Delicious food. I always grab some cornbread. They have another location on Lenox too.

My only question when I call "Do you have spaghetti?"!!! They say yes?? I'm running! Great foods read more

The food was ok I feel like there wasn't many options to pick from my friend recommended this place and swore up and down it's better than an other soul food restaurant. They have a back area where you can sit and eat. Parking is hard to find. The staff and service was great they have very nice artwork. They have free WiFi if needed. The place looked very nice and clean. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area. read more

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Convenient location, Great Options, Meats could be more tender. I was only in New York for the weekend, and I wanted to try a new spot in Harlem this time! I walked by Jacob Restaurant and caught a whif of something good, so I had to grab a plate. The ambiance is very lively and busy! There were plenty of people filling up their platters with food. Pricing is reasonable, and you're charged based on the weight of your platter(s). I loved how many options there were. No matter what you have a taste for, they've got something for you! I put so many different things on my plate, it didn't make sense! Overall, I enjoyed my food, but I did feel like the oxtail and pork ribs weren't tender enough. The oxtail was the main thing I wanted, so this was a little disappointing! But the guy at the checkout was super friendly and kind, so that made up for it! read more

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I walked in and thought I was in a soul food heaven. Everything looked so good that I had a hard time deciding what to get. I would have tried a little bit of everything if I could. All of the food was hot and fresh. The salad bar was cold and fresh. None of the food trays were low or looked like they had been sitting out long. Checkout was quick and simple. Prices were reasonable. There was plenty of seating on Friday around lunchtime. I didn't give it 5 stars because the turkey and jerk chicken was a little too dry. read more

Jacob Restaurant - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

Jacobs is a decent buffet restaurant. Every time I eat at Jacobs, the food is good and the place stays clean.

I can walk to this great spot from my place. The dish size is large, the preparation careful, and the taste wonderful. This spot delivers what I'm seeking. The personnel at Jacob Restaurant show uncommon etiquette and capability. Words fail to express how good this place is. read more

Good food , good service ... brought a pan of rice and peas here for a work event and it was amazing . I paid for my order on the spot and was not disappointed. The establishment was clean and the food was presented well . Definitely coming back for a sit down visit .. read more

Jacob Restaurant - a buffet with a variety of food - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

Guys... this place... I'm skeptical about buffets - BUT The food here is always fresh (let's be serious, they can't keep it long enough for it to sit out). Their Mac & Cheese is addictive! Peach Cobbler, a close second and their team is super friendly and fast! read more

The food is good & reasonable . It is a buffet style set up . I've had their ribs in the past which is good . Not a fan of the macaroni & cheese . Cabbage & Greens are good. It's never really crowded when I do visit . read more

Dibi chicken was great. Restaurant looks very nice and the service was also good. Will be back soon.

I went to Jacob's restaurant on Lenox Ave and Malcolm X Blvd. to grab a bite. The display of various food and dessert was pleasing to the eyes and made my mouth water. It's self-serving, so you can pack your food in the containers they supplied. The ambiance was good and aromatic. I could smell the food the moment I walked in. I had chicken, pasta, fish, rice, etc. To top it off, I had jello and banana pudding. Everything was delicious. Unfortunately, I started eating before I realized I should have taken a picture of my lunch first; that's how good the food was. The price was worth the trip. They charge by the weight. Bring your appetite. I recommend Jacob's restaurant. read more

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On January 7, me and my daughter purchased food from this location. We have done this many times before. The food was awful.The fried chicken was hard and old. The oxtails were chewy and lacked seasoning. The candied yams were mushy and stringy. Nothing was appealing. We spent $76 (32,44) on food that was thrown away. When we called to the restaurant to tell them about the food the managers said "we were the only ones with a problem! After I reminded him we were longtime customers who had even catered from this location, he said "oh I will speak to the cook! For sure we will not be back!!! read more

I kind of randomly stopped in here because it was the only sit down place in what seemed like a sea of bodegas. Plus, I was at an extreme level of hangry. I will say that Jacob Restaurant really hit the spot. Jacob has a very wide assortment of yummy soul food options, and it was hard to settle on two or three things. Was it the best soul food that I've ever had? Probably not. But, the food was pretty solid, and I don't have much to complain about. Not that I was expecting to complain. However, some buffet style soul food places are very hit or miss. read more

Jacob Restaurant ( BUFFET) OVERALL: 7.5/10 Man this place is bomb as fudge... What a hidden gem. FOOD: 7.5/10 This place was UHMAZING. It's a buffet style soul food restaurant. I got the oxtail, ribs, jerk chicken, Mac and cheese, candy yams. This ain't a place where you go tryna eat classy food. This a place to go to get STUFFED UP. Pricing is $6.5 a pound, this costed me around $12. I think it's super worth compared to pricing around the area for Carribean food. They got a wide variety of selections. SERVICE: NOT SERVICE RESTAURANT CLEANLINESS: 6.1/10 The food is STACKED TO THE MAX, I LOVE IT. But gotta say it's not covered and looks pretty messy. Didn't really affect me at all but it might be a problem for some. ATMOSPHERE: 10/10 If you walk in there, it's food heaven. #foodporn #soul #yelp #review #nofilter #carribean #food read more

Jacob Restaurant - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

Found some plastic in the food. It seems to have been cooled in the salmon. Called the restaurant asked them to refund us, they have refused too. It's a shame we always liked this place read more

Jacob Restaurant - Plastic in food - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

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Owner has a disgusting attitude besides the fact that food is highly expensive! They literally dump the leftover Mac & cheese over the fresh batch. They watch you to see what types of meats your getting then add expenses to it once it's weighed. This would be an ok place if owner wasn't so nasty read more

I heard about this place on Yelp. A must try when visiting NYC. The ride to Harlem was well worth it. We were a bit disappointed when we got there and found out they still haven't reopened up their inside dining area yet. Nevertheless, we got to go plates and took the bus to Central Park and had sort of a picnic there. Myself, my wife and kids all really enjoyed this food. Probably he best soul food restaurant we've been to. read more

Jacob Restaurant - Outside view - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

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I frequent this spot .. for a quick bite it's everything . My favorite is the yams , beef ribs , oxtails and greens with white rice . Let's not forget the turkey wings read more

While in Harlem, Manhattan for a vital workplace meeting afterward calls for lunch in the area at Jacob Restaurant for soul food buffet, Southern comfort and Caribbean cuisine. Like any salad bar buffet it is sold by the pound which my bill totaled $6.53 pre-tax. Jacob Restaurant carries all the staples and essentials of soul food: Oxtail, macaroni & cheese, candied yams, collard greens, fried chicken, BBQ chicken, BBQ spare ribs, fried Calamari, Okra, corn bread, mash potatoes, Hushpuppies, corn, yellow rice and white rice, Greek salad, green bean salad, mixed fruit, and avocado salad. I usually do not eat soul food due to soul food's notable health concerns as high starch, fat, sodium, high cholesterol, and calories intake pending the cooking lard. However, I like the oxtail, BBQ spare ribs, and fried chicken. Seating is available to dine-in but my party of three from the workplace opt to takeout as we were all on the clock. The two steam island food bars are clean and well stocked but rather too close proximity leaving no space to maneuver without bumping into other patrons. Checkout is efficient and courteous. Jacob Restaurant is family owned and operated and is vital to the Harlem community. They cater for businesses, churches, non-profit associations in NYC's five boroughs. A business card is available for grabs. read more

Jacob Restaurant - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

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Amazing , wish you guys delivered :( Ion mind being the driver either best food ever fr read more

Not my first go round here it's been around since the spot on 125 street. So as we know I'm on my vegetarian thing in my life now but I was craving some Mac and cheese and collard greens from my Jamaican spot on 135 but they didn't have any greens or Mac and cheese so I decided to head to the supermarket but I stopped by Jacobs and decided to fill my craving there. So I got a small plate and I chopped down. The Mac and cheese wasn't what I expected from them it's was more like spruced up stouffers and the greens had to much vinegar in them I know vinegar is a thing. I guess people put it in the cut down the bitterness from the greens but I don't want my greens tasting like vinegar either. I'm still giving Jacobs 3 stars because in the past I ate good oxtails there. So I know they can cook. I just feel everything in your menu should be the star no short cuts please. read more

ANYTIME I'm in Harlem...Jacob's is my go to place for food. I always get the Jerk Chicken and the corn bread! I love how I can pick and choose as much as I want of one thing. read more

Came here on a Friday during dinner time. I was starving and so Jacobs was a great call. Buffet style, MANY options. And I got a whole bunch of food for $16. My advice is to choose wisely when picking your pieces. Some of the pieces of meat can be dry or won't have a lot of meat on it. Overall a good meal and a gem in Harlem!!! For sure try the oxtail, Mac and cheese, fried fish, brisket and the avocado salad. read more

The decor is simple. Jacob's Restaurant is buffet style and has a variety of offerings which includes mac and cheese, collard greens, fried chicken, ribs and more. The flavor is lacking in some dishes. This is probably the number one reason this place isn't one of my frequent go-tos. I'm not trying to be harsh but in Harlem, a neighborhood that boasts in its southern food cuisine, would be disappointed with Jacob's attempt at soul food. I implore to step their game up. The locals would be pleased. read more

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Nasty I threw up as soon as I ate it .The workers are not on point and they don't look trustworthy for food handling . They did not give the service of their bigger location at Malcom x .They was more into ringing you up than customer service . I feel their food is too explosed it need to be up higher and mute covered .Never going back i got sick to my stomach . read more

The food was very good! A wonderful mix of soul food, and you can mix and match at your choice. It's all weighed to order. Genius!

so I just moved to Harlem and am very excited to try out many great soul food choices in the area. Yelp actually gave me a top 10 listing for this part of Harlem. First of all let me say, in general I don't care for buffets. I find, its very hard to cook large quantities of food, and then it sits all day in the hot pans under the light. Jacob is an exception to my buffet rule. Jacobs offers tasty food at reasonable prices. I tried three different types of chicken. All moist and flavorful. Curry chicken with rice was just exceptional. Fried chicken and jerk chicken also good. Yams are delicious. Two large containers full of hot food. total $18.43. for three people Service is very friendly. The nice cashiers said thank you brother when I paid. when I dropped a few coins in the tip jar, he said 'thanks mon' I love being called mon and brother :) this whole area is so friendly with what Eckhart Tolle would say a great energy field! read more

Jacob Restaurant - 3 types of chicken. jerk. fried. curry. all moist and flavourful - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

First time going there and won't be my last! Food was fresh and delicious! I had the ribs and oxtails. So delicious! There is plenty to pick from. Everything was piping hot. There also is a fruit bar but I didn't have any fruit. read more

I'm a Brooklyn native so very rarely do I travel to Harlem. I heard good things about this place so I decided to check it out. I got mac & cheese, bbq ribs, cornbread and sweet potato. I also got a champagne soda. All of this came up to $12. The food was good but I felt like the mac & cheese was lacking in flavor and the little balls of cheese made it hard to enjoy. The meat was seasoned good and I really liked the cornbread. If I'm ever in the neighborhood I might stop by, though I'd probably try another place instead. read more

I recently had the very good fortune to stay in an airbnb quite close to Jacob restaurant. So close in fact, that even though I wrenched my knee earlier in the day and could barely walk, I was able to hobble my way over to Jacobs! I came with two of my children. Right inside the entrance are two huge steam islands with just about any kind of soul food you can imagine! There were three different kinds of chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes, whipped sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, cornbread and yes, green beans. It was actually amazing how many options there were to choose from! There was also a section of fruit and homemade Nilla Wafer pudding! New, clean trays kept coming out of the kitchen to replace the old. The place was hopping with lots of customers. Once you make your selection, you pay by the pound. For all 3 of us, it came to $28 which is pretty reasonable considering both of my kids PILED it on! There is a dining room for seating on the other side. After leaving the JR, I had to move my car. While double parked waiting for a spot, a man came in a car from out of nowhere and scooped up a spot vacating right across from me. I hadn't even seen the other driver get in his car to leave! Anyway, no big deal, I understand the unspoken rules of parking in the city! So the man who took the spot, sees me and comes over and offers me the space! I'm super shocked and say, "It's ok, don't worry about it etc...", but the man insists, so I back up, he leaves and I get the spot! Honestly that has NEVER happened to me before in all the years I have been parking. It was pretty magical and entirely memorable and it will be forever connected in my mind with the Jacob Restaurant. What a place!!! read more

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I've been going to Jacob Restaurant since they opened with a wave of fanfare that included a ribbon cutting ceremony by Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow Push Coalition in the spring of 2010. Jacob's, under its Senegalese owner offers a variety of Southern Soul food and Caribbean dishes as a self -service buffet. In addition, there is a buffet with healthy salads and fruits. Depending on when you come here though, the food will be either a two, three, or four star dining experience. So for that reason, I've been reluctant to review Jacob for a while now. And it is also one of the main reason that I do not dine here frequently. However, fortunately for Jacob and thanks to an online Google Offer I used, I would have to rate my last meal as a four star one. A meal that included the following hot buffet items: -Jerk chicken (hot and devilishly spicy with a real smokey flavor). My favorite. - Curried goat (Ok, but could have been cooked more tender) - Mac & cheese (real cheesy and always good whenever I order it) - Crab cakes (super-sized and tasty, but could do without so much added filler) -Jamaican rice and peas (excellent!) - Lima beans cooked with smoked turkey necks (excellent!) - Okras and tomatoes ( very good ) - Sweet potato yams (sprinkled with sweet raisins for an added treat). Good! Now for the other reason I do not dine here frequently. When given a choice, I will almost always decide to dine in rather than take out at a restaurant, however at Jacob's this poses a problem. Because the food at the hot buffet is almost always kept too cold to dine in and enjoy a hot meal, I am forced to take it home for reheating. As a result this limits my visits here to when I feel like eating take out at home. I'm told that the owner of Jacob Restaurant named the restaurant after his father, Jacob. So as any good father who would want the best for his son would do ...I am taking a moment to give him a small dose of tough love. Be consistent with the food preparation quality and always serve it hot, so that I can give you a four star rating soon. Also, please, please bring back the Dirty Rice (chopped chicken livers with cooked rice). I love it! read more

Jacob Restaurant - Beef short ribs, oxtails, mac & cheese, black-eyed peas, candied yams, peas & rice, shrimp with rice, avocado salad. - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

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3rd time eating at this establishment, 1st time at this particular location. Soon as u walk in u get down to business. Grab your paper tray and fill up. This is a buffet styled eatery. The food will fill u up, but be careful... they weigh the plates. Mine always comes to $15. My typical options are heavy & solid in weight.... Ox Tails, Mac n Chz, Beef Ribs, Greens (made w/ turkey), Yams & Jerk Chkn. The jerk chkn is deelish. They offer a salad bar as well filled with fresh veggies & fruit as well. And dessert options. U can dine im the back. Great 80's music played and there are also 2 large screen t.v's. Nothing fancy, but clean. Bathroom was clean as well. 3 stars bcuz the food could be better. Sometimes its bland and thats for both locations. read more

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What?? Soul Food by the pound?? I'm down. Nice self service atmosphere with a wide selection. I LOVED the collard greens (made with turkey for flavor) and the mac n cheese was great. Out of the sampling of food that I got nothing was disappointing and I would go back next time I am craving soul food. read more

Jacob Restaurant - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

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A buffet could never get 5 stars from me. Food cooked to order is worthy of 5 stars. Anyway, I had rice an beans, jerk chicken, corn, candied yams, mac and cheese, black eyed peas, potatoes, a little stuffing, and one piece of fried chicken. Dayum. This food made me almost pass out. If everything in my container was equally delicious I would have given this place 5 stars. But my corn was hard and the black eyed peas needed more seasoning. Everything else was yummy. read more

Jacob Restaurant - Yum yum goodness. - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

My food choices were good, I chose the bbq pork ribs, okra, mash potatoes, salmon and candied yams... I just wish that they'd allow a limited amount of people in at a time for social distancing and make sure everyone, including the staff that handles the food wear gloves. read more

I love eating the food at Jacob's. Of course I have my favorite dishes - corn bread, mash potatoes, okra, kale, jerk chicken, fried fish, grilled fish, mac n cheese, short ribs, bbq ribs, and some others. There are many more to try. And in the cold salad bar - Greek salad, green bean salad, mixed fruit, avocado salad, and garden salad. I find it a pleasant place to get food and sometimes we eat in and other times take it home to eat. But it never disappoints. And there are so many other dishes to choose from as well! For dessert there is always individual sized peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, bean pie, red velvet cake, chocolate cake, and some other choices. read more

Jacob Restaurant - Sweet potato pie - Buffets Near Me - New York, New York

Everything I had was savory and delish - lima beans - string beans (had a nice lil crunch) - mac and cheese (macaroni pie style tho, cheese only on the top) - fried whiting - baked fish Not into posting buffet plates, you'll have to take my word. Everything cooked perfect. Savory and Flavorful. read more

Jacob Restaurant has quite the buffet spread goin' on. With so much to choose from, I tried my best to narrow it down and sample everything that suited my fancy. I got fried chicken, pork ribs, oxtail, cornbread, okra with tomato sauce, collared greens, sweet potatoes, mac n cheese and jamaican rice. I had to go all out and get the banana pudding for dessert too. The pork ribs, sweet potatoes, mac n cheese and banana pudding were the highlights of the meal. The pork ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and were smothered with this amazing barbeque sauce. Sweet potatoes were as sweet as candy. So yummy, they could have sufficed for dessert. The mac n cheese was nice and cheesy combined with the macaroni with sprinkled cheese on top for good measure. The banana pudding was amazing, complete with real banana slices and nilla wafers. I saw a lot of people getting the red velvet cake slices to-go. I wish I had more room to try that, but I was already on overload. I wanted to check this place out specifically for the fried chicken, but unfortunately, I've had better. Moist inside, but the outside wasn't crispy. In their defense, it's really hard to maintain fried chicken in a buffet-like setup for an extended amount of time. Staff is really friendly. It's $4.99 per pound and cash only. read more

You know what Hall and Oates would say? "Baby you have....everything your heart desires...so why you want more?" Everything your heart desires of a soul food inspired hot buffet galore, that is. Smothered Turkey wings, baked macaroni and cheese, yams, collard greens, fish, baked chicken, cold pasta salads, jello, cornbread, rice, oxtails, BBQ chicken wings, Cesar salad, banana pudding, cakes, soups. Some of the stuff looks great...but then other dishes have you thinking..."Am I the only one who ever buys this red jello?...This looks like the same exact tray that was in here a week ago..." Hmmm, think again. Buffets are always iffy. The smothered turkey wings are good. But everything else just seems a little bit too indulgent. Too cheesy, too salty or like it's covered in an overcoat of grease. I'll tell you why I want more. Jacob, you're too dang expensive. $11 a pound? I might as well go to an actual restaurant. Plus, every time I walk by or in this place, someone tries to panhandle me for money. They do have seating in the back. The cashier is friendly. And the end of the day though, I'm just not a buffet loving gal. read more