The Red Velvet waffle was good and there jerk chicken was ok. I'm not sure what's smaller, the portions or the size of the place. With 16.50 being the cheapest item on dinner menu this restaurant is highly over priced read more

Terrible experience. I stopped in to grab some lunch and the staff pretty much ignored me for 10 minutes. After waiting for that long just to place my order, the food took another 20 minutes to come out. After all that waiting, I didn't even receive exactly what I had ordered. Needless to say, that will be the first and last time I try to get some food from that place. read more

How do you ruin sweet potato pie? Use flour as a filler and a sweet potato to give it coloring. I am 60 years old, I have been eating and baking sweet potato pies all my life and until eating at this restaurant thought it was impossible to ruin sweet potato pie. The collard greens tasted like heated up frozen greens and they were too salty to eat. My guy, he ordered the fried chicken and waffles. The chicken was too dry and tasteless. The very tiny pieces of corn bread tasted like they had been warmed up. The Mac and cheese was tasteless, hardly any cheese or seasoning. My date and I arrived at the restaurant 8:30pm on a Saturday evening, the place was totally empty. That should have been a sign to turn and run. The bill came, we noticed they had added a 10% service charge, but still requested a gratuity. This place is obviously struggling to remain open, or think their patrons will accept anything. No, I'm not interested in returning to eat at this restaurant. read more

Pretty bad experience overall. Took a long time to receive food. Menu stated "half a chicken" but I did not receive half a chicken. The chicken was over cooked and my waffle was undercooked. The mimosa and fries were the only things I enjoyed. The service in general was almost as bad as the food. Won't return and definitely don't recommend. read more

Great service. Good food. Chicken and waffles are yummy. Go for brunch or the Friday fish-fry. The best red velvet cake in the area.

went in today, ordered fried fish, which was over seasoned with salt and mushy, macaroni and cheese which tastless, soul cole slaw which was stale, cornbread was uncooked in the middle, the seven up pound cake was old and stale! this restaurant was clean, however, the food was terrible! could not finish the meal! inedible! just to be clear, food cost $30 bucks and was discarded! inedible! stale, old, oversalted, fried was mushy, cole slaw sour, cornbread uncooked in the middle, cake tasted like a flavorless brick! shame on this establishment! don't patronize! read more

First time here. I checked in and tried to use the coupon for the free ice tea and he said I have to dine in to get it. I can't dine in because its a private party going on read more

Tried for the first time and I can say that I have had much better. The prices are way to high. I went to take out to order bbq beef ribs mac and cheese and string beans. The meal came with cornbread which tasted like it was baked 3 days ago and mushy. The bbq beef ribs were humongous. The sauce was good but the ribs were too fatty to enjoy. The mac and cheese taste like it was baked last week, frozen and then thawed out. The string beans were dry and bland. They received 2 stars because the service on the take out side was great. Will try other things on the many before I say I won't ever go back again. read more

Food is good (not great) but the service is what really brings the rating down to 3 stars. Even when simple errors were made with the order, staff was rude and unapologetic. Whether to go or dining in, you may be subjected to unnecessary attitude. read more

Great place to eat. Nice atmosphere and intimate. The wait staff was excellent. Treated us very well. I'm actually here to celebrate my stepmother's 60 birthday celebration. Now let's get down to business, the food here was good. Cooked well and seasoned just right. I enjoyed it. I recommend this place. read more

I have always seen this little store front restaurant and always wondered about it. As my taste for Southern food has been coming to a slow drool because I haven't had it in forever, I finally decided to give them a try and boy was I missing out on something wonderful all these years. This restaurant is a hidden treasure with the best food, the staff is friendly and attentive just wish I given them a try earlier on. But now that I have they will absolutely be seeing more of us mostly me. read more

If i could give no stars I would. Went to restaurant for the first time had horrible experience, won't return. The dining area was closed for a private party. Stood at take out unattended noticed sign that clearly says ring bell for service. Tapped bell and waiter peeked out. Finally getting service and with attitude. Asking about menu and how dare me ask a question, I should automatically know. Left won't return. read more

I ordered the fried whiting, candied yams, and potato salad. I was disappointed that the whiting was the size of small bananas; the yams were overboiled and tasted like they came out of the can. The red skin potato salad had to much onions.my friend ordered the smothered half chicken, potato salad, and plantains. The chicken was not smothered. It had a spoonful of gravy and onions on it. Do not buy the Groupon because you get an automatic surcharge of 18% for using it. There is another 18% surcharge for going on weekends. If you want soul food please go somewhere else. The server was rude. He was aggressive. read more

The Caesar Salad is good, calamari is flavored well. Ordered the Champaign mango daquiri is small but it's good. The waiter is pretty chill, making sure everything is okay and to our liking. I'm having the chicken and red velvet waffle together it's amazing. Striped down the chicken needs some seasoning the red velvet is fine with the icing and syrup. I asked for hot sauce adding them all together was something savory. My friend had the beef ribs very tender, comes right of the bone. The baked Mac and cheese is good had better but it can be a contender and the sweet potato fries salted vert well. Yum.com read more

I've eaten at this restaurant many times and have never been disappointed. The food is delicious and is served in a timely manner. The staff is attentive but not hovering. The contemporary decor in muted earth tones and old school R&B playing in the background make for a very relaxing vibe and pleasurable dining experience. read more

ok. So first off let me start off by saying that I hesitated sending a review after my first horrible visit, in the hopes that they were having a bad day, and that the service/treatment I received was not the norm. Well, to my disappointment, even after a 2nd visit, I was still not swayed. As a matter of fact, the 2nd visit was worse than the first. I'd also like to add that as a "Valley Streamer", living in the community for over 15 years, I was so excited to see a black-owned establishment to bring some diversity in the community with (what I thought would be) quality food and entertainment. My first visit was on a night they had advertised Live Jazz. The music and ambience of the place was really nice and unique. That's where the goodness ended. My friend and I both had appetizers of chicken wings and we both each had one...I said ONE drink each. The appetizers were bland and very "UN-APPETIZING'. The drinks were weak, seemingly void of any alcohol. As nice as the ambiance was, we both decided it would be our last visit. Once the check arrived, the "last visit" decision was confirmed. The bill was a whopping $72.00. When we questioned the bill, the waiter (seemingly having dealt with an inquisition like this one time too many), brought out one of the owners, who in our opinion turned out to be a "wanna-be Smokey Robinson". Mr. Smokey, stormed to our table very aggressive and confrontational from the start. He snapped at us "So, what seems to be the problem?". We stated that there was not a "problem" so to speak, but merely wanted an explanation for the unreasonably overpriced bill. He stated that there was a mandatory $15 music charge (per person) and that it was automatically added onto the bill. We were shocked. Neither myself nor my friend saw any posting of a music charge. When I stated this to Mr. Smokey, he replied that "this is nothing new". Most places charge additional for live music. "Do you think the musicians play for free". I have gone to some of the best jazz clubs in and around Manhattan. I have visited establishments in many boroughs and have never had an added charge to my bill WITHOUT there being something in writing. I explained this to Mr. Smokey and also stated that we more than likely would still have visited his establishment had we known prior, but was just taken aback by the rule not being stated anywhere. He then stormed away from our table, went over to a table where 8 patrons were seated, and proceeded to apologize for me and my friend's "bad behavior". This obviously sent us over the top. Believe it or not approximately one year later having a taste for shrimp and grits for breakfast, I stumbled upon their menu online, advertising lobster and grits. Not being able to resist the temptation, and wanting so badly to give them another chance after the encounter of a year ago, I revisited the restaurant very apprehensive. Disappointed beyond words! I ordered the lobster and grits. What I received was, lobster and grits. Nothing more. I was presented with what equaled about 1/2 cup of grits, and a steamed lobster claw (STILL IN THE SHELL) with way too much ole bay seasoning. I could not believe it. Ravished by this time, I proceeded to fight with the claw for the little meat that existed. Mr. Smokey, came out moments later to ask how I liked it. I refused to go there with him and just smiled. I think he read through the smile, and high tailed his Smokey-ass away from me. I received the bill. $48.00. I heard of adding 15% on parties of 4 and more, but there was an 18% gratuity added to my bill and I was alone. Avoiding another confrontation with Smokey, I paid the bill and left without a word. I immediately drove over to "CatFish Cafe" on Guy R. Blvd, and had the best shrimp and grits ever. LOL. Yes, I should have gone there in the first place but unfortunately I sometimes overlook them because, although they have some of the best food, the place lacks ambience. However, I'll take mediocre ambience over bad food and bad service any day. I learned. Pretty Toni's Cafe is probably one of the worst places I have ever gone, and would not recommend this place to anyone for any reason. Nuff said. read more

I love the feel of the restaurant. It's got a cool R&B vibe. The service is usually attentive. I love the BBQ shrimp and their strawberry daiquiri champagne is delicious. My daughter and husband fell in love with the red velvet waffle with chicken. They say the chicken was very nicely seasoned. Overall, I love the place and am glad its just a hop skip and jump from my home. read more

Nice cozy restaurant. Ive been there for dinner and brunch. I even order their takeout. The chicken and waffles, Mac and cheese, catfish, whiting, collards, and cole slaw taste like a plate from Auntie's house. The owners are very nice and the service is always great whether it's takeout or dine in. read more

Pretty Toni's is a black-owned soul food restaurant on Merrick Road in Long Island New York. They have been there for quite a few years now. I've gone here on about 5 different occasions throughout the years. The customer service is usually really good. I've never had an issue on any of my visits. I still haven't tried their brunch however. I need to do that soon. Their food is pretty good but prices are a little high for certain things. If you're on a budget or not looking to spend a lot this might not be the ideal place for you. For the prices I would expect the food to be a little bit more consistent and delicious. I've ordered the Fried Chicken twice. Once with waffles and once with a salad. On the latter occasion, the chicken didn't taste as good as the first time. I absolutely love their banana pudding. The only reason why I haven't gotten it in a long time is because I stopped eating dairy. It's amazing. I definitely miss it. My next visit will probably be to see how their brunch is on Sunday. read more

Have heard this place is good, came in on a Saturday night at 11pm, but was told it was too late to serve me. This was after I checked that they closed at 12pm, pretty frustrating. They should change their closing time. read more

Someone on my friends list from Facebook posted a picture of chicken and red velvet waffles. I seen the address and realize they were in the area so I decided to try them out. The Chicken and Belgian Waffle that I ordered is the equivalent of Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in the West Coast. In my opinion this is the best chicken and waffles I have ever tasted it on the East Coast. The chicken was cooked amazingly well and had a mouth-watering lure with every bite. The waffle was nice and fluffy with a slight crisp, lightly dashed with powdered sugar. I recommend this to anyone looking for a GREAT soul food restaurant. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. read more

I stopped by for a cup of coffee, but when I saw po' boys on the menu, I had to order one. I've been missing my former stomping ground, New Orleans, and I was hoping for a quick taste of nostalgia. The fried shrimp "po' boy" was a decent sandwich, but not a po' boy as I understand it. It was on a soft sandwich roll, not crusty French bread. The shrimp had tails on, which I couldn't understand in a sandwich. The shrimp should be crispy and overflowing, and you shouldn't have to take the tails off yourself (or bite through chitin). This was a bit skimpy. It was served with tartar sauce and hot sauce, not dressed with mayo. The sandwich was pretty good, once I got past the shrimp tails issue. It had lettuce and tomato, both of which were fresh. Came with some basic but tasty fries. I had a cup of coffee, which was excellent. The waiter, Gary, who I think is also in the kitchen, was as and attentive as can be. I could see myself coming back some time to try something else. But people...please don't call any sandwich with fried seafood a po' boy! read more

I gave one star for the service. My friend reserved a space for us to have a post event meal. It was a prix fixed menu. First the place is small like something in the city. Second the host which was a man that looked like an ex con, did not even say hello when we walked in. He walked right passed, no I will be right with you nothing. We did not no where to sit so we just stood there in the middle of the restaurant feeling stupid. When he reemerged from tje kitchen and went to his host stand, which was at the back of this small restaurant, we walked over and said hello and stated we had reservations. He say us down, no pleasantries were exchanged. In fact he was rude and I wanted to leave as well as my friends. We stayed because 2 more people were on their way. We were early. We also thought it woul get better. It didn't we had to ask for everything we needed and my friend even asked him if we could start over we did not understand why we were being treated so rudely. I swear we did nothing. The food was ok, the fish wad good. I just will never go back again. read more

Collards are the best! Service was excellent! Yams could have been more sweeter for me. Everything else here is good. Try the Mac and cheese it's delicious!! read more

Great service and food. Friendly staff. My teenage boys favorite place from grade school to high school. Nice cozy atmosphere and positive vibes. Chicken and waffles are my favorite. Must try the red velvet waffles. I can not get to taste Rosco Chicken and waffles so I have Pretti Toni' s in Valley Steam. read more

I thought that i had hit pay-dirt when i heard valley stream had soul food, but i realized fairly quickly that all that glitters isn't gold. If this was a review purely based on customer service then Gary (Toni's husband) would win hands down! We walked in to the take out area and were immediately greeted by Gary. He took our orders and assured us that the food would be ready fairly quickly. He was very engaging and offered us water as we waited. I had been to Pretty Toni's once before when they first opened. I was not impressed whatsoever the first go round but i chalked it up to being pregnant and having funny taste buds. Fast forward a year and i was hopefully. I ordered the Fried Chicken smothered with gravy and onions, mac and cheese, and potato salad. My husband also had Fried chicken smothered but with greens and sweet potato fries. We topped it off with carrot cake and were ready to dig in. THE FOOD IS VERY OVER-PRICED! The two dinners were $21 each and the cake was $6. Now i don't mind paying a little extra if the food is amazing, but Pretty Toni's unfortunately is not. The chicken was juicy but that's all. I found myself saying "this chicken is ehhhh". When i got to the mac and cheese i was really upset. The mac and cheese was very bland, no seasoning, no flavor, NOTHING! The potato salad was ok, i liked that they used redskin potatoes. The cornbread tasted store bought, like from BJ's. The greens in my husband's place were very salty and overcooked. The sweet potato fries were ok. Carrot cake was good. Overall i was very disappointed. To spend $50 for terrible food twice really ticked me off. Remember i had given them a try before. Next time i'll just stick to my guns and take the hour long drive to Harlem for some Amy Ruth's (much cheaper, and food is AMAZING). read more

Pretty Toni's Cafe - Menu (current 4/1/2012) - Soul Food Near Me - Valley Stream, New York

Pleasant service for the two times I have visited. I dined in once and ordered desert for takeout. The food is pricey and no complaints with the taste. When I went for brunch, it was a good experience until then I'll came. $85 for two people? Because they charge an 18% gratuity no matter the size of the party on weekends. This is the reason why I frequent many other locations for food in the area. Every time we go out, we automatically rule out Pretty Tony's because of this. I think this place could really be great if they did what the majority of restaurants too. Save the big gratuity for large parties and get some specials going. Also, if entrees are going to be so pricey, make it worth it. read more

I can't say anything about their food, because I haven't had the pleasure of trying it. Wanted to order two sides from their takeout operation: cabbage and potato salad. They don't sell cabbage, which is not a problem. I asked if they would give me a sample of the potato salad, and the man taking my order said, "this is a restaurant, we don't give samples" as if I had never been in a restaurant or have never been offered samples at restaurants before. I felt insulted, and a semi-heated conversation followed, during which this guy repeatedly said, "this is a restaurant". The dude was basically insulting my intelligence and my socialization (yeah, I'm taking it that far), when he could have just said "we don't offer samples, but I can tell you about our potato salad". In my experience, a lot of people's potato salads SUCK... including restaurants', and there's no way I'm wasting money without having SOME idea of what to expect. Even being able to SEE the potato salad would have helped me out. I still want to try their food though! I just hope I never have to interact with that one dude again. It was a thoroughly negative experience! All these other reviews makes me confident that it was an isolated incident, but they only get one star from me until I have a better experience. read more

Food is good try the jerk wings and Cajun tenders. However this place is expensive plus they sneak in a 10% service charge so that's why I am giving them two stars for trying to hide that from customers. My advice check your bill and make sure you tip accordingly. read more

Loved this place!!! Went here with my 3 buddies and enjoyed the food and the ambiance!! Corn bread was amazing!! Loved the fried shrimp and the mimosas. But next time I'm getting the shrimp, crab, and lobster with grits and gravy. My friend gave me a taste and it was delicious !! read more

I've been there once and I don't think I will willingly go back again. My friend and I went there at 5:00 (the time they say they're open) and when the door was locked still we knocked a few times so someone would hear and know that there was a customer at the door. Inside, a lady had looked at us then rolled her eyes and the manager came to the door and rudely said "I know when to open MY restaurant, I'm the manager." Maybe it wasn't the best day for them or maybe it was because we are teenagers but a customer is a customer regardless and should ALWAYS be treated with respect. I didn't not enjoy my experience with the service and would not recommend this restaurant but the food was good. read more

I was referred to check this place out by a close friend and it did not disappoint at all. The restaurant itself has the exterior look of a cozy-home, and gives off a very welcoming vibe. Once inside, the cozy feel continues as you see its very small with only a few tables to serve. The decor is classy and "Soul" based as you see from the Al green and Marvin gay LP posters (lol). The menu looked great but what caught my eye was the "Red Velvet Waffle and Fried Chicken". I have had Chicken and Waffles before once in Baltimore, but this dish without question blew it away by a mile. The Red Velvet Waffle is perfectly moist with a slight crunch to the teeth, and was topped with powdered sugar and cake icing. The Fried Chicken is cooked perfectly and just the right seasoning to enhance all the flavors your taste buds will enjoy. I'd recommend this dish to anyone with a clean bill of health. I will return and try out other things....or maybe just devour another plate of the Chicken & Waffles! read more

Great fried chicken, plain tains, catfish. Great service. Highly recommend.

PRETTY nice!!! I am a frequent flyer at this restaurant so when I was having an event in NYC-the first caterer considered was Pretty Toni!! I even requested special items like MAC and Cheese balls and mini red velvet cupcakes. The veggie spring rolls were a nice surprise and the mini wings were just FABULOUS!! Thank YOU for your AWESOME service.! Please visit this family owned business often. I love these guys- really sweet people!! read more

We stopped to get take out hoping to enjoy it at home. Perhaps the pretty outrageous prices should have made us walk out but everyone was a bit hungry. Secondly out ' should employe better manners and attitude towards customers. When we inquired about did we smell ribs or did they have ribs cooking. We were told no and said we only have what's on the menu. Well, low and behold they had beef ribs. We ordered two plates and a desert thinking it should be plenty besides with the hefty prices we didn't want to make a down payment for their next business. The deep fried chicken was okay, but rather lackluster. The beef ribs were fatty and tasted as if they had been cooked hours or days before and then reheated for the take out with a bit of BBQ sauce just tossed on to hide the stale day old taste. Potato salad is one of the easiest dishes to make and the easiest to fail. This potato salad was like nothing I had ever encountered. Not worthy of being called anyone's soul food potato salad lackluster is an understatement for that side. The greens might have been better had we gotten green grass again seasoning and cooking was way off. The candied yams were such a disappointment they tasted like canned yams that were just reheated. Mac and cheese was passable. Then came desert a piece of red velvet cake. We had a thought that we'd share it since no one wanted a lot of sweets anyway. Each of the four took a bite, and we couldn't move fast enough to spit it out. I want to say I love red velvet cake, but this tasted like a mouth full of lard. I would say to anyone thinking about this cute little place. Unless my experience was just a bad night with the cook. Check your finances first out two plates with sides and dessert was a whopping $50 price tag. Which is more like a Manhattan price tag for food that was substandard and left us thinking we would have been better off eating at a fast food place the price tag wouldn't have left sticker shock and no one expects great restaurant taste from a Micky D, BK, KFC or host of other fast food. If you're hungry and thinking of trying this I would say move on down the road it's not worth the price and disappointment read more

The restaurant is not closed excuse the ignorance that someone has foolishly posted. The hours are posted and the phone number is posted.

The food is good but the portions are so small. Even the French fries we literally had 17! I'd love to see them improve on portion.

The service is slow the food is definitely not good soul food taste like its from the can and the lemonades tasted disgusting and on top of that they add the gratuity is added to the bill and has a nasty attitude. It's also overpriced. read more

Met my sister here and we were both blown away. First the music old school soul was the best I've heard in a restaurant. Then the red velvet chicken and waffle was to die for. The Mac and cheese was special as well. The place is special with its brown walls and classic portraits, and we plan on doing a party for our birthday here in. March. read more

I was referred to Pretty Toni's by a co worker so I read the majority of excellent reviews and decided to visit with my husband. I thought the place was quite cozy with great old school music playing so we were caught up in the ambiance while making plans to return with friends. the gentlemen who took our order was extremely pleasant but then the food arrived... I'm sorry but to put it mildly, it was very distasteful. I was already aware from the reviews that it was a bit pricey but I didn't mind assuming it would be worth the "taste" I ordered fish and shrimp which both taste as if they were only dipped in salt it was two pieces of whiting cut into four strips with literally 4 shrimps, the mac n cheese was bland, the yams taste like they came out of the can and the collards definitely lacked. I am a foodie and I rarely complain about experiences but I left hungry after paying a bill of $70.10 to be exact for pretty much untouched food. I didn't want to complain because I didn't want to throw off the other guest because its so small and intimate that everyone would hear you. my husband Never complains but he couldn't help but to do it this time... Very cute setting but Must Do Better with the food. read more