The Jerusalem Cafe & Bakery
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The Jerusalem Café & Bakery (not to be confused with the Jerusalem Bakery or the Jerusalem Café) is a perfect example of 'you get what you pay for'. Sure, sometimes you may come upon a dirty dish or, we hate to say it, a stray hair, but still, we like it here and will return. It is, simply, a no-frills, good-food buffet that is perfect for a quick lunch or diner, even a cheap date. Take it for what it is.
Atmosphere
A long buffet line in front of the open kitchen surrounded by an anything-goes mix of rickety old booths and mismatched tables in colors of brown, green, red, yellow, and blue. Bright, cafeteria-style lighting. There is also a small, dry goods grocery on one side and a cold/freezer grocery on the other, in case you decide to attempt to make some of the Middle Eastern food at home.
Service
Non-existent, except if you count the guy who rings you up at the cash register when you leave or the guy who stacks the plates
Food
The food is almost always good (although every buffet has a hit-and-miss factor) and there is a nice variety. On this day, the felafels were crispy and flavorful, the stir-fried vegetables fresh and cooked perfectly, and the hummus and babaganush delicious, and the roast chicken hot and moist. On the other hand, the chicken curry was dry, the tzaziki had no flavor, and the meatloaf was too salty. The key is to taste a little of everything and stick with what you find good.
Cleanliness
The kitchen looks clean enough, though I've never actually seen anyone cook in it; the food just seems to appear. The bathrooms are adequate. We found a black curly hair in our food towards the end of our meal. The guy behind the counter suggested it was from a customer, apologized and handed us a new plate, with his greasy thumb print on it. EW!
Pros
This is a fun place to go when you don't feel like cooking and you want to eat good food, fast. Although the buffet is not always perfect, there's sure to be something for everyone. The price is right, too!
Cons
There are no desserts on the buffet except a tray of packaged cookies, the bad kind. The grocery section is a great touch and we like to buy things there but the freezer section never has prices on anything, which drives us crazy and makes us believe that all prices are not equal, if you know what we mean.
