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All Reader Reviews of...

Azuri Cafe

465 W. 51st St., New York, NY, 10019
nr. Tenth Ave.
212-262-2920

Avg. Rating

6
Food: 7
Service: 5
Décor: 3
"Mixed Reviews"

Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10.

63% would go back.

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WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE

By nikoant on 6/30/2011

  • Overall Rating: 2
  • Food: 3
  • Service: 1
  • Décor: 1
  • No, I would not go back!

Since when is $17 is considered cheap for a platter on 10th. After entering this sweltering establishment on a hot june day I tried ordering to a non english speaking counter man. the infamous ezra was somewhere in the back. After eating my $4 undercooked fries and my dry schwarma sandwich I really can't undestand all these reviews. Maybe I should have tried the falafel. Overall I have had better street meat here in nyc.

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15 out of 27 people found this review helpful.

Relaxed and sublime

By haltzman on 6/1/2009

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 8
  • Yes, I would go back!

Ezra, the owner, was polite and gracious. The best pita pocket I've EVER had. the Cookie his wife made was unusual, but if I were into healthy alternatives to fats and calories, I would have enjoyed it.

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52 out of 109 people found this review helpful.

Only in NYC!

By Fraklein on 1/11/2009

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 4
  • Yes, I would go back!

I've eaten at Azuri's many times and always find the food and the service to be outstanding. The Turkish coffee and the lentil soup are my favorites, mostly because most of the times I've been there the weather was cold and damp. The owner, Ezra, is very solicitous of single women, so send your girlfriend to pick up your food! ; )

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62 out of 125 people found this review helpful.

Ezra's perma-scowl is worth the food!

By lgraham9 on 4/2/2008

  • Overall Rating: 6
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 2
  • Décor: 2
  • Yes, I would go back!

I have never tasted a better falafel in my life. Those sharp (sharp!) Israeli pickles, delectable Middle-Eastern salads, crunchy falafel... all stuffed into a pillowy pita. And the motsah ball soup is also sublime. The downside -- it's just a hole in the wall on 51st Street, just east of 10th. Azuri "Ezra" Cohen, the owner, is indeed a NY "character" who rarely smiles (and usually scowls). Barely any room to sit inside. But who cares?! With food this good (and cheap!), I'll deal with a line AND a scowl.

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67 out of 123 people found this review helpful.

Great food!

By purplerodriguez on 5/18/2007

  • Overall Rating: 8
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 7
  • Décor: 3
  • Yes, I would go back!

The owner is the falafel nazi... He has this permanent scowl on his face but I did manage to get him to smile once... The lentil soup is my favorite; I dip a thick pita bread in the soup, it's very filling. I think most patrons forget he has soup. His falafels, hummus, and combination pitas are delicious. He also has these potato dumplings that are really good. He's off the beaten path which makes it a great secret eatery. However, once you eat there, you'll be hooked by the great taste and low prices. He recently put tables outside, which makes it a little easier to eat there. I usually take it to go because it gets very crowded...

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283 out of 558 people found this review helpful.

Good Food Bad Service

By zion123 on 3/29/2004

  • Overall Rating: 4
  • Food: 6
  • Service: 1
  • Décor: 1
  • No, I would not go back!

I would recommend u order for takeout/delivery.

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278 out of 551 people found this review helpful.

For true food lovers only

By tastebuddy on 8/23/2003

  • Overall Rating: 7
  • Food: 9
  • Service: 5
  • Décor: 1
  • Yes, I would go back!

This is not a place for dates or any kind of special occasion whatsoever. It's a cramped, stuffy, rickety counter-service place with a few tiny tables that seem to be there only as an afterthought, and there's sometimes gruff (scary?) service by the owner. But that's not the point. Azuri has excellent food, for true foodies, and that's what my overall rating is based on. The food is fresh, varied, full of flavor, and extremely reasonable. A generous vegetarian platter with all the trimmings is about $8.50. No other Middle Eastern place compares when it comes to the quality-value ratio, which is my #1 criteria for judging whether I would go back.

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262 out of 516 people found this review helpful.

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