Hemo's Spot Juice Bar

YEMEN 🇾🇪

Despite the fact that patrons inside Hemo's are usually families and pairs of men chatting while eating burgers and fries, the "juice bar" aspect becomes apparent when you check out the extensive list of some 150 juice options. Just about any combination of fruits and vegetables can be done here, and the blender is constantly humming as people come and go. This is one of two locations of the young franchise now open in Bay Ridge, with another in the Van Nest section of the Bronx.

The dining room is a hodgepodge of regular tables and chairs, parts of booths that definitely lived somewhere else in a former life, and an area near the windows with a coffee shop feel to it, with chairs and low tables perfect for talking with a friend.

Posters of the shop's favorites line the windows and give the feel of a fast food joint, with burgers, chicken sandwiches, and Philly cheesesteaks. As spoken of before, customers maintaining a halal diet have seen a growing number of options available in recent years to cater to their desires to eat "traditional" foods of the United States. The Yemeni proprietors of Hemo's Spot seem very tuned into this demand and have quite a bit to offer.

The Hemo's Combo ($11.49, above) includes a cheeseburger, side of fries, and an araisy, a fruit and nut cocktail that is definitely the star of the show here. With its cousin named fakfakhina, a similar concoction with ice cream added, the two are on the front of the menu and should be considered essential orders of any visit. Sandwiched between layers of nuts, dried fruit, and berry syrup lives a cold mango yogurt and a combination of delicious sweetnesses.

A small araisy (above) will set you back $5 when ordered on its own, while the upgrade to the fakfakhina with ice cream is another $2. These "cocktails" are refreshing and wildly popular on the Arabian peninsula and in Egypt, each proprietor will have a different recipe. If you have heard this name before but not seen the cocktail, this may be because it is so popular that hookah lounges often have this flavor in their menu of tobaccos.

There is no need to ration those nuts and berries, as another ample layer is found at the bottom.

Hemo's also has a list of more classic dishes you might expect from Yemeni proprietors, but plates like this yemeni kebab ($6, above) are better at other locations that focus on traditional Middle Eastern foods. While the sandwich has a nice tabbouleh within the wrap, the meat is fairly dry and could benefit from some type of sauce.

All in all, it just makes the "American" classics that they focus on that much more appealing. With an array of teas and coffees in addition to so many juices, the cafe will keep its charm in other ways. And since there is so much good food in Bay Ridge, you do not have to feel guilty using your stomach for a good burger.

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BAY RIDGE Brooklyn
6929 5th Avenue

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