Dear Mama

Dear Mama is the place to go when you miss mama. Great customer service, real coffee, and tasty food. The goat salad is yummy 😋. Robert is the GM; just look for him to be pampered.

Come here to work all the time - fantastic vibes, delicious drinks (I love the MCM latte). Breakfast burrito with the espresso hot sauce is so yummy! Recently tried the burger and it was so good also!

This cafe overall is incredible. Great coffee solid food and pastries. Very clean bathrooms and street parking was easy to find what more could you ask for for a Manhattan cafe . It’s pretty expensive but then again the quality is excellent . Lots of vegetarian and a few vegan options available . My egg croissant sandwich was delicious and croissant was definitely fresh. Tomato bisque soup honestly maybe the best tomato soup I’ve ever had

First and foremost the ambiance of this café is beautiful. I love natural light and that’s mostly what you get here. Great choice of music, this place is such a vibe. Definitely a go to cafe shop for me now. The customer service is patient, welcoming and kind. I normally get nervous when ordering because I don’t know what get. The kind person taking my order explained the coffee specialties. They were so wonderful and informative. I ordered a mocha latte and “the burger w/ everything fries”. The fries were fresh and delicious. The burger was great and not heavy. Overall my experience was great here. You should check it out!

Overall not a bad place if you are in the area - big modern cafe with both non-table and table service with plenty of seats. Had the grilled cheese which was okay - pretty small for the price. Not a whole lot of food options for a place this size though. Pretty much the atmosphere is the reason to come here - not too many places with that modern feel in walking stance

what a gorgeous shop! i really enjoyed my visit here today and will certainly be back. the flat white is perfect and i really recommend the goat salad. so delicious and filling

The staff was so sweet, they let your dogs inside to wait for your order. Coffee is from plowshares native to Harlem, long queue, Beautiful unique space.

Had never been here, but it's a really cute spot! The food was amazing! I had the burger and was amazed at how amazing it was. Definitely one of the best burgers I've had in the city. Staff are really great and friendly! Great atmosphere! Definitely recommend trying it out!

Beautiful spot for coffee, lunch, a first date! I had the croissant & lox and it was one of the best lox sandwiches I've had. I don't know if they make their own cream cheese but it tasted so fresh! I loved the pickle onion on it as well and the everything croissant just perfect coffee was great and they have a ton of pastries options. Big space with sitting area to dine in and they have a killer playlist going on!

The coffee and food is good though a bit pricey. I just overheard someone who appeared to be a manager or owner telling staff to basically bring their tables receipts immediately in order to turn the tables over and not let their customers linger. This is a coffee shop/cafe, I think the point is to have a relaxing environment to hang with friends or do work. They also recently took away a big section that was free seating and made it a part of the table service. I get if there needs to be some urgency if there are people waiting for tables, but in this case there were empty tables and no one waiting. It's disappointing that they would encourage their employees to essentially rush their paying customers out.

Creative menu of both food and drinks. Amazing breakfast choices, well executed and presented; their riff of a Caesar salad, the Julius, is great with smoked chicken and their house made dressing with a little kick (my fave). Also smoothies and cocktails are all well priced and served by a professional and happy staff. It's also a beautiful sun-drenched place to spend some time and meet some neighbors.

I always love the ambience here. This place is airy, spacious, and filled with plants. Very modern and sleek as well. The coffees are great and so is the food. I recently had their Everything Fries and they were the best fries I've had in a long time. Perfectly crisp and delicious!

A wonderful cafe with an abundance of plants and sunshine. This cafe is certainly unique with its calm but upbringing energy. There is a lot of seating available, whether that be for an individual or a couple or party. I ordered the iced matcha with oat and I'm impressed by how good it came out. Matcha is usually a hit or miss here in the city so this was very good. It'll be my go to matcha spot when im in the area. I however do want to try the caramel latte (as the person next to me had it and was raving about it). I also ordered the bacon egg and cheese without bacon. I thought ordering this would reduce the price of it however it was still the same price. I don't think it's fair because it is "thick sliced bacon" which would probably be the majority core of the sandwich and I didn't get it. That's the only reason for the one star. Otherwise, the sandwich was so fire, the sauce that you can choose was Fire. It was FIRE. Anywho there is a no laptop and computer rule on some of the tables, probably because these tables are meant for bigger groups. The service was friendly and top notch. I felt comfortable talking to them without feeling pressured to order right away. Cant wait to come back to try other things.

Everything here was exceptional; my only complaint is that I'm not often in the Columbia University vicinity...if I was, I'd probably live at this friendly, warm, open coffeehouse cum eatery with literally the best matcha latte I have ever had; theirs has lavender in it. The service was also fast and courteous like the people working behind the counter actually wanted to be there and serving. This is not common. I had a matcha latte at a different establishment just now and it feels different, like its twin (lavender) is missing. I hope Dear Mama hasn't spoiled matcha lattes forever for me; maybe it just means I need to find a reason to come back soon!

Although the coffee and the food is good the service rates a zero. Today is was so bad that I walked out after being seated. They really need to get their business process clearly defined when it comes to ordering and sitting inside. I first ordered at the register and the cashier stopped to asked where I was sitting and I said I don't know yet. Apparently they changed the policy you have to order from a waiter. So I grabbed an empty table and was reprimanded for not waiting in some undefined area for a waiter to sit me. When I asked "Exactly what is your process, the waiter's response was "It changes each day". Message to the owner: Train your staff to learn how to treat customers better and clearly define the process of eating in vs eating out. You should always take the customers order and facilitate the seating if needed. Its all about customer service no matter how good your coffee is if the service is bad you might as well be serving mud in a paper cup.

Love this shop and venue, the ONLY reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because I left something at Dear Mama and they do not have a phone number! I can't reach any staff to ask about my belongings and now I have to try to go in the hopes they might still have my item. Very much an inconvenience and not sure if it will pay off. Other than that, amazing spot

This was my second time here and I tried the iced matcha latte and the chicken club sandwich. I am writing this review immediately after finishing the sandwich because of how passionate I feel about it. This is definitely up there as one of my favorite sandwiches I have had. My first bite was absolutely sensational. The crunch of the well-toasted bread and the crunch of the bacon with the crisp of the lettuce alongside the wonderful burst of flavor from the sauce, bacon, and chicken. So damn delicious. I was kind of turned off initially that I was paying like $17 for a single sandwich, but upon opening it and seeing that it was a double decker, I kinda get it. I loved that it was properly packed of all the components so I got everything in every bite throughout the sandwich. The Louie sauce is VERY reminiscent of In-n-outs sauce in all aspects: taste, color, texture. The only noticeable difference I can think of is that I think the mini pickle pieces in the sauce are slightly bigger than In-n-outs, which I enjoyed because it pleasantly added texture. I have been craving an In-n-out burger so I will definitely be back to try their burger (which also is made with the Louie sauce), so I am confident it will hit the spot. Unlike the sandwich, I was incredibly disappointed by the matcha latte because it barely had any matcha taste and tasted mostly of just milk. I asked for more matcha to be put in and was appreciative that they did, but I think its unsweetened matcha or sumn cuz I did get less milk flavor, but I did not get much more matcha flavor either, just more bitter notes. My previous visit, I tried their el barrio BEC, iced Mexican mocha, and sir muffington, all of which I really enjoyed and would get again. The sir muffington in particular I thought was very unique and delicious. The orange center reminded me of Panera's orange scone I used to always get as a kid, so it was a nice lil nostalgic taste as well as just in general tasty. The muffin was moist as well and the mini chocolate chips were well distributed throughout. As for the physical space, I LOVE the windows for walls because I am such a natural light person and appreciate this space as somewhere I can do work and study while enjoying the sunlight. Also, I am very curious to try their happy hour cocktail drinks sometime. Happy hour is 1-6 pm I believe. Overall, highly recommend this place whether it's just to grab food/drink and/or study.

Open, airy spot with great lighting and wifi plus lots of seats. It's right next to a university building so lots of students access this area too. I stayed here closer to closing on a weekday where they had live jazz performances! What a vibe. Definitely want to go back for the jazz and see what's new on their menu. Their menu today is different than when I originally went.

Hey guys I've yelped this place so many times because it's that good listen I had the grilled cheese from there many options I went with the Brie, Granny Smith apple, honey $12 and it comes on sourdough bread guys when I tell it was the most interesting tastiest bites I've had in a while I could not take a picture because my first bite was so delightful it's very flavorful I loved it 10/10 and of course the service here is an A and the most dopest ambiance I love this place pull up guys you won't regret it

The El Barrio B.E.C. remains a standout item, delivering an explosion of flavors that never disappoints. Two fried eggs, tomato, cheddar cheese, thick cut bacon on an Everything Croissant opt for the Maple Velvet sauce. Best breakfast sandwich 9.8 Rating And let's not forget the chocolate chip cookie--a true gem on the menu. Each bite is a perfect balance of crispy edges and chewy center, with generous chunks of rich chocolate throughout. It's the kind of cookie that transports you back to childhood, with every indulgent bite leaving you craving more. 9.7 rating Dear Mama truly understands the art of hospitality, whether you're craving savory or sweet, this spot has something for everyone. Don't miss out on the opportunity to indulge in both the El Barrio B.E.C. and the divine chocolate chip cookie--they're worth every bite!

Loved the aesthetics of this place. My party of 2 got El Barrio BEC and the lox sandwich. Food came out quickly and was pretty tasty and filling. However, I made the grave mistake of ordering the sweet red pepper maple sauce on the side and it turned out she was the star. Never again will I do such a thing. Next time I need my croissant fully smothered in it. I'm not a coffee girl so got an oat chai latte (they state the chai is homemade). There was something missing for me but I couldn't put my finger on it. At $6 it is nice they don't charge you extra for oat milk and that they take 50 cents off if you bring your own mug. Yay for sustainability! I would definitely visit here again if I'm around those parts and would 100% buy that sauce if they bottle it up. Very impressed the staff called my name correctly 4x. I got the warm and fuzzies .

Great place and one of my favorite places for coffee the iced coffee with vanilla tastes really good the food also taste amazing. I've had the avocado toast a couple of times and it does not disappoint.

Love WFH here! It is a little too loud to do Zoom meetings but the coffee is amazing. I love the Overnight Oats and the MCM Latte.

Nice spot near Columbia to do some work. Very spacious and beautiful space! I ordered the iced hibiscus tea and a spinach and cheese pastry. I quite enjoyed the tea; it wasn't too sweet and was refreshing. The pastry was tasty but it would've been better if it was warmed. Service was very friendly and I definitely had a pleasant visit!

I got a latte to sit down. Drink was okay. Not too special. My friend's PSL was overly sweet. However, the atmosphere was great. They had live music for a little bit before using their speakers. Most people are there to do work. It's the perfect place to do so because there's free wifi, ample amount of outlets, and a bathroom available for use.

I went for a walk with my bestie and we came across this coffee shop. We decided to stop in and check them out. It's a very spacious cafe. Lots of tables and chairs to sit on. Also a coffee bar you can sit at as well. There are a lot of plants and an actual tree in the middle of the cafe. The tree is gorgeous. I love the plants all around. They have merch and I am considering purchasing a tote bag. I love tote bags! My friend and I ordered the MCM iced latte. I also ordered a lemon lavender poppy seed muffin. The muffin was sooo good. You could taste hints of lavender and the lemon was nice and strong. The MCM latte has chocolate and chile syrup in it. It's a play on Mexican hot chocolate I believe. It was delicious. Like I could legit drink it every day. The next day I went over on my own and tried the Louie brew. It was good but I'm not a fan of chicory. Overall a cute coffee shop in the neighborhood. The baristas were lovely and I love that they serve the to stay coffees in actual mugs. Very chic!

I'm happy there's a coffee shop nearby that is in a safer location in a glass building that's beautiful and spacious. You get those coffee shop vibes with louder music when you walk in but also see those that are quietly working or talking with a friend. They have outside seating which was far enough apart to feel like you have your own space. Chairs are kind of low (weird critique) - gets awkward because you are close to the table, lol. I did think the music was too loud. I planned to take Zoom meetings I had to take them outside so it wouldn't be disruptive and it was pretty chilly. I did order a side of fries and matcha lattes (both hot and iced) to keep me going for hours. I thought the fries were pretty good for a coffee shop and weren't too soggy/crunchy enough and didn't flop over. Tasted slightly salty too. The lavender matcha latte hot was amazing - you could really taste the flavors better hot and the lavender came out well without being overpowering. What I would definitely not order again would be the iced matcha latte or any iced coffee drink even - most of the cup was literally just ice and my straw struggled through it, haha. I agree with another reviewer in that it would have been nice to see any other option other than breakfast options for a savory vegetarian snack as I didn't want fries to begin with. Overall, I can definitely see myself coming here again - just for independent work and for the hot drinks only!

I have only been here once. I got the campfire latte and oh man was it tasty and brought me warmth and cozy vibes in the NYC winter months! The staff was friendly and the place was clean. They also had a few tables and chairs set up for outdoor dinning. Don't walk but run to get a campfire latte! It will warm you right up and bring you back to sitting around a campfire for days.

My favorite café in Upper Manhattan. It's like a hidden gem. I've loved coming here, getting my dose of unique & tasty sandwich like El Barrio BEC, especially on rainy days and when the Jazz bands are playing. I remember the first time I came here, the barista was friendly and accommodating. Helped me decide what to get instead of rushing me to order. These students are lucky to have this café nearby!! It's spacious and really cozy.

Would I go back? Yes. (There aren't a ton of similar options in the vicinity.) Was the food/drink good? Yes. Sandwich was tasty, drink was fine. However, I was a bit taken aback by the rigidity of the service. I asked for 2 shots of espresso in my Golden Milk latte and was told, "the Chef/Manager really prefers to maintain the integrity of their recipe". Oh, okay. Ordered a cappuccino. Asked for scrambled egg instead of loose yolk/fried egg in the El Barrio, and was told that the server would "get in trouble from their manager" for the change. I could have pressed both issues. But I try to avoid creating negative energy with those who are preparing my food, but, huh .......

Thank you, Columbia University, for using the money for good and creating this very fancy cafe, and then making it open to the public. As I expected, smart business move from the smarties. I like this cafe's food menu, and I appreciate that it stays open longer than the other cafes in the area. The food and select drinks are made to order. They also have pre-mixed bottled cocktails. I tried their El Barrio sandwich which sounded better than it actually tasted. What drew me to try it was the fact that they have an everything croissant. Excuse me?!?! Yes, please! Yet, it didn't stick the landing on taste. I don't like my eggs to be runny in the middle just based off personal preference. It made the sandwich messy. The sauce they add didn't add or take away to the sandwich. However, the bacon was my favorite, thick cut and slightly sweet. It's just my personal preference and next time if I feel for the sandwich again I'll ask for it scrambled. Now, will I ask for it again, if my little college student budget can afford an 7-8, sure. But not immediately. The prices sure aren't college friendly but I hope that the Columbia students receive a discount! It's not my favorite place to study but it's a nice alternative when you need a few more hours to study and there are outlets near most seats, and the service that I experienced was warm and friendly. As always, thank you for the service and God bless you all!

I've always wanted to try this place but ever since the new business school campus was built, but I never got a chance until today. I was very satisfied with the food that I got, even though it was a little bit sweet. I got the MCM latte and Carrot muffin which were both really good. The latte was spicy but sweet and I really enjoyed it. The muffin wasn't warm but I loved how it was decorated with sugar on top and had some jam on the top with chocolate chips on the inside. Will have to come back with my laptop to study and hopefully try some savory foods have some of their salad or sandwiches!

Here is nice and cozy, laidback cafe, good for work and study Matcha latte was pretty good the girl whipped real matcha by bamboo brush. BGM was bit loud but not bothered.. lots of sunlight is plus :) I came around 5 pm, not much bakery stuff left , I wanna try pasty next time .

The service is great, always has seating inside or out. Nice place to read and have a snack. Only complaint is that at times the music here is too loud, hence four stars.

Dear Mama is such a cute spot! The cafe has a lot of plants and spaces for seating. I've tried a few of their drinks, pastries, and sandwiches and have always had a pleasant experience. Great option in the area!

I went to dear mama and I loved it! It's very spacious, lot of seat, lot of natural light and amazing coffee options and food! Highly recommend to go check it out.

The location of the cafe is in a Columbia University building. It is challenging to find the cafe because all the buildings have similar large windows and architecture elements. I rode my bicycle and the best way to get here is ride on 126th and cafe is at the right side. There is a huge tree near the entrance, and pretty distingushable from previous reviews. This place still delivers delicious lattes. I use to patronized their old location in East Harlem. I likened this area much better because of the large ceilings. The majority of the patrons here look like Columbia students. You are not an odd ball if you bring your laptop and get some work done. A great place to focus and get your A's or for my case, bookkeeping for my business. The cookie is delicious as well and they offer to heat it up, and yes, do it.

I've been coming here for about 2 years and something has shifted with service lately. The food and drinks are always amazing, but everyone working seems really unhappy :( they started doing table service in the dining room and I'm always so confused by how they do it. I'm always waiting to pay for like 30 minutes after I'm done. I work at a sports bar so I understand people staying after they're done, but I recommend just asking the customers if they are hanging out or if they want to settle up. I'm also confused why they don't have breakfast cocktails! I would be coming here much more often if they had things like bloody marys. Their bev menu is all evening cocktails which is very confusing for the brand? This place could be so great and less of a bad experience if the service was better. The food is to diiiie for which is the only reason I keep coming back. I'm also shocked at the tip options being 20, 25, and 30 when the service is so incredibly mid. I always tip 15-20, but I'm only tipping 20 when I get great service. I tip 15 here most of the time because everyone working makes me feel bad for being there

Dear Mama is a cafe affiliated with Columbia University that is open to the public. Great place to get some work done, with delicious drinks and pastries, plenty of tables, and free wifi. When I went, they also had some live music provided by student performers.

Great food and service!!!! Will come again! Great atmosphere and ambience, delicious food. Highly recommended!

I've only come to Dear Mama twice but have enjoyed my experience both times. This cafe is located in the Manhattanville campus so it is generally pretty busy with personnel/students from surrounding labs/buildings and it is laptop friendly --except maybe not enough outlets so come prepared. They have a very large space that feels super open and has high rise windows, giving it a lot of nice natural light plus they also have some neutral decor and green plants which gives it a nice ambiance. The first time I came with friends to study a few years ago and we had a table in the back with pretty stable WiFi for the afternoon. I ordered a cold brew which was very good but incredibly potent and had me shaking with palpitations for a few hours (probably great if you really want a kick but I would avoid it if you are feeling well rest-wise.) During my latest time I came with a friend for a coffee at noon. There was a giant line which I imagine is due to a combination of classes starting again for the fall, the lunch rush hour, and how good this place is. The line moved quickly though and we had put in our orders/got our drinks in less than 15 min. My friend and I both ordered hot matcha lattes which were delicious. I got mine with almond milk and the froth was extremely fluffy even though this is generally not the case with almond milk. The matcha was rich and was the right amount of bitter to be balanced out by the milk. Presentation was on point. We decided to sit outside in the plaza since it felt a tiny bit cold inside and the weather outside was pleasant. There is plenty of seating here too. Will definitely be coming back for their drinks and to try one of their very tasty looking food menu items which I haven't had a chance to have! Would definitely recommend.

By far one of the best chai lattes in NYC! However, it is quite pricey for a latte and all the seats were taken at the tables and coffee bar.

This is a great spot to get work done! Plenty of seats, wifi, plugs to charge your devices. The costumer service is wonderful, everyone is friendly and warm! The drinks are great! Especially the st Clair latte. The avocado toast was my favorite thing I've ordered so far 10/10!! I'll be back!

Gorgeous spot, delicious food, great coffee. I'm happy they have a sign on Broadway deli due to the restaurant because I would've never found this place. Service: the staff was so nice. Everyone said hello and was kind and accommodating. When I asked to get my sandwich toasted again, it was absolutely no problem. Seems like a nice work environment. Food: I had the salmon and cream cheese on a croissant and it was so bomb! Make sure you get yours toasted and warm because it taste so much better that way. Rest of the menu looks great and I'll def be back to try more. Coffee: I got the Mexican Cocoa drink that has espresso in it and wow, the flavors were exciting! Great for a cold day when you have the sniffles because there is some spice to it. Vibe: so cool. There's a tree inside and glass walls allows a brilliant amount of light in for pictures or for reading. They have shows some nights (dj sets, blues) and great chill music playing all the time. This spot is great for some alone time, a meeting, anything. Love it.

This is such a cute cafe with a great tasting drink (I've only tried one so far but I have a feeling the others will be good too). It's actually inside a Columbia University building, and there seemed to be a lot of people working/studying in the cafe - so it's a good environment for that, and there's strong university Wifi. It's directly connected to the building, so the bathroom is in the building and therefore you have a clean bathroom for a long work/study day The inside of the cafe is so so cute. Walls are windows and plenty of sunlight comes in, lighting up the entire area and complementing the many plants that are inside. The MCM coffee was really unique. A quick scan of the menu will reveal the many ingredients that go into each item. It's very unique; each drink recipe must have been uniquely created. The MCM coffee was spicy (very interesting) and sweet; their choice of oat milk was definitely good in how it pairs with the other ingredients. Finally, what also makes this place special are the events. Nothing was going on when I was there, but there are regular shows (music), a coffee tasting on Tuesdays, and even a tarot reading on Saturday. Want to come back with friends to check it out - if the tarot reading is free that would be clutch ... trying to stop doing those tho the temptation is so real If I come back and the events are actually not free or something, at least I'll be able to get some brunch. The croissant sandwiches here look good The only thing is that the coffee definitely isn't cheap; mine was about $7. But that's New York in 2022 for you I suppose

Yeah, scroll down... I agree with other reviewers who state comments such as "male server behind the desk is stone-faced, doesn't smile, & has a tone that would make the grim reaper cringe." Lol. Customer service in New York is generally pretty poor but here it's like they are trying to get you to leave the cafe. Very rude.

What i like about this place, besides the bright airy use of the stark metallic feel of the Columbia campus is the vibe. A place where you can get an artisanal breakfast sandwich a solid cup of coffee and if you want a place to get some laptop time in. The music and the staff are hip, and they're ate quick and flexible with the service. You order, find a place to sit and they call your name. I've only been before noon and have always snagged a good seat, I suspect it gets busy by the afternoon, but it's a great place to meet up with a friend/colleague to chat.

I very nice and modern study space that's open till 7 PM. Their food and drinks are a bit pricey but the quality matches the price. Got the lavender matcha with oatmilk and i did not expect it to be as good as it was. And the lox croissant was so fresh tasting.

This is one of my favorite places to visit in Harlem. Great spot to grab a coffee, snack or work from since we've been WFH for sometime now-always nice to switch up the routine. I would highly recommend the Mexico City Mocha or a Dirty Chai-those are my go to drinks! But the star and reason I keep going back is The Notorious BLT 2.0 sandwich. It's vegan, so bomb and everyone I've suggested it to loves it too! I've ordered it on a croissant once and it was FIRE! Note, that doing that is not vegan so don't go making mistakes and blaming it on me. Another suggestion to try (that a server once put me onto) is getting a side of their maple siracha sauce to dip the sandwich into and guaranteed your taste buds will thank you (and me). They also have some good treats for those with a sweet tooth. Can't say it was ever a bad idea to order one of their chocolate chip cookies so take one to go!

We were having dinner nearby but were extremely early, so I looked for a cafe. Google led me to Dear Mama, which is actually inside one of the Columbia buildings. I had an iced matcha latte and it was pretty good. There was live music during our visit - looks like locals performing - which was a nice touch. There were a lot of seats and tables and there were many different customers - friends catching up with a coffee, people working individually on their laptops, etc. A solid cafe in the neighborhood to get some work done or just kill some time.

I was a longtime supporter of Dear Mama East Harlem when I lived on the East Side. Now I live on the West Side and I'm so excited to have Dear Mama again. As I've come to expect, the food is always good (El Barrio forever!!) and service is always efficient and friendly. This space is so large and beautiful. I'm so glad they're in the neighborhood and hope they get to open up an east side location again.

I am absolutely in love with all the plants in this cafe and the ceiling high glass windows that allow the natural sunlight to come into the cafe. There is so much seating and space, which is atypical of nyc cafes. Lots of people on their laptops doing work here and the outlets are scattered throughout the cafe. The baristas were very friendly and I loved the iced caramel latte that I got :) there was also live music while I was here and I'll definitely be coming back to study!

Excellent egg sandwich for breakfast. I've also had the chicken club for lunch which is also quite good. Easy internet access and good atmosphere. Baked goods are fine but could be improved. Services generally very good and for the most part friendly.

Great burger grilled rare. Amazing & generous avocado toast. Really superior cappuccino. Lovely ambience.

Beautiful airy space but they only let you sit at the small tables on the side if you have a computer and it's a little cold

My friend and I decided to check this place out back in March because one of my roommates recommended it, but it didn't meet my expectations. The space was more like an atrium than an actual coffee shop, so the ambiance was not cozy. Furthermore, I did not feel like I wanted to stay for an extended amount of time. I almost wish that we had stayed on Amsterdam Avenue and picked a spot closer to home (back when I lived in Harlem). I was debating whether to order just a pastry or something more substantial, like a sandwich. I finally went with the Not Your Mama's Brisket sandwich, which consisted of coffee-rubbed brisket, apple slaw, gorgonzola, and coffee-cola BBQ sauce on a toasted potato roll. I also added a fried egg, which was an extra $2, even though on the menu it stated $1.25. I requested to be fully cooked, but when my sandwich was served, the egg was still runny. The chef fixed this right away. The sandwich was quite thick, very filling, and proved to be messy. The brisket was tender, juicy, and filled with wonderful, bold flavor and seasonings. The slaw was a nice crunchy addition and tasted fresh. The egg was yummy and mingled well with all the other ingredients. There wasn't a huge amount of gorgonzola though. I also got to sample some of the Sir Muffington muffin, which was absolutely delicious! It was an Earl Grey carrot cake muffin with chocolate chips, orange marmalade, and crumble topping. I could really discern the Earl Grey tea flavor and it was perfect with the sweetly rich chocolate chips. As for the orange marmalade, it was just enough so that it wasn't overpowering. While eating, my friend and I were extremely turned off by the number of fruit flies surrounding our food. For me, that really ruined the enjoyment of the meal. So, although there are a few other menu items I would like to try (Lemon Yuzu Zucchini Bread, Lamington, El Barrio 2.0 breakfast sandwich), I would not return to this location. Perhaps the one in East Harlem is better.

I never would have thought to find this place if a friend hadn't recommended -- it's in the back of a Columbia building and faces out to a pretty big outside area that makes it easy to socially distance. Inside looks like it would be a light and airy place to sit once it's back fully open. Tried the cold brew today, which was excellent, and curious to go back and try the food. It's required to order a meal if you want a beer or cider, but they're selling bottles of wine as well as some other items like granola, masks/gloves, and of course bags of coffee.