Boo Hoo! White Castle On Willoughby Is Dethroned

Stepping outside the borders of Brooklyn Heights in search of a wickedly delicious heap of Sliders & fries—and most important, free soda refills—has led me more than once to the dirty, decadent, painfully slow-moving White Castle at 29 Willoughby Street (between Pearl and Jay streets just off Fulton Mall). Well, no more: Sadly, the joint has shuttered.

Within a block, construction continues on the oddball Willoughby urban park, to the left of the new Shake Shack, which may explain why the Castle has been dethroned. And yet the check-cashing biz remains next door. Oh, sigh.

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  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    Sad news. I used to go there for the occasional slider craving. I’ve seen a sign advertising sliders in the Clark Street subway arcade. Has anyone tried them?

  • Knight

    I feel bad for the old lady named Mary who has worked at the Willoughby Street White Castle for as many years as I can remember. She’ll probably never work anywhere else again. So where is the nearest White Castle now? Anyone know?

  • AEB

    Every time a White Castle dies, an angel goes–oh, never mind!

  • lois

    Claude, I have heard good reviews of the sliders in the Clark Street subway station. Re. White Castle: not upscale enough for Marty, and I guess they are trying to replicate the surrounding park of the Shake Shack on 23rd Street in Manhattan.

  • lori

    Knight, I guess Mary can join the woman who worked the counter at Junior’s for umpteen years in the Restaurant Workers Hall of Fame for Endurance.

  • brooklyndan

    But…. but… what about my Valentine’s Day reservation? http://www.whitecastle.com/promotions/Valentine'sDay2012

  • http://blog.samgreenfield.com Sam Greenfield

    Didn’t it close like six months ago or more??

  • Knight

    No, Sam; there was construction on Willoughby and scaffolding around the building but they were open. I ate there one Saturday after doing some last-minute Christmas shopping at Modell’s. Now I am a Knight without a Castle!!

  • Master Of Middagh

    NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Why God, why?!?

    I used to grab burgers there for me and my boss when I used to work on and off at BLS. So good for so cheap! And I remember Mary- such a sweetheart.

    :(

    At least I don’t have Knight’s problem (that was a good joke, Sir).

  • Gerry

    @ knight its in Queens Bayside, Bell Blvd. and Northern Blvd the next White Castle.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    I don’t get it, people here are quick to criticize every last detail of the neighborhood’s restaurants, especially the food. Yet they lament the closing of a place that serves garbage?

  • Nabeguy

    Got to side with Arch on this one. Went to that White Castle once, which was more than enough. I think the newly opened detention center is probably a better choice for lunch.

  • Hicks St Guy

    Arch & Nabe, I’m with you. MofM, what the hell, “so good?”

  • MontagueGuy

    I am sure EhBinH is crying right now. He thinks every other restaurant in BH is “THE WORST”. White Castle was probably his favorite.

  • Wrennie

    Why does fast food still exist? It’s not even actual food. I’ve never understood the appeal.

  • mlo

    Yes it was bad but in a good way…like gangsta rap

  • Master Of Middagh

    mlo has the right idea- like a fine Ed Wood movie.

    Look- it’s just tiny steamed burgers anyhow, so I don’t see it being objectionable to anyone. For the price they were selling them at, they were “so good”. If I’m paying a “5 Guys” price, then that burger had better be something special.

  • Jorale-man

    Well, according to this account White Castle gets a “D” for nutrition: 310 calories a serving and 610 grams of sodium per serving. Not that most restaurant food is that healthy but this is enough of a reason not to eat there.

  • Jorale-man
  • EHinBH

    soooo good and reminds me of being a kid. if you have a car, you can drive to the one on 4th avenue and 30th street. they have a drive-thru.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    MontagueGuy, looks looks you were right ^

  • Knight

    And yet he pans Teresa’s. Go figure!

  • David on Middagh

    I always get a kick out of Wrennie’s posts. So full of teenage indignation! The teenager in me approves.

  • Wrennie

    DoM, what exactly is teenage-like about saying that fast food is gross and unhealthy?

  • Heights Mom

    I think you can buy them frozen at the Montague Key Food. The fries were never anything to write home about.

  • Knight

    The frozen ones are available in CVS, too. Trust me, they’re just not the same as when you get them hot off the grill! And although I agree about the fries, what about their clam strips and onion rings?! Those always made better sides than the fries.

  • Master Of Middagh

    Oh, I’ll eat the frozen ones- but it’s more than that. White Castle was, like, a place to be seen at; it was a real scene. And not pretentious either; lacking the refinement of your average McDonald’s. If you ever get a chance, you should get your hands on Thinking Outside The Box. It’s a White Castle cookbook full of recipes for casseroles and such using ONLY White Castle hamburgers as ingredients. Yes, that exists…

  • Nabeguy

    MoM, you really need to step up your food game. Comparing White Castle to McDonalds is like comparing a turd to diarrhea. Sorry to be so graphic, but please….

  • Knight

    MoM: my favorite recipe in that book was for stuffing your Thanksgiving turkey with sliders. Unfortunately my wife would never go for it — she’s from Colorado & just doesn’t understand!

  • Master Of Middagh

    @Nabeguy- You need to learn what satire is. What planet do you come from that would cause you to think I would be in earnest about that remark?