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219 reviews for Yonah Schimmel's Knishes Bakery
Review Highlights
"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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219 reviews in English
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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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Lo C.
Queens, NY
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 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 Melissa R.
Manhattan, NY
11/19/2011
Love Yonah Schimmels Knishes! They have a large variety and are so delicious. It looks like a complete hole in the wall and inside isn't much better, but no complaints because the knishes are so good! Yum!
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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 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 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 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 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 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. -
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 Arthur O.
Oakland, CA
10/15/2011
This place is jouissance, the ultimate pleasure...
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Review from Coty S.
Bradenton, FL
2/10/2011
A knish here will run you about $3.50. I felt like I entered a true tourist restaurant. The mashed potato filling is wrapped about half way around with a thin layer of dough.
I do not recommend the sweet or fruit versions, they were not to my liking. The entire experience was just okay after watching the servers reheating food in the microwave for the dine-in customers. There are some overpriced cans of soda in the cooler to drink. -
Review from Sammy L.
New York, NY
Updated - 10/7/2011 2 photos
Glad I decided to give this knishery another go. Wanted something to sustain me before dinner, so I picked up a 'Kasha Knish.' Never had kasha before (an oat commonly eaten in Eastern Europe), but I'm a fan. The Kasha Knish reminded me of a rice ball, one of my favorite comfort foods. The warm baseball-sized mound of mashed potatoes + oats fit snugly in my palm, my fist closing in with each bite.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/16/2010
Even though the Landmark Sunshine Theater doesn't allow outside food, I'm pretty sure that many a… Read more »
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Review from Miranda R.
KNICKERBOCKER, NY
8/21/2011
Ooooo yum. An institution, and a great place. Very unassuming, funky shop with the most comforting of comforting starch bombs The Knish. Nothing like dough and mashed up potatoes to make everything better!
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Review from Joanna L.
1/5/2011
I ate the musthroom knish.
The knish wasn't, but it really just tasted like mashed potatoes in a soft outer breading.
After reading reviews of what a knish should taste like... I'm saddened to find that the ones at Yonah Schimmel are lacking the crispiness that knishes are supposed to have. Who knew it was supposed to be CRISPY?
So, the more I thought about what I was eating, the more I convinced myself that if I made my own mashed potatoes and put it in a pastry dough... yeah it wouldn't be a knish any more, but it'd taste a hell of a lot better! So I'm convinced that there's better food out there. Especially since the knish I bought there was just popped into the microwave.
Sad knish face. -
Review from Fallopia T.
Manhattan, NY
Updated - 2/14/2011 2 photos
One should note that they don't use a microwave, but a convection oven.
And I'll say again these are the finest knishes I've ever had; my favorite is the sweet potato. One should always put mustard on a knish--unless it's the cherry-cheese flavor or something.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/1/2010
I was on my way downtown today, but I got on the bus that terminated about a block from Yonah… Read more »
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Review from Tyler L.
3/25/2011 1 photo
I have come here once in a while over the years. I know that this place is famous for the knishes, but for me, their knishes are just okay. They have a few different varieties, like sweet potato, spinach, and broccoli, all for $3.50 each. I am just not a big fan of knishes in general.
Actually, I like to come here for one thing that I recommend trying - the potato latkes! Latkes are these fried potato pancakes. The ones here are really soft, thick and delicious (a bit oily as well). They are also only $2.00 for one. However, they are out of them sometimes. -
Review from kim t.
New York, NY
8/6/2011
hi!
my first low rated review {sorry!!!
we have been coming here since we were kids
the recipes are NOT the same
there knishes are PURE starch
sorry no flavor n bland {i am a baker n cook
what we go in there for is not knishes but
BORCHT n YOGHURT {the BEST!!! {yummm cold borcht
drink the borcht n yoghurt but PLEASE
stay away from those so called knishs!!!!!
BE WELL!!!!! -
Review from Esther K.
3/11/2011
Whoa... why didn't anyone tell me sooner that KNISHES were so delicious!
I had my first knish here and my oh my... was my tummy happy.
I didn't know what to expect but its made from potatoes and who doesn't love potatoes! There is mustard tubes all along the counter so... obviously the mustard goes on the knish... man... the only bad this is that I had to wait 29 years to eat this potato deliciousness~ -
Review from Michael L.
Brooklyn, NY
8/20/2011
Miss home? Grab a Schimmel's!
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Review from Rob G.
Plainsboro, NJ
9/12/2011
Never been to Yonah Schimmel's but I need to try it. I grew up in Brooklyn. My first taste of knishes was from a place called Irving's kosher pizza and knishery on rutland rd and e. 96th st. These were unbelievably good. Irving moved his business to Canarsie on flatlands ave and e. 80th st. and we moved to Canarsie soon after as well. There is where I met the most legendary knishman of all time - Ruby the Knishman. His knishes were the best and he was a character. The site dedicated to him is great - http://brucebrodinsky....
He seemed to be everywhere all the time. When reading through the site it is amazing how mny people have the same memories. It seemed everyday either at lunch time or when school let out he was there. During the summer he could be found on the beaches at Coney Island and Manhattan Beach (located in Brooklyn) and he even made the rounds up in the Catskills at the bungalow colonies.
I would pay just about anything for a Ruby or Irving's knish but they are nowhere to be found -
Review from Dan T.
Manorville, NY
8/28/2011
YS is a slice of old NY near the Park; serves as a good pre- or post-movie jumpoff if you're hitting up Sunshine for a flick. Ultimately, a tasty, cheap, filling cherry-studded treat.
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Review from Danielle S.
Forest Hills, Queens, NY
6/4/2011
they microwave their knishes. Even the corner deli toasts them or throws them on a grill, thats a big turn off for me. No thanks.
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Review from David Z.
10/1/2010
"Yonah Schimmel, Russ & Daughters, Katz's Deli, Ratner's....sadly, Ratner's is now gone, but the rest remain...for now, and represent the best of Jewish soul food in the United States. Guys like me who were not around when these places were in their heyday, now only get a sense of what it might have been like when visiting these gems. The food and vibe of these places today are unique and really NYC treasures.
My earliest memories of the LES, where I now live, are of my folks taking us down to Ratner's. Listening to my dad tell endless stories of how he used to go there all the time with his mother, father and brother...back in the day when they were in the shmata business. How people would go in and just eat the free onion rolls. How he knew the waiters and they knew him. But my most vivid memories of Ratner's are from the chocolate rugelach. I don't think I will ever have a rugelach in my lifetime that can approach how perfect Ratner's rugelach were....that and the potato soup. It is a sin that Ratner's is gone...100 years of tradition, culture, amazing dairy...gone to make room for what???
But enough about Ratner's...this is a review of Yonah Schimmel's. I have to say that until you have had a Knish here, you really have not had a knish. This place has more class and character than you can imagine...starting with the picture of Rabbi Yonah Schimmel himself on the wall behind the register. He actually started selling his knishes from a pushcart and now in 2010 people are still eating his potatoes. There is a sign ifo the register that says "you don't have to be Jewish to love knishes"...this is true. I hope this place never closes....OR CHANGES ITS AMAZING YELLOW SIGN IN FRONT! -
Review from Rebecca G.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/6/2011
I love potatoes in all varieties, and knishes are no exception!
Living in CA now, I desperately miss my knishes. Californians don't even know what knishes are.
This place is amazing! It has old, historic acclaim! This place has been around for over 100 years and the cramped inside corridor makes you feel like you stepped back in time to try and old world dish.
They have a wide variety of knishes stuffed with many different fillings from the classic potato to the more modern. I noticed the knishes were more expensive that the $2 hot dog vendor ones, but that's because they're like 3x the size and so much better! These are homemade and quite filling! One knish filled me up entirely!
Also, make sure to open the pocket up and squeeze ample mustard inside!
knishes + mustard = heaven
