Fairway Cafe

Wherever you are thinking of eating today, don't! GO TO FAIRWAY. The food is always fresh/clean, of the highest quality, and delicious. Prices are so low it is unbelievable how this place does not have lines around the block. Just try it. You will thank me.

I have had a very nice piece of salmon for lunch with several vegetable sides. I think the price is about $13-15. Very enjoyable. At night the room seems too "grocery store restaurant" for the prices. The chairs and tables are cheap, the lighting is lame and the staff is not attentive or knowledgeable. My dinner was FINE but the prix fixe out the door was about $40 and it was certainly not that.

This is a restaurant in a grocery store. It must make money, otherwise Fairway would lose the café & expand the organic grocery store adjacent. Shopping in the tiny, cramped space of Fairway's organic store is something akin to visiting the airport of a war-torn, developing country: the aisles are cramped, the quality of the produce is erratic and the consistently angry workers are in bad need of sensitivity training. Despite the EXORBITANT price-gouging regularly employed by Fairway (e.g. a recent 200+% price hike of mustard, from $1.89 to $3.29) one can only guess that the wages earned by these workers may account for their consistently sour moods. Management is no better, a fact that one phone call placed to the store will confirm. Curiously, this average diner rarely offers any vegetarian options or utilizes any of the organic produce it's parent company sells right next door. So why does anyone continue to shop at Fairway? Because it's one of the only comprehensive groceries within walking distance on the Upper West Side, and their selection IS excellent if you can afford it.

We had high hopes for the Fairway cafe but were sadly disappointed by the so-so service and the miniscule portion sizes. My $8 very small portion of scrambled eggs, although tasty, came with about half a new potato and 1 cherry tomato. My husband's $12 "big boy special" (plate of eggs, bacon and a "full stack" of pancakes) came with a tiny stack of 2" pancakes and two measly strips of bacon. The cafe latte I ordered was lukewarm and overly milky. And a large orange juice for 5$ was only a tiny bit bigger than the small for $3 - go figure. In order to keep up with the stiff UWS breakfast competition this place needs to increase their sizes and up their service a notch.

I've eaten here countless times. Ok, while the meat is better than average, it's not the BEST steak in this City — or the best burger. The service is lackluster and, sadly, I always feel like most of the staff would rather be somewhere else. I come back because it's close and it's ok. And because it sits atop one of NY City's best markets.

Got the complete meal option for $39. Lamb was excellent. Wine was great. Waiter hard to find.

When confronted with a Hanger Steak that was ordered "Medium" specifically "Not well done" After a few slices told the busman it was overcooked (underside was charred) and ordered another . None was prepared. The Espresso was served cool in a large cup.Bill came with a charge for the Hanger Steak. The manager came by and said the hanger steaks are by nature thin and not to expect a "Medium" She would have to speak to the owner to get it taken off the bill. She agreed the Espresso cup was inappropriate size. Came back with a half price hanger steak.Bottom line that was a bad decision resulting in a never to return.