IBN Hamido Seafood — Restaurant in New York

Recently I visited Hamido, and the experience was nothing short of horrible. It was a disrespectful encounter from start to finish. Multiple incidents occurred that made it clear this business is lacking in professionalism and basic human decency.

First and foremost, the owner openly cursed at one of the employees, a highly respectable and attentive staff member who went above and beyond to serve us. This unprofessional outburst happened in front of customers, including myself and my group, leaving us shocked and uncomfortable.

Additionally, we had to request rice 5 times from various staff members, including the owner himself. Despite our repeated requests, the rice took an entire hour to arrive. By the time it was served, the fish we had ordered was cold, and the meal was completely ruined. We couldn’t enjoy our food as we were left waiting an unreasonable amount of time to receive what should have been a simple order.

When I politely attempted to address my concerns with the owner after the meal, he was condescending. He responded with sarcastic remarks and an insincere smile, repeatedly uttering, “Hmm, okay, I’m sorry,” in a tone that made it clear he had no intention of taking my feedback seriously. Rather than addressing the issues or offering a genuine apology, his sole focus appeared to be extracting payment from us. This was particularly offensive given we were a large group spending around $1,500 on our meal.

Also, I personally asked the owner for a lemon mint juice, but he didn’t even place the order and kept me waiting for 20 min for a juice. Ultimately, it was the same employee he had earlier disrespected who graciously resolved the issue, serving my drink within a minute and even apologizing for the delay, an issue that was entirely the owner’s fault.

I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this place to anyone. It’s deeply disappointing to witness an Egyptian-owned establishment operate with such blatant disrespect toward both customers and employees. The owner’s attitude was unprofessional, dismissive, and solely profit-driven, with no regard for basic customer satisfaction or ethical treatment of his staff.

It’s worth noting that, after this experience, I reviewed the feedback from others on different apps including google and found consistent reports of the owner’s behavior, including instances of disrespect, overcharging, and even physical altercations. Unfortunately, we were mistaken not to check these reviews beforehand. This was, without a doubt, the worst dining experiences I have had in NYC. Hamido should be ashamed to conduct business in...

I would definitely recommend trying Hamido. After months of living in the area, and noticing a very long line every single day- my husband and I decided to give them a try. I hesitated because I'm really not a seafood person (it grosses me out), and when I've had it in the past at restaurants it's just never cooked right. We went in at about 1 pm on a weekday to try their lunch specials menu. (It runs M-F from 12p-4p for $18.49 and has a lot of good choices). We weren't sure what to expect but the wait person we had was very patient and did a great job of explaining everything. We have some food items that we do not tolerate well, so we asked a lot of questions regarding ingredients.

I'm so glad we gave it a try! I ordered the fish and chips, my husband got the mixed calamari and shrimp dish, and we had rice and baba ganoush as our sides. The warm pitas that were brought to the table were pillowy and perfect for the baba ganoush- which was a star in its own right. The rice was good, my husband really loved it but it wasn't for me, personally. The calamari was some of the best I've ever had, cooked to perfection, same with the shrimp. Everything was firm (as it should be), with perfect chew. The seasonings were also well paired. I was anxious to try the tilapia with the fish and chips, as again- I'm not a seafood eater, but it was a delight. Melt in your mouth good, the seasoning was so fragrant, and it was also cooked perfectly alongside the fries. Everything was so fresh too! We were very impressed overall. So much so, that we went back the following week when my husband had another week day off.

I can see how this restaurant would seem overwhelming for some, but it was really helpful to go and just do the lunch special to feel it out, and staff was so great about explaining everything to us- so just ask. The place itself is very clean, and inside at the tables they provide towelettes to wipe up your hands and such afterwards, so no worry there. It's not a huge space by any means, but it's well laid out and not suffocating where you feel like you're on top of other people. I can see how if it was a bit busier it might get a little more intimidating though. Best chance is to go during off hours, as we walked right in and had no issues and no wait time. For everything they have going on here, it's also not too loud, it's a very relaxed environment, in my opinion.

We will likely return in the...

An amazingly awesome sea food place. The produce is fresh and the preparation is as good. And yet, you see a lower rating only 'coz food is not only about the actual food but an overall experience that begins when you reach the food place.

Plan atleast a 3 hour time slot if you really want to sit-in and eat at this place. Begins from standing outside the place and trying to get the attention of the usherer who hands you a number block that determines your order of entry. After which you still are waiting outside for another hour on a reasonably light day and I mean a Monday evening. (Cant imagine the weekend rush then!) Okay, after this is done and you are finally asked to go inside, you head to a counter where you still have others in front of you. Here is when and where you begin choosing the fresh produce and telling the guys what you want to eat.

And then begins another 1 hour long wait (on a light day) for you to be served. Well, to be hinest, the management clearly makes it known that this is not a 'fast food place' and that this is the minimum time required to be served. Any yet, it's the general attitude (and please don't get me wrong here, the servers are nice and everyone's always sporting a smile). But the joy of seeing a long line outside your establishment no longer means anything in today's world.

Also good food is available at a lot more places than you think, these days. Good food when combined with equally quick and apt service creates and EXPERIENCE and without focusing on this, we've seen a lot of places struggling in the future.

Okay the sea food they have is fresh,bthe preparation is amazing too. Everything they have is highly recommended. But maybe some of it is slightly overcooked for my personal liking (prefer sea food to be cooked but no overcooked) but then that must be how this is made!

This place is a good one time visit and a MUST VISIT place. But am willing to spend so much time and effort for the...