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Cafe Mercato
Categories: Restaurants Delis Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Sushi Bars Delis, Pizza, Sushi Bars [Edit]
648 Broadway(between Bleecker St & Bond St)
Manhattan, NY 10012
Neighborhoods: Greenwich Village, NoHo
(212) 777-5201
- Nearest Transit:
-
Bleecker St (4, 6, 6X)
Broadway - Lafayette St (B, D, F, M)
Prince St (N, R)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 6:30 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
36 reviews for Cafe Mercato
Review Highlights
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"Did the make your own salad option." In 3 reviews -
"Salads and hot food is sold by weight (mix and match..." In 3 reviews -
"Glad we stumbled upon this." In 3 reviews
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36 reviews in English
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Review from Camille R.
Somerville, MA
Walked in here on my way to get food at my favorite spot in NY. I was looking for tea and coffee for my partner. They were just putting out the hot bar selections for the day and the food looked so good we now didn't know if we wanted to pass this food up. We decided to have a little here and then leave some room for our real lunch. Fried eggplant and salad were soooo good! They have an awesome selection of vegan/vegetarian fare. Sushi bar is in the bar and a nice amount of seats for customers.
This is definitely more like a deli than a cafe, so I can see how that may bother some. Overall, I'm looking forward to my next visit to Cafe Mercato! -
Review from Alice C.
1/3/2012
Came here because I needed a place to house me while I studied for finals. Plenty of seating in the back, but I only noticed one outlet. However, if you come on a weekday night, you will probably have no issue occupying the space next to it.
Not really a typical place to study/hang out, since it's really more like a deli, but you will actually see people commingling here. There's actually a bar with TVs, and you'll see a few students in the back chilling with their beers. Pretty strange, but I guess this place does have the space, the sustenance, and the booze, so it makes sense in some strange way. -
Review from Mykel B.
New York, NY
12/10/2011
This COULD be a great place. In the spring and fall it probably IS a great place. Lots of space, a nice deli-style variety of food (It IS a deli), a beer/wine/sake bar, and Sutang, one of the best bar-tendresses in New York. What ruins it is the idiotic policy of keeping the front door open. Even if it's minus God-knows-what-witches-tit outside, THE DOOR STAYS OPEN... at least until midnight.
The cold completely wrecks the ambiance of the place. You're left to shiver over your beer and get out as fast as possible. All the employees work in sweaters. Sutang wears a down jacket. I don't get it. Maybe there's a gas leak and they need to ventilate. (The place smells vaguely of gas when you enter.) But whatever it is, don't plan your party there... at least until the spring thaw. -
Review from Andrew I.
Fort Pierce, FL
5/3/2012
DON'T EAT HERE!!! They don't clean their tools and leave food sitting out! I got sick twice from eating here!!!
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Review from Haruka A.
Greenwich Village, Manhattan, NY
4/18/2012
I've tried the warm food bar a couple of times. The meatballs and fish were ok, the panned chicken was slightly eww... I don't think I'd especially come back here unless it's late at night and everything else is closed.
The service is generally good though, the people are agreeable. Plus it's clean, there's lots of seating, and there's a sink+soap outside of the bathroom where you can wash your hands, which I like very much. So +1 star for these (important) details besides the food :) -
Review from Port D.
New York, NY
5/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
They are much slower than Han's (across the street), so that is where I go.
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Review from Candy M.
7/7/2011 19 Check-ins Here
Wow, this place can please everyone at any time. I came here post-workout from NYSC and the variety for a 24hr place is amazing. Salads, yogurts, drinks, gelato, sandwich's, etc. The list goes on and on. I will for sure be back here after my workouts to pick up quick and healthy veg friendly food. It was really nice to have the option to sit down for 5min too instead of shoveling food in my mouth on the subway ride home.
Was it cheap? No. Was it convenient? Yes. You get what you pay for. If you want cheaper hit up the place across the street with 1/3 the options and no seating. -
Review from Maryanne N.
New York, NY
7/12/2011
So last night a friend invited me to workout with her at her new gym (Blink) down in SoHo. She lured me there with promises of a happy hour afterwards so imagine my disappointment when we walked into what looked like a standard NYC deli with sandwiches, udon, hot food sushi etc... I figured our 'happy hour' would be 40's in paper bags on the subway (not that that's a bad thing).
So imagine my surprise when we stroll to the back of the place and find, what has the possiblity to become, one of the best indoor beer gardens ever. They had a special that night of a large Asahi for $3.50. All drafts were $4 for a pint and the bottle selection was outstanding. A lot of local choices including Coney Island and some Long Island breweries as well. The young korean girl behind the bar was very sweet and did her best to keep us entertained including providing us with some snacks that she had stashed behind the bar.
Bonus - they also do growlers! I can't remember the price but it was astronicmally economical, especially when you compare it to going to Whole Foods when you need a fill up.
We also nabbed some sushi while we were there as between all that working out and beer drinking we needed some real sustenance. Spider roll was good - basic but did the trick.
Why the heck were there not more people in this place? :) -
Review from Ben C.
5/3/2011 24 Check-ins Here
Have you ever gone to a place and just said to yourself, "Wow I could probably live here..." Well that's pretty much what I said to myself when I visited Café Mercato and for good reason too. There's not one singular category that Mercato falls under. With the amount of times I come here in a single week for lunch at work and/or with my girlfriend for a quick bite after work, I guess I do pretty much live here.
Once you walk in there are drinks and pastries donning the wall on your left, with the registers and candy on your right. Then you walk further in and you get the sandwich and panini station followed by the udon station right after. This of course is followed by the "create your own salad" station and then the oven fresh pizza station. Across from these two you'll find the hot and cold food bar being flanked by a larger refrigerated drink area on two sides. Finally you have the alcohol bar next to the food bar; complete with bar stools and all. You'd think that with all these different stations, there'd probably be no indoor seating. Well that's just nonsense because there's ample seating for large parties of people in the back. Yes, I think I can live here.. and you can too!
While I come here too often to review my "experience" (singular), I will however review the most memorable foods I've eaten here. Mainly because I'm a fatass and if I could marry food, I would.
They have daily sandwich specials that they post on the door and on the sandwich/panini station. It's basically a special type of sandwich that they don't usually make that comes with a predetermined side and a can of soda for $7.99. My favorites so far are the Chicken Cutlet and the Texas Burger. Be warned that both with probably clog your arteries and shorten your lifespan by 5 years each. You'll likely also fall asleep at your desk half an hour later. Be prepared and buy sunglasses and then draw eyeballs on them.
The hot food bar always has amazing things and if not for the hefty price I would probably eat everything up. Did I mention I'm a fatass? Every now and then they have Baked Pollack available. I definitely recommend that; it's delicious! You can't go wrong with Mac and Cheese. I noticed they have a ton of chicken dishes, mostly Asian style.
The food here is pretty good in my opinion. It is a little pricey which can be a good thing; otherwise I'd be here for 3 meals a day, 5 days a week. I'd recommend it as a lunch spot as there's always variety. You can have a sandwich one day, salad the next, udon, pizza and so on. Another plus is that there are always two platters of chips to sample on top of the sandwich station. It can be very easy to walk right by Café Mercato, their entrance is very nondescript. Crossing Bleecker, if you hit Wendy's then you've gone too far.Listed in: Cheap Eats NYC, NoHo / SoHo Lunch Spots
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Review from Jacob V.
Avalon, CA
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good sandwiches but horrible service. We tried to order a sandwich from the menu and all he would say is " we don't have that". Finally we ordered something they did have available and it was very tasty. They have anything you could possibly want for food here, sushi bar, Chinese food, salad bar and much more. So if your looking for variety this is the place to go for something quick. Watch out for the lunch rush though.
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Review from Abraham B.
Manhattan, NY
7/20/2011
FREE WIFI
and open 24hours!
I checked this place out to get work done and couldn't have been more satisfied with not only the seating but the assortment of beverage choices. They have everything including a bar plus their seatings are part lounge part study tables so I could come here for any reason really.
I liked this place a lot, did not try their food but from other reviews it gets the job done. Do keep your eye out for power plugs if you need them but theres more then enough seating here.
So yea, I enjoyed the options i had with this place and do plan to study here some time in the future. -
Review from William I.
Manhattan, NY
This place rocks my world. There are only really two power outlets, but the competition for them is so sparse they're plenty. A power strip and there will never be a question. The wifi works, they sell soda by the 2L, there's nothing this place hasn't got, and plenty of it, esp. space, peace, and quiet. And they're 24-hour. You'll be grinding out code or mesh editing or texturemapping or whatever it is you do on your laptop all night like a champion.
About the only thing to watch out for is that some of the high-level tables wobble. The low-rise bench-like tables are much steadier, but only one outlet is near those. The noise level is non-negligible, but very easily tolerable. The music isn't cranked, nor the football/soccer or news on the TV's. Headphones easily drown it out, and the bare minimum noise coping mechanisms for headsets suffices to make phone calls (BTW, cellphone reception is also good there: 4/4 bars for me on Verizon). -
Review from Stephanie C.
Los Angeles, CA
4/5/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Cute little place to sit and rest after shopping in SoHo!
My friend and I just wanted a place to sit and drink coffee. Glad we stumbled upon this. It's actually kinda inconspicuous from the outside; we would have missed this place if it wasn't for me spotting "Cafe" in the name.
From the front, it looks like a normal coffee shop with different pastries and coffee for you to choose from. They can either make you something or you have those dispensers where you get your own coffee. Behind the counter, though, you get the pain killers and over-the-counter medication. My friend took advantage of that and bought some Tylenol for her headache ;) From what I remember they also have travel-size toiletries and other products as well.
I got the cappuccino: mmmm delicious. A little sad that they didn't fill it up all the way (that's the Chinese in me speaking haha), but i really enjoyed it.
As we made our way towards to back to find seats, we realized that there is a refrigerated section with different kinds of beers, snacks, and food (soup, udon, salad, etc.)! A cute little mini-mart. Not sure about how the food tastes tho.
Then we walked further in and boom! A BAR! What the heck?! This place has everything! Coffee, food, alcohol, drugs (um i mean medication), toiletries.....It's clean, comfortable, and pretty much it's only lacking a bed and shower for you to live there!
Kind of glad that not a lot of people have discovered this place yet.. since when I was there on a Sunday afternoon it was pretty much empty with maybe 2 other tables. Had a good time chatting with my friend in a comfortable space :) Definitely stopping there again for some coffee after shopping in SoHo! -
Review from Ian A.
Manhattan, NY
12/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Quick, great value, clean, huge choice, ok food
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Review from Nat B.
New York, NY
3/23/2011 3 photos
It was several weeks ago that I stumbled upon the newly opened Cafe
Mercato a mere 2 blocks from my office. It was a bit surreal at first
-- like a bizarro Cafe Duke's (apparently Houston is the line between
alternate lunch realities).
There is so much to say about this place I'm going to do my first ever
list!
PROS:
- More variety and larger at the lunch buffet with unique dishes
appearing from time to time (Chinese pasta seafood dish, mini eggplant
veggie sandwiches, etc.)
- Pizza! And this medium crispy slice is a delicious and welcome
newcomer to the neighborhood
- Large seating area with comfy tables/chairs and MSNBC playing above
- Nice décor and comfortable atmosphere - I can actually relax a
little during lunch
- The staff are fast at the registers but noticeably more polite (shout
out to the pizza guy). They do a good job with busing tables quickly.
- Open 24 hours
- Free Wi-Fi
CONS & NEUTRAL COMMENTS:
- Prices are standard for the neighborhood and in most cases the same as Cafe Duke's
- Udon is not as good as Cafe Duke's (here the chicken is shredded,
although they have a shrimp shumai udon which I plan to try soon)
- Tables and stools in the back are really low and awkward in any
circumstance
- Pop music is kind of annoying
- They have a bar which I haven't seen used yet (at lunch anyway). I'm
just not sure what the point is given the venue
All things considered, I'm a fan and definitely like eating here
over the old standard that is south of Houston.
Bonus points because I won't bump into my Duke-loving co-workers here. -
Review from Jess L.
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Man, maybe I shouldn't come here on a Friday afternoon. It was really unorganized checking out, and my $1 apple was brown and mealy inside. A real let down.
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Review from W C.
New York, NY
4/12/2011
Whoa! What is this place doing here?
On a stretch of Broadway that is lively by day and barren by night, Cafe Mercato is a great addition. Open 24 hours, free Wi-fi, and pretty much the widest selection of deli/convenience store type food items you'll find anywhere. The atmosphere is inviting, as the space is large and open and nicely decorated. The food is fairly mediocre, but that's OK. Nothing seems to really be bad, and you don't really come to a place like this looking for gourmet food anyway. This is an awesome option for students who live nearby and need a place to grab a quick bite or study when their own rooms are not doing it (great selection of beverages, including the caffeinated/energy variety, as well as a bunch of others I've never seen before). I'm a fan, and I expect I'll be back often. -
Review from angela g.
New York, NY
12/8/2010 2 Check-ins Here
This place just opened and is a welcome addition. so far i am a fan. the service is speedy and there are lots of options. the udon was super tasty today. everything i had fromt he hot bar yesterday was very good too. it's also funny to me that they have such elaborate options at the hot bar. i.e. - steamed lobster whole. what would i even do with that if i brought it back to my desk. ha.
i think this will be a regular for me. i hear their paninis are good also -
Review from Thomas D.
Jim Thorpe, PA
2/15/2011
We visited Cafe Mercato for breakfast on Saturday February 12th, and had the $4.95 special. This included choice of meat (bacon, sausage, ham, etc.) choice of eggs and style, and potatoes. I was disappointed that they happened to be out of sausage the morning I was there, but that disappeared as soon as I had the bacon!
For $4.95, this was REALLY hard to beat. The bacon was cooked perfectly, the eggs done well. The potatoes were a little mushy, but I know there are plenty of people who don't necessarily appreciate them as crispy as I do. Their flavor was just fine. The coffee was strong and had good flavor.
The service from the cook behind the counter and the girl at the register was fast and friendly; no complaints.
Overall, a very positive experience and I would go again with no hesitation. -
Review from Reema S.
New York, NY
7/8/2011
Finally! A decent place to grab-and-go in the NoHo area. My office is across the street so I've frequented Mercato since they opened. The hot and cold salad bar is great, the food always tastes fresh and they have unique vegetable and salad options. They also sell everything else you could imagine - pizza by the slice, sandwiches, panini, udon, sushi, soup AND they have a bar in the back (wonderful for people like me who often need a drink in the middle of a work day). Prices are typical for the neighborhood -- my lunch usually runs between $10-$15 -- but Mercato is a solid option if you want a quick, delicious bite.
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Review from Ekaterina L.
Brooklyn, NY
4/11/2011
It's a lovely deli with a salad bar and beer (draft+bottled). The most amazing thing is the variety of food they serve: Korean, Japanese, Italian, all-American favorite burgers, Mexican quesadillas and even gyros. WOW!
There are three things I liked the most.
First, freshness. Their meats are fresh, and they make burgers from ground beef (and not from frozen patties). Their chicken and fish cutlets are made in-store as well. Also, they sell fresh-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices made from seasonal ingredients.
Second, the prices are decent. A burger with fries costs you about $7-9 depending on what kind you order. Salads and hot food is sold by weight (mix and match whatever you want). Omelettes for breakfast are $4.50 with home fries and toast. You're leaving with full stomach AND not empty pockets.
Third, the staff is very friendly and patient. The place is busy during the lunch time, so the service is usually fast.
The place has just opened (about 4 months ago, they said), but I hope it'll stay in business for years and years to come. Great food! I'll definitely be back when in the area. -
Review from Gregory L.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011
Did the make your own salad option. Get the large.
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Review from John C.
New York, NY
12/15/2010
In terms of nearby selections for a deli, this is the best I've come across. It's winter so I don't like to schlep down to chinatown. My options are cafe Duke down at Spring/Broadway, Hans Deli up at bleecker and broadway, Broadway Gourmet, and spring deli....
Anyway, Duke gets old. This place looks cleaner, good udon selection, pizza, etc, and plenty of seating. Food was good. This is my no go-to spot this winter. -
Review from Mamta K.
New York, NY
12/30/2010 17 Check-ins Here
We go here for lunch almost everyday! I work right down the street and this neighborhood had such a dearth of affordable lunch places before Cafe Mercato opened! They have a ton of choices, the staff is extremely friendly and helpful and they have ample seating. I usually get the salad bar which has great stuff. Their pizzas, udon soups, sandwiches and veggie burger all are delicious! My colleagues have had their soups and love them. The pastries look amazing though I haven't tried them yet.
So glad they opened up! -
Review from Diana W.
New York, NY
8/15/2011
I just started working in the Noho area and was looking for a good go-to place for lunch. Cafe Mercato is definitely the only one of its kind in the Noho area. Especially if you're looking for a make-your-own salad bar. They have tons of other stuff too, like pizza, warm entrees, and Japanese noodles and Udon, which is great for diversity.
I usually go for the salad bar, and between the self-serve bar and the make-your-own counter, I opt for the latter because it's more or less a fixed price and I have no way of properly evaluating weight (they charge by weight) so would rather stick to a price I know.
The guy behind the counter is great; quick, friendly, no complaints. The selection is not that great... Sometimes they have turkey, sometimes they don't. Sometimes it's chicken and tuna day but no other meats, or they won't have salsa one day. It sucks when you know what you like and what makes your salad delicious. The pricing is reasonable, though they limit you to 4 or 5 toppings depending on the size of your salad, not including meat. I've usually not had a problem with additional costs, even if I have a topping extra, but I miss places like Cafe Metro and Food Exchange which have unlimited toppings for the same price. Then, they don't chop salads. I really like my salads chopped, so that was a huge bummer for me.
Then I go to pay. I ask for some bread, which they don't give you unless you request it, and they only have white bread. That's ridiculous for a place that has so much choice in food. And when I suggested they maybe consider getting some wheat or multigrain, I was told that no, they only had white bread and that was that I guess.
My biggest issue with the place is the lady who takes your payment. She's not accommodating at all, I get attitude when I ask for bread, or a receipt, and today, when I was handed a large salad instead of the small that I had asked for (unfortunately I only realized too late that the guy behind the counter had taken a large, which is why they should let people pick their salads and just hand them instead), I told the lady that I had asked for a small, and is there any way they could give me the price for the small seeing as it was their mistake. She answered with her usual attitude that it was a large and so I'd be charged for a large. No customer service skills at all. I mean, give me a free piece of fruit or something, just a gesture would have been nice.
All in all though, the food isn't bad, and I can get over that my salad isn't chopped. But make sure you remember to ask for bread, check what salad size you're being given, and limit interaction with the lady at the cash register to a minimum. In the meantime, I'm going to write a letter to Food Exchange to suggest they open a branch in the area. -
Review from Jennifer S.
New York, NY
2/3/2011
This has become a very welcomed lunch option for the NYU area. Basically across the street from my office, they are a wonderful spot to get a good, quick lunch. So far I have stuck to their soups, such as the vegetable udon or vegetable dumpling soup. Both are very testy, plus are served in a generous portions and are well priced. Everyone in my office has also had a positive experience and keeps going back. To put this in perspective, they are the only real competition Bite has for my lunch business.
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Review from Randolph B.
Astoria, NY
8/5/2011
Here's what I DO like about this place: It's beautiful, it's spacious, has an interesting layout and it's comfortable. There's an actual bar inside, which I haven't had the opportunity to try yet, but what a great idea. On the scale of these cookie-cutter, soul-less nyc delis, this one is one of the better ones.
The food left a LOT to be desired, though. The food at the hot bar isn't bad, but I ordered a turkey burger from the grill and it was like disappointment on a bun. The baked goods are hard and bland. If I do come back, it'll just be for a drink. -
Review from Megha D.
New York, NY
6/16/2011
I go here everyday to get lunch from the salad bar which is actually really good and i highly recommend it. The reason i give this place 3 stars instead of 5 is because I went there for dinner and ended up getting food poisoning which was horrible. So for lunch i give the place a 5 but for dinner i give the place 1 which = to 3.
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Review from Jenifer C.
East Rutherford, NJ
3/3/2011
Not bad. Stumbled upon it when looking to get lunch but not wanting to spend more than $8. Got a salad made from the deli/salad bar. It was like $6. Fresh. And the place is big and clean. You can eat in it as well. Normally I don't eat at places in that area - because there really aren't any good ones. But now i'm glad i can run to one of the shops on Broadway in NoHo and know there's a place i can run into real quick for a to-go lunch.
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Review from Dima M.
Manhattan, NY
5/4/2011
An overpriced variety store that caters to tourists and whose only value add is its convenient location.
The handfull of times I've bought something there, I walked away feeling ripped off: a six pack of bud for 11 bucks or an omelette for 5.95 -
Review from Lorelei D.
Queens, NY
12/9/2010
Looks like a generic deli, but was surprised by the by the pound choices. The filo dough was actually crisp on the spinach pie and the roasted cauliflower is dusted with curry powder. Definitely more flavorful than what I was expecting. Looking forward to having it become a go-to.
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Review from Ann B.
West Hills, CA
8/15/2011
What a great place to grab lunch. It's always hard to find a place that my kids and I can agree on. They like typical kid foods like pizza which they got there. They loved it. I was able to get something more grownup. I had the Korean mixed veggies rice dish called bibimbap. It was delicious. The veggies were super fresh. We sat and ate there. They even have free wifi. I noticed they also had a salad bar and other Asian food options like udon, sushi n teriyaki chicken. I love places where the whole family can eat and everyone gets to eat what they want.
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Review from HL H.
Brooklyn, NY
12/29/2010
its really clean! and i like the different, fresh collection of variety of food! you can grab what you want and have a box lunch for $8 (per pound) and it was delicious! i tried the ribs, the korean pancakes and i forgot what else but it was a little over a pound of food. i think its a good choice for lunch!
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Review from Kiri M.
Philadelphia, PA
5/20/2011
I settled for this place while looking for a quiet, simple place to get a coffee and pastry before getting on the subway back to Brooklyn. I could tell it was a tourist/student trap, even though I am kind of both of those things, but all of the other coffee shops were closed, so I went in. They had a great selection of bottled drinks, and it was nice and quiet. The "small" self serve coffee was about the tiniest I'd ever seen without being an espresso, mediocre taste. Prices are not great, but okay for lower Manhattan. I chose some cookie type brownie bar, and handed them my credit card, but the minimum charge was $5.00, my bill was 4.63. Fine, even though we all know those minimums are illegal and only serve to convince me to never return to the places which impose them. So I paid cash and went on my way. When I get down to the platform, I bite into the mystery brownie cookie thing, and its as hard as a rock! No wonder, the guy handed me the one from the back, not the fresh one I pointed to in the front. Why would they throw out old food on their own, when they can get customers to pay them to do it for them??? Too late for me to go back, I paid my fare and was tired and wanted to go home. I hate feeling ripped off, but I didn't expect more from the looks of this place anyway.
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Review from Gloria M.
Maspeth, NY
2/24/2011 1 photo
My new and only favorite place to go to when around the soho area! There are usually limited (not to mention expensive) options to eat around the area and I just had the biggest craving for pizza one day after shopping but did not want to shell out good money for two boots and discovered this gem. The atmosphere is very clean and comfortable and service speedy. The pizza was delish and a very generous portion, rare in the area. Will be replacing yucky and overpriced Wendy's just next door!!
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Review from Martin C.
4/26/2011
Good healthy food reasonably priced with a massive selection of both hot and cold food. Plenty of seating at the back plus the TV was showing a Champions League match. It even has a bar area if you fancy a drink. Only downside was the lack of air con which made it feel quite stuffy.
