The place to go in Red Hook for good food served late, by Brian Abate

Wraptor Restaurant and Bar, 358 Columbia St., is located right on the street corner where Seabring Street. becomes Coles Street. in Red Hook. One of the things that stands out about Wraptor is that while most of the options for food in the area are closed at night, this restaurant is open from 10 am to 2 am seven days a week, with the kitchen staying open up until closing.

I decided to try them out and came one late afternoon for dinner. I found a seat by the window, warmed up from the cold, and took a look at the menu. There was music playing in the background and it was early for dinner at 5:15 so it wasn’t too crowded yet. There were Valentine’s Day decorations at all of the tables as well as on the walls. There was a peaceful atmosphere at the restaurant.

Options on the menu ranged from empanadas, chicken wings, soups, and salads as starters to various types of fried rice, pasta, sandwiches, fish, steak, wraps, and burgers for the main course.

I had only had breakfasts from Wraptor in the past, which included fluffy French toast, eggs, and bacon. Portions were big and the food was excellent and I was looking forward to trying dinner for the first time.

After debating with myself for a little while I ordered the pan seared salmon with mixed veggies and mashed potatoes. Another option for a side was jasmin rice – that will be for another day.

More people arrived while I waited for the food to come out and everyone quickly got seated. I could overhear someone at the bar figuring out plans for catering an event and others went to the bar for a drink. There was a mix of people at Wraptor, with a few regulars and some newcomers including tourists. There is a local hotel right around the corner on Seabring.

The food arrived and I was struck by the presentation. There was a flower in the potatoes which gave off a nice tropical vibe. It was also a very big portion with a lot of veggies and included a fruit which I think was a pineapple.

Most, importantly the food tasted delicious. The sauce was excellent as was the salmon and the sides provided a nice mix of tastes. The food was filling and the fruit was a nice way to finish the meal after I ate everything else. It was tempting to get a dessert but I was full and decided to hold off on trying them. The options included chocolate mousse cake and red velvet cake. The complete meal ended up costing $24.99.

I went back another day and got the BLT wrap with avocado and fries on the side. There was a lot of avocado in the wrap which was nice and the fries were very crispy. Once again, the meal was filling but this time I did get the chocolate mousse cake for dessert. The cake was very rich and had chocolate drizzled on top with some strawberries on the side. The wrap was $13.99 and the cake was $8.

The atmosphere was nice, the service was good, the food was excellent, the portions were big, and the fact that Wraptor is open late is ideal given that most of the food options in the area close earlier.  It was certainly a positive experience and I plan on going back.

Wraptor’s owner Enrique Barranco is usually found at his bistro.

“I want to do what’s best for Red Hook,” Barranco said. “I know there aren’t too many restaurants in the area and they close earlier so that’s why I try to stay open late. I also make all of the food fresh and there are a lot of different food options every day.”

Wraptor also has special deals and events. Some of the past ones include a Mother’ Day brunch special, a Father’s Day celebration with music, watch parties for Knicks playoff games, as well as special events for the Fourth of July and Christmas. There will be more events this year and the restaurant shares upcoming events on its Instagram page which is “WraptorBrooklyn.”

358 Columbia St, Red Hook, NY

Phone: (347) 457-6333

Menu: order.toasttab.com

Brian Abate