Queens and Paupers

I’ve tried to like this place several times. Each time I am disappointed. Food is pretty low grade and and service pretty slow. I do enjoy their drink specials. But today was the final straw. Had the worst nachos possibly ever. They used jar/​can cheese rather than melt shredded cheese. Just terrible.

Ordered French toast with berries. The «berries» consisted of a slice of a strawberry. The woman at the next table had more garnish for her Iced Tea. The 2 slices of French toast were cold, what a waster of 9.50. It was a Sunday afternoon and they were blasting music and lots of blow up beer bottles.

I kind of hated this place. But only kind of. Went in really wanting to like it. But we just couldn’t. It’s a weird amalgam of decent food, gruff clientele, stinky atmosphere and slow service. It’s really loud in there, but that’s mostly the construction workers getting drunk at the bar, fighting and swearing within earshot of nearby kids and families. On the plus side, the décor is kitschy. I don’t know. I’d sooner go to Pete’s in Sunnyside.

It’s funny, I don’t think this place is a particular standout in terms of out of the ordinary quality food but something always brings me back to it– I’ve been here 3 times. The décor is just really awesome and unique– it pretty much looks like a small brown boothed 40s or 50s NYC diner with some novelty posters of old time stars, but at night time it becomes pretty much a bar– so you see people sitting in booths drinking beers and then there’s a small bar section to sit up at. The place is so petite and cozy (not really ever super packed though), so it’s not really a disadvantage to sit anywhere– it’s just an interesting sight to see the bar/​diner hybrid in action and it’s very laid back. I love their sangria too, it’s pretty cheap and strong for 5 bucks, and all the servers/​bartenders I’ve had are very friendly young Europeans. It just has a homey throwback feel to it the whole thing without coming off gimicky or pretentious.
I think where I need to deduct the star is that they’re pretty overpriced for sort of basic food. I ordered a $ 9.50 Greek Salad (with no meat) assuming it would be a full sized meal, they literally gave me a side salad. Same thing the one time I had brunch– the eggs with cheese and toast combo was just small and too overpriced for its portion where at a more traditional diner I’d probably get a filling omelet for less. Also, they’re not the most organized. They’ll advertise things on their wall in permanent writing (like the mirror that says bruschetta and wine combo for $ 5) and then they won’t have bruschetta, or they won’t have the hot wine special listed. I did get a veggie burger once with fries which I think was probably their best quality/​reasonably priced so maybe it sort of depends if you’re careful with your choice.
But yeah, something about its charm and character draws me in– I think it’s really good place to at least hang out for a drink.

I had an appointment in the neighborhood. After my business meeting. I decided to eat here. As soon as I walked in I knew this place was for me. The music playing was great. I had the burger and the meat was very good. Not greasy or oily. The fries were crisp. The waitress was very professional and cute. This place deserves more then 5 stars !

All out excellent place friendly staff, good food, and bartenders that know what there doing I’ve been coming here for 2 months and never had a problem. I always leave with a sense of home very good atmosphere!!! The owners don’t forget to make an appearance and make them self known !!! Ohhhhh and great music just good vibes all around

Basic bar min beers less than half than what they said they had on the menu. BUT the food was GREAT. I had the BLT with Fried Chicken and FF & my BF had the Fried Chicken & Pancakes w an Egg we were very happy campers.

Crazy awesome hand cut fries
Had NO WINE! They are advertised as a wine bar… are you joking?
Had 7 beers on the menu but were out of 3.
Come on! Get your stuff together!!!

So I have been here three times and the most previous visit had me write a review. First i want to say that service has always been good. Place is clean and they have good drinks.
My first two times I would have given this a 4. I ate the pancakes and fajitas and they were delicious. In fact I told someone that this place had the best pancakes I had in queens. HOWEVER, I went to eat there today just for their pancakes and I must say they were very underwhelming. This may have been due to a new cook or a change in recipe. But if I based my opinion just on today’s meal i would not go back. But will give another chance in hoping this was a one time thing.

It was a sultry Sunday morning, the rain having ended only a couple of hours earlier. I showed up at Q&P at 10:00 AM to be sure to get a seat. I needn’t have worried. I was the first customer of the day and had to wait until the coffee was brewed. After that, everything was great. I had the Fried Chicken and Pancakes — three large buttermilk flapjacks with a sunny side up egg on top, fried chicken breast and bacon sandwiched in between. Other reviewers raved about the pancakes; they were very good, but I’ve had as good in other diners. The OJ was fresh-​squeezed and the coffee excellent. It was hot and humid, so they had the ceiling fans humming and the door propped open, so I ate to the accompaniment of the 7 trains crashing and banging through Queens Plaza station. The James Brown soundtrack could not compete. Service is friendly. And it is cash only… my tab was $ 25 with tip. Enjoy!

Working in the LIC area is a gamble with food. Do I pay $ 10 for a half of a sandwich at the neighboring Cranberry (a.k.a Crackberry for its chaotic atomosphere)? Or do I join the hot construction workers at a subpar Mexican restaurant where the best thing on the menu is, well, staring at the construction workers.
I wanted to like Queens and Paupers when it opened. I wanted to have a quick and tasty dining spot next to my job, where I can run down and grab a veg burger. Sadly, like most parts of my life, what I want is not what I get. Most of the time, I get what I need. But I do not need this place. I’ve given it too many chances. My last visit made me feel like I’m dating someone with Borderline Personality Disorder. Like, «get me the f**k out of here, I don’t care what I have to pay you, I just want to go!»
Allow me to sum up its problem areas:
1. Poor service. It took an hour and a half to have lunch. One waitress for the whole place and even though I’ve experienced a variety of waitresses there, they can’t manage to hire one who speaks English, or even Spanish. Is this an unskilled labor, human trafficking issue?
2. Horrible food. Very few vegetarian options. I ordered a Ceasar Salad which was priced at $ 7.75. It arrived on a tiny plate, browned iceburg lettuce with Kraft looking Parmesan cheese. I asked where the anchovies were, the manager told me it was «in the dressing.» I took one bite, told him the lettuce was old, and he informed me that was «impossible, that he just bought it this morning.» As though the act of purchasing lettuce ensures its freshness. I sent my salad back and got a tasteless veggie burger (literally, it was a decomposing patty that appeared to be made of canned peas and carrots, with a filler of sawdust and green dye) and undercooked fries. The manager sent us some complementary white wine over ice, which was lost on me as a non-​drinker. But even my drinking friends didn’t like it.
3. No credit cards. Usually it’s the good places that take cash only. Why do I get the feeling it’s some shady reason with this place?
The optimistic, loving side of me wants to list their good points:
1. Great music. Played Loud. Just how I like it. If you don’t like funk music at a high volume, you don’t deserve a place at my table.
2. Great pasta. Served for free at happy hour.
3. Good location. All you condo dwelling gentrifiers in LIC can have your overpriced café with snobby owners, right here. No need to go into Manhattan.
The moral of the story is: go here for Happy Hour. Drinks only. As a non-​drinker, I’ll stay away.

Yesterday morning was my first time going to this diner. Let me just start off by saying i wasnt impressed with the way this place looked. It looked more like a bar to me than a diner. The heat wasnt working and the restroom looked like someone got shot there.
Now that I got that out of the way, let me start talking about the food. Although we only tried the spinach omelette with a side of potatoes and pancakes. I must say it was enough to get me hooked. The pancakes tasted unlike any other pancakes Ive tried. It was sooo so good! And the omelette and potatoes wow!
I honestly see myself going here more just for the amazing food! Its definitely a place to try out for those who haven’t already.

I came here with co-​workers as it was freezing cold outside and we did not wish to venture far for lunch. It had been awhile since we had been back. I ordered the Chicken BLT which arrived on a dry roll, which liberal application of mayonnaise could not help, The chicken also seemed a bit dry, but the bacon was tasty and succulent.
The dining area is small and we were squeezed in at our booth, the prices also tend to skew a bit high ($ 2.50 for basically a can of soda?!), which knocks the review down to 2 stars for this visit. I enjoyed my previous visit (where I had a burger), i think that I will stick with that the next time we happen to visit.

I don’t quite get what this «diner and bar» is going for. From the very short menu, I got the burger, which was fine if too small for $ 10.50. The fries were good — actual potato flavor, no greasy genericness.
What happened here that caused them to put a note on receipts that the tip isn’t included?

Came in here last night on a dearly night during a bad week because I wanted fried chicken + breakfast food. It wasn’t coming up on the Unilocal Menu, so we almost didn’t go, but since I saw that other people had taken a picture of it, it must exist. OH it does.
Located on Queens Plaza S, it’s a sort of odd spot for this cute, tiny place, but I guess as the neighborhood changes we can see more establishments like this. The venue was cute and clean with lots of booths and my kind of artwork. It seemed like a 2 man operation, one guy seating and taking orders, while another cooked.
Enough of that, onto the pancakes: it was pretty damn good. The combo of bacon, pancakes, fried chicken, and an egg was magical. Dare I say… I liked it almost better than chicken and waffles. All of the food components on their own were average, but together they were awesome. So take that as you will. We didn’t get any drinks, but their list looked pretty good. I want to come back here again… I just don’t know how I will be able to order anything else.

My boyfriend and I randomly came here one monday evening looking for a late lunch. He got the grilled chicken with cheese sandwhich with a side of fries, and I ordered the turkey burger on brioche with sautéed spinach and american cheese.
… Let me tell you, these were the BEST burgers/​sandwiches we have ever had. The brioche buns were soft, the meat on both sandwhiches were juicy and tender, the spinach was lightly seasoned and the fries were handcut.
As if that doesnt reel you in, the warm cozy luxurious décor and the impeccable wine selection add to the overall experience, making it a perfect reasonably priced but wonderful quality brunch, lunch, or dinner spot.

Order a grilled cheese and you will receive two pieces of cold cheese between cold toast slices. Yours for only $ 9. Order hot chocolate and you will receive Swiss Miss Instant ($ 4), the waiter will spill it on your date’s white pants and not even offer her a napkin. Order an omelet and you will not receive silverware. Order tea and you will receive neither sugar nor milk. Order home fries and they won’t have it despite being on half the items on the menu. Ditto bacon. French fries will be at minimum 75% inedible. Hand them a credit card and you will receive a description of the nearest ATM.
A great place if you’re on a diet, as you will not want to eat your food, if it arrives at all.
Oh, and they LOVE southern rock, as in full Creedence Clearwater Revival concerts (with applause) played on loop, at ear-​bleed levels, even when you ask them to turn it down. So if you don’t like who you’re dining with and don’t want to hear them talk, and you don’t like food and never want to eat it again (though you still want to pay high prices for it), this is definitely your new favorite place. Congratulations.

This is a really cute little diner near the Queens Plaza subway station. I came here for lunch and was really pleased with the experience.
It’s small, with about 10 booths and it looked just like one waitress. The waitress was super friendly.
I ordered their Angus burger, which was excellent. The patty tasted fresh and juicy. and didn’t seem at all like it had been frozen. There was a choice of sides. And I was glad they had a little more healthy option than fries – spinach. I got the sautéed spinach, and it was a really big serving, and was not overly salted and oily, as it is in some places. Don’t get the spinach unless you really want plain spinach.
They have some nice breakfast items that I saw other patrons order. There’s a small bar, and they also serve alcoholic beverages.
I’d definitely stop here again when I’m in the neighborhood, especially for breakfast and lunch.

This is such a cute diner! They don’t have fancy elaborated menu. Instead, you can find a handful of dishes at very reasonable prices. I got the Cobb Salad and it was pretty good. MY husband got the Fried Chicken and Waffles and that is definitely the best thing on the menu as well as their burger.
They also have Jazz band performing on Saturday nights and it certainly makes our dinner more interesting.
Would return to try their brunch menu for sure.

Just opened (sept 2013)! This diner-​bar combo is one of the few full service restaurants in this area. Has a unique feel with comfy booths and friendly staff. Serves fresh farm eggs and organic beef burgers. Liquor license coming soon.
There are a few kinks needed to be worked out but I’m hoping it will turn into a great a spot.
For now, cash only. No hours posted yet.