Brooklyn Dip & Burger opens in Mineola
The Williams burger at Brooklyn Dip & Burger in Mineola. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
What a difference a town can make. Since it opened in 2019, Brooklyn Dip & Burger has had an “uphill battle” in East Meadow, said owner Matt O’Hara. First, the pandemic hit five months after the eatery's debut. “And it was such a hidden spot,” he said. "Years in, a couple from around the corner would come in and say, ‘when did you open?’”
But two weeks after opening the doors in Mineola, it’s a different story. “We’re already busy,” O’Hara said, courtesy of high-traffic county offices nearby, plus a hospital and several apartment complexes. For delivery, O’Hara eschewed Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats. Orders come in either through his own app or ChowNow, the company that manages it.
Both Mineola and East Meadow have a sports-bar-meets-gastropub vibe, a full bar and the same menu. “Brooklyn Dip” refers to the roast-beef sandwich drenched in jus that was first popularized by Brennan & Carr (est. 1938 in Sheepshead Bay). Matt also “dips” roast pork and turkey ($15). A more luxurious steak sandwich, served with jus and not soaked in it, features Black Angus rib-eye with five-spice-dusted fried onions and pesto mayonnaise ($25).
On the burger front: There's the 8-ounce classic served on a brioche bun with “Bridge [as in Brooklyn] sauce,” which Matt likens to Big Mac sauce; the Brooklyn smash, with one or two 4-ounce patties; the “Off Menu,” with a smashed patty, a good helping of roast beef, cheese and caramelized onions; and the majestic “Williams burger,” featuring a 10-ounce patty made with a skirt-steak blend, bacon, Cheddar, caramelized onions and fried onions — and served with fries. (Burgers range from $10.25 to $23.)
There’s so much more: 11 wings ranging from Buffalo and Memphis dry rub to Thai peanut truffle and General Tso’s ($12.50 for 7, $17.50 for a dozen); fried and grilled chicken sandwiches ($15.50 to $21), tacos, ($13.50), mac-and-cheese ($10-$14) plus starters and salads ($9.50 to $17) and even milk shakes. A weekday lunch menu features a sandwich (dip, burger or chicken) plus a side and a drink for $17.95.
Brooklyn Dip & Burger, 234 Old Country Rd., Mineola, 315-660-3201, thebrooklyndip.com. Open Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday noon to 11:30 p.m., Sunday noon to 8 p.m.
