Upon walking into the dim-lit, quiet lobby of the Hoxton Hotel,  diners are swiftly led up a small elevator to the top floor. As the doors open, the music and chatter of the busy restaurant echoes through the hall. Through a wide window sits a picturesque view of Manhattan from the East, serving as the backsplash to crowded tables. This is Laser Wolf, a restaurant serving elevated versions of simple Israeli cuisine. The New York Post called Laser Wolf “the restaurant of the summer” in 2022, and the hype has not died down since.

Laser Wolf has an unusual menu set up, in which every table gets a tray of “salatim” with 11 different sides in tin containers- such as baba ganoush, fennel salad, and hummus. While the hummus was good, the other salads were just okay- not good, not bad, just mediocre. With the salatim, you order meat skewers of your choice, such as steak, lamb and trout. I will admit- the lamb and the chicken are perfectly cooked and seasoned.

The restaurant served vegetarian skewer options as well: cooked eggplant with walnuts and shawarma spiced cauliflower- I tried both, and they left much to be desired. I am a major cauliflower fan, but the shawarma spiced cauliflower was too dry and too bland. Rather than being crispy on the outside, the cauliflower was chewy and tasted almost charred. It was really disappointing. The eggplant was well-cooked, but it was lacking in flavor. Both of these items were average at best. Don’t waste your money.

They also offer some a la carte items, away from their typical menu set up, such as french fries with tahini ketchup and foie gras. The fries were really good, but french fries are notoriously difficult to mess up. Still, this batch was perfectly crisp and salted just right, and served with a side of the fanciest ketchup ever. While the fries were really good, they weren’t worth their $14 price tag.

Dessert comes with every skewer ordered- a brown sugar soft serve topped with tahini drizzle, sesame seeds, and sour cherries. Maybe my flavor profile is not advanced enough, but this was a weird combo for me. I wish they had done it without tahini- it overtakes the other sweet flavors, turning a fantastic ice cream into one big flop. 

In my opinion, Laser Wolf is nothing special. Considering the restaurant’s location in Williamsburg, there are better restaurants around the corner. For a restaurant as hyped up as Laser Wolf, I wish that they had more than 3 good menu items. I will note that the view was gorgeous, and the restaurant’s decor was aesthetically pleasing. It’s not necessarily a no-go, but I will say it’s overrated. I won’t be going back. But hey, take my advice with a grain of salt and try it for yourself- it might just be your new favorite place.