Melody Cafe - 25-95 Steinway Street, Astoria, NY 11103718.777.1514
N/W Train to 30th Avenue stop
Margot has been telling me about this place for a while and every time I look it up online, it's a mystery--cannot find it! I happened to walk by on Sunday and immediately did a double take after seeing the ornate brass doors--how cool do they look? They give Melody a secret feel--it's almost as if you're entering a forbidden vault. While I haven't unlocked that vault just yet, Margot has. Here is her quick recap, which is helpful and has peaked my curiosity even further.
Margot's Sneak Peek:
It was a lot of fun. It's a HUGE space. They have both Greek and Moroccan dishes on the menu (I assume to draw in some of the Greek community from the 30th Ave area).
The hookah... Mmmm we had blueberry--it was like having a little bit of pie aftertaste in your mouth. SO good. I had a lamb kebab platter. Soooo juicy and delish. It came with pilaf and veggies. I didn't try the pilaf because well - I'm laying off the carbs this week. Jen and Ted both got lamb sandwiches (made with the same type of lamb from my plate, so I can only imagine they were just as good - we were pretty much too hungry to talk). Their sandwiches came with fries which they devoured (must have been good). The place is pretty cool. The hookahs are fun and they even do fresh fruit hookahs - hard to explain, but they take a huge fruit, stick it on the top, and stuff it with tobacco. I like the place--it's no Dandana's but it's a lot closer! :)
Margots you are so right. I went there and had a fresh watermelon hookah. I felt like i was eating a watermelon from heaven. And let me tell you food is so so delicious. I loved the avocado smoothie, it tasted so fresh. That has been my spot since. People should definetly go there with no doubt.
ReplyDeleteMary
My favorite
ReplyDeletehooka shisha flavor is also Blueberry!
This place is a rip off. Hidden charges without a heads up!!! Charging both a cover charge of $10 and a 20% tip. This of course you are not informed of until you receive your bill. Service not what it should be. Great place with lots of potential however rude management.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous anonymous...they do hit you up with that SURPRISE UNEXPECTED extra $10 cover charge and the 20% service charge...which I don't mind the service charge as you want to pay that anywhere else you go for an outstanding service, however the service seldom is even good...let alone great...and also the place could use some AC as it does get very hot in there...Over all, it's an ok place to go to, once in a while.
ReplyDeleteIt's full of old perverted men. My 21 year old daughter and I were there, it was not fun. As far as management goes, there isn't any!
ReplyDeletewell i think the problem there is the owner, i used to work there, he is yelling all the time to his workers he pays a shit and for the waiters and waitresses he doesn't pay anything from the house they charge 15% for service and the 10 dollars cover they should tell u at the door but the problem there is the owner, when his brother was there everything was diferent....
ReplyDeleteInteresting Guess Who? - there are some strong opinions about this place, I see... I still haven't been there and not sure that I want to go.
ReplyDeleteomg, me and a couple of my friends went there last week, we had gyros outside, lol, but the hookah inside was amazing, blueberry was by far their best flavor, there hookah didnt hit my throat at all...absolutely amazing....
ReplyDeleteI used to go there three times every week. The place is nice and huge but the manager is soo rude with everyone there, I stopped going there for a while since they have the same routine , the same singers and even the same songs over and over,,so i would
ReplyDeletelike to try something new,,since i got bored from that place..
Yeah, I've heard some negative feedback about it. I have yet to try it, but thanks for your 2 cents.
ReplyDeletethe place is a rip off! they charged us 15% music charge??!! like WTF??? and I'm lebanese, just like the owner. I spoke to him in Arabic trying to explain to him that never in my freaking life have I been charged for the music I listen to in clubs!
ReplyDeletehe said that the place was not making enough money and that he had to pay his taxes! what a clown!
watch out. they won't tell you at first. you will read it on your bill afterwards.
rating? 1 star.
Blah, that sux :( A lot of negative feedback about this place.
ReplyDeleteThis place is horrific. What everybody said about the service charges is correct. They're still pulling that stunt. Somebody really ought to blow the whistle on these creeps. They tack on a 20% service charge even when there is NO entertainment, just the TV blaring. They won't bring over a glass of water because they say there is a "problem with the sewer."
ReplyDeleteThe food is terrible. Generally bad news. Margot, I really hope that you reconsider your review in light of all the comments from people over a considerable period of time, particularly since these clowns aren't cleaning up their act.
Oy...such harsh words. I'm sorry to hear that - if so many people are saying this I think there has to be truth to it.
ReplyDeleteI like the atmosphere. It is well decorated. At this point (date: Aug 23rd 2010) this shop is perhaps the best spot for foreigners and new comers to come to. The customer are of high socioeconomic status and the services reflects this. I have been there many times and I often say goodbye to the owner who is a very agreeable and mild mannered man. You would find great football (soccer) games playing on the monitor. Food is great, drinks are available, and fresh hooka (specially I recommend fresh fruit on orange top) is great. My only complain would be that it is too loud sometimes on Fridays so much that you cant hear others talk to u. I give it 4.5/5 stars.
ReplyDeleteamazing place. went there with a group on a friday night to celebrate my boyfriends 21st bday.
ReplyDeletefirst off MONEY SPEAKS here. we got placed in the "VIP" couch section when we told the owner we were going to be poppin bottles. (which are club priced) so right away we had some of the best service ive seen in a long time!
the DJ was great (house music/reggae/reggaeton/hip hop)and he takes requests.
i had 3 strawberry banana smoothies through out the night and ive been dying for another one since (theyre that good) and my usual double apple hookah. (i wanted the pina colada one but the waiter told me its not strong and the flavor dies out quick) the birthday boy received a free fresh watermelon hookah which was SO GOOOD!
All in all, it was a 5 star night!
(gratuities are included in your check but dont be stingy, drop some bills on the table)
Please dont go there. Place full of shit,and specially Kamal(Owner) is an idiot he said rude shit.
ReplyDeleteHe charge you cover even if you confim first theres no cover about cover.
This is my favorite
ReplyDelete