Café Grumpy



Photo by Scott Beale

Location: 224 West 20th Street, Manhattan
Website: www.cafegrumpy.com
Price: $



Coffee is a part of every day life for most New Yorkers.  Most of us are self-proclaimed coffee addicts, and with a Starbucks on nearly every corner we are never far from our next caffeine kick.  If you're anything like me though, you'd take a good cup of regular coffee over some 1,500 calorie trienta frappa-whippa-caramela-whatever any day.  But somehow with the endless torrent of coffee that's flowing from establishments like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and bodegas around the city, it's surprisingly difficult to find a cup that's actually any good.  That's where Café Grumpy comes in.

Photo by Premshree Pillai

Café Grumpy opened its first, and still largest, location at 193 Meserole Avenue in Greenpoint in 2005.  For those keeping track, that's well before the gentrification of the area, so Café Grumpy effectively out-hipstered the hipsters.  And if that's not hipster enough for you, this location houses the Café Grumpy Roastery, where they still hand roast small batches of imported coffee beans in a restored vintage Probat roaster.  They also strive to source their beans from producers that meet strict standards of environmental and social responsibility.  Each cup is brewed individually, which can marginally increase the wait during peak times, but makes an enormous difference in the freshness and quality of the coffee.

While Café Grumpy certainly does attract the hardcore coffee connoisseur, their establishments are far from being aloof or unapproachable.  Featuring a constantly changing variety of specialty imported coffees from countries all over the world, each selection has a brief description including strength and flavor notes so that even the novice such as myself can select a delicious cup of coffee.  And when in doubt, the baristas are actually friendly (contrary to the name) and more than happy to help and offer suggestions.  They also offer a full range of select teas and pastries, so Café Grumpy is sure to offer something for everyone.  And with locations in Chelsea, the Lower East Side, Park Slope, and Greenpoint, your next coffee buzz is never far away.  With mounting evidence that coffee is not only good, but also good for you, there's no reason not to head to your closest Café Grumpy and try a cup yourself.  So go.  Right now.  Just remember to come back to leave a comment below and let us know how you liked it.