Strokos

I can’t really understand why everything in this place — even the packaged pasta salad– is so expensive. Others have told me it’s because of the way they sell things by weight, but who knows. The food is okay, nothing to write home about, and definitely not for the price you pay for it.
From my understanding, its bright, clean, white environment is mostly frequented by hospital staff from the adjacent buildings.
I’ve never gotten sick from eating here, but let me assure you that there are lots of other places in the neighborhood I would suggest you try over this one for taste/​price reasons.

Usually quick and the order is right, but it’s annoying when they close and don’t tell the delivery company and then you are waiting for 40 minutes and then get a call that they aren’t answering and are probably closed. Don’t know if I’ll order from here again. Maybe not through a delivery company and just call first to make sure they are open… annoying either way

I don’t know what their relationship with Grubhub is, but either they don’t know what they serve or Grubhub doesn’t know. I ordered pasta with broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes and when I picked it up, there was nothing in it but pasta. Just pasta and oil. I called them, the guy gives me a hard time on the phone. I go down there, the guy working there gives me a hard time because the receipt they get from Grubhub doesn’t list each and every ingredient in their menu options and he thought that was somehow my fault. Took me forever to get them to fix it, I wasted most of my lunch break, and then they wouldn’t even give me a refund for the inconvenience. The pasta itself was decent but not great — definitely not worth the trouble. Don’t waste your time.

Salad bar will cost you an arm and a leg, but the food is definitely better quality than a lot of places in this area. Still, if I want a reasonable sized salad, I’ll go to nearby Jou Jou’s and probably spend 5 bucks less for a similar salad. The hours of this place are bizarre — I’ve walked by around 6pm and everything is closed.
As far as food selection, there are sandwiches, paninis, pizza, wraps, etc. I’ve had some of the paninis before and they’re pretty good taste-​wise. Overall, not really a feasible every day lunch place unless you want to spend 10 – 15 dollars daily on lunch.

My usual place to go when I meet friends for lunch. The food there is healthy, has a variety to choose from, and is affordable. The place is small and tends to get busy around that time, so try to get there early if you plan to get a seat/​table.
Also, it closes around 5pm, so you might as well find another place if you are looking for a location to meet up with friends/​colleagues after work.

Great choice for outdoor seating and groups! Typical options for a Café (sandwiches, brick-​oven pizza, paninis, salads, soups, etc.). The food is higher quality than most places in the area. I’ve been working in the neighborhood for over 5 years and can’t believe I just discovered this café. It’s easy to miss (right behind Dallas BBQ).
Strokos looks modern with spacious outdoor seating. Great option to meet co-​workers/​friends for lunch. When my coworkers and I try to go for lunch we always have a difficult time trying to pick a place so I’m glad I have this as an option now! They are only open during business hours.
Expect to pay between $ 8-​$ 10 for lunch. There is no waitress service. You pay at the register and find s seat outside :)
I will return.

This is a nice place for a quick lunch. There’s a variety of offerings but prices are a bit stiff because of the hospital being so close. There is a salad bar that can make you approximately $ 15 poorer. Although it’s pricey, the sitting area is enjoyable and its outdoors when the weather gets warmer!

I honestly loved it. When I was working in Columbia I used to go there all the time for lunch. Their pasta, pizza, and pan fried foods were all great. Their fruit smoothie was also great but it was expensive for a student like me. The lunch was reasonably priced.

This place is everything. A wide selection of quality gourmet deli cuisines. The prices are completely reasonable for the quality of food you’re purchasing, plus it’s significantly better than the other «delis» around Washington Heights. Also the venue is spacious, never cramped, and there is seating so you can eat in.

Just ordered from Strokos. They delivered to my house in a very timely manner which was great. The best thing that I noticed was the presentation of all the food. You usually do not expect too much when it comes to packaging to go orders, but everything here looked very neat and attractive. The sandwich was packed in a separate box that had a nice design and makes you feel like you are opening a gift.
Other reviews complain about the price but I thought the prices were fair for what they made, which was quality food.

This place is just too pricey! You will be spending minimum 11 – 15 just for lunch. I wish they had some lunch specials because it’s just overpriced. The salad bar has a lot of options, but it’s still more costly then getting salads at other local delis.
I only come here in the mornings for their oatmeal! I love that they have walnuts and raisin toppings and that’s pretty cheap. Otherwise I would suggest going somewhere else for lunch for a better price. A good thing about this place is the food is fresh and they have a lot of options. I think people come here because there aren’t a lot of good lunch options in Washington heights.

Great salad! great, fresh ingredients and the dressings were fantastic.

I went into Strokos after work and picked up a regular salad. Spinach, corn, tomato, teryiaki chicken; the works. But, then they drizzled a Thai Sesame dressing on my salad and my life has never been the same. Strokos makes amazing salads and I’m excited to try all the different dressings that they offer. Also, I love their cupcakes, which I believe are reasonable prices when compared to other cupcake places. They deli is reasonable priced overall and taste good as well.

Everything here is overpriced because you can definitely get the same food elsewhere in the neighborhood. I’ve got nothing much to say about the food, the salad bar, pita sandwich, pizza is all pretty typical. Wouldn’t go out my way to return here except for one reason, they have a ton of seatings available. This is a big plus for me because there is usually no where to find seatings within the hospital during lunch hours!!!
Oh do have their cookies cause they’re surprisingly good. Too bad they’re priced by the pound.

It really depends on what you like. Some people like the original song and some people like the remix. Some people like the book and some people like the movie (really, it happens). Some people like frozen yogurt and some people like ice cream. Some people like Jou Jou and some people like Strokos.
Similarities:
Strokos, like Jou Jou, serves soup, paninis (not ‘panini sandwiches’ because that’s ‘ATM machine’ territory), baked goods, coffee, tea, fruits, and salads. Both places also have very efficient staff members who understand the importance of keeping the line moving that is in line (har har) with the fast-​paced lifestyles of their customers. Both offer indoor and outdoor seating.
Differences:
On the surface they seem pretty identical, but there are some glaring differences. While what they serve may be similar, the prices at Strokos are almost always higher. The salads at both places are their most popular items, but the salads at Strokos are priced by the pound whereas Jou Jou offers unlimited non-​meat or non-​cheese toppings. Strokos does offer a wider variety of toppings, though, so if you’re looking for six different types of flavored chicken, tabbouleh, or shrimp salad, it’s a better option for you. On the other hand, Jou Jou will chop your salad, which is surprisingly hard to get away from once you’ve been initiated. Really, it’s all about preference.
Likelihood of another visit:
I always get bored of the lunch options around this area, so I’m bound to be back. I also do happen to like that the salad bar at Strokos offers dried crispy noodles. Plus, they accept credit cards!!!

I want to like this place, I really do. While cafes like this are a dime a dozen in Midtown, Washington Heights pretty much has two (heeey Jou Jou), and we cling to them for that reason. They don’t chop their salads and don’t do anything of the «free toppings» they used to do in the beginning unless you call them out on it. We once paid for our delivery order and realized they had charged us for every one of them. I used to love their sandwiches/​weird pita pressed things, but they’ve shrank in the past few months! Their soup is still okay (no Hale and Hearty) although no one gives you bread unless you ask for it (the little basket is usually empty), and I’ve never tried their pasta. They look to be of the overpriced variety where you get what is probably a proper portion of pasta but for more than you want to pay.
They’re always really good at keeping the lines moving and taking your order, and the restroom is unexpectedly pretty nice. However, after looking it up on the NYC health code violations website… I’m not sure it’s worth it for me anymore. Strokos, I really want to like you, but let’s face it, the only reason you’re surviving is because there’s nothing better.
Oh, credit cards accepted, which is nice in this neighborhood.

Yeeeeeah…
I’ve come down from my high after first discovering it.
It’s shiny, quick, and accepts my debit card. The food is decent enough, the avocados on my past paninis scare me with their unusual bright greenness and springy texture, and the prices are just too high.
If I’m going to spend an exorbanent amount of money on my lunch on my CUMC work days, I’d rather patronize Jou Jou. (Though, I’d rather not spend an exorbanent amount of my money on lunch at all…)

MEH.
Overpriced food in Washington Heights.
However, it’s the only place around here I can get a yogurt parfait, a panini sandwich and a Naked juice smoothie AT the same time.
A popular place among the Presbyterian Hospital crew– nurses & doctors alike.
On any given day you will NOT see any locals eating here, working here-​yes, but eating– no.
I work in Washington Heights– visiting this place is mostly inevitable. I mean, I can always relish in the local Latin fare, indulge in un-​Southern food at Dallas BBQ next door, have an MSG-​filled «Chinese» food meal, or have an unnecessary iced latte from Starbucks for lunch… again. See what I mean? Inevitable!
But why such steep prices Strokos? Oh I get it. You cater to doctors. I don’t have a doctor’s salary. Damn.

It wouldn’t get 4 stars from me anywhere else, but it has earned them for this neighborhood. Strokos is a quick, reasonably priced, decent quality sandwich/​salad/​bakery/​etc. shop. There’s ample seating and they take credit cards. Their buffalo chicken panini lasted for 2 meals because it was chock full of meat and cheese. Their chip selection was ample.
Again, they take credit cards and have quite a few tables. Worth the extra steps since Jou Jou doesn’t.

A recent new addition to the pretty desolated food scene around the Columbia University Medical Center in Washington Heights.
This swanky place looks like a high-​end salad/​sandwich bar that also serves pizza (through their own pizza oven!) and hot plates, plus omelets, pancakes, and egg sandwiches for breakfast, and daily specials.
I particularly like the salad bar, where you get to chose between mixed greens, romain, or baby spinach, and then a wide selection of toppings, divided by price[1]. Although the salads are reasonably priced at $ 2.75 for small and $ 3.75 for large, the toppings are not and easily add up to the damage.
I also like the outdoor seating overlooking St. Nicholas Avenue and the new cancer center on the other side of the street.
Sounds great, right? Sure it does. Except for the prices. At $ 8+ for a salad or sandwich (and $ 3.25 for a small glass of chopped up fruit), I am not sure how often I will be able to afford lunch here. In the end, there are a couple of decent places around here where you can have a pretty good sandwich for a bargain price. Nevertheless, it’s good to have an extra-​option to Jou-​Jou.
Four stars for the food selection, and two stars for the price.
Open only for lunch[2]
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[1] $ 0.50 for items like tomato, cucumber, or beans; $ 1 for sun-​dried tomatoes, cheese, or dried cranberries; $ 1.50 for grilled asparagus, different kinds of chicken, or sliced apples; to $ 2 for artichoke hearts, bleu cheese, or mixed dried fruits; to $ 3 for Thai steak, guacamole, or crab salad.
[2] It closes at 5 pm.