Jack’s Wife Freda

6/7/2017

• 1 check-in

Looking for a cute and delicious brunch spot? Try Jack's Wife Freda. My two friends and I ordered the Green Shakshouka, Rosewater Waffle and the Madame Freda (sandwich with duck prosciutto, gruyere cheese and fried egg). Our favorites were tied between the shakshouka and the rosewater waffle. Surprisingly, the rose flavor was very noticeable in the waffle. The Madame Freda was a little heavier, but still very tasty.

While the server was cleaning our plates, he accidentally dropped a small plate on my friend's lap. However, he was very kind and apologetic about helping to clean up the small mess and gave us a book of their adorable matches as compensation.

Would definitely return and would recommend to friends!

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  Rose water waffle, shakshuka & madame frida's

  Rose water waffle, shakshuka & madame frida's

3/11/2017

The rose water waffles with yogurt are amazing!  I only had a couple bites but next time I will definitely order this.  I ordered the poached eggs with Halloumi and it was very tasty.  Everything was fresh and well prepared.  There was a bit of a wait to be seated but the staff was extremely kind and attentive.

21/6/2017

• 1 check-in

We were here Friday mid morning, at 10:30 AM. The restaurant was pretty busy and we waited a bit before getting seated as a party of two.

We ordered the green eggs and Prego roll. The food was a little above average but it was relatively expensive for the portion sizes given. Staff was very friendly and pretty quick considering the amount of tables. Decor was adorable.

Overall - nothing wrong with this place, but there are better places to go for a nice brunch.

28/9/2017

It's a small cute intimate restaurant. I can see how it can get super packed on the weekend nights. There was no wait for Sunday brunch since we opt to sit at the bar. The bartender was very attentive and chatty. She gave amazing suggestions on recommendations for food and drinks. I ended up ordering the Madame Freda which was amazing. My egg was moist and flavorful and the salad on the side complimented the saltiness very well. The bread was perfectly toasted. I also ordered the cantaloupe mimosa. Never had cantaloupe in my drinks before. It was pretty delicious and not too sweet. Oh and the sugar packets are super cute!

1/11/2017

I thought the food was good but a little pricey. I am just not huge on paying $12 for two eggs in green sauce with a slice of bread (Shakshuka)? Add on the hour+ weekend wait and it doesn't seem like all that great of a value proposition...

4/9/2017

Came here with a friend for a late lunch and thankfully we had a short wait as the place was packed a few hours earlier with a 2+ hr wait for a table for 2 (we arrived at 3 PM and it was a 15 min wait).

Once we got seated our server came immediately asking for drinks and if we were ready to order.  My friend needed a few more minutes so she gave us time and didn't make us wait forever to put our orders in.

My friend ordered the Jack's Breakfast and I ordered the breakfast bowl with poached eggs.

I really enjoyed my bowl as all of the flavors melded together well and the egg and sauce definitely added a nice creamy element to the dish.

It isn't the most intimate place, but for a decent brunch spot with simple but flavorful food I recommend it and would come back again.

22/9/2017

This place is tiny but well worth the wait and great service. Probably recommend to parties 4 or under. It can be loud at times too.

They serve alcohol, coffee and juices and everything is so yummy, I would definitely come back for brunch, but we only had dinner.

The eggplant appetizer was so yummy as it was only lightly fried but so tasty.

For dinner we split the Bronzino fish which was one of the best I have had. Bronzino is normally a very honey fish but they deboned the whole dish. Light flavorful and crisp, so perfect!

We also ordered the steak sandwich with fries and my god did this taste like heaven. The buttered ciabatta and juicy steak pieces were unreal. Not to mention the fries were the perfect fries, crispy but warm and hot.  EAT HERE!

15/9/2017

I like this place! Staff is very nice and kind. The food is good and it's like you eat at home when your mom or grandma cooks.

On photo you gonna see shakshuka and the cutest barman.

6/6/2017

• 1 check-in

I'm not quite sure what the hype is with this restaurant.  It was good but I have to disagree with everyone else that gives this restaurant 5 stars.  I do have to admit the wait does look frightening but it goes rather quickly.  The best tables are the ones outside.  If you sit inside be warned that it is so loud that you won't be able to have a decent conversation with anyone.

I ordered the Mediterranean Breakfast which comes with two eggs, chopped salad, labne, avocado and pita bread.  If you don't know what labne is, it's strained yogurt, and has a mozzarella type consistency.  Overall it was an ok meal.  Jack's Wife Freda does have this amazing green hot sauce.  It reminds of the green sauce they serve at most Peruvian restaurants.

After we finished our meal, I wish we had eaten at Balthazar around the corner instead.

25/5/2017

• 1 check-in

My friend and I came here on 10:30AM on Thursday morning. Despite the rain and wind, there was a line coming out of the door. We checked with the waitress and fortunately, the wait was only 15 minutes long. We knew exactly what we wanted as we were seated, so we ordered the GREEN SHAKSHUKA and ROSEWATER WAFFLE to split:

Pros:
-Quick service. We received our food in fewer than 10 minutes

Cons:
-The GREEN SHAKSHUKA was the greatest letdown of the day. It was essentially two fried eggs drenched lightly in green sauce with two slabs of barely toasted challah. I expected it to be a hearty dish, but it tasted exactly liked it looked... eggs and bread.
-The ROSEWATER WAFFLE was also a disappointment. Honestly, they could've given me an Eggo waffle and I wouldn't be able to distinguish between the two. The edges weren't even crispy or caramelized, and the consistency was soft throughout. The fruit was unripe and sour atop even more sour yogurt. The redeeming quality was the rosewater honey, which was a unique touch, but not viscous enough. You'd be surprised at how quickly it pours out.
-Price. Did I really pay ~$13 for half a waffle, an egg, and bread that didn't even fill me up?

This place has ruined shakshuka for me. I don't understand the long lines at all - steer clear if you're looking for a decent brunch spot.

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  rosewater waffle, green shakshuka

  rosewater waffle, green shakshuka

1/10/2017

A really raved brunch spot in New York City, and of course I have to give it a try during my stay in New York.

It was REALLY busy and crowded. My friend and I had to wait outside for at least 15 minutes till we were seated. But it gave us enough time to figure out what we want. We ordered the Madame Freda and the Mashed Avocado on Seeded Toast. The toast was okay, but we did enjoy the Madame Freda. We also got the mint lemonade and the fresh cantaloupe juice to drink. I have to say, the cantaloupe juice was great!

My only complain was how cramped this place is. The ladies next to us had to scoot their table in order for her to get out, or else her butt would be rubbing against our table.

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  Mint lemonade and fresh cantaloupe juice. Highly recommend the cantaloupe juice!

  Mint lemonade and fresh cantaloupe juice. Highly recommend the cantaloupe juice!
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  Madame Freda. Really good!

  Madame Freda. Really good!
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  Mashed avocado on seeded toast

  Mashed avocado on seeded toast

26/8/2017

• 1 check-in

Came here on a Saturday around 2ish. Only had a 30 minutes wait but we waited much longer maybe an hour. Although there's an ice cream shop next door. It's still kinda long for a brunch place.

We ordered the jacks breakfast and the Mediterranean breakfast.

My Mediterranean breakfast was meh. The side salad was okay, didn't really like it too acidic for my taste. The eggs and pita bread was too typical. I enjoyed it but nothing special. Not worth the wait.

My boyfriend ordered the jacks breakfast and that came with a skirt steak. Which was AMAZING. It was tender and flavorful. That was the only
Things worth the wait. Definitely order that

Overall, make sure you order specialty items here. Or else the wait is honestly not worth it.

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  The Mediterranean breakfast. Meh not worth the wait

  The Mediterranean breakfast. Meh not worth the wait
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  Side of fries and Jacks breakfast

  Side of fries and Jacks breakfast

24/5/2017

Eh, for a minimum 45 min to an hour wait I wouldn't queue up for this place. It's cute, the food's decent, the portions aren't massive, and the space is small. That being said, if you're willing to wait in the line or come on an off-time I'd eat here.

I had the Rosewater Waffle which I loved, but if you don't like your food to be floral don't order this as the rosy taste does come through. My other friends ordered the Green Shakshuka which was good but not amazing.

Overall, not worth the hype but if you find yourself here the staff is friendly and efficient and we enjoyed the experience for what it was.

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  rosewater waffle

  rosewater waffle

7/9/2017

I came here for brunch on a Monday and only had to wait ten minutes or so to be seated. The space is pretty intimate and I will admit, I did get some body parts to my back ever so often but what can you do? I got the breakfast bowl(?) and my boyfriend got Jack's Breakfast. We also got two cantaloupe mimosas and a side of the duck bacon (I regretted not getting a side of fries as well so don't have the same regrets as me if you end up visiting!) The ingredients were fresh but the hot sauce really made the dish for me. The bowl was pretty filling. It's a good amount of food and the bowl was seasoned and flavorful as well even without the hot sauce. The duck bacon was pretty good - first time having it. We both enjoyed our food and want to come back to try out some of the other dishes.

I was expecting a super long wait so I was surprised and grateful to be seated rather quickly. To be honest, I expected this place to be over-hyped but it lived up and I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'll be making the trip from DC solely just for Jack's Wife Freda but it's definitely a solid option to check out!

13/8/2017

Whoa! did not expect the peri peri chicken with the green sauce to be so good and fresh here. I expected this to be a primarily breakfast/brunch place and hence the surprise in my expectations. Definitely good spot for lunch.

I just thought that the $15 price tag for a chicken lunch was a tad bit much. Maybe $12-$13 would have been more appropriate.

15/5/2017

• 1 check-in

Their food is delicious! But it's VERY LOUD in there. They really pack people in there..which made it REALLY TOUGH to have a conversation.

Overall though, the food was delicious. And even though the place was crowded the servers were patient, laid back and easy going.  The food was fantastic.  So if you can make it passed the chaotic environment, it's definitely worth it.  Just understand you're going to have to YELL to have a conversation with anyone.

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  Breakfast bowl and Jack's Breakfast

  Breakfast bowl and Jack's Breakfast

15/10/2017

This is a cute and cozy place in soho. The restaurant is quite small, and it gets really packed. The servers are really kind and courteous. The food is very healthy and fresh. They really know how to utilized every square inch of this place. I got the chicken prego, and it was perfection. The chicken was nice and tender, and the the sauce was just perfect. My husband got the chicken kabo, and it was good, but not great, because the chicken was rather dry. Or else, I would give this 5 stars.

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• See all photos from Alysa N. for Jack's Wife Freda

13/8/2017 Updated review

Introduced to this restaurant by my cousin for her Bday dinner celebration. The food was really good, I had the very well seasoned peri peri chicken that came w/ finely diced cucumber, red onions, and tomatoes (typical Mediterranean salad) and a cup of their fresh cantaloupe juice. Filipinos LOVE their cantaloupe juice it totally reminded me of my childhood! My boyfriend had the steak sandwich and he ate everything on the plate soon as they put his dish down- it was that good! My sister ordered their popular fish entree since she doesn't eat meat. The Bday girl raved about her order of mussels and also the Pim pim drink. Everyone of our party of 10 was completely happy not only w/ the food but the exceptional service from our lovely waitress Kerry last nite.

Definitely coming back again to check out their  brunch and to try the duck bacon I kept reading about from all the Yelp reviews! Mmmm

9/8/2017

The food here is delicious and unique and affordable as heck considering the quality and portions. We came in later in the night on a Saturday and we were starving. We sat at the bar, which was tiny and maybe a little cramped, but it worked for us. The service was good and attentive and the place was surprisingly steady at this late hour. Like I said, their menu is unique, we started with the beet dip, which came with pita that the bartender brought another serving of when we downed the first one in a few short seconds. We may or may not have been day drinking prior to this engagement. Anyways, the beet dip, well it tasted how it sounds, beets in dip version and I love beets so I liked this dip. We also shared some roasted cauliflower, which was freaking delicious. It had garlic dressing over top and we loved it.

For food food, I got the Chicken Prego sandwich and asked for it with salad instead of fries. It was tasty. My boyfriend got Jack's burger and definitely enjoyed that too. I didn't realize until after our meal that they have Matzo Ball soup, dang I love some Matzo Ball soup. Anyways, all that food and our bill was only $70, yeah we didn't have drinks and we got sandwiches and burgers and apps, but it's NYC, so I will take a $70 bill for food. They have adorable matches at the bar too that have cute sayings on them, nice touch.

10/5/2017

• 1 check-in

Some places just have that feel good factor, and this is one of them. Most of it's due to the awesome staff, which made great food just all the better - they all seem like funny, laid-back, overall cool people. I came in at mid-afternoon when they were doing their shift change, and everyone was greeting each other, joking around, telling each other stories, just having fun. It was kind of like a mini party and made the whole place really lighthearted.

The food is also very good. I wanted something light so opted for the green shakshuka, which was perfect for that. The tomatillos had a nice kick, and the challah was actually probably my favourite part. I also got a side of fries - they've got fantastic fries! Even better dipped in the green sauce it comes with.

Oh, and I have to mention all the adorable personalised things like sugar packets, pens, even matchboxes. What other restaurant has personalised matchboxes?

All in all, you can't go wrong with brunch here. It's on the smaller side but has a lot of personality, and the good food doesn't hurt either.

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  Cute personalisations!

  Cute personalisations!
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  Green shakshuka with challah

  Green shakshuka with challah