The Bronx Cafe

I do love all of the servers here but just can’t give this place more than three stars based off their food and prices. I wanted to grab brunch somewhere within walking distance from the apartment and decided to check this place out as there was a wait everywhere else.
My server was friendly, funny and super attentive. The menu is a little limited and the prices were teeny bit high for brunch in my opinion. I ordered one of the brunch specials of the day which was poached eggs with mexican chorizo potatoes $ 9.95. My plate wasn’t at all what I expected and my eggs were a little cold. The chorizo potatoes were the best part of the meal. The BF got a smoked salmon fritatta ($ 9.95) wrap which he loved but was sad that it was so small. We weren’t full and ordered some onion rings which were pretty large and tasty. Add a small mimosa and our bill was a little over $ 30 before tip and tax.

Service definitely makes this place a return-​to-​time-​and-​time-​again place. i always appreciate a restaurant that will be honest with you about the food selection.
Today’s dialogue went something like this:
«I’ll have the chimichanga.»
«I would recommend something else.»
«Ah…ok. Like what?»
«Anything else on the menu.»
I went with the potato latke, which were excellent. A bit greasy, but the flavor was definitely there. Depends on how picky you are I suppose.
The bacon was excellent, and I love getting applesauce. Seriously, who does that anymore. Applesauce? WIN.
Another person at the table got challah bread, which drew the requisite response, HOLLA BREAD?!?
funtimes, funeats … go.

Service is always strong! I’m a fan of the avocado bacon cheeseburgers and order it with the potato wedges. But I’ve also had items from the daily menu. I recently met up with several friends for dinner at the Bronx and we had excellent service. We were never rushed and got to enjoy our food and each other.
Drinks are strong and you can’t go wrong with the laid back feel of this place.

Based on other reviews it seems as if people either love or hate this place. I fall somewhere in between.
What impressed me: the funky exterior, the cool interior, the location on Cedar Springs and proximity to other eating and drinking places along Oak Lawn. So I give the overall atmosphere a strong 4.
What impressed me less: the food was just ok. My colleague had told me that their burgers were excellent. I was disappointed. First, the selection was extremely small. Second, I got the sliders and they were not seasoned at all, really bland, no salt or pepper. Third, the server forgot to bring mustard, which meant that the sliders had no condiments other than onions and cheese, and without salt and pepper they needed a condiment. Fourth, onion rings were ok, but again something was lacking. Fifth, parking is limited so you have to go early (we went for lunch). i give the food 2 stars.
Overall average: 3 stars, and in my system 3 stars means average, not «A-​Ok.»
In short, this place may be a find for my colleague, but I am less inclined to rush back anytime soon.

The menu here seems culled from the dream of a Jewish couple from 1970s New York. Being vegetarian is a problem here. I ordered the wilted spinach salad without bacon, which was a large portion of hot spinach with simply oil and melted cheese ($ 8.95). My friend ordered the London broil ($ 15.95). It’s a shame that the menu (2 stars) isn’t as special as the moody wood setting (4 stars).

My colleagues & I dropped by here for lunch yesterday before going to a meeting because there happened to be some parking spaces in front of it. It was a great find because the food was great.
Chicken Chipotle Quesadillas: ⁵⁄₅ — It had jalapenos, grilled onions, cilantro, & Monterey jack cheese. It was the best quesadillas I’ve ever had.
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Ambience: 2.5÷5

Service — 5 stars
Food — 4 stars
Atmosphere — 4 stars
Ended up here quite by accident. Started our journey late morning just driving around perusing all the wonderful new areas of condos and lofts and then on a search for food options down Commerce into Deep Ellum around 1100. Several places not yet open. Okey dokey, found some spots with flashing open signs then realized we had no change for the parking meters. Darn, Dallas. Parking in downtown FTW is free on the weekend… get with the program. :(
Wandered over to the McKinney area towards Breadwinners and Primo’s. OMG, traffic was awful and valet parking was backed up (valet across the street is complimentary if dining @ Primo’s), crowds lined up outside the restaurants; I suppose typical for a weekend late morning. Another no-​go as we are not good «waiting-​persons» for a table.
We head towards Cedar Springs and find curb parking right in front of the Bronx. We have arrived… finally! I am starving, and weak. And, in conclusion, not a bad decision. Had been here last year and recalled that we enjoyed our visit that time just for libations and had discussed coming back for brunch. And so here we are.
We were seated in a comfy booth, drink orders promptly taken and menus delivered for brunch. Jamie, our server, was just absolutely AWESOME. He was friendly and patient with our indecision of what to order and fully informed about the menu. The brunch menu was quite extensive. Eggs Benedict, Migas, Tacos, Lox and Bagels, etc. Lots of choices to agonize over, ranging from $ 6.99-$ 9.99, very reasonable.
We both ordered from the specials of the day… for me, the Potato Latkes with scrambled eggs (eliminate the bacon please, sausage if you have it and extra sour cream and applesauce), BFF ordered the Tuna Nicoise Salad, with dressing on the side. Jamie explained the dressing was already incorporated in the salad… well, BFF was okay with that.
Jamie promptly came back and told BFF the chef would be happy to make a special plate for him with the dressing on the side. WOW, what service! There was no sausage available for my order but that was okay. Plenty of food for me! (brought ½ of it home… breakfast the next day)
Food was delicious. My scrambled eggs were cooked soft per my request, and the Potato Latkes were as Jamie described; not your usual mashed potato fried patties, but freshly grated potatoes & onions (like hash browns), moist on the inside, and sauteed to a crispy crunch on the outside. So YUMMY ! With the sour cream and what appeared to be homemade applesauce, oh my, what a treat to my palate and taste buds. :) !!
BFF’s salad appeared to be perfection. He gave it a huge thumbs up! White Albacore Tuna with tomatoes, baby red potatoes, fresh green beans, Kalamata Olives, slivered red onion, boiled egg, herbs of rosemary and tarragon, Balsamic Vinaigrette on the side, and served with Bruschetta which was (fortunately) passed on to my plate. SOOOO good with all the herbs and cheese. I had a small taste of the vinaigrette and it was spicy and flavorful! Didn’t get a bite of the salad as he cleaned his plate in record time. Not a morsel left.
My previous review in July/​09 describes the atmosphere, ambiance and décor. No need to repeat. Just read it to get the full picture.
Fancy upscale dining this isn’t, but a casual great place; warm welcoming staff committed to a high standard of service, friendly comfy atmosphere, somewhere you could go regularly and become a member of the family. Just a down home laid back spot to hang out with good food and drink! KUDOS to Jamie for making our visit a very pleasant one!
BTW, Bloody Mary’s @ brunch Sat & Sun for $ 3.50, bottomless Mimosas for $ 10.00, Pretty good deal dontcha think? Miller Lite Bottle @ $ 3.25, House Merlot @ 6.50…hmmmm. Better to go with the ice cold Mimosas! Even more refreshing on a hot Texas day! Can’t wait to go back and sample more of the appealing menu options.

I can’t raise my star rating after this evening’s visit to this quaint, old neighborhood place, but the food was much better than in the past.
QUESTION: WHY DOES THEIR MENU NOT MATCH WHAT IS SERVED???
This evening I had the «Chipotle BBQ Pork Sliders topped with crispy onion rings and white cheese served with potato pancakes and fresh veggies». [I’m still curious about the way they layout their menu.]
I yanked the onion rings off the sliders as soon as they were delivered. Then two things Jumped Out on the plate tonight: the Grilled Veggies [not fresh] and the white cheese sauce that was on the potato cakes … not the sliders. The grilled veggies were fantastic and the white cheese sauce was so good I asked for a little side of it in my to-​go box, but WHY WERE THEY NOT WHAT THE MENU CLAIMED I WOULD GET?
There is such a mismatch between what the chef puts on the badly designed menu and what comes to the table.

Just ok… the food and service were mediocre!

First of all I’d like to completely agree with Skye. This is the gay Cheers. I wouldn’t have thought of that but it is the perfect way to describe the people who work there. I’d just be afraid that it would make people think of it as a bar first with food second which couldn’t be farther from the truth. This place has bad ass food on the cheap. It is one of the best food values in Dallas. Period.
Staff — Ask for David or William. They’ll both take care of you like family and know your name after a few visits. David is my single favorite waiter in Dallas with William a close second.
Brunch — Almost everything on here is delicious. I haven’t had the sandwiches because I’m not usually in the mood for that at brunch. I’ll list what I have ordered though. Chicken fried steak, french toast, pancakes, salmon, chicken fried chicken, tacos, potato latkes. Some of these are specials which are rotated on and off the menu but all of it is awesome. I highly recommend the chicken fried steak with biscuits and gravy. I personally think it beats out Ozona’s which D keeps rating the best CFS in Dallas.
Dinner — Their menu is sort of traditional home cooking plus classic Italian. Most things range from $ 12 – 18 with $ 15 or so being the average. Everything is consistently cooked perfectly and both meals always come out quickly and hot no matter what each person orders. I know that sounds far-​fetched but it’s been true for me so far. Their chef also comes up with weekly specials that are usually the highlight of the menu. To find out which of these items are the best ask David or William. They’ll always tell you straight up and they’ve eaten it all themselves anyways.
Drinks — they mix really good bloody marys and their mimosas aren’t weak. I think most of these are $ 3 – 5. Pretty cheap and good. They’ve also done bottomless mimosa specials on Saturdays in the past but they seem to come and go.
Atmosphere — Sort of New York shabby chic. It’s comfortably «lived in» feeling. Hell it’s been around since the 70s. It’s a great date place for dinner with fresh flowers and candles.
Overall — One of the best values in Dallas, extremely comfortable with great people (a lot of the staff have worked there 5 – 10 years) and overall a really enjoyable crowd. Make yourself a regular and the entire staff will know your name.
5 Stars
–Greg

I love The Bronx. It’s the closest thing to Gay Cheers… where everybody knows your name… and maybe more.
Bronx is one of the last remaining honest-​to-​goodness Old Dallas haunts. No fussiness, no pretension… just a dimly lit neighborhood restaurant where real people with real stories come to unwind amid the wooden booths and tables. Bronx is independently owned and makes no apologies for being a little rough around the edges… but inside it’s all heart.
Prices are reasonable for what you get. The menu is a mishmash of Italian, American, poultry, chicken, seafood, pasta, and specials that change monthly. Some dishes are tastier than others, but two of the best deals are the Reuben sandwich and Sonoma chicken salad. The latter is piled high with greens, dressing, grapes, walnuts and a piece of bruschetta smothered in parmesan cheese. Not bad for about eight bucks.
This is a great low-​key place to relax and unwind with friends. No reservations or valet parking required… just come as you are.

A hidden gem, great food, great prices, great service, great atmosphere. Brunch is a high point of my weekend. Lunch is surprisingly affordable and dinner is great before hitting the strip. Everyone loves David!

When I want weekend brunch, I want to roll out of bed and have minimal wait time for coffee and eggs Benedict or pancakes or whatever it is I’m craving. If you’re like me, and you’re done with waiting in line for breadwinners or dream café then you should definitely try the Bronx. Easy to find parking in their lot or on the street. Stroll in and the host will happily seat your party with no wait.
The menu isn’t big, but provides variety for all. I had a hard time choosing between blueberry pancakes, apricot and cream cheese croissant French toast, smoked salmon fritatta wrap.
The coffee was pretty bland, but they kept it coming. The blueberries were placed into the pancakes to spell something. Came with crunchy bacon and 2 eggs over medium.
My boyfriend had the latkes which seemed to be greasy fried hash browns with a side of sour cream and applesauce.
Service was prompt and pleasant. I’d check it out again.

Our absolute favorite place to go in Dallas
GREAT FOOD. GREAT Wait Staff. They’re all amazing but I have to say David is our favorite. Sitting in his section will mean you have everything you’d ever want. Try the Spiced Tea. London Broil is EXCELLENT. There are usually good specials and the price point is not that bad. If you like Black Bean soup, it’s amazing here.

I lived in the neighborhood most of my life (before I moved to Lakewood) and had never been here until about a year ago. My grandmother and her partner seriously love it, and they dragged us there one evening.
Someone else already beat me to saying this, but this is truly the kind of place you come to enjoy a meal. They aren’t in any rush to get rid of you. They want you to savor it. And there is much to savor.
Definitely ask for David. You know that MLK quote, ««If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.» Replace «street sweeper» with «server» and you’ve got this guy.
I haven’t had anything I didn’t like. Most recently, I had brunch, and it was heavenly. Blueberry Pancakes were the best I have ever had, easily. The potato latkes were superb. Perfect bacon slices. On a previous occasion, I had had the apricot pie, and it was plenty apricot-​y when I had it. Maybe the previous reviewer just got it on a bad day. I also liked the crème brulle, but in fairness, that was the only time I have had crème brûlée, so it could have been completely wrong and I wouldn’t have known the difference.
Overall, the place feels fancy (due to excellent service) and tastes good and isn’t at too fancy a price. It’s a win-​win-​win.

This place is neat. The servers are great and the old school atmosphere is cozy. Don’t forget to check out the back patio. You feel like you’re outside, but it’s all enclosed. The patio would be a great place to meet a bunch of friends for a birthday or drinks.
The shrine to Mary is a nice touch and the skylight in the men’s room is unique. (yeah i checked it out)
I recommend trying it out for lunch because you can get some great meals for around 8.95. Compared to the other lunch spots in the area the ingredients are a lot more interesting. Looks like the menu changes often too.
I had a great chicken artichoke mushroom sauté and thought about licking the plate.
Though the desserts sound good, they sound better than they taste. The apricot pie barely has apricots and the cheesecake was so so.
I’d pass on the Parmesan shrimp and for some reason the onion rings were limp although they looked great. I think that when I went back for dinner it was just off.
Stick to lunch and definitely check this place out for yourself. For a second you might actually think that you are in the Bronx.

My best friend & I eat here regularly, at least 30 times a year. The food and prices are certainly good, but the best part is the friendly staff and the great service. We’ve always been treated like guests here.
When friends eat here for the first time I usually recommend the Chicken Sonoma Salad for its taste, consistency (we order it more often than any other entrée), ingredient quality (e.g 100% Romaine lettuce, no iceberg), large serving size, and uniqueness (you won’t find this at Friday’s or The Pea).
The specials are on the last page of the menu and I think they change every two weeks. l always order any pulled-​pork special because it’s so delicious.
Dallas prohibits smoking inside restaurants, but smokers may enjoy the semi-​enclosed outdoor dining patio.

So I came back. Our server, Loy (?) was quite attentive and good. He only made one mistake. I ordered the special, top sirloin, and didn’t finish it. I asked that it be bagged to take home. He took it away and didn’t bring it back which I didn’t realize till we were home. Oh well!
The tortilla soup is quite tasty, loaded with chunks of chicken, tortilla strips and veggies. They garnish it with sour cream, pico de gallo and cheese if you like.
My entrée was a top sirloin with a demi-​glaze sauce along with broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes. I’m not sure if there was garlic in the mashed potatoes, or if there was, it was too subtle for me. The mashed potatoes also had melted cheddar cheese on them which I wouldn’t asked to be held if I knew that is how they’re served.
We split the apricot pie which is more like a cheesecake with apricots and a crumb top. Very tasty, but not exactly what I expected.

My first meal on Dallas ever was at this place. And I’ve been a huge fan since.
Food is right on the money. Not out-​of-​this-​world but it never displeases. I’ve tried some of their burgers, not bad, but I can always get a better one across the street (Hunky’s). But the Tilapia w/​shrimp over masbati rice is by far my favorite. Portion is also perfect.
Service has always been fantastic. I’ve always had a gay waiter and they can’t be too hyper. I love happy people serving my food! (I mean really, if you’re given a choice…) What’s more enticing about this place is that, no matter how busy it gets out in the streets of Cedar Springs and Oaklawn, the inside of Bronx will always remain laid-​back and casual. Nothing’s too fancy about it. Just a bunch of yuppies, even families, enjoying their food and never-​ending life stories.

My partner and I went there for a burger at 5:30PM on a Saturday. The burgers were pretty good overall but a few things were disappointing and decided on 2 stars. I will come back for dinner only because I’ll consider that we were the first customers of the evening crowd and they were not quite ready.
+ Good burgers. Filling and prepared well.
+ The ice tee kept coming
+ the waitress was polite and accommodating
+ I ate my partners side avocado slices — good and fresh
Negatives
— The mayonnaise side dish had a lump of coagulated mayonnaise on it. I hate mayonnaise but that kinda grossed me out.
— The other «waitress» (a guy, but yes he was a waitress, trust me) was loud and obnoxious carrying on with his friends since we were on the only ones there at 5:30PM)
— The fries were bad. Sorta greasy — but I I was starving and ate them anyway.
— I think they need to spruce up the place inside. The wall near us had picture frame nails sticking out.
I would normally not go here again but the burgers were good overall, and its about the only place near our home with a decent burger since MacQuires closed down. Also, I’ll cut them a break for being clumsy right at opening doors.