Best family friendly restaurant in all of Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill. We’ve lived here for three years and love coming to Abilene.

Absolutely wonderful staff, the vibes & music were great, the drinks were cheap & they occasionally play anime themes. Highly recommend!

Was staying in Brooklyn for the weekend and happened into Abilene. Had a great experience! Fun place for a drink with a very friendly staff

Victoria took care of us and she was great. The food was also fantastic. Had crispy chicken sandwich, excellent. Go here. It’s good.

Great coffee, good selection of records. It's small but great for digging for random records

This is my favorite bar to go to with my baby. Tables are spaced a good distance apart so you can comfortably fit a stroller. Good draft selection, and the cheesy fries are amazing.

Loved this place right away. Bob's Burgers reference on the sign outside. Cheap drinks. Friendly atmosphere. And Keith the bartender. All smiles and good times. Good luck with the new place on Nostrand, looking forward to having these guys as a neighbor!

i love this bar! in addition to great bar food and a good selection of drinks, they've had incredible covid-19 protocols. they're also wonderful to my dog (outside only)! they always bring her a bowl of water and say hi.

If you want to drink with Da Fonz, this is the place to go in Carroll Gardens. Only joking...sort of. Great bar. 60's music blasting from the jukebox. Excellent beer selection. I'm a beer geek. I drank Weihenstephaner on tap, and it was the best I ever tasted. I know this beer, The bar must keep the tap lines clean. My friends had a cocktail and a Stella which were excellent. We had fries which were excellent. In general- a great vintage place for a drink or two. Next time I'm in Carroll Gardens you know where I'm going.

Excellent food & drinks! My favorite place for wings, cheese fries and nachos.

Great beer list and frozen drinks. I love the refreshing cocktails, too. The servers are kind and thoughtful, the vibes are good, the wings and mozzarella sticks are A+.

Warm goat cheese salad 🤤

The food is quite delicious (got the sliders) and nice drinks! One of those rare spots in quarantine where everything feels normal again. Always busy but very well socially distanced.

No frills needed. A great place to relax and unwind. Quality cocktails at a great prices. This is exactly what you're looking for in a neighborhood hang out. Great staff, great menu, all around greatness!

My new favorite bar in Brooklyn! I recently hosted an event here for the Women's World Cup Final and the staff really pulled all the stops. We were able to reserve seating, got happy hour drink prices for the duration of the event, were able to order drinks and food in a timely fashion, not the mention the staff let us rearrange their furniture and gave us shots every time the US team scored (which was a lot obviously). Can't wait to host another event here!

I had previously stated that I agreed with someone about the staff being unfriendly. I have since changed my mind. Maybe I was here during a few bad shifts, but Anna is usually here these days when I come around, and she is AWESOME! I really like her, and she is so sweet & accommodating! The food is so good too, and we seem to hit it off! I'm sorry for the past good/bad review! This is my go-to spot in Carroll Gardens! Shout out to the food and to Anna!

I’ve been going to Abilene for over three years, and I have felt welcome since the first day I wandered in, in a blizzard, those years ago. The food is consistent, and exactly what I want every single time, and I know what to expect from their beer and liquor selection. Coronavirus has been tough on them, like it has for every business in the hospitality sector, and they have risen to the challenge. I go to bars or restaurants about twice a week on average, and I don’t know of a single place that is doing more to be not only compliant, but mitigate as much risk as possible for both the customers and the staff during this bizarre, trying, and potentially dangerous time. I hate how the packaging at restaurants has to be disposable right now! That said, after discussing the matter with management and staff, I feel comfortable in the fact that Abilene is sourcing the most environmentally conscious and compostable materials they can reasonably acquire. Listen, I’m a fan, so maybe it seems like I love this place disproportionately, or at least a little too much, but it’s important to advocate for businesses that are truly going the extra mile right now. Abilene is absolutely one of those businesses.

This is the perfect bar. Full Stop. Decor, pricing, food, drinks, outdoor seating. Nothing like sitting out at Abilene on a sunny day, except for maybe sitting in at Abilene on rainy day. Hosted an event there a few years back and it was just the right place and just the right vibe.

Great food and good atmosphere! Food is served even well around midnight. I highly recommend the boneless BBQ wings; a little spicy but worth the taste!

Great bar with awesome food. It's not every day you find a place with great french fries OR great onion rings. This place has BOTH. Also highly recommend the Abilene Cubano.

Great neighborhood spot for a casual lunch or dinner, and a pretty popular brunch spot too. Cocktails and beer and basic wine selection. Bar and table seating, and outdoor dining shed for as long as that lasts. Service is friendly and prompt. They have a TV for games and television now and then, and a bunch of games and other things for people to do.

Super nice staff. Delicious drinks. We had the abellini, watermelon margarita, turkey burger, quesadilla. All good.

One of my favorite hangout spots in the neighborhood. It's a decently priced bar with a great happy hour special. The fries here are amazing and the bartenders are all so personable and friendly. Everyone from families to twenty-somethings to older crowds hang out here. This is one of my favorite spots to hangout with friends or bring my laptop to get some work done on one of the comfy couches. I no longer live in the neighborhood but I have been back since-- that's how much I enjoy it!

First time here from out of the area! I absolutely loved this hidden gem. The hostess/waitress was very spunky and outgoing, which made me feel so comfortable and welcomed. Indoor(windows open) and outdoor seating was available. Social distancing walls, CLEAN bathrooms, temp checks, and clean tables/counter space made for a sanitary and comfortable atmosphere to feel safe dining during the pandemic. Drinks and food were AMAZING for the price. Fairly standard American bar food, but provided a great bite and a positive vibe to continue my NYC adventure on! Will definitely make it a point to return next time I’m here (:

I can't believe I'm going to say this is my favorite thing, but the fried goat cheese salad with pears and their delish honey vinaigrette is def my favorite menu item! A great and generous mix of fried apps and a good brunch, plus friendly and fun staff, movie nights on Sunday and trivia on Mondays. It's a total package and a great local spot!

Very good fries. Very good wings. Very good service. Just the one baby in a stroller, which is not the bar's fault. 10/10 would absolutely return (unless I had a baby in a stroller).

Love this place! Great staff keeps us coming back

I truly enjoyed Brunch here. The chicken and waffles was amazing and I can't wait to return, hopefully over the weekend. The staff was polite and accommodating. I brought a friend who has his baby with him. I will most likely never take a baby out to a restaurant again. Go figure it would be such a bad idea. The more you know!

If you prefer to drink without television but with good music, you should like this place. The inside reminds me of an indoor porch and the outdoor seating is dog friendly— which I love. The food is pretty good and the drink selection is great. The staff is usually friendly.

Abilene is the best bar/restaurant/diner in Carroll Gardens. Open fairly late. Reliable, flexible, great for a Disney movie or vanderpump rules.

Great location, nice outdoor seating (though only first-come-first serve), very nice and friendly staff. The food is typical American, but done very well and a level above many other restaurants. Also good place for children, though there is no specific kids menu (though most appetisers are a good type and size for their main).

Such a nice cozy spot. Groovy music. The food was served fast, fresh and yummy. Victoria at the bar was super friendly and served us up some local cold beers. I would definitely recommend stopping by Abilene bar 🍻 Cheers

Stopped in for a late lunch. Their Classic burger was excellent, if you like that sort of thing, and I enjoyed it immensely. The service was excellent! I would happily go out of my way to dine at Abilene again.

luis gavica

The food was amazing delicious had the BBQ pork quesadillla was very tasty soft tender pork with beans and sour cream also had the cheese fries my guest had chicken and waffles with gravy on top chicken crispy waffles softed and fluffy gravy on top was different in good way I enjoyed the meal the vibe was very welcoming

Robert Punchur

Great staff, energy, and regulars here! Monday night trivia is highly reccommended for a fun social night out.

Michael Abrego

Amazing food, amazing service, great all around. I've had take out and just as much care goes into take out as dine in! Brunch - biscuits and gravy with eggs Dinner / lunch - chicken sammy Edit… I can't tell you how much I love this place! Staff is so amazing! Food is fantastic!

Campbell Cross

2023 2nd visit: pro tip is to order a side of cornbread with your drink, you get two big pieces of cornbread for $4. I liked the breakfast martini but it was too sweet/too heavy on the coffee liqueur for me. 2021: liked the belgian waffle and the cucumber Gimlet, service was fast and they have a strong covid protocol in place. At first when I realized it wasnt real maple syrup I was like Oh No but it was actually fine and tasted great. Personally I dont think the “mask up if server approaches your table” should be a requirement if the server themself is wearing a mask, but it doesnt detract enough from the experience to make me not want to come back and try other menu items. Will definitely plan on coming back and trying some other stuff!

doris gilliam

Wonderful food server was nice a friendly! Will definitely come back whenever I'm in town!

It's a nice neighborhood restaurant with a variety of dishes and good drink choices. Pet friendly for outside diners. Enjoyed an after-work meal and drinks.

The food was good (grilled chicken sandwich, Cuban sandwich, and jalapeno poppers). The drinks were also good. If you want a quick bite and a cold drink, come here.

A good local venue. Nothing fancy but good food and friendly service. We liked our brunch orders.

Good service. Decent prices. I'd give it 5 stars if the burgers/sandwiches just came with fries instead of charging more on the side. They cost you nothing!

Cool place for brunch. Had the hangover helper and didn't need anymore food until dinner. Fries are awesome and staff friendly.

Southern fare including glorious grits and biquits. Will return for more!

Abilene was a nice place to spend some time in the afternoon. My friend enjoyed a Guinness during happy hour for $1 off (woo). Nice location.

good service and decent food

Good outdoor dining and sanitary practices. I found my dish to be a little bland (chicken and waffles) and wasn't crazy about the bloody mary but I would return and give it another try. Reasonable prices for brunch and friendly servers.

Sorta dive-y in a good way. Very down-to-earth atmosphere and a good antidote to the headache of massive craft beer menus. I wouldn't come here just for the food, but the plates are solidly executed and complement having a few beers at dinner time or nursing a hangover at brunch. Brunch plates are generously portioned.

I love the this place other than they don’t take reservations nor let you put your name on the list by phone. So you physically have to go there give your name and come back when they call you or wait like an idiot for 30 min or so on the sidewalk. Other than that the staff and food is great. I love their pulled pork sandwich

This place was fun! Our bartender, Hope, was very friendly and served us some tasty nachos. The 70's retro vibe and reasonable prices made for a great way to pass a couple of hours.

This is just a good old fashion bar. They have good beers on tap and friendly bartenders. A cool eclectic style that seems as if it was furnished by Brownstone Treasures/Yesterday's News (and it probably was). The crowd is a great mix of the neighborhoods and is not a place you feel like you need to work hard to fit in. They also have WiFi and pretty decent bar food.

A popular, laid back brunch spot. This is a great, laid back place to get brunch and do some day drinking in the neighborhood. The food's also very good. There's some outdoor seating and plenty of room for kids. There are also some board games to pass the time while you hang out.

Super impressed by the covid-19 system Abilene has in place! I ordered the Turkey Burger and a Classic Mimosa. The turkey burger was fine, it comes with a very small portion of spicy coleslaw. The Mimosa is pretty watered down but shame on me for ordering a $10 mimosa vs making it myself for a fraction of the price.

Clean bright place, food is good and made to order. Bar is well stocked, very reasonable prices. The only drawback is the salsa, it's bottled supermarket salsa.

Laid back spot to grab a bite or a beer. (Also a good spot to drink while you're waiting for a table at Lucali!) The food isn't fancy, but it's well made. I especially enjoy their brunch options (definitely try the hangover helper with a bloody mary!) Decent tap list, and they have cheap cans of Genny Cream Ale, which makes my Western New York heart swoon. Great people watching, too, especially if you grab a table outside.

I haven't had the food here, but the drinks are good and I give extra points to any bar that offers board games. Abilene is a cute spot that has more personality than a typical neighborhood bar. It's kitchy without being over-the-top.

If it's nice out, this is such a solid neighborhood happy hour gem! Our move is a few draft beers, poppers and maybe a frozen marg on the warmest of days. The servers are attentive and the vibe is lively. They also have worthwhile trivia and bad movie nights!

LaLo Garcia

Tasty quesadilla and salsa. Buffalo Chicken sandwich was big and had good flavor. Friendly staff roo

Carol Cook

Fun place to grab a custom cocktail, hang out at the bar, and enjoy late night eats. Service is meh the later into the evening. Get the goat cheese and pear salad!

Howie

After a walk through Carroll Gardens I had a rest with a good Cesar’s and reading in the very interesting Milli Vanilli shrine. Do you know that a German filmmaker make a movie about this „fake“ duet?

+11

Vivianne Barretto

I can't rate the food because I just went in for drinks. I liked the vibe of this place. You can tell it's a neighborhood bar/restaurant but they are very welcoming. The place was full but not crowded. The space is medium but comfortable and there is plenty of outside seating. The bartender, Marcus, was very pleasant and so was the rest of the staff. The music was okay but the only thing is that it was all from the same group. The prices on the 🍺 and drinks were good. I'll definitely go back and try some of the food.

+2

Matt Meany

At the bar there is handful of draughts on tap, couple of bottles, couple of cans, wine, beer and liquor specials, good size list of cocktails, and you can order food at the bar. Straight forward food menu, classic appetizers, burgers, salads, sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas etc What makes this place is the patio out front. The front of the building is all good sized windows that open up and on a nice day you cannot beat it. UPDATE: 1/3/2021 Outdoor COVID setup has plenty of space. Brunch, had the Abilene Scrambled, was phenomenal, one complaint is the cardboard tray. Brunch menu has some intriguing dishes.

Sueann

The food was good. Service was pretty normal. I feel like this is spot where the regulars are loved on & appreciated. Definitely family friendly w/ ample outdoor & indoor seating.

Crested Falcon

We’ve been coming for years. It’s a staple. So now, it’s official. The upgrades over the years have paid off. Major outdoor shed for supersized seating capacity. The neighborhood’s best Bloody Mary or Maria HANDS DOWN. Like I crave it when I have brunch elsewhere (and judge all others to their excellence). Now takes ApplePay too (leave the wallet at home). Nowhere else can you find a “hangover helper” which is simply a base of fries, scrambled eggs, cheese and sausage. Boo So why not 5?! Well, they don’t allow any of the brunch items to be ordered during the week - despite having food items will all the items. One can dream…

Jefe Birkner

Saturday brunch, very tasty, not too busy. Friendly, attentive staff, reasonable prices. Only thing I missed was... No jam or jelly delivered with my biscuit, but plenty of butter so it was still pretty good.

Nice neighborhood bar. Good drinks. Food just okay. People are really nice - they need to step it up for the regulars who have stuck by them they COVID and beyond.

During the weekdays people are here to drink away their empty days. They're not here for the food. That might make them a little sadder. On weekends the outdoor seating means it's choc-a-bloc with brunchers desperately trying to find a place. This is a 'local' in every sense of the word.

I had a chicken burrito. A little small but it was ok. The ambiance for seating outside with doggies is meh. Customer service was ok. Nothing outstanding

A decent bar, but a bit below the high bar set for the neighborhood with such great craft beer lists. Here, the selection doesn't go much beyond staples like Guiness and Hoegaarden with a few more interesting seasonal beers on tap as well. Still, the immense unique lists at other nearby bars puts this in perspective. The tables outside are dog friendly and they have games for kids and adults. Service was fine but a bit slow and the glasses from the previous diners were never cleared. Not bad for a quick drink while waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant.

This place is okay, my husband really likes it but I feel like as a vegetarian who tries to eat healthy there aren't a whole lot of options. I got a veggie burger once and it was so gross I only took a few bites and couldn't eat the rest, like it hadn't been cooked or something. I do like that they have outdoor seating and he says he likes the real hamburger that he gets.

The drinks were decent (more dive bar quality than handcrafted cocktail) but the food was pretty bland and very greasy. I’m not sure if it was the heat, the amount of oil that the onion rings and fried pickles were sitting in, or both, but I didn’t have a great food experience here.

The food was good, a little pricey for diner style brunch. Belgian waffle was well cooked but only came with one small syrup. The grits were very thick but tasted good with hot sauce. Juevos Rancheros was great. The service was ok. They were very obviously short staffed. We sat outside and some of the tables outside are plastic. The problem with this didn't become apparent until our food came and the table began wildly shaking as we tried to cut our food and eat. Our drinks went everywhere, whip cream and strawberries actually fell off my plate to the ground. When I asked for more strawberry they refused. The bloody Mary didn't come with celery as pictured on another review and when we asked for some, they charged us for a side of celery. We went mainly for the bloody Mary as it was pictured and were disappointed. It's ok if you live in Carroll Gardens but not worth an out of your trip.

Had chicken and waffles. Chicken (only cutlets) was nice and crispy, but the waffles were soft and a little soggy. Comes with a white sauce that felt out of place- maple syrup or something sweet felt more appropriate. That being said the location is great and nice to hang out when it is warm outside.

M Izzo

Would never come back again. Sitting was pretty quick, waters came out pretty quick. Off to a good start. Ordered a few cocktails and food for 2 adults & 2 kids. First drinks came out quick. Food took close to an hour to come out. Basic food, couple burgers and quesadillas. Food was good but very basic, nothing to rave about. Ordered a second beer which took over 20 minutes to come out. Place itself is pretty nice and chill vibes but food isn’t anything special and service was pretty bad. Also not a fan of having to post the card to get service. Waitstaff should always be checking on their people. Also a note to add is that the restaurant definitely was not overly busy to where the service had to be so bad and food to take forever.

I'm seriously baffled by why this place is always so busy, the food is spectacularly mediocre, the wine is meh, and beer largely whatever. Sheila's up the road on Court & 1st place, for example is just so much better, hell, most of the places around Carroll Gardens are better. Skip this.

Patio is great but service was terrible and the food was awful. I wouldn't be surprised if the fries I was served were left over and re-fried from the prior day. Based on other reviews I'm wondering if I went on an off day but my friend and I, who got different dishes, both felt awful through lunch the next day.

food's no good. just eatable. a friend ordered pork quesadillas, left it after single bite. if u looking for dark loud dirty looking bar to get drunk, that's the place.

Good location, cute place, good prices but very mediocre food.😔 the saltiest margarita that I've ever had😪

I've been coming to this beloved neighborhood bar for almost a decade, besides the good food and drinks, the staff had always been a big reason why this place was so lovely. Went on a Sunday a few weeks ago and sorry to say some of the new staff they took on since the covid hit seemed a bit too cool to serve, not a pleasant experience, still left an okay tip because it was good manners, but gonna think twice about going back again. (Ps. The kitchen staff were super nice and made sure we were attended to, and the food was great as usual)

Vasyl Khymych

Horrible experience. They have that post card thing to call a waiter, and because I was there the first time I didn't know. I tried to wave to call waiter like 3-5 times and was ignored. Even I walked in with the child they didn't bother to come bring water. Shame! At some point he came up and said that I have to show card. Really?!? Tables dirty and all shaky. Food is so-so. I wouldn't recommend this place.

The food was an absolute garbage! We left with our plates full! I don’t understand how this place has so many good reviews. The place looks good and the waitress was very polite thats the only good thing about this place.

Everything is now served in wasteful and careless single use plastics for dine in. Plastic cups with lids for water, plastic cups with lids and straws for other drinks, plastic cutlery, condiments in packets. Even the food is served in single use boxes. My burger was wet on the bottom bun because they served it along with coleslaw in the box. I had to dry it off with a napkin, and it still fell apart. We won’t be back.

They had a decent beer selection, Cuban sandwich was pretty great. They served the sandwich with RANCID coleslaw, it was very obviously spoiled. I smelled it after I tasted it and I have no idea how they can't smell that stink in the kitchen. It tasted like it's been sitting there for ages and smelled so foul. What a way to make a first impression.

Awful place. First before we even sat down outside we get scolded that we have to check in inside. Beer and a soda is 12$ during happy hour? Really? Plus waiter was no where to be found when I wanted to leave . I flagged another waiter . After I paid , the first waiter shows and asks if I want another drink! Why should I pay for doing your job? NEVER AGAIN!

Food was alright. For a party of two, slow service. At the end the night bartender on the night of 9/16 questioned his tip of 10%. On a order of 2 meals 2 drinks and 2 shots. Our food came up to a total of 31 alone. Drinks totaled up about 70 for two shots and 2 Long Island ice teas. Better pricing in many places in the surrounding area. Unprofessional on all levels he barely did anything. Weird place 10% was good enough.

Kayla Clay

I’ve been to this bar multiple times in the past and have generally had great experiences. The drinks and food are good, it’s affordable, and I’ve always enjoyed the atmosphere. On my most recent visit, my partner and I told the host upfront that we were there for drinks only, and our server confirmed that was fine. We ordered two rounds without issue. When we went to order a final round, we were told we would have to order food in order to continue drinking. This caught us off guard. I’ve never encountered this rule here before, and even the customer sitting next to us said they’d never heard of it. Nothing about our behavior had changed, and we were not being disruptive. It left us feeling uncomfortable and singled out, especially since we were the only minorities in the space. I did reach out to management afterward. While I understand supporting staff decisions, the response didn’t address the inconsistency or how the situation came across. Because of that, I haven’t felt comfortable returning. Overall, this has been a place I’ve liked in the past, which makes this experience particularly disappointing.

Karen Swartz

Awful service, rude employees, dirty!! Will never get my patronage again!! Sat people with less people who came after us!! Left before we were served!! Made us stand when there was tables available when we had an elderly woman with us!!

Emily Smith

Bizarre and disappointing experience I brought some friends here who were visiting from out of town. I’ve walked past this place many times and was excited to finally try it. When we arrived, we were seated and greeted by our waitress, who actually sat down with us to take our order. She was friendly at first, and everything seemed fine. She brought over our sodas, and then… nothing. After about 45 minutes, we noticed another table—who arrived well after us—getting their food. We politely flagged down our waitress to ask if ours was coming soon. She glanced at her handheld tablet, nodded without saying anything, and then went over to the bar and started dancing with the bartender. We waited another 45 minutes, hoping it was just a delay. When we tried to get her attention again, she suddenly yelled across the restaurant, “YOU NEED TO WAIT,” in a completely different tone than earlier. It was shocking and uncomfortable. She disappeared into the kitchen, came back out, and continued dancing with the bartender. After nearly two hours of waiting, we saw her head into the bathroom and took the opportunity to ask the bartender if we could pay for our sodas and cancel the food order. That’s when we were told—shockingly—that our order was never even placed. He apologized and told us not to worry about paying for the drinks. We left confused, embarrassed, and disappointed. I still have no idea what went wrong or why we were treated that way. It was an incredibly awkward experience, and unfortunately, I won’t be coming back.

Al Guttman

The bartender/manager said I could not have my salad first because it needed to be ordered that way earlier "If thats ok w you" Food came much later with all the tomatoes onions and lettuce which I asked to hold when I ordered it. Chicken sandwich was way over cooked and Very dry. She told me they never get complaints. I hope the owner reads this. I feel ripped off.

Justin De Graaf

Friendly and slow service, horrible food, good outdoor seating. Went here for brunch an ordered the huevos rancheros, turkey burger, and eggs Benedict. After just one bite, it became apparent that the kitchen has no spices, not even salt or pepper. The huevos were literally unseasoned eggs on top of raw flour tortilla with canned black beans. Not even two tablespoons or Cholula could bring enough flavor. The four of us agreed it was terrible food and a disappointment to Brooklyn to waste such a prime spot.