Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Marathon Cafe

    4.5 (142 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Order Marathon Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Marathon Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    MARATHON CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    More like Marathon Cafe

    Recommended Reviews - Marathon Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Maggie L.

    So glad to have been recommended Marathon Cafe! I'm a huge fan of HK style cha chaan tang. This spot isn't too far from me, which makes it even better! Not to mention, service is super friendly and food is simple, yet delish, exactly why I love HK-style grub! Their HK milk tea, sandwiches, cheung fun and fish balls, plus soupy entrees are all amazing. Gotta mention how LOADED their sandwiches are and how unique some items are on their menu - like the bolo bau burger, which I havent tried but will some day!

    Crispy pork with cheese and tomato sauce over rice
    Amy W.

    My friends and I came here on a Saturday afternoon around 1pm and managed to get the last available table. The place has a hole in the wall vibe and it's self serve so you'll grab a table, order in the front counter and then grab all the plates and utensils you need. They do bring to food to your table. The portions are huge for its price. My favorite was the bolo Yau. It was so crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I love that they didn't overload the butter. I'll definitely come back.

    Radish Soup
    Jessica B.

    My family has been raving about this place for awhile. I've been wanting to see what it's about! Came on a Saturday afternoon and it was buzzing! Luckily, we grabbed the last available table for 5 people before a huge swarm of people followed. They do not have a private parking lot but we found parking in the residential area behind it (on a slope). Upon walking in, the employees do help you find a table but once you get seated, you have to obtain your own plates, utensils, and napkins. That's why there's no tip required! They do bring the food out to your table though. They are known for their scallion chicken which is so fresh, soft, and flavorful. It also comes with radish soup that's very good. The peanut butter rice rolls with fish balls were decent, but I prefer curry fish balls. We also shared two other rice dishes - the baked pork chop and the corn fish. Both were very good and the portions are huge. We also got a pineapple Bun which comes with a thick slab of butter. The outside shell was not as crispy as I would want it to be. As for the drinks, they are known for their Hong Kong Style Milk Tea which is very strong. I thought the red bean ice was ok, a bit too liquidy for me. The honey Lemon is good. Will definitely be back for their yummy chicken!!

    Macaroni with beef and egg
    Stanley W.

    Food is decent. I enjoyed the macaroni with egg and beef (beef is fatty but good) and the pork chop over rice. I wasn't a fan of their iced hk style milk tea. A bit too strong for me. Service is amazing. The host was engaging to customers and funny if you speak Cantonese. You order food, get your own utensils and sit down. Tips is not required for sitting down.

    Yvonne C.

    Ooooooooweeee! This is kinda like a hole in the wall spot located right on the corner. You walk in and it smells like cat piss ngl. But the food? Absolutely delish!!! The chicken rice is to die for. I've had good chicken rice before but this? Out of this world. It was so good that I had to buy 2 more to go for my parents. The filet corn on rice was freshly made piping hot. We got here when it just opened and it was already somewhat busy with takeout orders along with people seated ready to eat. You order and pay in the front first and then they will bring you the food.

    Salmon Salad
    Sharon T.

    We've always been on short end of the stick during our attempts to dine here--it's usually packed during weekend lunch. But we finally dragged ourselves to beat the rush and it didn't disappoint. It's hard to find HK-style cha chan tangs in NYC, especially in Queens. By no means is it fancy on the slightest but that's the true essence of cha chan tangs--no frills, quick, and a bit dingy. My family was surprised at the large portions and at such good prices (no more than $18 being the most expensive item) that we either couldn't even finish most of the food or had to force ourselves to. I didn't love that they serve the food in plastic containers but they probably do this, expecting people to not finish and take the rest to go. I had the Tomato Beef Macaroni Soup and it was perfect for the cold, rainy day we came in on. Generous portions of beef, too. Also had a pineapple bun with butter and they both were okay. Obviously, they don't make the drinks in true HK fashion with a pantyhose but it was good for what it was. The service was nice--family run and you pay first, though I think they were a bit overstimulated by our group of 4 (which isn't big to begin with) and made a few errors on our orders, so definitely not a place to bring a large group to. In my opinion, this place is worth the commute but they're opening a location in Flushing very soon so there's no reason to make the complex travel to Little Neck.

    Exterior
    Tsz-Cheong C.

    Located on the corner of a residential area. The Marathon Cafe is a sweet little taste of the "chaan tengs" of Hong Kong. The menu is simple offering traditional style Cantonese comfort food. Their Hong Kong-style milk tea is perfectly brewed, striking an ideal balance between strong black tea and creamy evaporated milk (They use the black and white brand evaporated milk which IMHO tastes the best) My favorite entrees here are: * Beef macaroni soup with egg. Delicate cuts of beef wth a savory and velvety delicious tomato based broth. * Pork cutlet in curry sauce - the chop is moist and smothered in yellow curry on a bed of rice with broccoli and carrots * Cream corn fish - fish fried perfectly and drenched in creamy corn sauce over a bed of rice * French toast - Coated in sweet and delicious peanut butter. The portions are generous, the flavors authentic, and the prices are remarkably fair for such a nice size portion. Parking is limited in the area, and if you park way up the hilly dead end street on Beechknoll Ave, be forewarned. The hilly street is not a challenge walking down, as Miley Cyrus sang "It's the climb" The trek up was invigorating, to say the least. Halfway there, you may question all your life choices, including why you didn't just order takeout. Who knew you would be signing up for an impromptu cardio workout as it may feel like a workout, all that's missing are volunteers offering up cups of water on the walk-up. Marathon cafe is definitely worth the extra cardio and make sure you don't skip leg day at the gym as the food is simply delicious!

    Olivia S.

    For no frills Cantonese breakfast/early lunch, Marathon Cafe is the way to go if you're in the area. I've been meaning to try this place for a while and after ordering a milk tea coffee from them for to-go in the summer, I just knew I had to come back. I finally had that opportunity a few weekends ago & it was well worth it. My girl friends order the bo lor bao burgers and I had ordered the garlic eggplant over rice. We also ordered the savory rice rolls to share. First of all, the portions were HUGE - totally unexpected, but at least you get your money's worth! Second, the dishes were flavorful - yum yum yum! I'm so glad we were able to go & now I look forward to dining here again with my friends in the area!

    Tomato Porkchop & Curry Porkchop
    Sharon L.

    I'm always happy to find a Hong Kong Cafe, so I was of course super excited to come to try Marathon Cafe with my fiance and his parents. One things for sure - the service here is exceptional. It appears to be a family owned business; every person we interacted here has excellent service and mannerisms, even though this is a self-service spot! There are plenty of regulars here, and they seem to know just about everyone who walks through the door. Portion sizes here are quite large - highly recommend sharing items with a few others. Some highlights and favorites here definitely include the beef noodle soup (broth has good depth, pickled mustard greens are delish, and beef shank is sooo tender), the honey garlic chicken wings, and the lai yau dor (toast with condensed milk + butter). The porkchops here are massive and they come with either rice or spaghetti; I personally liked the curry more. As mentioned above, this place is mostly self service. Orders are placed at the counter, condiments are available at the counter, and you are expected to clear your own trash. Of note, they close a bit early (at 6pm). The owners noted that this is so they can keep the food, service, and experience consistent for all diners. Will definitely be back!

    eggplant over rice
    Jennifer L.

    Hk style food in little neck. Easy street parking. They can get busy! Self serve, you order by the counter, they bring you food. No tip needed. Kid friendly. They bring out the food relatively fast. I ordered the bolo burger and it was the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Genius idea. My daughter loved the bolo bun and french fries. Restaurant looks like it is your grandmothers kitchen. I also see a little karaoke station set up in the back-- so karaoke nights sometimes? Food is a little pricey but I would definitely come back again!

    Crispy Wings and Rice rolls (with fishballs & turnips)
    Shirley L.

    I'm surprised to find such delicious Hong Kong Style cuisine in Little Neck. At first you would think the food price is slightly more expensive but the portion was a big. A good portion to share and try out their menu. Everything was flavorful. I really like their wings as it's called "crispy" wings. The lava toast was interesting, extremely creamy with some coco powder. Their staffs were also very considerate seeing that our party came with 2 toddlers and 1 baby. I was able to fit our baby stroller without folding it. I would definitely come back the next time I'm in the area.

    Lava French toast
    Kelly L.

    The family wanted to try Marathon Cafe for a birthday dinner on Sunday. We arrived at 5pm and were informed that they actually close at 6pm. Luckly there was a lot of room and we could order right away. They have a self-service concept in which, you pay for your order, they bring it to your table, and you do not need to tip. At 5:45pm they come over to ask whether we wanted anything else because the kitchen was closing. The food came out quickly, so despite ordering a decent amount we were able to finish prior to closing! We ordered Fried Pork Chop (changing to spaghetti is an additional $2 compared the usual $14.95), Katsudon Cheese in Japanese Curry Sauce over Rice ($15.95), Creamy Corn with Fish over rice ($13.95), Ox Tongue Spaghetti ($17.95), Lava French Toast ($10.95), Crispy Chicken Wings (one order of sweet chili sauce, and one order of Honey Garlic Sauce; each $13.95), Milk Tea Meets Coffee ($4.75) and HK Style Milk Tea ($4.75). We were pretty satisfied with every dish, as the portion sizes are decent for the price. The pork chops and the chicken wings were meaty and tender. Chicken was crispy despite having the sauce on top. The only thing I probably wouldn't order again is the lava toast because I was just not a fan of the cream inside. It would have been nice if there was salted egg custard inside instead. The drinks were great, but definitely more toned down compared to the coffee and tea from HK because it's STRONG over there.

    Gyudon
    Kat J.

    We loved this place so much that we came back twice in two weeks. It's semi self service, you order at the counter and they will bring out the dishes for you. I love the half coffee/half tea drink, such a prototypical HK drink. Other great dishes include the rice roll and the scallion chicken. It's a no frill place where you can get yummy comfort food, highly recommend.

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 4
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Mara L.

    Mara L.

    Thank you very much

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 4
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Kat J.
    210
    387
    4520

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Mara L.

    Mara L.

    Thank you for your stars

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Juju W.
    213
    804
    3375

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Mara L.

    Mara L.

    Thank you very much

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    One word "bad" they gave me a plastic bag for my unfinished toast with peanut butter and condensed milk

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Winnie H.
    13
    81
    133

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 4

    Marathon Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Marathon Cafe

    You might also consider

    1480 HK Café - House Special Rice Rolls $5.95

    1480 HK Café

    3.4(133 reviews)
    0.4 miDouglaston
    $$

    We ordered takeout once at night time, and liked the satay beef bun and the iced HK milk tea…read morewithout ice with half sugar (they sold out the hot HK milk tea and recommended the iced without ice). One week later, we returned to try the breakfast. For breakfast, we tried (1) combo E with pork chop; it is a good portion and comes with a hot coffee/tea; (2) mixed sauce rice roll, I like that it's cut side ways in half with bigger surface for sauce, but the sauce is a bit sour for me, won't order again; (3) pineapple bun with thick butter, have always wanted to try this somewhere and finally tried it, no regrets but may not order it regularly; (4) hot HK milk tea with half sugar, the hot version tastes a bit astringent (涩) to me. We don't mind coming back to try other dishes. They take cash and Zelle. Some parking spots in rear but can also do street parking in residential area.

    I was really craving Hong Kong style food and was really missing Lan Kwai Fong restaurant with…read moretheir Set courses. I got a recommendation to come here and even though it was a bit farther for me, it was worth the trip. Plus it has parking in the back!! Bonus!! All the food we had was very good. Though they did have a dish or two that didn't seem to be available even though we arrived pretty early for lunch. I'd rather they just adjust the menu than tease us with something we want off the menu and then have to feel pressured to find a substitute while the waitress is waiting for us to order. We had the salt & pepper pork was a popular dish (based off of Yelp reviews, wink wink) and it did not disappoint. We also had the egg shrimp chow fun, soy sauce fried noodles, hot and sour soup and HK ying yang drink. Prices were a bit above normal but quality is good. I'll be back.

    Photos
    1480 HK Café - Inside - Seating, near closing time; but last night (Friday), the place was busy

    Inside - Seating, near closing time; but last night (Friday), the place was busy

    1480 HK Café - Salted fish and Chicken fried rice

    Salted fish and Chicken fried rice

    1480 HK Café - Ambiant calm setting

    See all

    Ambiant calm setting

    Kong Sihk Tong - Instagram: GaoGirlsGrubbin

    Kong Sihk Tong

    4.2(256 reviews)
    4.8 miDowntown Flushing, Flushing
    $$

    I absolutely love this spot! I was looking for a Hong Kong style Cafe and I found this one through…read moreGoogle or Yelp. My favorite thing is definitely the string beans with the shrimp paste. It's a little spicy but it's the perfect flavor. I also really enjoy the pineapple bun with the butter and also of course the Hong Kong milk tea is amazing because it's super caffeinated and the condensed milk makes it really sweet. I love the cafe aesthetic. It's very new and clean with the neon lights.

    I've been to the Kong Sihk Tong location in Chinatown, so I wanted to see how the Flushing branch…read morewas. We ordered: Borscht Soup ($5.95) - This has been pretty solid in both the Flushing and Chinatown location. It's rich in flavor, and quite tart. I did find the beef to be a little tough though. Beef Chow Fun in Brown Sauce ($13.25) - This was a little salty, but beef was tender and you can taste the flavors/heat of the wok in this dish, which is nice. Curry Fish Fillet Over Rice ($10.25) - This was also on the salty side, but it pairs nicely with the mountain of rice. Lemon Tea ($4.25) - Solid HK Lemon Tea with a good combination of sugar and lemon. This location looks more modern but still keeps the essence of how chachatangs are like in Hong Kong. Overall, I think the portion sizes are good for the price and if you can't finish, I would definitely take leftovers home and add rice or extra noodles to make use of the sauces! If I'm craving HK comfort food, I'm happy to have a location that is close to me! Note: Its only cash or venmo here. There is one unisex bathroom.

    Photos
    Kong Sihk Tong
    Kong Sihk Tong - Salty Duck Egg with Shrimp Fried Rice (咸蛋蝦皇炒飯): $14.45 ($15.73 with tax).

    Salty Duck Egg with Shrimp Fried Rice (咸蛋蝦皇炒飯): $14.45 ($15.73 with tax).

    Kong Sihk Tong - French Toast with Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk

    See all

    French Toast with Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk

    Yummy Noodle House 粥麵之家 - S3. Beef Chow Fun | Instagram: GaoGirlsGrubbin

    Yummy Noodle House 粥麵之家

    4.2(403 reviews)
    2.8 miBayside, Flushing
    $$

    I really love this place--curry, curry, and more curry. The beef brisket curry and homemade tofu…read morecurry are easily our go-to favorites. That said, their noodle soups are also excellent. The portions are generous, and they seem to give a bit more noodles than most places, which I definitely appreciate. My wife is a big fan of their black sesame soup and Hong Kong-style coffee as well. I've tried a few other dishes, and everything has been great--but it's honestly hard to branch out when your go-tos are this good.

    Food: 5/5 This was classic, good HK comfort food. We got the…read moreSteamed Rice Roll ($7.50), Shrimp Wonton Soup ($11.50), Beef Brisket w Curry Sauce Noodle Soup ($16.95), and Pork w Salty Fish Hot Pot Rice ($16.95). The steamed rice roll came drenched in a peanut and hoisin sauce. The wonton soup had a lettuce based soup. We got the beef brisket curry with ho fun noodles and it tasted exactly like the HK curry noodle dishes I had growing up. The pork w salted fish hotpot rice had a lot of flavor without being overly salty, and it had crispy rice at the bottom of the pot. This was a very nostalgic meal for me. Service: 5/5 The staff was very nice and extremely efficient. They were fast without rushing. This place is always packed and they always serve customers quickly to keep it moving. Ambiance: 4/5 Yummy Noodle House is plain and simple. It is a very casual meal and pretty packed most of the time. It feels very local and produces authentic comfort food.

    Photos
    Yummy Noodle House 粥麵之家
    Yummy Noodle House 粥麵之家 - A8. Steam Rice Roll

    A8. Steam Rice Roll

    Yummy Noodle House 粥麵之家 - A13. Steamed Pork Liver and Kidney with Ginger and Scallion

    See all

    A13. Steamed Pork Liver and Kidney with Ginger and Scallion

    Don Chicken - Little Neck - Cheese Snowing Chicken

    Don Chicken - Little Neck

    4.4(52 reviews)
    0.2 miDouglaston

    Highly recommend the Korean fried chicken here. Unlike other places, the center of the chicken is…read morewell seasoned. It is a bit more self-service as you will have to ask for water and napkins. However, the flavor is amazing and is easily one of my favorite spots! I usually get the soy garlic. But I had the ppuring last thing, and it tasted like the sour cream and onion pringle seasoning. Not my favorite since I can't get the flavor out of my mind.

    I was finishing up an errand in Lake Success and in the mood to try a new KFC (Korean Fried…read moreChicken) spot. Last time I was in town, I tried ~$100 worth of Pelicana Bayside, which ended up being a solid choice. Everyone loved it. This time, I checked Grubhub, Uber Eats, Google Reviews, and of course Yelp! Don Chicken Little Neck was the closest spot with the best reviews. I also noticed there's a Manhattan location, as well as several NJ locations (Ft Lee, Pal Park, Englewood, etc.), which is usually a good sign. I ordered a Soy Garlic combo (6 wings, 2 drums) + pickled radish for pick up--and yes, the aroma driving home got us salivating so much that we didn't bother reheating and just dug in. An obvious rookie mistake, but it still hit the spot. The drums were HUGE. For anyone new to Don, I highly recommend skipping wings and going straight for drumsticks (more bang for the buck). Next visit, new flavor. Perhaps spicy soy garlic.

    Photos
    Don Chicken - Little Neck - Outside

    Outside

    Don Chicken - Little Neck - Ppurings Chicken

    Ppurings Chicken

    Don Chicken - Little Neck - Ppurings Chicken, Soy Garlic Chicken, Gimmalie (6 pieces)

    See all

    Ppurings Chicken, Soy Garlic Chicken, Gimmalie (6 pieces)

    Marathon Cafe - chicken_wings - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...