Review: Brooklyn Pickle (Eastwood)

Name: Brooklyn Pickle (Eastwood)
Address: 2222 Burnet Ave, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Eastwood
Website: www.yelp.com/biz/brooklyn-pickle-syracuse-2
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Deli, Sandwiches, Subs, Soups
Parking: Private lot
Take-Out: Yes
Accepts credit cards: Yes

On a Monday evening, looking for some cheap eats on my way out to the east side of the city, I figured I would stop in to Brooklyn Pickle. I've been to this place multiple times and each time have enjoyed my lunches. But this was my first time coming here at night and as fate would have it, I would have a fairly lousy experience.

I got there a little bit before 7 PM and pulled into the parking lot. There were only a few cars in the lot and hardly anybody inside. Upon entering, I saw one of the busboys stacking chairs on the tables. I was a little confused because there were workers behind the cash registers and some of the lights were off. It really just looked like they were closed or in the process of closing. I asked the busboy what time they close and he said 8, so I still had a good hour until they actually close. I made my way to the counter to order my meal only to see 3 workers behind the counter: One asked what I wanted to order and the other two were blatantly chatting away about their social lives at Syracuse University.

The order...

Roast beef on white with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onions: $3.50
Can of root beer: $1
Total money spent with tax and tip: $4.82

This sandwich took incredibly long to make. Not only that, but one of the other workers was re-filling seafood salad into a container right in front of me. It was really rude. Just given the slow service, it made me feel like I wasn't even supposed to be there. Did I already mention how long it took to make a roast beef sandwich? I almost feel like I could have gone to the grocery store, made homemade mayonnaise, and stacked a sandwich at my house faster than it was made here.

After it was stacked, the worker started putting it into a brown paper bag and I had to inform him that I was going to eat here. I eventually got my sandwich put onto a tray and sat down at one of the nearby booths.

The proportions were out of whack. Way too many tomatoes and the roast beef was uneven and wasn't stacked properly. Though the portions are big, especially given the cheap prices, the roast beef just didn't do it for me. Maybe it's because I'm so used to the roast beef at Clark's Ale House. Again, just looking around, it looked like I was here after closing with half the lights being turned off and the entire staff cleaning up around me.

As for the complimentary pickles, they really weren't anything to rave about. You would think with a name like Brooklyn Pickle that they would at least offer a couple of gherkins or something instead of two tiny slices of pickles. Although I admit I didn't actually get a whole pickle, I think you can find much better pickles in the Northside (try Liehs and Steigerwald for starters).

While I was finishing up my meal, a cop walked in and was immediately served a sandwich. Evidently, if you have a gun, you can get a meal really quick here. Maybe I should look me into getting one of those for next time...

I know this wasn't exactly the ideal time to go to a deli, but even so, when you close your business at 8, make sure you close it at 8 and not 7 because you essentially just lost yourself a night time customer. The only thing Brooklyn Pickle really had going for it was the fact that I finished my meal and it was cheap.

My rating of Brooklyn Pickle: