“I personally feel that it’s falls pretty short, and while that’s a subjective take, it seems to be shared by a lot of people.”
H3
All 342 rated mentions, most helpful first
“I personally feel that it’s falls pretty short, and while that’s a subjective take, it seems to be shared by a lot of people.”
H3
“had my most disappointing meal of 2024 there. the shakshuka was just a skillet of green water with cilantro and the egg whites were not cooked. i walked out of there confused and hungry.”
H3
“They spilled water all over me on my birthday and laughed about it, barely assisted me in the clean up and then half heartily apologized to my boyfriend not to me and didn’t do anything to make up for it”
H3
“It's definitely the $45 steak at Jack's Wife Freda. It was 5% edible and 95% nasty fat. Absolute trash.”
H3
“Usually like JWF but recently had a mustard seed-crusted tofu which was rancid. Had to send it back and learned another table did the same.”
H3
“Had the most disgracefully awful shakshuka I've ever seen. It was so thin and watery and under seasoned. And the bread was barely even toasted or even warm. Never going back.”
H3
“The food is pretty solid but pricey like most restaurants in Manhattan, but not that exciting. I once found not one but TWO eyelashes on my food there. Drinks are refreshing but weak. I really enjoyed the gem lettuce salad with tarragon vinaigrette.”
H3
“The popularity of that place was never based on their food.”
H3
“BUT they have one A+ dish which is the kale salad with salmon as add-on. That salmon is perfection …crispy exterior!…and the salad has an addictive tang. I could eat it every day and I’m not really a salad person.”
H3
“For the record, i am NOT saying the food is anything great. But I feel like it falls in the same general category as Seamore’s, Grey Dog, Westville etc in terms of semi-soulless NYC chains and I don’t see any of the others getting nearly as much hate. I actually rather like their breakfast bowl and green shakshuka.”
H2
“You've had the $46 shlock that Jack's Wife Freda calls a steak, never to return.”
H2
“It’s perfectly adequate restaurant, much better restaurants at the same price point but not bad.”
H2
“Jack’s Wife Freda and Balthazar are overhyped”
H2
“their food is completely bland and they overcharge like crazy”
H2
“I ate at JWF once. I thought it was ok and a little pricey.”
H2
“nah that place is almost perfectly mediocre. It needs to be someplace worse”
H2
“overpriced mediocre food.”
H2
“It's fine, but it's too expensive.”
H2
“$22 tiny flavorless chicken sandwich”
H2
“It’s not the worst, just way too mid for its price point.”
H2
“At this point, the place is underrated with all the hate.”
H2
“The food is like....fine? The shakshuka isn't bad and neither is the chicken kebab, though nothing stand out and is overpriced.”
H2
“Because it sucks lol”
H2
“I think it’s overpriced bad food and the portions are small”
H2
“extremely overpriced, small portions, mediocre food with no flavor”
H2
“The peri-peri chicken is tasty and a healthy meal.”
H2
“Steak sandwich at jacks wife Freda”
H2
“eh it’s reliable. you know what you’re getting. i only ever get the chicken kebab. i agree though i would never hype it up as good food. just decent in a pinch”
H2
“If you check it out, I recommend the eggplant sandwich with fries.”
H2
“It's expensive and mid.”
H2
“It’s good. But expensive for what you get IMO.”
H2
“So incredibly overrated.”
H2
“I live near one of them. The food isn't very good. It's basic cafeteria food, just overpriced.”
H2
“- Malva pudding at Kaia wine bar / jacks wife Freda’s if you can stand the place”
H2
“Jack's Wife Freda is a great example of "good enough" inoffensive food that people go to for the vibe.”
H2
“it’s fine imo it’s just overpriced and there’s better versions of it in the city”
H2
“Green sauce and the halloumi almost make up for the rest of the menu and the incredible lack of acoustic treatment in every one of their locations”
H2
“went for lunch once and it was fine, but nothing special or worth waiting for”
H2
“JWF isn’t bad, but back when it was at its hype-iest—like maybe 2013-2017?—it was harder to find other food in the city like it (healthy-ish but still flavorful, at a spot that felt cool and special). Now there are many options and those options are all much better than JWF, which is what the issue is.”
H2
“I've had Jack's Wife Freda. It's fine, and I left annoyed that I paid like $55 for a shareable or two, a burger, and a drink.”
H2
“It’s fine but man that shakshuka is great”
H2
“That place sucked. Weird menu and just off on everything. Pretty shitty Bloody Mary too.”
H2
“Ya it’s like an overpriced diner. If only that was as bad as it gets”
H2
“The people who work there are lovely, the food is pretty tasty, there are decently healthy options, and at dinner there's never more than a few minutes' wait for a table.”
H2
“It does what it does really well, which isn't what people think it's trying to do. If it were presented as an upscale diner with a funky menu, people would be lovin' on it.”
H2
“Lol jacks wife is bland as fuck, crowded w morons and too expensive for the basic shit they’re slapping onto faux vintage diner plates”
H2
“It was overpriced but I enjoyed it. The tarragon vinaigrette was good. It’s nothing to write home about but it’s not oMg sOoOo bAd”
H2
“Yeah JWF is objectively fine. I order in from them frequently and get reliable, relatively healthy chicken kebab.”
H2
“But the food didn’t stand out to me and it was expensive.”
H2
“Lovely people and the food is much better than a lot of show up and sit down places in the city. I say having only Ivey had the chicken schnitzel (but like 50 times!)”
H2