Popover Cafe

05/21/2008 Posted by uwsemily

I've eaten at Popover multiple times for all meals and I think it's great and definitely priced right. I've never had to wait longer than 20 minutes for a table and that is only for dinner. Their breakfast options are not typical and I love that - the flopovers are awesome if you like sweet breakfasts but the santa fe omlette is also great. The service is slow occasionally but not typically. If you are visiting New York and looking to be "WOWed" by food, don't go to popover. It's great but I think appreciated more by the UWS locals than visitors.

02/07/2008 Posted by jmphoto

After deciding the wait was too long at Good Enough to Eat, I came here with a friend for Sunday brunch. It was not worth it! It was overpriced, the portions were small, and the service was not too great. Although we were seated promptly and the waiter was ok, everything else was a disappointment. I paid $25 (with tax and tip) for a small plate of french toast and a cappuccino (that's outrageous!). Then while finishing our drinks the manager came over and told us he had an hour and a half wait. We got the hint and left immediately vowing never to come back again.

12/09/2007 Posted by heythere714

Popover Cafe is definitely overrated. I am more disappointed than ever when i have just dined there this past weekend. In the last couple of years that I've eaten there, the breakfast menu's "Flopover", "Eggs Popeye", and the "Special Scramble" are just a notch above your typical diner food. My biggest disappointment of all is that a "manager" (i presume) passed by my party's table, rapping onto it lightly, and then firmly informing us,---"there's an hour and 1/2 wait outside". Obviously, an offense , the "manager" should have some tact and addressed it : "pardon me for saying this, but there's a big crowd of customers outside waiting ...and if you are done (eating)...." I would stop his sentence, gladly pay the bill and then make haste for the door. By the way, I / we weren't there for hours monopolizing their table. But anyway, customers like me and my friends shouldn't be treated this way. I am resolved not to patronize Popover Cafe with my friends ever again due to this shabby treatment and by the "MANAGER" to boot! However, if the food was really, really, really good, i just might dismiss the shabby treatment.

Pros: Popovers & Strawberry Butter

Cons: Service and most of their entrees

11/29/2007 Posted by lenapena

Where do I begin...My boyfriend and I came in on a Tuesday night (both very hungry), the restaurant was certainly not busy, yet it took our waiter nearly 15 minutes to take our order. He had no knowledge of what was in the food or what the soup of the day was. Another 20 minutes later our food came. I did not like the chicken pop pie and left it on the edge of the table. He repeatedly asked me if anything was wrong with it and when i said it just didn't taste good, he asked yet again. When the bill came, he said 'thank you for being honest, most people would have lied and said it was nasty and received their meal for free.' As I opened my bill, I was charged the $16 for the food I barely touched. So, had I lied, I would have received a free dinner; however, because I am an honest person, I was punished. In either case, I did not like the food, yet I chose not to insult it and had to pay. I am not upset because I had to pay, I am upset because he basically told me that I got screwed for being nice. What kind of service is that? Don't expect to teach your kids ethics or good manners at Popover Cafe. ** My boyfriend's order was very ordinary and definitely over-priced.

Pros: strawberry butter

Cons: service, value

01/11/2007 Posted by diner345

I and my dining companion arrive around 11:00 A.M We were seated near some art work that was less than eye appealing. In fact it made my 8 year olds work look like masterpieces. Sure it's mean-spirited, but after munching on a couple of the dishes here, you'll be ready to let the acid drip from your tongue. Service is just barely average, with little if no interest in the customer, "hurry-up and wait" pacing, and receiving a chipped glass on my second serving of orange juice It is a fairly sizeable chip and I easily could have cut myself on it if I hadn't been observant. This lack of care extends into the kitchen. The Pop-Over, the name sake of the place, was uneatable. While my Chicken hash had no chicken. My dining companion's fared worse. They could not even finish . Again, it isn't terrible, just bland. It is similar to a TV dinner in flavor and execution. The food is either frozen or from a can. When we went to complain to the manager John, he was rude and raised his voice. Although, it is not unexpected to have management like this in a place that is so sub par. Anyone who has lived in New York for any length of time can name several mediocre restaurants that do a lively business that leave foodies scratching their heads. Why the public can be so forgiving and cling to sub-par restaurants while ignoring those with excellent cuisine and great prices is beyond me. I would ignore and leave PopOver's behind.

Pros: Priceing

Cons: Bad Food, Bad Service, Rude Manager

12/17/2006 Posted by misha411

I brought friends from out of town and after waiting a half an hour for a table, we waited another 20 minutes for someone to take our order, and another 15 minutes to get our coffee. The busboys were wiping dirty tables right onto the floor and then the eggs came out undercooked and the popovers overcooked. The service was not just bad it was non-existant and bordered on rude. Won't go back, wouldn't recommend it and had to apologize to my friends for bringing them there.

Cons: bad service, bad food, don't take recommendations

10/31/2006 Posted by if2

My boyfriend and I went here for out first breakfast together. It had great fresh squeezed orange juice and adorable decor with teddy bears galore. I had the eggs benedict which was served on a GIANT popover and my boyfriend had the belgian waffle. The waffle was awesome, it would soak up the maple syrup and then explode in your mouth with a wave of maple. crazy good! The eggs benedict were good but nothing spectacular. We also had a popover with strawberry butter. These popovers are the biggest pasteries I have ever seen! All in all, its a great and quiet place to have a good and hearty breakfast.

Pros: great waffles, cute place

Cons: doesnt knock your socks off

12/29/2005 Posted by marijse

I took my 11 year old daughter for a pre-Nutcracker dinner. The ambience was warm and cozy. My daughter loved the teddy bears lining the window sills. We don't eat meat outside the house and the vegetarian options were numerous- always a plus. My daughter's hot chocolate was very satisfying, as was our chocolate fondue for dessert. The only negative was the service, which was somewhat slow- not horribly slow, but slow enough to be a little irritating. I do, however, want to bring my husband and other kids here. I think they'd enjoy it!

Pros: inexpensive, good ambience, good food

Cons: slow service

11/14/2005 Posted by creyfish

This cramped, bland restuarant's idea of decor is painting the walls yellow and throwing up an occasional picture. We ordered from the brunch menu - he ordered the creole eggs and I ordered Mel's french toast. The waitress then gave us a complimentery hollow popover that was slightly burned and tasted of raw eggs but we ate it anyway. His dish was so small it looked like a side dish- about 2 (he thinks 3) eggs with some sausage chopped up and thrown in. Good flavor but no potatoes or toast anywhere. My french toast was two slices of bread cut in half- the perfect breakfast for a 4 year old. It was ok, but not great. After we were done and our lofty check arrived he vaguely mentioned getting a hot dog cause we were both still kind of hungry....

Cons: no ambiance, small portions, expensive

10/12/2005 Posted by kipdynamite

This is the ideal place for a relatively quiet and quick bite to eat. Most people will be pleased to read that their menu is much more interesting than your average cafe or coffee shoppe fare. Definately try one of their trademark popover sandwiches. I highly recommend "The Granny," which is turkey, thinnly sliced granny apple, turkey bacon, cheese, and onion. BTW, the service there is ALWAYS friendly and accomodating.

Pros: menu, service, price