There are all-you-can-drink brunches and then there’s Poco’s legendary all-you-can-drink brunch. Back in May, we started hearing lots of good things about Poco (33 Avenue B b/t 2nd and 3rd St.), a new Spanish-inspired East Village tapas spot that opened earlier this year. So, we decided to head over there on a Sunday with friends Ricki and Kristi to check out the $22 all-you-can-drink brunch special + entree for ourselves. We went sans reservation and there was a bit of a wait when we arrived. Not to fear because Poco allows you to get an early jump on your all-you-can drink boozing at the bar before you’re seated. Other places, like Essex, try to milk you for a round of drinks while you wait. We made our way to the bar and grabbed our first round of mimosas. We then spotted four open seats at the end of the bar and decided to sit down there and have brunch. Best decision ever. Bartender Alexis is fun, friendly and makes some of the most creative and delicious mimosas you’ll ever try. As part of our $22 AYCD brunch package, Alexis offered to take us on a guided tasting flight of her mimosa concoctions and in so doing elevated the boozy brunch experience to a whole new level…

The booze: We must have tried more than 7 varieties of mimosa during our brunch, including an elderflower mimosa made with St. Germain liquer, a passion fruit mimosa, a mango puree mimosa, a blood orange mimosa, a strawberry-infused mimosa, a watermelon basil mimosa and my favorite – Alexis’ JalaH20Melon mimosa with muddled jalapeno.

The music was loud, the booze was flowin’ and we were having a great time. In between mimosas, Alexis would whip up some complimentary whimsical shots for us and surrounding tables. The restaurant had a great vibe and nobody seemed like they wanted to leave. And if mimosas are not your thing, you can also choose from bloody marys, white or red sangrias, bellinis and screwdrivers.

The food: Poco is all about chilling out and having a good time and the brunch items fit well into this motif. Every table gets started with a bread basket that includes some tasty pain de campagne and mini carrot-bran muffins. There is lots of variety on the brunch menu. There are three types of eggs benedict — the Poco Benedict (served on arepas w/ Manchego cheese, chorizo, and pimentón hollandaise), Salmon Benedict and Lobster Benedict ($2 extra, but well worth it). There’s a delicious lobster mac-n-cheese prepared with manchego, parmesan, asiago cheese, and topped with crunchy panko.

While the skirt steak salad (mesclun greens, pickled onions and cabrales blue cheese dressing) and grilled chicken sandwich (crisp apple, manchego cheese, apple wood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and roasted red pepper aioli on Pullman toast) did not quite live up to their expectations, you’ll be more than happy if you stick with any of the benedicts, the salmon blt and the lobster mac.

The conclusion: Our most fun boozy brunch of the year. I’ve never seen a group of more upbeat and energetic bartenders and servers on a Sunday afternoon. Completely the opposite of the grumpy and hungover staff you expect for brunch service. It’s beyond me how people can wait for an hour or longer for a more expensive and less satisfying brunch at Prune when a place like Poco is just a few blocks away. I fear it’s only a matter of time before Poco has a legendary wait to go along with its legendary brunch.

Other Poco specials: Poco also offers these specials throughout the week:

Tuesday Nights: $30 for 2 Tapas and Unlimited Sangria

Wednesday Nights: $20 for All-You-Can-Eat Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels w/ White Wine & Garlic Sauce

Poco Restaurant
33 Avenue B between 2nd and 3rd Street
East Village
(212) 228-4461
www.poconyc.com

Brunch served Sat & Sun from 11am-5pm — also offering a special Black Friday Brunch on November 27th.

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