The Stanton Social

went to Staton Social this morning and the experience was so wonderful i had to write my review!! I have heard such great things about this restaurant but recent reviews had me concerned. Went for a 1 pm brunch with a party of 5 and was seated immediately. Our waiter was very knowleagable and completely welcoming. The menu was amazing and since I am a vegeterian my options are always limited-- not at Stanton Social. We were all able share 6 delicious small plates and they were amazing!!! absolutely loved the food definitely interested in the seeing what a dinner would be like. Would highly recommend brunch to anyone!!

A lovely environment, good service, but *all* the food was heavily salted. I was shocked. There were four of us and we ordered all the signature dishes and more, yet all were disappointing and overly salted. Why? To push us to buy more drinks? Make us thirsty? Nothing stood out as exceptional. The presentation was great; but the food generally was disappointing. Too bad. I had higher hopes.

I use this site like its the only restaurant guide that exists, but I rarely ever write a review unless an experience is amazing or so horrible that I don’t want anyone to waste their money like I did. Some people don’t trust reviewers, out of all of them, you should trust my comments, I am a serious foodie; ive been to all the top restaurants in NYC more than once. I take review writing seriously because I wante people to know what they're getting. A colleague told me to try Stanton Social, so I eagerly made a 6pm reservation on a Sunday. The interior was old and dusty, more like "trying to be trendy," the hostess was not friendly, when I sat down on the booth i literally sunk down 5 inches; I felt like my date was a foot taller than me, and my chest was at table height, I couldn’t even get my elbows on the table without elevating them; and I’m 5’7”. I asked the hostess if I could get a table for three (without booth), she said they were reserved; I then asked, “If I order for 3, may I sit there?” “No.” The waiter then misinterpreted the size of the dishes, therefore when everything came it was barely enough food to eat between my boyfriend and I. The onion soup dumplings didn’t have any soup as described; the cheese was hard like plastic, the Kobe burger was 2 small bites (if you expanded the burger and multiplied the price, a regular portion of that burger would be $35). The squid lettuce wrap had leaves soaked with black soy-like sauce, nothing reminiscent of the actual menu description. I was so disappointed I couldn’t even continue eating; meanwhile I was staring at the empty table I wanted throughout dinner. The bus boy changed our plates even though we were paying the check; the women at the tables on either side of mine asked me what was good since they were literally sitting next to me, also extremely short to the table height. When I got up from the narrow long banquette table, the 3 person table I wanted was still empty which made me even more irritated; I have not been to a disappointing meal as bad as the Stanton Social for at least five years in Manhattan. I later found out that my colleague was there 1.5 years ago, obviously the food has changed and it's just not worth the trip downtown.

The waitress "brought out a few things for the table" which were generally unwanted and boosted our bill beyond recognition. My hangar steak was small and came out with the appetizers (we thought it was one for a while). Food not even that good. So between the price, the poor service and the food, there is no reason to go here. There are good looking places and people all over NY. Avoid.

Went with a large group and the waitress said "let me bring some stuff for the table." Big mistake - a ton of plates that nobody really wanted, and a huge bump on the final bill that was a little shocking. My hangar steak (TOO small) came out with the apps. For what they charge that is unexceptable. A cheap bottle of wine does not really exist here. Pretty people, but not worth it.

This is one of the best brunch spots I've been to. Two of us shared three plates and left feeling satisfied. The menu had so many options, it was hard to choose. First, the heuvos rancheros were so filling, eggs fluffy, chorizo not too spicy. The biscuit and sausage slider was delicious, the biscuit soft and not overwhelmed with creamy gravy. And the frites with chili mayo were crisp and hot and hit the spot. We can't wait to go back to taste the plates we didn't have room for.

I love brunch here. Just like their dinners, they expect guests to share each plate. Between my boyfriend and I, we shared 3 plates, and it was perfect. While it's not as cheap as other LES stops, it was definitely reasonably priced for the quality and presentation of the food and the atmosphere the restaurant provides. The brunch menu was one of the most exciting brunch menus I have seen in awhile, and I go out to brunch every weekend. I look forward to coming back soon!