Ozzie's Coffee III
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Brooklyn/Park Slope249 5th Ave
(between Carroll St & Garfield Pl)
Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 768-6868
- Nearest Transit:
Union St (M, R)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Wi-Fi: Paid
31 Reviews for Ozzie's Coffee III
Big corner coffee shop with so many varieties of coffee and tea, that your Starbucks hating ass will love it. I could see myself hanging here and using one of their many computers, or mooching off the free wifi with my laptop. Definitely a place you could go and kill a few hours on a lazy afternoon.
One side is pumping with music and the other side is quiet. So you could either people watch or read a book here too. Nice staff and again so damn big. I had the iced chai tea, which was decent...but wifey had the hot chai tea, and that was pretty damn good.
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I've only had the coffee here. It's not bad. I must agree the service here really does suck. I prefer the 7th avenue location. It's a pretty big store but it's often crowded and it is a little run down. But if I'm in the area and in a hurry for a cup of joe it's not a bad place to stop in.
Ok, the place is pretty huge and looks appealing, although I'm not really a sit around in the coffee shop type of person.
They've messed up my order a few times....which is pretty bloody hard when I take my coffee black...but the coffee is decent and I probably will be back randomly.
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Boooo.
Cafe Au Lait was yucky.
The sandwich was prepackaged somewhere else, a cold crossaint that I couldn't wedge my teeth through, layering turkey and cheese as cold as ice. It probably would have been decent if it was warm, but instead it was a total waste of 10 bucks.
Boo again.
I really love iced Ozzie's blend coffee. I mean I really really love it. I just wish the guy working behind the counter wasn't such an asshole and also wasn't constantly getting my order wrong.
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I enjoy a decaf soy mocha, it's darn tasty. I will say that some of their staff is SO SLOW. I was in there with my sister one time, she ordered a soy latte and i ordered a soy mocha...I swear it took the woman about 20 minutes, RIDICULOUS.
Oh, and it's always quite warm in there. Lots of people on the computers also, so I guess it's good for that.
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Ugh, no. I wanted to like this place because I live a block away but after a couple tries...just no. Coffee is weak and devil-hot. Food might as well have come from Starbucks. Do yourself a favor and walk across the street to the much smaller but infinitely superior Trois Pommes to get your cup of gorilla coffee and a real pastry.
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The 5 star thing about Ozzie's -you can sit here all damn day. Write your novel, write your screenplay, tutor, talk whatever you can do it all here.
The coffee, snacks, food and decor leave something to be desired.
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It's all right. The chai's what I go for, but sometimes they make it too sweet, but I can deal with it.
The coffee's great, but get drip here; the beans are ridiculous for the price. They also carry some Jamaican beans that are $40 to the pound and just don't quite cut it.
The location is kind of large -- almost caricaturishly large, in fact, that you can feel your sweat evaporate in the summer and your body heat leave your head in the winter. There's no wi-fi per se; there's a wireless service that's credit-based and pay-only. They offer computers in the front room (bizarre), right next to the roast displays.
Skip the food. Tempo Presto's right across the street, and so is Trois Pommes.
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Wait, they serve coffee here?
I pack up my laptop and head to Ozzies nearly every weekend. I always try to get the feedsack-covered bench in the little "mystical" alcove by the bathroom for three reasons:
1. The alcove has the most outlets, which is good for an outlet hoarder like myself;
2. The bathroom is always out of order, but there's never a sign to indicate this fact. So, every 6-10 minutes, some poor, unsuspecting patron will try to open the door, realize it's locked and then stand there and wait for a a few minutes before either a) realizing it's out of order or b) coming to the conclusion that whomever is in there is in the process of making the place unbearable and it won't be worth it to go in next. This provides hours of entertainment for me; and
3. It provides the best people-watching spot ever (and no one can peer over your shoulder and get nosy with your web-browsing). And it's great for eavesdropping on whatever social support group or poetry club happens to be meeting in the square of couches.
I always get a plain ol' latte in my green and grey plastic Ozzies mug. And every time, they try to charge me for the mug. I guess I'm the only person to actually purchase one and use it regularly, because they always seem flabbergasted when I point out my Sharpie'd initials on the handle, proving that I do actually own the thing. the coffee is so-so, but does anyone actually go there for the coffee anyway?
Didn't think so.
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I once witnessed a trio of squawking mothers dress-down a young lady who was studying at about 10pm on a weeknight for daring to politely ask if their children might be able to perhaps maybe possibly quiet down a little. The kids, meanwhile, were wreaking every conceivable kind of havoc on the place short of lighting off fireworks and burning it to the ground.
The three women began cackling like something out of MacBeth, and took turns drilling the young lady on exactly where she got off studying in a place so clearly meant for children as a coffee shop. At 10pm. On a weeknight. No thanks.
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This is probably my favorite cafe in Park Slope. The space is open and never cramped, but cozy at the same time. You can sit there for as long as you want on one of their computers or bring your own, reading a book, writing, whatever it is that you do...and never feel rushed; and unlike many cafes in this hood, there are plenty of tables and couches to do so in! Their coffee and food are all good, however I LOVE their freshfruit smoothies (the coconut is my fave!). There's another location on 7th Ave but that's a lot smaller.
they're so nice, i wish i could do it
there is a LOT of space. which is nice. and the service is friendly.
but
it's friendly, but really slow
the food is mediocre in the worst sense of the word
paid wireless? what?
and if you're going to have sandwiches, have them. don't run out.
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Poor, unfriendly service and the coffee is no good. Please go elsewhere.
- No free wi-fi
- Not enough seating
- Music is TOO loud, and it seems that the music selection is the for the sole benefit of the workers behind the counter. The place is too loud in general. When they are roasting coffee (which they do frequently, obviously) the loud whirrrr of the machine makes it impossible to enjoy your book, or talk with friends.
- Service is consistently slow. Why does it take 10 minutes to make a toasted bagel and cream cheese when NO ONE is in front of me?
- Service is incredibly rude. I walked away once without saying "thank you" or dropping a tip in the prominent tip jar. God FORBID. The guy behind the counter yells out, "Thank YOU!! Have a NICE DAY!" while there are other plenty of other customers in ear shot. WTF? Get bent, dickwad. That's why they call it the service industry -- you're here for me, not vice versa.
It puzzles me how this place manages to survive. They have no idea what makes a cafe enjoyable.
I respect that this cafe has been in this location for a long time, but that alone does not make it a good candidate for staying around. I look forward to the day it packs it in.
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This place is nuts- it's like an airplane hangar.
I've never seen a coffee shop so huge in NYC. You get so used to tiny little holes crammed full of wobbly tables and old grounds and unrefined sugar, a place like Ozzie's makes you think you're on one of those optical illusion sets from LORD OF THE RINGS, and you're a hobbit.
But how was the coffee?
I can't recall.
(Probably not a good sign.)
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they only have paper cups, which is just plain tacky on top of being horribly backward in an ecological sense.
the staff are very terse.
i was fantasizing about this red velvet cake i saw there and so, when i had been very very good for a week, i went to go try it... and the woman behind the counter said, "ya know, it's $5 - are you sure? it's expensive cake..."
and i said, now doubting, "yes please" .... wait, actually i don't remember how i responded to that - how does one respond? "i'm made of money, lady. gimme the cake." i think i muttered something, maybe made a joke about hoping it was worth it.
it was a very large piece. i remember feeling sort of ill after and in hindsight i hope i didn't finish it. i fear that i might have from a pernicious instinct to clean plates at restaurants.
i prefer naidre's normal, more delicate portions, sweetly reminiscent of the days when healthy americans outnumbered the obese ones.
but the whole experience wasn't pleasant, even from a stuffing-face perspective. they don't have real plates either so you feel like you're consuming the obligatory slice of generic supermarket cake at an office party where you don't know anyone.
i mean, i feel like if you're going to eat a very rich thing, which costs, indeed, 5 dollars, you should have a real plate and fork. and afterward you can pat your stomach and say you had a treat. instead you sort of anonymously consume this thing and then waddle to the door b/c it's not like you'd stick around for the ambiance or anything.
besides, the whole experience, such as it was, was further diminished since i had to kind of defend my order choice. i think in terms of sheer quantity it WAS worth 5 dollars. so i suggest splitting it.
oh and the decor sucks. and there's a bit too many computers - ambiance genre = each person with his own tv.
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I tried the iced chai,it was ok but not anything special.I liked the place though,it's very charming and has alot of free mags,papers,etc to dive into.
I like to come here when I just want to sit and read for a spell. The coffee is not as good as Gorilla's, but it's respectable. The chai, unfortunately, is powdered. I don't know about most of the food, but I did have a good pumpkin bar here, sort of half-way between pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin cheesecake. The sofas are comfy and it's a large space, which is nice when I get sick of the usual claustrophobic NYC hole-in-the-wall storefront where moving four feet is a major ordeal requiring about 700 excuse me's. They always have THE UGLIEST teapots and tea cups on display (I guess for sale, although I certainly wouldn't allow them into my home).
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This place makes me feel at home. I can lounge all day with no pressure from the staff to pack up and leave. Ozzie's is like a community center with kids waiting for the bus hanging out, neighborhood moms and local writers. It's fantastic for people-watching. It's spacious, which I love, so I never feel like I'm taking up space. The coffee is strong and delicious and the food is either baked at the shop or locally. Take that Starbuck's!
The space isn't over thought, like a lot of the new coffee shops. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a doctor's office with steel chairs and glass tables. At other times I feel like I'm not hip enough to be served by the ultra-trendy and mostly uncommunicative employees at most Park Slope coffee shops. Ozzie's has a healthy blend.
The owner has also taken a great interest in local art and charity projects which is duly noted and appreciated.
All in all, Ozzie's is relaxed, clean and just the right amount of style. No need to dress up or wonder about the origins of the couch on which I'm sitting. I highly recommend a visit.
Note: Pretty soon Ozzie's is going completely organic.
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The tea I had was good enough, (they were out of the first kind I asked for) but Constant Companion's chai latte didn't have much flavor. I agree with some other reviewers' complaints. The garbage was overflowing, and when I asked for a cup of water, I was directed to use the water pitcher, which was empty, on the condiments table. The barista was so quiet, I could barely hear her in this quiet place. Also, there's so many chairs, there's enough places to sit, but I'm not into the whole close quarters thing, especially since I was basically rubbing shoulders with the guy with a Flu Fighter tea.
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Ozzie's IS kind of bizarre. I hardly venture out into Park Slope but was looking for a local coffee spot and found Ozzies yesterday. The feel is very neighborhoody, cozy but with further examination, not my ideal coffee place.
Yes, there are PCs hooked up if you would like to surf the net at extra charge. Yes, there are couches to sit at and chat and yes, the coffee is decent. However, being the stickler for cleanliness that I am, I found the place a bit disorganized and uninviting. The feel of it works but should be executed better with better bathrooms and trash cans that are not overflowing constantly. There is JUNK just lying around where there is open space and I wasn't sure if that was to set atmosphere or it was just plain JUNK.
They serve food in the form of quiches, little sandwich pockets but I would venture elsewhere for food. Displayed in a small box near the register, it wasn't exactly appetizing. Same goes for this coffee house. As far as their lattes, it was good but not exactly strong. The milk overpowered the coffee taste that I was looking for.
Bottom Line: Ozzie will not be a stop for me when visiting PS again.
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This is my home away from home. I'm in here all the time and I love the coffee, but I stay away from the food. There are some real hotties behind the bar, comfy couches and a chill vibe. The kid component is not as invasive here as it is at the Tea Lounge on Union. I like kids, but not when they're running around while I'm trying to enjoy a cup of coffee and some conversation.
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who charges for wi-fi??!!!
why am i charged random prices for regular 'ol coffee when it clearly states on the wall: all sizes $1.75
why would anyone buy a muffin here more than twice? why did i? denial? yes. plus the coffee over at at la bageltique tastes like something brewed at a sewage reclamation plant, so you do what you gotta sometimes.
political aside: i appreciate that all the coffee houses in park slope support the mentally disabled by giving them jobs
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Workers are great and espresso packs the kick. It would nice if it didn't have as much of a bitter after taste though. Great for people-watching.
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Mismatched chairs and tables, wooden floors, and xerox'd-flyers for all sorts of events on the paper the walls. It was nice to walk into a home-spun coffee house, after braving in and out of NYC's 80 million Sbux's. It was great to have Photo's and "real" art on the walls, and there are LOTS of seats. A good place to kick back, watch people out on the street, and slow corperate globalization, one sip at a time.
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Coffee is decent. Skip over the food. Staff is either genuinely awesome or completely diabolical. There are many places to sit, chat, and geek out. This is more of a venue than a coffee place.
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In short: great beverages, unimpressed by the eats. The tea is excellent--a generous handful of loose leaves tossed into a paper steeping bag and then placed in your cup. The 7th Ave location has a yummy blended iced coffee drink--I really don't wanna say frappucchino--that comes in a very reasonable 12oz. size for $2.
Wifi and lots of seating make this a decent place to hang out. The only things I've had to eat have been a couple of calzones. They get reheated in the microwave and the dough seems really tough. If you have the munchies, I'd suggest some cake or try somewhere else.
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On a rainy weekend day, a cup of Ozzie's scalding hot coffee is a great way to warm up. Their abundant pile of local zines, wifi access, and comfortable chairs & couches make Ozzie's a good place to chill for an afternoon with a book or laptop. Their pastries are ok, but not really worth bothering with.
Probably my 2nd favorite cafe in the slope. Their teas are pretty good and relatively affordable. The baristas tend to leave their BS at home, so you dont have to deal with that drama. And as far as strollers go, they're not clogging the aisles like in other cafes.
What's great about this cafe is that it's never really noisy or dirty. It's never dark since the store front windows allow for lots of sunlight to come in, which is great when reading the times.
That being said, the computers really bring the ambiance down. I just think it's wicked tacky to have to pay for internet if you've already dropped 4 bucks on only a fairly decent cup of joe. Still, much more enjoyable than Gorilla or the Tea Lounge.
what cafe this day in age doesn't offer FREE wifi? come on now.
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