Can't say enough about this place. One man show! The owner works his butt off to make great homemade food, while being the bartender, host, busser, and bouncer. And all the while, he is talking to his guests to make sure that everyone is having a good time.
He will be the first to offer up his life stories, and seems to genuinely enjoy hearing yours. He will be happy to have a drink with you, and even buy a round. Before you know it, he'll be headed into the kitchen to get food for you just to let you try something you've never had. The fava beans ($6) are imported from Egypt and an absolute must try!
Beware: he won't serve the super drunk! He will in cut off people who have had too much already. Even if it costs him a sale, or annoys regular customer, he will do what he thinks is right. Apparently, his business had has issues with this- among other things. He has a bar story about everything! He has seen it all. And he's not a racist (despite what another review implies). A misunderstanding, but there is more to his version of the story that has nothing to do with race. Somehow, we got on the topic and he explained what happened.
Regardless, the food is awesome and he is even trying cutting prices on drinks and offering more specials (like shot & a beer for $5) to build more of a bar business. It's a great place to go in Bushwick.
Everyone who gave this place a good review must have arrived drunk. Very drunk.
Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, or came on a terrible night for the owner, or was too swayed by the absolute, tumbleweeds-rolling-by emptiness of the place, but based on my dish and the stale beer, I can only imagine Gordon Ramsay invading and discovering enormous debts and a kitchen full of rotting food.
This cafe/bar/restaurant is a not so hidden gem in bushwick. Â Ali, the owner/bar keep makes everyone feel welcome, and goes out of his way to remember your drink and shoot the shit if you're so inclined... The food is the real draw bc it's the best quality/price ratio around. Â If you're new to the area, this is the spot. Â If you've web around a while, it's still the spot.
Review Source:Alright... now I've gotta update this review because of the following:
A couple months ago I was there and Ali started his usual "gay" jokes which I'm totally fine with but then it got a little too aggressive and a little too "is this guy kidding or what?" Â So we took a little break. Â Showed up a few nights ago with a beer in my hand, said hi and told him I was going to finish it outside and toss it in the trash can. Â Ali insisted it wasn't a big deal and that I should finish it inside so I sat at the bar. Â Then like 60 seconds later he comes over and starts yelling about the beer at which point I apologize and say I will go outside with it again... there must have been a misunderstanding or something. Â So I finish the beer, throw it in the trash can, and go play some pool with a few friends. Â Mind you the place has like 14 people in it and 8 of these people came with me. Â About halfway through the pool game my friend comes over and says Ali kicked him and me out. Â I was like alright we'll finish our game and beer and leave. Â Mind you Ali waited for us to order another round before this whole kickout situation. Â So a couple more minutes pass and Ali comes over and starts getting aggressive so we start to leave, he walks to the door and starts saying that we are lucky there isn't a cop friend of his there because he'd have him kick our asses and arrest us. Â Yah, real cool Ali. Â Walking back from Associated (the best supermarket in the hood BTW) we say him on the porch and gave a semi sarcastic wave and thumbs up... he just looked really angry.
So that is how you drop from a 5-star to a 2-star. Â But I am almost 90% sure the whole thing happened because we got weirded out by his homosexual advances. Â And I am very unhomophobic... just Ali-ophobic.
This place is def a Gem for bushwick which isnt saying all that much. The food there is good but not great. I would stick to the basics. Def not the poppers. They were cold and gross and Ali was not willing to compromise on this issue.
Drinks are nice and cheap here all night long as u prob have read 5$ shot and beer, and that's about all this place has going for it.
The owner does bust his ass but at this point hiring someone should happen but it isnt in his cards and IMO shows what kind of a man he is Stubborn and Stupid.
What a great spot in the neighborhood. The owner, Ali, runs the entire show with the grace and versatility of a ringmaster. I came in here to meet a friend on a Sunday evening and felt immediately at home. The only other customer was a girl watching football who advised me to get the whiskey and a beer combo, which I did. After my friend arrived Ali unlocked the pool table and we played for free while listening to our own iPods on the place's sound system. Thanks, Ali!
Review Source:Super nice owner, delicious and street-cart cheap falafel, and mojitos with mint that the owner grows himself. If you're looking for hip interior design or quick service look elsewhere, but DO come here if you want a friendly neighborhood place with awesome cheap falafel. I'll be coming here again I'm sure.
Review Source:A regular here. Love the food, drinks, and Ali (the owner, bartender, chef, life coach). Everything very reasonably priced compared to nearby alternatives (e.g. Northern Kingdom, Tandem, Mesa Azteca). Because Ali does it practically all by himself, the place is great for people who just want to chill out and take their time; not for people in a rush.
Review Source:Be ready to wait is a one men show! the service though is great but he is sweating bc he is running back and forward! which makes me fell really bad for him Ally should get some help already! the place is a lil bit of a mess without help and at the end the business must suffer! The lamb is organic and he told us he spent 25 years looking for this LAMB! coming from Colorado he gave us a tour of the kitchen and the walk in! haha it was really funny he makes you feel like you know him for a very long time the second u meet him
GOD BLESS ALLY!
280 Cafe & Lounge. Â Ali's home. Â He treats his patrons like extended family. Â He's the mother and the father of this establishment. Â He cooks, tends the bar, DJs, shoots pool and entertains all at once. Â A hybrid of Fast Eddie Felson and Anthony Bourdain. Â Ali, as an individual, lifts this establishment into the upper-echelon of Bushwick destinations. Â As it has been stated previously, the felafel sandwich and hummus dish are prepared Lebanese style and are out-right delicious. Â The man has been dabbling in mixology and invented a handful of drinks that are consistently described with the words "delicious," and "strong." Â In short, thank you Ali. Â Your establishment has been a fantastic neighborhood establishment to frequent.
Review Source:So, I've been here a number of times. Â Usually extremely late.. and hungry. Â If you're like me and you show up at 3am, it's OK if you bring your appetite. Â Ali will whip you up something delicious every time. Â From now on, I don't plan to even look at the menu--just ask, "What's good?"
I heard the burgers are amazing; I'll have to try them out sometime. Â Last night (well, this morning) I had this slow-cooked beef in a bed of potatoes and it was absolutely tasty-licious. Â I didn't need the knife as it seemed to jump on my fork effortlessly. Â If you ever try it... load up the pita pockets Ali gives you with the meat and taters and give that a whirl--you won't be disappointed.
Oh, and next time you stop by--be sure to tell Ali congrats for maintaining a high average with his third "A" in a row from the Heath Dept.
280 Cafe & Lounge is great! Â I went for the first time not knowing what to expect. Â I was warmly welcomed by Ali.
I quickly learned that Ali is the owner, chef, bartender, waiter, host, bus boy, ...you get the idea. Â He takes pride in what he does, and he does it well. Â I tried his falafel sandwich, which was great! Â Wonderful flavor. Â The drinks and food are fairly priced.
280 Cafe is worth a visit!
Whether he's acting as your bartender or cook, Ali will make you feel right at home in his establishment. The drinks are mixed strong, and the decor is clean and inviting. The food is the most surprising element of this place. The Lebanese cuisine goes far beyond my expectations of bar fare. Get the hummus & pita if you just want a snack. If you're hungrier, I recommend the kofta. It's seasoned hamburger meat that's been shaped into a sausage and rolled up in a pita wrap with lettuce, tomatoes.
Review Source:Ali, the owner / chef / bartender / neighborhood character behind the awesome 280 cafe and lounge had a revelation in the kitchen. He called his creation "Cilantro Fries" and dinning in Bushwick has not been the same since.
You can't go wrong with this place - its unpretentious and just plain good.
Been going here since it opened and gets better and better every time. Â The food Ali makes is consistently delicious and always fresh. Â The drinks are great and priced fair. Â The homemade mojitos are highly recommended. It is a very comfortable place to be in because the owner welcomes and talks to everyone. Â This place is always clean considering the other bars in the area are pretty dirty. My personal favorites are the burgers, steaks, falafel sandwiches, and the humus is like no other.
Review Source:Im so glad they finally put in a pool table.... I have been hoping they would for over a year! Â This definitely a cool spot to hang out and have a good time. I love the music they play-even though I dont understand it..still makes me wanna shake my butt while I kick my friends ass in pool!
woo hoo! see you there!
Ali has made a huge impact on my girlfriend and I. He has a big heart and treats you like an old friend from day one. I have been a patron for just over a year and will continue to frequent this great bar. Also, if it's not clear yet... Try the food!
Come with a smile and a good attitude, you won't just have a new hang out. You will make some lasting friends too
I LOVE this place. My roommate and I go here all the time. Ali, the bartender/owner, is the sweetest guy. He makes great food that's natural, the meat is also from grass fed animals, and he grows his own herbs behind the bar like mint and basil. The drinks are very affordable for a Brooklyn bar. My 2 favorites are the margaritas and, Mojitos, both are $5 each. When I want a tasty adorable drink and decent food I know where to go.
Review Source:If you're not here, you're not where you should be. Regardless of who you are (age, class race) this is the place that, with open arms, screams "the best neighborhood bar".
This place may be called '280 Cafe & Lounge', but to those that are patrons to this wonderful establishment know it simply as 'Ali's'. It is due to the fact that the man, a well witted and hot to trot, posing as your bartender is also the owner, cook and everything else that makes the place function.
Having yet mentioned the most amazing food available in neighborhood, there is that option as well.
Good specials, well priced drinks.
All that aside, when I go to Ali's, which I do a lot, I feel as though I belong to a community, I constantly make friends with those I have just met and this bar makes me feel at home.
And a last bit of advice... go with a sense of humor. Because if you don't have that, you got nothin'.
My wife and I moved into the neighborhood about a year ago and Ali, the owner of Café 280, had a lot to do with that.  We were coming from a less than desirable neighborhood and wanted to make sure that Bushwick was going to better suit us.  After looking at apartments all day we decided to head back to the neighborhood to see how it was at night.  We found this bar right down the street from our soon-to-be apartment and walked in to an amazing atmosphere.  Ali introduced himself by name and we told him ours; for the remainder of the evening he called us by name and even gave us complementary hummus and great conversation!  Needless to say, we moved to Bushwick and have become great friends with Ali and many of the other patrons of Café 280.  This is a wonderful restaurant!  Great food, great drinks, great company!  A must have in Bushwick.
Review Source:Ali, the owner, is what makes this place so great. He's such a calm, down-to-earth dude. He was the bartender when I went and he was awesome! I was on a no-sugar diet and asked him to make me a virgin, no-sugar-added mojito and he did it! And did it well! It was so good.
The area in the back is refreshing because it's an open space with chairs, so you can chill and get away from the crowd in the front.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to check out the food, but their menu looked promising.
If you live in the area, go check this place out!
I keep going back to this place and have almost tried everything on the menu. Â Last night was one of the best meals I have had, Spinach in Pita for a starter was spicy, sauteed right with onion, garlic and lemon, the Falafel was moist inside and crispy outside, great spices, again cooked to perfection. Â
I drank Malbec with my meal and waited for the Skirt Steak to come out. Â I have had this cut before in other restaurants and was expecting a thin cut and to my surprise what I got was a nice thick cut, charred on both sides and infused with lemon and parsley, delicious in deed! Â
Other nights I have been there, I had Humus, smooth and tasty, second to none, Baba-Ganoush is great, full of garlic flavor! Â This is great Middle Eastern Authentic cooking, none of the food is bland, it all tastes home made, authentic! Â I highly recommend it. Â If you do not wish to dine, get a drink and start talking to the local crowd that hangs out there. Â This is truly a wonderful restaurant situated in a neighborhood full of taco stands and bodegas.
When I first moved to Jefferson-vicinity Bushwick last Spring I wasn't exactly blown away by the bar choices in the area. Â NEK is a good spot, but it's often jam-packed, and anyway I'm a sports guy; when I sit down with a shot and a beer I like it accompanied with a ball game.
I started frequenting 280 because Shelby was just about the cutest and friendliest bartender in NYC. Â And like other reviewers have mentioned, the owner, Ali, is the best. Â The man works 14 hour days, pours his heart into this bar, makes his patrons feel like family, and is a crazy-amazing chef to boot. Â And if you ask him nicely, he might just cook you an off-menu middle-eastern dinner that'll make you think about moving to Lebanon.
I don't know of another place in the 'hood that'll give you the remote, let you sample free new culinary creations, and make you feel as comfortable as if you were sitting in your favorite hometown pub. Â Just leave the drama at the door... the owner doesn't take any shit from thugs or meatheads.
Food is great and reasonable. Same goes for booze. The owner, Ali is a super cool old-school Brooklyn guy and he oversees all the food preparation. He's a fantastic cook and he'll even lay some of his secrets on you. Everyone is friendly and down to Earth. No pretentious bullshit. Just a good little neighborhood spot in Bushwick. The decor is a bit on the corny/old-fart side, but.... whatever, the food is killer and the prices are right.
Review Source:Food is great, drinks are inexpensive, with a good selection. 280 is spacious, comfortable, clean and never really too crowded. Great place to hang out. Bartender and owner are EXTREMELY friendly & hospitable and really make you feel at home. I really couldn't recommend this place any more.
Review Source:This bar has selections of beer, liquor and wine. Most of all, the food served here is fresh, tasty and would make you come back. My favorite meal here are the keftas, which are grounded beef, lamb, parsley barbecued and served with homemade hummus in a roll. Ali is the cook and owner for this place, and he is clean, a friend of Bushwick. I highly recommend this place if you would like to just get some food or go all out and get drunk on car bombs!
Review Source:Ali, the owner is really cool and will hang with you and tell you all about neighborhood history. Also $5 for a High Life + shot of whiskey is pretty keen. Not only should you not be afraid to order food if you're hungry, but you should definitely come hungry for Ali's magical lamb dishes.
I hope they show NFL games come fall...
walked by this local place and had a great early dinner. fried zucchini fries were impressive, and the lamb was fantastic. The owner was very kind and hospitable, showed us the backyard with the most amazing fig tree i've ever seen. i will be back soon, my neighborhood has heart and it's always a pleasure to get to know the local business owners.
Review Source:Outdoor seating. Â Good crowd of interesting diverse people. Â Clean bathrooms. Â Great selection in the electronic jukebox. Â Friendly bartenderess. Â Huge selection of drinks. Â Delicious kitchen goodies. Â My husband made friends with the owner who offered us some of his homemade Babaganouj and warm pita bread fresh from the kitchen. Â I also overheard a table of patrons saying the french fries were delicious. Â I definitely recommend that if you are in Bushwick to come hang out and have some drinks.
Review Source:This place is so close to my apartment that it would make your head spin. Â Like, around, a lot of times. Â The owner, Ali, is a really nice, engaging guy; one interested in creating a place that people can come and really enjoy. Â He's experimenting; live comedy, music, dancing . . .just to see what draws people in. Â If you're wanting stuff like that, come by and check it out. Â Also, he runs a mean kitchen and will cook by hand all sorts of good stuff. Â It's a Bushwick bar where anyone can feel comfortable, unless their pants have spikes in them, in which case they will never feel comfortable.
Review Source:My girlfriend and I came about this bar/lounge by chance as we walked past Maria Hernandez Park on a Sunday night.
Two80 is very nice, clean, intimate space. The place was not crowded. Another couple was there. The bar is at front with a flat screen tv. There is a larger space to the back that could accomadate a large group of friends.
I asked the bartender/owner how long this bar has been around. He told me about 3 months. My girlfriend and I did not order anything out of the ordinary (cranberry & vodka, pina colada). FYI the pina colada the bartender made was strong. The bill for two mixed drinks was about $18 (not atypical for New York). I think the true value of the place comes to play if you are a beer drinker. Two80 has Happy Hour as well as $2 beer specials (as far as I remember).
My intuition tells me that this place will do well. Â People just need to know that they have a quality bar just around the corner in Bushwick.
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