Yemen Café & Restaurant

New York's First Yemeni Table Since 1986

In 1986, Yemen Cafe opened on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and became one of the first Yemeni restaurants in the United States. Nearly four decades later, the food, the generosity, and the welcome are exactly the same.

Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, 1986

Yemen Cafe was founded on Atlantic Avenue by Yahya Alsubai and Muthana Nassir with one purpose: to cook food that tasted like home. Since 1986, the door has been open to anyone who walks in.

The Welcome Before the Meal

Every guest receives fresh-baked tandoor bread, warm beef broth, and pickled vegetables — complimentary, always. It is not a promotion; it is simply how Yemeni hospitality works.

Recipes Passed Down, Not Invented

Our Haneeth slow-roasts for six hours until the lamb falls apart over fragrant saffron rice — drawing devoted regulars from as far as Toronto. Every recipe traces back to Yemeni culinary tradition, cooked without shortcuts.

Ranked 13th of 15,000

The Village Voice once ranked Yemen Cafe 13th out of 15,000 New York City restaurants — not because we campaigned for it, but because the food spoke for itself. We have never needed to reinvent ourselves.

Three Locations, One Community

During COVID-19, we donated thousands of meals to hospital workers and first responders across New York City. Today, Yemen Cafe operates three locations in Brooklyn and Staten Island — the same table set in 1986.

Community & Giving