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Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Prospect HeightsPark Place (S)
Franklin Ave (2, 3, 4, 5, S)
Tue-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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OK. I came by for a lunch meeting, and again for lunch today.
Portions are always huge, which is really wonderful. The decor and mood is very relaxing, which is nice in this neighborhood. Free wi-fi, a friendly staff, and a quiet atmosphere is always welcome.
The sweet potato fries are AMAZING. Unfortunately, I ordered a hamburger, but got a chicken sandwich instead. The waitstaff was nice, so I didn't want to say anything (especially since I was the only one here on a Thursday afternoon), but when I bit into it, the chicken was ridiculously dry, and it reminded me why I never get chicken sandwiches ever.
Something about the salad, however, was incredible. Don't know what the dressing was, but I could eat it all day.
Everything else about the burger was GREAT - fresh tomatoes, greens, soft delicious buns, thick cut bacon, juicy portabello mushrooms. Definitely a WAY better experience than my last review.
I, unlike everyone else who reviewed this place, did not like the Peaches and Cream pancakes.… Read more »
My husband and I had just moved into the neighborhood and didn't want to go far for brunch one late morning. We had gotten the chicken and waffles for take-out once and loved it. The breading/batter on the boneless chicken stayed crispy and crunchy even after sitting on top of moist waffles for an hour in a sealed container. How do they DO that?
So, that day for lunch, we tried their burger bar. I got the falafel burger milkshake combo with all of the Mediterranean fixings . . . feta, diced tomato, diced cucumber, and lovely pesto mayo. The combo comes with your choice of fried side (regular fries, sweet potato fries, or tempura style onion rings), a salad tossed in an Asian style dressing, and a milkshake for about $14.
My burger was decent and huge. My sweet potato fries were awesome. The salad was perfectly dressed - not too much, not too little, and my caramel milkshake was delicious. I'm a big fan of milkshakes that don't make my straw collapse, and it reminded me of the batidos I would get in Costa Rica and Spain. It seems that milkshakes in the US have come to be known for being thick and unsippable. For the rest of the globe, milkshakes are just that, milk shaken with your choice of other stuff. I highly recommend the caramel!
The only drawback is that there is a limited waitstaff, so as long as you know there's only one or two people working the tables for the whole place, you should be fine.
After reading the reviews, my wife and I took the 2 minute walk to Bristens. We showed up at 6pm for dinner and the waiter (the only one they seem to have) said that the cook wasn't there yet. We came back a half hour later to find out that they didn't have a dinner menu, with the exception of ribs. We both ordered sandwiches as a test for the night.
The food is OK, it isn't amazing but it had some effort to it. The fries were very good and you actually get a good portion size. Mac and cheese, pretty awesome. My wife's sandwich, one of the veggie options, was lame; a couple of greens and a GIANT roll that made up about 75% of the meal. The service is quirky, not necessarily in a bad way unless you are impatient and don't appreciate informal dining environments. Over all, I hope they keep trying. I see the potential in it so I gave an extra star. Hopefully my next meal there will keep that 3rd star in place!
Pros: outdoor dining, BYOB, laid back service
Cons: Not much selection, slightly over priced, food not up to potential
I am a fan of the grits-n-cheese with sausage.
I am a fan of the BYO-cup for $1 coffee.
I am a fan of the owner's great interest in the neighborhood - she started up the flea market on Franklin and Sterling and is one of several businesses in the area that are hip, black-owned, and catering to the diversity of the area.
I am a fan of the fact that they are a small business taking advantage of social networking tools - the owner takes orders over Facebook and has a little computer behind the counter so she can keep up.
I am sad that 1) they are not open on Mondays, 2) they never seem to remember me no matter how often i have conversations with them and 3) they are currently closed due to a fire - so CALL in advance to make sure they're open.
I just came back from a mini tour of Crown Heights and wanted to post a review of Bristen's. My fiance came here this past Saturday and told me "We have to try this place out, their coffee is great and their pancakes - HUGE!".
So we ate here this afternoon and we are fans of the place. It is a small hole in the wall but very cozy. When we arrived, it seemed that it was a neighborhood restaurant, the customers and workers knew each other. We ordered their coffee and we both had the Blueberry pancakes. Their coffee was very strong but very tasty. I cant describe the flavor of the coffee but was definilty not an Arabic or Columbian roast.
When the pancakes came out, my gawd, they were HUGE. I have never seen anything like this. With taste, I think truthfully they use the Bisquick's Blueberry mix that you use with water. They didnt have a taste of buttermilk and the consistency was crumbly. But they werent bad - I've had worse in other high end restaurants and appreciate the fact that not all pancakes should be made with buttermilk.
I believe the syrup was Aunt Jamima's or Log Cabin - it was definitly a corn syrup consistency to it instead of maple syrup.
The service was good, I was not in a rush to be served and they made sure that we were being served.
The experience overall was great, very relaxed and friendly atmosphere, good food and great prices. I dont think you will get anything like this in any other neighborhood, you will either be shelling out alot more money for okay food or the service will be sacrificed.
I say Keep up the good work! Will definitly return again.
Mediocre food, horrible service.
My fries showed up 10 minutes after my sandwich & only because I practically begged for them. My boyfriend's "milkshake" was COMPLETELY melted. Seriously. Soup.
This joint was totally empty, yet we couldn't manage to flag someone down to save our lives. There were 2 waitresses & NO other tables. They didn't even check on us.
Icing on the cake? We almost paid someone else's bill (in an empty restaurant) that happened to be nearly twice as much as our own. Glad I was paying attention.
Won't be headin' back down this road.
I went there this past weekend while in town for the Caribbean festival. The service was a bit slow, but the food totally made up for it. Loved the Ribs, juicy fell off the bone and drenched in a sweet BBQ sauce...the mac and cheese was so good, we ended up taking a side to go. It seemed to take a bit long for the fries to come out but I'd definitely head there the next time I'm in Brooklyn.
Just stopped by today because I was craving coffee and ended up staying for the huevos rancheros. The coffee was normal restaurant quality, and good enough that I bought some to-go after my meal. The rancheros were also good - not out of this world, but good enough for me to want to return to try other stuff on the menu.
The service was excellent. I sat outside and didn't feel neglected. Our waiter was in and out quite often to refill drinks and make sure we were doing all right.
I'd like to head back soon to check out the pancakes since they're spoken so highly of here on Yelp, but if you're not a pancake fan, don't be afraid of the rest of the stuff on the menu.
My experience here has been better than my girlfriend's. The food I've had has been OK not great but not making me crave it. The homemade hot sauce is excellent.
My girlfriend has always been underwhelmed. Last time we were there her breakfast was nearly inedible. I tried her eggs and somehow they were terrible while my omelette was decent.
I want to give a better review, because I want more businesses like this in the neighborhood but you've got to improve your food first
I want to give you a better review Bristen's, because you really are a welcome addition to a neighborhood that has little in the way of cafes or coffee shops. Your staff is friendly and you really are a cute little place. But until your service gets a little more efficient and your food a little more satisfying, I can only give you two stars, and mostly just because I'm glad you're there.
The coffee is totally decent, and the breakfasts taste good but left me wanting more. The sandwiches were good but unremarkable, and while I liked sitting in the backyard, it reeks of mothballs back there. Keep trying Bristen's, I want you to succeed.
Pretty solid spot for lunch or for all-day breakfast. There could be more vegetarian options, but I do really like their egg white & tofu omelet. The menu is creative, and they've always been easygoing about requests to modify meals. I'm pretty sure the dude next to us ordered totally off the menu the last time I was there.
Service is friendly but not terribly quick, and sometimes kind of awkward. But I like their sign out front telling you to stop in and bring some beer with you, or advertising the different happenings that they've got going on. A couple of times I've walked by and caught some live jazz coming through the open front of the place, and you've got to dig that.
It's right around the corner, has all day breakfast, and will do (soy) coffee to go. How can you go wrong?
Chicken and waffles (my roommate noted) and the peaches and cream pancakes were delicious! And they have outdoor seating, sweet!
We were served coffee with grounds (which they noticed and served anyway) and my eggs florentine were kinda sour (maybe that's just my sensitive palate?) BUT that doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it to friends nor that I wouldn't go back. Just some observations.
Also, I think it's a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Now that they are getting some good buzz they'll only get better and better!
Basically my three friends and I had a drunken sleepover and wanted a really good brunch the following morning.
We got there and sat outside on some janky wobbly table in direct sun. It took about twenty minutes to get our food, even though the place was practically empty.
The food was overpriced and all our plates looked really bare. For $9, one of my friends got a surprisingly small omelette and a bare and bland salad. I got Eggs Florentine and two of my friends got Eggs Benedict, which had no flavor and were also served with the same generic, sad salad. When the waitress came out with our food, she had no idea who ordered what and only said, "This one has ham, this one doesn't," as though she didn't even know what the dishes were.
My friends ordered coffee and had to ask twice for milk and sugar. Our water was never refilled unless we asked, and everything took forever. The table next to us also seemed to have problems with our waitress.
We ordered French Fries cuz we were still hungry and they basically tasted like oil.
When the bill came, it was $80. They screwed up the bill and had to fix it.
I dunno, the place just seemed really overpriced, the food wasn't really flavorful and took forever, and we left feeling hungry and jipped. Lame!
I know it's a cliche expression, but I love it when people are outside-of-the-box with new business themes. But only if it's not annoying. Bristen's is just right in that way....
I'm thankful that I don't live in the part of Crown Heights that has any shortage of restaurants or entertainment spots...I have a solid mix of everything nearby..... but there's only a sprinkle of other options around my way outside of traditional West Indian food/theme (if I just happen to not be in the mood for curry or jerk or whatever). But the Franklin Ave. part of Crown Hts (that the hipsters have infiltrated and now have decided to call it Prospect Hts - what's wrong with calling in Crown Heights since it IS Crown Hts?) has always had a meager selection good eats period, West Indian or not, in my opinion.
Not anymore....Bristen's is here!
...the best part is that I get to partake in yet another addition to my current selection of affordable food choices in my area, because I'm not too far away to walk over the Bristen's ...........or GET DELIVERY! (yay! delivery of decent food is one thing that's a little scarce over here).
After sampling the delicious peaches and cream pancakes, which feature just the right amount of cinnamon in the batter, and (Illy) coffee for breakfast, I expressed to the owner how much I love to see people take creative risks in business and make it work. She told me that although she's Jamaican, and classicly trained in cooking mainly traditional West Indian food, she wanted to deviate from the norm and the expected in her food/theme just to shake it up. Well she shakes it up well.
The menu is well- edited with a selection of cafe/luncheonette-type fare that is either breakfast-brunchy (Avail all day) or sandwiches with a slightly hipstery spin on the norm. There are coffee-house type things to grab like scones and cookies, too. They make homemade lemonade - all is made with care it seems. But what is fun is how she throws in the unexpected and makes an effort to put a quirky spin on the simple stuff she offers WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY or going overboard. That is key for me.....a lot of cafes and whatnot can't pull that off.
And besides the food, this little cafe is so cute - the small space is well-utilized without inducing clausterphobia, and the vibes are very upbeat and endearing. I will be walking over here a lot more since the menu is so yummy and cheap, the ambiance is corner coffee shop-cutesy without being too, and they're opening a backyard in a few weeks which she says will feature open mic and music and a big barrell (jerk-style) bbq grill for warm weather cookouts, a hookah and other fun stuff. She has a lot of other out-of-the-box ideas like "bring your own cup/flask to-go coffee specials" for on the way to work, and other fun little quirky things.
And last but not least, Crown Heights (West) residents....finally it's here....really yummy brunch and all-day breakfast delivered!!! Bristen's accepts credit card orders by phone for delivery orders, and there is NO MINIMUM on weekdays except for Friday!!! They freakin rock! On Friday and Saturday the minimum credit card order is $20, which I am sooo down with. Ahhh.....(the convenience) and variety (of options) is the spice of life (in Crown Hts).....I love you West Indian food, but sometimes ya just gotta change it up.....so thank you for opening, Bristen's! Oh yeah, and they have biscuits FRI-SUN.....YEEESSSSSSSSSSS!
My best friend and I loved this place because of the great decor and proximity of the place to our house. We sat inside because it was raining but would definitely come back for the patio.
I ordered the BEST soy caffe latte i have probably ever had and my bf's coffee was delicious too. The food we had was tasty (chicken and waffles and the country breakfast), not remarkable, but very tasty. The food came out a little slow, but it didn't matter because the staff was overly courteous and the atmosphere was great.
We plan to return--we have to try out lunch.
(I've given more thought to this----the atmosphere was great and the food was decent--this is gotta be a 3star-er)
PROS: Good vibe, courteous and aware staff. Each employee I encountered seemed genuinely friendly; they weren't trying to please or entertain me, they were just NICE. I immensely appreciate this. Decent eggs Benedict, tastefully trim decor, neat and cozy back yard.
CONS: My espresso lacked body and crema, and my eggs Benedict took a little too long to arrive considering I was one of only 4 tables. That said, I didn't mind waiting, as I could enjoy the breeze through the open door and watch passersby as I gradually merged with the waking world.
This is a great new place. My attention was drawn to the breakfast portion of the menu as opposed to the sandwiches, even though it was 3 in the afternoon. I got the fried chicken & waffles. How could I not?
I can admit that I am the type of person that would be happy with chicken fingers & waffles, or KFC & waffles, but what was delivered to me was far beyond that. I was given the choice of dark or white meat, & after a few minute wait while I sipped a cappuchino (during which I could hear the chicken being fried) the lovely dish was delivered to me. The chicken managed to be boneless, something I wasn't anticipating, but it was a detail that greatly facilitated the eating process. A process that quickly turned into the most lucious syrup-based waffle & chicken soup. Before you gag, give it a taste, & thank me.
In the back a brick patio was being lain as I ate. With the weather turning, this is a great sign for those who want coffee-shop level drinks along with food that is more various & of higher quality than what you'll find in most coffee-based establishments. The restaurant is a pleasant combination of friendliness, affordablity, good food & good coffee.
This place is good. They serve breakfast until 4. The people who work there are very nice. They have WIFI. The coffee is delicious though not strong. I've had the PLT (portabella, lettuce and tomato) sandwich that was tasty and the eggplant Dean burger was ok. I am so happy to have another place to chill at that is nearby.
They've changed their bread. They gave me my Washington on a piece of flatbread that was so soggy from the sauce it fell apart in my hands. No good.
BUT they now have a live jazz band/singer on the weekends and some weeknights and the music floats up and down the street, into my apt, and it's quite nice.
Bristen's opened up a little while ago after months of folks passing by wondering why there was… Read more »
Quite possibly the worst breakfast I have ever had in Brooklyn. My fiance and I walked passed here and decided to give it a try. The staff was friendly, the decor was cute and the garden out back was nice. So we ordered and plunked ourselves down out back. I should have left after getting my coffee! A cappuccino made with what appeared to be nearly spoiled skim milk that was luke warm and with very very little coffee. 40 minutes later our breakfast came out and wasn't even remotely what I ordered. I asked for two eggs over easy with crisp bacon and white toast....I got a salad that had slimy lettuce, deep fried bacon and eggs sunny side up and raw! Yup, you could see right through the runny white of the egg. My fiance had the chicken and waffles and that wasn't much better. The waffles were so hard they bounced.
I will never never come back here again.
Nice place and convenient to where I live. I had the Eggs Benedict and was quite happy with it. Very tasty bacon and a good sauce. A mixed greens w/ a lite dressing really worked to offset the heaviness of the sauce. The coffee wasn't bad. The people were friendly, the cook/manager/owner/all the above thanked me for coming in.
I was unsatisfied with the lack of a coffee refill and my server didn't return to my table at all after serving me the meal. Its a pet peeve of mine but I don't believe I should be waiting quite that long to get my check when I was so obviously finished eating.
It was good enough and the patio seemed such a nice place to eat that I'll try it again in the near future.
Cheap and delicious and so welcome to the neighborhood.
We had Fried Chicken and Waffles and Peaches and Cream Pancakes, coffee and biscuits. Portions are huge and we had a ton of food for very cheap - I think $19 was the total. They accept cards!
Bright, clean decor. Everything looks brand new, new floors, windows, etc. Service was a little slow - but it says on the menu that everything is cooked to order and to please be patient - so, we were! And they've only been open a week.
Overall, I am so stoked that Bristen's is here. Good coffee on the way to the train! Anything is better than Saje.
3 stars but a really good 3 stars like 3 1/2 stars even. not 4 though
was meeting people at the brooklyn museum at 2 so i went here w/ my kid for lunch beforehand. Very cute nice little space, especially the garden, although the chairs are more comfortable than practical for eating. Service was a little spotty in that way it can be only when run by well meaning hipsters.
the peach and cream pancakes my kid had were tasty. I ordered the chicken and waffle. I wish i had specified dark meat, as i got a breast, but that isn't their fault - no penalty for that - i just didn't even imagine getting white meat was possible with waffles. I mean obviously it is, but i had such a clear picture of what i wanted in my mind i confused that with reality. anyway the chicken was delicious, really tasty herb/spice mixture. the waffle however fell short of ideal, and almost short of good. It was not cooked enough. waffles need to be crisp. and golden. and crisp. it wasn't. not awful, not a deal breaker, not a horror on the level of infanticide, but a disappointment none the less.
if i lived anywhere near here i'm sure i'd go back, and then id develop an affection for the place, and its very smiley friendly kitchen staff and give it another star. but i don't, and there you have it.
They changed their bread! Their sandwiches, which used to suffer from occasional sog, are now way crustier and tastier. I now crave them on a regular basis.
My experiences here so far have been a little mixed, but it is so close to my place that I am… Read more »
The decor in Bristens is really cute coffee house.I love the outside patio in the back.The chairs were big and comfortable,the shiny white gravel floor..well done!!They are friendly here always smiling and happy to help you.The bathroom like the rest of the place was clean and pleasant.I ordered the chicken and waffles.I was a little disappointed in the portion of the chicken..but discovered it was just enough for me.The chicken was well seasoned,juicy and crispy(a slight bit underdone however).The waffles were not good, they were cold and hard and may have been good if they were freshly made.I would have taken it back but we didn't see our waiter often since he was the only waiter there.My partner's cheesy grits was delivered in a big bowl with a medium helping of turkey bacon.I thought they were good but would have really benefited from a few hits of salt.
Next time I will order the peaches and cream pancakes they looked really good and the lady behind me eating the pancakes demolished them.
My friends and I went here for lunch on Saturday and we got possibly the worst service I've ever had. Period. I'm not a huge stickler for prompt service and I don't need the waitstaff to fawn over me, especially during a chilled-out weekend lunch, but this was absolutely atrocious.
We got there at 12:30 or so, and there were a few other people there but it wasn't bustling. We had to wait so long for the waitress to take our order (at least ten minutes) that we started to wonder if we were actually supposed to order at the take-out counter.
Finally one of us flagged her down. My friends ordered a panini, a burger, and the huevos rancheros, and I picked the cheese grits and BBQ sausage. I had the iced coffee to drink and I have to admit, it was delicious. But it didn't make up for the fact that we waited OVER AN HOUR for our food, during which time the tables on both sides of us ordered, got their food, paid, and left. After about 45 minutes one of my friends went up and asked what the holdup was. He was told they'd put our order in late, and that they were understaffed. I think "late" was a euphemism for "we forgot about it and we're putting it in right now," because it was another solid twenty minutes before I got my cheese grits and sausage, easily one of the simplest dishes on the menu. When our food did arrive, it was staggered at ten minute intervals, so my friends were faced with the awkward choice of whether to let their food get cold or start eating while everyone else waited.
Our waitress also seemed extremely confused -- she kept bringing out random dishes and going around to each table asking if it was theirs. When one of my friends asked her a simple question about the menu, she had no idea and didn't offer to find out.
I suppose I should at least mention the food -- it was okay, but nothing spectacular. My cheese grits weren't very cheesy and the so-called "BBQ sausage" was just Jimmy Dean link sausage sliced in half, browned, and drizzled with BBQ sauce out of a bottle. My friend who had the huevos rancheros said they tasted like "Hamburger Helper with eggs," which can be good or bad.
But what really sticks in my craw about the whole experience was the fact that no apology was offered for such heinous service. I would've willingly cut them some slack if they'd been anything approaching busy, or if they'd offered us a free dessert, or even if they'd just said, "Guys, I'm really sorry this is taking so long." Nope. Nothing. So thank you, Bristen's, for ruining our day. Stay away if you care at all about getting your food in a timely fashion.
so wanted my first taste of bristen's to be great. sadly, the sandwiches were a bit lacking -- chicken was dried out and some of the filling was sparse. but it was the 1st week so i'm holding out hope for something better next time!
coffee and drinks are great -- and the staff is v. attentive and friendly.
I signed up to yelp JUST to write a review as my experience at Bristen's was that bad. My friend and I walked to this place in the pouring rain to get some brunch as we heard good things about this place. Well we heard wrong! We had the worst experience. Long story short my friend ended up having a moth in her salad, still alive! The waiter (who was aloof the whole time we were there!) and manager at the restaurant were very annoyed and upset with us because we had yelled and jumped when we saw the bug in her salad. One woman, who I believe was either the manager or owner, actually said to me, "your reaction made other customers think it was a roach." And I then said, "roach or not, I was disturbed that any bug was in our meal". Then she tried to say that It must have flew into the salad while we were eating. Now come on, a big moth flies right onto the plate and we don't notice it?? I think not, that bug was in the salad when it came out of the kitchen. In the end they did comp our meal, which we didn't even ask them to do. We would have gladly paid for our meals if the situation had been handled differently (i.e BETTER) by the waiter and manager. BUT we didn't get out of there without being rudely spoken to by the manager, we left the restaurant feeling attacked. All in all, I will never go to this place again and will take any opportunity to tell friends not to go here.
so has anyone been here lately? i walked from my apt in crown heights in search of a good coffee...it was all closed up..in the middle of a day? i'm not sure if it was just that day, or if it is in fact. closed....
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