Get to Know Juuz.me – Cocktails, Coffee, and More Near Astoria Park

There’s a sweet little space on Ditmars, almost to Astoria Park, where you can get all sorts of healthy food and tasty cocktails. It’s called Juuz.me, now open about 5 months. It’s definitely piqued our interest, so we spoke to Zsolt George Csonka, one of the proprietors of the cafe (Ady Botar is the other), who told us a little bit more about it.

First, we asked him the story behind the name. “I wanted to have a short, one word name,” he said. “It should be funny and make you smile.” It’s definitely different and memorable.

I also asked him why they chose this location for the cafe—admittedly, it’s on a sleepier part of Ditmars, farther from the train. So much of the Ditmars area commercial growth is happening between 31st Street and Steinway, so it’s great to see things happening further west on the strip. Zsolt tells us, “When I looked at properties, I saw the west end of Ditmars untouched. I felt that this area could use a cozy, nice cocktail bar complete with healthy food choices. We want to bring people together—young and old, singles and couples equally so they don’t have to go all the way up Ditmars or to 30th avenue for a good food or drink.”

At Juuz.me you’ll find affordably-priced sandwiches, salads, snacks, American-style coffee (“100% Columbian robusta, and 100% pure Sumatra Italian roast costadoro”) and espresso, smoothies, wine, and and local beer. They are especially proud of their signature cocktails—enjoy a Lingonberry Mojito, Elderflower Fizz, Butternut Squash-Mango Rumchata. “I made my own Sangria recipe, too, from 26 years of experience all over the world,” said Zsolt. “This is one of the best Sangrias in Astoria or even NYC, I think.” Look for their Sunday happy hour, too—from 3-6pm, drinks are $5.

Regarding the food, they change their menu items seasonally, so look for a new menu coming up at the end of the month. Many of the ingredients are sourced from local farms. Zsolt tells us his current favorite thing on the menu is the Smoked Turkey Croque Monsieur with combo salad (dressing is made in-house, too).

The space seats about 20 people but they can accommodate up to 30 standing. They look are also open to hosting private events for business professionals, special occasions, and even parties for kids. They can serve anywhere between 10 and 30 people in these cases. As for public events, sometimes there will be live music playing to accompany your meal.

Zsolt revealed a little bit about his work experience that has helped him in developing the cafe. “I have another company,” he says. “I’m a health department consultant specialist in NYC, and I have several thousands clients—all bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. After so many years doing this, I have seen what what they do well, as well as the mistakes that are made. I’ve incorporated all that experience and have now placed my signature on the NYC cafe map.

He added, “I also come from a very poor family from Budapest, Hungary and both my parents are passed away. So this is for me and for them to show that, even from up there they can still be proud of me.”

Additionally, Zsolt and his staff at Juuz.me like to support neighborhood stores with discounts for their staff, and they also like to donate to local organizations when they can.

So stop on by Juuz.me when you have a chance!

Juuz.me (19-23 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718-606-1391)
Juuz.me | Facebook | Yelp