Cafe 2115

Stopped here for breakfast with a friend of mine who lives nearby. We had an awful time. Service was horrible, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. My friend never even got anything to drink. Our breakfast (one egg sandwich and one order of grits and toast) took at least 20 – 25 minutes to reach our table. The grits were cold. My friend’s sandwich had bacon on it, even though she asked them to hold it. They scraped it off, but offered no other recompense.
From reading the other reviews, this seems like the sort of place you just don’t drop into. They were just completely unprepared to deliver any sort of a favorable restaurant experience.

It’s interesting to see the mix of reviews about this place. I’m a fan of Café 2115, but it doesn’t necessarily operate like a normal American restaurant.
For starters, I’ve only been there for lunch, and I would never even think about ordering anything off the menu. The trick is to show up, smile at the friendly West African (Guinean and Senegalese, I think) women behind the counter, and take a look at the steam table to see what they’ve cooked up. They’ll usually offer three or four different «sauces» or stews on a typical weekday.
Trust the friendly women and their creative inspirations. Eat whatever they tell you to eat. If they say that the okra is good today, eat the okra. If they tell you that the cassava leaves or the groundnut (peanut) stew or the fish sauce is the best thing on offer, eat it. They’ll never steer you wrong.
Again, I can’t speak for the American stuff on the menu, and would be surprised if the menu items are anywhere near as great as the daily specials. Stick with the West African goodies, and you’ll be more than fine.

Went here on Sunday morning around 9:30 to get breakfast.
In short, it was a terrible experience.
The service was incredibly slow and the two omelets we ordered took over 35 minutes. We were the only diners in the place and were virtually ignored the entire time. While the prices were incredibly reasonable, the actual food was sub-​par. No only did we have trouble communicating with the waitress/cook’s attention, simple requests seemed rrrreeeeaal difficult. As in, «can you bring some jam or butter for the toast» was being heard as «can you build a full-​size replica of the Empire State Building from toothpicks»
The kicker? When we asked for the bill, we were just told the price. No bill. No receipt.
Perhaps good for other occasions, but my advice is to avoid. Moving forward, I know I will.

This hole in the wall makes the best Sauce Clair with meatballs. The Sorrel juice is extremely thick. Although there were hardly any customers, service was a dismal lag. Until a couple of regulars happen to venture into the spot. Service becomes impeccable. The energy is communal, festive, and strong. Either way, anticipate an hour experience for a single course.

i’ve walked past this place a hundred times, and finally decided to give it a shot today.
first off, i had no idea they served w. african food until i got inside. i might come back on a different night to try it, but tonight i was in the mood for something more basic.
service was above average for the area — we were seated promptly and service was attentive and friendly. food took a pretty long time to arrive considering we were the only customers, and it was HOT — definitely no AC in that joint.
but it was worth the wait. i ordered the burger, which — judging by the rest of the menu — was not their specialty. it’s on the smaller size, but it was served on a fresh, delicious kaiser-​like bun, with really fresh tomato and lettuce and some mayonnaise. it was different from other burgers i’ve had, but i found that i really, really enjoyed the smaller size and the bun, which had a crispness and a chewiness. my date enjoyed his cheese steak.
apart from the stifling heat and the slow service, i was pleasantly surprised by my experience here and would go back.

I just tried this place for breakfast on Easter Sunday.
The pancakes were above average. But the service was lousy. Despite my being the only customer in the entire place, the staff ignored me for fifteen minutes before I could flag them down for the check.

Café 2115 has now become one of my favorite West African eateries in the city. (Their menu also offers American standards, such as burgers and Philly cheesesteaks, although I haven’t tried them.)
I passed this diner I don’t know how many times in the past, not realizing they serve exactly the kind of food I like. Then the other night, as I was waiting for a takeout order in another restaurant nearby, I began chatting with a customer who was also waiting and asked for suggestions of other good restaurants in the area. That conversation led me to Café 2115.
Order from the steam table or from the kitchen. The rich stews are delicious — try an okra stew (suppu kandja), or maybe a sauce claire (tomato-​based stew with carrots and cabbage), for instance.
There are enough staff on hand that the wait to be served and for your food to be prepared should be pretty brief. On my first visit, the owner of the restaurant himself welcomed me and helped me place my order (I didn’t even find out he was the owner until afterward).
You can see pictures of the dishes on the menu at their website:

Weird experience here. I went here with my parents on a weekday morning because Society Café across the street wasn’t serving breakfast yet.
My parents, who are much more restauranty than I am, were really happy to find this place because it offered a traditional feel. However this was far from a typical diner experience.
First of all, we had serious language difficulties. Everytime we ordered something, the waitress would yell to the cook about something and then say they didn’t have it. They brought things we didn’t order to our table, but we’re pretty easy going so we just ate it.
Anyway, it was not bad… but a little unusual.