Columbus Cafe

As I live down the block from this deli, I frequent this place every other sunday for a bagel with cream cheese and lox. I would say the bagels are smaller than average for NY, but their sandwiches are pretty decent. Staff is always friendly and price is not bad for NY standards. I’ve also hear their coffee is pretty good.
Just recently they have made themselves open 24 hours, which is amazing since there are not too many places in the UWS that are open for late night eats!

Nice chopped salad selection as well as panini’s. However, place is dirty, the air conditioner doesn’t work and the tv is stuck on one channel… indefinitely. Employees are quick and polite but owner couldn’t care less about customer service or cleaning the place up.

This is the place I order breakfast from several times a week. It is a bare bones café but the employees are friendly and the prices are quite low for the area.
The muffins are really good but the sandwiches are missing «something». They are acceptable but not particularly «good». The coffee however is decent, and that is the most important part of my morning after showering and brushing my teeth!
Want an inexpensive breakfast delivered
the neighborhood? Give these guys a call.

I’ve really REALLY tried to like this place. I’ve come back multiple times regardless of my negative experiences. Multiple times the younger ‘workers’ were running around pushing and shoving each other which looked so unprofessional. The people taking my order were rude and apathetic. There are so many other options of cafes, don’t have to deal with these negative encounters. Not returning.

Service was so fast. They were really nice too. They have seating and a restroom. I mention this because I look for that stuff so maybe that will help some people. I bought a small salad for $ 6. Which is kinda pricey but I got 5 toppings: D not including the dressing. So that was pretty cool since I’m used to only getting two toppings at some places -.-. Anyways, convenient place!

For $ 3 you get a killer breakfast with insanely fresh ingredients and can order it your way, unlike a street vendor. Bagel + pepperjack cheese + ham + egg and a coffee. Awesome.

Fast service, but poor quality food. It’s fine if you’re in a pinch, but I think it’s worth it to just go to any of the other several cafes nearby for better options and better tasting food.
Last time I was there, a kid made my Caesar salad wrap without gloves. Ew. No thank you.

Good selection, pretty decent chicken parm panini.

Fast, friendly, a good variety of deli stuff, and a counter man who remembers your name. Who could ask for more? Also better coffee at half the price of the Starbucks next door.

I live nearby so this place is good for a quick and cheap bite. I love that a toasted bagel with cream cheese is only $ 2. Many places charge more in the area. I’m also a big fan of their veggies burgers. The people who run the café are very nice, I like that its family run.

Hate this place. They do serve very tasty hazelnut coffee and Smoked Salmon on a mini bagel BUT the entire staff are PERVERTS. Everytime I go, they would eyef – k me and say disgusting things to me in spanish. Since both my parents are Italian, I understand them completely and whenever I complain to the manager, he would laugh.
I stopped going here months ago but last week needed an emergency coffee due the super long line at the Starbucks next door and again… I was harrassed. Thank god for the power of Unilocal!

This is my local deli. The food is decent, and my kids love getting hot chocolate and bagels with salmon and olive crème cheese. It has some of the consistently best coffee around. The Starbucks down the street sometimes has better brew, but often worse. They’ve even floated me the cost of breakfast before when I forgot my wallet.

This place was alright.
Would suggest ordering something from the grill cause it seems like most of their stuff sits out all day.
Seems like a typical family run nyc deli.

Ordered a sandwich. Asked for oil and vinegar, got home and found out they put on mayo instead. I was the only person in the store, it’s not as if they were distracted. I went back to get a new sandwich and found them closed (7pm?).

I’ve been eating here ALOT lately. so close to my work & the more I come here, the more I experiment with the menu! So far, everything I’ve tried is good. The chicken parm wrap is a must try & pretty much any of their sandwiches are good, espec. the chicken cutlet.
The only thing that annoys me sometimes is that they run out of certain bagels or bread. but I still give them 5 stars because you can always find a tasty substitute since they have a large menu to choose from

I live down the block and this is my local joint for sammys, salads and bagels. Food is fresh, portions are humungous and the guys behind the counter are super nice. Prices are reasonable enough for the UWS and down right cheap compared to Momofuku Milk Bar across the street, where a bagel bomb is like $ 5. I love their unlimited topping salad bar for less than six bucks and 20 oz hazelnut iced coffees for $ 2.
I am knocking a star because they don’t make a good egg and cheese sandwich. This is the staple NY weekday breakfast so any deli worth its salt should know that the cheese should be melted either to the bread or egg. Here they just slap a couple slices on at the end so it’s cold and «raw».

The pros: the food is pretty good & the service is pretty quick. they put a decent amount of meat on their sandwiches & they have a nice selection of lunch/​breakfast options. They have boar’s head meat, which is always good & they have great muffins, along with a wide variety of drinks.
The cons: the breakfast sandwiches arent that great. if your in a rush & just grab a grilled cheese or a muffin & a coffee or juice, it’s great. If you want like an egg/​cheese croissant w/​ham… well, it’s definitely not the best. Bagel w/​lox is always a nice option but a bit overpriced in my opinion. Also, their fresh squeezed juices are way too expensive. I think it was like $ 4 for a small glass of juice. Yes, it’s fresh squeezed but $ 4 is a bit crazy in my opinion.
Overall though, the food is good, the service is good & a very friendly staff so I’d recommend this place. especially if your in a hurry

Nice crew behind the counters; food and sitting room that are beyond compare in this neighborhood. My wife and I quickly became regulars while living on the Upper West Side for a few months. This is also where, as a Native Texan, I was initiated into the (fresh) Lox and Cream Cheese Bagel fellowship: like sushi for brunch — try it …“pardner.“
Also great coffee /​mochas, snacks and prices. Your gonna go to Columbus Café, save some cash, and avoid the tourists on Broadway!

I really want to give these guys four stars. I do. But I won’t. Let me say that as someone who is an avid supporter of local economies, I do put neighborhood and local owned stores ahead of chains any day. These guys are super. Friendly, personable, chatty, bright… they give me discounts sometimes «just because…», since they value customer loyalty, which I love.
The food is above average for this style of deli/​café/​coffee shop and they charge at least a buck and half less for everything than, say, Europa on Broadway. ($ 3.50 for egg and croissant vs. $ 5) I don’t drink their coffee because I’m from Seattle and a coffee snob and walk the extra two blocks to Joe, so I won’t comment on that. But they have a lovely selection of muffins (not sure if they’re locally baked, I hope so, but am skeptical) and a surprisingly full breakfast menu, with all forms of pork, which I don’t eat but respect the offering, and veggie omelets, sammies and platters.
Here’s why I can’t give them 4 stars:
At least 50% of the time, they mess up my order. One would think I would have learned by now to check my food before leaving, but frankly, I’m stupid. Still, Egg, tomato and cheddar on a croissant seems like a totally reasonable amount of ingredients to remember. Almost every time they don’t put cheddar. I think the guy might actually not be so familiar with the word cheddar, being so entrenched in this bizarre NYC deli culture where cheese is only ordered by the word «cheese» which automatically means American, which is not cheese.
When I order my co-worker’s usual breakfast platter with meat, half the time there’s no meat. Yet I’m charged for it.
So, you know… don’t get me wrong, I realize I’m the idiot for not checking, but, c’mon… they’re the ones who do this for a living, right? Oh, the lengths we go to save a buck fitty.

I was pleased to walk into a simple deli/​grocery store on the Upper West Side that boasted sandwich prices below $ 5. I sidled up to the counter and ordered a small turkey sandwich for $ 4.95. Not only was I oddly charged almost $ 8 for the sandwich, but the bread was dry — the only thing that saved it was the goopy mayonnaise. Plus, it came with American cheese — disgusting! That’s not even real cheese. I expect more from Manhattan.