The Coffee Den

The Coffee Den shut down business. :(

It is with some sadness that I found the Coffee Den closed this morning, completely emptied of its contents, too. While my orientation in the neighborhood no longer took me by their storefront regularly, I have so many fond memories of eating cheese sandwiches in the back while my children played with toys. It was a true gathering spot – much, much better than anything else within a stone’s throw. I checked local blogs to try to figure out what happened. The Coffee Den’s own website indicates only that it was sold. I don’t know if this means the new owners will open Coffee Den 2.0 at some point in the not too far future, or if it’s over forever. In either case, Jen and Eddie shall be missed.

the people who work here are super nice (especially the morning girl) and they just let me sit here for as long as i’d like

sign says they open at 7am.
i’ve been by several mornings around 7:30 and they’re still getting ready ie: unable to sell a cup of coffee.
many times i’ve asked for raw sugar (the stuff in the little brown packs, very standard at a coffee house) and they reply, if it’s not in the wood box we don’t have any.
seriously?
can’t understand how small businesses expect to compete and i want them too desperately.

My favorite dens are usually of iniquity, but this one’s not so bad either.
The guy behind the counter is friendly and knows his tea, and the couch in the back is comfortable enough that I want to sit there all day and play on the free wi/​fi. They also have delicious cookies and toys for the kids.
Was that last sentence confusing? The toys are for the kids, not the cookies. Sure, that toddler thought his father bought the oatmeal cookie for him… until I ripped it out of his tiny hand and ran off down the street, laughing.
Some life advice, kid: Nobody likes a crybaby.

You won me over with the $ 3 bottomless cup of coffee… and the cranberry white chocolate chip oatmeal cookie.
It’s readily apparent that this cozy café caters to families, given the little person-​sized chair, random assortment of toys, and a sign in the single restroom (avec jerry-​built* lock) pointedly referencing diapers.
However, the floppy, beaten couch and sturdy low coffee table at the back make for a perfectly reasonable substitute office space on a lazy Friday afternoon.
*I might have just found a new second-​favorite website after stumbling upon this treasure trove of common grammatical errors:

I have been trying to Love the Coffee Den since I moved to the neighborhood almost 3 years ago. I used to live by The Victory and loved the community, the coffee and the service. I was spoiled.
I went to all the coffee places between my apt and the Carroll St subway and found the Gorilla Coffee at the Den to be the best. But after going every day for 6 months, i finally gave up. The employees, contraty to above reviews, were great. They knew me, what I drank, engaged me in conversation. The owners however were always so rude.
The last straw was when I went in on my birthday and realized it was one of the owner’s birthday too. But my cheerful «Happy Birthday! Its my birthday too» was met with a dead panned «Oh. yeah?» i honestly think she thought I was lying.
So I bought myself a coffee pot and now I only go to the den when I forget to buy beans elsewhere. After several purchases the owner said, «You know you get a free coffee when you buy a bag?» well no, I didnt know that. so nice of you to finally mention it.
Today I went to buy my bag of Gorilla beans, having to wait until they open (which I think is rather late for a coffee shop). After ringing me up I asked for my cup of coffee. The girl told me that wasnt how it worked. Even after I told her it was the owner who told me about it. I took my beans and left with out any coffee.
I wont be going back to the den. I really tried to love you Coffee Den. But you made it just too hard. I will stick to Café Pedlar on Court St and the Gorilla mother ship over in park slope.

Great local place with some of the nicest, hardest working folks around. Good selection of juices, stuff for kids to munch and lots of smiles makes me love this place.

Honestly, this place is great. Great coffee and nice place to chill out.

I am really sad to write this, cause this place could really be great. I’ve been going to the music hour on Tuesday mornings for a long time. Gina, who leads the sing-​a-​long– is awesome! Fun for the wee ones without being annoying, like some kids’ singers are. She’s a great musician, well researched, and overly respectful of the Coffee Den in general. Gina is a rare gem in NYC and should be treasured.
That being said, the staff has been so rude, I almost cried today. This is a place where they are hosting a kids’ event. They have toys, and chalk and little chairs, so obviously the owners want kids to feel welcome there. The staff, with the exception of one pretty nice guy (tall blonde who actually smiles), has been dismissive, unhelpful, and appear annoyed and put out to get a simple order.
In spite of that I have continued to tip them well, thinking they were just having a bad day, or were hungover or something, but enough is enough. We shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for bringing our very small children to a music hour advertised by the Coffee Den. All the kids are respectful and well-​contained. The parents responsibly watching over them and making sure they don’t run amok.
I’m not asking for much, just a little edge off the rudeness. It’s only a 45 minute session once a week!

The Coffee Den is a great addition to our «over the BQE» community, has a low-​key vibe, and serves delicious coffee. Why are some of these reviewers so crabby? Sorry our kids and strollers annoy you. It’s pretty great to have a kid-​friendly place to hang out. Frankie is delightful and always friendly and the chicken salad is the best!

For someone who likes to sit in café for hours working on a laptop, the Coffee Den can be perfect. First and foremost, the internet connection is solid. The network gets a different name each day which I like but others might find annoying. Today it is called «eat more bacon».
It’s a small café with a very local feel. Everyone knows everyone and there are often kids running around. There are only a few seats (all near outlets!) so if it’s busy you might be out of luck.
They sell a bottomless cup of coffee for $ 3 and have a decent selection of breakfast food and sandwiches. The baked goods are lacking in general but they have excellent biscuits.
The main thing for me is that it has the right «feel». It’s comfortable and warm and has enough — but not too much — background noise provided by a good range of music (My Morning Jacket at the moment) and steady stream of characters.

The Coffee Den is comfortable and homey. As any good neighborhood coffee shop should be, everyone knows each other.
The staff is responsive and friendly, the food is good, and the coffee is quite fine.
It’s a kid-​friendly atmosphere, but the childless who need to get some work done shouldn’t be scared off. This neighborhood is nothing but kids anyway, so a nice communal spot to work and drink coffee or tea is totally welcome.
And of course, free wi-​fi.
Oh, and try the homemade granola bars. Stellar.

I used to go here and, although I like the owners, the regular staff is grumpy and surly. They also don’t seem to train the staff well as I always have to give instructions on how to make an iced drink. (Among other things, don’t pour the hot coffee directly into the plastic cup before cooling it with milk in another container — you will not only melt all the ice you just poured over, diluting the coffee, but you will melt the plastic cup into the drink so that I get to suck carcinogens.)
The customers in line can also can be rude and crabby. I go to Naidre’s now where most of the staff is friendly (1 in particular is not), they are open to making the drinks the way you want and customers will at least ask if you’ve already ordered before pushing their way to the front of the line to order.

This place makes me smile. It has a great cozy mismatched aesthetic with well loved pleather furniture, little tables and chairs and lotsa fun stuff to look at. there are shelves of 70s kitchenware and old school photos in the bathroom. There’s a table, toys and a chalkboard in the back for kids to play, and a dimestore looking display of treats over and above the usual coffee shop fare. Little boxes of raisins, animal crackers, candy and snack boxes are a sweet touch that makes this place so homey. The staff arevery nice and every song I heard I liked. Oh, and the coffee was very good too.

The food is great, and frankly, I don’t quite know what the other reviewer’s issue around size of coffee is. If you need more coffee ORDER A LARGER SIZE. The prices are very reasonable and the food is really good, esp. the new sandwichs… and the environment is comfy and welcoming.
I love that our neighborhood hasn’t been invaded by chains and that a business run by locals is thriving!

meh. meh. meh. they serve gorilla coffee which is great! cos i love my gorilla coffee. So I still go here. However! A small iced coffee is only about three sips! Too much ice people! and cup so little.
Also, I don’t like coffee shops that close early and CATER TO CHILDREN. Or overpriced ones. Or ones that have slow and sometimes grumpy service too.
**Please note that this review is proof of how small their quantities are. If I had a proper dose of coffee this morning I would not be so grumpy.

I just happened to pop in today — I took a different bus, so I figured I’d get a little something for the rest of the way.
Good things I saw were Gorilla Coffee and pastry treats I suspect are from Baked in Red Hook. (I noticed a honey corn muffin that I passed on… and ended up buying from Baked directly). However, I decided to pass on coffee (having already had a homemade cup of Gorilla).
BIG MISTAKE. I went for an iced green tea. It’s pretty standard — they brew a big batch of tea and keep it in a big jug in the fridge. It was incredibly bitter… like the tea had sat way too long in the hot water to steep. It was so bitter and tannic that it left my mouth feeling parched and sand-​papery. I tried to salvage my iced tea with some honey, but it was beyond saving.
It was just laziness (not paying attention to the tea, which is incredibly easy), or cheapness (not wanting to brew another batch when it’s ruined). I can’t decide.

This place rocks. It’s all about the community… a very friendly place. Their pastries are great, their granola even better, and oh my god, the grilled cheese sandwiches. Also, unlike Naidres, their food prices are more than reasonable — there’s plenty to eat for under $ 5. Cute but not too loud little kids play in the back by the couches. It literally feels like being in your den. Plus you can sit on the benches outside. Five plus stars.