Grill 212
“So far I have tried the falafel and kufta kabob, both were far better than other kosher NYC restaurants.”
“Yemenite soup is great but get it with Laffa , that is the traditional Yemenite way to eat it.:)”
“Jachnoon, melawach, Marak Temani with hilbeh and zhug, kubaneh, and salouf are among my favorites.”
Grill 212
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Please pardon my loose and insensitive rendering of a particular term, here, but this place is schizophrenic, precisely the kind of insanity I love to dive into in NYC. Only in this city, people. Only in this city could an underground closet of a restaurant, one that is not handicap accessible, get this kind of following. The owner is a riot. One minute he's taking an order, the next he's telling his delivery guy to get in the kitchen, the next he's dropping a batch of French fries in the fryer, the next he's ringing you up. It's schizophrenia, pure and simple, and that's a big part of the fun.
The food will win some and lose some, honestly. My shwarma was succulent, not terribly flavorful and chock full of somewhat nasty chicken fat that I spent a fair amount of time removing. But as I made my way toward the bottom of the cold pita, I was rewarded with a big wet kiss of cucumber and tomato and a smattering of spicy sauce. My wife absolutely raved about the falafel. I heard the lamb was good, too.
But go for the show. Grab something pickled while you wait, and make sure you don't bring more than a few guests. This place only exists here, and in tiny villages in other parts of the world. Get a free Diet Coke by checking in on Yelp.
I heard a lot of great things abut this place. Went here about a year ago. Ordered schnitzel and falafel sandwich. Food was freshly made in front of me and pretty good. Came with sauces and hummus (gave it for free). Guy behind counter is really nice. Would definitely come back to give other food a try. Small seating area in the back. Not too loud. They also serve chulent for those UWS'ers who are craving that snippet of Jewish culture.
A quaint little place that provides just what you'd expect – well-cooked, tasty food at a reasonable price!
I very much enjoyed my falafel plate, which came with chips, a whole wheat pita, and a little plate of salad that I could choose. My only negative was that I needed some sort of sauce, but I realised after that they had loads of sauces by the salad and I bet if I had asked, I would have been able to help myself.
My husband had the lamb kofte sandwich, and it was delicious. He couldn't finish it (and I left loads of food behind, alas!).
It was the perfect meal to have on our first night in New York – local, different from what we normally have in London, and at under $30, not too extravagant.
There was a little problem with paying but we weren't in any rush and watching the chef cook and deal with his staff was a complete hoot! It's the kind of place that after a couple visits, you'd be a regular and be remembered when you came in.
The Seamless orders were flying out, too, so it's deservedly popular.
This is a great little spot to meet some friends and have dinner. Their shawarma sandwich is really excellent and they offer a large selection of vegetables to put on it. The only downside is that some are not as fresh as one would hope. The meat is really tender and there is a lot of food. I had leftovers for lunch the next day.
I was a little daunted coming here – we'd just got to the hotel and were looking for something to eat. It came down to between here and the Mexican place nearby – but this one won out. We were worried that we couldn't find it, but there was signage on the street and once down the few steps, we were in.
We at in – I had the kofta pita sandwich and my wife had the falafel platter. The staff were super friendly, and the food was excellent. Honestly the best kofta's I've ever had – and I've eaten pretty good ones in Istanbul. The falafels were also the best I've had, light, crunchy and lots of little crispy edges. So good.
What was unexpected was the after dinner show – but one which was thoroughly enjoyable. Just watching the chef operate was entertainment of the highest degree – he starts taking an order, then shouts at a delivery driver, then he's sorted out some salad. Complete bonkers, but it works!
Delicious food, not-so-delicious (i.e. ghetto) atmosphere.
The Good: Food is flavorful, customizable, and reasonably priced for New York kosher. I came with my brothers and girlfriend, and we ordered an appetizer platter (felafel, morrocan cigars, and another dish around some hummus and tahina). We also ordered shnitzel, shawarma chicken, another chicken plate, and Moroccan ground beef. Our sides were rice and fries. The dishes were large and tasty – it reminded me very much of the good food you get at little off-street shawarma joints in Israel. Prices were pretty low (well under $20 per platter), which was an added bonus. Finally, the people working there were also friendly, which was nice.
The Bad, the Ugly: I would not recommend taking a date here. You descend some ladder-stairs to get in, and the interior is cramped. The walls have exposed wooden beams on them (and not the cool hipster kind of wooden beams, but actual construction beams), adorned with a small, solitary picture on an otherwise bare wall. These bros really need to up their interior decorating game, and I mean that in the manliest way possible.
This time I went on a weekday evening and the flavor of the food, although still decent, was way less satisfying than last time when I went at opening time. The pita itself was quite cold, and the shawarma picked up a lot of lamb flavor from being grilled on the same surface. Most importantly it didn't have that crisp or char that I tasted the last time.
This is a non-pretentious, very authentic, very teensy Mediterranean joint tucked semi-underground. The portions are enormous; you can definitely split an entree and both end up quite stuffed! This is doubly true if you go for the salad bar, which is magnificent – especially the eggplant dishes. Yum. It would be nice if the food had a bit more salt/herbs/spices, but if you're ordering for home use you can just drown it in your favorite hot sauce. It's supremely affordable.