The Stanton Social

Went here last night for apps and drinks. We had shrimp app- pretty bland, a mozzarella pizza type app- which was good- and oysters. The oysters were really fishy and left a bad taste in my mouth. I kept thinking maybe the next one won't be as bad but it never got better. Hope you like horseradish because that is the only way to cover up the fishy taste! . To top it off, the waitress was pretty nasty as well. I will not be returing!

I've been to all the popular restaurants in the city. I must say that the food at stanton social is bland, greasy and overpriced! I feel that the manager there and the staff in general is not interested in repeat business. They were rude, took a long time to bring out cold food and took forever to bring drinks out. It almost felt like they thought they were doing a favor serving us. Overall I would say Stanton Social is past it's prime. There are much better restaurants in the city for tapas at much lower prices.

I went to this restaurant a few years ago and was somewhat impressed. The french onion soupballs are a hit and a few other things were expensive, but decent enough. Recently I dined there and was nothing short of angry at what this place has become. First of all, I went last sunday for brunch, got there while the gate, was closed, so obviousl was the first one to enter. I sat waiting for a table about 15 minutes while crowds walked in and crammed into a small space and waited to be seated while an entirely empty restaurant sat in front of us and staff stood around not even attempting to look busy although fussing over something on a computer. I couldn't tell if the refusal to seat anyone was ignorance at how to manage a restaurant or arrogance to the notion of making people wait to eat there. Neither is acceptable. The waitress was a breath of fresh air and was pleasant and helpful although various other people immediately took plates away sometimes even before finished eating. All of this aside, lets get to the food. We got the slider (s) and it was one slider the size of a 50 cent piece and to be completely honest, it was not good at all. We got 3 courses with 2 tapas per course. Every course came out at about room temperature. Every course had food that was bland, very greasy, and at best, edible for a diner. You can throw an impressive sounding ingredient or name to a dish but if it is incompetently prepared and served, you are left with an absurdly overpriced meal that ranged from edible to not good at all. Lastly, and this will only really affect those of us over 23, but it seemed like the place was overwrought with hyper chatty loud post college types trying their hardest to be seen or mimic some sort of a 'sex and the city' power brunch. This place got some legs due to it's "hipness" and the food and service are now an afterthought. There are plenty of other places to eat

Don't listen to the haters below. I've been to Stanton Social twice in the past month, and in both instances, loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back. The first time we went, we were asked to have a drink at the bar and only had to wait about 15 minutes for our table. The second time, last Friday, we were taken directly to our table for our 8:45 reservations. Contrary to what the others have said about the service, I thought it was just fine. After ordering our dishes, I asked if we had ordered too much/not enough. Surprisingly, rather than say that we ordered too little like most places, our waiter said that we looked ok and suggested that we stick with what we have and order more if necessary. I asked for recommendations if we were going to order an additional dish or two and he was happy to provide me with some insight. Turns out, we had to order one additional dish. Now to the food. EVERYTHING I have eaten at Stanton has been GREAT. From the crabcake corn dogs, to the french onion soup dumplings, to the Pierogies, to the Braised Short Rib Soft Tacos, among others - everything was very tasty. Contrary to what was said in other reviews, our food was brought out in phases (i.e., two at a time). We never had more than two dishes on our table at any time during the meal. And, the order in which they brought the food was perfect, with the Braised Short Rib Soft Tacos coming out last. Drawbacks: 1) It's difficult to get a reservation, especially if you want to go on Friday/Saturday between 8-10. 2) Dishes are a bit pricey. But once you eat, you will forget about the price. 3) Noise. This restaurant is very loud, so if you're looking for a quiet, romantic dinner, this is not your place. Personally, I have no problem with the noise. Overall, I would, and already have, recommend this restaurant.

My friend booked a reservation at Stanton Social over a week and a half before we went, and the best time slot they could give us was 5pm. When we got there, the entire restaurant was empty! Some of our party was late because of torrential rain. The waiters were rude from the start telling us that we had to be out by 7. They continued to stand over us until we ordered something. The rest of our party arrived and was rushed into ordering the food that they said would arrive at a leisurely pace, was thrown out one after another. The food is decent but don't ever go there if you are hungry. The portions are tiny and to top it off, the waiter started clearing the table while I still had food on my plate and was in the middle of eating. I was appauled. More than $700 later, we had barely gotten dessert before we were rudely rushed out. To leave hungry and unhappy after the amount we spent, is just terrible. drop the attitude- you are on the lower east side.

Nice food and ambiance. Hate the service. Been here twice. Loved the food both times but ran into service issue both times. Actually the wait staff is nice. Its the hostess and the manager they need to change. Went there with a few friends recently. Arrived on time but couple of guys were finding parking. The hostess asked us to wait at the bar upstairs. Our friends came soon after (within the 15 min. window) and we asked the waitress who was serving us in the bar area if she could let the hostess know that we were all there and she said ok. Apparently she never did and when we went down to check on the table, the hostess was mad at us for being late. She gave us the worst seats in the place and refused to even verify our story from the waitress who was serving us. Also told us that she would need the table back in an hour. Now don’t know about others, but for a group of 8 people an hour seems like too little time to me to have a leisure dinner. We called the manager to request a change of table who too kept blaming us for coming in late and again refusing the basic courtesy of verifying our story from the waitress. Had friends visiting from outside of U.S. Was so embarrassed by the service and the impression my friends would take back to their country. Know one thing for sure. Never going back to this place. The food is good but nothing is worth taking that attitude. Btw, my experience from my first visit: The hostess refused to change the timing of our reservation. Called right back with another name and they gave us the table.

So my friend made a reservation at The Stanton Social and I was all hesitant because I've heard a lot of hype but it was actually excellent! The scene was great and the tapas style food was actually delcious. The bill at the end of the night was killer and we had only had too drinks each, but still I would go back. Things came out as they were ready which is typicalltyNYC asian flair food, but it provided for a long seating which was nice for a group of people. I left paying $100 and was already hungry when I got home. The drinks are pricey but the food is actually delish! I was pleasantly surprised!