It's very hard for me to leave this 1-star review for the cafe, but it needs to be said so others would know what they're getting into.. I've been going here for over 2 years with friends and the food has been great and servers very professional. However, I recently had a terrible experience with the owner/manager of the place whom I've never previously met, after which I will no longer step foot in the place. My friend and I visited few days ago where we ordered a hookah and I ordered a dessert on the side. The server we had was very polite and brought our orders. He took awhile to come back with the receipt so I went inside to pay. He processed the payment but never gave me my receipt. I didn't make much of it until later that evening when I realized we paid an awful lot for just hookah and a dessert.
I called the next day and the manager picked up, asking me for the receipt but after I explained him the situation and asked what the price of the hookah was, and why we ended up paying $46 for just hookah and a piece of dessert, he was very rude and said I needed to come in to show him the server. I went in 2 days later after work and found that nice waiter who recognized me. He explained everything clearly and said there were extra charges for additional waters (I had completely forgotten about those) and the full amount was such and such..I admitted I'd forgotten about the few waters we ordered and thanked him. We had a pleasant conversation, he printed out the receipt and handed to me and I was about to walk away. Apparently that garbage of a manager was creepily hearing in on the whole conversation, but I wasn't aware since I never saw him before. Suddenly he interjects and starts yelling: "excuse me you're the one who called me the other day about the hookah, why are you lying and saying you only got hookah when you got dessert too? You said you had no drinks just hookah and nothing else, you lying!" I and the waiter were looking at him like he's crazy. I told him I asked for the price of the hookah over the phone but he never gave it to me and asked me to come in to ID the waiter. But he kept running with it...he insisted that I'm lying and kept repeating himself. What's worse is his shameless unprofessionalism... he's screaming and accusing a customer for lying when there are other customers around looking at him...he looked like a crazy man,, arguing over nothing...he was humiliating himself even though the small situation was already fully resolved by myself and the waiter. Clearly he was after an ego trip and not for professionalism or decent hospitality.
He then stampedes out the door to talk to someone sitting in the outdoor patio and shuts the door behind him, I open it to leave and turn around and tell him point blank: "your behavior was very disrespectful...where I come from, accusing customers for lying and disrespecting them is completely unacceptable. Your server did a very professional job and didn't give us any issues,, and you get in the convo and act so rudely.. I've been coming here for years with friends and we will never come back here again." As I'm walking out he goes,"thank you, thank you."
Fair warning guys...the food is good, the servers are nice (although not always timely), but clearly the manager/owner is mentally unwell. My heart aches for any of his employees who have to work under his wrath. There are far too many good eateries in NYC without the negative drama, so I wouldn't waste another minute here, especially if you want to come in with your loved ones and leave on a positive vibe. read more