Address: 373 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027, USA
Phone: +12128663663
Rating: 4.4
based on 270 reviews.
Food Quality
Pros:
"It was the best meal I have ever had and I am a huge foodie!"
"ALL of the food I purchased was delicious."
"Big selection of iconic soul food dishes, all delicious and 100 % on point in terms of taste."
"The food was great."
"The food is delicious, the entertainment captivating."
"The food was very well prepared."
"The food was really good! The food was warm & hot, depending on what just came out."
Cons:
"I bought some so-called crab meat and it was stale in general the food was lousy."
"The food was excessively salty and spicy."
"The short rib was excessively sweet, cold collard greens with too many stems, bland macaroni and cheese, and chicken selections along with everything else is hit or miss."
"The jerk chicken had a stink smell to it, the greens taste funny and the ribs have that porky taste to them."
"The rice was way too salty. The mac n cheese had no taste."
"The food is a hit or miss but one thing you can count on is the oxtails being undercooked and hard (unedible)."
"The food just wasn't seasoned the greens were good the Mac and Cheese is TRASH."
Service and Staff
Pros:
"Service is always courteous."
"The staff is very friendly."
"The staff was fast and courteous and accommodated us in every way."
"Staff is friendly & accommodating."
"The staff are very professional and polite."
"The staff including the cooks are very very very helpful with any questions and a smile if welcome."
"The staff was friendly and made sure people were using gloves and wearing masks which made me feel more comfortable with a buffet style in COVID."
Cons:
"Also when it's crowded it feels like you're at black Friday sale trying to get your food."
"Not a family friendly environment. Guest on both sides of my table was cursing too much."
"Some very mean, arrogant woman that works at the cash register."
"The only bad thing I have to say is the cashiers need customer service training! Why are you on your phone while cashing me out?"
"Had a female cashier who swiped my card multiple times while mumbling a question/comment she couldn't be bothered to repeat when asked."
"I was lied to over and over and over again by staff and managers."
"The employees were VERY NICE I had 5 large trays, 3 small, and 2 dessert (small trays as well) one guy told me I can sit trays on the side... The problem is THE FOOD IS SPOILED."
Ambiance and Entertainment
Pros:
"The live jazz on Sunday is great."
"Absolutely Outstanding Restaurant, Perfectly clean, mask and sanitation to welcome customers and public in general."
"Nice atmosphere, friendly staff."
"Definitely was a happy spot to visit."
"The atmosphere of the restaurant was comforting too: there was some live music and people even were dancing."
"Live band playing while you eat makes you feel as if you're chilling with your family."
"On the weekends, a live band with singing entertains patrons."
Cons:
"Tip: you may not want to plan to sit and eat here as the sitting area is cramped into a small boxed area."
"The place is rather small but cozy, with an additional little seating area outside."
"The atmosphere was scary and the price was way too expensive the so called band was very rude."
"Not enough seats to accommodate the amount of customers/tourist."
"This place can not decide what THEY want to be; a buffet or a music venue. The music was so loud I could not have a conversation."
"Sometimes the live music is too loud it's great to have but the space is kinda small for the high volumed live band."
"Seating area is a bit underwhelming compared to the food."
Price and Value
Pros:
"The price is reasonable and you can put as much as you like in your box."
"Prices are quite reasonable for the wide variety of foods, veggies and salads you get to choose from."
"I can see why this place is so highly rated it is so easy to just have wonderful food their friendly easy going and you can just get what you need the prices are amazing as well and I highly recommend the dessert of the banana pudding."
"It’s $7.49/lb for hot or cold food which will take you pretty far."
"Great prices for awesome food. You're getting a lot of bang for your buck here."
"Pricing is great, you can have a solid lunch for $10-$15."
"Expect to spend about 12-17 dollars a plate."
Cons:
"The price is a little expensive because the servings are charged per/lb buffet style."
"I don’t know but I feel like the prices be all over the place it's like sometimes they charge you for the price of all meat and then sometimes the regular price."
"You pay by the weight so it can get kind of pricey fast. But the food is great."
"However it can get to be a little pricey with so much food to from.. Your gonna want some of everything lol."
"I got lunch here and ended up paying $20."
"I was overcharged by almost $5."
"The biggest Waste of $30 I ever spent. Please go elsewhere …"
Location and Accessibility
Pros:
"This place is a piece of history in Harlem. The first black family owned and operated restaurant."
"It's located between train stations (2 & 3) and accessible by local buses."
"They also sometimes have live entertainment here which is cool. It's a nice spot!"
"It’s quite easy to get to as it's Located near public transportation."
"Great central location."
"Multiple tables are available inside and out .... and the bathroom is clean!"
"If you are in Harlem I highly recommend you visit this establishment. It still tastes great the next day too, if you can’t eat everything on your plate!!"
Cons:
"The only problem I had was the long line to get your food and pay for it."
"Also when it's crowded it feels like you're at black Friday sale trying to get your food."
"Always crowded but cashier works quickly."
"The live jazz on Sunday is great but causes the place 2 be overcrowded & it may be a wait 4 a table."
"While i would have given Jacob's 5‐stars, this is the 2and time I visited and the bathroom was gross."
"Not enough seats to accommodate the amount of customers/tourist."
"I was lied to over and over and over again by staff and managers."