Strange Brew Cafe

Been coming here for years because it’s located steps away from my apartment. The food is amazing. You can tell whoever is running that kitchen actually cares. The baked goods, breakfast sandwiches and pretty much everything on the food menu is FIRE. However, the coffee is pretty mid though. They definitely think they know what they are doing with coffee but I think they dropped the ball on this aspect. The coffee just isn’t good no matter what I try it tastes weak, watered down, milk to coffee ratio is off and tastes very cheap. For the price of the coffee it should be a premium place to get your morning brew. I recommend the owners of this place go to 7 Brew and figure out what they do right with coffee. Also they seem to have like 3-5 workers in the front sometimes and yet service is still super slow even when the line is just a few people. The baristas need to focus on coffee and less talking because people need to get to work or school and we don’t have time for their gossip. Seems to be no hustle in the front, food will come out quicker than drinks. Overall, this place is good but I would like to see the coffee improve.

Coole vibe coffee shop with baked goods, food menu and of course...coffee. They didn't have seasonal drinks but they do have plenty of Monin flavors. The iced mocha came with a chocolate truffle! Definitely worth visiting!

Coffee and pastry place in town. Seating outside and inside. Quick service. All the muffins and cakes and scones are…healthy. Sugar free or fat free or lactose free or gluten free or whatever. Not for me. But my kids seemed to like it. ♿️

This was a really good place to go grab a cup of coffee but very busy of course with SUNY Binghamton students definitely enjoy the visit. I miss Java Joes.

Our agency recently was provided a very large catering order from Strange Brew- and we could not have been more pleased with the outcome. The ordering was done via email and was so easy. They were able to make adjustments to suit our Gluten Free needs. The payment and delivery were also very easy. Their staff showed up on time, set up, and ensured we had everything we needed. They were so kind and professional through the entire process. Our guests loved the fresh food and hot coffee. We even had a self described "coffee snob" say this was the best conference coffee ever. We felt Strang Brew respected everything we asked for and exceeded expectations. Thank you, Strange Brew!

Had breakfast here and ordered the vegan Tofu scramble with mushrooms, onions and vehan cheese with breakfast potato's. Really good scramble! I always appreciate when places that are non-vegan offer these options for us! Coffee was also really good!

Got the 21-22 iced latte. It was delicious, a nice mix of flavors. Very friendly staff and delicious drinks. A very nice atmosphere and cool decorations on the wall

Fun, busy upbeat cafe with delicious food and terrific drink options.

Strange Brew Cafe is a decent local option for a caffeine fix and casual breakfast/lunch in the heart of downtown Binghamton. The interiors are tastefully decorated with funky wall art and pictures of celebrities sipping caffeinated beverages, with a playlist of popular songs from the 90s for music. They have a very small patio area out front and a couple tables inside, and seem to do a lot of grab-and-go takeout business. The staff I encountered were all very friendly, and menu prices somewhat reasonable. Since it was breakfast time, we went with a bagel (with cream cheese) and egg & cheese sandwich for food, and a mocha and cappuccino for drinks. All were of decent quality, so I'd rate them an overall 4.5 out of 5, and am happy to round up due to the nice interiors, friendly service, and cool, local vibes. The egg & cheese sandwich was prepared with a tasty bread that they said was made in-house. If you find yourself in downtown Binghamton looking for a local spot that's a good alternative to chains like Panera or Starbucks, I recommend a visit to Strange Brew Cafe.

Entering the cafe was a little sketch as there was someone on the street outside the Salvation Army next door randomly screaming at us, but once we were inside everything was a dream. This is a humble, warm, comforting cafe. It's like walking into a hug from a friend. The barista was very smiley and friendly. Decor is understated but cool. The playlist was a VIBE. Indie gem after indie gem. Arctic Monkeys? Yes please. I got the 21-22 latte, their take on a caramel macchiato with caramel, hazelnut and vanilla topped with caramel drizzle. Indulgent and more sugary than I'd usually go for, but when a place has something out of the ordinary on their menu, my philosophy is to go for it. A little on the pricey side, but that's just life these days. Wonderful little third space open later than many of the other cafes in town. Worth checking out!

Second time stopping here while roadtripping out to the east coast and I can tell you it won't be my last. This time I stopped for lunch and the Shroomwich was something that surely I will be thinking about for the next few days. It has mushrooms and roasted red peppers and cheese (I subbed vegan) melted to perfection. Normally it has pesto but that's not vegan so she recommended I sub hummus and wow! The sandwich was toasted to perfection and I honestly want a second one. My husband got grilled cheese that had Mac and cheese inside and said his was awesome too. I love how they have lots of vegan and gluten free options AND decaf espresso. Interestingly they gave us little truffles with our drinks which weren't vegan but I'm sure my husband isn't mad that he gets 2. Also, now that it's summer I found out they have outdoor seating as well! This place couldn't be more perfect.

Nice little café with seating indoors and out. Quick service. But everything seems so healthy. Gluten free, fat free, sugar free; I like muffins from the pre-healthy era. But that's just me. My kids loved it.

I will be dreaming about their Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso (with cinnamon) for days to to come. We were visiting the area and wanting to try a local coffee/breakfast spot. So glad we tried Strange Brew! The coffee was AMAZING and so flavorful. I've had a lot of shaken espressos, and although they are simple, they CAN be very different from establishment to establishment. This one was amazing. And their Garden Sandwich was soo fresh. The goat cheese was an amazing touch. Very good bagels. We didn't have to wait long for our order either! Very easy to order online. We were lucky and got parking right out front. Will definitely try to stop here again when visiting!

We always stop at Strange Brew Cafe on our way back from the lake house but this will likely be our last time here. The bread that comes with sandwich I ordered wasn't available - they were out. The girl we ordered from said the sandwich wouldn't hold up to the thin white toast so said it should be on the Asiago bread. And then proceeded to charge an up charge for the Asiago. If you are OUT of the right bread you should not CHARGE for the substitution. I questioned it and the girl got nasty. Not a great experience

Friendly service, strong coffee. Stopped in on a Monday morning and this spot was bustling! Ordered a large coffee and Brooklyn egg sandwich on house-made bread. It was a 5-star egg sandwich - crispy bacon and perfectly folded eggs. We fought over who got the last bite! Such an amazingly simple, well-made breakfast sandwich. Great location, just off State Street, with cozy indoor and outdoor seating.

I needed coffee. And I love a local coffee house! Lots of drink options. I opted for a hot lavender latte with oat milk. It was delish!

Was let down when I ordered a "melt" and got a cold sandwich. The espresso drinks are fine.

Cute little cafe for breakfast/brunch/lunch. We were lucky to get the last available table as soon as we walked in. I really enjoyed my chai latte, but found the croissant to be just ok.

I stopped in for a snack recently and was a little disappointed, but it may just be what I ordered. I had a blueberry coffee cake, which is GF and vegan, and a matcha latte. The coffee cake was okay but reminded me of getting a cheap packaged baked good because it was cool and a little hard, and the crumb topping was kind of caked on top as if it had been plastic wrapped. Even if they can't serve it fresh for whatever reason (be it that it's outsourced or that they don't sell enough to always have a fresh batch on hand!, I think it would have had a better texture at room temperature. I know gluten-free often means some compromise on texture but I've had better GF baked goods. IMO, this would be worth getting if you want/have to eat GF or vegan, but otherwise I'd say try something else. The matcha was what was really a letdown. I'm realizing that it may not be possible to get really good matcha in Upstate NY, but this one was just clearly very artificial. It was mostly mixed well, but there was one spot of powder on the cup where I could see the separate blue and yellow food colouring in the powder. It must be the same mix they use for bubble tea, which is one thing when used in bubble tea, where some people expect and actually enjoy that saturated artificial flavour, but not acceptable in an actual matcha latte. My other gripe is that my coffee cake for dine-in was served on a paper plate, but people who ordered hot food were getting actual ceramic plates. I don't get why they don't have small ceramic plates for baked goods if they can use them for hot food. And ceramic mugs/glasses for drinks wouldn't hurt either. Still a cozy place. It was very busy this time and the staff seemed very focused on just churning out everyone's orders, but they weren't unfriendly even if they were preoccupied. I'd give this visit 2 stars but I'm leaving 3 stars as an average of this and the previous visit. I'd definitely go back, I just know now to avoid certain items.

Have been to Binghamton a few times on my layovers (I'm a flight attendant) and have wanted to try this place for a while. Finally decided to go and......a little disappointed for one single reason but happy with what I ended up with. So the reason I was disappointed was because they don't do decaf espresso. I can't have regular espresso cause it's too much caffeine for me. It makes me shake and I get a bad headache. Because of this I was unable to order a latte which made me super sad. The guy taking my order told me they had decaf iced coffee and I think he said hot coffee as well. Was never big on iced coffee but since it was decaf I decided to give it a try. I told the guy I wanted cream and mocha and I wanted it to taste more like mocha than coffee. He made the drink for me and it was honestly perfect. The mocha they use is really good and mixed in the coffee was great! I was kinda scared it would make me shake or get a headache but that didn't happen. If I get that layover again I would actually go order an iced coffee again. And it was less than $5! If you do check this place out tho, it'll be PACKED. The place was full of people both inside and outside. So that alone says it's delicious.

Small but cute! If you have 4+ people in your party, you have limited seating! Menu is creative combined with traditional options. Staff seems just the right amount of friendly Food is good. The turkey brea sandwich was delicious. Worth checking if you are just driving by or living in town

The staff is very friendly and the mocha was great ! However, wouldn't recommend the coffee cake. Other than that it's definitely worth a try

Bagels were good, but too much butter; if you don't like a lot of butter you might want to request light on butter.

Strange Brew is absolutely a 5 star cafe with great service, great nitro, and great breakfast sandwiches. I got the California sandwich and went back 2 days later while visiting to get it again. It has hummus and salsa which makes it super unique from any other bagel sandwich I've ever had. Perfectly toasted, and just so delicious. I got one of the flavored nitros the first day, but it was too caffeinated for me so got a regular iced coffee the next time. Both were awesome. I love when coffee places flavor their beans instead of solely offering syrups and sweeteners with so much sugar! I also was very particular about ensuring everything I had was dairy free as I was going to a wedding later that day, and the woman at the counter was thoughtful in answering my questions. Anytime I'm near Binghamton I will be going out of my way to visit Strange Brew!

Really good coffee, really great crew. Locally owned and managed. This is the kind of cafe you want to see succeed!

For our first time at Binghamton, I had several options to grab coffee, and considered coming here. I ordered a hot chai latte and also got a hot mocha and both tasted so delicious! The inside of the store was so cozy and I enjoyed how it had seating options although it was a smaller coffee shop. The drinks came out quick and the baristas were very welcoming and helpful. Would definitely recommend if you're in the area!

Absolutely delicious food and coffee was perfect! We go every time we visit our son! Clean and friendly staff.

Super cute place, great selection of coffees and foods. Great ambiance, with indoor and outside seating. Coffee was great. Highly recommend!

Wonderful find! Great coffees and pastries. Fun place and amazed how Binghamton is coming back! More to explore!

Been here a few times as an out of towner. Really nice spot. Friendly staff. Very solid breakfast menu made fresh in house. Very good breakfast- highly recommend.

We love love this cafe The Americanos are perfection! My husband and myself love the vibes as well as the people who work there. They actually listen to how you want your coffee and are very accommodating. The breakfast, freshly made juice and sweets are very good as well. We highly recommend you visit.

Tasty oatmeal with berries and nuts. Great variety of breakfast sandwiches. Fun, inclusive vibe right in downtown.

Food is really good for a coffee shop. The coffee is a decent local roast. Fun environment. Service was great.

Loved this cafe! My daughter and I shared a chicken ranch mac&cheese that was absolutely delicious. The best Mac & Cheese I've had eating out in a long time. We also shared a turkey, apple, brie melt on focaccia. It was also yummy but my taste buds were all about the pasta. The cafe is small but cute. The staff is friendly and the service was great. I'm sure I'll eat there again the next time I'm in the area.

Fantastic breakfast spot! Makes great sandwiches! I had the California with bacon (egg, avocado, Swiss, hummus, salsa) on their house Asiago bread. Great flavors and the bread was crunchy, toasted perfectly, and so tasty! My husband just had a plain egg and cheese sandwich and thought it was perfect. Their breakfast potatoes are super good too! Huge portion and a ton of seasoning and peppers. They also have omelets and bagels, and lots of coffee choices of course. Breakfast is served all day. They have a decent lunch selection as well. Salads, sandwiches, Mac n cheese selections, and a Mac n cheese grilled cheese. Service is good, everyone is nice and upbeat. It gets busy, so you might have a wait sometimes. Pretty small inside, but there is outdoor seating as well. Prices are average, and the food is fresh and worth it!

Enjoyed the nice vibe, friendly service, excellent coffees, delicious omelette with arugula salad and sourdough toast at Strange Brew! Tried my first Nitro Brew! Will definitely return when we visit our son at Binghamton Univ again! Thank you!

Ordered a cinnamon raisin bagel to go. Took 35 minutes to get my order and it made me late for a meeting. The food was ok, but I'll go somewhere else next time.

Delicious coffee! Coolest and fanciest building you'll ever have a coffee in! Downtown Binghamton has lots of neat old brick buildings and factories, but the old dwelling that Strange Brew Cafe is housed in, takes the top spot. It's got curves and smooth lines. The Cafe has wide windows. There are awnings and fancy colors and holes in the in-betweens. The coffee here is anything but strange. The coffee is hot. The coffee flavors are neat and varied; from Jamaican to Hazelnut to Chocolate and even a coffee called a '21 espresso' (which is just a number, not 21 shots I recall). All coffees can be sampled in a small cardboard cup first - which is such a simple, such a novel and ridiculously easy way to make sure that people get the coffee that actually fits their pallets. Sample it first, just ask! I got the hazelnut brew coffee with a shot of caramel and it was decently strong, quite fragrant and flavorful. I added some brown sugar, which I do not usually do - and it was like a miracle waking up. Outside I sat at a table near the street and snapped some pics of the Strange Brew Cafe, which is really the HOTTEST SPOT in downtown Binghamton, NY to get some Joe. Next time I come here, I'll make sure to get more baked goods (which are made here and are SIMPLY TASTY). They have brioches, croissant, brownie bits, pieces of fruit pies, tarts, cookies and lots more. The staff here were so friendly (early in the morning) it was a delight. Strange Brew Cafe can not be recommended enough. It is a busy spot: maybe plan on eating in your car (not enough seats, tables for all the thirsty patrons) or take it on your morning walk. Rebel review: 5++

I got a caprese grilled macaroni & cheese sandwich. It was delicious! People there were very nice.

To me, just meh. Maybe I have to lower my bar when reviewing upstate? Ok. Then make it three ;)

Everything about this place is amazing. From the vibe, the food, kind staff, and great coffee. I went here for lunch for the first time and was blown away by how good the food was! I got their Pulled Chicken pressed sandwich on their asiago house bread with Chicken Corn Chowder. WOW, absolutely fantastic, seriously best sandwich I've had in the area, and the soup was incredible. I also got an Iced Latte which was great! I'll definitely be back, especially for their delicious looking breakfast!!!

Strange Brew Cafe is an EXCELLENT place for really good coffee and food. Their Nitro Brew is my absolute favorite. It's super delicious and definitely a drink you need to try at least once it your life. It's so cool how it pours straight out of the tap. It looks like a Guinness almost, but tastes even better! The owners of Strange Brew are also incredibly kind and hard working people. They've done an amazing job to create a charming atmosphere that makes for a cute date or a cozy spot to hang out with some friends.

Great food and drink! Felt a bit pricey but the fresh ingredients, homemade food and friendly service makes it worth it. The space can be crowded, so be prepared to wait for seating or get your food to go.

One of my favorite coffee place in town. Coffee is great and fresh. The baristas are super friendly and service is pretty good. Definitely give their ice 21/22 a try, if you like your coffee a little sweet.

Stopped by here on a drive to Buffalo and can confirm that it's the best coffee I've had in a long time. They unfortunately don't sell beans and I'd say that's the only shortcoming.

Cool vibe and really nice service. Didn't quite have what I was looking for but made a decent alternative. Definitely pricey maybe pricier that Starbucks

this was the cutest place!! matcha was so good lunch was amazing! there's street parking and a very cheap parking garage right next to it

Decent coffee, which is okay. Snippy, bitchy customer service, which is not okay. I won't bother spending money there again.

A charming little nook in downtown Binghamton. I typically get their teas, which are loose (not bagged) and generously served in a big mug while dining in (under non-pandemic circumstances). A nice place to relax on a cold winter day. I haven't tried their Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich but I've heard rave reviews from friends.

Strange Brew smells like delicious warm coffee. I stopped here on a rainy Labor Day weekend and found the staff and customers to be friendly and welcoming. Well needed in Binghamton, not much open during the holiday. Good food.

Strange Brew is a tiny little cafe that's easy to miss. However, it's pretty impossible to get a table in there. They have the best coffee in the area and an extensive menu. The staff is super friendly and always accommodating. No complaints!

Ordered an americano, no additions. Worst ever!!! Tasted so strong and burnt, couldn't drink it! A waste of money!

Gets busy during the morning as expected but food is a reasonable wait. You can make any of the omelettes vegan for an extra $4.00. I got the mushroom one and it was one of the best tofu scrambles I've had- surprisingly crispy??!! Alternative milk options for all the coffee as well.

We stopped at Strange Brew for lunch while heading further north. It's a cute little cafe that specializes in coffee and also makes some small plates to knosh on. Unsurprisingly, it was filled with Binghamton students and their laptops when we came in. The first thing that caught my eye about Strange Brew was the awesome decor they had! Almost all of their art referenced pop culture and it was so clever and creative. I especially loved their tribute to Breaking Bad. To eat, I got the Mac and Cheese with a cappuccino to wash it down. Both arrived at my table super hot, and remained hot for quite some time after. The Mac and Cheese tasted extremely homemade and was delicious (and I'm not saying this a biased hangry person). The cappuccino was nice and strong and perked me right up. Other people in my party got the pulled chicken sandwich and the breakfast wrap. They concurred that their choices were great too. The service was decently fast and friendly. Every employee and transient customer wore a mask. If I ever visit the Binghamton area again, I would gladly return to Strange Brew.

We came in around 9:30am, it was a bit crowded, but not really. We got a Caribbean smoothie which had pear, strawberry and pineapple in it, mocha frape, and a small cappuccino. To eat we had homefries, chocolate crissont, a cream cheese bagel, and a egg and cheese sandwich on house bread. They have a pretty casual environment. I love their decor. They have tables and chairs that can sit 1-4 people at each table. They also have 2 couches that can sit 4 people comfortably. Their cafe was really clean and neat. The cashier was really friendly. We got our drinks and sat down to wait for them to call our name for us to get our food. The smoothie was good, as well as the coffee and frape. Their coffee comes in huge ceramic cups if you order to stay. It didn't take too long for us to get our food. If you would like your bagel toasted, you should let them know while you order, because they don't toast the bagel. But it came with a generous helping of cream cheese. The chocolate crissont tasted nutty and rich with a hazelnut flavor in the chocolate. The sandwich was really good, their house bread is so fluffy and they toasted it just right to also be crispy on the outside. Overall they were amazing. The homefries are SO GOOD. They are full of flavor with the freshly fried onions, potatoes, and red peppers. Overall thwy

Been patronizing this place while visiting Binghamton with a Broadway Tour. Clumsy waiter knocked into my table spilling hot coffee all over my leg. He apologized as my leg was scalded. I asked if he could, at least, comp the coffee. He said it was up to the manager who would be right out. Rather than being visited by the M.O.D. I was summoned to see The Manager who was very put out to have to deal with such a "Trivial Matter." He said he'd refund the coffee, tapped the screen in front of him and said he'd refunded my credit card. My purchase is reflected on my card but 12 hours later there has been no refund. Having many years in the Hospitality Industry I recognize how Not to deliver Service. :(

The greek salad was fantastic, the dressing was light and refreshing and so were the veggies. I enjoyed their beets lemonade. Customer service was OK but it's understandable they were really busy during the lunch hour.