12 Chairs Café — Restaurant in New York

Are you ready for the 411? Here we go…me and bae decided on this little spot for our after-church service brunch spot. Williamsburg was our choice and this little Israeli spot on the corner of Wythe and S 2nd Street! You could hear the multi-cultural music playing inside as the outside diners tapped their feet to the tunes that filtered outside. It felt energetic and inviting so we inquired on seating availability. The hostess was accommodating and was able to seat us in the almost filled cafe. I must say I am always amazed by restaurant decor and loved the NYC styled street light lighting inside the cafe. The noise level was adequate and could have a decent leveled conversation with bae during the whole meal. Now let me tell you about Dana! She was our server and initially I thought she was peppy but soon found out different. We ordered our meal which I felt was a little rushed but it was still fine at the time. I ordered the smoked salmon scrambled. It was tasty but it was a soft-scrambled which turned out to be a little too soft for my taste. I felt the softness of the eggs decreased it’s ability to enhance its overall taste. I was a little heavy handed on the salt but felt it was still lacking in taste. Bae had the French toast with scrambled eggs on the side. He loved his French toast which he said were perfectly made and not dried out yet soft enough even with the syrup added. His eggs tasted better than mine which I believe were due to the harder texture. His fresh fruit was delicious as well. The kiwi was the sweetest of all the fruits. Now let’s get back to Dana! She started out pleasant enough but was surprised when she came back to our area and asked the family next to us how they were enjoying the meal and never turned to ask us the same question. Even after I thought she would at some point she never did. She was highly attentive to the other patrons which I clearly observed as compared to us. We never got water which she said she was going to bring, I had to ask for a spoon for my tea which she brought way after the busboy finally brought it to me and brought us the check without asking if there was anything else we wanted. I wondered if she was rushing us for the table however saw couples and families that were there before us and who were still seated after we left so there goes that theory. At this point we decided to do Dana a favor and leave this establishment which she was clearly trying to make us do. I love visiting different places to eat and this is a spot I would love to come back to and try some different choices but Dana obviously did not want us to come back. We even tipped her to show her no hard feelings! For others I think it’s worth a try and see if you have...

I recently placed an order with 12 Chairs Café, hoping to enjoy a variety of their menu offerings. Unfortunately, my experience was overwhelmingly disappointing.

Arayes: These were extremely dry and lacked any notable seasoning.

Couscous: The couscous was bland and overcooked, making it unappetizing.

Vegetable Soup: The soup was devoid of flavor, tasting more like plain water with vegetables.

Falafel: The falafel was dry and crumbly, without the crisp exterior and flavorful interior that one would expect.

Pita: Surprisingly, the pita bread was the only highlight. However, it tasted store-bought rather than freshly made.

Tahini: The tahini was overly thick and lacked the nutty richness usually associated with this sauce.

Hummus: The hummus was bland and had an unappealing texture.

Pierogi: These were underseasoned and had a pasty filling.

Pelmeni: The pelmeni were tasteless and lacked the delicate balance of flavors typical of this dish.

Shakshuka: The shakshuka was disappointing, with an underwhelming sauce that lacked depth and seasoning.

Beet Salad: The beet salad was dry and flavorless.

Tabouli: The tabouli was also dry and lacked the fresh, vibrant flavors typically expected.

Israeli Salad: The salad was fresh but completely unseasoned, making it bland and uninteresting.

Overall, the food was extremely nauseating, with an overwhelming lack of seasoning and flavor. The quality of the dishes was far below my expectations, and I find it hard to believe this establishment is still in business given the subpar culinary experience. Based on this experience, I would not recommend 12 Chairs Café and will not...

I love the food here, taste just like being in Israel or Jordan. Modernized just enough to be relavent yet authentic. My only problem is the loudness of the music, it is crazy loud like a night club, just not the right mood for a Sunday brunch. I would come here more often if they’d like turn it down even a bit. And if they do, it’s five stars from me!

UPDATE: I asked the waitress to turn down the music and she said that she couldn’t do anything about it. That each time someone complaints, the owner doesn’t do anything about it. So I decided to bring it up with the owner (very nicely) and he rudely looked at me saying, “people like to party on the weekends, and we are here to satisfy them. If you don’t feel like partying, then maybe you shouldn’t go out.” Wow, so i told him that I was at a restaurant not a club, but even so I don’t think people are looking to party during brunch on a Sunday. Usually a time when folks are hungover from partying (I tried to be light about it). He responded, “well you are the first person to complain about the music.” Which I replied, ah your waitress just told me that when people complain about the music, you don’t do anything about it. How can I be the first? His response: “well you are the first today.” Ok dude.

Had 4 stars, bringing it down to 3 stars for an owner fibbing to a customer just to be right.

Personally I go to brunch to hang and talk with friends, with music as atmosphere, not the main event. But maybe I am not the customer they want. Whoever you are, if you want loud music from the 80s/90s blasting in your ears, go to 12 Chairs on a Sunday morning and party...