Cafe Katja
“We wanted to share a pretzel; I suggested the Katja's Ruben for L and I got the Emmentaler Sausage.”
“Loved my 7-8 inch emmentaler stuffed (i.e. cheese) sausage with quark dumplings (kind of like cheesy gnocchi?)”
“food:
austrian meatballs
emmentaler sausage
berner würstel
white asparagus
beer:
spaten
stiegl
hofstetten
dimly lit, masculine interiors.”
Cafe Katja
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
My search for a really good pretzel led me to Cafe Katja. I was a little hesitant upon entering though b/c half of the restaurant had been closed off and everything was really dark. But our friendly waitress quickly dispelled that with her prompt service and patience with all litany of questions. Actually, I think her service was the best part of the evening.
We weren't all that hungry, so we decided to share one the sausages and ordered a few sides/app.
Emmentaler sausage: Juicy and tasty. Came with quark dumplings, which our waitress described as like cream cheese. It was more neutral in flavor, so it complimented the sausage well. 6/10
Sauerkraut: I really liked the cabbage and it was not too sour. It also had pork, which made it even better. 8/10
Pretzel: A lot smaller than what I expected from the yelp photos. It had a light texture with a slightly crisp exterior. Our waitress said it was imported from Germany. Came with a butter and a cheese dip. 3/10
Spaetzel: Not very flavored. Went well with the sausage. 5/10
It was an overall fun experience that warrants 3.5 stars.
Came back for that Reuben and I'm very glad I did. It did live up to my expectations after hearing about it and then seeing photos of it from other reviews. The pictures, by the way, don't do it justice; it in fact comes bigger than what you see from the photos alone. So absolutely come and order a Reuben, if not for yourself, to share with everyone; it's already cut into four.
Service was spectacular just as it was last time.
On another note, in case you might be wondering, the place is really large with plenty of tables so don't worry about long waits on busy nights. There was a table ready for us (party of 6) as soon as we arrived around 7:30pm.
Came here for a dinner date and I wasn't satisfied with the food.
There's a huge selection for drinks and I went with a cocktail because why not? As for my meal, I had spinach with dumplings and I finished it for being hungry and not for wanting to eat every bite. It was basically a creamy ball of dough. As for the dessert, I ordered the torte and this is the first time I didn't finish a dessert. It was way too sweet – the feeling of eating sugar sweet. The first my date ordered tasted fabulous though! I don't doubt the rest of the menu taste good. It was just a poor choice on my behalf.
Ambience: It's not too loud so you can definitely come here to chat. There are seats indoors and out. I sat at the bar. The service was fast and the bartender was attentive.
Ugh, Reuben- it is so good.
This is the only restaurant that I've been to NYC that serves spätzle. I'm sure that there are other places in NYC that have it, but Cafe Katja serves it with their beef goulash, which is extremely tender. Come to Cafe Katja for hearty home-cooking style food. There hasn't been one item that I've ordered which I didn't like. The best thing I've had here is their signature Reuben sandwich (which honestly, I'm drooling just thinking about it). It is pork belly and gruyere between two pieces of nicely toasted rye bread.
Loved everything. Sat at the bar and chatted with the diners next to us, who happen to live nearby and frequent this restaurant often. They claim it's the real deal having spent time in Austria. Real deal or not, it's good. Also, it seemed to have a really nice laid back communal neighborhood vibe
I had the steak salad, which isn't very Austrian, but it was the perfect size. I also really enjoyed their beer cocktail with elderflower.
Finally got to try this spot. Been waiting for a while, since I'm only around the area during brunch time (they don't serve the full menu then). Friday night and the place has plenty of open seating.
Had to get that Reuben ($15). Huge sandwich, sliced in quarters, oozing out meat, cabbage, and a tangy sweet sauce. For good measure, a cup of mustard sauce for dipping to the side. Overall very juicy and a satisfying meal to end the day. Also got one of the bottled beers – Eggenberg Urbock 23 – a strong tasting dark that goes well with the sandwich.
Service here is super friendly for late night and the food came out fast. Nothing more you can ask for – wish the Reuben was offered all day.
I walked out of Cafe Katja with a full belly and a smile on my face. (Oh yesss.) My fellow Yelp friend and I both agreed that the service and food were exceptional here.
The staff members treated me in a kind and understanding way here: I switched tables twice before my friend came (and before we decided to sit at the bar), but the servers were understanding of that. Our bartendress, Casey, welcomed us warmly and was knowledgable about what was on the menu.
I ordered the Emmentaler sausage dish– the sausage was moist, with bits of cheese inside, and super long: it's a lot of protein to take in at one sitting. I liked the creamy broth on the bottom of my dish that gave the cabbage, sitting underneath the sausage, some flavor. The dumplings were also soft and chewy, and a nice addition to the sausage and cabbage.
My friend and I asked Casey what beer went along well with our dishes, and she recommended two beers, which she let us sample. We went with the smooth-tasting Regele beer, which both of us finished and enjoyed. The fresh taste of the beer neutralized the intense savory flavor of the beer, so I felt glad about that.
The atmosphere here is inviting and comfortable: the interior is dimly lit and there are different types of seating: tables with chairs, booth seating, and seats at the bar. It's a nice place to spend an evening with a friend or two over a hearty meal.
Cafe katja is wonderful!! We arrived 20 mins before the kitchen was set to open for dinner and scored great seats – a little booth in the front where the windows had been removed so it kind of felt like we were eating outdoors (also perfect way to keep an eye on my car and all the meter maids tryi ng to issue tickets)
Our awesome waiter was so patient with us as we tried to figure out what to order, as there were lots of unfamiliar terms on the menu – thus being our first time at an Austrian restaurant.
I got the crramed spinach with 4 quark (a cheese similar to ricotta) dumplings, and root vegetables (carrot, onion and parsnip), with sauerkraut instead of eggs. It was so delcious i returned my platrs completely cleaned of any remnant of food.
My bf got the reuben and was absolutely in love with his dish. He had hesitated because of his experience with Katz deli's lackluster rueben, but was glad he went out on a limb and ordered their version. He called it the best rueben he has ever had.
My friend got the sausage (which contained cheese), with the cabbage and 3 quark dumplings. She also got a side of greens. She seemed to enjoy her meal, with the exception of the dumplings – which she prefers to be chewier.
Our table got a small plate of the picked vegetables to start, which was yummy.
We left katja with happy, full tummies (so much so we didn't even bother looking at the dessert menu), vowing to return sometime in the very near future. I highly suggest you give this place a shot.