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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lower East SideDelancey-Essex Sts (F, J, M, Z)
Grand St (B, D)
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
"OH YUM!!! THE BEST CANNOLI!!! it was soo good granted it was my first cannoli ever .. but we went to Mikes in Boston and I think this place…" read more »
I avoid Starbucks like the bubonic plague, so when I heard about The Roasting Plant I was eager to try its coffee and compare it to my usual spots. I stumbled across it this weekend!
The Roasting Plant has two locations, this one and another in the West Village. I liked the coffee so much that I actually went to both this past weekend. Although the WV location is bigger, they both have cool chairs for you to sit on and the WV location has some mini tables too. No more fighting for outlets because each chair has one of its own!!
The coffee, ah yes, it's really good! When you order a coffee they pull this lever like thing (or something like that) and beans fall from heaven (JK it's somewhere in the ceiling through these big tubes) and they grind and make the coffee totally fresh! I love the fact that the coffee is freshly made! This is definitely a cool spot to sit and have a quick pick me up!
Pros: Really helpful staff who answer all your questions, awesome decor. Loyalty card gives you 5% when you buy a cup!
Cons: cups are a little small and it can be hard to find a seat in the WV loc (but they do have outside benches)
I liked the bright and fun feel of this coffee joint - namely the tubes of espresso beans that whiz by with every espresso order. The person behind the cash register was friendly, though another staff member was mumbling about how she wanted to leave early for the day, thereby making me feel awkward when I sat down to read for 10 minutes.
The seating in this cafe is a bit awkward: outward facing comfy chairs that make you feel like you're in a movie theater and then a lone table with uncomfortable folding chairs.
However, I did appreciate the multiple options of flavor options, such as agave and various flavored sugars.
I had high hopes for the hot chocolate at this local coffee joint. It came recommended from a trusted food-centric acquaintance. Unfortunately the chocolate was weak and reminiscent of the Hershey's variety. Major disappointment.
However, my husband's mocha was quite nice. My recommendation is to stick with what the Roasting Plant is known; coffee and avoid the hot chocolate.
Yet another cute coffee shop to add to the many that New York has to offer. While I don't think the quality of coffee is as great as my all time favorite Joe's, this place wasn't a bad alternative.
The ambiance is modern and sleek with the counter in the center of the room with white tables and chairs on the sides. There's a bunch of tubes running along the walls that are filled with their various beans and its pretty cool to see how they shoot up and around. They also offer a huge array of self-serve flavorings, which is unique. Most coffee shops offer your basic sugar, splenda, brown sugar, and milk. This place offers much much more.
The service was also excellent too! I got a Guatemalan coffee, but shortly after I ordered it I saw their specialty coffee that was 2x the strength and was curious about it. The server kindly made me a "sample", but that sample wasn't just some small shot - it was almost the same size as my regular sized coffee! Generosity goes a long way in the service industry, and that little gesture certainly made a lasting mark in my mind.
Quality coffee at a decent price with lots of options. Oh, and they brew it by-the-order from a big set of pneumatic tubes situated to the side of the leather seats and neo-art deco interior. The Shadow would be proud. Forget Starbucks or the too-hip-for-their-own-good places in the far West Village. This place is by 14th street stop and on the way for good food or booze.
COFFEE: Good and cheap.
SERVICE: Smiling AND cute. Way to win me over with those batted eyelashes. Hey, I'm a guy.
Good for a quick drink on your way to a meeting or an extended break. No hassle, no rush, with just enough cozy to not be cramped.
The space is limited, but they still managed to fit a crazy fresh bean vacuum dispenser system and a couple of seats in here. They say they'll have the crazy vacuum machine expanded soon to have a roasting on demand attachment added on.
The people were really cool. The coffee was great. I got an Ethiopian Yergacheffe which was very dark and smooth. Good coffee shouldn't need additives (I'm looking at you, cream & sugar) and this was good coffee. It reminded me of Portland's Stumptown Coffee without all the snark.
The space is so small you might accidentally walk by it, but it's definitely worth a stop if you need a hot and delicious caffeine fix.
Well this is something different! A small space with a 'Space 1999' feel - if you're familiar with the old Gerry Anderson TV series, you'll know what I mean.
Futuristic tubes suck beans all over the walls & ceiling & there's not a traditional barista in sight. Check their website to find out how it all works, but it's worth a visit just to watch!
That said, I had a great quality Ethiopian Harrar (black & sugarless natch), served by a helpful, friendly guy. There was no food range to speak of, but this is very much a 'coffee to go' place, albeit served in a unique & memorable way.
When you go inside this place, it feels like you're in a laboratory with tubes everywhere and everything painted white. Although the coffee is great, the real reason I come here is to see the beans get sucked into the espresso machine when I order.
I randomly came across this place on my way to another coffee shop---but I'm so glad I decided to stop by! I was fascinating from the moment I walked in. It is deceiving from the outside, because the inside is very sleek and modern. You would never guess such a sanitized coffee shop was around this corner. There are tubes on the ceilings shooting coffee beans around.... i was thinking "what is going on??" It took me awhile to figure out what to do, and since I didn't want to be the standing idiot---I ordered a regular coffee.
The coffee was mild but smooth. I wouldn't say it's the best coffee experience I've had, but everything was very EASY. There were so many sugar selections (vanilla raw sugar???) and the workers were very friendly.
Enjoyed my experience but I know I need to come back to drink other drips!!
I read about this place in eat.shop nyc (those guides are really cool). While waiting an hour and a half for our table at Clinton Street Bakery, we took a walk around the Lower East Side.
The shop is located on a happening little street, although some of the surround area is a little less happening. This location is shiny and new, not what I was expecting. I was expecting it to be really old and warm, but it was more like an apple store. The space is really tiny with one wall containing a comfortable couch/bench type thing with deep armrests so you can set your coffee on it.
The cool thing about this place is the trademark 'bean sucking' machine that sucks your desired beans through some vacuum tubes to a grinder. This ensures that every cup is fresh and also gives this place something different to stand out. The coffee was good, not amazing, but solid.
I'm a fan.
This place is officially my new favorite place to get coffee. It is effin delicious!!! Each cup is made to order (beans fly here, beans fly there, beans fly everywhere) and you can taste the robustness of each cup. I had the ice coffee (also made fresh, how do they do this??) three days in a row and all I want to do is have more and more and more. So good. And for $2 for a small, that is a pretty good deal!
The decor of this place is kind of kitschy and they don't have many appetizing-looking bakery goods to compliment the coffee which sucks but who cares, COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE!!
I am a fan, I love the coffee, it has a stronger flavor then other coffee, but I think they play there music to loud to work on the computer and use there wifi, plus the grinding sound of the coffee is distracting, I wouldn't go there to just use the wifi, only for a good cup of coffee. Except maybe late @ night when they don't use there grinder much but I would subject headphones or ear plugs to block out the noise of the music, they also have blinding lights (ouch my eyes!) or maybe I am just sensitive. The coffee may be cheap to the new yorkers opinion but most everything in NYC is expensive to my tastes b.c. I lived in Austin Tx. before and it's much cheaper living there. They have 2 locations, the small one of Orchard st. that closes @ like 8pm or something, and the one on Greenwich st. and 11 ave. or something like that that is open 24/7.
This isn't a coffee shop by all means. It's more of a grab and go sort of coffee place despite the one small table accomodated with a couple of small chairs. Trust me, you don't want to sit there because if it gets crowded, you would be just in the way and everyone in line would be staring/salivating at your coffee cup on their way to the front counter. Every cup of coffee is made to order. The coffee beans are shot thru these plastic tubes that run all over the sides of the walls/ceilings, are then ground, and brewed before your very own eyes making a perfectly fresh cup of coffee. There's an option of agave syrup too to add to your coffee also, if you're watching your sugar intake. The staff seemed warm and friendly. The place is clean with a touch of mod elegance.
There was once a time when I got coffee here every morning...I'm no longer around the neighborhood as much, and I miss it every day! It might seem too trendy at first, but once you get past all the crazy machinery and minimalist interior design you realize - their technique actually does work! The coffee is amazing, and they're going green by giving a discount when you pay with a card instead of cash. Love the sumatra, the yirgacheffe is a close second.
At work, I drink Keurig Coffee. 3 to 4 times a week I head over to Abraco Espresso for a coffee/espresso beverage.
I liked Roasting Plant's patented JavaBot and the coffee it sucked, ground and dripped out for me.
I chose the Ethiopian Harrar bean - a light but flavorful blend just as the Yergacheffe is except this one supposedly has hints of blueberry. I had no such hints, but I'm not a coffee connoseiur - just a coffee fanboy.
The seats are arranged in a way so that your main point of focus is the JavaBot machine - not the beautiful brownstones across the street or your friend (s) if you came with them.
I'd go back here again just because they have Internet and the coffee that drips out is A-Ok.
Yes this place is tiny. Yes, there's only space for seating for 3 (4 if you want to sit near the trash can), but it's the nature of the beast if you want to have a coffee shop in the LES without spending a million dollars. The workers are friendly and they have a large selection of fair trade organic coffee beans for sale either by the freshly ground cup or by whole bean.
The workers are cool. And they gave us a free cheese danish near the end of the day!
There are outlets for laptops at every seat so its a good use of space for everything. Their sweeteners range from liquid agave sugar to splenda. It has everything you need to get a great cup of coffee if you're in the neighborhood.
My room mate works here so I tend to have their coffee at home more often than not.
The beans are pretty interesting seeing as I'm mainly a Dunkin Donuts kind of guy. (There's one a block away from me in Park Slope and it's what I used to drink back home in NJ).
The place is definitely neat albeit ultra tiny. The theatrics of the place is enough to keep it interesting past possibly being somewhat of an obscure spot for a coffee shop. (Not too familiar with the area obviously) I probably would go out of my way to grab a cup there if I was in the area.
The pastries are pretty decent as well! If only they came out of tubes!
Coming here just for the novelty of the vacuum-powered coffee machines is worth it! The espresso, iced mochas, and regular coffees are all fresh and made to order! My only wish that keeps this from being a 5-star place would be to expand the store slightly with a loungy area in the back for serious sippers to surf the Web.
Shout-out to the bangers and the hoes who hang at the plant. This place smells like coffee and has light wood fixtures all over, making for a light airy feeling in the spacious confines.
The stupid machine makes non-folger-like coffee, much to my chagrin, as I like to drink water that has the consistency of a depression era cafeteria toilet. I used my credit card which allowed me to be charged less for a "regular" cup of Joe.
The clerk told me not to order the wheat-grass, which I did. It tasted like peas meshed with moldy corn.
And the smoothies, when I came back, as I had the $&@@ tasting yerba blueberry poi smoothie (which I was leery of as I've HAD poi) was rank amateur... At best.
If I had liked any of these things I probably would have at least four and half starred, so tough sh#t you Philistines.
...................................
*editors note*
The management at Yelp, I'm sure do not condone the use of drugs, or any substance that may impair a review of an establishment...
Having said that:
Though my opinion still stands on the coffee, if you like my kind of coffee, you aren't going to like this fresh liberal, communist socialistic do-gooder coffee.
Coffee is supposed to smell like a three night drunk and taste like your piss. This brew completely misses the mark.
But I will say, I was on a two day drunk and I had some other things going on too, and having revisited the shop, I find that there are no smoothies and wheat-grass and all of that crap.
So if you find yourself off your gourd, at least you know you aren't going to have to look at some wuss-hippie drinking green goo, or sipping on poi.
Come to think of it, I did like the steam-punk attitude of the place, so, though it's still too nice for me, I'll give you credit for putting all that S@#$t together in your garage.
Great tasting coffee. I love the tubes suppying fresh coffee beans to my cup of coffee. This place would be great if you love a straight coffee or espresso shot. But the cappuccino I had was very poorly prepared. Instead of a thick crema on top I was presented bubbly froth.
Actually, I'd have to say this coffee is better than Ritual and Blue Bottle in SF. And without the hipster-snobbery (I was once chastised at ritual for using my cell). The stuff is really fresh, and warning-it's rocket fuel strong. If you have problems sleeping, do not even walk down this block after noon - you can smell it roasting several doors down. Oh yes, they have soy, and fancy Bodum cups.
The place is a bit small, not much space to hang out,but maybe thats a good thing, You can take your coffee over to The Dressing Room and have the girls spike it up with some Baileys while you checkout some some fancy frocks.
The fact that I found a hair in my cup, after I had drank 85% of, and am still giving them a perfect score is pretty incredible in my book.
My dad suggested the hair was possibly a mule hair, from when the mule carried the beans over the hills to our great city of New York.... Maybe.
The coffee is great. It's high-tech, balanced in flavor, and damn good. There are a lot of coffee bean options to choose from, but definitely everything I've had has been on point and I've tried about 4 different kinds.
The only other coffee that I remember being better is Peets in the West Coast. It's definitely better than Starbucks' Pike roast.
With all due respect to Stumptown and Intelligentsia, there is no better cup of coffee than one brewed here. The flavors have the subtley and layering of a kickass scotch--with a nose, taste, and finish to boot. So don't even think about adding sugar or milk, you fucking plebian.
Whizzzzzz brrrrrr. clunnk. Swooosh. bubble bubble bubble. click. pour pour pour.
"Here's your delicious coffee, sir. Have a nice day."
"hey that was pretty neat. thank you for sucking my coffee beans around the room before making my coffee. It really enhanced my experience."
"umm.. sorry?"
"Oh crap, i guess that came out as kind of sarcastic didn't it? Well i was being sincere. This place is cool. Love your tubes."
It's kinda silly to think that all you need to do to get to be a five-star coffee place is just to pick good coffee, roast it yourself, and fresh brew every cup... but that's really all you need to do! Oh, and don't be a snobbish jerk about it.
The day I came in they were fixing the suck-and-blow pneumatic machine, but it didn't matter because the geek chic decor was still charming and the coffee was still delicious. That's all I want-- give me my coffee fresh-like-espresso, and entertain me while I wait, all in a 10x15 foot storefront. Ah, New York, someday we will be together...
Go there. It's fun and it's worth it.
lets put it this way, i go to sleep at night excited to wake up to a great cup of coffee from Roasted Plant on Orchard. Not only is the coffee something to rave about, so is the interior design. -- just a fan of great things!!
There is this myth, that I certainly help to continue, that there is no good coffee in New York. Well give me a Discovery Channel show, because that myth is busted.
They grind and roast the damn beans for your coffee--WHILE YOU WAIT! And there is little wait! And damn that is a good cup of (well I got a latte, so I can't say joe)!
They prefer plastic payments, so there is a 5% on every purchase with out cash, which I love (my theory is that once we have done away with paper currency, we will no longer have allegiance to the "Federal" reserve, which is as federal as FedEx and is why we pay income-tax)
Too bad I no longer work in the LES, because they would become a staple!
Simple. Clean. Yum.
I love technology. I love coffee. I love technological coffee. And caffeinated technology.
But even more than all the gizmos, whirring gears, plexiglass tubes, computers and hidden scales, I love strong coffee. And Roasting Plant delivers! I love the crema on top. Truly special.
There are, however, two things I don't like about RP. One is the new card system they have, with 5% discount or whatever it is. Living nearby and refueling there often, I thought it was a good idea. Until they screwed it up and erased my card. Of course I had no idea how much was left on there, but I'm pretty sure it was more than the six dollars the guy arbitrarily put back on. (He even said he had no idea, so that was fun)
Second, the soothing electronic lounge beats get old.
To end on a positive note, the owner of this place is great, and I commend him for pulling off a great coffee job, with relatively few hitches. He is very excited about coffee, and he'll tell you all about it if you ask. So viva la Roasting!
I can't believe I've lived in NY for 2 years and just got to Roasting Plant today.
*sending my apologies out to the coffee gods & goddesses*
Excellent.
Quite the experience.
The design is lovely.
I just wish they had cinnamon & nutmeg NOT mixed with sugar.
Some of the best coffee I've ever had in the city - period!
The prices are good, the staff is friendly, the sweets are lovely, the equipment for sale is some of the best and not marked up too badly - oh - AND the COFFEE IS AMAZING!!!!
I had a sumatra espresso and my friend had a cup of the guatemala and both were just spot on. No bitterness, no oily aftertaste, just clean and lovely coffee.
There's a cute gimmick where the loose coffee (also for sale, by pound - roasted or non-roasted) vacuums up into the grinding machine when you order a drink. Although I wanted to clap and giggle like a little kid each time it happened, I was assured by the staff that yes, it does get old - eventually.
While venturing around the LES, Better 1/2 and I were walking south along Orchard Street and had a jonze for coffee.....and the Roasting Plant fit the bill perfectly.
The other reviews accurately describe the Javabot -- but I'll put it concisely, you get a custom brewed cup every time.....in other words it's made JUST FOR YOU!
You can select from the assorted roasts/blends (many of the them organic and from small-batch roasters) and have them custom brewed for you as an espresso, cappuccino, latte, mocha...or just get it as a cup of coffee!
The oddest thing I noticed on my recent visit is that they offer a 5% discount for paying by credit card or using the Roasting Plant giftcard....you pay full price for paying cash?! And the prices INCLUDE tax and tip!
It's a small space -- here are only three seats (side-by-side), but they all have power jacks so if you are lucky to get a seat -- open up your laptop and check your email -- just don't lurk around too long!!
this place reminds me of a coffee joint in san francisco called, Ritual.
both cool places, but TRENDY... and the coffee, (once you get past the hype and what is supposed to be cool), is just mediocre. I can't imagine how dowdy Mrs. Olsen would feel at either of these places... wouldn't matter, she was only concerned with her own kinda high... mountain grown, the very best kind... (for all you kiddies who don't know who Mrs, Olsen is), think FOLGERS.
Its everything *bucks isn't. Coffee beans grinded by the cup, smooth clean taste; none of the burnt grittiness, and perfect drinking temperature thats not scalding hot. Its the most honest cup of coffee I've ever had.
They offer more sugar options than any other coffee place. You have an additional choice of vanilla sugar, maple sugar, and sugar syrup for no extra charge. Soy milk is also offered.
For what they offer, its less expensive than *bucks for a higher quality. If you choose to charge your cup, there is a 5% discount. Surprisingly, they prefer that.
Amazing service from a staff that knows and cares about its coffee. Fun to watch the beans travel to being ground a brewed for your personal cup.
Beans aren't cheap ($12-13 per lb) but I tried to get here whenever I am in NY from Boston get my supply. It has displaced my other, less expensive coffee sources in NYC
Let me blunt: I think this is a strange little coffee shop. The hype drove me down to Orchard Street where Roasting Plant has a bathroom-sized store. The gimmick: custom ground cups of coffee. You pick the bean and they grind/brew your coffee on the spot. Being an ex-Portlander, I've experienced this extravaganza at Stumptown [coming soon to NYC] and think it's a bit more theatrical than anything else. My cup of coffee was good - but nothing better than what you'll get at any corner Starbucks and not nearly as good as Peet's. There are three oddly designed seats in the store so this is mostly a take-it-and-go-kind-of-place.
this is some of the best coffee i have ever had. not only is the experience of receiving your cup of coffee fun and unique (selecting the bean, customized brew on the spot) but the coffee tastes superb.
very few cups of coffee make me so sublimely happy. in fact, it's rare that walking into a cafe makes me want to break out into song & dance. so i'll go ahead and call roasting plant my favorite.
I felt just like Barbarella walking into this intergalactic coffee shop.
You can watch the roasting Javabot send beans to the computerized roaster. These freshly roasted beans are full of bold and smooth flavor. Each cup of coffee and espresso is brewed to order. They also sell their beans and other merchandise.
I'm not a big coffee drinker, but this is the place I stop when I do have that occasional craving for a cup. Also have a decent selection of teas that are actually served hot! This is my pet peeve, as it seems that most coffee shops never seem to manage to get the water properly boiling before they make a cup of tea. Its a mystery to me. Anyways, good coffee, good tea, good times.
Oh and the coffee tubes are endless hours of entertainment for the under-fives, providing free babysitting while you have a cup in (relative) peace.
WiFi and 10% Student Discount!
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