El Greco Makes List Of NYC’s Best Diners


by on Feb 28th, 2013

Photo By Erica Sherman

Gothamist just released a list of its 10 favorite New York City diners and our very own El Greco (1821 Emmons Avenue) made the list. Although the list isn’t explicitly ranked, we’re going to assume that because El Greco appears at the bottom of the page, its #1! Why not?

Anyway, its cool that our local diner made such a highly competitive list considering there are probably a thousand diners scattered throughout the city.

Gothamist seemed most impressed by El Greco’s famously massive menu:

Everything from the menus to the portions to the layout of the restaurant is gigantic, and the prices ain’t exactly tiny either. It’s not a fancy place, but it’s no greasy spoon—El Greco serves a seemingly infinite variety of wraps, deli sandwiches, deluxe sandwiches (try the Fried Jumbo Shrimp sandwich), as well as the traditional diner fare, including a million salads, pastas, Mediterranean specialties and fresh seafood. Seriously, this menu is insane.

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  • Arthur Borko

    I was going to ask who they bribed to get on the list, then I saw the list was by Gothmaist and the answer was clear. The more you pay the higher on the list you go. Haha!

    Ok. So they judge the place based on the size of the menu? Wow. That’s….really great. How bout the quality of the food? The bigger the menu the smaller the quality.

    • ReadBetweenTheLines

      This is just a clever ploy to get hipsters/yuppies/etc. to come to Southern Brooklyn.

      From the article – “El Greco, you see, is perfectly situated for hungry cyclists headed back from Fort Tilden or the Rockaways.”

      How convenient!

      They even go on to include a link to a Google Map from Fort Tilden to El Greco.

      • nolastname

        Because the article was compiled from Gothamist I agree 100%.

      • guest

        Clearly you’re not a business owner in the area or you’d be glad to see people passing through and spending money. El Greco might be shit but don’t crap on people spending money in our area.

  • elaine louey

    Gothamist FAIL

  • AIG_Quant

    El Greco is fucking shit. Even Mirage Diner on Kings Hwy is way better.

    • BrooklynBus

      Just came back from Mirage. Pretty good. The only thing El Greco has going for it is the large menu. Oasis beats them all.

  • TheGallopingGourmet

    The name should be changed to “EL Dreco” cause that’s what most of their food tastes like!!!!

    • guest

      I think you’re already missing the much better nickname it has “El Greaso”

    • jim beam

      The nickname is actually “El Greaso” for a very long time.

  • Metsknicks

    I agree with everything that’s been previously said about El Greco. Let’s also not forget that they were closed at least once or twice by the Board of Health. I have to believe that the only people who eat there are non-residents of the bay. We all know better. There’s also the possibility that many of the patrons have who eat out on their patio during the warm weather have been clubbing around South Brooklyn and are too drunk to care!

  • tjp

    Just go to Tom’s on the boardwalk. It is awesome. El greco is a rip off and the food is not that good

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

    Bad food and poor service is like, so kewl. So El Greco has to make the list because they excel at providing both.

  • cabbie

    I stopped eating there years ago ’cause of the waiter with the dandruff in his big eyebrows – anybody remember him?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=528447725 facebook-528447725

    Fuck El Greco. You know who’s got a great, extensive menu? Parkview.

  • nolastname

    Chef Ramsey does not like massive menus and for many good reasons. Freshness being one of the most important.

  • Janice

    Worst Diner ever. I went there three times, and all three times i got the squirts. Seriously? Three times? Bring back kings plaza diner!!!

    • gil

      hahahaha. Janice got the squirts.

  • ti suka blyat

    el greco is so gross somebody must have got paid off…. i’ll take del rio any day over el greco

  • pr

    Umm, something is terribly wrong if El Greco made a best of anything list. The service is terrible and the food is tasteless and greasy. If you want good diner food you go to Vegas in Bensonhurst or Purity Diner in Park Slope, a gem of a little place that serves original, tasty food done right.

  • Pilotmike5

    In order of overall quality.. KPD (rest in peace Kings Plaza Diner), Parkview Diner, Vegas.
    El Greco ranks right up there with dumpster diving..

  • Georgia

    This El greco Diner is the pits of Sheepshead Bay. Large Menu, food is terrible and they are not friendly. There are plenty of others places to eat other then that terrible diner.

    • Jim Beam

      Because they are all Russians in there…like everything Russian. Rude, arrogant, and entitled.

      • georgia

        I agree 100%

  • Subway Stinker

    I am surprised that Perry’s is not mentioned. Far frpm perfect but its decent, has some limited free parking and the owners/bosses always up front to say hello, and seat you fast. I like it, mostly. The best diner in the USA is The Bendix on Route 3 & 46 in Joisey. An authentic railcar-style chrome diner.

  • http://twitter.com/futureej Vladimir Chmelev

    try the vanilla shake with body hair or the roast beef sandwich with a shard of metal.

  • DownWithTheDumb

    Wow, who do I believe, the Gothamist, or angry, bitter, and stupid people? Uh-duh. El Grecos has great food, I’ve eaten there for 20 years. So have my friends. No complaints.

  • Confused

    I was born in Brooklyn and have lived in Sheepshead Bay my entire life. I love El Greco. I’ve never had bad or rude service and the food has always been great. I don’t understand what people complain about….

    Not trying to be contrary for no reason, I genuinely don’t understand. I’d love to hear some people’s actual bad experiences/stories. Everybody who says anything bad never gives specifics, I just see a lot of brash and vague generalizations and nasty nicknames.

    • Unknown

      I witnessed with my own eyes, some teen peeing into the sugar dispenser. Good thing the waiter saw him do it

  • Old Sheepshead Hand

    El Greco has always been a terrible restaurant. Have they ever had a decent cook? The homefries – worst in Brooklyn.

    But don’t be fooled thinking this is some kitschy thing the occasional trendy youthy person from middle America has discovered while living here in Gotham.

    For most of my over-30 years on this planet and in this city, my peers – native born Brooklynites like me – rave about this place. And worse, either because of the location or something about diners in general, they act like this is fancy eating. Appointment, event eating. I lost count of how many friends have named this place as a destination for celebration following some triumphant event (like the prom).

    At this point, I’m going to say it’s me and not them. I had a grandfather who apparently spoiled us so much with regular trips to diners that we thought of it as middle class regular work-a-day food. Apparently, diners are fancy big time deals for rich people. Who knew?

    By the way, diners still going better than El Greco by miles:

    Three Star (just went on Saturday – STILL GOT IT)
    Perry’s (the owner was a great waiter at Three Star, I was happy when he got his own place)
    Kouros (from the late, lamented Foursome)
    Floridian
    Del Rio

    Basically anywhere.

    • Georgia

      Three Star is not what it used to be. I have been going there for many years. When Avenue U was Avenue U with all the great stores.