan, caramelized red onions, pickled red cabbage, herb spread, avocado spread)..
Drinks: 7-8 different kinds of iced tea and specially tailored coffee roasted just for the shop
Lunch hours: Tuesday-Friday, 8AM – 8PM
Average price range of entrees: $5 – $7

Name: Dar525
Address: 168 Driggs Avenue
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Specific lunch dishes and offerings: This quaint “home of Mediterranean Cuisine” is the second location of the Williamsburg locale of the same name. Their lunch menu continues their mission of providing “ true Mediterranean food without ever leaving Brooklyn.” You can enjoy a variety of platters (falafel, veggie kebab, kafta kebab, chicken kebab, chicken gyro or merguez) with pita bread, green salad, rice, humus and babganouj for $8. They also offer a variety of individual 10’ pizzas (from their wood burning brick oven) for $8, egg specials for $10 or sandwiches (chicken shawarma, falafel, veggie kebab, kafta kebab, chicken kebab, chicken gyro or merguez). And while it’s not a special lunch deal, you can still get the much beloved pistachio pizza for $12– pistachio, onion, parmesan cheese, mozzarella and rosemary.
Drinks: Wine and beer, and they also offer coffee, tea, fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade, orange juice and ginjan organic ginger beer.
Lunch hours: 11AM – 3:30PM
Average price range of entrees: $5 – $10

Name: Brooklyn Standard
Address: 188 Nassau Ave
Cuisine: American
Specific lunch dishes and offerings: As the name implies, this place is a standard Brooklyn “bodega” but with a focus on organic, vegetarian and vegan options. So it’s perfect if you are having lunch with a carnivore or looking to stop meat-ing like this. The menu is large with a variety of salads from lettuce to fruit to pasta. Popular items include the avocado sandwich: half an avocado, sweet and spicy mango sauce, smoked red peppers, grilled red onion and lettuce, on a toasted whole wheat multigrain baguette or an organic egg sandwich on a roll, biscuit or croissant.
Drinks: Fresh juices, smoothies, milkshakes and Stumptown coffee
Lunch hours: 7AM – 11PM
Average price range of entrees: $1.50 – $8.00