Joe Coffee
4037 23rd street, long island city, NY 11101
A womple over Labor Day to see the U S Open Tennis Championships had some of our family searching for a great cup of “joe” prior to hitting the Open. Success! Joe Coffee is a great find in Queens (Long Island City neighborhood) with tasty coffee and friendly people.
Coffee:
The redeye was divine. Great smells and taste of caramel oozing from the cup which was their “Daily” roast. I really wanted to try “Great Heights” as I like to think of it as an homage to the Postal Service tune, but I digress. Others in our group loved the cold brew (they also have a coldstretto in latte and mocha forms that seem to be a signature drink) and the latte. One of my fellow travelers even bought a bag of beans and reported back they were delicious (The Daily).
Barista:
We were early arrivers (as they opened at 7) and we were greeted with a hearty hello and really good service. She was engaging and friendly. I love the fact that they open at 7 as I have found in New York over the years that it is a later opening town for coffee. The pastry selection was small but quite good with the almond croissant and the banana bread leading the way.
Vibe:
Kind of a gritty street in Queens that houses auto repair shops, warehouses and this roastery, shop and testing lab. It seems to fit really well. Queens is so vast and filled with so many neighborhoods ( I was told recently that if Queens was a city it would be the most diverse city in the world), sometimes I find it exhausting to find those nuggets of coffee greatness. Joe’s small shop with its concrete floors, great natural and ambient lighting, small but comfortable seating has a gritty yet homey feel. There were some good tunes emanating from the speakers which also led to feeling welcome.
Make You Better:
I am not so sure of the love for the pigeon as a mascot on the merchandise, but if you go to the website, Joe has a nice selection of merch that probably could include some more options. This is really picky as this fully integrated roastery, test lab, coffee shop has so much to offer. They even have classes ranging from cupping to latte art to triangulation with espresso workshops as well. They have tons of shops in Manhattan but I must say that the Long Island City location is worth a visit. This is a fully integrated roastery who has high quality, a dedication to the growers and environment (Rainforest Alliance) and friendly accompaniment to the coffee ecosystem.
