Cafe Euphoria — Restaurant in Troy

I really appreciate the concept of Cafe Euphoria and have supported them since seeing them at a pride event last summer, when they first began to crowdfund to make their vision come to life. I want them to succeed, as having a trans run cafe, curated thrift and coworking space can make a difference in many people’s lives, and increase the community’s visibility. They support queer artists which is wonderful. But I want to share the concerns I have, some of which I have had for a while but I wanted to make sure I visited in person first before leaving a review:

My wife and I came at a pretty active time due to them having the bathroom designated for use at Veg Fest, but I felt very overwhelmed as soon as I entered. And being that they have events there like hangouts and drag brunches, I know it is still appropriate for me to write about my experience in this manner. I am autistic but am used to going to places where I may experience sensory overload, and often I am good in crowds and closed in spaces (like festivals, conventions, rides, small stores, etc.) and I know that it is not the venue’s fault. I am mentioning it here though since I think it was how the counter, tables, trash/ recycling, and thrift rack often were within inches of each other that I had no idea where to go/ stand that affected me worse than usual. And I know that this may present as an issue for many reasons such as people being able to comfortably fit in their seats or get up easily and claustrophobia. It is not an accessible place for using mobility aids either. And I know that a good amount of people who are both queer and disabled / queer and neurodivergent would love to support Cafe Euphoria but it may just not be possible to comfortably access the cafe.

In terms of food, I did enjoy the chorizo taco I had at the veg fest booth. The arugula salad was super small though for the price and lacked flavor. The full price probably has to be higher than most places would charge due to having a sliding scale to make it more affordable to lower income people, but it also ends up making it less likely for people who do not qualify for the lower prices, to want to get much from the cafe, because they can get a lot more for less from other places. And I do understand the reason for the sliding scale and how much money is needed to keep this business going/ support the community, but I really wonder how it affects their potential for profit.

When going downstairs to view the additional pieces of the art gallery, we felt like we were not supposed to be down there because the stock room was open, the coworking space was very messy and there were electronics and tools out in the open without any staff present (there was a sign saying about the additional artwork downstairs/ nothing indicating it was currently closed).

I overall left feeling pretty overwhelmed and off, which never has happened to me at a cafe/ restaurant/ small business. I will continue to support Cafe Euphoria through social media and pop up events as again, I love the concept. Know that they were created by people without prior management experience, I do think there is a large learning curve playing a role, and I know they are really committed to this business. I hope to see them grow, and become a place more people can comfortably visit, eat and hang out at. I hope to one day be able to update my review to a...

I was debating posting this but considering how new the cafe is, a lot of things need to change if they are to survive.

The long and short of it is they lack the experience and are trying to do too many things. They need to narrow their focus because you cannot be a restaurant, cafe, thrift store, and community hub all at once. Especially when you lack restaurant experience.

I came here for an event with a bunch of my friends. We paid for our food (10-20-30 sliding scale for dessert, a quesadilla, and chips/dip). I requested no dairy on mine and I didn't realize that was the most I could request; nobody could place any orders. The event was downstairs, where we sat in what appeared to be a disorganized conference room. There was an open closet with papers and boxes and other msc things. For name tags, there were postit notes that didn't even stay on your shirt.

As the night rolled on it seemed apparent the hosts didn't really have much planned for this; there were no activities or things to do other than talk, which makes it hard to break the ice. When they started bringing down the main course, everyone's food was lukewarm and it was clear after two or three plates that nobody had actually "ordered" their food, they just brought down what was made. Towards the end of the night the host came down and said if you had yet to be served (almost two hours in!) That you could go up and order one based on the ingredients available. Ingredients available were not worth what we paid for; pre-shredded cheese, canned mushrooms, canned refried beans. Seriously? Chipotle is a TERRIBLE company but I could have gotten fresher ingredients from them for less than 10$ at minimum! They also said there was dip and chips but they were keeping it upstairs because the people upstairs were eating it (there was less of them upstairs and they weren't even here for the event).

Additionally, many doors were unlocked that should not have been. There was a door in the bathroom to an unfinished space with insulation just on the ground. The door to the basement was unlocked. There weren't signs to show you where the bathroom was and the bathroom was filthy. Everything looked so unfinished but they claimed to be "open", just by reservation only.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done before they live up to what they want to be. I was really disappointed. And as much as I loved the dog, don't have a dog in a room with an open kitchen. Especially if that dog is a long...

UPDATE - 2023 REVIEW: I finally had a chance to visit Café Euphoria in person and I loved it! I am a really picky eater so I thought I would try something simple like a Caesar salad and I was not disappointed. The dressing they use is the bomb! I don't know whether or not it's homemade, but it is delicious! Their chocolate chip cookies were fresh out of the oven and they were warm and chewy. I have dined there several times since my first visit and everything is always so fresh! I actually ordered a Caesar salad at well known pizza chain while in New York and it tasted like it was store bought. It did not compare to the one at Café Euphoria.

The service was excellent and the wait for my meal was not long at all. To pass the time while waiting for my food, I was able to do a little shopping. They have handmade jewelry and artwork on display for purchase and they have a small thrift store in the back with clothing for men and women in a large range of sizes. I bought myself a few pairs of handmade earrings and a beautiful blouse from their thrift store.

I will definitely be dining (and shopping) there anytime I'm back in New York!

2022 REVIEW: I've been following Café Euphoria since last year. I'm happy they've soft launched and can't wait to taste the food after the...