Irving Farm Coffee Company

This location closed Jan 2012. A new coffee place (Birch Coffee) is going in here — maybe by the end of January.

I went in for a cup of coffee. I work right around the corner, and decided just to get a quick cup. I ended up buying a large. The coffee itself tasted great, but when I got to the bottom of the cup, there were many coffee grounds in it.
This was disappointing. Expect more from a coffee shop, but I may be back and give it another chance.

Good lattes — especially on a rainy day, but the people that work there are just strange, and they make me uncomfortable in that tiny little space. I generally grab my overpriced latte and run. You actually get more for your money at Starbucks.

The chai is very well spiced, perhaps too much so for some people. For me, it’s a welcomed respite from the cloyingly sweet version found in other coffeeshops.
Staff today were friendly and nice. (My visit a few months ago had a more stoic barista.) Steady stream of customers in the morning as people grab their cup of joe before work.
Tall dude comes in in shorts and long sleeve shirt (probably lived nearby and just rolled out of bed). Barista courteously greets him, «How are you?»
«Cold and wet.» (it IS rainy and windy out.)
A bit more small talk.
«What can I get for you?»
«Americano with 4 shots of espresso.»
«Americano with FOUR shots?»
I guess there was some acknowledgement, but I was still stuck on the FOUR SHOTS.

Always looking to give a little shout-​out to a little guy in a Starbucks town. Good cup of coffee here, better tasting than Sbux, and I don’t get those fancy drinks, so I have nothing to add about that. Cup of Joe a little too pricey, and the small is really small, but it’s got a nice taste and that’s what’s important. Pretty scary reviews from a few Unilocalers about the customer service. The guys working there were super nice to me.

This place is right by my work and I often like to go here on my lunch break and relax. Sometimes I even stop in for a quick cup of coffee on my way to work… like I did this morning. However, I don’t think I will be going back anytime soon!
The service is usually so-​so here. Sometimes you get a really nice and smiley person behind the counter… and sometimes you get a rude, unpleasant and unprofessional JERK! Such was the case this morning.
I like to order a small coffee in a medium cup so I don’t spill hot coffee all over me as I run off to work. No other coffee shop in the city seems to have a problem with that other than this place! The girl behind the counter tried to charge me for the price of a medium. I said it was a small in a medium cup. She said «Well you’re just going to fill it up with milk anyway so it’s a medium NOT a small!» (There was an attitude-​y head shake as well.) I was shocked! I tried to explain but let my sentence fall short when I realized she was totally ignoring me. Instead I said «You’re being very rude… I guess next time I’ll just go to Starbucks», as I reached into my wallet to get some cash (I still wanted the coffee!). Suddenly she turned around again, shot me an evil look, snatched my coffee, slammed it on the back counter, and yelled «Next!»!!! I was so mad! I said «Are you refusing to sell me coffee now!?» She rolled her eyes and said «Fine!» She turned around again, grabbed the coffee from the back counter, swung around and slammed it on the counter in front of me! I was so upset I threw my money back in my purse and walked out!
It’s a shame that one girl with an attitude can ruin a place for you!
The coffee is good, the jelly biscuits are delicious… but the service is terrible!!!

Good coffee and pastries. Other food looks good as well though I’ve never tried.
Like the cozy living room atmosphere.

We love 71 Irving Place, so it was so nice to come upon this outpost unexpectedly– especially since they too carry bagels, Tofutti cream cheese, & vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies!
The counterperson was super sweet, even explaining that the chamomile tea was a little weak in case I was hoping for more.
Question of the day is a nice touch :-)
The place is small but packed, so the dining area could have used a little attention. Otherwise, great find!

I ran in quickly this morning to get chai.
The service was fast and efficient and they put cinnamon in my chai without me even asking. The chai was not that spicy but pretty tasty and with added cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa it made for a pretty nice walking drink.
One thing to note was that it wasn’t too hot that I couldn’t drink it while I walked, which typically sucks, but worked out very nicely this morning.
It is a little small so I wouldn’t go to hang out for a long time but will definitely stop by for another chai.

I spontaneously stopped by for an iced coffee on a Saturday afternoon. It’s a cute, bright spot with a great coffee smell. The ice coffee was good — not the best I’ve ever had but definitely better than average. It had a similar price point, too.

The coffee is great here (but expensive, 4.50 for a tiny capuccino), but I guess that’s the price to pay for good coffee these days. The staff is nice and friendly, but beware that service can get VERY slow, so you’ll just have to be patient. There’s also a nice trivia board that changes everyday, if you get it right you get 2 whole punches on your coffee card! One day I’ll get it right!
Oh and don’t bother with the over priced pastries, the only one worth your while (but still too expensive for what it is) is the sugarless berry scone. STAY away from the croissants, yes they are indeed from Balthazar, but they are GROSS! and super expensive… So conclusion, just go to this place if you’re patient and like good coffee :)

I only go here on days where I find myself in exceptionally good moods. The coffee here is fantastic, especially the cappys and iced americanos. And the trivia board is a fun touch.
But the service is inconsistent. Sometimes I’ll stand there for minutes without even being noticed. It drips of Brooklyn-​hipster-​indifference, which sucks.
But, as I said, the coffee tastes great.

The tea was great– but the service was poor.
The 2 girls were paying more attention to their friend on the other side of the counter than to saying hello to the 3 customers waiting in line. I really don’t want to hear how you only made 5 grand while you have been working here… plus the friends stuff was all over the benches-​taking up seating space… too bad b/​c it looks so inviting from the street. :(

Probably my favorite coffee! I tried their chai tea latte and was a no no. stung my nose b/​c it was too gingery. cappuchino is good. and their iced coffee to stay is so tasty, i can’t explain it. the glass cup, the ice, and coffee was perfect for a summer day.
highlights: carrot cake. a new take on it, sort of a crumb cake but their cheesecake frosting was good.
perfect for a sunday night. whenever i go during saturdays or week nights, the noise level is too unbearable to maintain conversations without a headache.

I walked in to this place looking to grab a cup of coffee to kill some time before a job interview. When I arrived there were only a handful of people in there.
Apparently, I brought the swarm in with me as the next thing I knew there was no seating to be found. It is a small, cozy place and has a nice and warm atmosphere. I scanned the menu to see what would compare to my favorites at Starbucks when I saw the Caramel Latte. OH MY! It was so good, I didn’t even need to add sugar.
Totally unexpected the great taste, smooth flavor and dreamy presentation. I am a coffee connoisseur and I love my imports but this place was very good. I must note that prior to my coffee being made, a newbie barista was manning the station so that may explain the inconsistencies some other Unilocalers have encountered. I was lucky to get the PRO barista (black woman, with short hair with blond tips) who clearly knew what she was doing (I also figured this bc all the other employees kept asking her for directions and advice).
So good I didn’t mind stepping outside to sip on it. I will be back again, even if I don’t get the job! (My Medium caramel latte came up to $ 4.25 after tax)

I used to like Irving Farm, but my appreciation is waning steadily.
#1: Their portions are small, but prices aren’t less. And don’t give me this whole «we brew Italian-​style» crap… I’ve seen your coffee being brewed and it looks like it’s made the exact same way as the horse manure they serve at work. A small coffee shouldn’t be the size and cost of a platinum-​plated thimble.
#2: The pastries are getting worse and worse. Supposedly a few are from Balthazar, but they taste like they fell out of Balthazar’s trash. Hard, tasteless, and plain unenjoyable to eat.
#3: Prices are too high. $ 5 for a little cup of granola?! Every time I’ve bought one of those in a rush to work, I kick myself for not having bought a box of granola at the grocery store for only $ 4 more. Is the granola sprinkled with gold leaf? I don’t get it.
#4: The coffee is inconsistent. The last time I got it, I thought someone was trying to poison me. It had this funny, artificial coffee-​mate flavor and I only drink it black. I had to dump it out at work. Burning my money would have been more fun.
#5: They’re slow. I get it; Starbucks is where you go if you have a normal job because those people understand that a lot of us buying coffee on a Monday morning actually have to be somewhere in 10 minutes. I don’t want side conversations between hipster baristas about inside jokes when I’m trying to catch the subway and go to work. In a big building. For a corporation. And like, I have to be on time. Weird, I know.
#6: The renovation did nothing but close them for a week. I see a stir coffee station that looks very unused and a new sign about how special their techniques are. Yawn.
#7: I’m just gonna say it… if you buy a bagel here, I’d really like to know what’s going through your mind. I’ve never seen more unattractive bagels in NY, except Thomas’ at the grocery store. I think that’s almost illegal in New York.
The ONLY good thing here are their vegan ginger molasses cookies, which I used to get until I realized that vegan made no difference in healthiness and I was just eating a 500 calorie cookie for breakfast with no egg. Sweeet.

Stopped by for an espresso along a fairly empty part of 7^th Avenue. The shop itself is really cute — a tiny coffee shop with wooden décor, a few small wooden round tables, and a shelf to the left with all of the coffee beans that they roast.
Good selection of pastries, although I did not try any. The yogurt was not refrigerated, just sitting in some melting ice, and it was a pretty hot day…
The espresso was a bit on the thin side. Is the best coffee in New York? Probably not. Is it a nice place to get some coffee and catch up with a friend or read a book (provided you can get a seat)? Definitely.

The coffee was great! I had my eye on a low fat cranberry muffin and then some jerk-​off in front of me took the last two. So, I couldn’t tell you whether or not they are any good. I settled for a trite blueberry muffin instead and I’m sadly disappointed by it’s tastelessness. I understand it’s probably low sugar but I can’t taste anything. It’s just lumpy, foamy texture in my mouth. No party goin’ on there.
Nevertheless, the coffee is really good; I’d definitely stop by again for my Java.
I avoid Starfucks at all costs.

Definitely small. Very small. I usually shun these expensive places because they are usually not worth the extra gelt and McD’s coffee has improved greatly for half the price.
Well, I wandered into Irving on a friend’s recommendation and found the coffee to be slightly cheaper than say, Starbucks. The great thing was the flavor. This coffee made Starbucks taste like burned Nescafe instant. I am hooked immediately.
But, please, would that they wouldn’t fill the cups to the tippy top and let you put in your own half and half. Nobody ever seems to get that right. One visit, it was so dark and full, I asked the guy to pour some out and lighten it up. He did, but it was still too dark and too filled. The third time was the charm, but, if they just put the dairy products out on the condiment table, all of this bullshit could be eliminated because I would just order it like Starbucks, with «room», and put my own lightener in it.
The only reason I took off a star is because of the half and half tug each time and that their pastries are soooo expensive that, if I bought one, it would be the same price as having a sit down lunch in Primitivo, around the corner.
I know, I know, I’m a kvetch, but isn’t that what Unilocal is for?

A cute little outpost of 71 Irving Place that sits lonely and unnoticed on this busy strip of 7^th Ave. It actually took me several passes by to a. notice that it was anything more than your average joe stand, and b. put together that this was related to 71 Irving Place (you’d think the whole «Irving» thing would have been a tip off, but no…)
Good coffee and pastries and maybe even a sandwich or two in the same vein as its big sister. It’s definitely not a place to linger, though there are a few seats. Points for the cool guys who work here — we had a nice little convo about the crowd pleasing evil that is flavored coffee (we were all purists).
So basically It’s like 71 Irving Lite, on the west side. Glad they’ve set up shop on this side of town.