Pink Pony Literary Cafe & Cine-club

HORRIBLE SERVICE!! DO NOT GO HERE! It has a nice ambiance, but being treated like less than human is not worth the exchange. A specific waiter purposely ignored seating us tonight at all costs, and wouldn't give us menus when we asked, and then wouldn't make eye contact to give us the bill for 10 minutes in a near empty restaurant. Then after asking for the check, he purposely walked next to us and made himself a coffee, then started cleaning the tables next to us at a slow pace, then went back to the bar and spent 10 more minutes changing the glasses out. He gave us a dirty eye when we complained to another waiter that it'd been 15 minutes and still had not given us the bill. I've been there before and the asian waiter is quite nice, but this french black kid was extremely judgmental against gays. The other waiter didn't even reprimand our hate criming waiter. we didn't do anything except want our food and to eat it and be treated like everyone else. They essentially offered us no consolation and took no action. If you ever get the tall black french waiter with the fro in his early 20's, you know what to expect. He needs to be removed from that restaurant pronto. more

I came here for a friends birthday dinner with a group of 15. The way the tables were set up were kind of snake like so we couldn't all talk to each other it was very separate. They don't have ice, FYI. Also, when it came time to order...we were ready to order entrees and the waitress only took beverage orders so 10min later she comes back.... 1/2 the table places the order and she takes the orders 10min later. This waitress was nowhere in site. Ever. Finally food came and i got the veggie burger. The shoestring fries tasted stale and the burger bread was pretty hard and not toasted or anything. We had a nice time b/c we were in good company but I wouldn't go back. Pros: feels like you stepped out of manhattan all warm and cozy Cons: food and service more

The Pink Pony is cool. Around 10:30 we slipped into one of the semi-circular nauga hide booths and it just felt like the place to be to relax, enjoy conversation, and a late light meal. The service was slow, but what's the rush? Our waiter, Lydia, was covering the entire back room by herself. She arrived at our table with a gorgeous smile and was pleasant and knowledgeable about the dishes. To quote David Byrne, she has a face with a view.\r \r I had the Eggplant Napoleon only because my friend, the musician Ryan Bair (of Rahu-Ketu---check their website) said to me ""I don't even like eggplant and it was scrumptious."" I give it 5 stars because the sauce was truly surprising, very subtle. We're not talking Le Bec Fin here, but for this type of joint, The Pink Pony is the place.\r My friend Nicki Stager (photographer---check her website) insisted on paying for my birthday dinner with her Visa card. She became quite forceful (and even used some bad language) when I tried to go Dutch. She snapped her card down onto the bill when it arrived. Here's another great thing about The Pink Pony: You can make a big show of your generosity and wave around your platinum card and say ""It's on me"" or ""My treat"" with great panache, and then pretend to be surprised when Lydia smiles so big and says ""Sorry, it's cash only."" Very cool. And the prices are very reasonable, so you probably have enough loose change in your pockets to cover the check. Leave Lydia a good tip; she's covering the whole back room by herself. Pros: Great atmosphere Cons: slow service more

Ventured to the Pony w/a group of friends on a Saturday night after a show. Great food (turkey, brie and apple sandwich a favorite) cheap, refreshing glasses of wine and an overall laidback vibe. The food came out quickly and the wait staff very attentive. Only downside is cash-only requirement. Reminded me of Pastis with a hipster and pretentious-free flare! more

Went this past Sunday for brunch with two girlfriends. One asked for her omlette with tomatoes inside. She was told ""No problem,"" and her omlette arrived with nary a tomato in sight. My friend and I ordered eggs nova. The eggs were HARD BOILED, not poached. The yolks were so overcooked that they were chalky. Gross. We'd also made sure our meals came with potatoes on the side, and were assured they did. We were served dishes with no potatoes. Instead of potatoes, we were preseneted with slimy black ""greens"" and a few pieces of brown fruit. Gross and GROSS. We asked our server if we could have fries instead, which she agreed to. The fries were hard and chewy--AWFUL. We were never offered refills on our coffee. Instead, when our server finally came to clear our plates, we asked for coffee and it was served to us--actually, that was the only highlight of the entire experience. I expected the coffee to be burnt--everything else had been bad--but the coffee was actually fresh and tasted fine. There were two servers on and the place was half-full. I think the guy that was also serving was probably picking up the slack for our server and was basically overworked because she was so flustered. I work in service and have for most of my life, so I feel somewhat qualified to make that assumption. My friends and I Ieft brunch hungry. And that's a real bad sign. I'll never go back. Pros: passable coffee, great decor. Cons: everything else. more

A friend and I went there for dinner on a Wednesday night. It was not crowded, and we loved the French bistro/hipster atmosphere it offered. I ordered the Eggplant Napolean, which was two layers of crispy eggplant with zuccini and carrots in between layers, sitting on a bed of brown rice.\r My friend ordered the lamb stew dish, which was better than mine since mine was a bit dry and bland. The bread basket was ok, although I hate it when they bring butter still wrapped in those square packs. Is it really that hard to get a little bit nicer butter, this isn't Luby's afterall, and the food isn't that cheap. \r I would recommend sitting in the front of the restaurant too, just because it's a little more lively up front. There's a large movie screen in the back, I'm not sure if it's ever used or not, but that would be cool if it was!\r Great place to take a date; especially if he or she is an artist living on the LES. more

Pink Pony is SO nice. Especially if you're shopping downtown all day long and just want to sit and have a simple meal and a bottle of wine. The menu items are low key but classy - and so so yummy. Service is great. I'll definatly be back there soon Pros: Comfortable and casual Cons: Wine is a little pricey more

I see many terrible reviews on here but I disagree. I went on Sunday for brunch and the service wasn't anything special, but it wasn't bad at all. The tuna melt I had was great and the space is nice. Pros: cute space more

I had been searching really hard for a restaurant in New York where I could really feel unwanted and ignored and I finally found it! Read all the other review, they'll confirm it. The staff ignored my friends and I the entire time we were there. It took half an hour to get our check, which was perfect since we could sit, have drinks and talk! Oh, but wait, we were out of drinks (which were also delightfully overpriced). It was like the servers forgot that they actually worked there and instead wanted to hang out and be cool. You guys are awesome! more

It's a shame that a nice, convenient place like the Pink Pony can be so ruined by lousy service. The last time I went we were seated at a table in a corridor next to the kitchen. Every waitress and customer who passed by me bumped into my chair. We asked to be moved (which took half an hour), and then were seated in a high traffic area in the back, even though the rest of the room was practically empty. The pretentious waitstaff ignored us for the rest of the evening (except of of course when they were bumping into my chair.) This place is actually cozy looking and has passable food, but it is so unpleasant because of the people who work there. My sister says it reminds her of a restaurant run by high-school students who don't know what they are doing. I agree. Pros: convenient location Cons: bad service, crowded seating more

I mean urgh. The pink phony [a name I have recently adopted] is a pretentiously marketed restaurant/bar venue. The menu is written in one of those ways that dazzel and confuse the not so experienced consumer. To elaborate; the menu is written in French but the dishes themselves are something that your - enthusiastic yet talentless boyfriend - might muster up for you, leaving you looking concerned for his love for you. Not only is the presentation poor, but the taste AND the service lack luster. Waitresses are more interested in their vintage tee's and when Vincent Gallo is coming in again than they are about the actual customers. Go for coffee and drinks at most. Pah about sums it up. Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Pink Phonies. Pros: saw rufus wainwright, jukebox, french wooden doors Cons: food, service, price more

Interesting reviews. This was the best food I had on my trip to New York. I ordered the Spicy Morrocan Chicken and my friend ordered the steak. I even tried escargot for the first time - tastes like chicken ;) haha Tasted like garlic, actually. I'm no food connoisseur, but I thought it was all very tasty. I loved it. I thought the place was warm and cozy, too. Had a really pleasant experience, and it's one of my nicest memories of the trip. It was a bit pricey, but worth it. Hmmm? Maybe I just got lucky. Man, that chicken (in some kind of spicy soup) was yummy! Pros: food, atomesphere more

I stopped in around 6pm,midweek. Sitting at the almost empty bar, I watched as the bartender ignored me and got really involved/confused with counting her cash register. The place was overstaffed with affected people whose sole endeavor was to look busy but not really do anything---like they were all holdingout for someone else to wait on the customers. Reluctantly, some girl took my order. I don't know what happened to her, never saw her again. Had to basically recruit a new server every time I wanted a drink, my meal, my check. My salad came along with my sandwich and fries. Did I eat my soggy salad before it got soggier? Or did I tackle the fries before they got cold? Bad luckily, my fries were already cold (and chewy?) The salad was overly dressed with a horrible SALT vinagrette. Sandwich was terrible. Food and staff? Horrendous. Don't go here. Pros: odd people watching Cons: my meal, the entire staff more

Don't go for brunch. We weren't given silverware or sugar until we flagged the waitress down. The iced tea came in insultingly tiny glasses. They gave our order to another table and it took them several minutes to figure out that it was our food. The portions were too small. When we finally got the waitress' attention for a refill on coffee she brought it to the table next to us instead. When we paid our check, another waitress gave our change to the table next to us. They hit me with a plate and almost poked my friend in the eye with a fork because they were in such a hurry when clearing. This would've been understandable if the place had been packed but it was only half full. This is a well-established eatery but from the service you'd think that it was everyone's first day on the job. Pros: tasty food, good coffee, good dinner Cons: terrible service, small portions, tiny iced tea glasses more

i have eaten here a handful of times, for no reason besides sheer convenience. (i hang out, and live, in the neighborhood..) the food is decent. however, it's the service that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. i happen to have a policy that goes along with a little bit of self-respect, which includes not letting a waiter intimidate me, i.e. make me feel bad asking for trivialities like water, or the check. i know, you were too busy showing off your vintage tee shirt and looking bored, but my agenda is i'm here to eat and enjoy the company of friends, seeking a pleasant experience. well, i didn't find it there, and trust, i have told everyone i can think of about my experience. the last time i walked by it looked pretty empty. hmmm. Pros: okay food, good neighborhood Cons: , overrated, troll staff more

A couple of times we wanted to have dinner there, and so we did last Monday. We were cramped on a tiny table where 4 others wanted to play some games. We could get a new table. Half of the food was out. The food we got was mediocre, nothing special. At one point the waiter completely forgot about us. No wine, no taking away the dishes, not even handing the check. To make up for it, we got a glass of wine from another waitress but the evening was kind of spoilt. The music in the beginning was country and it got finally better (!) when they played Eminem. I think that says it all. It's my first posing here at city search because I really want to warn people for that nepp! Pros: looks nice from outsi Cons: , mediocre food, terrible jukebox more

Well..ok. My vegetable Napoleon was good; although i first got the veggie burger because the waitress mis-heard and stood my friend up for another 15 minutes of waiting to have it served. Ok..so back to the Napoleon was pretty yamie but over deep fried. Otherwise good place. Interesting talks on the side...especially by French-sters.. The service was very mediocre and bourgeois like..pretty direct. Ok ok. I'd rather go across to the pinard. more

What's so great about the Pink Pony's brunch? Eggs Florentine are okay as are the eggs benedict. Nothing's great here. The service was terrible. The food took an hour to come and there were probably four tables with people. Blah experience. Cons: service more

The Pink Pony's brunch is among the very best in the city! I love to go there on weekends and have the delicious french toast (made from baguette slices) or the granola with fresh fruit, sometimes I am so torn that I end up getting both! The cafe au lait is delicious and the atmosphere is so relaxed. The music is eclectic and ALWAYS GREAT, their juke box is filled with the best music of all genres! The Pink Pony is one of my favorite places to just sit back and hang out with friends, I hope it doesn't get overrun by people! Pros: MUSIC, VALUE, GREAT BRUNCH more

The food is decent but the crowd is screwy. I see the same people hanging out at this place everytime I walk by or go in. I think the Pink Pony has started some kind of Euro-trash cult. Don't these people have anything better to do in their free time than hang out at a French cafe? Maybe this is why I don't understand Europeans. more