EJ Kitchen — Restaurant in New York

9/6/2024 Updating my review to reflect the improvements I've experienced at Effy's Kitchen. After some initial issues with the Tel Aviv wrap, my recent visits have been very satisfying. The food is delicious, and the service has generally been good.

That said, the payment process still needs improvement. The Asian waiter at this location and others tends to stand too close while I'm at the pay terminal, watching the tip I'm providing. This makes the experience uncomfortable, especially since the preset tip options start at 20%, which is higher than I usually tip. I prefer to tip 18% for excellent service, 15% for very good service, and 10% for okay service. Having to enter a custom amount and calculate it on my phone while being watched is not ideal.

I hope Effy's Kitchen can address this issue to enhance the overall customer experience. Despite this, I've enjoyed my meals here and look forward to returning.

7/28/2024 I regret to say that my recent visits to Effy’s Kitchen have been disappointing. The Tel Aviv Wrap, once my favorite dish, has not been up to par. On two separate occasions, it tasted off and was noticeably underfilled. Additionally, instead of being charged for the meal, I was billed for a side of fries that cost nearly half the price of the meal. I enjoy eating the fries first, I can’t help the wrap was poorly made, thus I shouldn't have been charged for nearly half the cost of the meal.

These issues have made me hesitant to return, as I can no longer trust the quality of the dishes prepared by the current kitchen team. If these problems persist, I will have to find a new go-to café.

7/9/2024 The food is great, but the service is inconsistent. The male Asian waiter never checked on me during my meal, didn't refill my coffee or water, and seemed more interested in other tasks. His behavior with the payment terminal was also off-putting. Improvement needed.

6/28/2024 Coffee: Effy's Kitchen serves up a delightful cup of coffee that's both flavorful and affordable. It's a bit of a gamble after noon, though, as it may not always be available.

Food: The culinary offerings have all been great, with favorites like the Challah French Toast, Tuna Melt, Tel Aviv breakfast wrap, and the Yoga Breakfast.

Service: Service at Effy's Kitchen could use some refinement. The cafe's hours are somewhat unpredictable, leading to an early closure during a previous visit. A subsequent phone call revealed they are telling customers they close at 8:30, but the owner has assured me that closing early will be rectified.

Effy's Kitchen is a charming spot with great food and coffee, and I'm optimistic about their commitment to...

I've gone here several times and have tried a lot of things on the menu such as the lamb burger. They add a garlic aioli to it which is delicious. I love their fries. They are usually made crispy the way I like them. I've had their grilled cheese with smoked gouda and caramelized onions which was really good as well. They have other variations as well. I've had their falafel wrap which is really tasty too. I have tried the Middle Eastern breakfast with 2 eggs your choice (I got scrambled), grilled halloumi (so good), labneh (a thick yogurt), hummus, pita and an Israeli salad (chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, pepers, parsley, lemon, olive oil - my fave substitute if I want to be good and not have fries). It was really delicious and filling, but the kind where you feel satisfied, not overly full and gross. The most recent thing I've tried is the spicy fish sandwich. I always wanted to try it. With fried tilapia, chipotle mayo, hot sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and a pickle it sounded delicious. It was pretty good, but not my favorite. My favorite thing on the menu is the cheddar waffle with chicken schnitzel. It's super indulgent, but so damn tasty. Chicken and waffles is one of my fave dishes and they execute it well. The savory and sweet waffle with the fried chicken cutlet and the spicy syrup it comes with all come together in a giant flavor explosion. I recommend giving it a try. The service is always pretty good as well. During lunch time there's generally one server so if it's busy there might be a little wait for additional things you may need, however the server is usually attentive. There is one time the service was spectacular. I can't recall the server's name, but he was so sweet and went above and beyond. I've never had bad service here though which is good. They also apparently have brunch , but I've actually never taken advantage of their weekend brunch deal. For $25 you get unlimited mimosas which includes a brunch menu item. This is a great deal since most places charge a fee for unlimited brunch drinks in addition to the purchase of a menu item. I have only come here for lunch. Definitely give this...

I see a lot of very good reviews for this "bistro". I wish I could give them one-but I can't. In fact, I'm taking the time to write a review because of the lousy experience I and my three guests had. My biggest complaint is we all got lukewarm food. The place wasn't THAT busy but yes, the tables were mostly full. Still I expect a hot, at least a very warm plate. Two orders of pancakes were not even warml. I guess the waited until my other guest's fish and chips was ready to bring the food. My daughter's stew type dish was also just warm and she didn't end up eating much of it as it was very bland and tasteless.

The service was lousy. We were very near the kitchen so they could see us but no one checked on us. We got water when we sat down but never a refill. When the food arrived, we still didn't have silverware and it was very frustrating to see the waitress with our silverware, shooting the breeze with another waitperson while we were waiting to eat. Nobody came by to ask how the food was or if we needed everything. Had they, I would have asked them to warm it all up but no, they just brought the check. Conclusion- it was a lousy afternoon meal for us all. I'd say, if you want to support this business, come for coffee or tea but don't order...