Verified Company
Came here for dinner before a late movie at the theater nearby. We planned poorly and didn’t make a reservation in advance, so the neighboring restaurant was unable to accommodate our group of 5. (It was a Friday night, after all…) Boy were we glad to have accidentally stumbled across Cafe Katja!
Despite the fact that it was quite busy and our relatively large group size, they were able to seat us very quickly. The inside of the restaurant was simple and a bit rustic, with great mood lighting and a lively atmosphere. Service was fast and friendly.
On to the most important part: THE FOOD! The food here was absolutely amazing! One of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory. No joke. We started off with a pretzel and brussels sprouts, which were tasty, but the real stars were the main dishes. I personally ordered the jägerschnitzel with spätzle and mushroom sauce. While eating it, I was making sounds that made my boyfriend jealous. Others at the table ordered the braised short ribs and Austrian meatballs, which were equally delicious! The ruben might have been the largest sandwich I’ve ever seen. Everything was truly scrumptious. Chef’s kiss, no notes!
Will definitely be returning to the LES soon if for no other reason than to come back to Cafe Katja. Kisses!
We celebrated my nieces birthday with a party of 12 at this legendary lower East Viennese Mecca, and the food lived up to its reputation. Several of us had the Wiener Schnitzel which was perfectly done with delicious potato and salad side. The vegetarians had eggplant parm schnitzel which they all raved about. The meatballs and sausage sampler were also big hits. I don’t remember which desserts were ordered after several Kostrizers but they were raved about as well. Also a fantastic selection of Austrian beers and wines. We sat inside because we were such a large group which was festive but the outside seating was possibly even nicer on a lovely late fall evening on Orchard street which is a pedestrian mall.
Each plate that arrived at our table was better than the last. All staff members approached with genuine warmth. Their menu items are exceptionally prepared. Cafe Katja's geographic advantage is clear, yet its staff's attitude is remarkable. Our entire meal was tasty!! I'm looking forward to returning!
Great beer and sausage. This place is a staple, come hungry and thirsty. Sausage sampler, spatzel, cabbage, carrots, meatballs.
Update. Arrived in Oct 2025 and they were out of pretzels. Came an hour before closing and felt rushed. Had meatballs and sausage sampler. Didn’t love the draft ipa but drank it as it was tolerable.
this place was everything we wanted and more when it comes to good food and atmosphere. definitely try to sit outside when the weather is nice. it’s the perfect spot for people watching and catching up with drinks and food. we tried the gulash soup (tasted great and very similar to consume), wiener schnitzel (gigantic and tasty), and the emmentaler sausage (delicious). will be coming back soon.
