Rise & Grind

Friendly, affordable, free wifi, and supportive of local artists. Not a ton of seating but worth it if you’re in the neighborhood and can snag a spot!

I got a Caramel macchiato and it was good. It had a mellow after taste and was quite strong.
Just wish they had a bigger space and removed the clutter from the table so there’s more space to spread our work.
Other than that, great experience and great service! Also great price!

Rise and grind, literally what I did.
Sunday morning I had to get some work done, and I’ve never actually been to cafes in the neighborhood. A quick search and I found this cute little hideaway on 2^nd. It was definitely a regulars favorite because for the few hours I was there, the barista greeted everyone by first name and they all knew his name. From other fellow Sunday workers to people going to /​coming from practice, there was a constant flow of people.
Check in for a free coffee with the purchase of a food item. I opted for the turkey bacon, egg, and cheese, although I would definitely select something else next time. It took a good 20 minutes to get my food (luckily I wasn’t in any rush). The barista was working off a tiny little electric skillet, so I’m not surprised it took that long.
All-​in-​all, Rise and Grind has everything you might need early on a Sunday morning. I would definitely come back for the environment.

I was unsure of how many starts to give as my experience here was great. But I did notice they use a nespresso for their coffees ! NESPRESSO?! I have one at home and I do love it for times where I can’t be bothered going out to get an espresso but to go out and buy one I would never do. I didn’t have the coffee and thank god, I had a muffin & hot chocolate of which were both great .
I think I will be back as I’m moving to the area, however not for the nespresso !

Great café and on the Cups app! There are a few places to sit and the wifi works great. The barista was very attentive and friendly. Moreover, the food and drinks were great– I recommend the Raspberry Iced Tea and a breakfast sandwich on an Everything bagel with Turkey bacon.

Just moved to the neighborhood yesterday and came across this place. Love at first sight the interior is super duper cozy, free WiFi from the looks of it, their iced coffee was pretty good (waaaay better than Starbucks) and with the iced coffee cubes it was AMAZING. I got the banana muffin, and omg it wasn’t too sweet or too soft, just the perfect mufffin for mornings. Will definitely be a regular here

Good morning East Harlem! Friendliest of folks. Hip, small but inviting neighborhood coffee shop. Got myself an iced chai… and I’m given the option of iced coffee cubes. Like for real??? A+++

VENERABLE CAFE AND STAFF. I’ve never walked into a coffee spot and felt so welcome as a new customer. Max was helpful as hell, got my order ready in less than five minutes and even took time to chat a bit about my affinity for my military service (Marines).
Starbucks, no longer shall we frequent the enclaves of your franchise monopoly (at least when I’m close to home up here in good olé’ Spanish Harlem).
Message for business: as my community Chiropractic efforts grow, I’ll be back for caffeine. I do not doubt your ability to deliver!

Best place for coffee in Spanish Harlem. Best place for bagels in Spanish Harlem. Best place to make friends in Spanish Harlem. Also yogurt and mom’s granola.

I have been living in this neighborhood for 16 yrs. I always traveled for my expresso until this place moved in. I love being able to stop into a friendly local coffee spot where the expresso is Awesome!
East Harlem now has a cool local spot that serves great expresso.
It’s cool even though the guy running this place is a Tampa Lightning Fan…

I am so happy that I found a coffee shop in East Harlem! I visited this coffee shop on a chilly Saturday afternoon. When I checked in with Unilocal,I received a free cup of coffee with a food purchase. I chose the cranberry muffin. It was delicious, though I do wish that it had more actual cranberries.
The space is tiny — maybe enough seating for eight people, tops. But I doubt that the area is ever crawling with hipsters with Apples. The cashier was extra friendly and was playing music out of his laptop. I would come back if I’m in the area and have time to kill.

HELLLLLOOOOOOO East Harlem!
Rise and Grind.
I just moved from West Harlem to East Harlem…(sigh…i’m getting used to it), and Time Warner was on my shit list for taking forever to get my internet set up, so I needed a spot that I could get some free wifi.
Woke up and Unilocaled some local places (East Harlem does not come equipped with coffee shops… smh) anyway, i picked this one and went to handle some business.
Cutie greeted me when i entered +10
Said cutie offered the $ 1 tea special (tuesdays only) +10
Wifi password clear and visible on wall +10
Excellent music +1
Got my work done and enjoyed the atmosphere +10
I’ll be back… mostly to gaze at the cutie while i attempt to get work done ;)

Coffee with a side of I LOVE THIS PLACE.
I moved to East Harlem about 4 months ago and could not be more enamored with Rise & Grind. The coffee is some of the best I’ve tasted, the staff is super friendly and welcoming and it comes filled with friendly locals — simply everything you want in a coffee joint. It’s pretty much become a second home for me and many in the neighborhood. What’s that saying «Where everybody knows your name»??
I first came across Rise and Grind over the summer. This is also when I discovered THEY HAVE COFFEE ICE CUBES! Mind blown. Their bacon, egg and cheese is made with REAL eggs and REAL cheese (sorry Dunkin Donuts).
But my favorite part about this place is really what they do for the local community. The walls are filled with art from local artists and some of the community centers and schools in the area. And they have an after school program for kids in local community to help them learn life skills and what it’s like to work at a business. Always love a business that gives back.
Two thumbs up.

Great coffee shop!
It is a bit small and not really much space to order but the coffee and pastries are good.

It’s pretty obvious why they chose a location next to a bar (the Duck) for a reason, however… in ironic fashion, they close early, so the business they could get, is taken cared of by the Deli’s around the area. Now normally people like to rant on about the service or the lack of space, but I’d like to focus on the competition… and as a wise man once said; If you can get it cheaper, its worth the extra minute or so.
The problem with R&G isn’t the staff, lighting, or even the seating. Its the attempt at trying to be a coffee shop, while ignoring and downright not providing some of the key elements of a coffee shop. Having a Nespresso machine is probably the biggest faux pas of any shop willing to sell café. Yes you can taste the difference, and yes, its bad. Considering you could find an Espresso machine for 40 greenbacks on Amazon, its just lazy and eyebrow raising, as to why they bought the more expensive/​worst machine.
The random specials are «Okay» but they don’t provide much variety. Currently they’re serving what they consider a «grilled cheese». I’m gonna have to pull a Fresh Prince on this one; If the cheese isn’t dripping off of two thick slices of bread covered in butter and or grease, it ain’t a grilled cheese.
The free wifi is… nice I suppose, but given the space (and or lack thereof) I doubt anyone will be bringing a laptop here to use the web. Unfortunately for R&G its part of a long strip of really shifty and poor restaurants. No one really goes up and or down second ave for the best or even above average food. If I want really good coffee and or sweets, I’ll walk up an avenue and enjoy some from the bakery. You have to stand out in an area like this, and they’re only worth whats on the special board.

Just okay food. I mainly go here just to get work done. It is relatively slow or at least it was when I went.

Tucked away on a block overpopulated with bodegas and seedy looking restaurants, this cozy, clean little café is a most welcome addition to the neighborhood. Prices are very reasonable, the staff is friendly, and credit cards are accepted.
I haven’t even tried their coffee yet, but the food and other beverages are worth mentioning. I had a bran muffin, which was tasty, but the cucumber mint lemonade and maple pecan danish are why I’ll be coming back. I love this place!

Love this place.
One of the few coffee shops of it’s kind in the neighborhood, and it’s great.
Free wifi, good coffee, and nice staff that will let you sit.
Also owned by a family that runs production in the back. It’s cool how they chose to utilize and optimize the space.
The people who work there are also very crush-​worthy (… not to be too creepy).

I love this place. Great coffee, great service and friendly baristas. Max and Yande both take great care of everyone.
The rocky road brownies are DELISH!

Cute, comprehensive coffee shop. Only food available are pasteries, but they look super good.
They use coffee ice cubes in the iced coffee. How nice!
The space is definitely small, but they actually pack in about 8 spots for sitting: one table with two chairs and stools otherwise.
50 cents off when you bring your own cup.