Yemen Café & Restaurant

"A Cobble Hill classic since 1986, the city’s first Yemeni restaurant (as far as we know) is still a lively community gathering place. It’s also a necessary pilgrimage for anyone who loves lamb, and we happen to be card-carrying members of that particular fan club. Two of the best parts of every meal at Yemen Cafe are complimentary: the marag, a thin yet deeply flavorful lamb soup, and a tandoori flatbread ideal for dipping in it. Slow-roasted lamb haneeth, a hefty portion of richly spiced meat barely clinging to the bone, remains Yemen Cafe’s most popular dish, and for good reason. You’re in not just for a superlative meal here, but for some superlative leftovers tomorrow." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman

"The Cobble Hill outpost of this Bay Ridge restaurant serves traditional Yemeni food in a casual setting. The lamb dishes stand out here, along with the slow-roasted chicken over rice. Meals come with a warming bowl of broth and the portions are plentiful." - Eater Staff

"The corner of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue has been a Yemeni neighborhood since the 1970s and Yemen Cafe is an anchor. Lamb haneeth is one of its don’t-miss dishes, a hulking shank cooked in a clay-lined oven called a taboon. There are also assorted kebabs of chicken and lamb as well as bean dishes and bread dips galore." - Caroline Shin, Robert Sietsema

"Yemen Cafe has supplied Cobble Hill (and Bay Ridge, where they have another location) with excellent, slow-cooked lamb haneeth since the mid-'80s. It’s roasted for roughly five hours until the meat peels clean off the shank. Between the warming spices, the tiniest hint of rose, and meat so tender a fork easily cuts through, this halal lamb dish should be incorporated into city-wide HR benefit packages. Before the lamb arrives, though, a meal at Yemen Cafe always starts the same way: complimentary whole wheat flatbread, a crunchy iceberg-and-herb salad, and a steaming hot bowl of marag, whose lamb broth smell wafts throughout the entire restaurant. If you work in the area, know that Yemen Cafe offers a bunch of discounted entrees during lunch, like $15.95 lamb chops for example, since the portions are slightly smaller. photo credit: David Lee Part of Yemen Cafe’s charm is that it feels a bit like an old-school diner. It’s unlikely you’ll ever see the dining room empty, since it partially acts as a community center or secondary dining room for people who live in the area. Expect fluorescent lighting, a big fish tank against the wall, scenic landscape paintings framed next to every table, diner plates, plenty of people drinking tea in small paper cups (they don’t serve alcohol), lemon wedges on every table, and kids dangling their feet from wooden chairs. The space feels like it hasn’t changed since 1986, and that’s a big part of the reason we love coming here. Bring your family or a friend who perpetually craves roasted lamb, and have a quintessential NYC meat experience. photo credit: David Lee Food Rundown Marag Everyone who eats here gets complimentary marag to start. This thin lamb soup is golden in color and tastes delicious slurped straight from the bowl or mixed with a little rice. Squeeze some lemon into the mix, and you’ll get an incredible hit of brightness to the warm, meaty flavor. Other than a few strands of tender lamb, there’s nothing but hearty broth - and it’s perfect just the way it is. photo credit: David Lee Foul This tomato-based fava bean starter comes bubbling in a cast-iron cauldron. We’re suckers for stewy bean dishes where some of the favas maintain their shape and others disintegrate into bits. That’s what’s happening here, along with a ton of sauteed onions, warming spices, and actual gurgling sounds coming from the boiling pot. photo credit: David Lee Fatah With Honey A sweet starter made with curly-charred matchstick slices of whole wheat Yemeni bread. The pile is covered with a sauce that’s as white as Fluffernutter, tastes like tangy yogurt, and comes drizzled with honey and black sesame seeds on top. If you’re ordering a lot of things (and you’re someone that’s inclined to add spicy chutney whenever possible), this sticky dish will be a nice vacation from the meal’s other savory flavors. photo credit: David Lee Lamb Haneeth Requisite ordering for anyone who eats lamb. It usually comes with a shank as well as a couple juicy pieces off of the bone. For an ideal bite, take some lamb, a spoonful of rice, and a splash of marag. photo credit: David Lee Chicken Saltah If you’re looking for a second entree, try this root vegetable stew full of onions, okra, peppers, and fenugreek. You get to choose whether you want it to come with roast chicken or boiled chicken. We’d opt for roast, but, either way, the tomato-based stew will be the star of the dish." - Hannah Albertine

"Yemen Cafe, owned by Akram Nassir, is located down the street from Al Badawi on Atlantic Avenue. Nassir is now a co-owner of Al Badawi." - Emma Orlow