Coal Yard Cafe

My new favorite coffee shop in Ithaca. I work at Cornell so Coal Yard’s location makes it very convenient for me to swing by for a morning treat. I was introduced to this place via a colleague when we were on the way back from a meeting and seeking some post-​lunch caffeine. The space is very cozy with a unique décor. I just moved from Buffalo so the Buffalo scale they have on display by the fireplace really caught my attention.
On to the food. The pastries are a delight — their blueberry muffin is amazing. I have had their Ethiopian coffee and Sumatra blends which are both very nice. My understanding is their get their coffee beans locally but check me on that fact. Otherwise, I have noticed they have great lunch specials and overall a fairly substantial menu given their kitchen space. I have yet to try their lunch means but when I stop by during lunch hours, it always smells wonderful here. I would definitely recommend this little spot tucked away.

My favorite spot for meeting a friend for coffee and tea. Croissants are delish! I especially love the cozy wood stove in the winter– makes going out in the cold tolerable.

Best omelet in ithaca. Great coffee. Fresh donuts and cinnamon roles. Friendly quick service. They serve lunch but breakfast is so good that I always go for the omelets. Very good fried potatoes. All ingredients are fresh and properly prepared. A generally undiscovered gem.

Such a hidden gem. A wonderful, clean, and delicious place for lunch. Highly recommended. Check out their fb for daily specials!

Undoubtedly one of the best spots in Ithaca!
Breakfast here is whatever you want it to be. Highly recommend the homemade donuts and the bacon, egg & cheese on croissant.
If you’re going later in the day (but not too late because they’ll run out!) Friday’s special is a plate of perfection: golden brown fish filet on crisp French bread, and luringly savory french fries.
Add in Coal Yard’s cozy ambiance and friendly staff and you have yourself a real treat of a café.

Great place! Friendly staff, varied menu, and good food at reasonable prices. Would definitely recommend for a casual breakfast or lunch.

Nice people, ok food, but be warned — the Matzo Ball soup is not what you are expecting, if you’re used to traditional deli matzo ball soup. At this place the matzo balls are tiny, chunky, super-​dense irregular sinkers. They contain more herbs and spices than your typical matzo ball. They’re very salty. I couldn’t finish them. The chicken soup itself is delish, but I wish the matzo balls were better — lighter, fluffier, more like «what grandma used to make.»

Great breakfast burrito and earl grey wake up breakfast tea. The price is a little pricey though but it’s the closest place to graduate housing on the east side. Would definitely come back in the future!

Charming little place with a simple menu. The staff were very friendly. I had a scrambled egg with vegetables on french peasant bread sandwich. Simple but incredibly delicious. The coffee was good. And everything was inexpensive.

Excellent food and service. On a Saturday morning we had a rice bowl (avocado, bbq pork, like a bi bim bap), matzo ball soup (seasonal), and waffle with strawberries. We couldn’t decide which one tasted the best cuz they all were. Including their mocha flavored coffee. :) make sure you come visit!

What a surprising little treat! I had no idea this place even existed until browsing Unilocal this morning. Cute, small space with lots of light. Well designed and inviting, atmosphere. Terrific food. I had the falafel special and it was the best falafel I’ve had in my life (and I’ve eaten many a great falafel in DC)! Parking is scant, seating isn’t very plentiful, and the scenery isn’t much, but other than that, this place is a gem. Highly recommended.

This is a great little spot that has high quality food for reasonable prices. Can get a made-​to-​order omelette made in minutes with French Bistro quality. Specials change every day. Everything I have had here has been high quality and they know how to make French fries to proper way.
The only thing I would change to is a better ventilation system to carry away cooked oil in the air.

Great neighborhood place. Have only eaten breakfast there; everything’s tasty, nicely prepared and presented. Portions are proportional to price. Time between order and delivery is much improved!

Unfortunately I have to amend my review due to some recent business decisions the Coal Yard Café has made. When you order a sandwich, you can typically choose from two kinds of bread, one of which is a French peasant bread that is quite excellent. I’ve ordered many sandwiches here on that bread.
On a recent visit, the cashier informed me that they were «reducing the portion size» of sandwiches served on that bread since it’s bigger than the other breads. Turns out that means they are now giving you half a sandwich instead of a whole sandwich. I have a big problem with being given half a sandwich (which is smaller than a piece of Wonder bread) when I order a full sandwich, especially when the price has not gone down either. I find it to be incredibly disingenuous if not a plain rip-​off.
I will also note that I am not in the habit of leaving poor reviews without first trying to resolve the issue with the business. I have tried twice to contact them, once by email and once by messaging them on Facebook, and they have not responded to either, despite the fact that someone obviously updates their Facebook page daily. I guess customers must be in abundance at Coal Yard Café if they can ignore concerns, but this customer won’t be going back.

Super yummy. We had the Cuban sandwich, pulled chicken sandwich and the Asian noodle salad! Delicious. Kids had chicken fingers and sweet potato fries — the chef whipped up a quick honey-​mustard sauce for them! Great service.

Cozy café for breakfast or lunch. Scratch-​made soups and fantastic sandwiches on wonderful bread. Try the fish fry on Fridays. The breakfast sausage is also scratch-​made. Asian noodle salad is a great choice if you want to avoid fried food.

Was back in Ithaca this summer, on the way to the Orchard to stock up on some cider and ran by this place. Cool little building, looks like something out of the gold mining era. More importantly their waffles with fresh berries on top are top notch, and i know my way around a waffle.

YUM. This café was open before, then it closed for a while, then it re-​opened a couple months ago (I think).
Anyway, I just finally went here with my husband for the first time and was surprised it’s not on Unilocal yet. It’s an adorable community café, perfect for those of us in Belle Sherman or Upper Collegetown area. I had an omelette with the most amazing cheddar cheese and French toast, and also a good iced coffee. The husband had a breakfast burrito that he liked (we all know how hard these are to find in Ithaca — outside of the farmer’s market of course).
There’s a cute indoor seating area which is good for studying, and an outdoor seating area as well. I think there’s internet too although I didn’t check.
Definitely worth checking this place out if you haven’t yet!