Seth D.
Google
Long review but hey I have a lot to say.
The food is good, but the overall experience is marred by a poor location and frustrating customer service.
I have to remind myself that I am taking money out of my budget for decent food. I wouldn't say they skimp, but one "meal" from them is going to translate to one meal at home for me, not 2 or 3 like some other places. Plus, this time I didn't feel like trekking over and it was a $7 delivery fee on an $18 order (39%!) whereas I had planned to tip $5 cash. And I did not receive notice of this fee until after I had gone through the whole song and dance of placing my order. Yeah it's only $2 more than I budgeted but you can do the neighborly thing and tell me upfront or not.
I think they are going to do well if/ when gentrification around them kicks into high gear, but right now I think they are a little expensive for their closest neighbors, and a bit of a trek past a big empty parking lot and train station for anyone on the other side of Rittenhouse (more disposable income). If only they were at Greene and Rittenhouse they could do more volume I think, and maybe lower their prices. Looking at a map they are really in the middle of nowhere. A sea of parking lots and chains. If only they were surrounded by residential buildings.
Location and price complaints aside, there is some real know-how in the cooking, and it's worth paying for. I got the char-grilled half chicken and it was well-seasoned and perfectly cooked. You can cook chicken to 165 and have gross bits on the bottom that are safe to eat but not appetizing. This was cooked to perfection, everything was delicious and it wasn't dry. I give them 5/5 stars on food. It's not Halal cart food.
The customer service always feels tense to me. I wish that they could relax, and possibly be more open about the Cairo Kitchen side of things. I'm a customer, I want to buy the food but it never feels like I could have a conversation about the Cairo Kitchen food. I always leave feeling like I've paid for the food with my money and my time and energy as well. Educate your employees about the food and encourage them to be conversational with customers about the food. I scoff at $8 for a container of hummus but how big is the container? I've never felt welcomed enough to ask! I don't have time to pull teeth when it comes to learning what my local takeout place has to offer. You want to sell it to me right? Then sell it to me! Please! Being conversational with your customers will lead to much better impressions and more sales.
Overall I would like to see some tweaks in the customer experience and I hope they consider looking for a more convenient location, but the food is good and that's the most important thing, so 5 stars.
If you have food sensitivities (like me) I wouldn't throw caution to the wind. A lot of the dishes have a lot of tomato sauce which some people don't tolerate that well, and like I said they aren't that conversational about the food. If you are not having a good day digestion-wise, I'd look elsewhere. Not that it isn't natural or fresh (I'm always impressed at the quality since it doesn't feel like they do a lot of volume), just that it is well-seasoned but not clear exactly what comprises that seasoning. Without free-flowing information about the food, it can be tough to feel comfortable ordering something new.
