New Restaurant, “Chix” Opens On Madison Avenue
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
By Wilfred Jones Jr. | March 3, 2026
About The Owner
Maher Al Naisani, the owner, is a 37-year-old Arab-American. He immigrated to the U.S. in pursuit of finding better health care for his daughter, who suffered from brain damage. He traveled to various countries, including Turkey, before settling in the state of New York. From there, he worked at a pizzeria for 10 years before deciding to start his own business. He has since built his own restaurant with a variety of items on the menu, from waffles to gyros and even pasta dishes. This is a one-stop shop for group hangouts if everyone can't decide what to eat.
About The Restaurant
The restaurant's name is ChiX, chosen by one of Al Naisani's friends. The name is derived from Chi (as in chicken), and the X stands for mix, reflecting the restaurant's variety of dishes. Al Naisani wanted to put his own spin on food. In an interview, he states that “I don’t want to be classic, I want it to be different,” which is why he came up with the staple for the restaurant, which is waffles and chicken burgers. What sets his restaurant apart is the quality of its food. He believes that when a customer pays for food, they deserve the best quality available. In pursuit of this mission, every piece of meat is fresh and not frozen. He has fresh meat delivered every two days, so all the food is of the highest quality. This applies to fruits and vegetables; the only items frozen are appetizers, such as onion rings or mozzarella sticks. Navigating their social media and website, you will see AI-generated photos of food supposedly sold at the restaurant.
When asked about the AI food images, Al Naisani explained that "as a new restaurant, we used AI-generated visuals temporarily while preparing professional photography for our real dishes. However, everything you see on our social media reflects our actual food and presentation.” In a couple of days, the restaurant will re-upload authentic photos of its food to demonstrate the quality of its work.
Personal Review
I think as prices rise, it's harder to find restaurants that serve fresher, higher-quality food. Which is why I gravitated toward this restaurant over ones closer to me. You can taste a higher level of quality in the food served at ChiX. Furthermore, as someone with a couple of allergy restrictions, I have found them incredibly accommodating, substituting ingredients in their dishes to meet my needs. I went last night and spoke with a patron who said they've been coming for the past three weeks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because the food is very high quality. Whether you're an on-campus student who's tired of the same choices that are on campus, or an off-campus student who's just looking to switch up their palate, ChiX is a solid recommendation for any time of the day. Also, it's a block away from Hudson Avenue for all those partygoers who just want a quick bite.
From crepes, to tenders, to even chicken and waffle sandwiches, ChiX has something for everyone.