damnlines.comdamnlines.comA Morningside Heights brunch fixture near Columbia known for a weekend line West Side Rag calls 'stratospheric.'
damnlines hasn't pointed a lens at Community Food & Juice yet. The most-wanted lines get a camera first.
The Infatuation's review jokes that 'the lines for brunch at this place are already so long that they should probably put a security detail at the host stand,' and adds that regulars are warned 'there's an hour between them and gluten free biscuits,' with the review noting things 'can get tense' at that point. West Side Rag separately warns that 'the line for brunch can be stratospheric on weekends,' echoing the same weekend-brunch bottleneck from a second, independent source.
On reservations, the picture is mixed across sources: The Infatuation's review describes brunch as effectively a walk-in scrum rather than something you book your way around, while the venue's own reservations page now states 'Reservations now available on OpenTable!' — suggesting the restaurant has since opened up at least some bookable slots, though it's unclear from the site how much of peak weekend brunch is covered by that inventory versus still walk-in only.
The Infatuation's practical advice for avoiding the line is to skip weekend brunch altogether and go for weekday breakfast or lunch instead; failing that, the review says solo diners 'can generally walk right in and sit at the bar,' making a bar seat the most reliable fast path in during the rush that a party waiting for a table would otherwise face.
Patterns as reported by press and regulars — not measured by damnlines.
Reservations: The venue's site states reservations are now available via OpenTable, a shift from the walk-in-only weekend brunch The Infatuation's review describes.
Walk-ins: Yes — solo diners can generally sit at the bar per The Infatuation, but parties should expect a long line for tables, especially at weekend brunch.
The Infatuation reports waits of roughly an hour during weekend brunch, joking the line is long enough to warrant 'a security detail at the host stand.' West Side Rag separately calls the weekend brunch line 'stratospheric.' Waits are shorter on weekdays, and solo diners can often skip the line by sitting at the bar, per The Infatuation.
The venue's own site states 'Reservations now available on OpenTable,' though The Infatuation's review describes brunch as more of a walk-in-and-wait situation. It's unclear how much of peak weekend brunch is covered by bookable slots versus still first-come, first-served.
Yes, but expect a line at peak times — The Infatuation says solo diners 'can generally walk right in and sit at the bar' even during the busiest brunch rush, while parties waiting for a table face the long line described above. Weekday breakfast or lunch walk-ins face a much shorter wait, per the same review.
The Infatuation recommends weekday breakfast or lunch instead of weekend brunch, when lines are worst. West Side Rag's 'stratospheric' warning is specifically about the weekend brunch line, implying weekdays are calmer by comparison.
Sources: The Infatuation · West Side Rag · Community Food & Juice (official reservations page)