The Rogers Garden
It may be October — but it AIN’T OVER YET! ☀️☀️☀️ Savor these still-sunny days at The Rogers Garden, a Flatbush rum bar that transports us to the tropics every time. Owned by Garnett Phillip, a Brooklyn native of Ethiopian and Trini descent, this urban oasis was inspired by childhood trips to Trinidad and travels with her husband across the Caribbean. (Her husband, Kevin, is also a co-owner, along with partners Terri Streat and Andre Farrell.)
“What gets me excited about the islands is when I get off the airplane and quickly find the nearest rum bar,” says Garnett, 41. “There’s nothing like sipping a rum punch on the beach while the breeze hits you — that first breath of relief is priceless. I want people to come here and have that same feeling.”
Recently opened on July 13, the Rogers Garden is the latest of several enterprises from Garnett. She previously owned two businesses on Crown Heights’ Franklin Ave. — Candy Rush, an ice cream parlor and candy store hybrid, and a sandwich shop called Taste Buds — in addition to bartending and working for nearly 15 years in real estate.
Opening a rum bar reflecting the Caribbean half of her heritage was a new dream that even a global pandemic couldn’t stop. “It was one of the most stressful things in my life,” she says of starting the business at such an uncertain time. “But my community got involved to help and support me, and I’m so happy to be here now.”
“There’s nothing like sipping a rum punch on the beach while the breeze hits you. I want people to come here and have that same feeling.”
The design of The Rogers Garden is island-inspired and intentional, led by raw wood, bright colors and sheets of “galvanise” (corrugated metal used for fencing and roofing in many Caribbean countries). You’d never know that Garnett hastily changed her entire plan for the space. Her original communal tables and benches were swapped out for socially distanced furniture sets and adirondack chairs that the team painted themselves.
The garden rum bar is a literal work of art, with every wall covered in murals curated by artist and animator Mike Perry, a close friend she turned to for help as funds dwindled. “He sent out an email, and within three hours, there were like 40 artists,” Garnett says, still moved by the show of support.
Sandy gravel, shrubs and leafy plants, plus evergreen plots of artificial grass further build on the atmosphere, illuminated by strings of white light at nightfall. As the weather cools down, Garnett plans to add partial tenting and heat lamps to keep the Caribbean vibes going for her loyal customers.
“It’s the most beautiful feeling to go from three months of thinking I wasn’t going to make it and that nobody’s going to come, to seeing people lined up to come to my bar,” she says. “The outpouring of love that I‘ve been getting — it’s like magic. I’ve become that person that I’ve always wanted to be.”
Courtesy of The Rogers Garden
Courtesy of The Rogers Garden
Courtesy of The Rogers Garden
Courtesy of The Rogers Garden
Courtesy of The Rogers Garden
Pretty much every Caribbean country produces its own distinctive rum, which is reflected The Roger Garden’s cross-section of rums from Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Haiti, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia and Panama. The bar’s inspired drink menu was designed by mixologist Shannon Mustipher, who literally wrote the book on tropical cocktails (it’s called Tiki). We recommend the nutmeg-spiced rum punch and their top-selling Devil’s Playground cocktail of tequila, ginger, lime and sorrel made in house, from scratch. The bar’s juices and flavored syrup are likewise made fresh.
The Rogers Garden also serves light bites, including two signature paninis (holdovers from Taste Buds, the sandwich shop that Garnett and Kevin used to own): crisp, melty grilled cheese with gruyere and pickle, and a satisfying roast beef panini with gruyere and dijon mustard. They host a popular fish fry every Friday night, and starting this Saturday, jerk chicken and festivals will also be on tap.
But most of the rotating menu comes by way of pop-ups by local chefs and restaurants. You might find grilled lobster tails and buttery lobster rolls from Chef Dread; Nigerian-spiced burgers from Brooklyn Suya; hearty lamb skewers and corn soup from D’Mix Kitchen; or tempting beef, chicken and vegan pastelitos from Pitos Pantry. “It feels so good to be a Black woman who’s successful in Brooklyn,” Garnett says. “I’m really proud to say, ‘This is mine.’
708 Rogers Ave, Brooklyn, 347-295-3866, therogersgarden.com
