On The Nile Cafe

My husband and I came here maybe a week before they closed for the first time. The lady was very sweet who was our server and cook. The food was really good. We had ordered hommous, baba, maloukhia, and macoroni bachemal and couldn’t pass up a 7 dollar shisha. Wasn’t the best shisha but still for 7 bucks?! We went back next weekend to try more off the menu and were quite let down the doors were closed. May Allah swt bring them better success with their new plans in life. Ameen.

Kebab, kabob, kababi, however you say it, whatever Middle Eastern country you’re from or not from, you are going to enjoy this. The wait might have you thinking twice, but you want fresh food, cooked to perfection (by a husband and wife team?) then with arms wide open they welcome you.
I ordered the kebab platter which came with chicken, lamb and kofta (beef), they were all very good, the rice although plain was still flavorful and complimented the dish very well. One thing you must try, a cold, sweet hibiscus tea.
The man who is serving is very charming and friendly, it’s a pretty down home, hole in the wall sort of establishment; despite the upkeep being poor, and a paint stained ladder sitting in front of the bathroom door, and the TV blasting some really bad egyptian music videos, it’s still a good experience. Some places you go to get luxurious service, if all you want is great food and a warm smile, then this is the place to be.
The next time I go I will try their falafel made of fava beans that everyone is raving about since I have only had the chick pea version. I will update after.

It’s more like 3.5 stars but I’m being generous. The food is delicious! But the ambiance is a bit off. Looks old and blah inside. I was very skeptical about even eating here because when I went in, there was no one in there and the man behind the counter was watching t.v. (not your usual café look).
However, the drinks were amazing! I had the mango drink my date had the hibiscus tea and it was delicious. Although the mango was a bit thick for me, it was still very yummy.
I had the chicken with onions and peppers and my date had a variety of kabobs (lamb, beef and chicken). We both were very surprised at how great the food was. The waiter (the man watching tv) was actually very funny and sweet also.
For dessert I had the baklava which was very good but maybe had a bit too much cinnamon.
Don’t let the dead stuffed rabbit at the front scare you, the food is delicious. And I love the fact that they give you two full big bottles of white sauce and hot sauce!

The location is inconvenient (for me).
The décor is not the greatest.
But the chicken kebob platter was just about the juiciest and most delicious I’ve ever tasted. Simple, but quality — well worth enduring the slow service, and most definitely worth the price. I’d recommend ordering the hummus & warm pita (as well as some fresh juice) to tide your hunger as you salivate and wait for the chicken. But seriously, how do they manage to pack so much flavour and juice in that chicken?
Usually I consider the whole package when I rate and review a joint. But On the Nile Café’s chicken warrants the five-​star rating. If only it were closer…

Stuff grape leaves came cold (menu said would be warm) and the food took way too long, and the place was small with shabby décor.
But the food was good!

I think every restaurant falls into a different category. There are the places where the food is good, places where the customer service is excellent, and then places that are just mediocre in all aspects. But On the Nile is just one of the those places were the food heavens seem to align.
I am no restauranteur, or anything close to that. But I think I know good food and greater people. And this place has just that. The menu is simply and offers kebabs and even chicken over rice. Everything is well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The atmosphere is very warm and relaxed. To add to the ambiance are the owners of the restaurant who offer conversation and discussion about anything and everything. Even the hookah was better than all the hookah bars I have visited in the past.
This is definitely one of those spots in Queens that you’ve got to visit. I had a great time here and I do plan on visiting again sometime real soon!

We went here right after a visit to the Museum of Moving Images. It’s hard not to notice this place… especially the creepy taxidermied rabbit smoking a hookah, blaring Middle Eastern music videos, and hieroglyphic wall paper. It’s definitely not a romantic date spot, but we had a great time with friends.
Get the pomegranate juice! So fresh and so delicious. The hummus is great, too. All other aspects of the meal were your standard takeout fare.

On the Nile Café is such a gem! I decided to eat here after visiting the Museum of Moving Image in order to pay my respects to the last day of the Breaking Bad Exhibit.
The front door includes a painting of a camel smoking hookah and is a friendly greeting before coming in. Hahahaha! The owner was ready to take our order as soon as we got there and told us to take a seat on the comfortable chairs, which gave me a chance to look around. The restaurant is decorated with beautiful hieroglyphics, camels, pyramids, Egyptians statues and the Egyptian flag, traditional music plays in the background.
The lamb gyro Platter I ordered came promptly and it looked beautiful! :) The rice was delicious, the lamb was crispy, and the salad was fresh. With a side of yogurt sauce, the meal was perfection!
I will definitely be coming back!

This was my first time having Egyptian food and I liked. The service is a little slow but the food was good and very cheap.

Unilocal has been pretty helpful on finding good restaurants for me to dine at since I have moved here.
Literally a 3 minute walk from my apartment, cute small little restaurant close to the subway. I decided to go with the Shish Kebab platter. It came with a lamb kebab, chicken kebab, and kofta along with basmati rice and a small salad.
Nice presentation… it did state on the menu that this was one of the dishes that would take longer to cook. With some patience, it was definitely worth the wait. Flavorful and cooked perfectly.
The portion was also large and definitely could’ve been 2 small meals. Love the white sauce and the hot sauce was delicious, but a little bit too vinegar-​y for me. Service was pretty good considering how slow the restaurant was.

Yay! So good!
Came here on a Sunday night for a take out order and couldn’t have been happier.
Ordered their raved about falafel sandwich, a chicken kabob platter and baklava. It was all delicious and authentic. Great food for great prices.
Oh, also had the hibiscus tea — yummy!

Fantastic place, lovely food and great people. My wife forgot her iPhone 5 there and they kept it overnight and returned the next day. I was thoroughly impressed.
That apart, the food itself was very very good. The falafel, Koshary, Kebabs and grape leaves rocked. A must go in my opinion.

There were signs all over the restaurant about the award-​winning falafel sandwich. I ordered the falafel platter: 8 big falafel balls, basmati rice, and some iceberg lettuce and tomato «salad.» The plate setup was aesthetically pleasing and the food was DELICIOUS. I was literally halfway through and full, which the owner found amusing, but he agreed to doggy-​bag it. I also had the Egyptian coffee (mirrors Turkish), which the owner came and poured all nice and frothy for me.
The only negatives to this place are that I was there at an extremely chill time– there were only three other people. I was by myself as was another woman, and two guys together. All of us were waiting quite a long time for our food. Because of the great smells coming from the kitchen, I will give the benefit of the doubt and instead choose to believe it’s because they’re putting great care into their dishes (reflected by the food and the owner’s attitude).
I would definitely return here later at night to try the hummus, babaghanoush and more authentically Egyptian dishes, as well as hookah.

I had a good feeling about this place as soon as I saw the taxidermied rabbits smoking a hookah pipe on the counter.
Tried this place with a friend who had a living social deal. I was worried at first because I’m not too familiar with Egyptian food besides falafel, but everything was yummy, and from looking at the menu, pretty cheaply priced even without the deal we had.
Got the peach hookah after dinner, and it was the smoothest hookah I’ve ever had! I’ve never been a big fan of hookah before because the ones I’ve tried at other places are always harsh on my throat, but the one here was pleasant.
Service was a bit slow, but the owner was really nice. He let us hang out on the comfy couches for as long as we wanted. I really liked the low key ambiance of this place, as opposed to some of the loud and obnoxious spots on Steinway. Will definitely come back here to eat and smoke again.

Yes, I was here yesterday. And I was sick. I explained that to the owner so he said that he knew just the soup that would help me out. I don’t know if it was just because I was on the latter side of my sickness… but I feel much better today, almost %100.
I went with my Egyptian friend, and she was talking it up with the owner in Arabic, I am Dominican and can only speak Spanish, so I had no idea what they were saying. But you can tell that he was a genuinely nice person, and wanted to make us feel welcomed.
The ambiance is nice, very mellow. They also have hookahs here, I guess for later in the night. Also, you have the option of sitting at a table or at these couches (super comfortable) that have coffee tables in front of them.
I did not know what to expect from Egyptian food, but it was all very good. We had the appetizer sampler. That had baba ghanoush, falafel, hummus, grape leaves (stuffed with rice) — all very good.

I’m not familiar with Egyptian food, but if it’s anything like On The Nile Café’s Egyptian sandwich, I have nothing but good things to say.
The sausage sandwich had great spice and the beef swarma is also recommended. The service is a bit slow, so beware if you’re in a rush. Although they have seating, it seems that takeout service is more preferred.

Pretty good falafel. I personally prefer more veggies & pickled elements, but their style with whole coriander seeds is rather interesting. Falafel balls were a bit greasy, but french fries were done just right.

Before I tell you how good the food was, I must tell you that the owner is the kind of person that genuinely wants to make you feel at home and love your meal. It’s obvious from the way he interacts with all the customers. There’s a note in the menu where he strongly recommends you try a very basic staple Egyptian dish even though it’s cheap and probably the least profitable.
I ordered the chicken kabob with rice and salad. It was simple but quality. The chicken was grilled perfectly.
If I lived closer I’d be a regular.

There is a Little Egypt more north on Steinway Street in Astoria, but I chose this restaurant because it is located a little closer to the subway. It is a nice family run place with a friendly staff and very reasonable prices.
As an appetizer, I had a halal beef patty, which did not taste much different from a regular beef patty. However, it was tasty and went well with the barbecue sauce that came with it. The main part of my meal was the Eqyptian Sausage sandwich I had. It was my first time having this sausage and I liked it. It had a strong, smokey seasoned taste to it.
My drink was the hibiscus tea, which is served hot or cold. I choose cold because it was recommended by the man who took our order. It had a slightly bitter taste to it, and was similar to cranberry juice. It is worth a try.
My dessert, the Basboosa, was also very sweet and delicious. It was similar in taste and texture to a hot piece of cornbread, except it is soaked in honey (like baklava). I would recommend that as well.

We love this restaurant. the food the price. and the drink.
good food not to expense.