Merguez and Frites — Restaurant in New York

My recent foray into North African culinary treasures led me to try the Merguez sandwich, highly recommended as an exotic delicacy. The prime element that appealed to me was that they cook each order individually, ensuring freshness and a hot plate.

The Merguez sausage, the hero of the dish, carried a distinct taste. An interesting blend of spices and textures that hinted at the rich traditions of the North African cuisine, it certainly brought something new to the table. However, the uniqueness of the sausage's flavor failed to create an alluring impression, being interesting, but somewhat unremarkable.

The complexity of the sauce was another noteworthy aspect. It was suggested that four different sauces were layered within the sandwich, but unfortunately, they seemed to amalgamate into an indistinctive taste. The inability to distinguish between these supposedly diverse condiments resulted in a lost opportunity to celebrate the versatility of North African flavors.

The topping of the sandwich, the frites, was quite the paradox. Fried fresh to order, they promised a crisp texture and warm, fluffy interior. Disappointingly, they ended up being somewhat mushy, potentially due to the steam trapped within the sandwich. This reduced the contrasting textures that could have otherwise made the dish much more enjoyable.

In conclusion, while the Merguez and Frites offered a glimpse into the world of North African cuisine, it fell short of making a lasting impression. The freshness of the ingredients is commendable, but the overall experience would have been greatly enhanced with more distinctive flavors and a better execution of textures. I look forward to trying other dishes in the hopes that they showcase the richness and diversity of North African cuisine more...

ALGERIA 🇩🇿 Excerpt from Eat the World NYC: Some addresses in New York City just seem to be cursed and never hold a tenant for very long. The previous business here was a not dissimilar Moroccan sandwich shop that only called it home for a short time. The newer owners hail from the neighbors to the east: Algeria, a country without a ton of representation in the city (One Algerian-ish place in the East Village and now-closed Bar Omar in Williamsburg precede this).

The main offerings here are again sandwiches, those wildly popular on the streets of the capital Algiers and other cities. There you will find a diet high in meat intake, often with lamb being the most popular and readily available. The foods of France are of course no stranger to the once-colonized land, and baguettes circulate along with other Algerian breads.

The combination of lamb, the French baguette, and fries which seem to find their way onto and into many other foods, give the place its name and a sense of what you will find. Looking to the top of the menu, the merguez frites ($7) seems like the obvious place to start here. The baguette is of very good quality, as are the sausages, especially for such a low price for a sandwich longer...

First and foremost their food is exceptional comfort food - from the flavor profiles to the way it’s cooked, it’s nice to have them in the neighborhood and a few blocks away at that!

Their platters are good for a full dinner meal, they usually throw in a few pieces of bread as well. Their sandwiches are fresh and well balanced - overall delicious. Their customer service is top notch and everyone is kind.

My one and only gripe? Their consistency with delivery.

It’s such a 50/50 experience. It’s either they’re out of something you order or it’s cancelled altogether, mind you I’m not ordering right before closing but 2/3 hours before - really frustrating aspect of their business because we at the end of the day, we just want good food and to give them our business. I hope they improve on foresight and broadcasting, because it’s vital to customer retention.

However! - never had a problem ordering in person.

Cheers to Merguez & Frites! Love them despite the deliver issues and they are...