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233 reviews for Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery
Review Highlights
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"the best spinach knish and sweet potato knish." In 29 reviews -
"Get yourself to the Lower East Side and check it out." In 17 reviews -
"we were happy to find this knishery." In 17 reviews
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233 reviews in English
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Review from Steve B.
5/14/2012 7 Check-ins Here
Oh Yonah, how I love thee. . .
The best knishes I've ever had in my life. As the self-proclaimed Jewbacca, that's a bit of a big deal. A nice potato or mushroom knish with some spicy brown mustard - just wow. The dessert knishes aren't great, but a true knish doesn't do it dessert style, so it's irrelevant.
Knishes aren't for everyone, but if you love them then this should be your Mecca, your Holy Grail, your . . .wait, wrong religions. It's better than Katz's, baked never fried, and just legitimately good. -
Review from rich b.
Philadelphia, PA
5/20/2012
What I expected to be the best knish ever was a huge disappointment!. Got a kasha which got heated in a microwave (bad move) that was pretty much devoid of flavor. Dough was nothing special either. I was really hungry too, but didn't even want to finish it. Yonah you let me down.
I get much better knishes in my hometown Jewish bakery. They may be 1/3 the size but cost under a dollar! and are way tastier. -
Review from James R.
Long Island City, NY
5/19/2012
Go back in time, way back, and have a knish. Being a filthy foreigner, I had no idea what this carb brick was, or how to eat it, so I ordered a plain knish, my wife a buckwheat jobbie. If I ever eat a knish again (and I don't see why I should, they're pretty boring unless you can hearken back to the taste of childhood), I will know to order some accompanying pickles and coleslaw.
We got someone else's drinks too, so I ended up drinking an unasked for root beer. Far too sweet ( a heavy hand on the syrup), but served with a straw which always makes me unfeasibly happy.
Four stars warranted by the ace decor, the wonderfully gnarly old timers who own the place (they are seemingly engaged in a low grade argument stretching back to their honeymoon) and the nice crowd that frequents the place. -
Review from Daphne M.
East Elmhurst, NY
5/12/2012
You don't come to Yonah Schimmel's for friendly service or a clean looking eating area. You come here for good freakin' knishes.
This mom and pop style place has an awesome selection of knishes for your enjoyment. I like to judge a place on their simplest, most basic item, so I went for the plain potato one. How can I say perfect? A generous amount of potato wrapped in carb-wrap. Really really smooth, and when served warm it really can't get much better.
If you're in the area and love starch, this is the place to go.
If you're not in the area, they ship a dozen knishes of your choice of flavors next day air for $87. ..so hopefully you live nearby. -
Review from Rachel A.
Boulder, CO
Updated - 5/20/2012
Since writing my last review, a friend visited and tried their red cabbage knish, and told me I have to try it.
I did. She was right. It is fantastic. The last time I was there, they didn't have any left, which made me SO SAD. But if they have any when you're there, I recommend trying it.
My revised recommendation (if you have three people or two very hungry people) is to order:
1) A savory knish (my favorite is spinach) with cheddar or mozzarella melted on it and make it a platter (the cole slaw is out of this world; although I am a little disappointed that they seem to have stopped carrying sour pickles and now only have half sour ones. Sigh.)
2) A red cabbage knish
3) A sweet knish (I generally go with cherry cheese).
ALSO, don't forget to read through the little notebooks on each table and contribute something of your own! Totally adds to the experience.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/2/2011
I don't get all the bad reviews for this one. Yonah Schimmel's is amazing and I've eaten many a… Read more »
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Review from Kelly W.
New York, NY
5/20/2012
Places like this are a dying breed even in NY. I recommend you run if you want an amazing knish from a place as old school as it gets.
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Review from Lindsay T.
Brooklyn, NY
5/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
High FIVE on the hamantashens.
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Review from Eric S.
Seattle, WA
3/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Both my parents grew up in The Bronx, then moved to California right after getting married. So I grew up in So. Cal. and heard mythic stories about knishes and such. Occasionally got to taste some Eastern European ethnic foods like a knish.
Anyway when I told my cousin we were going to be vacationing in East Village for a week, he said, "you hit the jackpot" you have to go to Yonah Schimmel and have a knish for me. (He grew up in NYC and also moved to CA.)
He was right on. This is the real deal authentic local knishery. We stayed pretty traditional with the potato, kasha, and vegetable. Kasha is nostalgic because my mom used to make it so that was my favorite. He also sells some newfangled knish flavors that I can imagine wanting to try if you tire of the standard ones.
Be sure to draw a picture or sign in to one of the guest books. -
Review from Baramee C.
Brooklyn, NY
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
The ONLY place to go for a knish. The street knish's...what a joke. You HAVE to go to this place. Give it just one chance. If you don't like it, then knishes just might not be your thing. I just got a plain old boring knish, but it was still so good!
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Review from Arlene K.
Los Angeles, CA
5/17/2012
My Dad bragged about this place from his childhood growing up in NY. We recently were in NY and HAD to stop by for a knish. Oh my, THE BEST. The size of the knishes were astounding and so delicious. It had the right proportion of ingredients to capture the finest flavor. We ended up getting a variety of flavors and sat in the nearby park sharing amongst the three of us. The mustard was an excellent finishing touch.
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Review from Jillian K.
New York, NY
So, a farmer, a rabbi, and a Yelper walk into a knishery ...
True story, people. That is totally how I came to Yonah Schimmel's last night: me, my fiancé -- who actually grew up on a sunflower farm in rural South Dakota; how crazy is THAT?! -- and my rabbi. To eat knishes. This actually happened.
(I mean, should knishes ever be eaten without a rabbi present? Seriously, people.)
I'm not a carbohydrate girl. I just don't get the appeal. Bread? Meh. Potatoes? Meh. Pasta? Big time meh.
But when you cut into a steaming hot mushroom knish, load it up with some salt, pepper, and mustard, and listen to your rabbi start making puns with the word "potato"?
That's bliss, everybody. -
Review from Jennifer H.
San Francisco, CA
2/14/2012
A knishery!!
Best potato knish E.V.E.R Also loved listening to all the wacky convos going on in here. -
Review from Sue U.
New York, NY
3/26/2012
Well I'm not a huge fan of knishes but decided to give this place a try. We went with the regular traditional potato knish and I think it's a bit boring. There is no flavor in the potato, it's basically like mashed potatoes under 1 phyllo like dove. It's very filling but if you are really into the dove and potato stuff go with balkan Börek (burek), more labor intensive and a lots of more flavor.
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Review from Rick J.
Cape Neddick, ME
4/8/2012
Got a potato knish, was overheated in a microwave, kind of bland and basically a disappointment. Took me two trips here to get one knish. The first time I waited around for 3 or 4 minutes with literally no one in sight to wait on me. I wasn't being ignored, there was just no one there! I was in the area anyways so it didn't really bother me and has no effect on the rating.
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Review from Garrett P.
Queens, NY
10/27/2011
Have you ever said to yourself, "Self, I need roughly half a pound of whipped potato in my stomach right.this.second." ?
Well, I have. 3 times. And two of those times I came here. The one other time was from a cart in front of the Met, but I had been wandering around and day drinking for 2 hours before that, so I don't think it counts.
Go with the mustard, and only the mustard; it's the closest you'll come to going with God until you really do. -
Review from George C.
Manhattan, NY
5/1/2012
I never thought knishes could be this awesome! i had the mashed potato and sweet potato variants. Definitely need to get back there soon and get some more.
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Review from Becca I.
Chandler, AZ
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Okay, so it may not be the very best knish in the world, but it's pretty good. After a long day of walking around the city, sharing a steaming hot potato knish with some mustard was just what I needed.
I think one of the reasons I liked this place so much is because growing up in Arizona there is really only one or two Jewish delis where you have to go find solid Jewish food. No knish shops, no great bagel and lox shops, etc. I love that Yonah Schimmel's has a specialty and feels so authentic. -
Review from Gertrude X.
3/9/2012 2 photos
These knishes are really filling so one between two should be enough if you're only here for a snack. We ordered three - potato, kasha and spinach - between the two of us and we didn't come close to finishing any of them. The potato knish was really tasty but we didn't rate the kasha or spinach. The kasha is probably an acquired taste that just wasn't for us.
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Review from Heather P.
Braintree, MA
3/2/2012
My first knish! The four of shared a sampling of different knishes. Then ordered some to go. Love the food...Love the "throw back" atmosphere...and especially love that the old guy is always sitting at the back table! Also enjoyed checking out all of the photos that cover the walls. It's a must on your next trip to NYC.
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Review from Bleep s.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012
Warning. The place is as dumpy as it gets and the knishes are out of this world delicious. We shared a huge spinach potato knish....fabulous
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Review from Mari R.
KNICKERBOCKER, NY
8/21/2011
Please do not be fooled by this charming, so-called historical little hole in the wall of a knishery. What I am about to write is true, and it could happen to you and your loved ones should you ever come close enough to be in the grasp of the claws of this place.
Not too long ago, I first moved into Manhattan from a very nice little, quiet beach town in new york. I attended a beautiful campus in Boston, where most people were, you know, decent, kind, and considerate. So perhaps that is why the level of human quality that operates Yonah Shimmel's took me by surprise.
One afternoon as I was walking with my fiance down Houston--looking for what was to become our first apartment, I fell in love with the idea of the history behind the lower east side and wished to see some original eateries (Katz's Delicatessen, Russ & Daughters, etc.) Schimmel's was not on the list, but I decided to start there since we spotted it first. My fiance sat on a table, while I went to use their restroom briefly before ordering. An enormous woman came to him in my two minute absence, accosted him, and demanded that he order something. He told her he was not going to order yet, as he was waiting for me to exit the restroom. She insisted so rudely, that he had no desire left to purchase anything when I came out. He told me, "let's go, this woman is really threatening me if I don't buy something, and I know you wanted to, but I really don't think we should."
I told him, fine, we wont order since she was so rude. And then it happened: she seized him (he is fairly tall, but she is enormous) by the collar of his polo shirt and demanded that he buy something, screaming. At this point I don't know what took over me. He is a gentleman so he did not make a move against her. I came at her and pushed her away. I told her I would call the police if she lay her hands on either of us. WOW. I would never have expected anything like that.
We were both pretty shaken... we did not know what just happened. This woman was crazy. The owner, who had been napping in a corner, woke up and told her to back off. We ran out the door.
Anyway, Yonah, you can take your Knishes and shove them up your schimmel, because we and all of our friends are never going to eat anything from your disgusting establishment. And you, dear reader, also should not. -
Review from Lo C.
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Eh... It was a knish... nothing special, nothing different...
I had the spinach and I tried the jalapeno cheddar.
Get the jalapeno cheddar, it's a good combination of flavors. -
Review from eD C.
Woodside, NY
12/25/2011
As an Observant non-Jew , this was the best Knish I've had since public school lunch . :0)
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Review from Neil Z.
Lake Worth, FL
2/6/2012
OK, so I finally after all these years went here. It was a good knish. Would I make sure I told the world about it and have them Next Day ship two dozen of them to Florida? No. I have only eaten knishes this good on rare occasions outside of the city but honestly, I cant see the big hoopla to go out of the way. If you are nearby, OK. If you are nostalgic, OK. I am sure the knishes used to be the most amazing 20 years ago but like everything else in this country quality has gone to the wayside.
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Review from Karin C.
Queens, NY
2/4/2012
their spinach knish is very good. haven't tried the other flavors yet. I may try the mushroom or sweet potato knish next time. I bought them home, cut it in half and heated them in the toaster oven. the crust was warm and slightly crispy while the inside was filled with potato and spinach. comfort food :)
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Review from Priscilla T.
New York, NY
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
knishes are delicious!
sweet potato knish & noodle kugel were too sweet for me, but the mushroom knish my friend got was bangin'. so filling! i loved reading the guestbook, too. -
Review from Max D.
Boca Raton, FL
5/13/2011
This place hasnt been good since 1975. It was taken over by many different people over the course of the decades and they are living off the name of an establishment which at one time was terrific.
It is rat infested and has been cited by the NYS Dept of health many times.
The best knishes were in Brooklyn at Mrs Stahl's , which is now just a fond memory. I wish Schimmels would have closed and not Stahl's !
Stay away from this place . It's not good at all, unless you like tourist traps for clueless people. The knishes are dry, tasteless and lackluster. The people who work there are rude , nasty and unkind.
Any savvy NYer with a discriminating palate would tell you the same. It aint good ! -
Review from Jimmy T.
Brooklyn, NY
6/22/2011
The year is 1929....
"Yona what do you wanna be when you grow up?"
"Mamma! I wanna be the best-est Knish baker in all of New York!"
"Oi! Why cant you be a doctor like your brother Schlomo over here!"
Ummm, yes Im still working on the screenplay, in the mean time Ill settle for a piece of NY history and a carb overload. -
Review from Sky D.
New York, NY
10/24/2011
Sweet Potato knish = delish.
So quintessentially New York. Go on a chilly afternoon with a good friend, order your knish, have them heat it, and take a walk, eating as you stroll. Perfection. -
Review from Nick W.
Santa Monica, CA
2/4/2012
I have been here about half a dozen times. I would suggest the sweet potato knish, the apple strudel knish, and the broccoli knish.
Each time I have visited I have dined in. The little restaurant's interior is dark, some people mistake it for being dirty, but it is not. It could use some paint and the articles hanging on the wall could be straightened so as to appear neater. I enjoyed reading people's comments in the books on the various tables.
Good service each time I went as well. -
Review from R Y.
Manhattan, NY
9/11/2011
Not bad. I thought how special could potatoes be?
Their potato knish was very comforting and the wonder was very nice. -
Review from Britt H.
New York, NY
9/16/2011
Great Jewish, potato-based snack for a cheap price.
The knishes here are large, very filling, quite tasty, come in many varieties, and are only $3.50 or $5.00 (depending on what type of knish you order). Upon ordering, you can elect to have it warmed in their convection oven or not. At any given time, they have a variety of types or flavors of knishes available, from basic potato, to peppers and onion, to jalapenos and cheese, to sweet potato. If you opt to carry out your order, your knish will be provided in a thin wax paper so that you can eat it on the go if you so choose.
The time I visited Yonah, I ordered 1 knish with onions and peppers inside. First off, the knishes here are massive; honestly, they are only slightly smaller than a softball, and larger than a baseball. The knishes are moist and flaky, almost resembling a freshly baked biscuit. Inside, the knishes are chalk-full of potato along with whatever other filling you've chosen. Again, the knishes are deceptively large and EXTREMELY filling, especially if you take the opportunity to apply some of the spicy deli mustard strategically located at several stations within the bakery. (P.S. Mustard is highly recommended). Because the knishes are so large and heavy on potato, they are not only highly thirst-inducing, but also quite filling; as such, mustard and some sort of beverage are both highly recommended.
In terms of service, I came at roughly 5:45pm on a Friday afternoon. There was no line when I came in. The employee / cashier was cordial; I stood at the counter and stared helplessly at the menu and the knishes displayed in the glass case for a good 30 seconds before ordering. I opted not to have my knish warmed in the oven, as I took it home and later warmed it myself in the oven.
Overall, a knish is what it is; lots of potato tightly baked into a rather large package with any one of a number of secondary filling options. If that sounds like your thing, you really can't go wrong with good ol' Yonah. It's cheap, fast, tasty, and incredibly filling for the amount it costs. Highly recommended. -
Review from Ron C.
I've been passing by this place for years and it was good to finally step inside and buy a Knish. Everyday they usually have the mushroom, broccoli, sweet potato knishes. The knish of the day was the mozzarella knish. It was a bit pricey for $5 and the others were $3.50, but knishes are the specialty here. I had them heat me up the knish of the day and I was on my way.
I didn't wanna stay inside and eat on an awesome Friday afternoon. Nice breeze, sun was out. It was the perfect day to eat outside at the nearby park. Judging by the knishes in the window, I thought it was like a biscuit, all warm and flaky, but it was full of potato.... This is a meal on it's own. The mozzarella knish was good, but I wish it had a bit more cheese. I'm gonna try the mushroom one next time around. -
Review from Stephanie C.
5/17/2011
My hotel was located right next door. So when I decided to turn right one day instead of left, I discovered this place.
I've heard of knishes but never had one. With a dinner plans set in a few hours, I figured a knish would be enough to tie me over.
I ordered a spinach knish - their onion and garlic sounded heavenly but were already sold out. I bite into the knish which was warm and it felt dough-like in my hands.
Yes, they're starchy - they're made of potato! I knew that I would feel heavy afterwards so I saved the other half for when I came home later that night. I can tell you that eating a knish after a night of drinking is so good!
My overall impression of the knish was good. If I had a choice or was to choose a condiment, I would have added hot sauce, only to heighten the taste. I think it helped that I had spinach because it did add some flavour. Otherwise, it tastes somewhat bland.
But it was nice to be eating a part of New York's gastronomic history, especially from a famous bakery such as Yonah Schimmel's!Listed in: NYC 2011 & Beyond
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Review from Jennifer K.
3/16/2011 8 photos
This is my disclaimer for Yonah Schimmel's Knishes Bakery:
- I have no idea and never try knishes before... my first experience
- I am not a potato person or the fact is I don't like to eat anything that is too heavy and filling
Historically I find Yonah Schimmels is an interesting place to visit because it has been at the same location since 1910 and has been using the same recipe for its potato knishes.
Original Potato Knish ($3.50)
- It is basically some seasoned mashed potato baked in a flaky wrapping
- I found it a little dry and bland... and too filling
I would not say I will never eat another knish ever, but definitely not the original version. But popping by and having a taste of the US/Jewish history was an experience in itself!Listed in: A Weekend in NYC!
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Review from WaYnE c.
3/12/2011
I'm surprised by the favourable reviews and the love shared for Knishes from Yonah Schimmel's Knishes Bakery. The reason I'm surprised is that the rating average doesn't reflect parallel to the deserted Bakery during the Sunday Lunch Hour. No waiting, no lines and customers I can count with one hand.
I'm quite new to Knishes so this was absolutely Knishes 101 for me. We got the Original Potato Knish($3.50) and it was a BALL of Mash Potato with thin pale Pastry outerlayer so thin I didn't get any texture or flavour out of it, making it a non-factor. The Potato Stuffing was... Mash Potato, nothing more nothing less. It's got to be Starch lovers dream and as you see from my rating, I'm slightly Starch-adverse especially in the amount offered.
Not my Baked Good nor Snack of choice. Fortunately it was quite affordable and at least it's one-hand edible which does suit the grab-n-go crowd needing any type of satisfaction to keep from starvation. As it seems that seating area does require additional fees, it does keep the Bakery quite EMPTY and almost lonely to a certain degree. -
Review from Jason L.
Berkeley, CA
3/15/2011
Next stop, Yonah Schimmel's Knishery -- otherwise known as Knish Bakery (NOT "Knishes Bakery," but whatcha gonna do?) . . .
Simply put, my grandmother should make them this good . . . we got one potato knish, one mushroom, one spinach -- packed up nicely for travel back to California and Lynn's parents. Oy, you shouda seen their faces light up . . . . -
Review from Thuy V.
San Francisco, CA
7/8/2011 5 photos
These knishes are delicious. You just want to taste all the flavors when you first arrive here. But, be warned. They are tightly packed with potatoes, so they can fill you up quickly. The small size is deceiving.
Lots of history here. Take the time to look at the History Wall and you'll discover who's been here, even before you were born. Browse through their guest books (what a great idea!) and you'll read comments left by visitors around the globe. Don't forget to write one too, even the President did. It's like visiting a museum.
5 star is for the history. Comes with knishes.Listed in: Eateries - New York
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Review from Jon L.
7/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nothing like it anywhere but NYC.
You feel the history and expect for Woody Allen or Harvey Kietel to walk in the door any second.
I had never had a knish before, but I have know. -
Review from Pearl H.
Long Island City, NY
6/1/2011
we went here for a Tastes of LES event over the summer. It was like 1000 degrees inside, and it looked really grody. It was definitely decor from the 70s that stayed in the 70s, and it was dilapidated.
The knishes were dry and not good. I'm not sure where these high reviews are coming from.... maybe it was an off day, but I definitely wouldn't go back.
I'm not a fan.
