The late, great Gloria’s has been resurrected as ‘Gee’s’ in Crown Heights

By Scott Lynch

(Scott Lynch)

One of the most devastating restaurant losses during the pandemic’s first year was the sudden shuttering of Gloria’s in Crown Heights, a no-frills counter-service spot that had been serving some of the neighborhood’s best West Indian food for nearly two decades.

To add insult to injury, the closing wasn’t even Covid-related: Gloria’s met its untimely demise after a long, convoluted legal case that involved accusations of deed theft, squatting, and a jaw-dropping $50 million fine. It was a strange, sad ending for everyone who had loved Gloria’s enormous servings of things like curry conch, oxtail, and pumpkin roti over the years.

But was it really the end? As first reported in BK Reader, a few weeks ago a new restaurant called Gee’s opened up two doors down from the now-stripped-clean Gloria’s and, as it turns out, it’s run by the old Gloria’s team, serving much the same menu that made their former home a neighborhood institution.

“Gloria’s no longer exists due to difficulties that were beyond our control,” Wayne Smith, the manager of the new Gee’s Caribbean Cuisine, explains to Brooklyn Magazine. “But here we have the same staff, same chef, and same managers as before, who had been out of work for more than a year until an investor approached us about opening Gee’s. So we’re back at work, bringing the Caribbean dishes that we’ve been serving for nearly 20 years back to our community.”

I lived near Nostrand Avenue for a good chunk of those years, was a huge Gloria’s fan (as were Anthony Bourdain and Michael K. Williams) and, based on this massive supper I had the other day, can confirm that Gee’s still gets the job done.

Curry goat dinner on peas and rice with pumpkin and macaroni, $14.50 (Scott Lynch)

The curry goat, for example, was as tender and funky as always, and the fiery jerk chicken arrived about as sticky and juicy as you’ll find it anywhere. Fatty oxtail, curry fish, and beef stew are also solid options. I usually get these chunks of meat rolled up in a thin, springy flatbread, or roti, but for photographic purposes I went with the “dinner” option, and everything’s equally enjoyable piled over Gee’s seasoned peas and rice.

Jerk chicken dinner on peas and rice with callaloo and macaroni, $11.50 (Scott Lynch)

And with the dinner format you get to load up on side dishes, like the barely-sweet pureed pumpkin, the zippy macaroni salad, and the creamy and sharp callaloo, which is made from spinach, okra, and coconut milk. Bhaji, which is like callaloo but without the coconut milk, is on the menu too, as are Gee’s red beans, black eyed peas, and patchoy, which is basically bok choy.

It was a delicious meal, and eased my initial disappointment that almost none of appetizers were available that day. Not the chick-pea laden doubles, nor the aloo pie, nor the deep fried split pea fritters known as phulourie, all of which are usually terrific, especially when dipped into their spicy pepper sauce. Gee’s did have a full selection of homemade beverages on hand though, and I supplemented my usual sorrel (a sweet, tangy and refreshing gingery drink) with a cup of mauby, a crazily bitter tree bark beverage but, as Smith put it, “it’s a good bitter. It gets into your blood and cleans it.”

Mauby, $3; and Sorrel, $5 (Scott Lynch)

The new space lacks the cozy, lived-in charm of Gloria’s—if it feels like a too-bright slice joint, that’s because it actually used to be one—though the red stripey design near the ordering counter is pretty snazzy. There are three flat screen TVs along one wall (unfortunate, because I’d rather listen to almost literally any music ever made in all of history than have a show like “Storage Wars” blasting while I eat). The staff is as friendly as before, and will patiently answer any questions you might have about the menu.

“We missed our customers,” says Smith. “Gloria’s was a community based establishment, where you got to see all the kids grow up, and teenagers go away to college and come back home as adults. I’ve lived in Crown Heights all my life. This is my neighborhood. It feels good to be back.”

Gee’s Caribbean Cuisine is located at 770 Nostrand Avenue, between Sterling and St Johns Places, and is currently open on Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., on Saturday from 11:00 to 10:00, and on Sunday from 11:00 to 8:00 (347-240-9589)