Fort Defiance is the perfect neighborhood hang. Drop by in the morning for a coffee, walk around Red Hook, and pop in again for lunch or a snack, then swing back for an evening cocktail or beer. There is no pretense, no attitude. It’s what’s great about the scene in Red Hook: locals doing what they love and doing it well.

The folks at Fort Defiance know their coffee, cocktails, soda, beer, and food. They focus on the details, and it’s just these details that make it a worthwhile destination. The coffee drinks are made with Counter Culture Coffee on a La Marzocco machine. The pastries are culled from local bakeries. The soda is a house-carbonated seltzer. The cocktails are twists on the classics cooled with high-quality Kold Draft ice. The traditional British butcher’s aprons are flown in from England, and the chairs come from the Playboy Club in St. Louis.

Owner St. John Frizell has food and drink cred from having worked at the Pegu Club and more recently, a stint at the Good Fork. He is also influenced by time spent working in New Orleans. Their muffuletta is a result of a detailed study of the famous New Orleans Central Grocery’s version and every Monday, a la New Orleans tradition, red beans and rice are served.

The menu changes daily with just a few options. Brunch on Sunday ranges from buttermilk biscuit with sawmill gravy, scrambled eggs, and fried chicken to a Dutch apple pancake. Dinner features oysters on the half shell, chicken liver pâté, and Southern specialties like pan-fried catfish, and Chicken and dumplings.

For a place that claims not be focusing on being a fully-fledged restaurant, they are putting out the type of comforting food that makes you want to come back often.

City Guide

- Download the Red Hook, Brooklyn Guide