Yemen Café & Restaurant

I visited Yemen Cafe after my graduation and ordered the Lamb Haneeth. The lamb was flavorful, and I appreciated the complimentary soup, salad, and bread.<br>My disappointment was with the portion I received. The menu price was about $39, yet a significant part of my serving consisted of bones, leaving what felt like a relatively small amount of edible meat. The food itself was good, but for nearly $40 I expected a more generous and consistent serving of lamb. I hope management pays closer attention to portion control so that all customers receive the same standard.

Best Restaurant ever! Amazing music, people, and atmosphere. Gigantic portion sizes so perfect for sharing and birthday parties. My favorite food in Brooklyn Heights. And their tea is to die for!

I visited your restaurant today and was very disappointed with the food quality, specifically the Ruz Zurbian (رز زربيان).<br><br>As someone who appreciates Yemeni cuisine, I felt that this dish does not represent the authentic taste or cultural value it is known for. It was unclear, poorly prepared, and did not reflect what Zurbian is supposed to be.<br><br>This is especially concerning because your restaurant is well-known and represents Yemeni food to many people in New York. Many customers may form their understanding of Yemeni cuisine based on their experience here.<br><br>I am not concerned about the money—I care about quality and authenticity. I hope you take this feedback seriously and work on improving the food to better respect Yemeni culture and your restaurant’s reputation.<br><br>Unfortunately, based on this experience, I would not return. However, I hope to see improvements for the sake of future customers.

The restaurant offers affordable pricing and had a lively, full of customers dining area, which was a positive sign. The food was enjoyable, though a bit on the spicy side and contained more lamb bones than expected.

We thought we would have leftovers- nope. So good! Unlimited bread refills too :D lamb fahsah was def the highlight<br><br>We were so shook bc so many things came out at first that we didn't order (bread, salad, soup).

Once Great, Now Deeply Disappointing 👎🏼 !<br><br>As a Yemeni who knows how real Yemeni food should taste, it honestly hurts to say this, but this restaurant is no longer what it used to be. It used to be one of the best and first Yemeni restaurants in NYC, but the quality has dropped so much that it barely resembles authentic Yemeni cuisine anymore.<br>I went recently with my cousins, and we all felt so bad about the experience. Some of us couldn’t even eat the food, including me. For the high prices they are still charging, the flavors, freshness, and overall quality are just not acceptable. It really feels like they are living off their old name and reputation, especially with customers who don’t know what true Yemeni food is supposed to taste like.<br>I’m not writing this to advertise anything, just to be honest and to protect the reputation of Yemeni cuisine, because this direction only harms it. I will do my best to reach out to the owners directly, because many of us would love to see this place return to its old standard. If you really want to experience authentic Yemeni food at this price point, I highly recommend Yemenat, the only Yemeni restaurant added to the Michelin list as one of the best in New York.

TLDR: I haven't even eaten there but wow was it good. Definitely will be returning, the baba ghanoush and both the lamb leg/stews were insane.<br><br>Had this delivery at a friend's place and wow - everything was so tasty. Each order comes with this huge toasty pita that's perfect to mop up the sauces and plates.<br><br>The baba ghanoush was the first thing I tried and I loved the texture. Not overly whipped or too smokey. Kinda of like rice pudding without the grains, that's just how it felt as I dragged the pita through it.<br><br>The fahsah was this incredibly tender lamb stew that was my favorite. It's got a decent kick to it and that rich deep flavor. The lamb leg was also delicious, the edges are crispy but the meat literally falls off the bone.<br><br>The chicken curry was tasty too along with the grilled fish. I can see why this place is popular, definitely will visit one of their locations again in-person.

Yemen Café had been on my list for a long time, and I finally got the chance to visit a few days ago when we were in NYC. The only issue with that part of Brooklyn is parking, but we got lucky and found a spot right in front of the restaurant.<br><br>As soon as you’re seated, they serve warm bread and a bowl of lamb soup and the two go perfectly together. The soup has just the right balance of spices. We ordered a few dishes, but the highlight for us was definitely the lamb haneeth. The meat was super tender and full of flavor.<br><br>The place is very clean, the service is excellent, and don’t forget the complimentary tea it’s the perfect way to finish your meal. Overall, it’s a great spot to experience authentic Yemeni cuisine.

This is a type of place that I love and reminds me a lot of the restaurants I grew up with in South Brooklyn - made for groups and to share laughs and good food. We heard a lot of good things about the Haneeth which was good but the show stopped was the Fahsah, that was unique and delicious. Everything else was cozy and filling dishes and were just okay. I’m looking forward to coming back just for the Fahsah in the near future.

The food was good overall, though not exactly to my taste. I ordered Fahsa Laham, which was excellent and truly authentic, just like the ones I’ve had in the Middle East. The charcoal-grilled chicken and chicken haneeth were decent but a bit bland; they could’ve used more spice. The atmosphere was really nice, and they offered complimentary black tea, which was a great touch. The food was a little pricey, understandable for Brooklyn.. but I felt the taste didn’t quite match the cost.

Delicious and authentic Yemeni food! The chicken Haneth was tender and full of flavor, and the rice was good too.<br><br>Portions were generous, and they even serve beards and soup complimentary sides.<br>fattah with honey as dessert was just perfect along with the self service perfect tea.<br>Friendly service and a welcoming atmosphere — highly recommended!

The best Yemenis restaurant in NY. The food is amazingly delicious. Large portions of food. Fresh bread, I believe they make the bread in the restaurant. Tentative and welcoming staff. This was my first time going to this restaurant but I will definitely go back again. The area is very nice with plenty of restaurants and coffee shops.

Delicious Yemeni food! I highly recommend the Haneeth lamb dish and the liver dish. The service is fast and friendly, and the restaurant has been around for many years. The only downside is the significant price increase over time — $34 for a lamb plate feels a bit too steep.

This place is consistently amazing. I’ve been eating here for years. Order anything, it’ll be great. Opened in 1986, they are the first Yemeni restaurant in the US.<br><br>There is a self-serve water (metal cups) and hot tea (paper cups) station to the back right-hand portion of the restaurant. The tea is labeled “Yemeni Style Hot Tea” on the menu. It is a slightly sweetened black tea likely spiced with cardamom, clove, and the slightest bit of cinnamon.<br><br>As soon as you’re seated you will get a small dish of lemon wedges and spicy, fresh Yemeni Zahawig (salsa). Shortly thereafter, you’ll get Marag (soup) and bread. The Marag is a deep and rich lamb broth with onions - squeeze a lemon wedge into your soup and feel free to use the Zahawig to spice to taste. The Zahawig is likely tomato, jalapeño, cilantro, and a couple other surprises. It is excitingly spicy for a table “salsa” and tastes like it is made fresh.<br><br>The bread is crispy on the bottom and the edges. It holds up very well to everything you’ll use it to dip and pile on during your meal. It’s a giant, round flatbread that your entire table will tear at and enjoy.<br><br>There are a lot of vegetarian dishes that are fun to share: hummus, baba ghanoush, a vegetarian entree which is a vegetable stew served over rice with salad.<br><br>The hummus is smooth and doesn’t need salt, perfect as is, very delicately seasoned. The baba ghanoush is so refreshing.<br><br>Foul is a very fun dish to order. This is a tiny pot of mashed fava beans that are sautéed with tomatoes and onions and comes out bubbling. It is very well-balanced.<br><br>Fasoolia is white kidney beans sautéed with onions, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, and minced scallions. One of my favorites.<br><br>Everyone who has eaten the meat here has loved it and raved about its tenderness. Make sure you try all the things. They are open later than many places in the neighborhood (11:30pm). I love coming here.

The food is excellent. The portions are large. Bread, soup, and salad are served. The service is excellent. The prices are average. One of the best Arabic restaurants in Brooklyn.<br>- I've visited it several times over the past ten years (the decor hasn't changed, and the quality of the food is consistent).<br>- The staff are wonderful, and the service is fast.<br>- As soon as you sit down, you're served meat broth and delicious Yemeni bread with a green salad (hospitality).<br>- The meat broth has changed and isn't as it used to be, with a lot of cumin added to it.<br>- I was surprised that the customers were more American than Arab.<br>- My order and rating are as follows:<br>1/ Small meat 10/10.<br>2/ Chicken knot 10/10.<br>3/ Honey, time, cream, and black seed fatteh 10/10<br>(I highly recommend the restaurant)... One of the best Yemeni Arabic restaurants in New York City. The rice, meat, and chicken are excellent. The service is fast and the staff is very respectful. It's worth visiting more than once. A very excellent experience. The location is close and next to Arabic shops.