Zoe Hookah Cafe

This place is so horrible!!! They are rude and nasty! They have crappy hookah, No music & a bunch of weird old guys creeping around! It’s bad enough they received a B as a grade! We should of known better! This place is disgusting & I think one of my friends got bit by something!!! DO NOT GO THERE! Yuck!

You can bring in take out food. You can also smoke and order outside food.
The hookah is pretty good but the attention to the coals is not consistent.
Also there are 3 large TVs one 60 inch and the other may be 48inch
The patrons no waiter are very cool
I would return if I was in this part of town but I may not rave about it.

This place is absolutely FILTHY & HORRID! Do yourself a favor and go somewhere that actually has a liquor license and is sanitary. They failed their last health department exam as evidenced because they are still «grade pending». I visited for the second time because friends insisted and the verdict is the same– they are very disrespectful and racist. I’m not sure how they have lasted in the community but it’s clear that they have no business acumen whatsoever as when we got there is was totally EMPTY!!! Should have been a sign. Again, I wouldn’t recommend my worst enemy to this AWFUL establishment. BE WARNED!!!

If I could give no stars I would. They are super rude and racist. We weren’t in this place longer than five minutes before they asked us to leave because we wouldn’t put our dry umbrellas on the floor as demanded. I’ve been warned about this place but I wanted to smoke hookah. I’ll never be back.

Ehhhh I only gone because it’s local, no food, no alcohol, at least we should be able to bring our own food. The liquor I understand it’s all types of crowds and things can get very mixed.

I have probably gone way more times than this place deserves, I blame a couple of my friends for this. This place seems to have made no effort at all towards developing as a business since opening. Not sure if that is due to ownership changes or what. I am not a fan but there really are not many options in this area without a cab, so you go if you really, really want to stay local. However, be warned about the following:
1. The hookahs have fallen apart mid session which is never a good thing.
2. There is only one bathroom
3. They have the worst air circulation so expect to really get smokey.
4. Lighting is minimal and hides a multitude of sins in the décor/​furniture
5. They are very cheap so you wont break the Bank but you get what you Pay for.
6. Still «working» on their liquor license– but this has been ongoing for as long as they’ve been open.
7. Crowd is random but dont be surprised if it gets pretty loud.
You have been warned, so go at your own risk.

Visited this spot for a spontaneous girls night out and was interested in doing hookah in Harlem. Super glad I came here. This spot is really relaxed with good vibes. The DJ delivered great music and accepted requests. The waitress was extremely attentive and proactive with service. Only thing is there wasn’t a full bar, only beer and wine… So if you are looking for an extreme turn up this isn’t your spot. The lights are dim and intimate so you can enjoy conversation but not be bothered by anyone else’s happenings.
Will definitely come back here again:)

It was fun until this happened. A group of girlfriends and I went there to have hookah on my birthday. We observed as we saw a black couple walk in. They ordered hookah too, and they we’re also open a drink from outside and started to drink. Instead of explaining the alcohol policy to them that they do not own a license and do not sell alcohol or allow outside drinking, a guy rushed to the table, took the two bottles and ran off with them being so rude and yelling, «You can’t have this here!» It was so rude! They later on came back and started explaining that they don’t own a license and cannot sell alcohol. I did not like how they treated those people and I will never go back again.

Good music. Good flavors. Has 2 flat screen TVs. Could be more spacious. Slow service to get orders and to change coals. Accommodating to splitting the check for customers. Tried to use the address provide by Unilocal and it was wrong. 300 W. 121^st is the address I believe.

3.5 actually
If you mostly smoke hookah on the Lower East Side or in Astoria, then you are likely as wary as I am when it comes to uptown hookah spots. There is often price-​gouging, charges for changing the coal, badly packed hookah that burns, and other markers of people who don’t know what they’re doing and only offer hookah because it’s trendy.
It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Zoe Café does not have those problems. It’s not a perfect place, and I will probably still take myself way downtown more often than not. But this is a good alternative for people who live in the upper reaches of Manhattan and sometimes don’t want to spend an hour plus getting home after a smoke.
The Zoe Café definitely looks the part of a hookah lounge, as in there are places to lounge. Some of the seating is at normal tables, but a lot of the little enclaves are designed for relaxing, even getting vertical. Many squishy pillows as well. It’s also got some nice ambiance going on with the lighting. A place to get comfortable and smoke.
I do have two quibbles on this front: the TVs and the music. I know it’s in Harlem, but must we have sports on the TV? And must we play hip-​hop? It IS a hookah lounge. At least turn the music DOWN.
Sometimes the sports on the TV is silent, which is fine. The last time I was there the guy working turned the music off to turn the TV up and watch American Ninja Warriors. We left.
They do not have a liquor license yet (though they’ve been open over a year) and you can’t even bring your own alcohol. This is not a big deal for me, but for some it’s a dealbreaker. I’m more put off by the lack of food options. At least they do let you bring your own in. Must buy drinks from them.
The first night I was there the place didn’t get really full until after 9pm. Good for me, as I prefer a quieter experience. The first guy to serve us was a little bit odd and it seemed like he would rather be relaxing than dealing. But later on the other guys who took care of drinks and coals were very nice, attentive, and sweet. There were four of us at the table and we had one hookah to start and no one bothered us about it. I ordered a second hookah since none of us were drinking.
I felt kind of bad. But, again, no one gave us attitude about it.
They have Starbuzz flavors and Blue Mist was awesome, as always. We also did a Rose and Mint combo, which was also tasty. And they were great about changing coals and no, it did not cost extra.
Overall, the first night was so pleasant that I keep going back. I get food beforehand, though, and come prepared to drink a lot of tea.

Just music, hookah, TVs, and tea. No food. No wine. No liquor. Just music, hookah, TVs, and tea – and me in the corner yawning because Im hungry and bored.

The hookahs was 16 $ and up. It was a semi quiet place, no liquor license yet and everyone was friendly. Definitely would go back.