B.Y.O.B. joints that will leave your stomach and your wallet full
Sick of seeing that bottle of wine you just paid $38 for at a restaurant in the dusty $10 bin at your nearby wine store? In a city of six-dollar Budweiser’s and eight-dollar glasses of bad wine, bar tabs can outweigh the cost of your actual meal when dining out. The secret to eating great without blowing your budget is all about finding those rare gems: restaurants without liquor licenses. You don’t have to teetotal it; just swing by the corner bodega or liquor store and bring your own. You’ll save yourself a bundle and won’t feel guilty splurging on dessert.
So, be sure to BRING YOUR OWN this holiday season!
Amarin Café
617 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint
You can’t swing a bat in Williamsburg without hitting a hipster or a Thai restaurant, but if you’re looking for a wallet-friendly spot sans house music or loud ambient noise, travel just a bit north of McCarren Park. Amarin Café is unassuming with a tasty menu of Thai basics. While most dishes are traditional, there are a few out-of-place American options, like the mashed potato side, warm goat cheese salad and—the most surprising—key lime pie.
B.Y.O. Singha six pack
Bliss
191 Bedford Ave., Williamsburg
Bliss is exactly what this restaurant is for vegans and vegetarians. Get your fix of tofu, tahini, kale and veggies in the specialty Bliss Bowl as well as the other dishes.
B.Y.O. Wolaver’s Organic Brown Ale
Lamb & Jaffy
1073 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint
The sumptuous selection at Lamb & Jaffy includes rich fare such as garlic braised organic rabbit, scallops and spaghetti squash in almond sage butter and delicious devils on horseback appetizers. The interior is rustic and cozy, and the garden is one more reason to look forward to spring. The menu changes seasonally, but vegetarians beware: When it comes to entrees, the game-heavy menu offers only one meat- and fish-free option, a delicious if limiting risotto (beet, chevre and arugula for fall).
B.Y.O. Goats Do Roam red wine
Lily Thai
615 Grand St., Williamsburg
Located just shy of where Grand Street is severed in two; this Thai spot is worth the jaunt around the BQE. With a nice selection of yum, curries, and other traditional fare, the house specialties, such as the baked fish in banana leaf and the steamed Chilean sea bass in Thai spices, are worth the few extra bucks.
B.Y.O. Tiger beer
