Isadora’s Cafe

I don’t work to far from this restaurant. its my go to when im running low on money. But I experienced the most disgusting thing ever. I went to get a pie of pizza and as I order it I saw the cooker cleaning the windows with a dirt rag… so I order thinking he will go wash his hands and of course he didn’t. I watched him the whole time. he didn’t even put on gloves he started to just throw on the pepperonis with his bare hands. I simply walked out never again!!!

Stopped here after watching the Rockafeller tree get lit. This place is like your average Manhattan Lunch Deli counter. If I could describe this place in one word it would be Disgusting. I ordered Pizza and a soda pizza was Cardboard tasting and the soda was warm.

Looking for a lunch or breakfast spot with lots of options? Than this would be a good spot. For breakfast there’s a pastry case that is loaded with treats. They also have an espresso bar and hot sandwiches.
For lunch there’s a full salad bar, sandwich case (wraps, flatbread, panini, sandwiches, etc.) as well as a hot section (meatloaf, chicken, pasta, Mac and cheese, veggies, burgers, pizza, etc.)
This spot has something for everyone and there’s a dining area up stairs. The food was good and the service was quick.

I’m not sure what happened, because I used to be able to get a small salad for around $ 8 and that was with multiple toppings (3+). Today I went and I got parmesan cheese and grilled chicken (2 toppings) on a small salad and it was over $ 10.00. Do they think they are Fresco by Scotto or are they gouging their prices since Pax is gone? Maybe its to pay for the recyclable bowls they are using now? Either way, I will not be going back.

Greasy spoon for breakfast. We were there and a lot of construction workers had placed their orders and they were getting jacked up left and right. A co-​worker gets his breakfast here I think because it isn’t usually crowded but the staff was unfriendly and it didn’t strike me as a place I would ever eat. He swears by it but I think it less on the food /​customer service and more on the fact it doesn’t get too crowded.

Walked by, decided to stop in for a cup of soup. Mostly broth and salt, the «chicken noodle» was disappointing. At seven bucks for that and a coffee, I won’t be coming back. The folks behind the counter ignore you and talk to each other, even when you’re the only person there. Oof.

Midtown Lunch is an adventure. My coworkers and I were lamenting the fall of Café Basil’s Unlimited Salad Toppings, when another coworker happened to come across Isadora on a random morning. We decided to check it out for lunch. Uncanny resemblance to Café Basil, which we nicknamed «Crazy Salad Place,» because they would constantly scream at you, «What else! What else!» when you were picking your toppings. Isadora’s small salad is $ 6.99 with one main item and unlimited toppings. Be careful, as avocado is a «main item.» It even comes with a free lemonade! I asked the cashier if they had an affiliation with Café Basil, and she said that they were partners. Will come back. Unlimited toppings! Did I mention the unlimited toppings?

Ordered food for an estimated delivery in 10 – 25 minutes. It took them 50. Don’t give misleading information. I’ll order from someone else.

The food is alright. Isadora cannot handle large orders, so if you are ordering in large groups, Isadora will screw up an order or two, it is to be expected.
The salads are a must on the menu. They are large salads with decent amount of toppings, always fresh and good.
The rest of the food is hit or miss. They give lots of quantity of food, but quality can be lacking. Fries are horrible, sandwiches are not bad.

Quick lunch spot with seating. Ive been to other spots around a three block radius but been turned off by the crowdedness. Isabellas is lower key and you can get your food quickly. It is better priced than competitors. Not fancy so don’t bring your lunch dates here! Left this spot because of bad customer service.

Reasonable priced food for Madison ave. Like that they have free refills and a dedicated seating area upstairs, food is OK.

This place is the most disgusting place I’ve ever been to in the city. Customer service is appalling, god forbid you are a tourist you will be overcharged. This rest. has lunch special & promotions but if you don’t know about them they will charge you full price for the same thing. (Same amount of food, & same quality) I don’t think it is right for a place to overcharge & scam people out of their hard earned money. The manager has no managerial or customer service skills. The prices may be appealing but it’s not worth it.

The cashier staff is particularly nice here, and often willing to provide 10pct discounts to returning customers. The food unfortunately is just adequate.
On the plus, the chicken/​pesto panini is better than the others, and the orange side sauce is pretty good. Sandwiches are pre-​made so quicker than freshly prepared, I guess. There is a lot of seating upstairs (almost feels like a diner). Broad selection of everything from hamburgers to pizza. Iced tea is good!

I ate here this past Friday afternoon for lunch with my girlfriend and her parents. The first flood of the café is pretty crowded with all sorts of food shown in display cases. Behind the display cases is where the food is being prepared and a narrow aisle on the other side is where you are able to walk with seating upstairs. Since I am from Pittsburgh, I often do not get to see food displayed like this and enjoyed walking around looking at everything. Whenever it was all said and done I decided on a piece of spicy chicken pizza as well as splitting some gumbo soup and a turkey and provolone (flatbread?) sandwich. I started myself off with the pizza. It was ok but I didn’t really detect too much spice from the spicy pizza which was sad for me. Next I ate a half of the turkey sandwich which was better than the pizza but still not great. There was nothing to distinguish it from many other sandwiches I have had. Finally I had some of the gumbo which I really enjoyed. It was a blustery day outside so the warmth and good flavors of the soup really allowed me to enjoy it.
The bottom line for me is that I would head back here again. The food tasted decently enough and I really enjoyed the different varieties of good.

I sought this place out as Midtown deli’s are abundant, but really don’t offer very much in the way of variety.
The minute I walked into Isadora’s I was welcomed in such a polite & friendly manner by all the employees. The selection of food offered was really no different than any other Midtown deli, but this welcome alone is worth swinging by here at least a couple times a week.
The deli is long and narrow, which I think could get a little congested during the real lunch rush. It is clean, and well organized though. Cooler with drinks to the far back near the pizza oven/​counter, sandwiches and salads along the left side as you make your way back.
Everything behind the glass (so to speak) looked really fresh, and had nice color. I was thinking healthy, but the aroma of melted cheese, crust and toppings drew me to the back like Jerry luring Tom into a trap with the aroma of a plump turkey. I was a bit disappointed at the pizza though. Mind you, I didn’t end up ordering it, so it may have tasted good, however, it just didn’t look that fresh. Looked like it had been sitting out for awhile, and it was just after noon when I was there. Not very appetizing.
I settled for a boring turkey and cheddar deli sandwich which was really good. Like everything looked, it was very fresh, and well made. The guy behind the counter took the time to listen to my whole order, and got it right the first time. He was super friendly and fast.
The prices here are reasonable, and this will definitely be in the regular rotation going forward.

Seeing is believing.
This return visit is in-​person to order a breakfast sandwich of egg, ham on a roll totals $ 2.99 which was very filling. The egg is a brown egg, amid not to my liking. Yet it somewhat captures the excitment of awakening to the start of a day for breakfast. The joy of a good fulfilling breakfast for my food find adventure is yet to be revived once again…
Service is attentive and indeed sincerely inviting equipped who are able to hone their inter-​personal skills at Isadora’s Café, which sets the base for the start of a good day.

Strolled in for breakfast because it was across the street from the hotel. Convenience? Five stars. Food? Meh. Service? Eh.
I got an omelet with potatoes and buttered toast – typical deli breakfast. The omelet was runny, but otherwise not bad. The potatoes and toast were ok. I would have liked a choice of toast, but buttered white toast is pretty satisfying.
When I got to the checkout, I asked the cashier if I could get my meal to go. With a (Russian?) accent, she replied, «Why you no tell the guys?» I’m pretty sure I asked a yes-​or-​no question, so I’m not sure why I got a condescending answer. Maybe that’s why out-​of-​towners think New Yorkers are mean. She realized how it sounded and apologized, but the damage was done – I just don’t care for poor service.
I’ll stroll a little further down the street next time.

I work in the area, and try to avoid buying lunch. but when i want something a bit cheaper than other options in the area, I’ll head over to Isadora’s.
It’s a pretty typical destination for the working folks in this area, not too great, not too bad either. You can always find someplace else that’s either too pricey or too gross.

Amy, you’re from Cleveland. What are you doing at Isadora’s? I was looking for a hot new coffee spot that opened near here and I couldn’t find it. Isadora’s called to me because it looked less than busy and I needed a retreat from the holiday shoppers on 5^th (eeek!!). I was in midtown visiting my sister’s office and needed to kill a few hours before her workday ended. Isadora’s has a seating nook on the 2^nd floor and I was able to mooch on a neighbor’s free wifi. So, here I am, in midtown Unilocaling.
I notice that most people give this place 3 stars; I get it. Is it pretty? No! Is the food exceptional? No! But, it’s one of the better places like this I’ve seen… especially in midtown. Actually, it might be the nicest in this busy area. There’s a huge selection of food, from an attractive salad bar to hot food to pizza; the service is great (lots of smiles). I’ve seen someone come upstairs several times to sweep and bus the tables. That’s 4 stars in my book.

I went in because they have a sandwich board outside advertising an egg, cheese and sausage sandwich on an english muffin for $ 1.99. Cheapest breakfast sandwich in the area that I’ve found so far. When you go to the back to order, be sure to be very clear that you are ordering the special. When I just ordered the egg, cheese and sausage sandwich, they tried to charge me double and said that they used 2 eggs and it was my fault for not specifying that I wanted the special.
I learned my lesson and now I am very clear and get a tasty, made to order sandwich for $ 2.17 with tax. It’s a great deal. Just be sure to ask for the special and know that they stop giving the special price after 11 am.