C&B
“Small space with only a few dining spots, but went off recommendations and got the egg sandwich, which did not disappoint.”
“C and B is an excellent, classic New York cafe and a welcome addition to the slew of east village choices.”
“Extra points for its awesome location right across from Tompkins Square Park.”
C&B
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Caters: Yes
Good for Working: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This place is awesome. There is some seating but really good atmosphere and it's by a park. Food was amazing, service was awesome and the food was so good and very good price. Be back for sure!!!
it's called C & B but it's between Avenues B & A–ha. actually no clue why it's called C & B. whether it A, B, or C– i'm glad this eatery is here and staying in Alphabet City! seewhatididthere.
this new-ish neighborhood food and coffee experience is located right across the south side of Tompkins Park. cozy and welcoming. you walk right in the thick of cooking as the small kitchen/prep/everything else is located flush to your right. so be prepared to have a aromas of all kind waft and take your stomach to the next level of grumbling. next is the cashier where you put in your coffee, food, etc. orders and there is a small selection of pastries on display. there's a large chalkboard menu which displays the breakfast choices as well as lunch choices. as you push further in, there's a coffee condiments (sugar, simple syrup, etc.) for your customizing your java. and
finally the back space–a small intimate dining area (this is not huge area. you were warned. so large groups might be tricky unless enough tables are open). first come first serve. there are a few two tops flush to the left with chairs and to the right there are a few tables with banquette/bench seating flush to the wall and chairs…tables on the right side can be pushed together for larger groups etc. the visual feel is very simple, tasteful, a little eclectic, and simply welcoming. it feels natural to alphabet city while still having its own charm and personality. the lighting is soft and the music is upbeat.
PRO TIP: If you're placing a takeout order, you'll need to wait and there's not a lot of room to stand in the entrance area. Chill right outside–there's a bench there to sit on. They'll call you when you're food is ready to pick up. Food comes out pretty quickly so the wait ain't long. Catch up on your Instagram in the meantime!
based on what i've tried so far–the food is SPOT ON for morning, day or even evening EATS! it's simple, savory, and filling. when i say "simple"–i mean the eats DO NOT rely on gimmicks–the food here is the real deal. each dish delivers ample bites for one person with locally-sourced ingredients. most if not all of the breakfast choices are anchored by eggs. let me tell you this is no ordinary game of shells. the eggs here are masterfully prepared. silky, smooth–yet delivering on the protein punch. and still spiced and seasoned perfectly. yum.
my first takeout meal at C&B was the Sausage (beef merguez sausage), Egg, and Cheddar Cheese on a croissant! let me tell you tasty doesn't even being to describe how awesome this breakfast sandwich is. buttery fatty croissant–soft on the inside yet flaky outside. a gentle blanket of egg–feast to the eyes and mouth. a layer of cheese for that dairy creaminess and flavor, and finally the spicy texture of the sausage. a concert of flavors, scents, textures, and tastes!
my first sit-down at C&B was the Chicken and Egg Bowl: "slow cooked chicken w/ potatoes, chicken jus and 2 eggs and some toasted bread"! No way to go wrong there. Simply delicious. The chicken was tender, savory, and practically melted in your mouth because it was delicately cooked/roasted down. the potatoes were soft, but not mushy and soaked up the chicken's fattiness and gravy/sauce (jus). the two eggs crowned this dish and provided a another stomach stuffing component to the bowl. really enjoyed soaking the bread in the jus and dropping a bit on egg on top…lovely sandwich bite within this dish.
What came first the CHICKEN or the EGG? it was all so damn delicious to eat that i forgot the question! ha.
PRO TIP: if you order to dine in, snag a table (it's first come first serve). the staff will bring the food to you.
the staff? incredibly kind. this isn't that fake customer service crap that you read about in restaurant and biz books. the folks here are nice because they are good people. the service is friendly and smiley without being creepy or intrusive. the staff's friendliness is underscored by their modesty–they ain't braggy. C&B delivers incredibly big flavors, service, and value out of small space via top-notch cooking, great high-quality ingredients, and stellar service. there's a genuine love for Alphabet City in this eatery bc it shows in its approach to the menu, customers, and how they've crafted the ambience of a cool casual friendly oasis in a neighborhood full of so much frenetic energy at times.
if you're looking for breakfast, lunch, or early evening eats or coffee–this is your place. there's no craziness or booziness. perfect for cozy meals, catch-ups with friends, a non-boozey brunch/breakfast or chat over java. of course, if you want to escape the drudgery of morning or daytime cooking, C&B is the answer.
Drops mic for these two-handed breakfast sammies!
I out.
Zzz
I first discovered C&B on one of those days when NYC was just kicking my ass. I arrived on cross-country red eye to be welcomed by NYC in all its humid, 90+ degree weather glory. After lugging my 55lb bag up a 4-story walk-up, I was very much in need of a pickup.
That's when I stumbled on C&B! Free wi-fi, air conditioning, coffee, seriously delicious food made to order at a super cute, casual yet classy spot? Count me in! I'm camping out here until my batteries die for sure. (There is a pair of outlets, but it was being utilized when I went went).
You can almost forget that you're in NYC when you step into this charming cafe. The staff is wonderfully friendly and the music is lively and energetic, but soothing at the same time.
I absolutely adore this little cafe. I started stopping by months ago to grab a coffee on my way to the Tompkins dog run.. First of all C&B = coffee & breakfast, has nothing to do with the location (some peeps like "oh it's between A&B"..) Now you know ;-). The staff and owner (he's the chef) are so nice, and they always comment on the cuteness of my pups tied in the doorway and they have a water bowl out by the bench and my pups appreciate that 😉 The coffee is a rich flavorful roast. I love the iced coffee and they have simple syrup to sweeten it with which I really appreciate. After months of admiring the yummy looking and smelling food being prepared whilst waiting for coffee, I finally ordered the sandwich I had been eyeing, or rather ogling.. The Pig and Egg.. My oh my what a wonder of piggy deliciousness.. Savory melt in your mouth pork belly (come on what carnivore doesn't LERVE pork belly?! Oink oink get in mah belly!!) and fluffy eggs on buttered toasted white bread roll.. Pork crack breakfast sandwich. Yes crack! Crackity crack crack! 😉 Oh and they play good tunes 🙂
Review:
1) Good cawffee
2) Yummy food
3) Inexpensive for the quality of what you get
4) Nice people work here
5) Good music
6) They like my dogs
All good reasons to check this place out 🙂
FYI – It's a small place with seating in the back and the menu is really focused on breakfast/brunch/lunch.
—————–
Update 3/2016
Chef is an egg master. Every egg sandwich I've tried has been scrumptious! I don't know what he does to make those eggs so darn good.. add crack?! Lol.
They serve dinner now.
Update 5/2016
I've tried every egg sandwich and all are outrageously good. They bake the bread in house. Egg sandwiches are now served on Turkish bazlama (looks like english muffin), except the mushroom and egg which is served on sliced crusty sourdough. The sausage and chorizo also homemade are so savory and delicious I could cry. The chorizo is spicy!!
They buy their eggs every weekend from the Tompkins farmers market up the block (I've seen them). The eggs are sourced from a local farm and are organic freerange. Another reason the eggs taste so good.
Another great coffee place that sources locally roasted beans. The beans are robust and roasted to perfection. Something you won't find at one of the chains. The food here is also locally sourced and cooked to perfection. It's been said that the chorizo and egg sandwich will change your life. It's true, I've definitely put on weight and my cholesterol has skyrocketed due to my lack of willpower whenever i encounter it.
The employees are friendly and quick to remember your orders if you come in on a regular basis.
Why only four stars? Three reasons:
1. No milk set out for customers to put in their own coffee.
2. High food prices. It's totally worth it but it's really hard to spend 15-20$ on a coffee and breakfast.
3. The self serve water glasses are ALWAYS sticky and sort of filmy. The self serve water bottles look dirty too. This isn't a one time thing. It's every time I go. I overlook it because everything else is so good though.
Cozy new cafe along Tompkins Square Park. The whole menu looked great. It's full of some gluttonous options, as well as some healthier veggie dishes. People in line were raving about the pig and egg sandwich and the chicken and eggs. I decided on the chicken sandwich, thinking it would have the same slow cooked chicken in the chicken and egg dish. Unfortunately, it was just a piece of chicken breast in the sandwich. It was still delicious – the acidity from the lemon really popped combined with the avocado and cheese on top. My friend ordered the egg and cheese sandwich. The roll was delicious but the sandwich was way too rich. It was smothered in butter and the egg wasn't cooked all the way – making the sandwich extremely messy and soggy after a couple of bites. This could possibly be a perfect hangover sandwich, but it was a bit too rich for us.
The staff was extremely friendly but it took about 20 minutes for our order of two sandwiches to come out. We luckily snagged a table in the back while we anxiously awaited our food to come. If I'm in the area, I would try this place out again but I wouldn't come out of my way.
Cute spot, nice for studying/doing work! However, I was only here for twenty minutes and the guy asked me if I ordered anything. I said no, but I will in a bit. Fifteen minutes later, he told me they have a policy that people who use their internet are expected to order something. I was going to get something anyway, just not this early. Definitely coming back because it's adorable, but just know you have to order early on!!
While the place looks small from the front, there's actually an unexpectedly decent sized seating area in the back (7 two people tables).
Service is super friendly. I ordered an almond latte but she made an iced one on accident. She remade it and gave me the iced one for free. However, the consistency was off. It was very light and not as creamy as I usually get them.
The space in the back was nice but they played the music too loudly. (Speakers in the back but kitchen is in the front) Wouldn't recommend if you're here to study.