Jack’s Wife Freda

14/5/2017

Always packed, like a can of sardines. We came on a Sunday morning around 9am and there was plenty of tables but within 30 minutes it was all full. By the time we left, there was a lot of people waiting outside for a table. Expect to sit less than a feet from your neighbors.

The green shakshuka (the green eggs) was delicious but the star of the dish was the toasted bread. It was perfectly toasted and buttery. The portion is pretty small for the price, but it leaves you satisfied.

The rosewater waffle makes you feel mad bougie in the form of a waffle. The waffle is very filling, delicious and unique - i've never seen a place have rosewater in a waffle.

We saw a lot of people get the house cured duck bacon so we got it too. Its really good - I mean, it is bacon after all. Its a very thick lean slice of bacon. Their coffee is from Stumptown, no complaints.

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  green shakshuka ($12) house cured bacon ($6) rosewater waffle ($12)

  green shakshuka ($12) house cured bacon ($6) rosewater waffle ($12)

5/8/2017

Fan-freakin-tastic. This place oozes a homey, European charm. It's unpretentious and uncomplicated in all the right ways, but it will still satisfy the pickiest foodie with its simple, flavorful, high-quality fare.

This is a great example of a restaurant that hits every Mark: good vibe, good food, good service, good prices, good times.

1/5/2017

• 1 check-in

I really wanted to come here for brunch since I heard a lot of good things about it, but it will have to wait.  I came here for dinner at about 5:30 on a weeknight.  It is a cute little place, considered small by me, with some outdoor seating.  The seating is a bit unique, along the walls are the 2 and 4 seater with one giant table in the middle, so I guess if you can't get a seat along the walls, looks like you will be sharing with other people in the middle.

The menu is a piece of paper in front of you, it doesn't have that many options but just enough in my opinion.  It is vegetarian friendly.  

I had the whole fish with cous cous and assorted vegetables.  The whole fish for the day is trout.  The whole fish tasted flavorful and they cooked it so good, the fish literally came off the bones like the meat that comes so easily off pork ribs, it was amazing.  The cous cous was a bit dry.  

My friend had the fish (salmon) a la plancha sesame soy glazed with sauteed kale and radish with a side of fries.  I didn't like the fries, tasted like it was fried twice.  I didn't try the salmon because been eating too much of it lately but the sauteed kale was amazing, done perfectly with a small kick of pepper mixed with other flavors.  

It's a good date spot, the tables are a bit close to each other but not to the point where you can clearly hear other people's conversations.  I would categorize this place to be a healthy option place for people.

24/4/2017

• 3 check-ins

I've been to Jack's Wife Freda twice now, the first time better than the second. Both times there was a wait - the first was around 30 minutes, the second time was around 45 (but we did come at a slightly off time the first time). Not a terrible wait compared to what you'd experience at, say, Russ & Daughters, but definitely prepare to wait around a little. There's no text system or anything either so you truly do have to wait around, which is a little annoying. HOWEVER, I gotta give credit where credit is due - the hosts/hostesses at Jack's Wife are phenomenal with predicting wait time and keeping their lists organized.

Seating can get a little crowded on the inside, so Jack's Wife is not the place for claustrophobes. There are some tables, but most two-tops are sat at the large communal table in the middle, so likely you'll be dining with strangers.

The first time we ordered the Green Shakshuka and the Breakfast Bowl. The former comes pretty much as described, two eggs baked into green tomatillo shakshuka, and the latter comes with scrambled or poached eggs over spaghetti squash, avocado, quinoa, kale, etc. The former is $12 and the latter is $16 and I believe they were priced fairly for the quality and portion size. Both were absolutely excellent but I especially recommend the Breakfast Bowl.

The second time, we came a little later so got slightly lunch-ier items. I ordered the Prego Roll, which is a Portuguese steak sandwich that came with fries ($16). My friend ordered the Madame Freda (a pressed sandwich with duck prosciutto, cheddar béchamel, gruyere & a sunny side up egg) - also $16. We also split the peri-peri sweetbreads ($12). The sweetbreads were excellent although the portion size was small. However, we were both very disappointed with our mains. My Prego Roll was REALLY small and was really just some chopped steak on a roll, nothing else. The steak was tender, admittedly, but I ended up filling up on fries which seems ridiculous for the price. My friend was really disappointed with the Madame Freda and said there was way too much cheese and the prosciutto wasn't anything special.

Both times, I ordered a bloody mary and coffee (Stumptown bottomless drip). The bloodies were excellent both times, although the second time I had to remind my server after waiting about 15 minutes and getting nothing. Another disappointing aspect of our second visit was that they were terrible about refilling coffee. With such small cups, I finished my first in about 2 minutes, and had to wait 10 before anyone even came by again to ask if we wanted more. YES a girl needs her caffeine fix.

Would I come back? Yeah, sure, it's a super cute and trendy spot that has some excellent dishes. I was just overwhelmingly disappointed with the service the second time as well as the dishes we ordered. Will come back at some point for a tie-breaker.

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  Baguette

  Baguette
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  Pimm's? I believe

  Pimm's? I believe
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  Bloody mary

  Bloody mary
• See all photos from Hannah L. for Jack's Wife Freda

1/8/2017

This is my second time eating at this location (I usually am near the one on Carmine) and it's still so amazing! You can tell how fresh the ingredients are and you don't get that gross feeling after eating here.

The service is impeccable, the waiters are so inviting and make you feel very welcomed. I also like this striped shirts they wear because it gives off some French vibes.

For the most important part: THE FOOD!
For Breakfast get the Mediterranean breakfast (can't go wrong) but I still wanna try the waffle!
For Lunch/Dinner: Prego Roll (steak sandwich), Chicken Prego (Grilled chicken sandwich), Veggie Curry, Wings appetizer (to die for)

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  Mediterranean breakfast with scrambled eggs

  Mediterranean breakfast with scrambled eggs

2/5/2017

Delicious healthy brunch food in the heart of Soho

Came here on Sunday for a sister's brunch date at 10:30AM. We were told it would be a 45 minute wait, so we walked around Soho as we waited. A little heads up, they don't call you when your table is up so be mindful when you put your name down with the hostess who is often running around.

We were seated around 11:30AM. The menu has something for everyone whether you were craving a healthy grain bowl or a cheesy toast or you have a sweet tooth for waffles.

MADAME FREDA $16: Probably the most perfectly sunnyside egg I have ever seen! As you cut into it, the egg yolk still oozes over the cheesy toast with a hint of saltiness from the duck prosciutto. But I was not entirely impressed since the cheese had hardened by the time it reached me. And the toast was quite hard. The arugala with pickled onion on the side was quite sad, as the pickled onions did not taste like anything.

BREAKFAST BOWL $16: Hearty quinoa bowl with kale and grilled tomato. You won't be missong anything as the grilled tomatoes added a great flavor with the creaminess of the avocado and poached egg. They had this amazing house made green hot sauce that paired perfectly well with the grain bowl. Highly recommended for those trying to fuel up for their Soho shopping.

DUCK BACON $6: A much thicker and less fatty bacon. Great bacon, not over crispy. For me, it was too oily as it was sitting in a pool of oil. I would skip this.

NANA TEA $4.50: Hot minty tea that is very refreshing, recommended with honey! (Ask the waiters for it). I was surprised by how much I love that minty taste as I often like my tea weak. This was a great wakeup call. And if you finish, ask for more hot water!

CANTALOUPE JUICE $6: AMAZING AND MUST GET! Ok I must admit that at first I was quite skeptical since many brunch places often have freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, but now I am all for a freshly squeezed cantaloupe juice! It was not overly sweet and quite refreshing!

SERVICE: I want to give a huge shout out to our waitress, Abigail! Even though she had big tables, she checked up on us constantly. Another waiter actually took our order, but his goofy side got the best of him as he completely messed up our order. When he repeated back our order, he added items and then laughed it off, but reassured us that he got it. Something felt a bit off and Abigail came to the rescue and save our brunch date! Everyone was super friendly and even though the restaurant was bustling especially on Sunday for brunch, you never felt rushed.

I would probably come back for brunch, even on a Sunday, to try the other items on their menu as well as get my fixing of cantaloupe juice! If you do come on Sunday, at around 12PM, the wait is about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. So, if you can, get there before and your wait should be about 45minutes. Not a bad wait for a healthy brunch in New York City!

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  Cantaloupe Juice

  Cantaloupe Juice
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  Sunday Brunch

  Sunday Brunch
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  Madame Freda

  Madame Freda

23/4/2017

• 1 check-in

Nice and light food, although I'm not completely sure it's totally worth the hype. We arrived around 1 PM on a rainy Saturday and were told that the wait for two would be 1 hour to 1 hour 15 min. It actually wasn't too bad considering this place is in Soho and there were plenty of things to do in the meantime.
Gotta give the restaurant five stars for service- even though it's extremely crowded no one was nasty and we were served with a smile, and very efficiently. I ordered the Madame Freda which was quite good and light- my friend ordered the green shakshuka which wasn't super filling, but a nice healthy option.

Overall pretty good food, although I wouldn't wait an hour again. Great photo opps though ;)

11/4/2017

• 2 check-ins

There is good reason why there's always a wait in front of Jacks wife Frieda. I LOVE this place. Honestly one of my favorite brunch spots in the city!

Though the space is tight in both locations (Carmine location seems slightly bigger), it is still fairly comfortable with great lightning, ambiance and outdoor seating. The menu is right on the table so ordering is quick and for all you germaphobic people, you don't have to touch anything! ::Insert Thumbs up emoji::

Service is quick too. In and out! I've been here quite a few times. This last visit, We ordered the Mediterranean breakfast and the breakfast bowl. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them as they were fresh, healthy and tasty. The Mediterranean breakfast included scrambled eggs, labne, avocado, a salad that was very delicious, and pita. My friend ate everything off her plate!  I had the breakfast bowl which has a choice of scrambled or poached eggs, spaghetti squash, red onions, kale and quinoa. I felt so good afterwards because I wasn't crazy full and I knew it was healthy for me!

My friend also got the cantaloupe juice. Not too sweet and very refreshing. I'll be back agaib and again!

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  Breakfast bowl- so healthy and good!

  Breakfast bowl- so healthy and good!

23/7/2017

• 1 check-in

What a lovely place! Have been wanting to come here for brunch for a while, but finally ended up going for dinner on a Saturday night with my family. Service and food did not disappoint! Our waitress was lovely, we were seated right away (made reservations through Open Table), and the service was great! I had the tuna salad with an egg added on top, and we shared a bunch of appetizers. I definitely recommend the cauliflower.  The Malva pudding is also a must-try dessert! It's a light, fluffy spongecake with sweet caramel sauce and whipped cream on the side... yum!  We came here for a special occasion and the waitress gave me a complimentary glass of champagne at the end... definitely a great evening! Will be returning for brunch :)

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  Tuna salad with egg on top, very yummy :)

  Tuna salad with egg on top, very yummy :)
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  Sign outside

  Sign outside

27/3/2017

• 1 check-in

Super, cute, little cafe with a long line! Get here early on the weekend as there is always a long line- for good reason! The place is cozy with light wood floors and comfortable chairs. The atmosphere is cheerful and upbeat!
We started by getting some drip coffee which came in adorable bright blue mugs (good for those Instagram pictures ;)).
I had grilled eggs with tomato and haloumi which was fantastic! The cheese is lightly grilled to perfection and the tomato is nice and chewy. I wish there was a little more toast to go with the meal, but it was still delicious! My friend got a side of fries for the table to share- they were hot and filled with salty goodness.
Definitely worth the wait or the early wake up!

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  Latte :)

  Latte :)
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15/4/2017

• 1 check-in

This was my first time here but I had read an article about this restaurant sometime ago and made a mental note that I'd visit one day soon. Imagine my excitement when I happened upon it.

It's a small restaurant and was packed like any good New York eatery on a Friday night. My olfactory was kicked into overdrive upon opening the door. The air was permeated by odors and smells I couldn't recognize but couldn't wait to taste. We were lucky to get a table by the window as soon as the hostess greeted us.

The table next to us was enjoying what I think my nose was smelling. He noticed me staring at his plate, I didn't realize I was being so noticeable. I apologized and told him I simply needed to know what he was having because I want to have it too, not weird at all, right? It was the special of the day he said, braised ribs with potatoes. That settled it, braised ribs it is! Let me tell you, it was fall off the fork, melt in your mouth, satisfy your soul, things my grandma used to make, kind of goodness.

The wine wasn't bad either, but this isn't about the wine. This is about the food at Jacks Wife Freda that you simply must go try for yourself. Sometimes we don't even realize we're starving, then little places like these somehow manage to fill us in ways we had never imagined.

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  Braised short ribs #yum

  Braised short ribs #yum

1/8/2017

Meh.  It's really a 2 star place but I am hesitating because the service was good.  
Of course this restaurant has the hype factor of all day every day lines filled with millennials and young international travelers. I just wish they had at least tried to make the food even near decent.
At least at the prices they charge.
The location is small and cute, and the bustling atmosphere is nice.  But the food, oy vey.
I had the first avocado toast of my life that was just so poorly put together and the flavors just were meh.
The green shakshuka was watery and the eggs so poorly cooked with little slivers of challah.
Fries and watermelon drink were good.  But again 6 dollars for watermelon juice hurts.

Eh . It's all just eh.
Just don't go, it's not worth the Instagram photo that has already been snapped and posted a million times.

6/7/2017

I really like this restaurant. Nicely decorated and good location. I came here in a stormy day and ordered a salad. It was tasty and fresh！ I also took a postcard with me as a souvenir.

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  Greek salad

  Greek salad
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12/7/2017

Overall, this place was yummy! It's a cute brunch spot and definitely not crowded on a weekday. I've seen crowds of people waiting outside on weekends but luckily today, I didn't have to wait at all. The hostess and waiter were also very pleasant and welcoming as we were seated.
My friend and i ordered the Mediterranean breakfast and the Green Shakshuka. We also shared the rosewater waffle.

The mediterranean breakfast was light and delicious. It's definitely good for someone who doesn't want to feel too defeated from their meal haha. The Green Shakshuka was also delicious with the toasted bread on the side.
However, the highlight for me was the waffle. I really enjoyed the unique taste! The combination of the waffle with the yogurt and honey syrup was perfect. I just suggest not drenching the waffle with syrup to prevent soggyness.

I'm not sure if I would come back often just because of the prices and portion sizes. But it was definitely a must try, no regret experience!

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  Cute little sugar packets!

  Cute little sugar packets!
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  Mediterranean breakfast, Rosewater waffle, and green shakshuka

  Mediterranean breakfast, Rosewater waffle, and green shakshuka

29/6/2017

• 1 check-in

Went here with a friend to grab a bite to eat for dinner on a weeknight. The place was pretty packed, but we were lucky to snag a table outside. We were pretty hungry, so we decided to split a couple of things:

Fried zucchini chips (3.5 stars): These were decent, especially with the dipping sauce--a bit heavy though as a starter.

Grilled halloumi (3.5 stars): This dish had some potential, but I thought that the flavors could have been a bit bolder.

Kefta kebab (4.5 stars): Easily the best dish of the night as the flavors of the meat and the tahini were excellent.

I decided to go with the fish special of arctic char for my entree and the dish was cooked well. Not the best fish dish I've ever had, but decent enough. My friend ended up getting the chicken schnitzel and gave me a bite and it was pretty good as well.

Overall, this place was pretty packed, but the service was very friendly and the food came out quickly. Not a bad spot to grab a bite for dinner in the neighborhood.

24/2/2017

• 1 check-in

• Listed in Brunch or Dim Sum?

Jack's Wife Freda is a cozy Mediterranean brunch spot filled with young beautiful people and healthy-ish eats. The food is clean and tasty, the dining room small and a little cramped, and the prices are Manhattan. Service is good, but man, I do not envy them having to juggle the huge line of people or the tiny tiny aisles they have to squeeze through.

My friend Maggie L and I shared the rosewater waffle and the chicken skewer with cous cous and salad. I also had a nana mint tea and she had coffee. The chicken was tender and juicy and complimented the green sauce and salad well. We definitely had more cous cous than we could eat, so the portion size is good. The rosewater waffle was okay - if you're not a fan of overly sweet breakfast, this is probably a good fit for you. You get one solid waffle which is a little on the dry side, and comes with a yogurt based whipped cream and berries. The rosewater wasn't noticeable and the syrup was very runny, so this was a meh from us. I left feeling satiated, but not quite satisfied.

We showed up promptly for a 10 am ish brunch and had a 10 minute wait for a table. But when we finished, the sidewalk outside was crammed with waiting patrons and the wait was probably over 45 minutes. Given the menu items we had, I would probably willingly wait for about 20 minutes before giving up and getting a chocolate croissant at Ceci Cela. If you're a huge Mediterranean fan and like bougie locations, this is probably a 4 star location for you. If you're a value eater, impatient, or like more traditional American style brunches, its probably a 3 star.

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  Nana mint tea

  Nana mint tea

19/2/2017

• 1 check-in

My friends and I put our names down earlier in the morning, since the wait here can be over an hour! Jack's wife Freda is a popular brunch spot, and we had a great time.

The restaurant is small and compact: There's a long communal table in the middle and then smaller tables along the sides. When full, the space is so tight that people were whacking me in the back of my head with their coats or bags when they squeezed by. However, that didn't detract too much from the overall brunch experience.

My friends and I enjoyed several dishes: I had the Madame Freda and my 2 friends had the Mediterranean breakfast and the Green Shakshuka. The food was so good, we all gobbled up our meals and wiped our plates clean. The Madame Freda was amazing with the heavenly combination of smooth runny yolks from the eggs, salty duck prosciutto, melted gruyere and cheddar béchamel, and bread to sop it all up. Omg I'm telling you, it's a must-try!!

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  Madame Freda (bottom), green shakshuka (top), and Mediterranean breakfast (right)

  Madame Freda (bottom), green shakshuka (top), and Mediterranean breakfast (right)
• See all photos from Shannon S. for Jack's Wife Freda

19/2/2017

Should be 3.5 to me. Nice service and food, but we left starving.

My friend and I came here for Sunday brunch around 12:00 pm. Packed and 1.5 hours' wait. We put our names and shopped around. Came back in an hour (or maybe an hour and 10 mins) and waited for another 15 mins or so. I gotta say they have the most accurate and efficient "waiting system" I've ever encountered. The lady who takes names is the best. Didn't waste our time, nor gave us unrealistic estimate.
***** If you go back before the time you are told, make sure you let her know. She will circle your name out and seat you first ahead of those who are not around. *****

Our server was nice and attentive. He made sure my cup was full (of water) all the time and did check on us once. It was very busy and he needed to look after 6 or 7 tables, but he was reasonably fast to replace my cup because it was dirty.

2 things kinda let us down. First, the food came out slow. We waited for l5-20 mins after our orders were taken. Second, the portion was tiny. We were still hungry after we finished, so we went to Xi'an Famous Foods nearby for another plate of noodles.

Overall, the food was good. My friend had the popular Green Shakshuka and I had the Mustard Seed Crusted Tofu with Speghetti Squash. Couldn't speak for my friend, but I liked my dish. I was expecting zucchini spaghetti, but all I had was just butter squash spaghetti, which was a little mushy, and daikon and some red radish, which was crunchy. The tofu was very tender and flavorful, but a bit salty. It's better that you eat the tofu with the mild flavored veggie spaghettis, not just to mild down the saltness, but also to enjoy different textures altogether.

Although we were still starving when we left the restaurant, the ambience and overall experience made our brunch pleasant and enjoyable.

P.S. They do have orange juice, which is not on the menu, but it's not freshly squeezed.

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  Bottom: Mustard Seed Crusted Tofu with Squash Spaghetti ($13); Top: Green Shakshuka ($12)

  Bottom: Mustard Seed Crusted Tofu with Squash Spaghetti ($13); Top: Green Shakshuka ($12)
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  Brunch menu 3/3 as of 2/19/2017

  Brunch menu 3/3 as of 2/19/2017
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  Break it down: Mustard Seed Crusted Tofu with Squash Spaghetti ($13).

  Break it down: Mustard Seed Crusted Tofu with Squash Spaghetti ($13).
• See all photos from Jingqiao H. for Jack's Wife Freda

28/9/2017

Food was delicious (Prego Sandwich l)

Service was adequate possibly because of how busy they were.

The small size of the restaurant is hard to sit in when there are people hitting your back constantly.

Overall was a fun experience for a small eat and go restaurant.

17/2/2017

I feel like I've had JWF bookmarked for awhile and never got around to actually coming in. Met up with my friend for a late lunch and came into a full house! Thankfully, we only had to wait for a few minutes and were seated not too long after I arrived.

Service was spot on. Our waiter was very attentive and was just a nice guy, overall. He gave his opinion when we asked for his input on a few menu items, as well.

I went with the Madame Freda sandwich and my best friend ordered Jack's Breakfast. We also decided to throw our discipline out of the window for the day and ordered a side of French fries and a side of duck bacon to share.

Food rolled out fairly quickly and we ordered a carafe of wine to accompany our meal. My sandwich was so yummy with each bite being filled with prosciutto, cheese egg and a toasted (and not overly soggy) bread. I wish my yolk was a little runny though - that is my only ask!

As for the French fries, they were fried perfectly and had a nice crunch to them. Dunked them into the tomatillo sauce they provided to add some more flavor. The duck bacon's flavor was awesome but I feel like it was a little on the cold side. That didn't stop us from inhaling it, though!

As for my friend's meal, his eggs were perfectly runny and his steak was cooked well. Tasted good too, for the bite I had. Put on some tomatillo and steak sauce for extra flavor! It came with fingerling potatoes that we thought were sausages for a second hahaha. In true breakfast fashion, he dunked his sourdough toast into the yolks of his sunny side up eggs. I was a little jealous of his runny eggs

Overall, great experience! Ended up spending around $50 each l, including tip, but that's because we ordered sides and a carafe of wine. You can easily spend below $20 here, for those care. Great place to stop by if you're in the SoHo area.