Jerusalem Nights

by Steph M.

Jerusalem nights is a well designed, open air restaurant/hookah bar in the heart of the astoria--steinway area. The lack of windows was a nice touch and added to the chilled out vibe in the atmosphere. Upon arrival we were seated fast and served even faster. We had this adorable nepali waitress that would run over every time I smiled and made eye contact. The menu, like Ben said is a little.. eclectic... for americans at least. I passed by the food menu rather fast, getting a glimpse of an array of arabic food. Some of the dishes looked yummy.. while others..well....not so much. I'm sure stuffed pigeon is delicious and tasty in its own way, but I'll abstain. Thanks. Ever hear the expression about rats with wings? Yeah... That. Hookahs were "ok" priced, however they lost their flavor and potency quick. It took a good 15-20 mins to get someone with hot coals to come to by our table. Service got progressively worse as the night went on, and I couldn't put my finger on why.They looped the same hilarious and awkward  foreign commercials and music videos over and over. Of course, the music played on the stereo in the background never synced with the TVs ... but that was  part of the fun !

by Alexandros O.

Came back for a third time, the atmosphere was wonderful - a nice lively crowd. Conversations filled the room. The waitress recognized me from my two earlier trips, all within the last 10 days - as did one the guys in the family. Once again the food was delicious. I had the usual, lentil soup and  'foul moudamous'. This time I also sampled the stuffed grape leaves, we call them dolma, not sure what they were called on the menu. They were fresh, delicious, a little spicy, and delicate.We got complimentary mint tea and baklava. I absolutely love this place. It stands out for so many reasons, food and hospitality being the two brightest spots.  A small bit of perfection in a neighborhood I call home.Please refer to my original review for more details. "Look at this! Yes!!! Combination hookah and coffee maker, also makes Julienne fries. Will not…

by Ben O.

So I was here with some friends the other night, primarily for the hookah. The vibe inside was kinda dark and middle eastern - Pretty cool, but the Jackie Chan kung fu movie playing on the large LCD in the middle of the restaurant just didn't seem to go with the whole middle eastern vibe. We sat outside.A word of warning for those with easily upsettable stomachs - Don't look at the menu. You'll be treated to such delicacies as stuffed pigeon, beef tripe, tender lamb brain and other such mouth-watering cuisine. Gag. Also, no alcohol is served here.Anyway, the hookah. They come in three flavors: Regular, Deluxe (not quite sure what's deluxe about it), and Fresh Fruit - With about 30 different varieties. And you can mix and match. Our waitress was super pleasant and seemed amused at our indecision, so she recommended a blend of fresh guava, lime and grapefruit. Our hookah was brought in about ten minutes later by a gentleman with his mouth on the pipe to keep it lit - It came with little removable plastic mouthpieces for each of us. Nice little touch. The taste wasn't bad - The fresh fruit made it somewhat refreshing, but it almost felt like they accidentally left out the tobacco or whatever. A bit too light for my taste. And it went out way too soon. All in all, not a bad experience, but I think I'll try hookah elsewhere next time.

by Iffat B.

I love Steinway St / Astoria and usually go to Layali Beirut, so when my friend said he wanted to try this place, I was a bit hesitant. I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't super-impressed either. The inside of Jerusalem Nights is a little roomier and more accommodating for bigger groups than Layali, but I think I prefer the cozy booths at Layali. The food was forgettable. I had the shish kabab sandwich with fries and only ate half of the sandwich. The service is a bit better here and waitstaff seemed happier. The only thing that I liked better here was the hookah. It was definitely smoother and I enjoyed the flavor more. If I ever go back, I would definitely have to eat somewhere else beforehand.