Queens Comfort

This down-home eatery is a poor ambassador for NYC’s comfort-food mania. The cheery, sun-filled restaurant—decorated with white chairs, green swivel stools and old-fashioned wood fans—looks like it could serve as Astoria’s go-to brunch spot, but we found the joint half-empty at peak hours. One bite of the biscuits with andouille sausage gravy and it’s easy to see why it hasn’t caught on: Flaky, buttery biscuit rounds are undone by a dense, greasy sauce. Chicken-and-“Eggos” also disappoints, the bird overseasoned, the waffles flavorless except for a dousing of weak maple syrup. Even the iced tea strikes an off note: It’s sweetened with molasses, instead of plain white sugar, giving the glass an acrid, tarlike whiff.