Lokal Mediterranean Bistro (CLOSED)

This B-burg spot overlooking McCarren Park feels like a cozy caboose on its way to a sultry destination. Though the wallet-friendly Mediterranean menu by chef Genio Saavedra (Employees Only) issues the occasional success—an excellent roasted organic chicken sported a burnished skin and a subtle white-wine sauce—the food is largely unimpressive. A grilled Margherita pizza straddled the line between crisp and soggy, and bread pudding arrived in a treacly condensed-milk sauce. Disappointing food combined with the blaring flamenco soundtrack made us want to disembark as soon as possible.