Brooklyn Label
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Brooklyn/Greenpoint180 Franklin St
(between Green St & Huron St)
Brooklyn, NY 11222 (718) 389-2806
- Nearest Transit:
Greenpoint Ave (G)
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Thu-Fri 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sat 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Free
39 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village
"Recommended for: Tea connoisseurs, relaxing in EV. Food 5, Service 5, Ambiance 5. You all know I'm horrible with names, and one of the…" read more »
40 Reviews for Brooklyn Label
The only thing Brooklyn Label has got going for them is the cute decor. Other than that the food is meh and the prices aren't that good for meh food, and the meh service doesn't make up for it either. An awkward point about Label is that it fakes outdoor seating. You're really just sitting on the sidewalk, and it feels like you're more of an obstacle than a leisurely diner.
What's worse is that I've left there smelling like I've worked a full shift as a server. Full-on grease. Yum! I strongly suggest heading over to Paloma two short blocks away where you will get an experience as well as good food.
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Had some brunches here. It was alright but not fully on.
Got a Chai Latte - it was soooooo sweet. We sent it back. We got new ones, they weren't as sweet, but there wasn't much chai spice in them.
The foods were alright. Tried their challah french toast. Two giant pieces of toast, little bit of egg batter, little bit of syrup, little bit of this super tasty pecan and cranberry butter. Interesting. But its made me swear of sweet breakfast in Brooklyn for awhile.
The huevos rancheros my companion had were better. As was the little bit of their habenero sauce I tried. Spicy stuff.
This place is soooo cute. The decor, the chalkboards, the heavily tatooed staff more interested in talking to their friends than dealing with customers. Its got that kind of vibe.
They desperately need new cooks. Waitstaff was very friendly, but that's it. I sent back the salad that was swimming in olive oil and large, hacked pieces of apple. It was awful. I thought they couldn't make a mistake with a vegi tofu dog and french fries, but...yes. A badly burnt side, not fully cooked, with greasy fries. Embarassing. I really wanted to like this place. What happened?
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Franklin Street is so cute, first of all. When sick of all the food options on Bedford Ave, I highly recommend the short walk over to Franklin for some less busy spots. Such as Brooklyn Label, where I had breakfast this morning. I was pleasantly surprised. It's very Euro-cafe-looking inside, and has a huge cafe menu complete with interesting coffees, teas, and hot chocolates. The egg scramble with tomato and basil was simple but very tasty. I plan on incorporating it into my roster of regular brunch spots. Really good service, too. I would imagine it gets crowded weekends, but on a Friday around noon it was pleasantly peaceful. Lovely new discovery.
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Wow. This has been one of my favorite breakfast spots for a while.....but it appears that there's been some changes.
Yesterday morning we thought we'd treat ourselves a bit and go to Brooklyn Label, they make really good hashbrowns and their own ketchup, yummy.
The first sign that something was up came with the coffee (okay, lattes). It tasted like they steamed milk and poured in some Chock Full 'o Nuts. Hmmm, one of the plusses has always been the really good coffee here.
So out comes the hashbrowns. I nearly sent them back as soon as the waiter dared to deliver them. It literally looked like they grated a lot of potatoes, spread them out on a sheet pan, and then put the whole thing in the oven for just a bit too long, then cut off servings and reheated as orders came in. No oil or stirring, really dark on the outside, pure potato white on the inside.
Things were getting a bit ridiculous. My boyfriend's granola was still homemade, but the new recipe is for more of a carmelized thing than granola, and whereas they formerly served it with really nice fruit, it now comes with giant bits of slimy melon and one blueberry.
They have also switched from Balthazar pastries to something a bit less than pedestrian, that first bite was a real unpleasant suprise.
Moral of the story? Yes, it's really hard, almost impossible to make any profit running a restaurant, but by trying to cut costs, the new owner (this is an assumption, as there appeared to be a new owner-type on the scene) has also brought the quality of the food down by about 75%, while still charging the somewhat gourmet prices of the food that used to be served here.
I have rarely, possibly never, been so dissapointed in a meal.
It's always funny when you have your last meal at a favorite restaurant without knowing it will be the last, usually because they then close...this time I'm choosing to remember my penultimate meal as the last. Goodbye, Brooklyn Label, see y'all at Cafecito, or Champion, or somewhere else where they still care about what they're doing.
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i can't stop thinking about the Brooklyn Label Huevos Rancheros. Such a basic thing, but done oh-so-well. If they don't bring out a bottle of their orange hot sauce automatically, ask for one. Proceed to smother your food in it and enjoy the sweetly burning mouthful of goodness that will keep you thinking about it until your next visit.
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Okay, I Iike the food here. Brunch is brunch - pretty straightahead with some southwestern twists, I guess. And good. The coffee too.
But the service is hilarious. Not bad, just funny. The first time I was here, this server walks briskly up to our table and sort of accosts my fellow diner with this invitation to start: "Hey, you wanna latte...man?!" emphasis on the "man" (say it in your head the way you might say, say, "d*ckwad" or "dipsh*t"). And not a coffee, but "a latte."
"Can I just get a coffee?" my friend asked after a good pause.
"Two please," I sheepishly added, "...man."
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The brunch is alright, I mean, its brunch and restaurants generally hate doing brunch. Had a taste of the pulled pork over polenta and that was actually really good, the rest of what I've had are "eh" especially since the place is packed so I don't thoroughly understand why people pour into this place on weekends.
It is a great space, and the staff are generally on point.
I've noticed a decline in the quality of food over the past few months. For example, their chorizo mac n cheese is really tasty but lately I've been getting mushy pasta and fewer pieces of chorizo. Another time had the veggie burger with the salad, and the salad had those nasty slimy bits of super old lettuce mixed in. So, I won't get anything with the spring/mesculun lettuce on the plate. Their bibb lettuce with cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese salad is scrumptious.
All in all, they have their highs and lows, but nothing really in between. I wish they could get it together because I'd be going much more often.
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After hitting the gym and stopping by a friend's to see their newborn, C. and I realized we needed a late lunch -- bad. So on my friend's advice, we went to Brooklyn Label for a late lunch-brunch around 3 p.m.
C. got the bagel and lox: poppyseed bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers, and raw onion. A Reed's ginger ale to drink. I got the gruyere omelette with hashbrowns and toast. A hibiscus orange fizzy to drink.
It took awhile to be served, but once the food came, it was good -- nothing special, but not overly expensive. They seem to really care about their ingredients. Everything was wholesome and fresh -- organic eggs and the like.
Not bad, and located in the old Astral Apartments building!
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If it's good enough for Alex Kapranos, it's good enough for me. Excellent coffee, brunch, and decor.
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I would say brooklyn label is a great place for brunch---if you like mosh pits and long lines. However, I go and grab breakfast druing the week and it's a nice pace of regulars and neighborhoodies. HOWEVER, I had dinner there last night and was secretly----left feeling unimpressed. My server, a pint sized 20 something lady, was great. She joked alongside me and was right on all of our needs in a "welcome to my home" kind of way. THey were out of my first choice----so I went with the special. Two words: NOT SPECIAL.
So....why do I go back? Location. WiFi, ease, price and breakfast.
Why three stars: dinner, not special specials.
This December marks the one-year anniversary of Brooklyn Label's opening. I relish early Saturday or Sunday breakfast alone because my day job requires a lot of...interpersonal skills. BL is about 4 blocks away from my cozy apartment in Green Point. Because I sit alone, there is never a wait for a spot at the bar. BL has a limited menu, so it took about two trips for me to memorize it (also might be a reason why most servers don't need to write down orders).
Patrons are of the mid-20 to early 30 cohorts. Many of the servers have hip haircuts, tattoos and piercings. Decor is earthy vintage with brown countertops and aged clocks paired with flourishing bright colors from fresh flowers. I don't remember if it was a sign or someone saying it--but "presentation is key" here. You can see that they take great care of the dishes in the time that it is transported to you. I watched a server pick up a bowl of oatmeal from the kitchen, take it the counter and carefully wipe the splatter on the edge of the bowl with a towel. Dishes are visually pleasing; even the bowl of fruit sitting out on the counter for the granola and yogurt dish is stunning.
The Mayan cocoa with two espresso shots, was surprisingly good (strange coming from a strong coffee hater)-- a good cinnamon bite and dark velvety chocolate finish with a pasilla chili kick. I could barely taste the espresso. The whipped cream on top made it the loveliest consistency. I was famished and had no trouble gobbling up the huevos rancheros. Their red sauce is so sweet and the guac fresh, I loved it.
I did not expect the Chili Colorado to come in a bowl. It is two poached eggs with pulled pork, polenta, red peppers and toast. The watery consistency was disconcerting, but upon sampling--the pork melted in my mouth. It was good, but needed a little kick. Enter: the house hot sauces. First, there's a chipotle ketchup. There's also a red sauce (not recommended!) and a salsa verde. The latter of the two is milder but has enough of a spicy lift (probably poblano and jalapeno blend) to boost this Chili Colorado. It wasn't my favorite dish, I'm not a huge fan of red peppers. Plus, I felt that the toast was too much, the cheese polenta sufficed.
Another time, I had the Biscuits and Gravy with a Brooklyn Cocoa. BL's gravy is not sweet, so they didn't use all heavy cream; it's chunky with thick clods of sausage and bacon. Not crispy bacon, but actual cured cubes you have to bite. Biscuits aren't too soft or cakey, they go well with the consistency of the thick gravy. On top you have two overeasy eggs lightly dusted with paprika. My favorite of the 4 BL cocoas, the Brooklyn, is a thick Italian-style drinking cocoa with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top. Similar to the unsuccessful Chantico from Starbucks, but less dark chocolate and larger serving size.
I have to admit that it is pretty pricey for weekend brunch--but it does not disappoint. Be there before the 11am rush to score a table, otherwise prepare yourself for a 20 to 30 minute waiting list. Typically, I prefer to have a bloody mary in the morning, but they don't serve alcohol. Instead BL makes it up with an array of coffees and sipping cocoas. Even if you aren't hungry, BL is a great place to enjoy a morning cup of something and read the paper; bob your head to quiet choruses of Styx or Journey.
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I love this place! They have super yummy brunch, with large portions. Also great for lunch. My vegetarian Brother was in town, and he happily ate here several times. Theres an amazing tempeh Reuben, with sour kraut, and a huge pile of mixed green salad. I can never finish my food here. I also hear they have the best burger in Brooklyn, although I wouldn't know because I don't eat red meat. Ive been in Greenpoint for 5 years, and am super happy to have a great cafe, with WIFI around the corner! Plus, the service is friendly and fast.
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Overall, a hit or miss restaurant. But in a neighborhood with mostly mediocre Polish and Thai food, I'll take it...
A recent visit after the brunch rush was over fell short. We ordered hot dogs and a cheeseburger and it took a really long time for the food to come out even though most of the crowd had cleared out. When it did arrive, the hot dogs were cold and the cheeseburger raw in the middle (we ordered medium). The people next to us arrived before us and got their food after us (and they ordered cold sandwiches...)
One time they had huevos rancheros on the brunch menu and that was really good. Hope they bring it back.
For dinner, I've been happy with the fish n chips but disappointed by the roast chicken (very dry).
I like that it's BYOB.
Overall this place is pretty decent. I live down the street and have eaten here several times. There's one waiter who's too cool for school and needs to get a reality check. The hipster thing is over dude, did you not get the memo in 2006? I'm not a huge fan of this place and would be if they just had regular meals like 2 eggs, hashbrowns, toast, sausage, bacon, or ham. Some of their menu items serve like one of these things which is just weird. If they kept their current menu but added good regular breakfast it would be a hit.
On a side note, why is it so damn hard for Greenpoint to have a REGULAR breakfast place. Just good food, good portions, at the right price point will go very far in this neighborhood. Is there a reason why this hasn't been accomplished yet?
Okay, okay, so this place is packed during weekend brunch. I don't care. I mean, I do care....after all, when I want their french toast and AMAZING hot chocolate, I do not want to be made to wait for it. But since the payoff is so great, I'll let my tendencies towards immediate gratification slide here.
The first time I visited, the special was french toast on cinnamon raisin challah bread, stuffed with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries. I haven't gotten lucky and had it be one of their specials since then, but I still crave it. I've had their omelette and the biscuits and gravy other times, and they were also awesome.
The hot chocolate is absolutely a must; I've had the Mayan Frozen Hot Chocolate since the weather warmed up, and was not as impressed. You're better off sipping the hot stuff while you sweat in 80-degree weather.
The dinner selection, while not as good, still has some viable options on the menu. While it's usually pretty empty in the evenings, service tends to be worse, somehow, so I'd stick with the brunch and just try to get there early (before 1030) if you don't want to wait too long. Like I said earlier though, I don't mind the wait - free wifi, grab a coffee while you wait, plop down at a window stool and just people-watch and daydream about your amazing breakfast until your table's ready.
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Coffee menu is a extensive & thorough, as has been said; I'm not a huge coffee drinker but I had a nice espresso over brown sugar. It was like a jolt cola, only it tasted a lot better. I had the chili colorado, which was damn good - sort of a whimsical take on huevos rancheros, with a pair of well poached eggs over a salty, succulent portion of pork, and some other yummy stuff in the bottom of the bowl (polenta?). Their red habanero sauce is FIREY but good. The place was packed on Sunday afternoon, and really is not that large, but the staff was friendly and accommodating; they bought our coffees in exchange for forgetting to cook our food when the ticket first went into the kitchen.
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Decent brunch, but the iced coffee? Iced WATER. Ice water that was instructed it should try and be iced coffe but didn't quite understand the request. Bleh. Try again.
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Being its neighbor three doors down, I have a love-hate relationship with this place. When my girlfriend and I first moved to Greenpoint from San Francisco in March, we were elated to have found our apartment, considering we had no jobs, no references, and no credit to speak of, really. In celebration of signing our lease, we giddily trudged through the slush to Brooklyn Label, where we would treat ourselves to celebratory coffees in our inaugural trip to the neighborhood eatery. Being from the west coast, perhaps we came off as a little too outgoing and friendly as we explained to the cashier that we just moved in down the street--with a too-cool-for-school smirk, he replied, "that's nice. I wish I could afford to live here." Stumped as to why anyone would say that to us, we retreated to the railing with our $1.50 coffees.
The decor and the location cannot be beat. Besides this one particular fellow (another incident occurred a couple of weeks later that added to my grim attitude towards him), the service seems laid-back, friendly, and level-headed.
I have sat down and eaten here exactly twice. And to be honest, Balthazar saved the meal both times. They serve Bathazar breads and pastries, which pretty much out-shine anything else served. Go in the afternoon during the week and you can get a bag of day-old pastries for $2.
For the most part, the food is pretty expensive, over-priced even. If I recall correctly, the sandwiches don't come with any sides, and I think that fries or a salad are an extra $2-3.
Raven's Brew coffee is the feature, which, in my humble yet fully-informed and experienced opinion, is very over roasted. However, a lot of people like over roasted coffee, a la Starbucks, so it might be just the thing you need to jump start your morning. I will, however, stick to french pressing Gimme Coffee in the comfort of my own home--fifty feet away from Brooklyn Label.
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So i finally made it here for brunch. It's only 4 blocks from where I live, but every time I go it's packed. I went around 9am, yeah I'm an early riser, early bird gets the worm right? It looked like I was the first customer of the day. No local hipsters in sight. Service was friendly and quick. I got the Challah French Toast. You would expect they would give you some fruit on the side whatever. It's supposed to be brunch! Alas all I received were two cinamon toasted baguettes with this cinnamon strawberry nut butter topping and a drizzle of syrup. Nonetheless it was very tasty. A bit pricey for what you get though. I think I will go back though and try other items on their brunch menu.
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Thanks for the croissant in the morning... or when I need a good bar of chocolate. Glad you are my neighbor
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I want to like this place more, really, since it's cute inside and near everything. The pastry basket is awesome, and the homefries are heavenly. Problem is the crowd and the service. There are too many babies, hipsters, and hipsters with babies. Also, the waiters/waitresses are hot but grouchy. I must have been here half a dozen times and each time I get that one guy with the brown hair or the hippie lady and they act rushed and bothered. And the specials are more expensive than you would think: $15 for fish and chips?! Thumbs down!
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It used to suck to live in Greenpoint. No good pastries, no good coffee, the only restaurant/bar/coffeehouse with wi-fi in the neighborhood charged $3.50 for a glass of O.J... oh no, you're thinking fresh O.J - no no, just the glass out of the tropicana box.
Brooklyn Label opened just around the corner from me. I welcomed it. It had wi-fi. I got excited. It's beautiful. It's lovely. But the worship started when the Frenchie that I am saw a pain au chocolat (I know they call it chocolate croissant but don't ask me to). It actually looked good. I tasted it and - I was stunned - it was perfect. The right bread, the right chocolate, the right everything... I had to know what the hell was going on. It turns out they get their patisserie fresh from Balthazar every morning... and now they even have baguette :)
The wi-fi, the good coffee, the $2.50 freshly squeezed O.J. the excellent patisserie and the baguette served with a smile... I don't even care that it always takes them a bit long to make a latte to go, and trust me, I am not the patient type. Hey. Good pain au chocolat. I'll wait, as long as they promise to stick around forever.
Two tips:
1) The bags of day-old pastries...scones, croissants, all of that sweet stuff for $2... absolutely worth it
2) Hang out at Brooklyn Label when you do your laundry two doors down. Unless you are addicted to Chinese karaoke videos, that is. Then by all means, stay at the laundromat.
PS: After ONLY 2 MONTHS (!!!) Brooklyn Label has been nominated Best Brunch in Time Out!! Go online and vote for them!!
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A great place to be on a weekday afternoon to check email and watch the world go by. A can confirm the rumor - the coffee is damn good.
I like to get a fair amount of work done at cafes and while wi-fi is available, it doesn't feel like the kinda place to be whipping out your laptop at one of the table tops. The window counters, on the other hand, are a different story. All the same, this is more a place to have a great conversation with a good friend.
Im really mixed on this place. The coffee is really great. The food isnt bad either. It's not worth trying to get a table on the weekendds because I would really rather not do brunch with a bunch of crying babies all around me, but thats Brooklyn for ya.
The service is what gets me. I think the service is really bad. Which sucks because this place is cool. They always have good music playing, and have really quality product. But the people behind the counter don't really do it for me.
This is what happens when you don't walk north on Franklin Street for a month: Salvation comes to North Greenpoint, in the form of Brooklyn Label, occupying the former Rudy's Place space in the Astral Apartments building. They've torn down the new/old and the result is stunning - you never knew that space was so big and so beautiful. Kept the original ceilings and floors where they could, revived the pillars and BIG windows.
And now, to the important part: the coffee. As someone who lived in Seattle for a while, I am picky. They are definitely worthy. On a busy Saturday morning where the barista was clearly overwhelmed, the end product was outstanding. Their coffee is chosen thoughtfully.
The food was also outstanding. The standard brunch menu, while not extensive, was varied and well-priced. The specials were interesting - and in the case of the Chili Colorado - amazing. The size of the portions is also noteworthy.
One of my biggest peeves about food service places in 11222 and 11211 is, well, the service. Not here. The hostess was extraordinarily efficient with a Saturday morning mob (even if she temporarily forgot what city she was in, asking us if we wanted smoking or non smoking - it was funny). But sitting at the counter, we could observe how every single member of the staff was *constantly* scanning the patrons throughout the entire restaurant. They HUSTLED - which is what you're supposed to do on a busy brunch morning, but it's an attribute sadly lacking in most of the joints in this area. They were also friendly and NOT RUDE. (Again, see above.) Given the pressure they were under it would have been excusable, but the lack of attitude is refreshing.
The details:
Open 7 days.
Serving breakfast 7-10:30am (although clearly weekend brunch is an exception)
lunch 11-6
Open until 9pm.
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Oh yes! Another reason to stay in my lovely Greenpoint neighborhood on the weekends! Brooklyn Label serves up Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
The Brunch menu includes a lot of in house made specials like their own homemade granola. They have a cast iron waffle that is to die for as well as a wonderful french toast. My personal favorite is the oatmeal, topped with cinnamon, pecans, raisins and brown sugar, well worth the 5 bucks.
The coffee is delicious and artfully presented, especially the cappuccino which comes complete with a beautiful leaf design in the super frothy milk. The place is buzzing with morning noise and chatter, exactly how I like brunch, warm and full of the neighborhood faces. If you go in the warmer months you can choose to sit outside in one of the few tables under the sun.
They do serve lunch and dinner, I have yet to have a meal that I have loved, but am willing to give it another shot due to the wonderful brunch.
Enjoy your breakfast!
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I might have gotten sick from something I ate here, but I'm not sure... I had the biscuits and gravy, which was VERY DELICIOUS, but that night, I felt very nauseous and ended up being sick in the bathroom.
The cardamom & honey cappuccino was delicious, and so were the pastries that they offered at the beginning of our meal.
The place was quite packed for a stormy day outside. No one else got sick from their food, so I am having my doubts about whether or not it was the food.
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Brooklyn Label-Three stars for the following goodness:
Big time coffee drinks I can't make at home.
Orange Hibiscus Fizzy concotion I can't say quickly or whilst drunk.
A damn tasty brunch.
Negative 2 stars for:
The shrimp po'boy (dry, bland and eh).
The avocado salad (yes, plenty of the green stuff but nothing special). The cheeseburger (asked for medium rare 2X and both times overcooked and meh). Grr.
In essence, stuff I could make at home and manage to do better.
One other thing, getting out of my cave-like apartment and into the sunny, lofty space of BL is akin to Prozac. I could bask like a cat at one of those tables in the window all day long.
i really enjoy this brunch place for two main reasons: 1) the coffee is good and 2) they have a hippie tofu-broccoli-home fry scramble that doesn't taste like poop. it is (as expected) brooklyn through and through but i wil certainly come here the next time i am in the neighborhood.
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Brooklyn Label is the new kid on the block, and it's been packed from the moment it opened. I've only been here for brunch so far and have stopped in a few times just to pick up a coffee to go. The brunch is really awesome, with several options for vegetarians. I got one of the specials: green eggs and no ham - three scrambled eggs with spinach, pesto, and parmesan cheese atop slices of challah. It was so freakin good I practically licked my plate clean. My boyfriend got the huevos rancheros which I think I will order next time - I tasted it and loved it too. Also, while you wait for your food to come out, they bring you a basket of mini pastries to munch on, which were also good. They offer two homemade hot sauces (red and green) and homemade ketchup, which in all honesty is a little odd. I wouldn't really call it ketchup, as it's a little spicy and herby, and I don't think I'd want to dip fries in it, but it does taste good.
Basically, if you want to eat brunch here and don't want to wait forever, get here EARLY. Like before 10am. Otherwise you'll encounter a line out the door just to put your name down.
1/2/08: Editing my review. I've been back here a bunch of times since my original review and have not always been as thrilled as the first time. They sometimes have unique dishes that sound good on paper but don't quite work on the plate - like a greek eggs special that I once had for brunch. Sounds good, right? Turns out that eggs with tomato, black olives, parsley and cucumbers don't taste quite right together. I did recently eat dinner here for the first time and loooved my vegetarian tempeh rueben. Sadly, I've I knocked one star off my review for the sometimes odd food and the fact that it's just so damn crowded for brunch.
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man oh man i had a great brunch experience at brooklyn label yesterday. except we kept inadvertently calling it "boston legal". probably because, as a group, we probably still had a combined BAC of 100% from the night before.
they accomodated all 12 of us nicely, i was pretty impressed. i got the fish n chips special and it was so amazing that i was doing that thing where you yell about how good your food is the whole time you're eating it.
i think we pretty much tried everything.... i got good feedback on the huevos rancheros, the french toast, i tried the waffles and they were great, the burger looked amazing, and i sampled the sausage & biscuits as well and it was heavenly. great coffee, great service, decent prices, i am DEFINITELY going here lots more in the future.
update! i went back and had the eggs benedict.... PERFECTION! and man their coffee is good.
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there are only about 4 or 5 tables outside, so go early to snag the outdoor seating (i havent been so lucky yet)
great place for grabbing brunch on the weekends and deciphering people's tattoos. stuffed french toast is incredibly yummy and filling, but their waffle iron has been broken everytime i've gone there :(
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I've been to Brooklyn Label for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner and must say that brunch has definitely been the best so far. Even though their menu is short it's sweet and almost everything you can choose from I would recommend. If you're a vegetarian try the tofu scramble with broccoli, provolone and fresh pico de gallo; it seems like a strange combination however they flavors marry perfectly and it's a great dish for those Sunday mornings when you aren't feeling so well. The challah french toast is awesome if you're in the mood for something a bit sweet it's probably my favorite dish there. Oh yeah, I can't forget about the oatmeal, if you like oatmeal you have to try their take on it. Chewy Irish oatmeal with a mixture of dried cranberries, cinnamon and pecans, it's totally filling and great on a crisp morning.
You can't go wrong with any of the coffee drinks, they're all good. My one gripe with this place would be the flighty wait staff, they sometimes look and act like they couldn't have been bothered from their sleep to get up for their morning job or they're just darn too cool...guess that's what you get in Greenpoint now, and it's been really hot in the dining room during the summer so I've opted to wait for the outside tables where you might be able to catch a little breeze.
good place to go when you're dying for brunch/lunch/dinner but don't want to bother with making it yourself. brewed coffee is good and plentiful, but cafe grumpy's latte is so much better. totally missed hot chocolate season--don't know what i was thinking--but it's heartening to see so many options on the board. best to go in the middle of the week for a lazy breakfast. and great for dog watching, especially if you sit outside near the constantly refreshed and icy water bowl.
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The kind of coffee shop/breakfast joint that makes me want to holiday in Greenpoint.
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**Update 3/11/2008**
Brooklyn Label is going through some changes. The head chef/owner is no longer there. They have new "winter hours" (in March?) and the menu has the usual standbys but nothing new - yet. Hopefully this place keeps the same standards as before. Will keep you all posted. It's unfortunate that the founder is gone because his food was delicious and creative.
**Update 11/20/2007**
Brooklyn Label listens. Their pricey fish'n'chips (once $15) has gone down to a respectable $12. Considering they give you 3 pieces of battered fish and a healthy portion of thick-cut chips, I think that's fair. Even bigger: I've heard that BL now has their liquor license. They expect to be serving Bloody Marys with brunch by December 1st. You'll be able to order that glass of wine with your meal instead of lugging in a bottle from home. They have also extended their hours, staying open tl midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, for dinner. Monday-Thursday, they are open until 11pm. Sunday is their early day, they close at 4pm, right after brunch.
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I've never had a bad meal here. The coffee is outstanding. The hot chocolate makes you forget when it's damp and cold outside. It's crowded, so be prepared to wait or get here early, but worth it. The waitstaff are incredibly friendly and pleasant. My boyfriend and I walked in for a late dinner; even though BL was closing in 20 minutes, we were treated well and allowed to take our time with dinner. Our one minor disappointment were the fish & chips, while good, were way too expensive. You are always made to feel welcome here, whether having brunch with three friends or at a table by yourself with a cup of tea and a laptop for the wifi. I'm very happy to live around the corner from Brooklyn Label.
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I am a breakfast addict. (In my hometown, we had porridge in the morning.) I love Greenpoint, however good breakfast places has been rare here. So, I was excited when Brooklyn Label opened. But why is there a correlation between great brunch and bad service? Why??? I am willing to pay the high price for the French toast at Brooklyn Label, because I love French toast. But three times in two months I left the place with my good morning mood ruined. There is one really good waiter (the only guy I think) but the others ones should be avoided. Half the joy of brunch is the good atmosphere.I am too tired in the morning to fight for my rights to sip my coffee a little slow, or read. They seem way too anxious to make money there. It gives me a bad taste of gentrification in my mouth that ruins even the best (and overpriced) French toast.
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this place has a pretty good brunch. my ladyfriend and i drove into greenpoint from bushwick the other day in search of brunch. we had sampled Brooklyn Label's coffee once before and decided to aim there for a seat. the hostess gal was very nice and accomodating, she grabbed us a table after we finally decided between sitting at the bar or not. the coffee was excellent as usual and the food was nice and satisfying. i had a little thing called Chili Colorado which was a pork chili verde with two poached eggs and i think some sorta cheese and several slices of this deliciously grainy toast. it was excellent. the lady had eggs and pesto on challah which was also quite good. i think they deserve extra points for making their own hot sauces which were quite good, i accidentally over-applied the habanero which gave me a sturdy kick in the face. the chipotle ketchup was tasty as well. pretty much everyone on the staff has a ton of tattoos; some exhibit an ever-so slight air of snootery, and the other patrons are what you would expect for this part of greenpoint circa late-2007, but it didnt really detract from the experience at all. i would re-iterate the "go early" advice as it was getting pretty jumpin as we left.