71 Hillside Avenue
Williston Park, NY 11596
Willy Parker’s is located in an area of Williston Park that is becoming a hotbed of new restaurants, and some old classics. Having never ventured down to this part of town I decided to visit one evening with my mom, brother and aunt - the outcome was pleasantly surprising. Dining out with my family, particularly my mother can be an exercise in patience and endurance. She is resistant to things out of the realm of standard American fare and is a staunch traditionalist. When we go out to eat, it can quickly turn into an evening of unsurprising, unsatisfying and bland food. Today however, was different. Willy Parker’s offers what my mother seeks best, classic American food. But, differing from past experiences, this place does it well. For a Thursday night, the place was relatively empty. There were about three other tables that were filled, yet the bar area seemed to be more crowded. There was also karaoke later in the night, so I’m sure that would bring out more people. The restaurant section is pretty small, but not overcrowded as if people were sitting on top of one another. We were greeted fairly quickly and the service was quick, yet somewhat standoffish. However, they did provide decent service.
From Monday through Thursday until 8PM, Willy Parker’s offers a price fixed menu for $24; this is what I opted for. For an appetizer I ordered the Mac & Cheese, a delicious starter that contained taso ham and gruyere and parmesan cheeses. It was very filling, almost too much so for an appetizer. Willy Parker’s serves their mac and cheese with orecchiette pasta, which were cooked perfectly, and really held in the delicious cheese sauce. Everyone at the table seemed to enjoy the creamy texture mixed in with the slightly spicy bits of ham. For dinner, I ordered the 12 oz. marinated skirt steak, served with onions, mushrooms and roasted potatoes. Although the presentation left some to be desired, the sauce was tasty and really complemented the onions, mushrooms and potatoes. The steak was also cooked well, but a little overdone. Nonetheless, the meal worked out to be a success.
The creamy and delicious Mac & Cheese.
Sloppily assembled, but very tasty skirt steak.
I was able to taste food my other tablemates had ordered, and for the most part was equally pleased. The fish and chips were cooked well, crispy beer batter on the outside with tender, flaky fish on the inside. The biggest plus - the chips were actually chips! Too often the standard fries passed off as chips. Freshly made sliced potato, fried and salted perfectly. The inside was tender and full of delicious potato goodness. The burger was good as well, but a little overdone, I think this might have been mom’s ordering though. The regular fries were nothing great, just thin cut and a little dry. Same goes for the onion rings; they could have been salted more. They weren’t bad, just average.
Delicious fish and chips (Real Chips!)
The average onion rings.
Willy Parker’s failed to deliver a closing blow to what was an outstanding evening. For dessert, I ordered a crème brûlée which was served well blow expectations. The custard base was notably warm and thin, while the burnt sugar topping was soft and failed to form a nice hard caramelized top.
The only downside - warm and thin crème brûlée
In all, this was a good change of pace from the normal food that I usually encounter going out to eat with the family. Unfortunately, the desert left us wanting more. Perhaps other choices would not have disappointed. Despite this, I will defiantly be visiting Willy Parker’s again.
-7.5/10-
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