Cocoa Grinder

This is my 4^th or 5^th time at this place and now would have to be my last. I so wanted to love this place. It is really inside and it’s conveniently located. BUT where is the management!!! How is it possible to get my order wrong each and every time! Today I ordered a goat cheese and spinach omelette. After waiting for 25 minutes I asked the girls about my food and only then the cook got up and went to make my food. The place only had 3 other customers at the time, so being busy could not possible be the excuse. Finally my food came, it was scrambled eggs. Place has so much potential, and yet falls so short.

Cozy place; Wonderful friendly staff– great atmosphere; always has good music playing when the barista with blue hair works– take pride in their drinks and all work and if there’s a mistake; it’s taken care of promptly and respectfully. There’s always someone cleaning and restockin. Cocoa grinders a great addition to the neighborhood, glad it’s here

A friend and I stopped in for coffee one night while the temperature outside was still in the 40s. We stayed for a little bit to chat and I had to keep my coat on the entire time because it was chilly inside; other customers also had their coats on while they sat there studying/​chatting. Since it’s summer, I hope it can stay cool in here without the ac on full blast. The décor is modern and nice and there was obviously a lot of thought put into it. I also think it’s a nice touch that the bathroom door blends into the wall so it doesn’t take away from the décor.
I ordered a bombon while my friend ordered a latte. I thought the espresso in the bombon was pretty good. I haven’t tried their food yet, but I feel like this place has the potential to be a decent brunch spot. I think it’s a nice place to grab coffee and it’s definitely on par with some of the better coffee shops in the neighborhood.

Nice location, beautiful natural light but messy service. Came here to use the wifi and have some breakfast with my husband. No wifi. Okay back to reading the newspaper.
Ordered two smoothies & an almond croissant. Croissant was delicious, the smoothies were disgusting. Watered down and barely had any taste to them (and these are not cheap smoothies). To their credit, they quickly changed them. That was only after they had messed up the order twice. Changed my order to an avocado toast, another 20 mins pass and no avocado toast. Avocado toast — soggy bread with guacamole on top.
Honestly, something needs to change for this place to actually be enjoyable & relaxing. Maybe re-​training the staff would be helpful.

Firstly, I love their coffee and I’ve been going to the first location on 4^th Ave for a while.
This spot on 3^rd has so much potential yet it so doesn’t live up to it at all.
The first time I came here and ordered food, my order was forgotten. I was sitting around for almost 30 min before asking for a refund.
The second time I came here, I watched as the cook took 20 minutes to slather some goat cheese and drizzle some honey on a boring piece of bread (what they call a «crostini» is actually regular not even toasted piece of focaccia style white bread) while he chatted with someone.
The food definitely needs help and so does the speediness.

Pro: cold brew coffee, juice/​smoothies made to order, numerous outlets and tables if you need to study/​work. Dough donuts, which are very very tasty.
So-​so: inconsistent menu. The breakfast tacos are really tasty. The eggs Benedict ingredients are different every time I get them; not better but different. Some portions are snack sized while other are meal sized. Price and description doesn’t help figure out which is which.
Con: cracked cutting boards for plates. Why??? What is so terrible about using plates? My egg dripped through the board onto the table this morning. So I lost that runny egg goodness. Stop it with the cutting boards! They are hard to sanitize, prone to having food slide off when carrying and awkward to eat off of. Half the staff is super sweet, the other half gives zero fucks.

If you want good strong coffee, definitely come here. But if you want real food, look elsewhere! This hipster café has so much potential but sadly. .we left disappointed.
We ordered the berry stuffed French toast that was crusted with corn flakes. Not only did it come in three bite sized for $ 8…it also did not taste like corn flakes at all. All it was was white bread, cream cheese, and jelly. I can make that for a lot cheaper than the three mini bites I got.
Pretentious coffee shop that overcharges for what you are getting… no thanks. I will not be coming back here.

Woah, talk about great! Cocoa Grinder is the best shop in town! They have the best coffee, wraps, and juices! As a vegan, I am very limited in the town of Bay Ridge. Cocoa Grinder offers several vegan options which is honestly such a relief. The ambiance is very Park Slope Downtown Manhattan, which is refreshing in this neighborhood.
The staff are 100% professional and the sweetest people I’ve ever met. The employees will make your coffee to perfection and actually show interest in you as a customer and person. The owner Abdul knows what he is doing and will accommodate to any needs.
Bottom line is, if you’re in the area and have a chance to stop in, DO IT! You won’t regret it and will be coming back for more!

Great to catch lunch or brunch after shopping. Friendly ambience, Good service and cocoa with lots of sugar. I got food instead of coffee. The kimchi falafel side was delish. The black bean burger was good; must ask to hold the sweet potato fries next time, they were a bit soggy for my taste. It was fair price, clean and fast friendly service.

BREAKFAST/​Brunch review
The choices are pretty limited here, you can get omelets or pancakes. They only serve tofu, Turkey bacon and smoked salmon as protein choices for breakfast. You can’t order off the lunch/​dinner menu until 2 on weekends which is a real bummer because I really wanted to try their burgers and salmon entrees.
I ordered the goat cheese, spinach and caramelized onions omelet but asked to add smoked salmon. The omelet was pretty sad… It was overcooked on the outside and runny on the inside. An amateur could have made this. The breakfast tacos were pretty good, with crispy potatoes and guacamole. Unfortunately we could not get it with real bacon, just turkey bacon.
They serve doughnuts from dough but it was a bit stale.
I did like the cappuccino though. They give you the option of non fat milk.

A great little café in bay Ridge. They have coffee, smoothies, and great food options.
The place is very cute and hipster with benches and stools.
We ordered their guacamole and chips, Turkey burger and chicken wrap.
I wouldnt get the guacamole and chips again, even though the guac was fresh, the chips seemed refried and soggy.
The chicken wrap and the turkey burger were both great options and very tasty. I would come back to try the other stuff like steak and falafel sandwiches.

Soo happy to have this amazing place opened! Great interior, coolest details, everything so casual– tht one must think he /​she is in Williamsburg. Delicious burgers, made on a grill and served with healthy sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes reminded me of the BRGR fries. Very good.
So there is a continuation to the story. We came back to have brunch– and I was wrong with my food choices. I got eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, but no sauce. Served on the biscuit. There are 2 pieces of bred– so as it served on u can eat it as sandwich. Guys, for 12 $ you can get eggs Benedict practically everywhere. With a side, sauce. The whole dish with a side and salad. And it won’t be a sandwich. Even though its 2 small eggs.
So we also got french toast sticks-​7 $!!! The portion is very small. Plus u r getting a side of maple or simple syrup. Whoever wrote that they worth the price is a liar. Better get yourself a a doughnut from Dough, tht they offer here. But 3 times cheaper. Or smoothie or juice.
At the beginning I rated them 5 stars. But the brunch…

Ahhh… so I’ve mentioned that it’s really almost impossible to find a good place in Bay Ridge to study. well I came across this gem about 2 weeks ago when I was on a walk around the neighborhood with my wife. I didn’t realize that they have two locations and this one recently opened!
Décor: very hip! I love their variety of seating available from the shared bench top tables, high top tables, etc. I think the best part as someone who may come to study is the entire wall is glass and the lighting is great (during the day at least). I wish the middle table had some access to power outlets as well.
Food: So, it’s not only a coffee shop that has pastries, but they have a variety of legit food as well! I’ve tried 3 – 4 things on their menu, most notable one would be their wraps; I’ve tried to their steak and chicken wraps, as well as their Thai tea and lime iced tea.
Service: For the most part, they’re all very welcoming and friendly; but seems like there are new people there working every time I go. maybe they’re training new people (?) but some times the service could be a hit or miss.
Overall, definitely a great addition to the neighborhood. Awesome to have a place that’s within walking distance where you could get a great cup of coffee, variety of teas, food while catching up on some work!

Valentine’s Day brunch
Pro: First of all, I was pretty amazed by the design of this café/​restaurant, gotta say I love every single piece of dec and furniture there.
2^nd, the food was good. We ordered eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, the order came fast, delish. The latte was good.
Con: It’s only 8 degrees Fahrenheit today, I didn’t feel much difference inside of this restaurant… Ppl were all still wearing big jackets indoor.
We went inside sat at a table n waited for taking order. But turned out that we had to order food by the register. And of course, take your ordered drinks yourself by the register. So it’s more a café instead of restaurant.
P. S. They have another smaller location just one block away with 25% off with check-​in on Unilocal.If u just order to go, it’s much better to go there.

I am first and foremost so excited by the proximity of this lovely café to my residence. Save the excessive walking for Manhattan.
The space is beautiful. You can just feel the love and soul that was put into it.
Falafel Wrap, Tofu Scramble, Hot Chocolate with Almond Milk, and all the teas and smoothies I’ve tried were delicious.
They have a solid amount of vegan options in all categories and their food and beverages always taste fresh and well-​made. Service is friendly and helpful with questions.
A nice place to chill and push buttons on your device of choice.

I stopped in to their new location yesterday and noticed French Toast sticks on the breakfast menu (avail until 11am). Other than at a fast food restaurant, I’ve never seen those, so I wanted to try. At $ 7 you get an ample serving of the equivalent of two large slices of toast, gracefully prepared and cut into long strips. I didn’t even try any beverages (yet), but these are a winner.
This is a nicely laid out space, with thoughtful design elements in the furniture, doors, and plants. The counter person was very nice, and took care of me immediately, even though she was preparing for her day, and I was basically the first person in here. My food was brought to the table, and it was both tasty and satisfying. I see several food options that I would prefer over the smoothies, for around the same price, so I’ll be back to sample more of the menu.
Also, free WiFi available. I’m going to try it again for lunch soon. Nice place.

I’m in love with the Cocoa
Really like this spot, its a great addition to Bay Ridge!
The workers are extremely sweet and friendly. Greeted with big welcome smiles right when i walked in.
I ordered a Chai Latte and it was overly sweet. I told the girls and they were more than happy to add an espresso shot to the latte at no charge! Love that they’re willing to make amends to make their customers happy.
I also ordered the Vegan burger with fries. Nothing too unique, vegan burgers will always be good to me.
Playlist is good, they didnt bombard us with Top 40 hits but more of mellow indie music. Really really like this spot, I think it’s a great place to study or do work at night time. During the day it does get a bit busy and loud

I loved this new addition to the Bay ridge healthy living community. Now we have somewhere else to go besides FUEL and Nature’s Grill. LOL! It’s a bright, open space w/​a very organic vibe. I loved the two huge square pieces of green art on the wall. Of course, I was being nosy and I had to feel them and see if they were real Plants. Just as I thought, they were. The restored hardware touches are also caught my attention. They have complimentary Cucumber water on the counter.
We started w/​the goat cheese and honey toast as an
appetizer. I loved it, the bread was toasted to perfection and it had the right amount of honey.
We odered the chicken sandwich, the steak gorgonzola sandwich with arugula, and the turkey jalepeno burger. They were all great. No complaints. They were all very healthy but didn’t lack seasoning. The sweet potato fries were soon good. Baked to perfection!
I recommend giving this new business a try.

I believe this place opened up about a week ago. A friend and I came in over the weekend to grab a cup of coffee and chat after brunch at Ho’Brah. We were able to snag a table pretty quickly after ordering. If you order drinks, they’ll call your name. But if you order food, they’ll bring it over to your table.
My latte was solid but super small for the $ 4 I paid. I feel like I could get a bigger cup for $ 4 in any Manhattan coffee shop. Considering how this is Bay Ridge, I expected more.
I do want to come back and try their food items — and their tea looks really interesting. They use those cute tea infusers with a man laying back in the cup.

Cocoa Grinder opened a new café on Third Ave to little fanfare on their soft opening the other day, but this new outpost is sure to create a large stir, in a good way. This is why I gave them a 4.8÷5.0
The owner began a couple years ago opening a juice/​coffee bar on highly trafficked 4^th Ave. I’ve seen him work the counter, day in and day out hustling, the New York way. It’s good to know that he’s gone on to bigger things like this new café, for instance.
Fast forward to 2015, I was deeply saddened with the closure of beloved Monaco’s Bakery but this incoming café with a rustic yet industrial feel is gonna give the space new life.
It’s definitely a departure from what most of us know in Bay Ridge and it’s sure to turn heads. My bet is on Cocoa Grinder to fire on all cylinders because they came in at the right place at the right time (during the holidays) with a coffee experience I know that’s meant to wow. The full coffee bar is the centerpiece of that, with a unique espresso machine, and a full staff trained to do latte art, expected of coffee houses today.
I grabbed a cappuccino just as they were getting situated on opening day so I didn’t get a chance to have the full experience but will edit my review later to reflect that. All I can say is they make a mean cap! Good stuff.
The décor is of particular interest as it’s warm, yet Industrial. Interesting touches like the folding seats, the orange padded stools, benches, and wood tables is downright comfortable. The bathroom door is hidden flush against the far wall. (Hint: look for the handle)
I read their menu just as they were penning it– they plan to offer brunch (all-​day), breakfast, lunch, and dinner in addition to the juice/​smoothies I’ve known them for in the 3^rd Ave location. For now, I’m anxious to spend some time here so I can update y’all.