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18th St-7th Ave (1)
14th St-7th Aves (1, 2, 3, F, V, L)
14th Street (PATH)
Mon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.
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I love brunch and lunch here, especially on warm days when you are lucky enough to brave the crowds and waiting list to secure a table outside. Crisp and clean white and black decor makes this place still seem chic after all these years. The open 24/7 thing also makes it an easy option whenever you need a place to eat.
They have large portions of decent salads and I think the buttermilk fried chicken is awesome. I could easily get lost for half a day in here just people watching.
After a sleep-deprived Thanksgiving In the Jerz, I headed into the city to catch up with one of my favoritest people ever -- over brunch, of course. She recommended that I meet her at Cafeteria at 7th & 17th (easy to remember, right?) so I trusted her judgment, braved the cold (compared to SD), and trekked my way into Chelsea.
I have to give her credit -- she knows how to pick a great spot.
This cafe is completely adorable -- stark white, sleek, yet comfortable at the same time. The service was a little scrambled (just how many people were tending the table anyway?) but that didn't matter too much. In the end, each of our servers were sweethearts (and eye-poppingly gorgeous, which certainly didn't hurt).
For brunch I decided to go the healthy route and had the granola with maple syrup, honey, fruit, and yogurt, and I washed it down with some chamomile tea. This particular granola was the prettiest granola that I had in a long time. And it had figs! I love figs! And I never see 'em on granola! Yum.
My brunch-buddy had the Monterrey eggs. It featured eggs, beans, potatoes, avocado, and tomatoes artfully stacked. I'd say it was a more refined and slightly deconstructed version of the types of breakfasts that are a dime a dozen in SD. The freshness of the ingredients was the highlight, methinks.
Cafeteria is definitely a winner.
In honor of my best walk of shame ever and a much needed brunch friend date, Karen F and I decided to take a stroll to Cafeteria.
As always, we had a scrumptiously delicious server who I secretly desired to be my new gay BFF. I took his suggestion and ordered the Monterey Eggs and the side of mini pancakes so I could satiate my craving for something "sweet" and "savory."
When my food came out, I was in brunch heaven. I ATE EVERYTHING. The fried egg was perfect, the salsa- just enough spice, mixed perfectly with the white beans and guac and sprinkled with delicious tortilla strips. The pancakes weren't anything spectacular, but also didn't taste like ass. It was actually the whipped cinnamon goodness dolloped on top that made the pancakes fantastic.
Summary of the morning:
Monterey Eggs+ side of mini pancakes+ large OJ+ tips and tax= $24
Kind of pricey. But well worth it. As usual.
So, this might be a slightly skewed review because of several factors:
1)I lost my wallet earlier in…
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Let me preface this review by saying I'm seriously picky about brunch. Seriously.
Headed down to Cafeteria for brunch today. It's actually (unfortunately) been a while since I've done brunch and ages since I did it in Manhattan.
There was a bit of a wait when we arrived at 11:30 but there was plenty of space at the bar and a tasty mimosa to tide us over for about 20 minutes. Service was pretty speedy once we sat down. I ordered the fritatta (asparagus, cherry tomatoes, ricotta cheese). It came in it's own little pan which was cute but honestly, it was pretty bland. It was more like scrambled eggs with a few pieces of asparagus in it. It needed MAJOR salt, and I'm definitely not the type to add salt to meals on a regular basis. I took a bit of my friend's BLT and, despite the fact that I really dislike bacon, that sandwich was good. My bloody mary was very good and came with lots of things in it...lemon, lime, okra, 2 stalks of celery and olives...which was a tiny bit overwhelming but all things I like so a-ok.
Ambiance was cool...Typical "Manhattan" white, clean, etc. with Madonna playing quietly in the background. But as a side note - Bathroom situation is a mess. Only two unisex ones for a packed place and not much room to stand waiting for them,
Brunch came in at about $50 with two soda, a mimosa and a bloody mary. Not bad for Manhattan but I think I'll try elsewhere next time.
Maybe it's me being sentimental, maybe not, but this place has been a consistent draw for me coming up on a grip now. When I first moved to NYC, one of my best memories happened here over the Mac & Cheese.
No matter if it was me nursing a broken-heart or foot, my cravings were satisfied. The service was quick and when you're all bummed out or not attention in this town is a good thing. I recently ordered the Fried Chicken & Waffles, no joke. I never eat like this, yet this was nothing short of eating tiny rainbows.
I loved the decor for being minimal, but not precious, and the prices approachable and affordable. They take credit cards too, so many places are cash only or AMEX. Confusing for a city that takes all kinds, and yes- that's exactly what this place does. Schwiiing!
I've never been a huge fan of Cafeteria mostly because they think they are way trendier than they really are. Yes you're gay friendly and everything in the restaurant is white, big deal.
Oh and don't even get me started on the mac & cheese, just do yourself a favor and don't order it.
The reason it gets three stars and why I'll keep coming back:
- It's open 24 hours and there aren't too many other 24-hour non diner places in this area
- their tomato basil soup might be the best I've ever had
i used to think this place was a typical pretentious chelsea establishment that was too far of a schlep to make it worth my while. However, my mind has been changed. I have been to Cafeteria twice in the past two weeks for brunch and i am officially obsessed.
yes, the host with the argyle tie and ironic plaid pants is pretentious but so is my yelpBFF david l, and i still love him. it's like people who are judgmental but like you which makes you feel super cool (does that make sense to anyone other than me?). and I'm pretty sure I set up my waiter with my Ed.Theatre bestie-Robert. I did this because the waiter was hot and I wanted him to be my friend so i figured if he was boning my bestie, we could be 1 degree of separation friends which means we'd be close enough to have inside jokes.
i also considered getting a SECOND order of lemon ricotta pancakes because they were so dang delicious. i didn't. but i did think strongly about it.
what you need to know about cafeteria:
bangin liquor libations.
delish mac and cheese and tomato…
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We came here for an early dinner. It was twilight; the sky was starting to darken & the air was changing from comfortably cool to downright nippy. I loved the atmosphere of dining on the sidewalk, with passing cars on one side & the open restaurant on the other. The heating lamp did it's job & kept our teeth from chattering.
Cafeteria is a diner that doesn't know it's a diner. It thinks it's a trendy, hip little corner eatery, but don't let the plush white (indoor) seating & uber chic wait staff fool you, it's a diner with diner-type food & (thankfully) diner type prices.
We both ordered BLT sandwiches with their homemade chips & thought the food was not altogether horrid, but not a meal we wanted to repeat. I can't put my finger on what was exactly wrong with the sandwich; I can say there was too much mayo or all I tasted was the super thick texas toast, but it was something more inexplicable than that. It just didn't float my boat.
As for service, we got the bare minimum "Let me take your order" & "Here's your bill." It wasn't rude, per se, it was more genuine disinterest. Our very cute gay waiter was distracted by his also cute, gay patrons & left (fabulous, funny, gay friendly) me to flag down other waitstaff for water, extra napkins & a box.
Despite this less than impressive first visit, Cafeteria has a menu chock full of breakfast goodies that I am excited to try (I'll endure anything for breakfast items.) It won't be my first stop next time I am in Chelsea, but it is definitely not on my shit list because this kid's got potential (open 24 hours & has lemon ricotta pancakes on the menu.)
Total not including tip $22.
Mac and Cheese is amazing! I've ordered it every time I've been there. This is a trendy and gay friendly place. Good for dates or for a drink after work with some friends.
I will definitely be coming back here. Bit pricey though.
I can't remember the last time I had a "bad" meal in New York. The thing about dining in this city is that shitty restaurants are quickly weeded out. That is, except for Cafeteria. This is the restaurant that just won't go away. While previous experiences have been tolerable, my last dinner here was awful, and the pitiful service only worsened the experience.
I've ceased expecting good service at Cafeteria. Which is why the borderline-rude and impatient hostess did not leave me surprised at all. But our waiter's sheer apathy bothered me a lot. I don't think he said two words to us the whole night, standing silently to take our order, never checking up on us, silently passing us and taking the check. The only thing he "succeeded" at was refilling our water--or at least, my water, which was never empty. I actually think we received more service from the busboy, who delivered our food, our bread, and also refilled our water. Though we tipped 18%, I thought it was ridiculous that the receipt actually had, printed boldly in red, "18% GRATUITY IS CUSTOMARY." Please. It's almost like Cafeteria realizes that they are serving up shitty service and shitty food. The bravado amazes me.
The chicken fried steak was gross. Stringy pieces of meat, covered in soggy tempura, served over powdery mashed potatoes. I think I took two bites of my braised short rib sandwich, which was completely tasteless. And even though it was obvious that I was only picking at my fries, the waiter never came over to ask how our food was. I suspect it's because he already knew the answer and did not want to cause himself any extra hassle, but it really is part of the job! The only slightly redeeming part of the night was the mac and cheese sampler, though nothing special, was at least edible.
Overpriced crap. I have a pretty high tolerance for bad service if the food is at least edible, but I honestly left my entire meal on my plate.
This is a happening place. I think this place opened in 1998 and to date people are still loving this place. Throughout the years I've stopped by after a late night. Beware ... there's a wait most of the time ... especially late night. I will tell you that the best thing on the menu is the mac & cheese. This is a great place to hang out with your trendy friends, eat, laugh, and people watch!
Great place to go if you're looking for comfort food. The food is a bit on the heavy side but it's worth it. They make pretty good drinks and most importantly, you HAVE to try their mac and cheese. Pure heaven!
It's also fun to sit outside and people watch on warm summer day. What better place than Chelsea!
I would give it a 4 but I know their food is not all that amazing. They have hot gay waiters though!
Ok on a serious note, they have good burgers and great fries. It is like a fancy diner with pretty people working there. I am not coming here for the food but more for people watching.
Went on a Friday night with a couple friends. The wait was 40 minutes so we headed to the bar. Service was slow to order a drink.
The decor is chic and modern looking. We ordered calamari as an appetizer & I thought it was really good. I love the dipping sauces that it came with! I ordered the salmon & it was eehh, ok. Definitely wasn't the best.
Cafeteria sucks. So much.
Never been late night, not my part of town.
The food is not even plain, it's just like ... the bare minimum required to call something an "eggs benedict," or whatever, which I guess if I was an avante-garde theorist I might be interested in a discussion of "pancakes as such," but I'm looking for a decent meal. I've been here a few times, and left basically pissed off every time, so I won't be back. It's just occasionally a convenient spot for me.
The aesthetic is beat too. It's like a sad attempt at minimalism but it's actually just the owner is probably lazy. The service is pretty much absent. I love the gays and I'm so psyched that they run their own part of town, but next time I go there I might ask one of them where a decent place to eat is. Cuz it's not Cafeteria.
I had an eggs benedict, she had a cup of yogurt, I had orange juice, she had a coffee. Twenty-fucking-seven dollars, not including tip. And the receipt said "18% Gratuity is customary for good service." What a fucking crock this place is. Sorry about the language.
Stop by cafeteria for dessert. I rarely patronize cafeteria because I don't like "attitude". Hey, I have enough of my own!
Arrive about 6:45 PM and restaurant was eerily light with patrons and attitude. My desert companion had never been to cafeteria so the environment made the evening enjoyable.
I ordered The Apple Pie Ravioli my companion the Banana Split. The Apple Pie Ravioli was like a deconstructed apple pie and the Banana Split was the Size of Mount Rushmore.
My apple pie was delicious!! I highly recommended it. I wanted to lick the plate. The banana split is something to share. I like sweet things, but it was way too sweet for my taste and that is saying a lot.
I have to say I used to frequent this joint all the time. Late nights after bouncing around club to club.. (hoping for one last cocktail, even if it was a little after 4..) My girls and I would brunch here. I had a few blind dates over the years (downstairs lounge = easy escape! voila!) What a shame it is to now report that they have just gone so far downhill, I don't even recognize their white interior, shiny bar and grass hedge on the patio any longer.
The service is a nightmare: from the servers to the nonexistent bus boys. The bartenders are tools and seriously have something better to do than help anyone sitting at the bar. The host/hostess station is a gossip fest or 'check my cell' fest if standing alone.
I just think that Green Eggs and Ham should not cost $13, with poor service. Neither is the famed (really?) mac and cheese or the chicken and waffles. Drinks overpriced, and take forever to arrive. I'm just no longer impressed. Sorry.
I think downtown's Delicatessen is definitely the new replacement.
The obvious plus is they're open 24/7.
But these people take their jobs wayyyyyyy to seriously.
They don't do ANY modifications on food... So the fact that I don't eat fried foods and wanted something next to my egg white omelette besides a huge fried portion of greasy potato mess was obviously an issue.....
My friend doesn't eat meat and wanted something in place of the chicken in her salad but that was also a problem... We both ended up choosing different entrees.
It is nice to sit outside though... it's a chic atmosphere and the food is good for the most part.
Any time I've been here at night, it's been fine, though. Coffees and desserts are all pretty fab.
I'll only go here late at night for drinks/dessert with friends now... It's too bad the employees (especially door guy!!!) are so rude (for the most part) and don't try to accomodate their guests more or else I would probably be a regular - I live just a couple blocks away...
I had the rudest waiter I have possibly ever met. Yes I understand that an attitude in NYC especially in Chelsea is expected to a certain extent but my cousin ordered a burger that had a twig inside. Yes a twig and when we mentioned this to the waiter he told us it was an "herb not a twig" in a snotty manner. Herbs should not be 3 inches long and able to make you choke.
Besides that he got everyone's orders wrong never apologized and when the food finally came out right it was very mediocre.
My sister took us here because she liked it but soon realized that maybe it is only good after hours when you are buzzed and nothing really bothers you, even eating something that you did not order.
Never again.
Great burgers, one of the best late night food places in the city.
I've been here a few times late night after hours and its pretty decent...
The service is not the best...but the decor is chic and modern looking...
The food is pretty good. I've gotten the fried macaroni and cheese spring rolls pretty much everytime I have been here...delicious. I've also had a breakfast platter and friends have gotten the salads before.
It's not a four start dining experience but its where a lot of people go in the city for late night eats....treat it as such....
3am. post-partying. starving...need food now.
Where to go? Easy - especially if you're near Chelsea.
The Cafeteria is my go-to place for 24-hr dining. It's a trendy, all-white restaurant w/ a lounge feel and a fully-stocked bar whose last call is 4am.
Brunch here is pretty good too, and if the weather's nice, outdoor seating is a must. They usually open up their garage door walls if it's nice out, so that there's plenty of sunlight and air coming through the rest of the restaurant.
Late night snacks that were bomb diggity at 3am:
-Mac Attack: 3 small plates of different m&c. My faves are the bacon w/ gouda and the truffle oil. *yum*
-Tomato Basil Soup: comes w/ a little grilled cheese sandwich!
-Biscuits&gravy: friend said it was tasty.
Desserts:
- Black Forest Parfait : too many cherries, not enough chocolate
-Red Velvet: It's HUGE, and average
-Deep fried oreos: can you ever go wrong with these? :)
-Waffle Banana Split: waiter-recommended.
If you get a chance to get their sea scallops dish, I thought it was definitely on-point. Had it a while back for dinner, but I think it's only available Saturdays as a Blue-Plate Special.
Service isn't bad, but they're not necessarily the friendliest. Some have a "I'm too cool" attitude, but they get the job done and food in my belly.
Whether it's for breakfast, lunch, dinner or post-party munchies, this place has something for everyone. Doesn't hurt that they have some eye-candy as customers too. :)
FYI: Go to the real Yelp review under just "Cafeteria."
You'll see 400+reviews and get a better idea…
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Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. Or maybe its been hyped up too much. I came to Cafeteria with decent expectations because I had heard of it so much and people have always raved about it. I came for brunch and ordered a frittata with asparagus, tomato, and ricotta cheese. It was..bleh. Lacked flavor and the eggs were under cooked. The person I was with ordered the croissant sandwich, which was much better than my half way cooked frittata.
Perhaps Cafeteria is just trendy, and that is why my expectations were so high? Either way, glad I tried it, but would opt out of coming here again in the future.
Not too thrilled...I had their Cobb salad..I could have made that myself...Just a lot of snobby gays everywhere..(I'm a kool gay..lol)...
It's OK..
3 stars for okay service. they just get down to business, no friendly frills.
1 star for overpriced mint and lime iced tea that tasted like cheap lemonade.
1 star for mandatory 18% gratuity on a party of two.
10 stars for the smoked gouda and bacon mac n cheese. heaven in my mouth.
that averages out to my 3 stars. i'm not good at math, but it's close enough.
Went to Cafeteria a few days ago, and although the atmosphere and ambience of the restaurant was nice, the food was not up to par as all the reviews say. The service was not as bad as most state. I was expecting to be served by pretentious waiters, but I was caught by surprise when they served no different than a regular restaurant. The staff was polite, but a bit slow and that may have been due to the fully packed hotspot.
As for the food, I ordered the macaroni and cheese with bacon because of the great reviews for it. I was fully disappointed by my order. It was an exceptionally creamy macaroni and cheese, but definitely nothing to write home about. The macaroni itself was overcooked and mushy. Definitely not mind blowing. I also ordered a side of green beans and garlic. At least this was up to par, but I'd like to think its difficult to screw up green beans.
A friend of mine ordered the special for the day which was the fried catfish. The main protein was delicious. Perfectly breaded and seasoned. As for the the corn bread, collard greens, and whipped sweet potatoes that came with the catfish, I must speak highly against it. The corn bread tasted like some awful health food that was dry and without flavor. The collard greens were extremely salty. (Felt like I was going to have a spurt of high blood pressure when I tried them) And the sweet potatoes were ordinary and bland. I was expecting maybe a hint of butter or a hint of brown sugar, but it was definitely a disappointment as well.
I'd say the restaurant is worth going to once just to experience it. But, I know I have no plans of returning again. I can find a much better restaurant with much better food for a better value.
Cafeteria has a very modern feel. There are two floors, upstairs is more of a restaurant area, while downstairs is a lounge/bar area. There drinks are definitely why I go to Cafeteria, but there food is great as well. If you want a late night snack before or after the club this is definitely a place to go. I would recommend either their pancakes or macaroni & cheese. Yum!
One bad experience sure can ruin a place for a lifetime. I have eaten here only once and will never be back. Yes I would like to give them a second chance but there are too many places in NYC that I know for a fact are great.
The best way I can sum up the food is uninspired, and in such a competitive market uninspired equals not worth a second trip. I was at Cafeteria with a group of four and not a single dish we ordered was anything special. But the food alone is not what gets this place the embarrassing one star. What does then? Well when you mix average food with an incredibly rude waiter you end up with a remarkably bad experience. Our waiter was extremely rude, slow, and made multiple mistakes with the orders.
The icing on the cake was when the waiter had the nerve to include the tip on the check which is not Cafeterias policy for parties of our size. When I saw this I was infuriated mostly because the waiter was so rude and inept. For the first time in my life I went to the manager and complained about the waiter. I told him what had happened and asked that his tip be removed from my bill. The manager wasn't that helpful and while he did remove the tip he never asked what he could do to improve my experience. All in all it was one of the worst experiences I have had at any restaurant
I walked in and said in true gay fashion, "OMG this place is soo cute." Too bad that like many other gay men, this restaurant is just as superficial. I really wanted to like this place but nothing I had was good.
We came after dinner and walking around so we were just got drinks and dessert.
Wild Berry Mojito - God. I think I became diabetic after a sip. This thing is too sweet. I even poured my glass of water filling half the cup and it was still too sweet.
White Grape Martini - unnecessarily more expensive than other drinks and tasted like cough syrup. I'm glad I was already pretty buzzed by the time I ordered it or else I wouldn't be able to down that shizz.
Banana Split Waffle - I really wanted to like this. It was so pretty but nothing tasted right. The waffle was flavorless and overly dense. Way too much whip cream, and even the ice creams were weird. Strawberry too tart, Chocolate was crumbly.
The only real plus about this place is that it's 24/7 but it's still spendy.
Even if I ordered all the wrong things, you shouldn't put something on a menu if you can't make it well or it doesn't taste good. Hell, I even got a suggestion from the waiter (Wild Berry Mojito) -- but he did phrase it as one that is "very popular" so not sure if others' actually like it or the description reads pretty. Think I'll only come back if someone's paying for my meal.
As a mac-n-cheese guru, I leaped at the chance to go here for a birthday dinner: mostly because I knew friends would pay, but also to experience mac n cheese spring rolls!
Sadly, it took over an hour to seat 3 people! Yes it was a Friday night, but seeing group after group after group after couple after lone person get seated, all the while wasting away the hours on my 24th birthday made me slightly irritated at this establishment.
After ordering a round of drinks (the caiprihinia straight up is goood!), I dove into the spring rolls. NOM NOM NOM. That gouda dipping sauce is offensively delicious.
Main courses were large which I liked after waiting 70+ minutes; I had the pork chop medium rare, was a little too tough and a little too heavy on the smoke factor for my taste. Friends had the mahi-mahi (overkill on the avocado, but I love avocado so I didn't mind too much) and the steak (bloody and juicy).
Dessert was the white chocolate bread pudding. NOM NOM. Yes only two noms, mostly because at this point I was happily bloated.
Price is reasonable for a schwanky Chelsea eatery, definitely more upscale then the name impllies. Would I come here again? Possibly, but I'll end up making mac n cheese spring rolls in my own kitchen - thanks for the idea!
So I'm starting to explore Chelsea...and it's fabulous. ; ]
Cafeteria was my very first stop.
Cafeteria is open 24 hours, so you can stop by anytime! I went for a late dinner with a friend before hitting a club. (Dress up a teeny bit for the night crowd, it makes it even more fun!)
We split the Mac Attack for our appetizer. It had three different types of mac and cheese. The garlic one was the best...but not the best idea if you're on a date haha.
Then I had the Calamari Salad for my entree. I thought that there was only going to be a few pieces of calamari, but oh how I was wrong! There was quite possibly more calamari than lettuce pieces =]. It was absolutely delicious with the vinaigrette dressing.
And the drinks were great as well. We asked for the drink specials that night, but there weren't any. However, our server was happy to describe her favorite: a coconut rum milky concoction. My friend got it. It was beyond words.
I got the blackberry martini, a bit sour but that's what makes it yummy!
Overall, great service, trendy crowd, clean decor and good food. I will definitely be back.
Went here last night for the first time. This place is all style and no substance. I had the mac attack as my entree and overall, it was pretty mediocre. The one w/ the truffle oil wasn't bad, but the other two tasted like standard mac & cheese you can get elsewhere. I also had the apricot arnold palmer drink and that just tasted like bad lemonade, not at all representative of the description on the menu.
And as for service, our waiter was rather snooty and never bothered to check in on us to see how our meals were. So Cafeteria is wayyyy overhyped and way overpriced for what you're paying for. This place definitely tries too hard to maintain a certain "attitude" and tries to be this hip, upscale-ish type of place when it just comes across as pretentious and inauthentic. It's hard to believe that people would actually line up to eat at this place. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else for better food and service and doesn't try to pretend to be something that it's not.
I was starving and a bit hung over... so when my friends suggested this place I knew that it would hit the spot. I've been here a few times before; so my stomach was craving for the delicious familiar food... that would hopefully make me feel better.
We had great karma today, because there is always a wait... but we were seated immediately... And there was a big crowd of people waiting... so still not sure how that happened, but was so excited that it did. It was a unseasonably warm for Halloween day, not sunny but nicely mild for this time of year. So the patio was filled and what appeared to be a garage door was open for full view of the colorful pedestrians walking by.
For being a restaurant that never closes, the interior of this place is nothing like a cafeteria or a typical 24 hour grungy diner. It's got a modern, white decor with lively music playing.
I've had breakfast / brunch here before, but was in the mood for lunch. I had the mussels soaked in some type of wine broth which was amazing. I also had salad w/ grilled salmon... also delicious. The Bloody Mary was spicier than I normally like, but still great. Service was super friendly, but slow; well it was Saturday, Halloween, and the day before 2009 NYC Marathon... so anywhere in the city would undoubtedly be packed.
Oh another added bonus is that it is located across the street from Loehmann's. One of the few places where one can find "Theory" and other name brand designers for nearly 50% off.
This is a good place to come to after your night out. The food is good & the eye candy is great. !!!!!!
I love the food and venue at Cafeteria. The place is trendy, great location and 24hours!! I tried the Mac n Cheese based on other reviews, and it was all that they say it is. *smile* . You might have a short wait but nothing major. All in all, this is my goto breakfast, lunch, and dinner place. Try it, let me know what you think...
Already aching from the toll of taking softball batting practice and mini golf, we headed to Cafeteria for a little pick me up.
Now as everyone knows, I am a fiend for chicken and waffles, but I just never had it here. Up until last night. And I must say, it was just okay. I stupidly forgot to specifically order the chicken in white meat, because I despise dark meat. Give me a breast and two wings, that's how they did it in the olden days. But alas, I was stuck with a breast, a thigh and a drumstick. The drumstick I abhor so I just gave it to my friend. The breast was okay but a little dry. The thigh I didn't even bother touching. The waffle, however, was nice and freshly made and went well with the maple syrup. Let's face it, it's not Amy Ruth's but it was okay.
And what's an outing at Cafeteria without a serving of the mac and cheese spring rolls?
Turkey burger with seasoned fries:
o8o, ,o8o,
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888888888888888…
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So 4 1/2 stars for food.
2 stars for service.
Hence the 3 stars overall.
Anything open 24 hours is already a plus in my book.
I really do enjoy this place and continuously back. Of coarse the mac and cheese is a must. But everything else is for the most part really yummy too. Turkey burger, mini lamb burgers, chicken dishes, pancakes, all great.
But there was this one time, we got the spinach dip and had to send it back. I have had a lot of these dips in my day but never from here, and I find it hard to believe this was made right. It was as if we bit into a straight up clove of garlic. I love garlic but not like this. It wasnt like it tasted bad, it just tasted wrong. Which brings me to the other problem, how the staff works.
The other thing that is continuously disappointing for me here, which brings it a star down, is the service. I feel like we constantly get the most uninterested waiter/waitress and literally every time, we have tipped the busboy who ends up doing their job for them. Love the busboys. I really dont like basing reviews on staff cuz sometimes its a fluke, but to have it be consistently like this, I think in this case its fair.
This is a cool place, just dont expect the world.
Come for a taste of trendy upbeat Miami in New York.
White trendy spacious interior: check
clubbing atmosphere/loud pulsating house music: check
youthful flamingly gay male waiters: check
beautiful tanned people with toned physiques: check
Cafe seating and floor to ceiling windowed exteriors as if the climate should always be so temperate: check
Grab a drink, and pretend you're not in new york.
Fun brunch place.
First time. Went with 4 people. 4 brunch main plates and 4 drinks, with tax and tip was $104, or roughly $25 pp. Not cheap, but not going to break the bank.
Service was terrific.
Food was good, not "wow" but good solid brunch food. I'd give it 4 stars, but the breakfast potatoes were overcooked to rocks and unseasoned. Plus, I always am disappointed when they give you 1 slice of bread - come on, an order of toast is 2 slices!
All in all, happily satisfied.
Too expensive and trendy for something that's open 24 hours ;)
We got a feast. Calamari, lamb sliders, french fries, mac and cheese, and a couple of other things. It's really tough to remember, I was pretty blacked out.
I do remember the food being quality, but I also remember spending over $100 for a couple of dishes. Too much for drunk food, imo!
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Meatpacking District
Category: Food
Neighborhood: Fashion District
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: French
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