Tugboat Tea Company

Love this place! I’ll say I am a fan of less commercialized spots and tugboat definitely fits the bill for me. It has a great vibe and management does an amazing job at making sure I am well taken care of when I visit. (The staff knows my order and start making it anytime I walk in). The shop really is a great place to just sit and relax as they often have a variety of great music playing when you walk in. There is a great flow to how business is ran and everyone seems happy to be there. Also the shop is super convenient being right there on Flatbush. Great food, great location, great service and great people all in one.
Definitely a place to frequent on a regular basis!!!

Tugboat gets 5 stars because all of the other cafes in this neighborhood are hacks, inconsistent on the important things, like speed and of course standard of quality. Tugboat Is the only one that delivers (well not literally, but you can order for pickup and they’re saved in my phone). I mean I feel like I can count on them to help me get to work on time and still have an Americans with room and a crema that is on POINT. My partner loves their lattes and the muffins are from Blue Sky Bakery which I am so happy about because I can’t always find their fruit-​filled triple berry muffins in other cafes.
They’ve got cool people working there who are kind, real, and chill. I’ve loved every barista (except one who talked to everyone in front of me except me, which wasn’t bothersome, I just felt jealous like what is it about me? Now you won’t make jokes?) Everyone but that guy will joke around and be awesome and helpful if your’e nice. My fav is Ray and the girl with glasses and hat. I haven’t seen Ray in a while tho.
Yes it says tea in the company name and I see some previous 3-​star guests take that 100% literally to a comical extent and clearly missed out on some delicious lemonade because of it. It’s not a just a tea shop (In fact they could maybe bump the tea game up, if people would buy it more too). Regular coffee is above Starbucks grade by 6,000% if you are a novice. Espresso is not what you had in Italy but still going to hit the spot on a tiring rainy day for the snobs.
The egg on a bagel dishes are legit, healthy and whole grain, does not clog my pores like bodega egg sandwiches, the go to. Lox on bagel not their strongest last time I had it but maybe I could try it again, but again, better than anything I’ve had around here as a neighbor. The fish at Blessings always gives me a reaction and I’m going to call it ‘allergic’ here but it’s not I’m just being polite. Ergo, Do not bother with elsewhere. Tugboat is the only café I have reviewed in this neighborhood.

my daily spot! solid coffee, delicious bagels, neighborhood-​y feel. it’s a lil rough around the edges but i think that adds to its charm.

Good coffee. Great customer service. Cute small place to get coffee and do some reading.

They don’t give water to paying customers and it’s 9 dollars for a bagel with lox spread, not lox but lox spread. Pricing is overall weird and keeps changing for the worse.

Best donuts ever and amazing service every time. I don’t drink coffee but I can always come in, order a donut, never wait, and leave with a smile because of the great customer service. Good neighborhood staple!

Great coffee and tea shop. Perfect selection of doughnuts and bagels. Fast and friendly service. Much preferred over tip of the tongue.

Way over priced for half decent coffee. $ 2.75 for a large hot that is a medium at most places. $ 4 for large iced coffee tht would be a medium or even small at any other place. The iced coffee was extremely watered down.

Good coffee, great hot chocolate «according to my 8yr daughter. Nice doughnut and bagels and even better service, place felt like they really wanted you there.

I stopped into Tugboat Tea Company and since tea is in the name, felt inclined to order a tea. Since it was a mildly warm day outside, I decided to go with the jasmine iced tea, after recommendation from the barista, and was very underwhelmed. I didn’t try the DOUGHnuts, although I will admit, I did go to DOUGH that morning and would’ve loved a second orgasm in my mouth, but wanted to experience what Tugboat has to offer by itself. Maybe I mis-​ordered and should’ve gone with coffee, but at a business with TEA in the name, I made the only logical decision. It’s cash only, but they do have a conveniently located ATM to the right of the front door. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t return based on my experience.

Love this place because you can get a hot or iced coffee for $ 1 if you bring your own cup! Unlike around the corner… no deal and super expensive :(

I have been searching for my neighborhood bagel spot and THIS IS IT. they have bagels from La Bagel Delight and scallion cream cheese. what more could you want? seriously.
also!!! their chocolate croissants are FILLED a with chocolate — not like, two little chocolate sticks that are hard and shitty inside but like, gooey filled with chocolate. needless to say, way impressed.
they also do (turkey) bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel, have wifi, make grilled cheeses (next time), and I assume they have tea based on their name but whatever. who can care about tea at a time like this?! BAGELS, people, BAGELS!
thank you for existing. I’m so so happy I stopped by! and dude with the septum ring? you made my day. I love you!

Love tug! Coffee and bagels are great, baristas are always friendly and accommodating and now I have a place to get my fix of Dough doughnuts. Also great deal getting day old doughnuts and bagels just for $ 1.

Been to this place twice and it’s been lovely each time. The staff is super nice and willing to make me off the menu items for breakfast every time. I wish I had time to stop before work, but this will definitely be my Sunday morning treat. Plus the tea selection is just right!

Great coffee, really good bagels — try the vegetable cream cheese & the doughnuts — I loved the coconut awesome!!!

They sell $ 1day-​old bagels which I find are actually quite good. The drinks I’ve tried here are macchiato and thai tea latte, which I’d probably give around a 3. It’s a good atmosphere though,(hence the 4 instead of 3 stars), and the free wifi is a plus. Prices are reasonable (get a bagel!) and in mind they close at 6pm, not 7pm like their Unilocal page states.

I was a loyal customer for a while, but ultimately this place isn’t a safe space for women. A small space (only 6 tables) so the customers really set the tone. Sometimes it’s friendly and peaceful, but too many other times I and other women have been harassed, intimidated or outright bullied by the dudes in there, and the indifferent baristas could care less. The coffee’s not worth the risk. No thanks.

Dear Tugboat Tea Company,
Hooray. lol I am a fan. Stopped in to grab a coffee, everything bagel and send a few e-​mails. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stay wish there were more tables. But I will return. Keep up the great work and continued success.

+++
— With all the new coffee shops opening in the area, I think this is the best
— Can’t go wrong with DOUGH donuts
++
— All the sandwiches are amazing, I forgot the names but I really liked the mozzarella/​basil and the prosciutto/​mustard
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— If you go too late on a Sunday, they run out of a lot of items

Tugboat is an adorable, hole-​in-​the-​wall coffee shop on a busy stretch of Flatbush with a completely different vibe than its main competitor. This shop is not at all pretentious, the outlets are plentiful, and customers talk to each other as they sit on the little metal tables. The prices make sense (no sticker shock).
The drip coffee is good for the neighborhood, the espresso drinks are serviceable, and I don’t think I’m usually charged extra for almond milk, which is nice. The muffins are also fun and unique. Their matcha latte is surprisingly weak for a tea place, so one star removed for that.
The (6 or so) tables fill up mid-​morning, and the vibe spills out onto the street, as opposed to being a beautiful cocoon, so it’s not the best place to get a lot of work done. However, it has a very welcoming vibe and is highly recommended as a place to focus for a short burst of productivity or meet up with friends.
EDITED TO ADD: On some days, they have DOUGH donuts which, as you may know, are gifts from the Bed Stuy gods. Also really good cookies. Ok, I’m done.