Sidewalk Cafe

I'm re-posting my Yelp review here since i use both sites. Tho not sure why this site says it's 3 $s, because its actually really cheap. This place is awesome! Free music and the vibe is what the East Village is supposed to be. The food was lacking in healthy stuff, thus the lack of a star, BUT seriously one of the best veggie burgers i've ever had, really warm and creamy homey mac and cheese, my girlfriend drooled over the Sidewalk Burger (i don't eat meat, but she loved it) and a lot of reviews seem to complain about the service here but we LOOOOOVED our waitress, Mona! Just noticed the review below possibly talks about the same waitress who's name could be Simone of Mona, but maybe they are two different people. I blame the unknowing on the great happy hour. Mona/Simone or whoever, wore sparkly eyeshadow which totally matched her personality and when i asked her where she got it from, she literally went and got the make up for me, and wrote it ddown on a piece of paper for me!! talk about full service! She recommended the spiked milkshakes for dessert and.....cake and cupcakes are no longer necessry after a Smores milkshake. Soooooo good! She was honest about what she liked & brought my GF and i shots simply because we told her how much we loved this place and wanted to come back! thats a damn good way to get repeat customers and we definitely will be! we've already planned a brunch bday celebration for this weekend! more

Sidewalk closed down for a few months for ""renovations"" And like most restaurants that ""close down for renovation s"" usually means it's closed. For good. This saddened me because I always loved Sidewalk, it was the last of the cool, cheap, good food e.village resturants left. It re opened and i am s sick of everyone moaning about how Sidewalk has changed and the world is now ending. Things change people, get used to it. And it changed for the better! it's not like the food got worse or the prices went up or there's shitty waiter attitude as usual with the upgrade of the east village (tho there USED to be awful attitude at Sidewalk, but no more). The food is awesome, ridiculously cheap for the amount of food you get and quality and the service is MILLION times better! I was born and raised in the east village and don't intend to leave (sorry kids, tell mommy and daddy to stick to the Upper east side) And i think the changes in Sidewalk are FOR THE BETTER. the new decor is great, since i used to wonder when the floor would break through and the rats would star dancing before it closed. It is clean, comfortable and homey but also good East Village bar and FREE FREAKING MUSIC EVERY NIGHT! granted sometimes it's not music and rather boring poetry punks BUT this is where the Anti Folk began, people! Regina Spektor, Jeffrey Lewis & more all came from these parts. As for the menu, sure i miss some items but the items they have now are too good to complain about. They are known for their burgers and it is indeed an awesome burger. Big and juicy you get choice of sweet potato fries,cajun fries, cheese fries and vegan coleslaw. i recommend the cajun or sweet potato. and the happy hour is (drum roll) TWO FOR ONE! AND you get a chip for the second free one that you can use AT ANY TIME!! and they're a wide variety of drinks to get free too. AND the food is really good AND cheap!! In fact i heard this chick ask if the food could possibly be any good because it was so cheap and she and her little yuppie boyfriend loved the food. They have sic spiked milkshakes that have basically become my staple for dessert :o) As i mentioned, the staff is TEN TIMES more friendlier than the old staff. and funny! i've had a few different waitresses (all women, which suits me fine) but there are two that in particular i love: Sasha (a gorgeous ethnic mix of something somethin meow!;) and Simone, (she cracks me up AND is actually honest about what she does and doesnt like, amazing!) They all look like they have a fun time together too, playing, downing the occasional shot with customers, making it an all around fun place to be. I go out a lot on my own and don't always like to shove my head in a book and be a wall flower, so that is important. So all you snotty rich kids from Conneticut and old fart east villagers who cant handle change, please stop giving Sidewalk Cafe a bad name. Economy sucks and things close easily, people are put out of work by such selfish comments and then we're stuck with the crappy east village restaurant/bars that are taking the East out of the East Village. Rock the F on Sidewalk! more

I went to eat with my new wife to celebrate and the food was amazing! We had the mushroom ravioli and beet salad. The wine list was excellent (only exception was that they were out of pinot noir) but the waitress (joanna I believe) recommended another French wine that my girl loved. The atmosphere is simple and much cleaner that before. We ate inside but the outdoor seating looks the same, which is cool to people watch. We'll definitely be back if we can get a table. And I'm very happy they reopened. more

There's a waitress called Grace, who is the complete opposite of her name :) Fat Ugly and Disgraceful. You will recognize her immediately with her cold sarcastic (not funny though) 'I don't give a !@#$ about this job' behaviour, and if that doesn't catch you, there's a tattoo behind her left ear. She even tells customer off, so unless you're in a mood for downer, don't go there! A shame that a nice cafe like this at a great location employs the wrong people for the job. Blame the OWNER/MANAGER for having no busineess sense Pros: location Cons: everything else more

So many mixed reviews of this place and I'm not sure why! I found it to be a reliable and tasty brunch spot. Pros: Strong margaritas, tasty homefries, friendly staff Cons: Tight Space more

My girlfriend and I have ordered delivery from here on occasion and found the food to be decent for the price, but the last time we ordered (maybe our 6th time), disaster struck. My girlfriend got violently ill about three after hours after eating (she had mac and cheese and fries) and we're 99% sure it's from Sidewalk. So eat at your own risk. more

Love Sidewalk as a default place if you don't know exactly what you're in the mood for....they've got a bit of everything and do most of it really well. Frozen pink margaritas in pint glasses are only 8 bucks, burgers are great (with mushrooms and jack cheese they are AMAZING here), the restaurant has a nice relaxed feel, just a great neighborhood haunt. Open super late, 24 hrs on weekends. Service can occasionally drop off but aside from that no real complaints. Also great brunch deal-margarita is free with your meal, second one is only a dollar. Pros: Food, open late more

My boyfriend and I stopped by the SideWalk Cafe for a late night dinner and got nothing short of an incredible dining experience. The wait staff was quite friendly and speedy. I ordered a chicken and black bean wrap (added cheddar cheese to it) with a salad (house dressing- lemon soy), my boyfriend got the veggie panini (with pesto added) and fresh cut french fries. My chicken wrap was delicious! Great beans, crispy, toasted exterior and succulent chicken breast. The look on my boyfriend's face was priceless when he took his first bite of the panini-- pure heaven! (I tried it too and will definitely be ordering it next time) The panini was perfectly toasted highlighting the impeccably cooked eggplant, roasted red pepper, and caramelized onions. ANOTHER PLUS-- this delicious meal cost us $20 total! You can't beat it! We were so impressed that we returned just a day later for a lovely outdoor brunch only to discover that the hummus is enough to bring you to your knees. Additionally, there is a chicken veggie soup that would cure any ailment you've got! If you order one of their salads, I hope you're hungry-- they don't skimp (particularly on the chicken breast!) One thing to stay away from: the frozen pink margarita that they claim is ""famous."" Maybe famous for replicating the flavor of an antique shop. Overall: great food, excellent prices, pleasant atmosphere. Check it out!! Pros: Veggie panini, hummus, wraps, prices, extensive outdoor seating, dog friendly, Cons: Frozen pink ritas more

I really enjoyed myself at the Sidewalk Cafe. We went in one late evening with a group of 4. I read a lot of complaints about the service. We had one female server and she was very nice and the food came out promptly. I'm sure that on a sunny, spring afternoon when the place is slammed inside and out, this can't always be the case so some of the reviews are probably true, but I didn't experience any of that. I love this place because the decor is cool (with hanging musical instruments from the ceiling) it's open 24 hours, you can have dinner on one side, then walk through the second half where there is a bar, a darker lounge area where the performers are and a large downstairs area. It's unusual to find a place that's this cool with so much space (in this neighborhood) that can do all of these things 24 hours a day. I thought the food was good. They have vegetarian options which is nice as well. This place is pretty awesome and I will definitely be back again. Pros: Open 24 hours, good food, good decor Cons: None for me more

Food that came was ok. But they forgot my fries, I was too tired to call and complain. more

Please let it be known that I have been a loyal and regular customer of this cafe since moving into the neighborhood 1.5 years ago. That being said, I was SHOCKED at my bill yesterday when the waitress claims I spent $5.75 in COFFEE!!! She said she charged me for refills and said how very sorry she was, with a snide grin on her face. I was so utterly taken aback, I left her tip on the bill, but no more. I REFUSE to tip these people - what am I, some derelict they don't want hanging around the restaurant?? I'll come in for the eggs special breakfast and just have to apologize to yesterday's waitress and every future waitress how very sorry I am that I can't tip her. Pros: Good Breakfasts Cons: Mean, vindictive waitstaff who try to rip you off. more

We went to this cafe for my sister's best friends birthday. There were 7 of us and they sat us in a corner of the place under a low ceiling and near a little fountain thing. I do not like to say waitresses are bad, because everyone has off-days and she did seem like she was busy and running around alot. She definitely wasn't the perkiest waitress, but she was making an honest effort (I think?). It was a very busy summer day and the cafe seemed understaffed, but considering that we did place our orders and receive them promptly. Pros: Tasty food, varied menu, fun! Cons: Inside is a tight squeeze for a larger party. more

Eaten there a few times. Beef burgers are good, black bean burger and veggie burgers also pretty tasty.... more

Eaten there a few times. Beef burgers are good, black bean burger and veggie burgers also pretty tasty. Never had their brunch, but the menu look... more

Eaten there a few times. Beef burgers are good, black bean burger and veggie burgers also pretty tasty. Never had their brunch, but the menu look... more

I ordered a cheeseburger from this place while I was home sick. I told them twice on the phone to please not forget the ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise that I requested on the side. When the food was delivered 20 minutes later, there way No mustard. No ketchup. No mayonnaise. I called them and advised them. I asked them if they could run over the items that they forgot. (I live A BLOCK AWAY). The girl on the phone, who had an immediate attitude with me, said No - as if I'd just asked her to donate a kidney. She said those items are complimentary and because I did not get charged for them, they are not going to come ""all the way back over just for that"". Maybe if she had simply apologized and NOT had such a b*tchy attitude, I would not have been annoyed. Cons: Bad Service more

Sidewalk cafe is not complete if you eat inside! Great affordable food, service average for NYC. Go! more

Okay, so what do I expect? To be given helpful suggestions on what wine would complement my Mac & Cheese by... more

Okay, so what do I expect? To be given helpful suggestions on what wine would complement my Mac & Cheese by the inhouse sommelier? No! So, maybe th... more

Okay, so what do I expect? To be given helpful suggestions on what wine would complement my Mac & Cheese by the inhouse sommelier? No! So, maybe th... more