For years I have walked by 12 Chairs Cafe, located on MacDougal St. in SoHo, and on each occasion I have thought to myself, “Hm, I should go here one day.” Well, the day finally came, and I had the opportunity to go to the adorable cafe earlier this week. I was shocked to see how crowded the restaurant was, but after one meal I could understand why! The food was incredibly nobread-friendly, filling, and delicious, and the ambiance of the restaurant was cute and cozy making 12 Chairs a great spot to catch up with a friend…
To start, you have to order the hummus with falafel. Falafel isn’t always gluten free, whether it is due to added breadcrumbs or cross contamination in the fryer, but the falafel at 12 Chairs is GF and delicious! A hummus appetizer is the perfect way to start your meal, not to mention that all the hummus dishes are GF when you ask for no pita! Torn between the delicious looking breakfast options and filling lunch options, my guest and I decided to dabble in each. I ordered the sunny side up eggs with bacon and greens with a side of sweet potato fries, and my guest ordered the arugula salad with pear and smoked salmon on top. Our order pretty much nailed it; everything was delicious! 12 Chairs serves classic Middle Eastern dishes like grape leaves and Shakshuka, which I hear are awesome, as well as traditional American dishes including a spinach and goat cheese omelette and mushroom and onion omelette which I will have to come back in for and try! Also, the burger and the lamb burger are GF when you ask for NOBREAD, and I hear they are awesome too. Lastly, I have to comment on the sweet potato fries. As I mentioned earlier, there is no cross contamination at 12 Chairs, and you can abslutely tell! The sweet potato fries were so pure, it tasted as though I was eating baked sweet potato slices!
12 Chairs recently opened a second location in Williamsburg and I hear the Brooklyn spot is even better than its big sister in SoHo. Outdoor seating is available in BK, and we all know how much I love my outdoor seating, so I will absolutely be in to check it out soon!