Old School Vibes and a Killer New Menu Bring JR & Son Back to Life

If you didn’t know the story of this place as you walked in the door, you’d never guess the story while you’re sitting here. Such is the thoughtful renovation and detailed preservation of Williamsburg’s 90-year-old JR & Son, which, thanks to the same team who did an equally bang-up job down the block at Kellogg’s Diner, just reopened last weekend after five years of sitting dark and empty.

It’s the third or fourth life for the space—it was an Italian social club called Charlie’s before JR and his son took over in 1976—but, as executed by restaurant designers Nico Arze and Matthew Maddy, it feels like a local hangout that’s evolved organically over the past nine decades.

The massive wooden bar, for example, which dominates the long and narrow front room, dates back to 1934. And Arze discovered the original black-and-white flooring when he ripped up the layers of linoleum installed during the 1980s, when the place was in one of its most divey stages.

Plus the “son” part of JR & Son gave Arze the collection of framed photos that cover the walls—mostly of NYC sports legends and autographed Frank Sinatra shots, but also of locals and regulars from when the spot lowkey vibed like a mob hangout. New additions to the space include maroon booths and ornate sconces, both of which fit so well with everything else it’s like they’ve been here all along.

So the ownership team—which also includes Louis Skibar (of Kellogg’s and Old John’s Luncheonette) and Michelle Lobo (of Nura, Pan Pan Vino Vino, and Otis)—nailed the lived-in decor and cool, cozy, clubhouse vibe. But in the end, the star of the JR & Son show is the food coming out of the kitchen, thanks to chef Patricia Vega, formerly of Thai Diner and her firing up a fantastic menu of personalized, amped-up takes on red-sauce-joint classics.

Let’s begin, like any sane person would in a place like this, with the pastas. Vega is starting things off with five different varieties, we wolfed two during a special preview dinner last week, and both were awesome. So good it’d be tough to resist ordering them again next time. Her bowl of spaghetti and meatballs satisfied in that perfect, incredibly familiar comfort-food way, but Vega gives it a nice little kick, too, just to keep you on your toes.

The ravioli gets a delightful summertime spin, the soft round pillows stuffed with mint ricotta and strewn with herbs and English peas. Other carby options include a risotto studded with artichokes and some tubular paccheri smothered in a fiery lobster fra diavolo sauce.

Chef Vega’s nearly inch-thick chicken parm, which makes liberal use of Calabrian chilis and melted mozzarella, is instantly one of the best in town—a craggy, gooey, saucy, spicy ass bird for the ages. There’s also a big fat burger, a roasted branzino, and a skirt steak slathered in butter.

The starters are outstanding. Vega’s herby arancini salad is getting a lot of attention straight out the gate (old Thai Diner heads will catch the rice-and-greens lineage of this dish), as are the onion rings with extra-peppy boba sauce. Don’t miss the charred octopus though, swimming alongside crisp potatoes in a lovely bean ragout, some chili crunch providing that signature Vega punch. And the “black olive caramel,” served with the super-creamy stracciatella, is a condiment I’d pour on just about everything if I had a jar of it at home.

Vega and JR’s secret weapon is pastry chef Amanda Perdomo, whose sweet treats you’ve probably already swooned over at Kellogg’s. Don’t miss her bread basket here, featuring a chewy green olive focaccia and garlic parker house rolls. And cap your night with at least two of her desserts. We loved the rainbow cookie layer cake you’re going to be seeing on everyone’s Instagram for the foreseeable future, and the sundae is a total blast, starring a mountain of elite-level homemade vanilla ice cream with candied pistachios and chocolate magic shell.

Cocktails like the “Johnny Dangerously” (amari, lime, cane sugar) and the “Godfather Part IV” (blended scotch, bourbon, amaretto, bitters) run about $17 and there’s lots of wine and beer. JR’s is open late, too—full dinner until 11:00 p.m., snacky menu until 1:00 a.m., and bar until 2:00 a.m.—and the team is hoping the place will become a post-shift industry hang.

“I want everyone to feel comfortable coming here,” Vega told Brooklyn Magazine. “I love Brooklyn, I live in Greenpoint, ride my Vespa to work, and this feels like home.”

JR & Son is located at 575 Lorimer Street, at the corner of Metropolitan Avenue, and is currently open on Wednesday through Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

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