23-06-2025
It's Sloppy Joe Time in Brooklyn
It was only a matter of time until Brooklyn got a sloppy joe-themed restaurant. At least that's what Samuel Saverance was thinking as he stewed over his next move. Saverance, who has been a partner in the popular Bushwick Ethiopian restaurant, Bunna Cafe, for more than a decade, decided it was time to right that wrong and open a spot devoted to the cafeteria staple.
Places have put sloppy joes on their menu here or there (Superiority Burger has a 'sloppy Dave'), but make it the entire menu? Saverance is betting on your childhood nostalgia at Farley's Sloppy Joes. The business tagline is 'Lunch ladies unite.'
'If you're American, you probably grew up having a sloppy joe in grade school,' says the Texas native. 'I thought it was weird you can't just go into a restaurant and get them; love them or hate them, it's a strong part of American culture.'
The sloppy joe has obscured origins, but it's thought the 'loose meat' sandwich — typically made with ground beef on a hamburger bun — was conceptualized in Sioux City, Iowa, by someone named Joe. Similar recipes have appeared in cookbooks under other names as well. But the basic premise was a Great Depression-friendly recipe due to its cheap ingredients, preparation ease, and ability to be made in large batches, doled out. Others say it originated in Havana, Cuba, from a man named José Abeal Otero with a 'Sloppy Joe' nickname.
But much like the dish's origins, the Farley's menu also takes a global look and veers away from the schoolyard. And, as Eater proclaimed in a 2021 article, 'At the Post-Pandemic Bacchanalia, We'll Be Serving Sloppy Joes,' the time seems right given the way other comfort foods have been reimagined.
Farley's is styled like a retro diner takeout spot, with just a couple of seats and checkerboard flooring. After pop-ups at bars throughout the borough, Farley's is debuting at 439 Marcus Garvey Boulevard, between Macon and MacDonough streets, in Bed-Stuy. It opened its doors earlier this month, with a roll-out of full hours of operation coming in July. (Saverance's partner is Matt Buentello, who's been involved in kitchen operations at Nitehawk Cinema.)
There's a classic sloppy joe on the menu — ground beef with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce — on a Martin's potato bun. Their version encapsulates 'the flavors of a sloppy joe, being condiment-heavy, but also has a good amount of veggies, decent ingredients,' putting in more care than a school cafeteria often can.
Saverance tapped his friend, Fred Hua, the owner of Nhà Mình — a hybrid Vietnamese cafe inside the music venue Trans Pecos — to consult on Farley's Sloppy Joe development. There are six joes currently ($10 to $12), with more coming in the pipeline. The Mekong uses ground chicken, fish sauce, crab meat, and Thai red curry, and coconut on a brioche bun; there's the Cuban, with ground pork, Swiss cheese, andouille sausage, and shrimp, on a kaiser roll. There's even a vegan one, using ground Beyond Meat and tamari instead of Worcestershire sauce (not vegan); a Joe Jr., a half-sized portion of the original, priced at $4, is fit for kids. Several different chips (like Dirty's Mesquite BBQ) and sodas, like the iconic Cel-Ray, are available for purchase. But the focus here is on the sloppy joe itself.
Saverance knows transforming a childhood favorite could furrow some brows: 'The only reason sloppy joes could be considered controversial is because people don't make them very well,' he says. 'It's a chance to branch out from the typecast version.' See More: NYC Restaurant News
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