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Fanelli's Cafe

3.7 (558 reviews)
ModerateAmerican, Burgers
Open • 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

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FANELLI'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Classy
Dogs allowed

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Keilon L.

The croque monsieur was not properly prepared on this last visit. Just call it a grilled sandwich instead. I have fond memories of the croque monsieur of years past here but it was still tasty, so I'm slightly conflicted. I guess with all things in New York, time changes the experience rapidly. This was my go to spot when I worked in SoHo years ago so I'm glad they're still here and largely still have the same menu. The fries are always perfect here so that hasn't changed.

BLT w Nueske's bacon
Paul F H.

While I was doing a bit of shopping in SoHo on the last day of my weeklong visit to New York, Fanelli's Cafe caught my eye. The pub-like atmosphere, the dark mahogany back bar, and the old fashioned tin ceiling, all beckoned me to give it a try. Little did I know when I walked through the door and grabbed a seat at the bar, that Fanelli's is a famous establishment in the city -- thought to be the second oldest bar/restaurant in operation at the same location -- and a frequent gathering place for well known artists and other notable SoHo residents. Within a minute after being seated I was presented with a menu while the bartender poured me a locally brewed beer. I immediately noticed that Fanelli's uses Nueske's bacon -- a premium bacon from a family business located in the same Wisconsin county where I lived and worked for thirty years before retiring. So, I ordered the BLT sandwich with fries. The food was promptly delivered and it was an excellent sandwich -- thick sliced beefsteak tomatoes, several slices of crispy bacon, romaine lettuce, and an ample smear of mayo on toasted sourdough bread. The fries were generic but an acceptable side. A salad was offered as an option instead of fries. All in all a satisfying lunch. Back in Wisconsin, two or three days after my visit to Fanelli's, was when I learned about the history of the cafe. I was perusing the obituaries in the New York Times and ran across the notice that Hans Noë had died on the same day I visited Fanelli's. That's when I learned that he had purchased Fanelli's in the 1980s and maintained it as a landmark establishment until passing ownership of the cafe to his son about twenty-five years ago. I've had the privilege to dine at many top-notch, world renowned, historical restaurants over the years. Usually this requires advanced planning and reservations made months in advance. But sometimes serendipity rules and you just happen to grab lunch at a place with 178 years of history and a famous proprietor on the last day of his life. RIP Hans. The Fanelli Cafe was great. I hope to come again.

BLT Sandwich with Onion Rings
Gloria M.

Fanelli's never disappoints! Great corner location and always a crowd. I stopped in on a Saturday afternoon and was able to be seated almost immediately to grab a quick bite. The BLT was delicious. The service is always fast and the staff is friendly.

Baked wings with buffalo sauce on the side, BLT Sandwich with Fries, glass of fresh squeezed oj & Pinot Grigio
Nelle W.

Super cute place, we got seated right away (on the quiet side) our waitress Jasmine was the sweetest & so friendly. The food was also tasty!

Grilled Chicken Salad
Alexis F.

Never disappoint your girl! I usually go during my lunch break, and of course it's always busy, but between Sam and Claire, my experience has always been exceptional. I've had the burger, chicken salad, salmon salad, and the grilled chicken club... no complaints at all! I've never been for a drink, but I will pop in for a glass of wine soon.

Breakfast Sandwich
Rebecca H.

I got a breakfast sandwich from here and it was good and pretty standard. It comes with bacon, egg, cheese and arugula but I asked for no arugula. There was definitely a long wait to get a seat. I would say the restaurant had a casual vibe.

Fanelli's Burger with Fries
Alaleh P.

We came here for a late lunch after walking in Soho for hours. There was a lineup, so we put our name in and waited for tables to become available. The good thing was that it was fast and we only waited for 15-20 minutes. It's a cozy café that has a "home" vibe. The staff are friendly , too. We ordered chilly and burger and enjoyed our food. Chilly was definitely our favorite.

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1 month ago

Great burgers, awesome people work there this place is epically famous! And should be on the record of historical landmarks

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2 months ago

Great food, fun energetic crowd and great beer choices. The bartenders are on their game

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1 year ago

Won't send me a receipt for my expense report. Terrible service. I have messaged them everyday for the past week

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11 months ago

Such a good tuna melt! I love sitting outside at the corner table! The service is fine but the food and ambiance make it!

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P.J. Clarke's

P.J. Clarke's

3.8(1.2k reviews)
2.9 mi•Midtown East
•$$$

This was such a great place to pop in and grab a drink. Service was amazing, great atmosphere…read more Cheesesteak egg rolls were the best food we had all weekend!

My friend and I came to PJ Clarke's to watch the Knicks in the NBA Finals, and despite the…read moredisappointing outcome of the game, we had a great night. We were thrilled to find two seats at the end of the bar when we arrived. As luck would have it, the two gentlemen next to us eventually left, allowing us to slide over and enjoy an even better view of the TV for the rest of the game. I started with a Tito's and club soda, but unfortunately, something seemed off--perhaps the club soda was flat. The drink just wasn't good. To their credit, the bartender took it back without hesitation and was very accommodating. I then ordered a Negroni after the woman sitting next to us highly recommended it. I don't usually drink gin, but this cocktail was absolutely delicious and changed my mind. Since we were there for several hours, we shared an order of zucchini and eggplant chips and happily snacked on them throughout the game. The atmosphere was comfortable and welcoming, with a nice mix of ages and people enjoying the evening. We made sure to leave our bartender a generous tip since we occupied our seats for the entire game. Even though the Knicks didn't pull out a win that night, we certainly didn't leave defeated. I'd happily return for another game, cocktail, and fun evening out. And maybe even get dinner there. Little did I know there was another big room in the ack once you past the restrooms. They were having a thriving business there!

Photos
P.J. Clarke's
P.J. Clarke's - Seconds in this pic - Lamb Chop, Smoke Salmon, Zucchini Chip, Avocado Toast, Chicken on a Stick.

Seconds in this pic - Lamb Chop, Smoke Salmon, Zucchini Chip, Avocado Toast, Chicken on a Stick.

P.J. Clarke's - Desserts of the night - Strawberry Cheesecake and Oatmeal Cookie.

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Desserts of the night - Strawberry Cheesecake and Oatmeal Cookie.

Holy Burger - Slider combo. $7.99. Good fries. Terrible dry sliders. Comes with a Polar drink also

Holy Burger

3.4(24 reviews)
2.8 mi•Midtown East

My friend wanted to try here combo special $7.99. It came…read moremini burger x 2, fries and drink. It's very small portions of all. One mini burger did it come with 2 chicken fries. French fries are much smaller than S size fries. So much disappointment with price. This is a kid meal portion. Order by touch panel or cashier. FIFA soccer game is showing. there's no restroom inside.

Pro tip- If you want a halal burger, go to BK Jani in The Hugh on 53rd during lunch hours for their…read moremuch larger burger, which also comes with masala fries, for around $15, which blows this place and 90% of non-halal spots out of the water. Also, an obvious side note- You wonder how a place that's been open for, I believe, a year and a half has 1500 Google Reviews? It's because they give you a free soda if you write a 5-star review, so I guess if you have a palate for Polar sodas, you can give them a five on that site. If you're going to get anything, go for the tender combo, as their sliders, burgers, and buns are bad. Anyway, it's nice to find a Zabiha Halal spot that serves burgers and other American grub in this neighborhood. I used to frequent somewhat similar spots back in the Arabic neighborhood I lived near in Brooklyn, and it was nice to see this place open a while back. I have tried a handful of things here, and honestly, it's gotten worse every time. The first time, I got the tenders consisting of six pieces for $14, which is honestly very reasonable. The thinner pieces were a tad dry, as the batter had become overly fried, but it's hard to complain about the price point. They also came with a perfectly alright sauce called Mambo, which they list as spicy but is as hot as a spicy McNugget or similar with a light sweetness. The second time, I had the Slider Combo for $7.99, which came with two chicken sliders (spicy if wanted,) fries, and a Polar soda. The fries were honestly nice and better quality than those at any nearby fast-food place. The sliders were dreadful, however. They were dry with overly breaded chicken with no pickles or anything else to help, so I guess that's why it comes with a soda or water. This doesn't help the even worse bun, which was dry as well, and makes a Martin's potato roll look like a Rolls-Royce. The Polar drink was, as expected, a worse Diet Coke. The last time, and the last time I'll ever stop in here, I got the Classic Burger, which is their smash patty with American cheese, holy sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion. This was the worst burger I've had in ages and easily the worst smashburger, with the meat somehow being dry. I guess the bun was different as it was larger, but also as the top was charred better than the burger meat. Maybe the signature burger for $4 more is better, but I'm never going to stop for it if they're careless enough to burn a burger bun. 3 stars for the chicken tenders due to the deal. 2 stars for the slider combo, as the fries were decent. 0.5 stars for the burger. 2/5

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Holy Burger
Holy Burger - Some alright sauce. Slightly sweet with some tang

Some alright sauce. Slightly sweet with some tang

Holy Burger

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Judge Roy Bean Public House - Judge Roy Bean Texas Burger (double)

Judge Roy Bean Public House

4.4(1.1k reviews)
2.9 mi•Midtown West
•$$

Nice little pub in a nice location. I got the best fish and chips I've ever tasted: the fish was…read morevery fresh and delicate, literally melted in my mouth, and the outside was crisp and tasty, too. The fries didn't disappoint, either. My husband had the JRB signature burger and he enjoyed it very much. They have a nice selection of beer and other alcohol. I would definitely recommend this place and would certainly come back again, when visiting New York next time.

Went in for a couple Guinness and left having eaten a full dinner, which is basically the JRB…read morebusiness model and it works. The pour is the thing. Two-part, proper settle, tight dome, no rushing it. That's rarer than it should be in Midtown where half the bars treat a stout like a lager. Whoever's behind the bar here has been trained or grew up around it. Food's better than a second-floor pub between 5th and 6th has any right to be. The JRB burger comes on a house-ground patty (they grind in-house, and you can tell, loose texture, actual seasoning), caramelized onions cooked down all the way, not just softened, good cheese pull. Fried pickles on the side had a crisp cornmeal shell and stayed crunchy under the burger juices, which never happens. Buttermilk chicken salad was the surprise. Chicken actually brined, crust stayed on, greens weren't an afterthought. Only real knock: music was loud. Not sports-bar loud, more like the bartender's playlist got away from him. Fine at the bar, harder at a table if you want to talk. Room's got real bones. Reclaimed barn wood, old rail track as a foot rest, that big 45-star flag on the wall. Been here almost 20 years and it's aged into itself. For the neighborhood the pricing's fair. Beats P.J. Clarke's on the burger, loses on quiet. Go for a beer and a burger, not a date.

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Judge Roy Bean Public House - Check out our New Lunch Menu

Check out our New Lunch Menu

Judge Roy Bean Public House - Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad

Judge Roy Bean Public House - Bar area

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Bar area

Fanelli's Cafe - tradamerican - Updated October 2026

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