Strangeways Coffee

Unpretentious independently owned establishment with some of the best coffee in Bushwick. Small space with a simple, but interesting menu, with very reasonable prices. Huge bonus-​the name is a reference to my favorite Smiths album.
The owner seems like a really nice guy-​not a capitalist hipster douche like many new business owners in this area. My cold brew was incredible-​flavorful with perfect level of acidity. They have soy and almond milk. Cash only!

Favorite espresso in Bushwick… They take a lot of pride in their coffee and it comes through 100%! Super consistent, and Eddie is super nice.

Eddie’s coffee brainchild Strangeways is a punk rock, caffeine addict, indie dream. I was roaming the streets of Ridgewood in search of a nice cup of coffee. And I wanted to go somewhere different. I pretty much felt like Goldilocks. I went to one shop and it was more of a bakery and then I went to another shop and it felt like a small town deli and then finally stopped into Strangeways. I could tell by the sign of a purple, devious cat sitting in a coffee mug that I had found my new spot.
As I walked in my eyes began to wander to all the interesting knick-​knacks all over the walls and little shelves. The place is small and intimate. There is still a nice amount of seating in the front area and the outside. There is a lack of restrooms, which is a pet peeve of mine. That would be the only con for this place. I admire the shops love for skulls, Mexican religious candles, cats and Death Traitors. One of my favorite pieces is their «Cat High» poster of a variety of cats in human clothes posing for their class pictures. Hilarious!
Back to coffee, they serve both independent and equally cool Four Barrel coffee from San Fran and local coffee roasters Lofted. Damn! The coffee is superb. Even today’s latte was extremely creamy and delicious. It made me happy. And it’s sometimes the little things that make life enjoyable.
I must also mention that the treats are from Balthazar. Balthazar is one of the best bakeries in NYC. I don’t think people in NY are familiar with a true scone. If you want to have the perfect scone and an equally mouthwatering coffee concoction this is your place.
Also the double vision Bart Simpson tee for the shop is perfection. And I cannot forget to mention that Eddie is always working and super friendly.

An unassuming gem; small, in-​and-​out vibe, but excellent personable service and good music choices. Small amount of seating for ~ 10 people. I hope to be back when I’m in Brooklyn again!

The best espresso in Bushwick (provided Eddie is pulling the shot). Expensive, and wish they had a bathroom, but the espresso is poppin.

I drink a lot of coffee and Strangeways is one of my favorite coffee shops in New York City.
This place is unpretentious, it’s serving top-​notch espresso but without the snobbery.
Unlike a lot of other new businesses in Bushwick, Strangeways actually seems like it fits into the neighborhood, it feels like it’s their to serve everyone, not just the yuppie hipsters that have started to move into the neighborhood.
If you’re an espresso drinker, you’ll notice that the shots they pull at Strangeways are a little different than what you’ll get at most coffee shops in New York, but don’t be afraid, it’s a little longer and thinner bodied than what you might be used to but it’s sweet, complex, and delicious.
There are only like two people that work at Strangeways and they’re both pretty cool guys.

Pretty straight forward place to pick up a top quality drip coffee. I couldn’t stay and hang out but I found the place cosy and quiet. The barista was super nice and friendly. I don’t have many demands, quality coffee and affordable work for me anytime.

Fantastic coffee/​latte/​espresso, friendly owner, great tunes. I live about 150 feet away from Strangeways, and it’s a struggle not to go here every morning/​multiple times on the weekend. I generally brew my own coffee using Trader Joe’s beans in the morning in a mad scramble to get to work on time, and the entire morning I’m having an internal debate if I should go to Strangeways and chuck the homebrew.

Coconut Espresso Drink — TMA to the max. ‘Nough said. Not to mention, the owner (eddie) and his radical staff are all super coffee nerds so there is something for everyone. If you want a super banging cup of coffee or nerd out on the weight of water at different temperatures — they got you.

If you’re looking for a coffee shop where the baristas play some chillwave shoegaze while wearing clothes out of some sort of period piece then this place may not be for you. However if you are looking for carefully curated single origin coffee then you should definitely check this place out. What it lacks in frills this place makes up for with a cutting edge coffee selection. They carry four barrel coffee from SF as well as a local Bushwick roaster. At any given time they have 5 or 6 different coffees to choose from all from single producers no blends or decaf. These people know their stuff. They pull a beautiful long espresso not some sort of 90s ristretto. Beautiful and delicate. Grab a coffee or a coconut and people watch on the benches outside.

Extremely high quality coffee and a barista who takes his job seriously. This was my first time (had the Ethiopian ice coffee). Plan to come back.

Coffee is not good.
I work in coffee, and Strangeways doesn’t make it well. I have tried their drip, espresso, and latte. Drip is too watery/​made with too much water, espresso is under-​extracted, and latte milk was borderline cold (100 degrees).
Suggestions for the owner/​workers:
Drip — Lower the ratio of water to coffee by 0.04−0.05 gallons on your Fetco.
Espresso — Make sure everything is dialed-​in at all times. Espresso should be like whisky. At least, make it taste stronger than weaker.
Latte Milk — Make sure it is between 120 – 150 F degrees. I suggest making it more towards 150 F degrees since Americans are used to hotter drinks.
The coffee beans that Strangeways uses (Four Barrel) are good. However, the brewing execution by Strangeways is not very good.
Specialty coffee requires precision. Strangeways is not precision coffee.
This place has a lot of potential if the owners care to put the effort into making their coffee good.
Variety Coffee Roasters is a few blocks away and makes consistently great coffee that they roast on premises. I suggest going there for made-​to-​order coffee.
Otherwise, the retail Four Barrels coffee beans at Strangeways is decently fresh.
Also, change the music. There is a reason for why nobody wants to stay inside the café, which is a shame because the interior design is really nice. Nobody wants to listen to that.
Lastly, lower your prices a bit. I know that Four Barrels is expensive, but its Bushwick. I haven’t paid more for coffee in the entire city. Come on.

The best coffee spot I’ve been to in all of NYC. And they’re one of the very few places that regularly brews and sells Four Barrel beans from San Francisco. Four Barrel consistently roasts some of the best coffee and they are hard to find on the East Coast. The dude who runs this place is super nice and knowledgable. He always seems happy to talk about what they’re brewing at the moment. He obviously cares about Espresso, too, as they use single origin beans and definitely spend time getting all the parameters dialed in for whichever type they’re using. Worth a visit even if you’re not particularly close.

An intensely satisfying coffee experience.
Owner/​operator Eddie Cedeno is a specialty coffee «true believer» who radiates enthusiasm and passion as he greets customers and discusses his product. This is based on his extensive experience in most aspects of the coffee business.
This is a coffee shop for people who care a lot about coffee. Carefully chosen origins. Custom single cup brewing.
While obviously a neighborhood resource, Strangeways is definitely worth a trip out of one’s way as well.

I appreciate having this establishment in my hometown and nobody is competing in the area. Great coffee being brewed and sold. Have a cortado, chill, and listen to some dope tapes.

I’m not even allowed to drink caffeine and I can’t help myself. There are a lot of coffee spots in Bushwick but this is by far my favorite. Super rich and creamy espresso. Everyone’s friendly. Two thumbs up

Great neighborhood spot with good light and room to work.
They don’t treat you like a ‘consumer’ and aren’t ironic about what they are doing, ‘selling coffee.’ I like that. Personally am not that interested in ‘frills’ like ‘smiling…‘
They always have the Times and the Post — no one else does this!!!
If you want to experiment with drinking black coffee, I would say start here and earn some respect from these baristas in particular.
FYI cash only, americanos $ 3
This summer should prove whether or not they are the reigning kings of Bushwick iced coffee. I say they are front runners based on a recent brew I had
Not a punch card type spot

Great espresso. Knowledgeable staff. Killer tunes.
…And a bike tire pump! Thanks for the fill!

Breaking news: smiling when you are pulling a shot or interacting with a customer does not make the espresso less enjoyable. Quite the contrary.
Coffee is otherwise good and the menu is very clever.

Coffee was good, glazed donut was good and it was reasonably priced for a non-​chain, non-​bodega café. I had Columbian coffee and added sugar; it was strong and had no after taste.
Barista was strange but not in a bad way, almost in a Lynchian way. Which made sense to me on my way to work. Great little addition to my neighborhood.