not heard a thing about The Migrant Kitchen so went in with no expectations - and let me just say we should all start yapping about this fast casual spot - they have a small menu, maybe 10 things and then a few rotating seasonal options. all meals contribute to their partnership organization helping food insecure communities - one dining companion ordered the chicken shawarma had the most pungent tangy sour pickled turnips, delicious salty Tumeric rice, and soft delicate shawarma chicken - the fattoush salad was a refreshing pile of vegetables with zatar blanketed pita chips and a light tangy dressing. I added chicken to make it a perfect addition to make the meal filing and well rounded - the other dining companion ordered the crispy chicken shawarma wrap which was a mix of light fresh veggies, the fried dense pieces of cauliflower (tasted like a hash brown), and cool with the thick garlic toum. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Friendly and helpful staff here -- who suggested the chipotle chicken bowl. It was tasty and it came out quickly, seemed fresh, and the guy delivered to our table outside. It was just the right amount of food and didn't leave us feeling hungry or too full. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Chipotle Chicken Bowl - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I had The Migrant Kitchen for delivery at work - both the Chicken Tinga and Lamb Empanadas ($5 each) were generously filled with lots of meat and were crispy on the outside. They came with a choice of the Tomatillo Salsa or Diablo Hot Sauce as well - I got both. Their Za'atar Salmon Bowl ($6) with salad, turmeric rice and garlic whip was good, but I was still hungry afterwards that I had to get more food! Overall good lunch spot. read more

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This place is my lunch rotation in my work neighborhood. They have a few tables inside and out. I recently got the chicken mole burrito and it was good just wish I asked for extra pickled jalapeños in there. In the past I've ordered the empanadas which are a hit or miss. The real hits of the show for me are the crispy chicken wrap with garlic whip, slow roasted smoked pork bowl, hummus, the smoked corn soup and the chili whip. Other good menu options are the lamb torta and crispy cauliflower shawarma. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Chicken Mole Burrito - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Well hello there delicious little place! Today was my vegetarian day so I had the turmeric rice and cauliflower. So good! I also love how small the place is. There is very little seating which promotes a cozy casual feel. read more

The empanadas are dry. The street corn was bland and cold. It took a little bit for basically two sides to come out. The workers were cool. The food just sucks and it's such a crowded set up read more

I love the Migrant Kitchen, namely because they have amazing, generously portioned bowls: we ordered the half roasted chicken bowl and the chorizo/halloumi bowl. Not only was it more than enough food, but the bowls come with perfect pairings. For example, the roasted chicken on came with sumac whip alongside potatos and just-sour-enough pickles. Despite how carb intensive it sounds, the pickles and sumac were just enough to cut through the decadent, brined chicken. Truly glorious. It doesn't feel stuffy in here as a food experience, and most of their containers are compostable via the NYC compost pickup (app-powered orange receptacles) outside. The staff was beyond friendly, and the self-service kiosks work like a dream. The only downside is probably that they don't have a restroom, but it's not a huge deal, especially if you decide to get your food to-go. There is both indoor and outdoor cafe-style seating. I would probably not want to go with a party larger than two if you're dining in (unless you're willing to push together some tables). Wonderful place, and I would dine again. read more

Food: 4/5 | Service: 5/5 | Experience: 4/5 Came here after a workout on the way home and enjoyed a chicken bowl. The service was quick, the veggies were good, but the chicken was a little dry on the inside. Overall, it was a good meal and well seasoned. I would go back because I also loved their outdoor seating when the weather is warm. The place is clean and efficient. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Small but amazing little shop with the freshest empanadas, crispy cauliflower shawarma, and most delicious hummus. Close to Lincoln Center for an absolutely interesting and tasty meal. Limited seating, but prices are right and all food tasted was delicious. read more

I heard about the opening of The Migrant Kitchen's third location through various food blogs. This fast casual restaurant serves up Middle Eastern-Latin fare which I find very intriguing. The restaurant sits on the quiet corner of 67th and Columbus. There's a small sitting area inside and a lovely outdoor seating area in front. I stopped by for lunch and got the Smoked Salmon on Jerusalem Bread and three empanadas (sausage, egg and cheese, slow roasted lamb, and chicken tinga). The empanadas were all delicious, but my favorite has got to be the sausage, egg, and cheese empanada. The fillings were generous and tasted so good, it did not need the dipping sauce that came with it. The lamb empanada was filled to the brim with tasty roasted lamb--this was my second favorite item from my meal. I thought the chicken empanada was a tad too dry side, but it had a nice peppery kick to it. The smoked salmon on Jerusalem Bread is something I would probably order for breakfast (next time). It had light smoked salmon, bits of capers but could have used more red onions. The Jerusalem bread is similar to a bagel but denser. I liked the addition of the sesame seeds, but I think it would have been better if the bread was toasted, as it is very dense. Overall, a delightful lunch. Prices are on par with this neighborhood. Staff was very welcoming and patiently explained the menu to me. Will be back to try their bowls and baked items. read more

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Cute little place, good for a quick bite. Wandered by here one afternoon and had a late lunch. My husband order a Chicken Empanada and I ordered the Slow Roasted Smoked Pork Bowl. Both were good for a light meal. There is a small sitting area inside and another small area out front. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Slow Roasted Smoked Pork Bowl - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

After four years of eating vegetarian or pescatarian, I've mostly given up on ordering protein at salad spots and grain bowl joints, because the typical options -- steam-tray tofu, Impossible/Beyond ground beef, extra-well-done fish filets -- are usually tiresome and unenjoyable. At The Migrant Kitchen, I nonetheless surprised myself by ordering a salmon bowl, which then surprised me further by being straight-up delicious. We're talking about a juicy salmon steak with crisp skin and a za'atar spread, which had been added with precision to the salmon but not to anything else in the bowl, as if this were a table-service restaurant where the seafood was being plated with care. Everything else in this bowl, including al dente cauliflower and roasted potatoes sprinkled with sumac, was also impressive and didn't seem like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for hours on end, despite obviously not being the sort of stuff that is cooked to order. Also tried three of their empanadas (cheese, cheese with mushrooms/spinach, and vegan mushroom/spinach). The fillings were simple and solid, and the shells had a just-right Goldilocks vibe -- not too greasy and gutbomby, but also not too healthy. Side sauces (whipped garlic toum, herbed yogurt, salsa verde) were good, albeit unremarkable. Ultimately, I can't quite say that The Migrant Kitchen has made me forget four years of mediocre-protein trauma. But it's certainly started the healing process. P.S. The teenage cashier guy who rang me up was super friendly and helpful, which is not exactly an everyday occurrence at comparable takeout joints, and I hope he gets a raise. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Za'atar Salmon Bowl, excellent. - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Interestingly enough they don't serve ketchup here. They will offer you their garlic whip for a dipping sauce for $3. Nevertheless the chicken sandwich was very juicy with just the right crunch. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - a burger and chips - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

As an UWS resident, I really wanted to like this cute, local restaurant. Unfortunately the food is so bland it's basically inedible. I got a salad with salmon. The salad was unripe romaine lettuce, like 2 cherry tomatoes, some unseasoned corn, and salmon. The salmon was fine, albeit greasy, the rest of the salad tasted like nothing. It also came pre-dressed, which is a wild choice for a takeout restaurant. I also got the mac and cheese, and it was possibly the worst mac and cheese I've ever had. I didn't actually know it was possible to make mac and cheese taste like nothing, and it was not remotely creamy. I took one bit and threw it out, not worth the calories. I love street corn so wanted to try that as well. Again, no idea how you make a dish that is mayo, cheese, and chili taste like nothing, but they somehow succeeded. I also took one bite and threw it out because it was basically inedible. No idea if I maybe came on a bad night or something, but I won't be returning to find out. read more

This place intrigued me because I like that they support immigrant workers and that for every meal purchased they donate a meal to a person in need. I got the Za'atar Salmon -- I thought the salmon would be dry, as most salmon is in salad/casual eateries, but I decided to give it a try after seeing some good reviews about it. Glad to say that it did not disappoint! The salmon was cooked and seasoned perfectly and so were the potatoes. Everything was seasoned so well with the vinaigrette greens that I didn't even need the sauces it came with. How well the salmon was cooked was really impressive, and the potatoes were tender, cooked all the way through, and had slightly crispy skins. Everything tasted fresh as well. I'm interested in coming back to try their other items. This place seems great for both simple sit-down and to-go meals. The worker who took our order and brought out our food to our table was really amiable. read more

This is a good place for a quick meal when you're out and about. I got the cauliflower wrap which was good, but not incredible. Without the sauce it would've been trouble. Very small and kind of dirty seating area, but the worker was very nice! read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Avoid this place after lunch at all costs! My friend and I each ordered a chicken dish for dinner and we both got terribly ill. We realized the food had been prepared in the morning (or possibly even the day before) and had gone bad sitting there all day long. read more

Came upon it by chance and stopped by for lunch. So happy to discover this gem - we ordered the lamb torta and half roasted chicken bowl and they were both delicious... fresh ingredients and very flavorful without being drowned. Their sumac whip sauce was surprisingly subtle and tasty. Can't wait to come back and try the tortas and empanadas. A great place to grab and go! read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

It was good enough but not great No need to go here instead of knocking another one off the list... I'm disappointed because the menu sounded fantastic... it just falls flat so I hade to add a bunch of flavorful ingredients to really enjoy it and correct the dryness read more

Love this place! I've come here a few times since moving to the Upper West Side. This place is casual with quick and efficient service. The lamb empanada with the Diablo Hot sauce is my favorite and I find myself ordering one each time I come here. I also really like the bowls they have on the menu. I've tried the salmon and the pork bowls which are both really tasty. I like that the avocado toast comes with a tomato cucumber salad to add some veggies to the dish. I thought the grilled cheese was so so compared to the other options on the menu that I have tried. Definitely worth a stop by if you're in the neighborhood! read more

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Came here for a quick light lunch after watching a taping of the View just around the corner. This is a great spot for some yummy fusion bites! The service is great and quick, and the food did not disappoint! I ordered the regular (non-spicy) Crispy Chicken Sandwich which came with a hearty portion of juicy chicken and a side of well-seasoned potato wedges. The bun was slightly soggier than I wanted it to be, but overall very yummy and worth the price! Also, as a connoisseur of macaroni and cheese, I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to try a side of their Oaxacan Mac & Cheese, which was very cheesy and topped with some crispy bread crumbs. I was so excited to eat it but it was a little too hot so I had to let it cool to really enjoy it. I also tried my friend's chicken tinga and spinach and mushroom empanadas. Both were excellent as well! We shared a cucumber lemonade too which was quite refreshing on a warm fall day. I would definitely come back and recommend this place to all who enjoy Mediterranean and/or Latin American cuisines! Go Migrant Kitchen! read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Menu - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Food is interesting, but a bit bland. Menu much more promising than read more

Wanted to try the chicken empanadas but they were out when we got there at 4pm. So instead had the lamb torta! It was a solid torta with tender lamb meat and the bread was nice and toasted. Loved the pickled jalapeños on the torta so I asked for more! The place feels a bit pricey but I split the torta with my cousin and it was a good mid day snack for the 2 of us! I love what they stand for/ their mission statement. I'll have to come back for the empanadas! read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Lamb Torta - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a great place to grab a quick bite before watching a movie at the nearby AMC theatre! It's a fast casual place, with some seating inside. The workers were very friendly and it wasn't too busy when we visited on a Tuesday night. It seems like the empanadas are the most popular option, and they were very good. I got the lamb one, and it was both juicy and crispy. Previous empanadas I've had have on a drier side, so this was a nice surprise. They were $5, which seems a bit pricey tho, because they weren't very large. I also got the side of Mac and cheese because I was craving it, but I would skip it here. I appreciated that there was a lot of bread crumbs on top, which helped diversify the texture, but otherwise it was very bland. For $5, it was also not worth it. It seems like the bowls range around $15, which is also on the pricier side for bowls in the city, but they seemed solid. Overall, it was great as a quick bite. I would recommend the empanadas! read more

Can I give zero stats? Got order wrong, was poorly prepared and no apology was offered. Will never go here again.

A worthy stop Upper West near Lincoln Center and the Latter-Day Saint Temple for some unique fast casual options melding Cafe Med with a LatAm menu. Empanadas were overcooked and inedible on the outside--but the filling was great. Hummus is best-in-class for this price point, according my New Yorker daughter. (Even beats Taim, but only in style, not flavor). Loved the lamb torta for its juicy, rich, and soothing qualities. (It's smaller than it looks somehow; was able to down it readily). And the salmon was another highlight. Friendly/helpful service and lots of seating. Location means you'll be nearby a lot. read more

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New lunch place in the area! I had the lamb empanada and the mushroom cheese & spinach empanada with the grilled street corn. The flavors were there It was giving a Latin Mediterranean fusion vibe. I was expecting more of a Mexican flavor for the street corn it wasn't so much of that but not bad. I also had the mint lemonade.. heavier on the mint flavor than lemonade, not very sweet but refreshing. I liked the food I didn't try a lot so I can't give a 5 star rating. Service was pleasant and price point is relatively reasonable especially for this location. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Grilled Street Corn (GF), Lamb Empanada, Mushroom, Spinach Cheese Empanada & Cucumber-Mint Lemonade - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Great fusion spot for a quick bite. I've had the lamb torta and chicken shawarma and both were really good. Sandwiches packed with flavor and great portion sizes. read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Avocado toast was basically a small schmear of flavorless liquidy guac spread on what looked like an equally flavorless toasted (1 side) hamburger bun? Yikes. The side salad was slightly better. And if you get the food to stay or the food to go, it isn't gonna make a bit of difference. Everything is packaged in a shocking and wasteful amount of to go containers. I guess "fast casual" just means they get to pack it up fast and we casually just throw literally everything away. I mean at the very least, if I'm ordering the food to stay, don't put a plastic cover over the food that I have to peel off one second later, and then throw it in the garbage. It's insane! Are there any restaurants left that wash dishes and reuse them? read more

I really wanted to like this spot! I got the za'atar salmon bowl, which included salad and potatoes. The potatoes were really oily and the salmon was dry. I've heard great things about this spot, so I hope it was just a onetime error, but I'm afraid to try it again. Their menu looks great though! read more

We ordered a fattoush salad, crispy cauliflower, grilled street corn, turmeric rice, glazed sweet potatoes, and lemonade. The food was tasteless and disappointing. The grilled street corn tasted like canned corn. The rice had no flavor. None. It tasted like plain white rice with the color of turmeric. No feta in the fattoush. No sign of any glaze on the sweet potatoes. I appreciate their mission to feed New Yorkers but do yourself a favor - eat elsewhere and make a donation to a food program. read more

Updating my review after a much more positive experience and a very gracious offer by the business owner(s) to have me back at the restaurant on them. Since I wasn't all that happy with my chicken sandwich last time, I made sure to switch it up. This time I ordered 3 different empanadas - sausage egg and cheese, lamb, and chicken. Each one was amazing but I have to say the lamb was my favorite - super tender meat and packed with flavor. I tried the yogurt sauce, spicy orange sauce and mild green one and they were all spectacular additions to the empanada. I also went with the Mac and cheese since it was decent last time, this time it way significantly better though. The macaroni pieces were nice and al dente and the cheese was somehow more perfect than last time too. I'll definitely come back again and try their breakfast items as they look really good - I'm a big bagel guy and their bagels look perfect and one of them they serve with labneh which is also one of my favorite foods. Looking forward to trying it! read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - the menu - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

The food is beyond amazing and has a bunch of options, everything just as good as the last. The service was super amazing, the man was kind, quick, and sweet. Place was clean, fast, and delicious. 100% recommend! read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I popped in here as I was in the area and it looked cute. They had a photo of their grilled cheese outside that drew me in. The menu had a good mix of salads, sandwiches and sides to choose from. I got the grilled cheese and a small side of the elote. The grilled cheese, unfortunately was nothing like it looked like on the photo and wasn't good at all and not edible. However, the elote was the redeeming dish and wasn't bad. The workers were all really nice and they had a good amount of seating, but unfortunately I don't know that I would come back here again based on the food. read more

Empanadas here have wonderful dough - mostly soft with just a bit of crisp, and polite enough to disappear under the stuffings when it's no longer needed (but not a moment before). I enjoyed both my slow-cooked lamb and my spinach, mushroom, and cheese versions, and it made a light (very light) lunch. Go for a bowl or something larger if you're hungry. I wished the cucumber mint lemonade had been either cucumbery or minty rather than just lemony. read more

Service was outstanding, they were training someone at the register but still prioritized our experience. They let my girl use the restroom which was hella nice of them. Food was way better than expected, got the salmon joint. read more

Came back again to try their cauliflower wrap. I had such high expectations because their chorizo bowl is amazing but I was disappointed... it was so bland!! SKIP the cauliflower wrap. However, I went back a few days later for the chorizo bowl and some hummus again and it did not disappoint! read more

The Migrant Kitchen - Upper West Side - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Had the lamb torta, the carnitas schwarma, and the street corn. Lamb was one-note, schwarma was bland and small, street corn was enjoyable but nothing worth going for. Overall: very overrated and overpriced. It sounds like the kind of fast causal flavorfulness-focused concept I'd love, but food was bland or one-note and way too expensive. If you were intrigued by this place and want alternatives: For Middle Eastern food, go to Hummus Place or a legit halal cart. For lamb go to Tengri Tagh Uyghur Cuisine. For Mexican go to Los Tacos No. 1. For Latin American bakery go to Salento. read more

I never ate at your Restaurant again. Sorry if there was confusion. I love the name of your place - The Migrant Kitchen. It is just that the food was really bad and I got sick from it. read more

Went here after the Tamron Hall show was over and had the chicken empanada and a Latte. It was filling and delicious. I noticed a lot of young teens came in to eat. read more