East Village Dojo Restaurant Closes
NYU students, nostalgic Greenwich Village residents, and passionate fans of cheap Japanese comfort food alike will all be mourning today with news that Dojo has been shuttered. We'll always have the memories of their addictive carrot-ginger dressing.
Dojo, which was located at 14 W 4th Street for over two decades, was shut down by the Department of Health on September 13th after getting 62 violation points (most notably, "evidence of mice"). It's since been cleared out entirely, and its phones are not working anymore. All the signage is gone as well.
The inexpensive, no-frills restaurant had been a favorite of locals, students and frugal diners since it opened in 1991, especially after the original sister location on St. Marks (which first opened in the mid-1970s) closed in 2007.
This wasn't the first time it seemed Dojo was doomed—back in 2013, it was reported it would be closing due to a rent hike. Instead, it underwent a extensive renovations and reopened the next year with a fancy new upscale look and a slightly changed menu.
Did you ever eat at Dojo's?
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | December 8, 2018 4:26 AM
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That's sad. But I only went to the one at St. Marks. Fuck at the Baths next door when THAT was open. Tempeh and Brown rice at Dojo after.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | November 4, 2018 6:34 AM
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yes, i've eaten there. not impressed with the food. it's OK I suppose when you're a college student.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | November 4, 2018 7:16 AM
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Why can't they just clean it up and reopen? Usually health violation close-downs are temporary.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | November 4, 2018 11:41 AM
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Not the East Village. Just the Village.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | November 4, 2018 1:31 PM
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The carrot ginger dressing was awesome
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | November 4, 2018 2:27 PM
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Nooooooooo!!!! I spent my late teens and my early twenties eating at Dojo’s. Seriously, I can’t believe it’s closing. Their Tahini dressing was awesome! Can they open somewhere else Downtown?
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | November 4, 2018 2:33 PM
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Make way for an exciting new Starbucks, Sbarro, or Chik-fil-a!!
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | November 4, 2018 2:38 PM
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Well, dammit to hell. I just mailed the Darfur Orphan two Dojo Gift Cards!
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | November 4, 2018 4:50 PM
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That carrot ginger salad dressing should have been mass produced because it would have hit the big time.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | November 10, 2018 6:03 AM
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It was good, but pricey. There were always rumors of how unsanitary it was. Yes, the dressing was great.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | November 10, 2018 6:25 AM
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And the ambience! Unbeatable.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | November 10, 2018 6:39 AM
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R11 et al, Would this dressing be similar?
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | November 10, 2018 7:02 AM
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Let's try that again. Would this dressing be similar?
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | November 10, 2018 7:02 AM
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If you moved to New York in the 90s, you probably went to Dojo's in your first week.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | November 10, 2018 7:07 AM
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I have to say that I noticed a change when all the staff seemed to be Russian. The same thing happened at Canal Jean- staff was Russian, disinterested in customer service, to say the least. A fact of life in the real New York.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | November 15, 2018 3:15 AM
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