Semicolon Cafe — Restaurant in New York

This spot was a great surprise. I worked pre-pandemic in this neighborhood for years but we still rarely go to the office and when I do it has been sad to see so many empty storefronts...FF to seeing this place on a Saturday after dropping my daughter off at a weekend class. I loved the vibe, not sure how long it has been here but seems to be a part of the neighborhood's resurrection. Looking online there are four locations, another up in Harlem, as well as Jersey City and---of all places---Bellevue, Washington.

Staff friendly, had a great mocha. Love the (as someone else put it) 'minimalist' decor, which is still funky cool, w/hanging green plants of many species/varieties.

Now, the downside, though not really...let me explain. The place seems to be run and perhaps owned by young entrepreneurs, and perhaps I'm overextending/overthinking, but in terms of food, I suspect it is meant to be ordered ahead so that it is ready when you get here instead of what I did, which was wander by and then wander in, order and wait, and wait, and wait. I ordered the 'Ham' sandwich and I believe it took a full 15 mins.

Okay, here's the "not really" part. It was beautiful and delicious. Lightly toasted brioche bread my daughter would love, ham, some sauce, crispy lettuce. It was funky and delicious, and, in the end, well worth the wait.

So, I suspect the main hurdle they will have is overcoming the initial irritation of foot traffic having to wait (versus those 20-somethings that all seem used to ordering ahead and picking up, who, I'm sure,...

After going to the one located in Jersey City, I was extremely delighted to learn that a location opened up in NYC. I ordered my favorites which was the S.O.S sandwich (a toasted brioche filled with a scrambled egg with corn, green leaf lettuce, shredded red cabbage, a slice of tomato, and cheddar cheese with kiwi sauce and mayonnaise), and a tiramisu latte (a latte containing mascarpone cream, a cigar wafer and chocolate shavings).

As the tiramisu latte was just as I remembered it (except less cold- I could have sworn the one in Jersey had ice cream in it) when I had it in Jersey this past summer, I was a bit disappointed in the sandwich I received. There was a bit too much shredded red cabbage (which fyi was pickled) and less of the scrambled egg, mayo and kiwi sauce, so the overall sandwich was sour instead of the savory and sweet I had before.

I really loved the interior, with the interior design of the plants on a blank canvas (white walls, white brick wall), and multiple floor seating. Unfortunately with the increase in the Omicron, I along with my friends were a bit concerned about sitting in to enjoy our food. We did end up going to eat at a park across the street.

In all honesty, I still prefer their other location, but I would be open to trying this place again and try a different flavor in...

I'm writing this review in the hopes of saving someone the $20 they would've otherwise spent on two coffees here.

My girlfriend and I live in the area and decided to stop by for a coffee on the weekend. We noted the high costs of the latte and the $1 upcharges for syrups and making your beverage iced, but after three years in New York, this was nothing new.

Unfortunately, the experience took a turn for the worst after the barista taking our order was extremely cold and not helpful. She moved in slow motion and was acting as if there was nothing she wanted to do in the world less than taking our order.

In the end, we ordered an iced chai latte and a tiramisu latte. The total came out to $18. We received the chai latte after 10 minutes, but then had to wait another 10 minutes or so for my latte. We couldn't believe how slow it was taking given that it wasn't very busy. My latte was okay, but my girlfriends chai was extremely spicy. This review is less about the beverages and more about the terrible service.

I recommend you save your money and choose instead to go to "The Station" for your coffee about...