Community Food & Juice - New York

WM L.

Was greeted by a warm flood of sunlight filling the space, casting a welcoming glow that immediately set a positive tone. The ambiance was undeniably charming—a blend of natural light and thoughtful decor that seemed designed to offer diners a comforting respite. However, glancing over, I couldn’t help but notice an unsightly stack of chairs in the corner, a detail that momentarily broke the otherwise polished setting.

Service was attentive, with staff offering courteous and prompt assistance upon request. Yet, when it came to the cuisine, I found myself underwhelmed. For a restaurant of such acclaim, I expected a culinary journey marked by creativity and bold flavors. Instead, each dish, though adequately prepared, felt surprisingly ordinary, lacking the refinement and depth that would elevate the experience from pleasant to truly memorable. The coffee, too, was unexpectedly disappointing, perhaps among the most uninspiring I’ve encountered in New York—a surprising flaw for an establishment of this caliber.

While there are undeniable charms here, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the restaurant’s reputation has outpaced its reality, leaving me to wonder if the journey was justified.

Camille M.

This place has great service, all the servers were attentive, fast and friendly. The food however left much to be desired. The sausage was dry and the has browns lacked flavor. The pancakes were fine.

Daphne S.

Community, for those who didn’t already know, is the sister restaurant to the famous Clinton Street Baking Co. whose pancakes continually topped the charts in the NYC. So naturally, the brunch menu is pretty bulletproof (especially the pancakes). I tried their brunch twice, and dinner menu twice, and all the time the food is good. Not as memorable as some of the iconic brunch restaurants but you got your money’s worth.

Focus on the most recent dinner here:

Appetizer:
Bowl of Beets
The name suggests simplicity, yet the flavors it delivered were more complicated and in depth. These are fresh beets with whipped goat cheese, toasted pistachios, and topped with balsamic vinegar reductions. I asked the reduction to be on the side as I am a dipper (like to dip things) who adjust my own sauciness. The ingredients were fresh, and it happened to be the beet season so the beets were naturally sweeter. The goat cheese is creamy and accompanied well with the beets and the nutty aroma of crunchy pistachios. The balsamic reduction is tangy and that acidity balances the dish.

Entrees:
Pan-seared salmon
Crispy skin with tender interior. The portion is great (the fish is bigger than I imagined). I changed the sides from mashed potato to green beans. The green beans are a little undercooked, and both the beans and the spinach are on the saltier side. I asked to have the glaze on the side because i want to taste the salmon and I don’t like overly sweetened fish. The glaze is a bit less ginger forward than I wanted, tastes more sweet than savory.

Maryland Crab cakes
Two fist-sized crab cakes with a ton of crab meat paired with GBD waffle fries and herby mayo underneath. This is the perfect bowl of comfort food if you are craving warmth. The crab cakes can be a bit stuffy due to crab meat density, but this is not a complaint as who doesn’t want more crabs in their crab cake. The fries are crispy and tantalizing on the tongue, perfect with mayonnaise sauce they provided. The lemon aids to counterbalance the flavor, and to offsets any possible greasiness.

Our server did a great job to accommodate my requests, which I do appreciate. Yet the service isn’t the best. The water initially took forever to come and the check took a little while too. Overall, the food, the value, and the proximity (near Columbia campus) deserve neighborhood people a re-visit.

Andres S.

Overall a disappointment. The restaurant was very cold despite us sitting inside and our food took a long time to be served.

The burger was dry and tasteless, and charging $2 for a slice of cheese is ridiculous. The fries were cut far too small, the coleslaw and pickle were both dry.

We have heard good things about the breakfast service at this restaurant, so perhaps this is just not a good dinner place.

Michael W.

If you're at Columbia University, you must know about Community. People are nice. The food can be excellent, especially the spicy rice! Good brunch options too. Plenty of good dishes, shakes, options, and most importantly pretty good seating. Cost is also reasonable for Manhattan.

Francisco B.

The food is good, the place is clean and service is up to par although a bit cramped. If you go there for a good meal you'll find it here at a very reasonable price. As for me, if I ever go back I'll demand to get my cup of coffee in a regular cup I just can't get over having coffee in a bowl, sorry that's not for me.

Fabian G.

Awesome place, good food and friendly service. What more do you expect ?
As it is far from the touristy part of Manhattan, you feel more the Upper West Side ambiance as local.
Give it a shot if you are close… or far !

Tamiko R.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I came to this restaurant. Mostly because I never knew about this restaurant until I saw it mentioned by The Carboholic on Instagram. She named this restaurant as one of the places to find the best pancakes in New York. That was the main reason I came here for brunch. I was pleasantly surprised how busy it was but it wasn’t rowdy or noisy and I was able to get a table easily when I came in. I liked how the ambiance was very family friendly. The service I received from the staff was excellent. They very kind and prompt. When I saw the menu I told myself that I’m definitely coming back because there were so many things I wanted to try. The latte I ordered was delicious. I loved how cute the foam art was. The Carboholic was right about the pancakes. They were very yummy. Fluffy but not dry. I love that this restaurant serves breakfast/lunch until 3:30pm everyday. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone because I, myself would definitely come back here from time to time. I’m so glad this restaurant exists.