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<\/a>Wrestling figures on display at the Squared Circle Cafe.Photo by Lamont Jackson<\/p>\nThe cafe is meant to be a gathering place where wrestling fans can feel understood while also welcoming customers who may simply want a tasty lunch or a simple cup of coffee.<\/p>\n
The cafe\u2019s slogan, \u201cCoffee meets kayfabe,\u201d captures the mix of food and wrestling storytelling. In wrestling, kayfabe refers to treating the scripted world of wrestling as real within the performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoffee meets kayfabe is our slogan. Kayfabe is acknowledging wrestling as fake but acting like it\u2019s real and that\u2019s what we envision with the cafe,\u201d Chef John said.<\/p>\n
The wrestling language shows up across the menu. Many of the dishes are \u201cgimmicked,\u201d a term wrestling fans use to describe characters. This includes the \u201cKurt Angle Cauliflower Ears\u201d, the \u201cCheck-in\u201d crispy chicken sandwich, the \u201cMillion Dollar Fires\u201d named after Ted DiBiase and their notable \u201cRighteous Burger\u201d named after TNA stars Vincent and Dutch.<\/p>\n
Having ordered the Righteous Burger as a first meal at the cafe, it is truly a premier New York City burger with double smashed beef patties, black garlic aioli, charred tomato, pickled crispy jalapenos, smoked provolone and potato roll with fries. The burger reflects that food can connect to wrestling culture without sacrificing quality. The passion for the sport behind the food is felt in the rich taste of the meals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe make everything in-house fresh. Everything here is made by my hands every day. A lot of our food is fresh and seasonal,\u201d Chef John noted.\n<\/p>\n
The cafe has received notable visits by former WWE stars such as Maven, Gail Kim, Enzo Amore, Victoria, Mickie James and Lio Rush who came to the Harlem spot.<\/p>\n
Maven Huffman, a WWE Superstar-turned-YouTuber with almost one million subscribers, featured a profile documenting the cafe on his channel. The video has since received over 400,000 views, titled \u201cI Ate at the World\u2019s Only Wrestling Restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Squared Circle Cafe opened their first physical Harlem location in February 2026 and has since scaled their notable social media presence on Instagram to about 30,000 followers. For a niche restaurant centered on wrestling culture, that online following has helped turn the cafe into more than a local lunch stop.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re the only one of its kind. There really isn\u2019t any other wrestling-focused places in New York City or the East Coast, nor anywhere in the United States that\u2019s very focused on wrestling like we are,\u201d Chef John said.<\/p>\n WWF New York operated in Times Square from 1999 to 2003. Owned and operated by the WWF, it was world-renowned as the premiere wrestling establishment that reflected the height of WWE\u2019s mainstream popularity during the Attitude Era, combining food, entertainment, merchandise and live wrestling culture in one location.<\/p>\n More than two decades later, The Squared Circle Cafe carries on that tradition.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAs much as you wanted to have all of those things there that was WWF\/E New York, we\u2019re a little bit more than that and it\u2019s not just WWE,\u201d Chef John said. \u201cSo everyone else can come in here and enjoy whatever wrestling they like.\u201d<\/p>\n Chef John welcomes non-wrestling customers as well, acknowledging that it\u2019s a great place to get lunch and eat. This is due to the intimate and respectively small feel of the cafe that other restaurants may not have.<\/p>\n<\/a>Customers enjoying the cafe.Photo by Lamont Jackson<\/p>\n