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Brown Cup
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Sandwiches Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
334 8th Ave(between 26th St & 27th St)
New York, NY 10001
Neighborhood: Chelsea
(212) 675-7765
- Nearest Transit:
-
23 St (A, C, E)
28 St (1, 2)
23 St (1, 2)
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
45 reviews for Brown Cup
Review Highlights
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"The salads are pretty good too." In 3 reviews -
"Graham cracker is my favorite." In 2 reviews -
"...cheapest and best breakfast (egg white omelets, etc) in the..." In 2 reviews
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45 reviews in English
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Review from Dina Q.
New York, NY
5/18/2012
Brown Cup is my go to place for lunch cause it's right down the block from FIT. Somehow being at a fashion school makes me feel like I am only entitled to eat salad for lunch without judgment...
Their salad toppings are always super fresh with a large variety and the salad maker guys (what else do you call them?) will check with you on much dressing you want and never over douse. They are always nice and never skimpy with the toppings either.
If you go around closing time which is 8PM on weekdays, it's only an extra $1.00 for half a sandwich with your salad! -
Review from Carolyn L.
Brooklyn, NY
3/25/2012
This place is right around the corner from my work so I've been here a lot even though I really don't like it.
Here's why: Their food is good IF they get your order right. I've gotten my order wrong more than once (bubble tea without the bubbles? come on). The ordering/paying/and waiting for food is completely disorganized and confusing, and the staff gets annoyed with you if you're not immediately ready or are confused by the crowd of people waiting around the register.
Honestly my problem with this place would probably be solved by the addition of a couple of those line forming, retractable ribbons and posts, and them taking names of customers so you won't have to wait right by the register to get your food. Also it's cash only unless you spend more than $8, which can be annoying.
It's just not worth the hassle when places I like better are just as close. -
Review from Melissa A.
Boone, MO
1/14/2012
I've never had food here, but the drinks are fantastic. I am addicted to their Taro Bubble Tea. It's somewhat of a smoothie with bobas. The coffee is also strong and inexpensive.
This spot is also great if you have time to kill and are in the area, since they offer a wide array of magazines to their customers. -
Review from Steve P.
Boston, MA
5/23/2012
Great breakfast choices, especially when you're looking for something beyond the typical eggs-meat-toast. i hear the lunch is solid too.
By the way, if you sign up at http://thelevelup.com with promo code 125686 you get a free $2 to use here, plus an additional free $5 that you can use here or anywhere else on http://thelevelup.com. -
Review from Henrike N.
Manhattan, NY
5/18/2012
I love this place for a great cup of coffee. Seriously, the coffee is fantastic, I got a bubble tea once which was also delicious, and the tea selection looks outstanding, though i admit I have never gotten one. Having commented on the drinks, the food is just OK. Had a sandwich there for dinner once, which I didn't like very much, but als had breakfast there was once, which was pretty decent.
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Review from Becca P.
New York, NY
3/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Was walking around FIT and saw signs for korean food but walked into the wrong restaurant. Decided to try it anyways and got the sesame chicken wrap for about 6.50. Tasted amazing. As I wad eating a lady came in trying order korean food. I guess the signs outside need better placement. I wanted to give 3 stars though since the cashier who I paid asked me again if I paid. Its 3pm. There are like 2 people here. How dumb can you be? Luckily the food is good and prepared fresh and quick.
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Review from Crystine W.
New York, NY
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was expecting to pay at least $13/$14 for a salad after reviewing their menu on their website (which I think is wrong too because the top says Midnight Express). Much better prices than I expected after actually placing my order.
Salad was quite crisp & fresh, they have a really large variety of toppings and you get to choose whatever you want to put into it and they'll mix it together for you. Really large selection of original and unique dressings too.
Service is rather haphazard & their focus is clearly on getting the customer in & out as quickly as possible. I normally love anything and everything that gets me from Point A to B as quickly as possible, but in this instance, I wish they would do it at least with a smile.
Their plush seating requires immediate replacement because when you sink your behind down, I sank for a while. Overall, a great place for lunch because it is convenient and the prices are good, but I wouldn't recommend doing it for dinner. -
Review from Jesse C.
3/17/2012
We got breakfast here -- eggs, oatmeal & bagels. Lots of choices for a family that all likes to eat different things for breakfast, and it was all good & reasonably priced
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Review from Dana F.
10/13/2010
Walking north on 8th Avenue, all I saw was a huge red and white "EROTICA" sign. I was concerned that my caffeine fix was potentially going to be a different sort of (unwanted) fix, until I got a bit closer and saw a chalkboard outside of Brown Cup advertising daily specials. Whew.
All I wanted was a cup of coffee. There were about 5 or 6 different flavors, including the house blend. I wasn't keen on knowing what Hawaiian Hazelnut tastes like, so I opted for a large house blend. The coffee was cheap, but extremely thin and watered down. It was so weak, in fact, that when I got off the subway at Wall Street, I guzzled ANOTHER large coffee from different coffee shop.
Also, because I arrived very close to when Brown Cup was opening, the cashier was getting the register ready. Another customer and I were literally standing there for a few minutes before she was ready to ring us up. People in the morning have places to GO. Perhaps the pre-opening preparation should take place PRIOR to opening up shop?Listed in: An Espresso a Day Keeps the…
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Review from Sam P.
New York, NY
9/27/2008
Hello, lover.
I'd passed this place many a time and flirted with the chic brown awning - a rarity in this no-man's-land of delis, Dunkin' Donuts, and dirty-looking FIT students - but I had never stopped in until yesterday.
And what I discovered was a chic little coffee shop with a kick-ass salad bar and sandwiches, oh the sandwiches. Try the Tuscan. Coffee's good, prices aren't too bad. Not quite a 5 star, because, well, it just didn't knock my socks off, but I'm definitely a fan.
See you soon, baby. Call me ;) -
Review from Daniel P.
Updated - 8/25/2008
Invaluable to an FIT student? Perhaps.
Learn to love the owners and the cooks, because this place is the best healthy food around, and the salads give me shivers. All fresh, none of that soggy lettuce bs. Packed to the bowl brim, too.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/24/2008
Not bad, I'd say. Nothing special, averagely priced, with a fair amount of comfortable brushed… Read more »
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Review from Lisa K.
Amityville, NY
2/1/2009
An egg white omelette with medium coffee for less than six bucks?? Not bad!
My breakfast included the standard home fries and a piece of toast. I wasn't expecting anything phenomenal, just good solid fare. For the 'health' omelette, I thought it was a little oily (as were the home fries, but that's just the nature of the beast).
It's a nice little joint to kill some time. -
Review from Freedom S.
Seattle, WA
9/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best omelette for $ 4.50!
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Review from Lauren C.
Montclair, NJ
8/6/2007
Damn good cup of coffee. And fast.
Salads are a wee bit on the pricey side but are HUGE. I'd say at least a meal and a half right there, if not two. But for twelve bucks, that ain't bad.Listed in: Lunch Time in West Chelsea
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Review from Alexsa O.
Glendale, NY
7/4/2008
Oh man at some point in my life i ate so much at brown cup that i don't even know. But i will say that i never got tired of it. It's been a while since i've been back.
They have a nice selection of delicious pannies,sandwiches, and wraps.
The soups are good too. Tomato Cheddar any one. But alas they're cheap with the bread. C'mon i need more then 2 slivers of bread with my soup.
Their baked goods section is okay... they used to have these AMAZING like potato croquette things with a tangy sesame glaze. I wonder what happened with those?
A good place for a fast lunch. -
Review from Diego S.
7/27/2007
Every weekday morning, I walked in and every morning was asked "Sesame bagel, cream cheese, toasted to go?"
I'm a creature of habit.
Friendly as hell and somehow in cahoots with the Korean rice bar next door.
And they recognize their frequent customers.Listed in: Yelping in: New York City
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Review from New York D.
Manhattan, NY
6/21/2011
Delicious sandwiches, and after 6:30 (?) they're 30% off, not a bad deal. I've never had their soups or the salad bar, but the paninis and the fresh focaccia grilled veggie sandwiches are delish. (Also, their coffee menu is great, organics, soy, etc. the works. Good bottled drink choices. Little pricey, but it's a little higher-end than an average deli.) Also, they have whole wheat croissants! If you're a sugar-in-your-coffee person, there's "liquid sugar"/syrup out for you to use, in addition to cinnamon, etc. If you're eating-in, it's nice that you get a real plate & silverware. Overall, good place.
My only complaint is - they NEED TO REPLACE THE FURNITURE! The cushions have been worked THROUGH - I am telling you. Whew. Too many stains, and smells... so 99% of the time, I carry-out. -
Review from Alexander W.
New York, NY
7/22/2011
This place should have some higher reviews! They have the cheapest and best breakfast (egg white omelets, etc) in the area by a mile. Like 6 bucks on seamless for a nice omelet with whole wheat toast and nice cubed potatoes. Only downsides with this place is that a) they close very early and b) I once had a sandwich from them later in the day to go, and it was the greasiest thing ever. I mean, it was kinda tasty, but really unhealthy preparation on something that should have been cleaner and more crisp. Stick wi breakfast!
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Review from Mike T.
New York, NY
1/19/2008
Cute neighborhood breakfast/lunch spot. Great, affordable food with friendly staff. I've had just about every possible type of egg breakfast here - all delicious! Their paninis are also quite tasty - everything is very fresh!
My only complaint: they're not open on Sundays :S For us working boys, the weekend is the only time to enjoy a place like this!Listed in: My 'Hood
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Review from anri i.
Brooklyn, NY
8/29/2007
Their breakfast sandwich was good, but the strong smell of breakfast meat and greasyness lingers throughout the whole place...not just in the morning but for the whole day.
People would go back to school at FIT and immediately get asked,
"Did you just go to Brown Cup?" -
Review from Nina B.
5/26/2010
Going in and out of the coffee shops in Chelsea, you never really know what to expect. Some of the dingiest places will have overpriced mediocre food or could be a hidden gem. Some of the fancy places charge fancy prices and leave you wishing you never went in.
This place looks like a fancy overpriced place from the outside. But the prices are deli prices and the food is pretty good. I was underwhelmed by the coffee, but you can't ask for everything.
All the tables were really empty during the breakfast crowd. Definitely the kind of place where people pick up their things and go elsewhere despite the very nice ambiance and copious seating. -
Review from Jeff C.
8/22/2008
$5.95 per sandwich..not bad. They look pretty good. I only had a Yolato there but I did go to Kofoo next door for Kimbap. Like someone previously mentioned, they are both Korean owned (same owner). Must try next time.
pics: http://www.meetup.com/... -
Review from Lisa K.
New York, NY
6/27/2010
This place offers a variety of sandwiches. I ordered the mozzerella, avocado, tomato sandwich. Pretty tasty and the workers there were friendly.
Not sure if i would specifically walk to this location JUST for the sandwich, but if i were to pass by Brown Cup again-- i would consider going back in. -
Review from Ben C.
Brooklyn, NY
4/28/2011
I come here often for coffee, I work in the area. Best price for a decent coffee in the neighborhood that i have found so far, and they make the coffee strong enough. The salads are pretty good too.
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Review from Elena T.
Silver Spring, MD
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is one of the best places for breakfast: cheap and tasty. Wraps and salads are delicious.
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Review from Joey T.
1/12/2009
i'm trying to avoid making a resolution this year (according to the news, 80% of those are dropped by valentine's day), but i have been trying to eat healthier these days. salads over samosas, wraps over wontons.
enter brown cup. i am all about customizing my food, and fortunately, you can pick and choose what goes into your belly here!
oh goodness where do i start? salad? panini? nope, today i'm going for a sandwich. i need something solid, i didn't have breakfast today (bad, i know). i built my own, but they've got their own spread of creative sandwiches on display. i might have to try the avocado mozzarella one next time.
five minutes later, i'm breaking it down with my meal while getting comfortable on their cushy chairs. for a little sandwich place, they've got quite the set up going. if they had wifi, i would definitely consider bringing my laptop in to get some work done.
the sandwich was good. they weren't shy on loading up on the vegetables, high five for that. though the mozzarella was freshly sliced, it was a little too gummy for my liking and the chicken was on the plain jane side.
but no snobbery on my part, i'd head over to this place for lunch any day over any of those sandwich places.
besides, they had some breakfast plates on display, and the french toast looked delightful. -
Review from Emily A.
New York, NY
6/23/2007
"Hellowelcometobrowncup!"
That's what they used to say every single day behind the counter when I walked in. The staff is extremely nice and enthusiastic.
The food is fine, standard breakfast kind of stuff--egg sandwiches, omelettes. I wouldn't make an out of my way journey to come here, but that said, the food is absolutely fine, and the prices are totally decent, you can get a western omelette with home fries and toast for like 3.75--that's a lot of food for that money. Seriously, think about all the food I just listed in there, and then remember all the ingredients in a Western Omelette. Right? That's a lot.
The coffee is better than average, when it hasn't been sitting out forever. You can ask which has been most recently brewed. Their flavored coffees (if you like gayin' out with flavored coffees like I do) are my favorite--particularly Graham Cracker and Snickerdoodle. Hawaiian Hazelnut is just ok. I like coming in at 6:45 AM and looking at the very nice counter girl and saying: "may I have a large Snickerdoodle?" It's just absurd and weird to utter that word at any time, and even more so when everyone's stlll half asleep and a little grumpy. -
Review from Julianne C.
New York, NY
12/18/2008
This is my all time favorite New York coffee shop. It is a little on the trendy side but not pretentious at all. They have great salads and soups. as well as omelotes for relatively cheap. Bring that it is so close to FIT, you would think it would be all students but there is actually a good mix of people that go here. The seats are comfy and the coffee is good, so bring a book or your lap top a stay awhile.
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Review from Julie M.
New York, NY
9/4/2006
This place is so cute. I love the soft comfortable seats and the helpful staff. The drinks are really good. The food are really good. Try the panini...delicious. The pastries are super yummy. This place even has smoothies. Salads are great quality. One of my fav place.
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Review from Deb K.
Atlanta, GA
9/28/2008
Very close to FIT which is excellent for those who go there. Considering everything in Manhattan is super expensive, it was great to find a place decently priced, yet still delicious. The sandwiches and paninis are all very fresh, and the people there are pretty friendly. They also have an assortment of beverages as well. The service is quick, and the food is healthy and delicious--making it a perfect place for lunch! The only downside is that the Brown Cup is a pretty small place (as well as everywhere else in Manhattan) so when it gets crowded you probably won't have a place to sit and eat.
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Review from Rachel H.
New York, NY
2/26/2008
Bring cash b/c if you pay with credit you'll have to spend $8 on stuff you don't want. Alas, I got the french toast to go and it was delicious. The staff is friendly. Good if you work or live in the neighborhood....Otherwise, it's not worth the travel.
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Review from Brian H.
New York, NY
6/19/2007
There were like 10 flies flying around inside. This was an instant and major turn off. I don't know about the food yet. But the flies were enough to quell my appetite.
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Review from Jim B.
6/27/2009 1 Check-in Here
Stopped by today for a coffee and to check this place out. Looks very nice. Clean. Friendly service. Decent menu. But the coffee was nothing to talk about. It ends there with me. If you can't make coffee better than McDonalds you need to go back to school.
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Review from Sarah M.
Los Angeles, CA
6/23/2010
I go here for coffee every morning. They have over 6 different kinds of flavored coffee - I get Toasted Almond. Yummers. It's cheap, the people working behind the counter remember me and are always super friendly. It's rare to find a place in New York where it looks like the employees enjoy their job. I always tip them for this reason. They are so nice. The food is great too - super good prices and big portions. If you're in the area and feeling peckish - this place will hit the spot.
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Review from Alison W.
New York, NY
Updated - 1/5/2009
Screw it, I work right next door and come here almost every day. Everything is amazing and the staff are soo nice. A+
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/26/2007
I love Brown Cup for their amazing delicious hot chocolate. But I can't stand that they don't stick… Read more »
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Review from Emilyna C.
Los Angeles, CA
10/3/2008
My favorite coffee in the vicinity of FIT- good price with a splash of cinnamon! I don't frequent FIT anymore but if I am in the neighborhood I always stop in for a cup of joe. Foodwise- I've never really eaten their food so I can't comment on that, (I was poor when I went to FIT) but they have a huge variety of good snacks... beats of the FIT vending machines any day when you only want to spend $3 on "dinner."
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Review from Steve W.
Las Vegas, NV
5/29/2008
I love the soups; all great. Favorite panini: spicey tuna melt. The same owner owns Kofoo next door. For quicky lunches if you work in the neighborhood it's perfect.
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Review from Liz S.
Manhattan, NY
7/6/2010
I've had sandwiches from them twice. The first time round someone at the office picked some up. By my bosses suggestion I got the mozzarella, avocado and tomato sandwich. It was sooo good. The olive bread was a great touch. The second time I ate there I was adventurous and decided to try the wasabi salmon. I didn't care for the sandwich. Waaay too salty. Much better when I took off some of the saltiest items.
I would definitely go back. They have a lot of variety and I would love to try some more.
Update: Tuscan Chicken is good too! -
Review from Jenna R.
NY
2/10/2008
Haven't eaten much here, but the few sandwiches I've had have been pretty good. They have great coffee, especially if you're into flavored coffee. Graham cracker is my favorite!
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Review from Katie B.
New York, NY
7/8/2008
A lot of my coworkers eat here every day, but honestly I don't see the difference between this place and any other sandwich/make your own salad place in the city, other than the decor is a bit trendier and I think they might have wi-fi.
The good: Their pain au chocolat are worth eating more than once. Now, I'm a GIANT SNOB when it comes to pain au chocolat and while this one will never approach the beauty that is a real french one, it at least is made correctly. Two strips of hard dark chocolate in a flaky square croissant. And it even has the right flavor. So, that was good.
The okay: salads, sandwiches. Pretty run of the mill. I just can't stomach paying 8$ for a salad though. It hurts my sense of pride too much. I'll just make my own.
The bad: the yogurt is in a case where it doesn't get cold. This means it goes bad. People don't seem to ever eat it, as evidenced by the fact that the one i picked out (Fage full fat) was over 2 weeks expired. They did replace them, but I bought two subsequent ones and they had both gone bad.
So, it's about average. 3 stars. There you have it.
