Bombay Duck Pickle Cafe

What a find! Fresh and tasty food with breads and desserts to die for served by the friendliest sweetest couple you’ll ever meet in a funky storefront. They are pacifists in an army town who seriously and meaningfully support the soldiers. One of the best road lunches we have ever had. Well worth the time to stop.

Ok I’m giving this place four stars because the food is amazing. HOWEVER, if the food wasn’t this good I would give it 2 stars for service. God forbid you alter your order in any way. The female owner is not the nicest person and you get the vibe that you are bothering her by eating there. What is I assume her husband, is very nice and great with kids. Drink your drink slowly cause it won’t be refilled but I’m telling you the food is amazing.

The food was so so so good. I had a red pepper soup with a dollop of goat cheese and split the thai dumplings. Overall, mmmmmmm. Such excellent, fresh, flavorful, and hearty soup. I was surprised to be so stuffed. The menu is tiny and always different, but that’s part of the charm. Also! The bread — especially the challah-​like rolls are fluffy and wonderful! Such a cozy and delicious place. Thanks Allison!

The food at Bombay Duck Pickle appears simple, but the flavors have remarkable depth. Try for yourself any of the daily special soups on the menu and you’ll also agree.

This place is just a hands down fantastic place to eat. Just go and get one of the two daily entrees or the soup. They also always have a number of interesting imported juices and teas in the cooler. Though the mindset is to come to this tiny restaurant and enjoy the experience, they are not known for their speed, buts that just fine. Follow up your fantastic meal with homemade pastries and maybe a loaf or two of yesterdays bread to take home. By far the best place to eat within 100 miles…

I ate here on a Saturday afternoon. It was not busy at first but then got quite crowded. The food is really good, but the one person waitress/​counter help is really NOT a «people friendly» person. She made the entire experience not coming back twice for.

Eating at Bombay Duck Pickle Café (whew a mouthful) is like eating at your grandma’s kitchen rather than a restaurant. Three tables to your left as you walk in and a buffet of self served tea selections to your right, walls and all available space are occupied with knickknacks to rival even the quaintest country inn.
Unless you are ordering takeout, seat yourself and you will get full service. The menu changes based on available fresh ingredients and the chef’s culinary whim. The past two times I frequented BDPC the menu items were Asian influenced — lemongrass and kaffir vermicelli shrimp soup, red coconut curry bisque, curry butternut squash, Thai green curry on pilaf rice, steak and papaya salad. My first thought was where the heck is she getting these ingredients?!? Raw papaya!!! Kaffir leaves?!? I need to talk to her supplier!
Everything I was privileged to order, eat and sample off of friends’ plates were absolutely comforting and delicious. Portions are generous and the lady/​owner/​chef insist that all leftovers be taken home including the basket of bread.
Check out at the counter after you finish your meal. CASH ONLY!!!
Thankfully she’s open on weekends (lunch served 1130 — 2) because there’s no way I can make the trek to have lunch here during the work week!

I had been wanting to try this place since we moved to the area and finally got the opportunity to do so. I cannot say enough about this little café. I loved it. The woman who owns and runs the place is as nice as can be. I absolutely love that she cooks what she wants and that’s it. Everything on the menu sounded so good the day we were there. Our meals were excellent. It’s a nice gem in a small, quiet little town.

What is a restaurant like this doing in a place like Carthage, NY?
A hole in the wall so small that you’ll likely miss even if you’re looking for it (like I did), only open for lunch, advertised only by word of mouth, cash only, this is a restaurant you must make every effort to find out, and it is absolutely worth it.
You walk in and the intimacy is almost stifling. Only 3 –4 tables, all unique, each with its own tablecloth and matching chairs, like it was taken straight from someone’s dining room. The husband/​wife team owners/​proprietors/​hosts/​waiters/​chefs invite you in and remind you to close the door behind you. The kitchen is right there in plain view, and the smell of whatever’s cooking fills the air. A simple whiteboard has a short list of what it is you’re smelling. Protip: Just pick one and go with it. Leave behind any notions you have of «Well I don’t really like X», because when the BDP Café is done with ‘X’, it tends to become something special.
I’ve been to this café frequently, and have yet to try something I didn’t like. I have tried dishes that I loved so much, I jumped at the rare opportunity to try it again. Every time I clear my plate. The (homemade) chalah bread they serve is absolutely terrific, and better yet, they sell it by the loaf, which I always take 1 – 2 home with me to enjoy during the week.
The service is what you would expect from a restaurant staffed entirely by 1 or 2 people (depending on if Ralph is working his day job). Try not to think of it as going to a restaurant, so much as going to someone’s kitchen and letting them cook for you, because that’s pretty much what it is. If the place is packed, you may end up waiting longer than you’re used to, but for this place, «packed» is about a dozen people, so it’s not like you’ll be waiting an hour. Bring a friend and conversation!
This is the kind of eclectic restaurant you would expect to find in a big city. In a rural region centered around a military town filled with chain restaurants, this one is a true diamond in the rough. If you find yourself stationed at Fort Drum, or just happen to live in NNY, you owe it to yourself to take a long lunch at the Bombay Duck Pickle Café.

This place has AWESOME food. Everything is really good and you can never go wrong with anything that you get there. I would recommend buying a drink as the service is pretty limited and you don’t really get a refill if you get water. Have a great time while you are there and sample some «mouth freshener» on the way out!