Ashker's Juice Bar and Cafe

History

Ashker's Juice Bar and Cafe opened on Elmwood Avenue in 2008, and started expanding only a year afterwards. Ashker's is a unique spot located right in the heart of the Elmwood Village. This juice bar and cafe has quickly made a name for itself, owner Angelo Ashker is very pleased with the restaurant's success so far. According to urbanspoon.com there is a 96% positive feedback rate.

Things to know

• Indoor and outdoor seating • Casual attire • Street parking • Free Wi-Fi • Take-out • Friendly atmosphere

Menu

Ashker's has a fully equipped menu starting with different choices of breakfast sandwich, to a full course meal for breakfast. The most expensive item on the menu is priced at $8.79, and starts at $2.99.

Breakfast options Toasted New York Hard Roll Fried egg, bacon, pepperjack & provolone Sausage, Egg & Cheese Muffin An english muffin with pepper jack & provolone cheese Breakfast Panino Bacon, egg, cheese & tomato on grilled italian bread And many more!

Lunch/Dinner options Salads: Greek Grilled Chicken Grilled chicken breast, tomato, cucumber, onion, kalamata olives, banana peppers & feta cheese over mixed greens with greek dressing Grilled Black Bean & Feta House-made black bean veggie burger, tomato, cucumber, onions, kalamata olives, & feta cheese, over mixed greens with basil balsamic dressing And many more!

Panini: Roasted Red Pepper & Zucchini Zucchini, red onion, roasted red pepper, mushroom, spinach, tomato, pepperjack & parmesan cheese, with basil balsamic dressing Chicken & Sauteed Mushroom Grilled chicken breast, roasted red pepper, red onion, mushroom, spinach, tomato & parmesan cheese And many more!

Wraps: Hummus & Garden Veggie Mixed greens, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, mushrooms, red onion, cucumber, tomato, kalamata olives, house-made hummus & feta cheese Steak Fajita Sirloin steak, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, red onion, spinach, tomato & pepper jack cheese And many more!

Juice Bar: With the times always changing, Ashker's is trying to stay relevant. Having a juice bar makes this restaurant unique and different from most cafes. Ashker's offers their customers a wide variety of choices when it comes to juices. Upbeet Beet, apple, carrot, celery Zinger Carrot, apple, lemon, ginger, orange Green Machine Spinach, cucumber, celery, apple Good Beginning Orange carrot, banana, apple Spiced Carrot Carrot, ginger, apple Ruby Bliss Beet, orange, ginger, apple Elvis Parsley Parsley, celery, carrot, cucumber, lemon Kale Cocktail Kale, carrot, parsley, apple Basil Rejuvenator Basil, lemon, cucumber, apple

All juices are priced at $3.99.

Ashker's also has a complete smoothie and espresso drink menu.

Art Gallery

In addition to Ashker's full kitchen, on the other side of their Elmwood spot is an art gallery. This particular art gallery is open for different local artists and graphic designers to show their work. Local artists are able to come and show their work, free of cost.

More to offer

There are many things besides their unique menu that Ashker's does to ensure that they are staying relevant in this changing world. On the side of the resturant where the art gallery is located, is also a piano. This piano is offered for any of their customers at any time. In addition to this instrument always being available, Ashker's has open mic nights every Monday night. It is a perfect intimate venue for singers. Ashker's utilizes their space, and also has a Zumba class on this side of their resturant every Wednesday. This gives Ashker's customers an endless amount of activies, and not to mention their kitchen is open during these events.

Staff

Ashker's has a friendly staff who is always willing to help. Instead of a cash register, Ashker's staff uses an iPad to type in an order, and uses that same iPad to even swipe a credit card. This also gives them the extra push in being a bit different than most cafes. After ordering, they type into their iPad's something personal about their customer, not just a name. For example, if one is wearing an orange shirt, they will type in, "Man with orange shirt". This way they are not just yelling out a name, but going out there and personally delivering their customer their meal.

Ashker's Juice Bar and Cafe know what their customers want.

"The employees are super friendly, and the food is delicious."

"The atmosphere is like no other. I love the vibes of Ashker's and go there at least once a week! The prices are extremely reasonable, and makes it easier on me, especially since I'm a single mother. Ashker's takes a fresh outlook on eating healthy, and that is something I really appreciate."

References: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/42/1609281/restaurant/Elmwood/Ashkers-Juice-Bar-and-Cafe-Buffalo http://www.yelp.com/biz/ashkers-juice-bar-and-cafe-buffalo http://buffalorising.com/2011/07/ashkers-juice-bar-and-cafe/

All photography by Molly Mitchell This page was made for Maria Pabico's COM 336 class at Buffalo State College.