- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Mobay
Categories: Restaurants Barbeque Restaurants Caribbean Restaurants Southern Barbeque, Caribbean, Southern [Edit]
17 W 125th St(between 5th Ave & Lenox Ave)
New York, NY 10027
Neighborhood: Harlem
(212) 876-9300
- Nearest Transit:
-
125 St (2, 3)
125 St (4, 5, 6, 6X)
116 St (2, 3)
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sun 11 am - 11 pm
Thu-Sat 11 am - 1 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
107 reviews for Mobay
Review Highlights
"as has been said before, the collard greens are legit."
(in 19 reviews)
"There is often live music playing at dinner too."
(in 13 reviews)
"This is the best cornbread in the world."
(in 28 reviews)
Loading...
107 reviews in English
-
Review from Jillian K.
New York, NY
As we were leaving the Harlem DMV, my boyfriend and I walked past Mobay and decided, on a whim, to go in for lunch. Since we hadn't vetted the place in advance on Yelp, our expectations weren't very high.
We were in for one heck of a glorious surprise. (I freaking love this city.)
The atmosphere inside was warm and artistic, and we immediately felt welcomed by the very friendly staff. We've been missing great jerk chicken ever since we moved away from our beloved Back-A-Yard Restaurant in the Bay Area, so we ordered one plate of jerk chicken to share with collard greens and rice and peas.
First, though, we devoured some of that amazing complementary cornbread with pineapple sauce. At first I wasn't so sure about the sauce, which looked (and tasted) like coconut cream with bits of pineapple in it, but Mobay quickly converted me.
Our jerk chicken was not quite as spicy as we like it, but the flavors were great and the chicken was nice and tender. The rice and peas had a slight hint of coconut flavor and tasted especially good after they soaked up some of the jerk sauce.
But to my surprise, the real stars of the meal were the vegetarian collard greens. Damn, they were good! My mouth is watering right now just thinking of them. I had no idea collard greens could be that delicious.
Mid-way though our meal, the waitress asked if we wanted another round of free cornbread. Yes, please! That cornbread is so good I would happily pay for it, but it's a nice touch that they give it away for free.
The best part? The single portion of jerk and sides was plenty of food for both of us (in fact, we walked out of there totally stuffed), so our bill came to only $20.
Oh, Mobay. I'm so happy I found you.Listed in: (Way) Uptown Girl
-
Review from miss a.
Harlem, New York, NY
1/5/2012
Macaroni and Cheese was great. The Fried Green Plantains were also good but extremely salty. If you have an aversion to overly salty food like I do, then I suggest asking them to go easy.
The ginger beer was pretty good and spicy too. Wouldve been nice if I couldve added a shot of something in it but they dont have a liquor license anymore so there goes that.
Since I was by myself I sat at the table near the bar area and service was still a little slow. I had to ask for the check even though I was dam near seated at the cash register (ok not really but close enough). I dont think it was due to laziness or their lack of attention but rather a cultural difference. A lot of carribeans have a more laid back vibe than us Americans and take their time eating, drinking and just being. -
Review from Enchanted o.
New York, NY
12/31/2011
MoBay...where do I begin...The food is always consistently good. The attention to detail lately has really taken a turn for the worse. The liquor license is no longer in effect (WTF?)
I really wanted to have brunch there with a few friends and as much as we like the food, we wanted a DRINK! Pull it together guys. We'll be back when you do. -
Review from Alyssa M.
12/23/2011
I've been to Mobay for dinner, drinks, and brunch so I feel I have a complete picture of this place.
Lets start with Dinner:
Came here with the parents and I ordered the stewed chicken, mac & cheese, and greens-everything was very good (I especially like the garlic flavor in the mac and greens-yum!) My Dad ordered some type of fish that he was not pleased with and the manager seemed very perturbed about my Dad's complaint, but switched his order nonetheless. The dinner prices also seemed way too expensive for the food/ambiance/location.
Brunch/Drinks:
Came here for brunch with a friend because we had a Scoutmob discount-thank goodness! We both ordered the chicken and waffles, mac & cheese, and two cocktails (tropical martini). The chicken was eh, the waffles were undercooked, and the martinis tasted like cough syrup-yuck! We switched out our martinis to regular mimosas---you can't mess that up right? Mmmmm, well let's just say somehow they managed to do that as well. I don't know if it was the OJ, the champagne, the juice to alcohol ratio, or all 3....but how in the world does someone make a bad mimosa???
Once again, I want to say thank goodness for the Scoutmob, because I would not want to pay regular price here again. While the dinner experience the first time was okay, the second outing caused me to drop a star. The Grade Pending rating is not helping this place either :-/ -
Review from Michael J.
Bronx, NY
2/3/2012
While the food and atmosphere are good the service could use some TLC, from the moment you walk in your not greeted, then once seated the server seemed in a rush to get the order in, took about 10 minutes to get my drink which was the worst rum punch I've ever had. The server did not check in to see how the food was etc.. once again its called service which again was bad I barely wanted to leave a tip
-
Review from James F.
Forest Hills, NY
11/20/2011
Do not patronize this place. You have been warned. Food is awesome service is absolutely terrible.
One time I went to this restaurant on a date and the waiter was constantly talking running his mouth, after the woman I was meeting showed up. Messed up our orders and everything. I gave the restaurant another chance, I went there a few weeks ago. The waitress automatically put gratuity on my bill which I didn't realize and i left her cash as well.There is a sign posted that said gratuity is automatically added on bills $100 or more. Called 3 times to reclaim my money. I was given the run around each time. I gave her 32 dollar tip for sub par service and a bill total of $85 not including the gratuity. Unacceptable behavior. I did get my money back eventually.
By running his mouth I mean talking smack. I really love the food but the people that work there can be nasty. Like they are doing you a favor completely turned off. -
Review from Shana B.
11/13/2011
To be perfectly honest, I was not very impressed with Mobay. When my friend and I walked in, we were seated promptly because we were one of the only few customers in the restaurant for Sunday brunch. Both of us ordered the chicken and waffles. The portion size of the chicken was huge and the chicken was seasoned but the waffle was a little soft and was not cooked as thoroughly. I did enjoy the warm corn muffin with melted butter that we received with our meal. My friend also ordered a side of mac and cheese and the mac and cheese was definitely not your grandma's mac and cheese.
We also ordered drinks and had high hopes for a tropical martini because of the Carribean influence with the restaurant but the drinks tasted more like cough syrup rather than the delicious tropical drinks I remember having when I went to the Carribbean islands. Instead we ended up ordering mimosas and the mimosas were also watered-down.
IF you still plan to try this restaurant and have a smartphone, PLEASE download the SCOUTMOB app on your phone. It will save you 50% off of your bill, with a max discount of $30. Since the food was not as great, we were definitely happy that we were able to eat for half-price. -
Review from Ryan B.
10/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was a crisp weekday in October, I had nothing to do for the day, and I wanted to go for an epic bike ride. I was hoping to encounter some tasty vittles on my journey. Mobay came up on here, and piqued my interest. Something about a restaurant that fuses Caribbean, BBQ, and Southern cuisine was incredibly enticing to me. I had to make the trip from Greenpoint to Harlem.
The bike ride was a 5-star-er for sure. I can only give Mobay 3 stars though. It was 'A-ok'. I went for lunch though, I could see dinner there being a way more sensual experience. The menu did have a bunch of stuff I wanted to try. I may have to go back for a second opinion.
A huge plus to this place is the mega irie vibrations. They were bumping nothing but the tuffest riddims throughout my entire meal. The staff was also very friendly,& accommodating.
The menu had at least a dozen things that I was salivating over. I decided to go for the lunch special. Pulled Pork Sandwich, fries, and a side salad. It was delicious, and very filling, but I did have a few misgivings. Firstly, the server led me to believe that any of the sandwiches were on special for $10. So I had to go for the pulled pork, one of my favorite things in the world. Alas, only the brisket sandwich was on lunch special, what I ordered was actually $13. Its only $3, but I feel like the server pulled a fast one on me, not cool. If I knew it was going to be 13, I probably would've got the Jerk Chicken.
Now, this was really good pulled pork, don't get me wrong. But they advertise it as "The Pounder". They claim this to be 1 lb. While I don't doubt that this sandwich weighed one pound, I'd estimate the breakdown to be about .25 lb of meat, .25 lb of bun, and .5 lb of sauce! This was possibly the sauciest/messiest pulled pork sandwich of my life. Dangerous if you have a beard! The sandwich, the cornbread with mango-coconut sauce, the fries, the salad.....were all pretty damn tasty.
I wanted an adult beverage before getting back on my bike. They had a happy hour going on that advertised $4 mixed drinks. I ordered a gin and tonic, enjoyed its strength, but then was very surprised when the bill came I was charged $8 for the drink. When I asked the server about it, she was real flaky, and then told me that it means buy one get one free. Weird, you would think she would mention to me that $4 drink means buy two for $8?
Nonetheless, a pulled pork sandwich, a mixed drink and a whisky neat and I was on my way, happy and nourished for the ride back to Brooklyn. I think I still WANT to like this restaurant more than I actually did. In theory, Caribbean/southern/bbq fusion is an amazing concept to me. I don't think I'll go out of my way for Mobay again, but if I'm in the hood I'd definitely give it another chance. -
Review from Sheri s.
9/16/2011
So this visit to Mobay was waaaaaay overdue!
Ambiance:
Very nice interior decorating. Inviting warm and sultry colors, mood lighting and fresh scents. They definitely thought about the interior decorating down to the tables and chairs, with leather seats and plush pillows that accompanied the wall seating.
Food:
Jerk Chicken- The closest Jerk chicken flavor I had tasted in a while, but it was a little too salty. After we took off the skin it was better.
Oxtail- I always stand by Oxtail, it is the most consistent dish at Jamaica restaurants. I really enjoyed my meal, but it was bit too heavy on the oil. After eating the meal I felt weighted down. Aside from that, I did not like the cabbage they gave. Usually I expect it to be steamed well and not too crunchy with a nice hint of flavor, but this did not have that. Instead it felt like they just mixed it up and steamed it a little without adding any seasoning.
Curry Goat- I also liked the Curry Goat, only caveat was although the meat was cooked and well seasoned, the meat had pink spot on the inside. I know Goat is red-meat, but I got a little worried because I have not seen that before.
Venue:
A little too small. They could do away with the middle seating area because it makes for tight corners and small passageways. I know it makes sense to maximize the number of patrons you can have but I think clearly the middle would allow more room and comfort.
I don't usually write about Bathrooms, because when I like a restaurant and the bathroom is disgusting it completely kills it for me. But I have to say I liked their bathroom with the marble tiles and floor to ceiling mirrors. They get brownie points for their attention to detail here as well. -
Review from Akilah G.
Yonkers, NY
12/28/2011
I have to say, this place is hit or miss. Ive dined here on many occasions and I guess whoever the chef is for the night will depend on how good your food is. The service is always good and the little cornbread thing they bring you out in the beginning is very good also. The salmon is great and so is the curry chicken
-
Review from Missy J.
New York, NY
12/15/2011
Bobby Flay, you must have been confused. Or, you chose to deceive me. You convinced me that I would find decent Jamaican food in my neighborhood by showing the proprietor kicking your behind in escoveitch-making, and yet, after several visits, this African-American/Jamaican hybrid continues to be disgusted by both the "BarBQ" and the "Caribbean" fare. Why would anyone--anyone--slab hot ketchup on chicken and present it as "Brown stew chicken"???? My meat-eating sister was heartbroken. And I am convinced that each time I eat here, my beloved dreadlocks contract just a bit out of righteous nationalist indignation. (The service nah wuk , but as a Jamaican, I am used to this.) I am, however, not used to being deceived by your culinary judgment, Mr. Flay. I will not forgive you, sir. I will not.
-
Review from Caryn H.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
12/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food was excellent. Cornbread to die for. Greens did not need one drop of hot sauce. Fabulously flavored. Mac & cheese great as well. Ladies, order the"get down on it" drink. I would have given it 5 stars but the service was slow. Our plates came out like 5-10 minutes apart and we were seated in front of the door and got a cold draft every time the door opened. Surcharge for live music after 8:30 on Saturday night.
-
Review from Judy F.
8/21/2011
After work Thursday, I came here with co-workers for appetizers. Mmm, each plate tasted yummy and each had it's own kick in flavor. We ordered the coconut shrimp ($13.95 for 6 or 7 pcs), barbeque shrimp ($13.95 for 6 or 7 pcs), and catfish fingers. For sides (each $5), we ordered sweet potatoes and collard greens. Skip the barbeque shrimp; it's cooked shrimp bathed in sauce. The coconut shrimp didn't have a crunchy exterior.
I liked the catfish fingers, nice crunchy exterior, slender pieces and that pineapple-curry sauce is chunky & pineapple-y but a little light on curry flavor. Delicious to the last crumbs.
The collard greens is salted from whatever meat they throw in its cooking process, but the leaves remain intact. Good to the last forkful.
Those sweet potatoes tasted like dessert; it was my dessert with a little kick. A side of sweet potatoes costs $5; it was like 1 sweet potato chopped into 3 pieces. That was good to the last bite. -
Review from Sarah C.
8/14/2011
The food is ok, and they cater to vegetarians! Woo Hoo! Not so fast though! Because this place - in typical Caribbean fashion is REALLY SLOW! There was an abnormally large party seated in the middle of the room, and I understand that this would take up a lot of their time and resources. However, we felt somewhat neglected. The food was on the better side of being just okay - but the long wait and cramped seating created a damper on the whole experience.
Next time we're in the area, we'll go back for sure - we just hope that there isn't a massive crowd! -
Review from Cassandra F.
Brooklyn, NY
6/23/2011
Delicious! I'm a big fan of the other veggie options in Harlem (particularly the new and improved Uptown Juice Bar and Cafe Veg), but Mobay offers a very different experience. It's more upscale and more appropriate for a date or nice dinner. It's also one of the few places you can get decent vegan food and watch sports. An important basketball game happened to be on the night I dined there so the bar was full of excited fans. Everyone was fun and friendly but I wasn't in the mood for sports so I dined in the back of the restaurant and enjoyed listening to the R&B music playing.
I decided on the tofu with brown gravy because the menu described it as being addictive or something to that effect and it was quite good. For my sides, I went with the collard greens, which were also very good, although I can't say I've really had "bad" collards in my experience. What I really enjoyed was the cabbage. The waitress recommended the cabbage over the sweet potatoes (the other vegetarian option), but cabbage is often prepared minimally and can be quite bland so I wasn't sure what to expect. The cabbage, however, absolutely blew me away. It was lightly cooked (steamed or sauteed) so it was still a bit crisp and it had onions (perhaps white and green) and just had a very strong, very delicious flavor. I mostly ate the cabbage alone but it was also very good mixed with the tofu so that the tofu wasn't so heavy.
My meal was $15, which is certainly pricier than any other vegan restaurant in the area, but the food was very well prepared, the service was excellent, and I really enjoyed the ambiance. I will definitely be back! -
Review from Emily H.
Manhattan, NY
10/28/2011
Kick-ass vegetarian food! How often can say that about a soul food restaurant?
Great for groups, families, or for dates.
I was here twice: once a couple months ago with my fiance's parents, then again last month with my own parents. Both LOVED it! How often can you say that about both sets of in-laws?
Both times, the service was impeccable. The first time, we had to wait a little long for the food, but the waiters brought around extras of delicious corn muffins with coconut pineapple butter (which I dreeeeam about), and the wait was worth it. The host both times was very helpful with taking reservations for us only about an hour beforehand, and the entire staff was very friendly.
My first meal was the jerk vegetarian chicken with collards and fried plantains. The taste of the veg chix was great, but the texture was a little tough. Plantains were sweet and slightly crispy, just perfect. The collards, which are all vegetarian, are DELICIOUS - savory, earthy, not too salty, with a hint of spice, cooked well but not too soggy. My fiance's dad went nuts over the barbecue sauce, and told the waiter repeatedly that he wished Mobay published a recipe book. And did I mention the corn muffins?
My second meal was the barbecue soy protein, with the same sides. My fiance's dad was right - the barbecue sauce is outstanding! My dad had fish - not escovitch, but whatever it was, he ate the entire fish, nearly both sides. And again, those corn muffins...
We all had drinks each time - I don't remember what they were called (always a sign of a good time), but we all liked them.
Although the restaurant is somewhat loud (what one isn't in NYC?), the ambience is great - beautiful, colorful paintings line the walls, unique decorations and large mirrors make the space into a relaxing environment, and a pleasant staff really makes you feel at home. Tip for the hearing impaired: Go early, and there are fewer people, and thus less noise.
The second time I was there, the owner was out walking around the whole time, talking to diners. She even posed so my mom could take our picture, and explained "escovitch" to my mom, and then again to my hard-of-hearing dad - soooo nice! She took time to answer questions about food for anyone, and I really felt like she cared about the place.
Awesome! Definitely will return, and bring more family members! -
Review from c h.
New York, NY
Updated - 6/4/2011
I'm sad to report that I probably won't be hitting Mobay again.
The food was delicious again, HOWEVER
I found a piece of plastic in my greens.
This was followed up by a long hair in my husband's rice.
The entire effort to 'make it right' was another plate of food for my husband. there was no reduction in the bill, and no concern on the server's part.
A woman who *seemed* to an owner was there, checking things over - making sure the plants were in order. I thought the server would mention the issues to her, but i don't think that happened.
Finally, I lost my poop a little when the bill came with the tip already included. I went to the hostess and complained. she was understanding and offered to have my husband's meal removed from the bill. She also explained that the tip is automatically added to parties of 3(??!) or more.
I'm put off by the lack of concern, and the fact that the food is delish just isn't enough to bring me back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/13/2011
The oxtail was PERFECT - better than my own, and I love mine, the cornbread was good the greens were… Read more »
-
-
Review from Helen L.
3/5/2011
This was my first trip to Harlem since I moved out here. I needed to pee. We walked by Mobay. My GF saw a bar. I saw a "People Love Us on Yelp" sticker. We went in.
It's cute. Nice table settings. Some fine dining qualities, but mostly tacky. Cute tacky though. I kinda expect Caribbean and tropical decor to be tacky. We just sat at the bar. GF ordered a Harlem Mojito. It was strong. I had a Chocolate Martini. It tasted like a White Russian and it was served in a cognac glass. Tacky. It was still good though, also strong. Drinks were overpriced, but like I said, strong. We ordered some appetizers and that's when we were really blown away. Everything was spectacular! Definitely have to come back here for dinner. -
Review from David W.
Brooklyn, NY
11/10/2011
We used to frequent the Mobay that was in Brooklyn, and since it closed, we have trekked up to Harlem a few times. One of the terrific things about Mobay is the vegetarian selections, which includes the mains and sides. Both the meat and vegetarian dishes are excellent.
Unfortunately our last visit to the Harlem Mobay was a disappointment. During our meal, we were asked to move to another table that had opened so a large group could use our table with the other open tables nearby. This was a reasonable request, but it was not done in a polite way. When the bill arrived, it included a gratuity, for our table of three. I didn't see this until I was home, and included a tip on top of this. Granted, that was my mistake, but adding gratuity for a party of three?
The food was terrific, but the manners and business ethic will keep me from revisiting. -
Review from Teen B.
Atlanta, GA
6/29/2011
Decent. I travel (and eat) heavy in NYC, DMV, and South. In short, I know good food. I guess their menu is subjected to a NYC price premium. Unfortunately, this was an average meal that could have been had at other locations for 1/3 less in price.
It wasn't bad. It simply wasn't outrageous. -
Review from Simone F.
Peekskill, NY
10/16/2011
I came here after seeing it on Bobby Flay's Throwdown. Food was great. Restaurant is extremely small had to move chair for the waiter to get by. Live band was playing, pretty decent. Drinks were strong, worth the money.
-
Review from Leslie D.
Brooklyn, NY
5/15/2011
Ive been to Mobay's a few time's, Ive always had good experiences but nothing to rave about. It wasn't until they did a wonderful job catering a corporate event for me that I'm now deciding to write a review.
I try to taste something new off the menu each time. Ive never been disappointed. I do however stay away from the "southern" dishes.. something about Caribbean inspired soul food doesn't sit well with me.
My only complaint is the skill level of the servers- sitting parties of 2 in a booth, rocky tables, blocking seats, etc. and the consistency of recipes. The crab cakes are usually good, but I cant say they are the same every visit.
TO DIE FOR:
-Drinks
-Cornbread w. pineapple salsa -
Review from Kara C.
4/4/2011
Price: About $25
Highlight: The oxtail
Highlight within the highlight: the complimentary corn bread with pineapple sauce
Now being Caribbean, it is hard to shell out $20 for standard Caribbean fare that you could get for $8 from a nearby Golden Krust (or from a nice aunty's/mother's/grandmother's kitchen or from your own stove).
I must say Mobay has all other Caribbean restaurants beat in terms of the oxtail. This is moist fall off the bone oxtail, seasoned to the bone, not stringy and getting stuck between your teeth and threatening your dentures. There is no cheating with the seasoning - some other places will just add a generous "browning" & soy sauce mix to the outside of the oxtail just for colour then it is as bland as ever.
You get the choice of 2 sides with each entree and so my standard meal is oxtail, rice and peas and mac and cheese. And I am FULL for 3 days straight - as in cannot manage dessert, appetizer or a second complimentary corn bread.
Good for groups, nice for a date, service can be slow - come here when you are in no hurry and sometimes they will have live performances and on Sunday evening with all the church folks they will have second church there.Listed in: Friday Night in Harlem...
-
Review from Charity P.
New York, NY
12/1/2011
I've been here before just for drinks. last night however, I went to celebrate an anniversary with my boyfriend. Our waiter, JoJo was very attentive but not overbearing. She gave great suggestions on what to order from the menu and was honest about what menu items were 86'd (independent restaurants I guess tend to run out of a few things here and there). The food portions at first glance seemed average but after a few bites I was stuffed, My boyfriend had a half rack of ribs left over and him leaving food on a plate hardly ever happens. I had the fried catfish platter with cabbage and sweet plantains, he ordered a full rack ribs with collard greens and peas & rice. The sides were fantastic! The cabbage was julienned and sauteed with olive oil and Italian seasoning... YUMMMY!! "it looks like linguine"
-
Review from VIpryncess P.
Bronx, NY
9/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
A reliable place for good food, open late And on the weekends has live music. the curry goat is a must and oxtail is good but not a reliable late night pick . Service is usually good but can slow down if the place is packed.
-
Review from Kristia B.
Brooklyn, NY
12/4/2011
I can't remember the last time I've eaten out at a restaurant in Harlem, but I wanted to try this place. I've heard feedback from others and since the cuisine was a fusion between Caribbean and soul food, I figured why not. I give them credit for the decor which played well into the theme of the food, but I was not satisfied with my meal at all. For a party of 11, the wait for the food was not long at all. We started off with some warm cornbread with small pineapples on top which gave me a strong start with my dining experience. I ordered the Southern fried chicken which was dry, rice and peas which was fine, and the sweet plantains which were ok. I think Popeyes fried chicken has more seasoning and spices than Mobay. I was not impressed with my meal and I actually left hungry. Sorry to say but I've had better Southern cooking from a friend. The staff is polite and wait service was great, but I can't say the same for the food.
-
Review from Kristel S.
Manhattan, NY
3/1/2011
Finally! After months of telling myself that "i have to check this out", I went last night with my room mate for a much needed treat. I was pretty bummed that we couldn't partake in the happy hour specials, since it was limited to sitting at the bar (and by then the bar was packed, while the rest of the restaurant, empty, even until after we left).
I ordered the oxtail stew entree with a side of mac and cheese and fried sweet plantains, while my friend ordered the blackened veggie chicken with collard greens and also fried sweet plantains. The oxtail stew was oh so tender and I was left gnawing on what little bits of bone I had on my plate, trying to get every last bite. The mac and cheese and fried sweet plantain were meh. The cheese on top of the macaroni had settled as it would when left alone for a while and the plantains were dry. A real let down since I was REALLY craving for some fried juicy sweet plantains--nonetheless, I was very happy with my oxtail stew. The blackened veggie chicken was rubbery and over seasoned, much like the collard greens.
All in all, I would probably not go back to Mobay. Although the entree was great, $19 is too much to pay for a handful of bones. -
Review from Abigail C.
New York, NY
12/4/2011
Fun spot for drinks -- they have a decent happy hour special. And the food is really really good. It's a little pricier than you might like in East Harlem, but they have cultivated a really nice atmosphere.
-
Review from Kate F.
1/25/2011
Even though their best bartender was stolen away by the Red Rooster, Mobay has a great little bar set up, and on slow days it's a fine spot to stop for a drink. With that added competition down the street (along with the french place and other notables on Frederick Douglass), I bet Mobay is forced to up it's game a bit, which would not be a bad thing at all.
I've eaten here a few times, and the food just doesn't live up to the prices. It's over or under seasoned, and a lot of flavors are muddied by too many ingredients, or prepared in a one-size-fits all way as bland side dishes.
One time I was here their poor ceiling started leaking on the poor guy who was wandering the dining room playing the keyboard strapped to his chest... so... -
Review from Kelly B.
Bronx, NY
11/24/2010
This is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC, hands down. Every meal comes with this delicious cornbread, the drinks are not skimpy, and the food is ABSOLUTELY delicious.
The intimate setting is so great, especially when there are performers (there's jazz brunches!). Mobay is the perfect setting for a romantic rendezvous.
Be warned, the jerk chicken is DANGEROUS. I literally almost choked last time I ate it, it was so spicy I needed help...seriously. And it's a bit pricey, but what isn't nowadays? -
Review from Fran D.
Winter Garden, FL
9/6/2011
The food is delish, hands down. Very good brown stewed chicken. Everything was great and I am a picky eater. Great food. I will be back!
-
Review from Fanny B.
Bronx, NY
7/21/2010
Went there on a lunch date with a friend. It was my first time visiting. They served a corn-muffin with a coconut filling on top. very tasty.
They had a lunch special for $8 for various choices. I got curry goat, rice & peas, and cabbage. My friend got jerk chicken with the same sides. The presentation of the food was really eye-catching. The food was amazing. The service was great. I will def come back again for lunch and of course for Happy Hour they have specials for $5. -
Review from Beth S.
New York, NY
10/14/2011
I am so annoyed with this restaurant. I read a previous review that a gratuity is automatically added to parties of 3 or more. This prompted me to look at my bill and INDEED on my $92 bill, a 16.70 tip was included. I then TIPPED 22.00 based on the $117.00 bill. Okay, YES ...I should have reviewed the bill more carefully but this was a business lunch and I was thick into business. I am shocked that the waiter did not point out that I double tipped him. Really? I tipped $38 on a $92 bill? Shame on you!
-
Review from Jim U.
Featured on Bobby Flay's Throwdown! show, this Harlem restaurant specializes in both Caribbean and southern fare. As such, the menu offers an impossible number of good choices to make. The dish featured on the show, however, was the fried fish escovitch (escabeche) so I decided to go with that making matters a bit simpler for me. The entree comes with a choice of two sides, and I went with the mac and cheese as well as the fried sweet plantains. At this point I should probably make note of the fact that the service here is especially slow. It took a few minutes to be noticed, several minutes to return with my opening choice of tap water, and a few minutes more to take my dinner and drink order. It would be another 45 minutes before I would even see my dinner, though they were good about bringing me my drink earlier on as well as a free piece of cornbread which was unexpected.
The food was generally pretty good. The cornbread was particularly amazing, enhanced by a dollop of a pineapple based sauce that was ultimately the perfect touch. I really liked the snapper escovitch ($24.95). It was served whole and topped with onions, carrots, and hot peppers. I loved the contrast of textures in the fish. The meat was flaky and soft and quite flavorful, and the skin was rather crisp. It's amazing how much the skin tightens, so it is difficult to pierce the skin, yet underneath there is only supple, delicious meat. I liked the marinade and appreciated that the peppers were really hot. The only drawback was that my snapper was a bit on the small side, so it wasn't particularly filling. The sides helped to make it a complete meal though. The fried sweet plantains were nicely done. The sweetness really came through, and they were enjoyable to eat. The mac and cheese was just so-so. It was not particularly creamy, and even a touch dry in places. The types of cheese and the overall flavor were both underwhelming. My Caribbean rum punch ($12) was fairly good. They use Bacardi gold as well as coconut rum and mix in mango, pineapple, and orange juices to give it a nice tropical flavor. It paired well with my Caribbean specialty. I opted to pay my bill at the same time my dinner was served so that I would have a fighting chance of making my 8pm Broadway show later that night. Seriously, the food is good here, but only come if you have 2-3 hours to idly enjoy your dinner. I would loved to have tried their rum cake for dessert, but I would have had to skipped the show to do it. Recommend, otherwise.Listed in: Throw Bobby Flay Down the…
-
Review from Mia K A.
Bronx, NY
3/14/2011
I don't think I have ever written a review on a place I only been to once. But my experience was amazing here. I made reservations-I only waited about 3 mins to be seated. I did have to wait too long for the server. The food came while I was still sipping a tall rum punch.
The food gets and A+. The Mobay Rum Punch was one of the best I have had in America. Really captured Caribbean essence. I loved the little corn bread. It had some kind of pinapple-like yogurt (I think) on top. I am on a G-free diet (with a cheat every few months. That is usually worth the pain for me). I had to eat it. It was very natural and soft. I usually like course corn bread. But all will like this. I had the short ribs for my main course. All of this and my stomach was in reasonable shape the next day. The brisket was good. Not as good as the short ribs. The greens were very similar to my Nana's with the addition of a little hot sauce. Spicy and cooked to perfection.
I could not help but peek at my neighbors food that stuck to the caribbean menu. Looked good. :-)
The live music and the recorded music was exactly what I wanted to listen to with my meal.
Caribbean food, BBQ, Rum Punch, great music=5 stars.
I would describe this place as Caribbean fusion. I am looking forward to going back to Mobay's soon. -
Review from Max M.
Memphis, TN
9/26/2010
This is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City. The prices are reasonable, the vibe and decor of Mobay is great, and the food is really tasty.
I really enjoyed the fried chicken, jerk chicken, mac n cheese, and candied yams. Chillin at Mobay feels like you are in Love Jones. The place just has that vibe to it. Depending on what time of evening you have dinner will determine the wait for your food. It can vary from quick to like 25 to 30 minutes. But, the wait is worth it.
The waitress at Mobay was super cool and she was really nice in helping my wife and I get a cab home. I really apreciated her efforts.
I look forward to my next visit to Mobay! -
Review from Bananas F.
Manhattan, NY
12/29/2010
Delicious, food and great drinks! The cornbread is quite good, and the collard greens are amazing, no meat used, but still an amazing taste! I had the fried catfish and was thoroughly satisfied!
I love that the artwork on the walls is from local artists, and that you can buy a painting right there, or contact the artist on your own time.
All in all, a great dining experience! -
Review from Nichole M.
New York, NY
11/15/2011
I went to Mobay for the 1st time to enjoy a nice dinner with friends. The night consisted of a unexpected live band, great food, drinks and best of all conversation. It wasnt until the bill arrived that things became intense. For starters, they charge every person that is in the restauraunt during the time the band is there (regardless if the band is playing or on break) $5. When asked about this music fee, the mgr said it's listed on the menu. When I asked to see the menu, the fee notice was written in black font on a clear label on a black menu.... really.. who would see that. I felt that charge was really sneaky. That's like me inviting people to my home, having a live band perform a concert, then telling my guest they need to help me pay for the band even though they had no clue the band would be there. If Mobay can't afford to pay these musicians, then maybe they should at least charge a cover so that people won't feel so caught off- guard & feel bamboozled when the $5 pp "music fee" shows up on the dinner bill.
Then four $10 rum punches were ordered and we were charged $13 each. When the waiter was questioned about this price increase, he stated we ordered a different rum punch that was $13. When we looked at the menu, there was only one drink for $13 and it was not a rum punch. After having to explain to the waiter that the $10 rum punch was ordered and if for some reason we ordered the wrong drink, there was no $13 rum punch on the menu, he decided to deduct $13 from the bill.
After being priced gauged , needless to say the girl's night out left everyone very frustrated. After that shady experience, I told myself I would never patronize that establishment again and if I knew beforehand they had a Grade Pending health grade, I would have never agreed to eat there from the beginning. -
Review from Cheries K.
Fresh Meadows, NY
8/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
Went with coworkers because according to one of them, Sylvia's is not worth the money for the quality.
We were not disappointed with this place.
The corn bread was good, but not as spectacular as everyone on Yelp made it seem. The spread was good, but overly sweet.
The Mac n Cheese side was really, really good.. Better than the pulled pork sandwich (which was very saucy and had an odd taste to it). The salad was nothing special.
Someone ordered the fried chicken and couldn't get over how great it was.
The place was pretty inside (shell decorations streaming from the ceiling) and they had interesting pictures on display.
The service was good to start with but when it became busy, he was mia. Think he was the only one serving the entire place. -
Review from OD N.
New York, NY
The Good:
-it's a hip and trendy restaurant that attracts a more upscale crowd
-they had live music on a Thursday night
-there is a large diverse menu
-they have unique menu items like red velvet ice cream
-the complimentary corn bread was very tastey as it had a bit extra zip with coconut pineapple sauce
-the shrimp curry was great
-their rice and peas are good
-the green plantain appetizer is good
The Bad:
-service seemed a bit slow there was a pretty big gap between our appetizers and the main course
-the waitor screwed up my vegetarian and gave me a meat dish although he boxed it and gave it to us for free. My wife is a happy carnivore.
- they make you keep the same utensils throughout your meal
-I found the vegetarian steak that was supposed to be seasoned in a sauce overnight bland
-the restaurant was very loud and seemed almost like a night club
