Mr. Junkersfeld Loves Jack the Horse

I did not accept the free meal. I found the owner’s apology insincere. Furthermore, when I saw that the waiter was still working there, I vowed never to step foot in the place again. I own a small retail store, and if anyone on my staff were abusive to a customer, he would be dismissed at once. It says volumes about the owner that he kept the cretin employed.

@MoM, so no opinions on Cody’s Ale House or Downtown Bar & Grill then?

@Qfwfq- I think you’re going a little far. You don’t “strenuously” disagree with me. You mildly disagree with me at best and I’ll show you why. No need to greater a deeper gulf between us than there is- especially over something as ultimately trivial as brunch.

You say that you wouldn’t judge a place by the brunch they serve. Fine. Neither would I. We agree. But this post is ABOUT brunch at JTH and my initial comment specifies that I’m talking about the brunch service.

Also, Heights Cafe’ is even worse for brunch than JTH. I find it laughable that the place remains open. So, I wouldn’t use their 10 pancakes as a judge.

Now, we come to Clark St. Diner. Clearly, you put a greater premium on healthy food than I do. And that’s fine. Me? I’d rather live a shorter life eating what I love than a longer life eating things I don’t like. But neither of us have the superior philosophy there. I think an entire stack of pancakes for the price of a single pancake at JTH sounds like a much more reasonable deal if the quality is comparable.

So, let’s say the Clark St. pancakes were healthier, and that made them raise the price of a stack to 8 or even 10 dollars instead of six. You’d STILL be getting a much more fair deal than JTH. Six dollars for a single flapjack still sounds like a rip-off unless it is was flipped in the pan by the Queen herself! ;)

@ColumbiaHeightster- Thank you for writing back more friendly this time. I appreciate your peace gesture.

I would be glad to help you if I felt I had some decent information to offer on those places. But I’m not much of sports bar person, and haven’t been to either of those places you mention.

But in the spirit of neighborliness and friendship I WILL heartily wish a good time to you and yours enjoying the upcoming football season!

@Tclinton11201- Wow! You get really mad for no reason! Did you think I really was a “master” of something or other? Are you seriously disappointed now? I certainly wasn’t angry for the other poster not realizing my gender, but it made me question how closely they had paid attention to what I had written. What are you even complaining about?

And what makes you think I’m cheap? Because I think six dollars for a pancake is rip-off? I told you how much I think they cost. Now, you should tell us all how much is too much to pay for them. Would 14 be a rip-off? 16? 20?

If you knew my lifestyle, cheap would be the last word to come to your mind. But wealthy doesn’t have to mean stupid.

And do you think that the prices at JTH weren’t pulled from the horses backside to be criticizing my logic; which I based on a comparison of similarly priced goods in the same neighborhood? Is there some National Pancake Pricing Index I should have consulted first. Please send me the link for that, because It’d be very funny.

@ Mr. Junkersfeld- I certainly think you put forth the best reason for disagreeing with me, if I understand correctly, and you did so tactfully, which I thank you for.

If I’m not mistaken, you propose that 12 for two pancakes is worth it to you if the experience is worth that much to you. Sure, you could probably get a better deal somewhere else, but it wouldn’t be the same because you enjoy spending your time at JTH. I fully respect that reasoning, especially as I agreed that the atmosphere was quite good.

I hope I understood that right. And sorry I thought you were calling me a fatty, but I think you saw where I got that from. :)

@SaintsFan – thank you. I know that a lot of bars in Manhattan get really busy on NFL Sundays and actually require reservations (which is nuts for a regular sports bar). Ever had trouble getting a seat in from of the game (Saints game, presumably) that you want to watch?

MoM, are you serious in your reply? you must be joking… I hope you’re joking by the way, would make me feel better.

JtH runs a business. It’s customary for a business to have costs, to then develop some form of profitability analysis that would include something people call a margin; when I say your number is coming out of your *ss, it simply emphasizes your total lack of comprehension of the previously mentioned elements.

poor ingredients, bad location, bad decor = IHOP = cheap pancakes, but you’ll be happy they give you so many!!!!

quality ingredients, great location, good decor = JtH = more expensive pancakes

In any event, besides this annoying argument, between the higher cost of running this type of restaurant, the neighborhood it’s located in and the pleasure one has when there, the $12 is perfect (and if you think it’s too much then IHOP is at 300 livingston! best deal in your book!)

Arch, you disappoint me! I fully expected you to rant about the yuppie elitists who are willing to pay $12 for two pancakes just so they won’t be sharing the room with the riff-raff from the neighborhood who can’t or won’t pay the high price. Are you finally going soft on us? ;)

Amazing what people I live with in this neighborhood. Who cares if the pancakes are $12? You like it, you buy it, you dont like it you go somewhere else. Whats the point? You like to go on the cheap make them in your own kitchen.

I guess someone likes them and is too cheap going there? Restaurants are attracting different groups of customers. There are restaurants in the Heights I dont go to because I simply dont like the cuisine they are offering. I am not keen on Italian food, so I dont go to places like Noodlepudding, but I would not start complaining about them.

The few times I’ve been to Cody’s, I’ve gotten there before the game started and never had a problem getting a seat. Yes, definitely harder to find a place to sit in Manhattan! GO SAINTS!

@ Tclinton1120- I normally like to keep my options open on whether I’m joking or not. ;)

What you say makes sense and I agree- that the price is tied to the profit margin. And I’m also willing to accept that your theory is true as applied- that JTH must charge $6 per pancake because of the rent at their location. However, when we accept this, the following also becomes true:

1. If JTH were teleported to 300 Livingston, they WOULD be overpriced.

2. If IHOP were teleported to 66 Hicks (same decor as JTH), three dollars for a single IHOP pancake would be a great deal (we’ll say the ingredients are half as good).

3. If JTH were moved one block away, and the rent were slightly cheaper, the pancakes when then be overpriced.

By this reasoning, it isn’t that two buckwheat pancakes are actually worth $12, but that one is willing to subsidize the rent of the restaurant. Well…I don’t really care much about their rent so much as getting a great meal for a reasonable price. Maybe their rent should be lower. Otherwise, you wind up paying $6 for a $2 pancake.

Other posters have shown that other neighborhood restaurants offer a similar product at a lower price (except for Heights Cafe). Now, we don’t really know for sure what the profit margin of JTH is, but there is certainly evidence to suggest that they are seriously overcharging.

One more thing. In your remarks to me you’ve implied that I’m both cheap and foolish even though you don’t know me. I did nothing of the sort to you. Maybe you just expected me to come at you like that just because you disagreed with a point of mine and it was a pre-emptive insult- but it wasn’t necessary.

For all we know, we actually do know each other out in the hood. I might be your favorite shop owner, your friend from the dog run or the guy who pulls your keister out of burning building someday. Please remember that before you get to personally dissing me.

For Breakfast this morning I am eating, at my computer, the remaining pancake from Jack The Horse with a little bacon on the side. While eating, it occurred to me that “Jack The Horse” serves 3 pancakes with their Brunch Dish not 2 as described in above posts. Yes my friends 3 pancakes. I ate one Sunday morning, my wife ate one in the afternoon and i’m eating one now.

Possibly, my camera angle was deceptive I apologize. Given that third pancake, it changes drastically all the sophisticated calculations on the cost of this delicious dish. Let’s see, that makes it, if my calculations are correct, $4 a pancake not $6 for a 33% reduction. Did someone say marginal costs?

Considering the quality ingredients and the fine decor, I say I got a good deal. Three meals for $12, that equates to $4 a meal. Considering that today is Saturday, I must say my pancake held up very well in my fridge. It was delicious. lol

I’ll be back tomorrow at JTH, hope to see yo’all there. Remember, get there early cuz the demand is high for these wonderful $4 per pancakes gastronomic wonders. Loved the discussion and Love Brooklyn Heights.

@Master Of Middagh, I’m with you, the ending of your last post, brilliant. I have had the same experience on this site, and often find it useless. Hopefully with your perseverance you got through.

I find it truly disturbing that behind the keyboard, communication and a connection with people, in your neighborhood no less, is no longer the exchange of experiences, facts, ideas and opinions.

Add to that challenge of reading comprehension.

In a related story, I just read on the Wall Street Journal’s website that IHOP is opening a 24-hour restaurant near Union Square, to be followed by one in Times Square. Pancakes galore!