Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery

I've been going there for many years. With my parents and now.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

TLDR: sweet or savory, there’s a knish for everyone!

I got a spinach knish and a blueberry cheese knish. The spinach was just ok but the blueberry cheese knish was awesome! I really enjoyed the sweet knish way more than I thought I would and I’m glad I tried it because it turned out to be the favorite of the two

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Blueberry Cheese Knish

It is one of the only old time knish places i know, potato,sweet potato, kasha,cherry cheese,chocolate cheese, blueberry,
Must go and try one.
Only place that was like that was mrs stalls and coney island which is gone

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

The most delicious apple and cream cheese knish. It was filled to the brim with cream.

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Apple

Quick, yummy, and filling! Very helpful staff explained flavors and gave recommendation.

honestly the knishes are pretty heavy. Glad I went but wouldn't rush back there

A hidden gem. Unassuming front.

Delicious knish! Our favorite is the cheese one.

It has only takeout service. If you plan to eat it immediately, they will warm up the knish for you.

extra delicious knishes ❤️

I was so disappointed. Yonah is reduced to take out only at this time. The drink selection was very limited. The Knish' were big, and moist.
The birds enjoyed some too.

Cute tiny historical tiny spot with gigantic savory and sweet pies. Old Jewish recipe. Mine with potatoes ( which I loved) felt like home, so I enjoyed every single bite

The food is incredible and the prices are great but the store is full of tables and they won’t let you sit down.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 2

In wheelchair very helpful great food
My weekly stop

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Potato Knish

I didn't like this thing, it's too heavy for shewing, the guy is nice but also the store needs some work also

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 4

Best authentic potato knishes!!! 🤩🤤

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Potato Knish

I heard about Yonah Schimmel from a YouTube video showing its knishes and singing its praises, and decided while in New York to pay it a visit. The video showed a bright, sunny, cozy eatery that was clean and welcoming.

The first time we went, it was 10-15 minutes before closing. We were struck with the dingey, horrible interior, a tiny little space, blocked from the rest of the restaurant by a stack of old boxes. Although it was open there was no one there. There were no knishes left in the store, and as we called for someone to serve us, no one answered. We left at about 8 minutes to closing, and a clerk was soon behind us, locking the door right in our face. We figured, wow, if the store looks this terrible, and the service is this bad, the knishes here must be amazing! We also thought that since it was before closing, maybe that's why there was no seating. If we came during peak hours, 11am, maybe the entire experience wouldn't be like walking into an abandoned store after a zombie apocalypse.

We came the very next morning, a full 40 minutes after opening, 11:10, and same deal: boxes blocking off the deeper recesses of the place, it looks dingey, and there is no one at the counter, although there are some tepid looking knishes in the store available to order. After calling into the void of boxes, a gentlemen emerged who did help us, with perhaps a slight attitude of annoyance, like we were interrupting him or something. As there was no where to sit down and eat (unlike the misleading YouTube video, which seems to show a radically different restaurant and experience), we had to walk a block just to eat our knishes on a park bench.

We got the classic knish and a cherry cheesecake knish, and I have to say, they were ... ok. I've had better (albeit less traditional) knishes from food stalls all over New York. Neither were fresh, and the potatoe knish was cold on the inside. The Cherry Cheesecake knish was hardly a knish at all, more like a rich, creamy dessert which is probably what people come for, but I didn't think it was anything special.

I was looking forward to eating here for a long time, and I was extremely disappointed by the service, the restaurant, and the knishes themselves. Maybe they were great once, given some of these reviews, but I wouldn't recommend them and I'm never going back. Don't believe the hype.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 2