Gertie

Whenever someone asks us where to get brunch in Williamsburg, our eyes glaze over as we picture the chaos of Bedford Avenue and masses outside of hyped-up spots like Sunday in Brooklyn. There are a lot of viable options, but if you want to make things easy for yourself, choose Gertie. A Jewish American restaurant with the pastel color scheme of a Santa Monica preschool, Gertie is an aggressively cheerful place where you can sit down and enjoy a housemade bagel, a fancy BEC, or some eggs with smoked salmon. You can also pop in for a slice of babka on a random weekday morning, and if you stop by for lunch, you can eat a good, messy reuben. Keep in mind, Gertie is only open until 4pm most days.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Gertie

Egg + Cheese Bagel

One of the top BECs around, this sandwich has two advantages over its competitors: a chewy housemade bagel and the addition of pickled peppers. (Go for the optional bacon, of course.)

photo credit: Gertie

Turkey Pastrami Club

Once again, the pickled peppers are key. Their sweetness pairs perfectly with toasted rye and jalapeño schmear. Factor in the bacon and thick-cut turkey, and you have an incredible club that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

photo credit: Gertie

Corned Beef Reuben

When it comes to Gertie’s best sandwich, it’s toss up between this and the club. Ultimately, you have to consider how hungry you are. Stuffed with coarsely chopped chunks of fatty corned beef, this reuben is just slightly more filling.

photo credit: Gertie

Latkes

These latkes taste like latkes. So go ahead and order them. Moist and crispy, they come with apple butter and sour cream on the side.

photo credit: Gertie

Fries

Gertie’s fries are very normal. And they are also, secretly, exceptional. It’s all in the details. Not too thick, not too thin, and impressively crispy even after sitting around for a bit, the fries deserve your respect and admiration.