Cafe Mogador
Summary
To the outside world, the pandemic is wreaking havoc like wildfire. However for me personally, the only difference is that people are much more careful about cleanliness. In North Williamsburg, the brunch hipster spots are still thriving, and as you can imagine are very meticulous to avoid any type of spread.
Cafe Mogador has been one of those frequent brunch places that many flock to for weekend brunch. This is not the first time I’ve been here as I’ve always been neutral, but at least this time, I’ve taken pictures of some of the food.
The Moroccan tea on the left was unsweetened, so set your expectations straight. It would be good for a hot summer day or for a need to feel refreshed.
The Turkish coffee was interesting. It’s basically finely grinded coffee boiled in water and seasoned with a dash of cardamom. They serve it in a cool little cezve, which is a small pot with a pouring lip. The coffee wasn’t strong, but the before/after taste of it was delightful. Just be careful when pouring in that a lot of the sediments from the grind is at the bottom.
The hummus and falafel platter was probably the most delicious part of our meal this afternoon. The falafels had a very delectable crispy crunch to them and were well seasoned. The hummus with the little olive oil had hints of that citrus before/after taste that blended well when dipped with the pita.
The chicken couscous was served with vegetables, chickpeas, caramelized onions, and raisins. The chicken was unfortunately very dry and underseasoned. The dish as a whole lacked seasoning and was very bland. Part of me wonders if the previous dishes were heavily seasoned such that it drowned the seasoning of this dish, but the leftovers next day still told a consistent story.
The Moroccan Benedict came with spicy stewed tomato and pepper sauce, poached eggs, English muffin, and hollandaise sauce. It was served with green salad and roasted potatoes. I think this as a whole pretty much tasted what it sounds like. The tomato sauce wasn’t spicy at all and was very rich and zesty. It unfortunately completely drowned the hollandaise in that the combination of the two flavors reminded me of Chef Boyardee’s canned pasta sauces for better or worse. However the poached eggs were perfectly cooked, so there’s that.
The waitress was lovely and a pleasure to order from. We did have questions about some of the entrees, and she was delighted to answer. Service was very quick and prompt, and the restaurant staff made sure that indoors was very clean and tidy.
Final Verdict
Cafe Mogador is one of those restaurants that in my mind is simply a decent trendy brunch place. It’s not somewhere that I would completely go out of my way, but it’s something that would be a good alternative when you run out of ideas.
Yelp Jabs
Five stars for me! If you’re in the Williamsburg area and can afford to throw down a few dollars on a new experience, check it out!
I wouldn’t say there is anything here that was particulary “new” compared to other Mediterranean like restaurants. It does not feel close to authentic Moroccan. This Yelpist Elitist is from an area that may lack some diversity.
Decent food but they definitely underestimate the wait time. The host said 30 mins, the text alert said 45 mins, and then the total time ended up being an hour.. not cool.
There is usually a wait on brunch days, and these estimates that the hosts gives are simply estimates. Take them with a grain of salt and check in periodically. I definitely don’t think this restaurant is worth an hour wait, but this Elitist was punished for not using their best judgement.