Bubby’s in DUMBO DOH’d

A BHB tipster sent us this photo of a NYC Department of Health notice closing Bubby’s [1 Main Street] in DUMBO. The eatery racked up a whopping 56 violation points during its last inspection on June 27. From the DOH website:

Violation points: 56

Violations were cited in the following area(s).

Sanitary Violations
1) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
2) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
3) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
4) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
5) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
6) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
7) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.

We were there a couple of weeks ago and the food was good and no one ended up in the Emergency Room. However, they were “86’d” on many regular menu items and the waitstaff seemed to be compensating for a horribly run and inefficient kitchen. We hope they resolve the issue soon as Bubby’s is overall a great place to eat and to take kids.

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  • misterbones

    any idea what’s going on at Heights Cafe? It appeared closed his morning and menus were gone…

  • AnnOfOrange

    Ate there on July 8th. Food was very good and abundant — as usual. Took about 1/2 of it home and had it several days later — no problems! I, too, hope they get their act together (again!) and reopen soon.

  • Monty

    Bubby’s went under new management not too long ago. They revamped the menu and ditched the kid’s play area and free biscuits. Sounds like it’s not going well.

  • harumph

    well I, for one, think that the violations are valid – the last time I was there the food was disgusting and the place was beyond the normal grime. I was not planning on coming back so in some ways this is mute for me.

  • harumph

    um, make that moot please

  • WillowtownCop

    That place smelled like dirty mop water. I’m not surprised.

  • http://www.marchermann.com weegee

    Nothing’ll ever be as good as Parker’s Lighthouse. It may have been just a click above Red Lobster, but heck…we didn’t even HAVE a Red Lobster here!

  • John

    So I guess they opened illegally for a Saturday night wedding !
    that’s just wrong if that’s the case.

  • John

    I would not eat there if they were the last restaurant in Brooklyn !

  • GHB

    Disagree John. If someone booked the place for a wedding months ago, they better open!

  • Mickey

    I’m 100% behind that, GHB. What would the couple do at the last minute? And John, it would not be illegal if they used the space and Bubby’s management subcontracted to an outside caterer who cooked offsite, which is likely what happened.

  • Jorale-man

    I went there on Easter for brunch. The food was fairly good and nobody got sick. The general atmosphere was on the hectic side and it seemed understaffed. I hope they can get their act together soon. It’s not especially groundbreaking as restaurants go but the location is great and it’s family friendly.

  • zburch

    Bubby’s was a great place to let your kids run around a scream whilst eating giant portions of fat laden food. Not my kinda place, but heck might as corral the kids somewhere so I can eat in peace elsewhere.

  • http://www.mattborkowski.com Middagh Matt

    Strange news.. Any idea what’s been going on at Fortune House on Henry? I’ve been back in the neighborhood since the beginning of the month and have seen their re-open date changed twice already. It looks like the place was abandoned. I want good (Americanized) Chinese food again!

  • Orange Oscar

    I’m glad Fortune House is closed (albeit temporarily). I live somewhat behind them and they constant dump out back onto the earth (oils, cleaning waste, etc.). They also have a faulty (noisy) ventilation system which has created a thick black carpet on their roof of decay…just from stuff in the fumes! None of the other restaurants have this problem on that block.

  • nabeguy

    I find point #6 interesting, especially the use of the term “harborage”. Given their location on/near the harbor, they must be hard-pressed to keep the water rats at bay.

  • Eddyenergizer

    I never understood the attraction to Bubby’s. The food was formica quality at linen prices… I guess people who grew up on fast food just don’t know any better?

  • AEB

    Maddagh Mat, I sign posted in the Fortune House window last week advised that the place was on vacation until the 18th, tomorrow.

    Of more interest, perhaps, is why no inspection grade as EVER been posted there. Guess some things just don’t matter to the proprietress, whose utterly bored demeanor we can become reacquainted with soon.

  • AEB

    Yikes! “Middagh.”

  • Hicks St Guy

    @AEB, I’m casual friends with the owner, and she has always been very friendly, as is the Asst. Mgr., Sharon. I know they start at about 9 in the morning, long hours, perhaps she’s just tired? unforgiveable.

  • Monty

    @zburch hits the nail on the head. Food wasn’t anything amazing or adventurous, but it was fresh and good quality and served in heaping portions. Very good coffee too. The real attraction was the kids menu, play area, early hours and great location. I was more than willing to pay a premium for that and my daughter absolutely loved it. I can understand why childless folks would be unimpressed.

  • Willow St. neighbor

    I just walked by Fortune House and there is no sign on the door that I can see. Have they ever closed for vacation before?
    I did a search of restaurant ratings and Fortune House has 12 violations. Someone thought they saw a Grade B posted on the window a few weeks ago.

  • Mickey

    Their answering machine still says they’re on vacation & reopening on July 18th. We’ll see if that changes tomorrow.

  • http://www.mattborkowski.com Middagh Matt

    Well the 18th has rolled around, and there’s no answer at Fortune House for delivery… I’m going to take a walk up there and check things out, but seriously Fortune House? We love you. Please come back to us.

  • Billy Reno

    I’d like to keep the adultery out of the kitchen and back in the boudoir where it belongs, thank you very much.

  • x

    Great wall is just a block or two away for Americanized chinese food

  • Willow St. neighbor

    I peeked into the windows at Fortune House this morning and it looks exactly the same as when I peeked in over the weekend.
    There seems to be no attempt to clean up the place to get it ready to reopen.
    As far as Great Wall goes, I would check the restaurant ratings before going there. I just did. You would be very surprised.
    I checked the ratings on some of my favorite restaurants and quite frankly they should be shut down by the Board of Health. Just because a rating is not posted in the window of the restaurant, it doesn’t mean that they have not been inspected.

  • ambnyc

    We chose to go to Bubby’s two weekends ago for the very rare indulgence of a meal out. Chose Bubby’s over Moxie Spot because they opened an hour earlier and also had a play space. We were very upset (!) when we got there and the play space was gone, the food was yucky (not even down home good), small, and expensive, the formerly free muffin basket was $8, and the waiter was rude, the hostess took forever to seat us because she was texting even though we were first in the door, the bathroom had last nights cocktail glasses in it, they told us they don’t accept credit cards “on the weekend” etc!. We planned then never to go back. This is sad news for any new management, but maybe a wake up call. The physical space and location there is awesome, I hope someone uses it in a way that works for Brooklyn.

  • Villager

    The credit card switcheroo pissed me off the last time I was there. They had a sign at the register which clearly said that credit cards were accepted. Only to be told verbally that, “Not on weekends.”
    What sort of sense does that make. Of course, they have an ATM so you can pay exorbitant fees to cover your meal.

  • Tiff Tiff

    This place is a joke. According to our coked-out waiter they underwent a management change a few months back and the place is barely in business. Amazing the Tribeca location has lasted as long as it has (though they were ALSO shut down just a little while back). Why in the world would anyone go there? Guess Brooklyn isn’t so easy to fool.