Fun, boozy diner Fat Rabbit opens in Fort Greene 

By Scott Lynch

Like all good local diners, Fat Rabbit, a funky new spot that opened a few weeks ago in the heart of DeKalb Avenue’s restaurant row, is useful in many different situations.

Breakfast food is served all the time, so if you want eggs for dinner, you got ’em. It’s open late(-ish), and makes for a solid last-stop-before-home spot to soak up the alcohol after a night at the bars. The menu stars some greasy bangers, but you can also get a nice big salad. It’s kid-friendly. There’s music playing at a pleasantly head-bopping volume (Jonathan Richman, Hendrix, Blondie, Bowie). There’s brunch and lunch all day. And there are cocktails, as well as beer and wine, if you’re in the mood to linger.

Photo by Scott Lynch

It’s not surprising that the place would serve the community in so many ways. Fat Rabbit is owned and operated by two long-time Fort Greene residents and hospitality veterans Sam Barron and Jill Cuticello.

“I had been talking to the landlord for about a year before we signed the lease, and he was very adamant that the place stay a diner,” Barron tells Brooklyn Magazine. “We feel like we’re participating in a lineage and a history here for sure. Before Fat Rabbit it was Mega Bites, and before that, going back like 30 years, it was Andy’s. It’s kind of cool to be a part of that.”

The chef is Dan Reilly, who, among other ventures, helped open Laser Wolf last year. They’re keeping the menu at a manageable, if un-diner-like, dozen or so dishes to start, but there’s enough variety to please a booth’s-worth of your buddies.

The best thing here is the double smash burger, which the kitchen cooks up almost like patty melt, with lots of gooey American cheese, a lively “mac sauce,” tomatoes, onions, pickles, and jalapenos, all between slabs of Texas toast. This really hits the spot. Fries are available as a $7 side.

Double smash burger, $15 (Scott Lynch)

There’s also a fried chicken sandwich with homemade ranch dressing, a sloppy portobello melt, and a very good egg and cheese sandwich on a brioche bun, which you should definitely get with bacon and then dump on plenty of the Trappey’s Red Devil that stands ready at every table.

Egg and cheese sandwich with added bacon and hot sauce, $14 (Scott Lynch)

For something lighter, there’s a well-constructed Caesar salad, and snacks like fried chicken bites with hot honey, or a trio of olive-topped deviled eggs. No desserts as of yet which, for someone (me) who likes nothing more than downing an ice cream sundae or slab of pie in the middle of the afternoon (or late at night) feels like a bit of an oversight.

Caesar salad, $15 (Scott Lynch)

In addition to serving cocktails, beer, and wine, Fat Rabbit is proud of its coffee program. “We have Variety coffee and most of our servers here are latte-macchiato masters,” says Barron. “You come in here and you’re going to get an incredible coffee.”

Dirty martini deviled eggs, $11 (Scott Lynch)

And the place looks fantastic, with the old Mega Bites booths in place, a new circular setup for big (or VIP) parties, a lengthy bar, tin ceiling, purple clubby lights, and bold splashes of tropical wallpaper. Barron designed and built most of the space himself, which he says took about 10 months.

Portobello melt, $15 (Scott Lynch)

“I’ve been going to the bar across the street since before I was allowed to,” says Cuticello. “In fact, since we live in the neighborhood, we’re friendly with pretty much everyone around here, and the support has been great. We want Fat Rabbit to feel comfortable for everyone in the community.”

Fat Rabbit is located at 245 Vanderbilt Avenue, between Vanderbilt and Clermont Avenues, and is currently open on Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.