After watching the emotionally enervating revival of "Death of a Salesman", Jamie W and I were in the mood for dependable comfort food that would fill our depleted souls. We had such a fine dinner at the West Village location of this local mini-chain that we came here to the University Place outpost. It felt a bit smaller as we were squeezed into a table for two between diners who already marked their territories. I could feel the small-mouth as we sat down. We decided to share an appetizer, the $17 Salt & Pepper Eggplant, a bowlful of lightly fried and crisped eggplant cubes served with their housemade tzatziki sauce. It's a refreshing blend of labneh, cucumber, dill, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil that brings depth to the eggplant (Photo 9). For his entree, Jamie went for the $24 Chicken Kebab, a single skewer of chicken breast pieces marinated in a South Africa-style peri-peri spice rub. It was served in a bowl, half filled with a bed of fluffy couscous and the other half, a chopped Israeli-style salad made of finely diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and mint in an olive oil dressing (Photo 6). The result was fresh and satisfying. My choice was a familiar one, the $22 Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs, which we had the last time. It's the most traditional plate they make with chicken meatballs and a sweet marinara sauce recipe from Freda herself (Photo 10). For an additional $3, you can have them replace the pasta with strands of spaghetti squash. Hey, I'm no health fanatic, so I stuck with the carbs. I assume that's the way Freda would have made it. She's the owner's Jewish grandmother if you didn't know. It was homestyle goodness lightened a bit by the use of chicken. We ended dinner with a shared $12 slice of Homemade Spiced Cheesecake, a tasty cross between pumpkin pie and cheesecake (Photo 8). FOOD - 4 stars...Jack's wife strikes again with healthy homeyness AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...a little tighter in here relative to West Village SERVICE - 3.5 stars...a bit rote but attentive enough TOTAL - 4 stars...fan of Freda RELATED - Hungry in NYC? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/y1P6ZWei5L read more

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A reliable spot, even when it's packed. My chicken kebab was tasty and felt light and healthy, and my wife liked her eggplant baguette. The service was friendly, despite being busy. Outdoor seating was a good time. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Grilled Eggplant Baguette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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Had breakfast recently at this cute little restaurant on the lower east side. The service was quick and I got a jasmine tea and the green shashouska with a side of halloumi. The tea was lovely. The shashouska was a good portion and served with a side of bread. I prefer the red sauce over green but that's a personal preference. The menu was pretty expansive and I would definitely come back and try more. The dishes are a little bit on the pricier side (breakfast was almost $40 for one person) so just know that before you go. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Green Shakshuka - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

Subpar at best. Tourist trap. Not really Sure why this place is hyped. The portions are small, prices inflated and the service is not great. Food is just meh. The only thing it's got going for it is the location right near Union square. Pass read more

10/10 every time I come here. The food = delicious, the staff = friendly and welcoming, vibes = relaxed and warm What more could I ask for:) read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

What a lovely experience! Came in on Thursday, 9/4 around 8:30pm. It wasn't busy, but had plenty of seating if it was. Or has a very cozy and quaint feel. We sat at the bar and Liam took such good care of us! He made excellent cocktails! For dinner I had the Chicken Kabob and added feta - didn't even realize that was an option until Liam asked! I don't think I've ever said no to feta. It was absolutely delicious and I ate every frigging bite. The dressing was on the side and it was spicy and tangy. I need to figure out a way to recreate it at home. I'm going to be thinking about this entree for a long time. My girlfriend had the burger and said it was "thoughtfully constructed and high quality" it wasn't a "stunt burger". Perfect way to describe a burger you could fit in your mouth and not wear all over yourself. The fries were crisp and hot, no truffle oil or anything crazy, just tasty. We said if we lived here we would go once a week. Highly recommend! read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Chicken Kebab with feta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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I went to Jack's Wife Freda early in the evening around 5:00 pm to take my friend out for her birthday. The restaurant wasn't crowded at all, so I was expecting a bit more attention to detail overall. We split a chicken kebab -- peri-peri marinated chicken served with couscous and a chopped salad -- and there was also a chicken schnitzel at the table with mashed potatoes and a diced salad. Everything was... fine. The food was okay, but nothing stood out or felt particularly memorable. I wouldn't describe it as bad, just underwhelming, especially given the reputation of the place. The service was also okay -- not rude, but not especially warm or attentive either. Since it wasn't busy, I felt like the experience could have been better. One positive: they have a QR code at the end to check out, which made paying really easy and convenient (especially since I was treating my friend). Overall, it was an average experience, and I left a bit disappointed. I was hoping for more, and I think the restaurant could have done a better job, particularly during a quieter time. It was a Thursday night before the holidays...so no real excuse not to do great. read more

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We visited the Jack's Wife Freda location on University Place. It's in a great spot and can get pretty busy, especially during lunchtime. The space is smaller than the Soho location but still clean and well kept. Service started off fine, but it slowed down a lot during peak hours. The food was the same as the other location (the Soho our fave spot), and the prices were consistent too. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Center communal dining area - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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First time ever going to Jack's Wife Freda for any of the locations and I really liked it and feel it was worth the hype. The Union Square location was right near a play I was going to at DR2 Theatre and it seemed like the perfect time to try it out. Honest can't rave enough about the food - I actually cook branzino pretty regularly on my own for my family - it's my signature dish, but I felt like being competitive and seeing how a professional would prepare it. I like that they gave a filet option but we kept it bone-in. I'm a total sucker for halloumi and I could've wolfed down several orders. The peri peri chicken and the chicken schnitzel were both hits with my family members. The only slight drawback was that I felt like we were being rushed towards the end with how they were cleaning up before we still had a few bites left on our plates and seemed eager to do so? And I had to actually say, "I'm still eating," to make sure my precious halloumi piece wasn't taken away. It was weird and the servers were really lovely and polite otherwise so I don't know if it was just a weird communication issue or something else going on. I don't think it was a shift change (it was probably 8:15-8:30ish) and there were still plenty of tables available. We were already moving fairly quickly regardless because of our showtime. Also, if you're not a fan of those portable credit card readers, bad news - they're one of those restaurants that use them. I don't mind them for the most part but it's awkward when there's hovering and you're quickly checking to see if gratuity was already added when you're a large party so you know if you need to add it yourself or not. read more

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Came here on a Sunday for brunch with a party size of 6. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant with bench seats so unfortunately no back support. The place is very busy so a reservation is a must! The place is small and loud, which I guess is standard for a city brunch spot. Service was quick. I ordered the prego roll and fries. The bread was soft and steak cooked well. It came with this green sauce, not sure what it was but it was tasty and spicy. The fries were cooker crispy which was nice. No one likes soggy fries. Overall the prices are expensive but the food was good. I would recommend looking at the menu before making a reservation. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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Had a great experience at our first time at a Jack's Wife Freda location! Gloomy Sunday afternoon/evening after going to an exhibit nearby. We chose this location due to it's proximity to the exhibit. Conveniently located near Union Square trains. We originally had a later reservation but were available sooner after we finished the exhibit. The area was quieter than usual (probably due to the weather!) so there were plenty of tables available for the staff to accomodate us sooner. It's a big space with plenty of seats inside and a few outdoors under an awning. When we arrived the rain wasn't bad and there were still people sitting outside. The wait staff was also extremely helpful with suggestions and questions. One gluten sensitivity in our party so the server informed us that there would be breadcrumbs in the salmon patty. Very important information! We started with the grilled haloumi to share. The grapes were a nice touch and went really well with it! I don't think I ever had it served with grapes before. The salmon burger was VERY GOOD. Great flavor, not too dry, comes with fries or a salad. The salad was nicely dressed. Both the fries and salad that come with the sandwiches are good portions. One of my friends had the Prego Roll and enjoyed it. This also comes with salad or fries. We weren't in the mood for alcohol so we each had the mint lemonade. It was refreshing and delicious. Shout out again to the staff! read more

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We had a reservation for a larger party on a Saturday. It was ready but you need to have your whole party there to be sat and there was a good grace period, so that part of the experience was good and easy. However the restaurant is really loud, not a bad thing but just wanted to let people know. The food to me was okay. We got the chicken Prego which was really good according to my party and definitely the best part of the meal! I got the burger and added cheese and it was just okay, nothing special and wouldn't make a trip to this restaurant just for the burger. The Diet Coke was good however no refills and was $4. The cheese on my burger was also $4 which feels a little ridiculous. I understand an upcharge but I suppose I am not used to nyc prices. It is a decent place, definitely not bad, but probably one I won't go back to unless I need a place that is familiar. Great service though, the restaurant and restrooms were clean, and the food was decent enough. read more

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Strategically located in between Union and Washington Square Parks, this location of Jack's Wife Freda has a smaller storefront, but similar coziness inside compared to other locations. Trying to be adventurous after being surprised by a unique breakfast/lunch menu, I order the salmon burger. I would advertise it as a Salmon Croquette on a bun, which in the end was slightly dried out and left me craving other dishes at the table. read more

We got the green shakshuka, jack's breakfast, and grilled halloumi. The green shakshuka will always be my favorite. I love the how runny the yolk is while it sits in a plate of spices. I was pleasantly surprised by the jack's breakfast. The steak was cooked very well and to the perfect temperature of medium rare. Finally, our halloumi was also very delicious and was the perfect combination of sweet from the grapes and salty from the cheese. Lots of seating here! I saw a lot of people do walk-ins. Staff was attentive at refilling coffee. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

This has been on my brunch places for years - I'm not sure why I have not been here yet. They have expanded to a lot of different locations now - I have been wanting to come here when they were just at the SOHO location. Highly recommend making a reservation for this place because they are ALWAYS poppin on the weekends and the wait might be really know if you try to walk in. They are super bright and high energy inside - the seats are a little close together but then again it is New York so not a big deal. We came here at 2:30 pm on a Saturday and there were still a wait for those who wanted to walk in. We decided to do family style so we got a bunch of items to share: -Fried Zucchinis: Absolutely delicious. They were actually so crispy and not soggy at all. I was shocked at how much I liked these. -Wings: Also very flavorful and tasty - there are six of them with a mixed of drumstick and flat part of the wing. Slightly spicy but not too bad. -Rosewater Waffle: Honestly would pass on this item. We thought the syrup would be more of maple syrup but it was honey. Not really special and the waffle was not crispy. -Green Shakshuka: Very yummy; if you do not like runny eggs then I would skip this but the sauce was very flavorful and the challah toast was delicious (super soft). -Jack's Breakfast: My personal favorite, we got medium for the steak and it was perfectly cooked, so tender and flavorful. You can get the eggs however you want them so we got one with scrambled and one over easy - both so yummy. -Mashed Avocado on Seeded Bread with fries: This was also just average. The fries were delicious tho - I highly recommend getting a side of fries or asking for a dish that comes with a side of fries. Honestly, great vibes with great good. Highly recommend checking them out at any of their locations. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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Food is not necessarily bad but it's clearly pre-made. My friend and I were seated in a nice booth tucked away, and ordered the green shakshuka and bacon egg and cheese sandwich. Somehow, our food came out within 2 minutes of ordering? The shakshuka is essentially salsa with sunny side up eggs, and the sandwich with arugula was also pretty standard but nothing special. Wouldn't return! read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

JWF is a well-known place in New York. But this was a mediocre experience for a once beloved bedrock. The service was okay, though somewhat blah and disappointing, especially considering how empty the restaurant was. But most disappointing was the mediocrity of the food. Not particularly seasoned well, or even properly cooked. It was basically something you'd expect from any eh diner in the city. Not planning to return. The ambience was good. Everything was okay. But not for the prices or what JWF used to be. read more

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I came here for breakfast on a Friday. There were lots of open tables and we were able to switch to one of the booths to accommodate our group of three. The restaurant has a nice outdoor seating section. Inside is warm and bright. The menus are printed on large, placemat-style paper, similar to a diner. They serve their entire menu, including breakfast, all day. To start, we had the zucchini chips. These were very crispy with a light coating of fried breading. The accompanying sauce provided a nice boost of flavor. They were very tasty and the portion size was generous. For my main, I had the eggs with roasted tomato and halloumi. I swapped the poached eggs for scrambled and added avocado. Anything with halloumi is bound to satisfy and this was no exception. The avocado was very fresh and the sourdough toast helped to make the dish quite filling. I asked for hot sauce and they provided a side of their signature green sauce which was very flavorful, with just a hint of spice. My friends also enjoyed the chopped salad and the shakshuka. Our waitress could've been a tiny bit more attentive, and some of the menu seemed a little overpriced, but overall it was a good meal and a unique menu worth revisiting. read more

Food came out on time, it was good and tasty! The place was super clean, nice comfortable ambiance and calm. Service was also not bad! read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

My cousin and a friend ate here one evening on a weeknight and it was not crowded at all. The service was amazing! We had the friendliest waitstaff! We did a few sharing bites and all got the seasonal butternut squash soup, made with coconut milk. It was nice and creamy, perfect for fall! For the other plates we had the cauliflower, the roasted beet dip, and a variety of breads including challah and pita. We also had the fried zucchini which came with a nice dip! I really liked all of the food! The cauliflower was roasted perfectly and seasoned nicely. The soup was so good! We were also treated to their special south african dessert called Noam's Malva Pudding, topped with fresh whipped cream. It was a delicious sponge cake that reminded me of tres leches! I have also been here for brunch and enjoyed it but can't remember what I had at the time. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

My sister and I were excited to try this place, as it's popular on social media. This might've been the worst sit down dinner i've ever had in NYC. Empty on a Saturday night at 8pm, so you don't need a reservation. Right as we sat down and started catching up, one of the servers came up and interrupted us to tell us the dinner specials... before we even looked at the menu. We split the Beet Deep and Pita to start. The dip tasted like unsalted blended beets. Not great Then we split the whole fish. It tasted fine (bland) but the presentation wasn't pretty, and it was a very small portion. After finishing the appetizer and main, we were genuinely hungry. But couldn't get ourselves to order anything else off the menu because everything was so disappointing. Ended up getting a slice of pizza after. Don't go here, the ambiance isn't even nice read more

I would 11/10 come back here. We had the BEST service we've ever had. Every staff member was SO kind, helpful, attentive & friendly. Fun, fancier but not too fancy of vibes where everyone feels welcome. The eggplant pesto baguette sandwich and grilled halloumi were two of the fan favorites. We were celebrating two birthdays & they brought out desserts for both of us without anyone asking and sung to us. Truly didn't take any pictures because we were having such a great time and enjoying our company and the staff's company. Overall an awesome time!! Hope every location has this friendly of staff and delicious food. read more

Fun, imaginative, and totally different. A delightful way to start the day or to have a brunch or a lunch. Service is efficient and the waitstaff is attentive and well-versed in the menu. The food is delicious and fresh. Just wonderful. read more

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Went on a Thursday night, had a really good time! I got the duck egg and cheese sandwich and thoroughly enjoyed - wasn't particularly duck forward but it was tasty nonetheless. The ambiance was pleasant, vibrant without being too loud (though it was pretty loud since it was full, though we still managed to get seated right away). Service was good. Thanks for a good night, Jack's Wife Freda! read more

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Had such a great experience at Jack's Wife Freda. The atmosphere was lively and the food was delicious, but what really made the visit stand out was the service. Liam was amazing, super friendly, attentive, and he made fantastic drinks. He really elevated the whole experience. I'll definitely be coming back, either to this location or to one of the other Jack's Wife Freda spots around the city. read more

Honestly ya'll need to get rid of some of these tables and seats. It is so incredibly overpacked and claustrophobic- if they just had some more room for guests the experience would've been much better. Also obviously they can't keep up with the level of seats squished into the space because there wasn't even enough space for waiters to walk around easily. The table next to me even kept apologizing because we kept bumping into each other. Besides tho the food was good and the coffee was ok a little strong. read more

Jack's Wife Freda has a few locations around New York. I'm not sure about the low rating because we had an awesome experience. We visited the Union Square location. The restaurant is airy, full of white tile, and has a very cool wooden skylight that floods the place with light. This is an all-day cafe type of setup, with breakfast/brunch/bistro. The breakfast offerings are the basics: fruit and yogurt, waffles, steak and eggs with fingerling potatoes, poached eggs. They also have green shakshuka with eggs, green tomatillo, and more. The Madame Freda looks tasty, with duck prosciutto, cheddar béchamel, gruyere, and sunny side up eggs. They also have several sandwiches, including a short rib burger, a sammy made with Portuguese skirt steak, as well as a grilled chicken breast sandwich. There is a veggie option, with the grilled eggplant baguette and the mashed avocado on seeded bread. They also have a creative twist on the NYC BEC, with the duck-bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. I had the Mimi's Salmon burger, served with pea shoots, tomato, chipotle labne aioli, and potato bun. It was light, but the flavors were just "meh." I had it at the recommendation of our server, but I wouldn't have it again. Flavor was ok, but didn't blow me away. My friend had a the salmon, and was pleased. On the menu it's advertised as "whole fish," which isn't entirely true. It's a large filet of salmon, which isn't the same, but my friend enjoyed the flavors. We both loved the appetizer we had, the roasted cauliflower with creamy garlic dressing and capers. Other entrees available: chicken kebab, sirloin steak, schnitzel, veggie curry bowl, tofu, and more. The drinks were light and refreshing. I had the sunshine on carmine, consisting of gin, cava, ginger, lemon, and orange peel. I also had the green dean, gin cucumber, lemon, and mint. Service was exemplary. My friend is very particular, and wanted hot water (a cultural thing) and asked for multiple samples of wine. She was very picky about the salmon. The server and the helpers were AMAZING at accommodating her. I was honestly embarrassed at how demanding she was, but they came through with flying colors. Again, I can't imagine the cruddy reviews. Something must be wrong with those people. read more

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The first thing we noticed here was that Saul and Samantha were a well oiled machine. Constantly getting people seated and managing the flow like a conductor manages an orchestra. Really incredible. The service is great, and the food is really good. The only thing I would say is that, as many restaurants in NYC, seating is awfully close together. But somehow in once you're seated you don't kind it, and the ambiance is otherwise cheerful and calm. read more

I went to this location with friend for weekend brunch. The place was packed and very loud! The service was amazing. All the servers were very attentive and friendly. The food was fine. The portion sizes were small for the price. I left hungry because I didn't want to order more food given how busy the place was. I probably wouldn't go back. read more

Good but honestly nothing special. Great place to take out-of-town guests if you want a solid breakfast fuel-up before your day, that will have something for everyone, a crowd-pleaser. read more

I was pretty excited to try this place out because every time I pass by the Soho location, there's always a line out the door. Made a reservation online beforehand which was good because the place was packed, even on a rainy day. I ordered Jack's Burger and immediately I knew I ordered wrong. For reference the 2 stars is solely for the food because the service there was incredible - while I was waiting for my friends, they seated me at the bar and gave me some water. Anyways, back to the food. Yeah the burger was not it. It was incredibly dry and I'm surprised it didn't come with any cheese. I wish that there were even some vegetable on it. It honestly reminded me of a White Castle slider which was incredibly disappointing because at that price I could have ordered 15 sliders from White Castle. I will say that the fries were quite good - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Overall, Jack's Burger is not it at all. I do have to say that I feel like ordered something different like the Shakshuka or something but I was pretty sick of breakfast foods that day. Not sure if I would come back which is such a bummer because the store is so cute. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Jack's Burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

First time at JWF. Make a reservation. Brand new location. Clean, reservation was speedy, and professional staff. Excellent breakfast and brunch choices - tried the spaghetti and chicken meatballs. Delicious with their own custom spaghetti. Their lattes are good $6. Bottomless coffee $5. Would come again. read more

The cutest little place with a very pleasant vibe and some delicious food. We came in on a rainy day, so there was not really an option to sit outside although they do offer outdoor seating. We were seated promptly, some time later a waiter came over and took our order. The food came out relatively quickly. The place was about 80% full. There was a diverse crowd, even a cute little pup at the table next to us. Everything was cooked to perfection. The overall experience was an absolute pleasure. I would highly recommend at least trying them out. There's a little something for everybody on the menu. The concept and the warmth of the place makes the experience. I will absolutely be back and will go check out their other locations . Hope you love it as much as I did. read more

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Amazing as always. I have had better experiences with the food at the Soho location but the service and ambiance is consistent. read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Malva Pudding - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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I love a Shakshuka and was excited to order this. The place is super cute and cozy and the waitstaff is awesome- super helpful and offered some suggestions. The Shakshuka was decent and it comes with bread to dip in. The waiter also suggested getting a side of fries to dip in the sauce as well which was for sure a good move! Overall this place was ok. Not the most amazing breakfast I've had in NY but good if you're in the area read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Green Shakshuka - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

A lovely charming little spot with the most kind and sweet waitstaff! Everyone was very accommodating and welcoming, always making sure our drinks were refilled and that we were happy. I got the matzoh ball soup which was okay but the fried haloumi and lava cake more than made up for it!! Big shoutout to Mickey, she is the best!! read more

Everything here was decent! The ambiance inside for breakfast was cute and love all of the hanging lights and the bar. Both of our plates were good, I think I enjoyed the Madame Freda a little more. The service was awesome and really enjoyable to talk to the staff. Come try this place out if you are in the area! read more

Jack's Wife Freda - Mediterranean Breakfast Madame Freda - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

Obsessed. Just good food for a good price. They are very reliable at every location and always so friendly! I always do the nana tea and the preggo roll wth fries! read more

Loved the food! Cute little place and they take reservations! Breakfast were all yummy! Friendly staff. read more

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Cute place with yummy food and good drinks! i enjoyed my meal (house salad with grilled salmon), and my kids enjoyed their chicken schnitzel meal. only complaints was that it was noisy and hard to hear my friend, and my salad was tiny. i was expecting a large entree size salad and it was more like a side dish. i'd definitely come back though! read more

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