The Pullman Kitchen: Excellent Happy Hour and Life Changing Sandwiches!

After walking by The Pullman Kitchen (959 2nd Ave at 51st St.) and noticing the newly renovated interior  with the bar area being more prominent, I decided to finally give it a try. The new layout was much more inviting than the previous layout since the bar was moved closer to the front and it now seemed more of a place to hang out rather than just eat.

The happy hour deals at The Pullman Kitchen were also pretty unbeatable for midtown. They offer and extra long happy hour from 11AM- 7PM with $5 select draft beer, $5 house wine, and $5 appetizers (mini classic sliders, chilequiles, and tater tots). Another plus is the crowd is more mature, so don't expect to see the Turtle Bay clientele here! 

The wine for happy hour was served in a personal carafe which was nice because the portions were correct and allowed us to pour into our glasses at our own pace. It was definitely a nice personal touch. 

For the appetizers we ordered the mini classic sliders, and also the chilequiles. 

Mini Classic Sliders

The mini classic sliders were not what I was expecting from the name, but we were pleasantly surprised by what we received. They were a miniature version of the Pullman Classic Sandwich, which was a grilled cheese sandwich with NY sharp cheddar, beefsteak tomatoes on Pullman bread sliced into 4 pieces for sharing. My favorite part was the serving of pickles in the center, which were nice to put inside each piece of the sandwich. I liked that this appetizer was easy to share, and also pretty light on the stomach leaving room for more food :) It wasn't the most exciting appetizer, but sometimes you can just never go wrong with the classics.

Chilequiles

The chilequiles appetizer was also something I was very surprised by. I have to admit that I had no idea exactly what they were. I solely based my decision to order them on seeing a food truck prepare them on a show on the Food Network. Ever since then I have wanted to try them, and I finally got my opportunity! When we received them,  they looked very different from what I saw in the TV show. We loved them regardless! They were soggy tortilla chips covered in melted queso Oaxaca cheese with roasted tomatillo salsa verde. What a concept! I loved how the chips were completely covered in salsa and cheese. This was more of a fork kind of meal rather than a dip. I do wish that it was served with extra tortilla chips to dip into the gooey queso. I personally love Huevos Rancheros for brunch, so this appetizer was definitely a winner for me since it was similar in texture to the soggy chips in Huevos Rancheros! It had so much flavor, with the creamy cheese and spicy salsa! I loved how the creaminess from the cheese complimented the spice so perfectly. The lightness of the sliders was made up for in this dish since it was much heavier!
My only complaint about happy hour was that the food took forever to come out in a not so crowded restaurant. We loved happy hour there so much that we soon returned for lunch and it was life changing!

Chicken & Waffles

After reading about the chicken & waffles sandwich on Yelp, I had to try it! I have had standard chicken & waffles before and was never the biggest fan, but the Pullman Kitchen's Chicken & Waffles is the most unique I have ever seen. It is buttermilk fried chicken pieces, pepperjack cheese, and Vermont maple syrup inside of cornbread waffles, which created a sandwich! This combination was unreal and life changing, ...I can't stop talking about how amazing this sandwich was! I am already looking to return to the Pullman Kitchen for another. The spiciness of the pepperjack cheese was offset with the sweetness of the Vermont maple syrup, which were both soaked up with the tender and juicy buttermilk chicken. Everything about this sandwich was amazing; except for the calorie count I am sure! The sandwich was paired with a pickle and of course waffle fries to add to the waffle theme :) The waffle fries were very tasty, crispy, and fresh!

The Slow & Low Sandwich

The Slow & Low Sandwich

The second sandwich we shared was the Slow & Low sandwich which was slow cooked brisket, house made bread and butter pickles, chipotle ketchup, and horseradish cheddar all served on sourdough bread. We had the option to pair the sandwich with salad and I think it was a good choice based on the rest of our meal :)
The brisket was very meaty and tender and there was a lot of it! This was a man's sandwich, packed full of meat and pickles and messy as can be! I had to eat it with a fork and knife, but I didn't mind because it was worth every bite and every napkin. The pickles gave the sandwich a nice crunch and also added some freshness to the otherwise savory sandwich.

Roasted Beet Salad

I wasn't sure what my friend, who is Gluten Free would eat here, because of all the scrumptious sandwiches on the menu, but the waitress advised they get a lot of gluten free clientele and could handle it! She ordered the Roasted beet salad, which looked very good! The salad had two types of beets on it, which added different flavor and also beautiful presentation to the salad, and was served over a very good helping of arugula, shaved fennel, and goat cheese with balsamic vinaigrette. No fear, the Pullman Kitchen can serve delicious healthy food too!
I will definitely be returning here for happy hour, lunch, and even dinner! Next on my list is brunch, or perhaps completing their challenge of eating their "Grilled Beast of Midtown East" in one sitting! The Grilled Beast of Midtown East is a grilled cheese sandwich consisting of: fried chicken, bacon, ham, melted pepperjack, cheddar and muenster cheese, kale, tomatoes, spicy cherry peppers, and two cornbread waffles drizzled with maple syrup between two pieces of grilled sourdough. It comes with a pile of roasted fingerling potatoes and house pickles, which all equals 5 pounds of food! Can you win the challenge?!!