Ox Cart Tavern
583 Argyle Rd. at Newkirk, Ditmas Park
(718) 284-0005
What it is: A small burger-and-beer joint with an inventive menu that invites you to stray from the script.
Why We Love It: For all the hype about the purportedly Smith Streetish food scene in Ditmas Park, there are gaping holes in the neighborhood menu. Ox Cart fills the hearty pub fare niche without resting on its lack of competition. Plus, it’s a rare and welcome destination on underdoggy Newkirk Avenue, a quiet cousin to Cortelyou.
Who to Bring: Beer lovin’ sports fans—there’s often a game on, but it’s not obtrustive. Ditmas Park house hunters as well as people who have been to Sycamore and Castello Plan and want to know what else is out there. Bargain-seekers: Ox Cart features double happy hours, from 5 to 6 and 10 to 11 daily.
What to Order: All of the gastropub fare is solid, with honorable mention for burgers and fish-and-chips. You can make a meal of fried pickles ($5) if you don’t require nutritionally sound meals.
Sycamore Fun Fact: The logo is derived from a 1884 Van Gogh painting named “The Ox Cart,” an assertion we didn’t fact check.