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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Gramercy3rd Ave-14th St (L)
Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
"Roots and Vines is a destination, folks. Travel here if you don't live within walking distance. It's worth it. Seriously. My brother and…" read more »
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2 stars because they have free wifi and they're across the street from us.
1 star because their coffee is not terrible. But it's not fabulous either. One time I ordered an espresso con panna and I had to swim through a vat of whipped cream to find two tablespoons of espresso.
If it weren't for geographical reasons, I wouldn't be a repeat offender.
Sunburst, I thought I'd given you some love. I see, I have not yet. For shame.
But I've been here enough to more than compensate. I just love the feel here. It's probably not food you couldn't mostly find elsewhere, but they've got free wi-fi and I love the screened in porch area which runs along the left-hand side of the entrance. The servers here remember you (once they've met you - there's occasionally a newbie on the crew).
I love their granola with fresh fruit. It's served cold, except for a few times as of late. Once I learned to carefully request it cold, I've had no problems with the order. Their scones are quite good - cherry pecan is my favorite.
On a cold day, can't beat their chicken noodle soup. It comes served with a buttermilk biscuit. Warms up this Southerners heart, indeed. Xx.
The best thing about their food is the free wifi... I am no coffee snob, but their coffee was rather disappointing, and mine was served in a cup with pictures of Disney princesses (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella -- no joke!) I ordered the waffles with caramelized apples one morning but the waffles were not warm and the caramelized apples were dry.
I went back for a second time (for the free wifi) and the Caramel Creme was actually really good as far as flan goes, but again, the coffee was disappointing. However, what bothered me the most was that the waiter tried to rush us to pay over and over again to turn the table. Who does that in a coffee shop, especially when it wasn't that busy?
I only had the coffee (which was delicious) but I was thrilled about ample seating, free wi-fi and a pleasant staff.
I want to comment on the other reviewers who complained about the Disney Princesses cups -- I think Sunburst's eclectic choice of cups is part of the appeal of the place. I actually enjoy going back and getting a familiar cup!
This is one of my favorite coffee shops. Their coffee is really good, even better than 71 Irving… Read more »
Free WiFi and power outlets for your laptop. I'm not a fan of coffee but their Caffe Mocha is pretty good. I'm writing this from the place so my opinion might be a bit premature, but so far so good. The place is quiet and relaxing.
Good coffee, a menu to suit various tastes, quick service, and fair prices. Sweet Russian waiter.
I got poached eggs, and they were fine. Just straightforward, good food. I liked it.
I love this litte place. The location is great bc it's just out of the way of the hustle and bustle of things. Just far enough away from ev and union sq to feel a little bit like a secret. The smallish space is cute and there's a good amount of seating, Service always polite and friendly.
Great selection of breakfast food and sandwiches and such. (and breakfast is served all day long!! woohoo!) Last time I went I had the two organic egg thing and a splendidly fabulous cafe americano. My waitress asked me if I wanted the double like she assumed I would because everyone does..... so it made me wonder if the single was super small or something.... but I got the single and it was fine-- the size of a regular cup of coffee.
Bar seating by the window is great if you can snag a spot. They won't even mind if your friend who happens to be in the area stops by and pulls up a 3rd stool from the other side to make the place a bit lopsided. And you can stay forever and play on your free internet and they won't care.
Outdoor seating is great when it's warm, too, but there are only 2 tables out there. . .
I dig it.
71 Irving was packed - as usual - so my friend showed me the way to Sunburst. It's not as cute or cozy as 71 Irving but they had room for two. The free wifi is a plus as well.
The tea is The Republic of Tea so I had to have my favorite, the ginger peach black tea. Sunburst has quite an extensive menu of offerings for breakfast, sandwiches, pastries and desserts. I opted for a chocolate and hazelnut scone. It was disappointingly dry and hard.
This is a great place to chat or work/relax alone.
They definitely have a great variety in terms of drinks and snacks -- particularly sweets. I have a coffee and baklava. Both were good.
A little bit of an awkward sitting arrangement inside, but outside setting is available.
The majority of the time I get delivery from here, and the breakfasts are the best deal in the area. I love that you can get breakfast all day, that you get free coffee or tea before 11:30, and that you can get a fruit-filled pancake along with your two eggs for just a couple more bucks. All the portions are just right. Their soups are fantastic, especially the mushroom barley, and you get a tasty biscuit with it. Sandwiches and salads are pretty standard. The only thing I've ever had that was bad was a bagel. It tasted like the Sarah Lee bagels that come wrapped in plastic. But, there are very good bagel places in the area, so I wouldn't need to go to Sunburst if I wanted one. And the bagel places usually don't serve eggs all day.
I do like the atmosphere when I've gone in. It's not plush coffeehouse, but I'd say upscale diner. And I like that they let you linger. Service can be a bit hit or miss, but I've never had any big issues, just have had to flag the waitress down for the check a couple of times. It's just a nice, solid neighborhood place.
A great, cheap breakfast place in the area, though you might want to get your food to go. It can get pretty packed, and there's no real particular charm about the place that you would want to eat there while practically sitting on a stranger's lap like you might in some other small, cramped cafes. Unless you're there for the free wifi I guess. The service is ok, can be brusque but efficient.
The eggs florentine and french toast are quite tasty, and the fresh-squeezed OJ was sweet and fresh. And their prices are great. A much better deal than some of the other expensive options in the area. I wouldn't go out of my way, but definitely worth a try if you're in the neighborhood. 3.5 stars.
Meh. Definitely nothing to write home about. Mediocre coffee, mediocre service, kind of creepy people. But seriously, the baristas here have major attitude. Get over yourselves. You are not hipsters, no matter how hard you try to fake it.
The place looks like it has personality from the outside, but really falls short.
Skip this place and walk the extra blocks up to 71 Irving Place. So worth it.
I'm a fan! Nice menu with inexpensive drinks, cute space, great people. I was surprised that there was table service...and was somewhat annoyed that the check was unceremoniously delivered before we'd finished our coffee. (Our waitress also seemed irked that we weren't ordering a full meal--even though it's an "espresso bar," not a restaurant.) The tables are rather close together, but I can't complain--unlike everywhere else in the neighborhood, there were seats!
Also, a great menu of things to eat--from full meals to snacks. Highly recommended.
As far as a cafe goes, I usually go in one for two reasons:
1. To kill time 2. To drink a tasty beverage while doing so.
This is my favorite place to do both.
The flavored coffee drinks are delicious, if not too sweet. You may have to tell them to go light on such-and-such a syrup, but my tastebuds still yearn for a specific almond iced coffee I ordered there over a month ago.
This place is totally lenient toward people camping out and scalping the free wifi. They're always attentive to your needs. Although I do suggest that if you take advantage of such (or even if you don't), please tip the smiling people behind the counter.
I would never order pasta from here.. not sure why, but reading these reviews, my instinct is reassured. Their salads are so-so, but the soup is where it's at. And if you order the soup by itself (even the small would make for a meal!), they throw you a big, tasty biscuit! YUM!
I've done brunch here, too. I always get the eggs florentine. Portion sizes are small, but ingredients are quality, and I always feel like I've eaten "just enough". I would take any of my friends here.
This is a great place to get quick and easy bites to eat. Though its completely staffed by Russian speakers, they don't serve a single Eastern European dish. Management are very cosmopolitan, or at least I'm guessing they like to think of themselves as such. I like the spicy chicken curry with cranberry wrap. Besides good, if somewhat unusual, lineup of soups and sandwiches, they have free Wi-Fi, which is the real draw for me, otherwise there are cooler and better places to eat/drink/snack int he area.
On the less appealing side. The coffee and espresso has been a bit inconsistent. I've found that the lattes typically are heavy on the milk and light on the coffee. Another drawback is that the café is a bit cramped. They could easily get rid of a whole row of their two-person tables, especially considering the place is never 100% packed. Actually it is sometimes, but not all the seats/tables need to be occupied for that to occur. When I'm there, I'm CONSTANTLY bumping into neighbors, having to scooch out of the way, etc, and I'm a relatively small guy, standing at 5'9 and 155lbs. Perhaps that makes the place a bit more social (people are almost forced to talk to one another due to proximity and excuse-me's).
I see a few reviews raving about their breakfast. I had breakfast here once several years ago and HATED it. For starters, I recall that it was served to me on a plastic plate. Enough said. Aside from that, the home-fries were served lukewarm/cold as were my eggs. Nasty. A MUCH better bargain for breakfast/brunch is just up the street -- Lyric Diner at 3rd Ave and 22nd St.
This is one of those hidden gems of NYC, but it comes with some problems. The space is cute and bright red, but a little cramped, especially during the busier times. The service is also a little sketchy, and the choice whether to order at the bar or via waiter is never precisely clear. I've done both, and both work. Sometimes just ordering at the bar is faster, and sometimes it doesn't seem to have any effect. However, the food is really great and unbelievably cheap. The breakfast combos are the best deal you can find, and perfectly sized. If you order soup, it's all really good (and really hot) and the accompanying biscuit is delicious and flakey. I also recommend the frittatas- they're all excellent. And the pastas, if simple in ingredients, are excellent and come with salad, so you can generally split them into two meals. The orange juice is probably the most expensive thing you'll buy at breakfast or brunch, but it's fresh squeezed.
Also, the smoothies are made with unsweetened yogurt, so they actually taste like the fruit. I think they're delicious.
It's always packed during the brunch hours. But if you want a weekday breakfast, it's not so much, and the free wifi is priceless. They'll also let you sit and stay all day long, too.
The staff is a little overworked and the service isn't spot-on. But they're also really nice and are doing their best to keep up with things, and you never feel like they're being rude.
The pastries aren't always the best option- I would treat yourself to a richer drink option if you're searching for sweetness.
Definitely have to know that some menu selections are amazing and others... not so much. The breakfasts with pancakes and trimmings are the best! Omlettes are a bit tasteless, but smoothies are great.
If you can make it during off hours (late morning, early afternoon on weekdays) it has this sunny international feeling that reminds me of what it was like to be in New York as a student -full of potential with plenty of time to discover amazing things. Bring a book or journal.
You'll either like the cafeteria style seating or you won't. Outside is also nice in good weather -they hang flower baskets! My biggest complaint is that they brew the tea too hot so the nicer tea they carry is ruined. It's also nice to hear Russian casually spoken in the city.
Mixed feelings about this place. I love the free wifi and coffee. I've been able to sit with my laptop for several hours, even find a plug. The atmosphere is laid back and the decor is chill.
However, the bad of it: I've only eaten their food once, and decided not to again. Reason? It was gross. I had a pasta dish for dinner one night, and whoever was working the kitchen doesnt know how to drain pasta. There was more water than sauce. OK, no big deal you say... since I mainly look for coffee shops to just chill at and drink coffee.
The service does suck. They are slow, and not very friendly (which is typical in NYC).
I too have seen the roaches... little ones. While this is kind of gross, its NYC, what do you expect? Look hard enough for anything and you will find it, roaches and all. However, the rats and failed heath inspection comments make me never want to go there again though, thats just gross and wrong.
Don't think I'll be going back anytime soon.
(If you are just going for the coffee and wifi, it might not be so bad)
I've been to this place a few times - they have great smoothies, and this particular zucchini/carrot muffin that is amazing. But today, I'm giving this place 4 stars for another reason:
It's my close friend's birthday, but I'm unable to celebrate it with her because I'm out halfway across the world in Bangladesh for my job. So I decided to surprise her with a Sunday morning breakfast delivered to her door. I called Sunburst, and rattled a few things from the menu (thanks menupages!), through a noisy and utterly unreliable connection. The lady on the other side was extremely patient with me while I yelled through static and wavered back and forth between my choices - eggs Florentine or Benedict? Belgian waffles or French toast?
And after every sentence, I would yell over "wait are you still there? yes? okay."
I was just waiting for her to get annoyed and hang up. But not only did that not happen, she remained pretty cheerful and pleasant the entire time. So clearly, I thought I'd push my luck just a bit further -
"um, so, do you think your delivery boy can do me a favor?"
"sure, what's that?"
"um..do you think he can swing by a bodega on his way over and pick up a dozen pink roses?"
"sure! I'll just let him know"
(in shock by this point) "oh...thanks..."
"by the way, your phone has a lot of static"
"yeah, well you see, I'm actually ordering delivery for a friend, but I'm calling from another, uh, country."
"oh. *pause* how very nice of you!"
and THAT. is what I call DAMN good service.
This little cafe is simply adorable, and I have yet to be disappointed with any order I have placed! It's great that they have free wifi and plenty of outlets for pathetic homework-doing college students' computers!
(Or pathetic procrastinating-on-homework-doing college students' computers . . . but, you get the point)
The people who come here are really cool. I got into a conversation with an ancient about Obama's victory and how he celebrated in harlem till 2am last night. Then later, some other chick sat down next to me (communal seating) and started discussing a derrick jenson book i had lying out. and even more amazingly awesome, is no one looked at me like the crazy girl in the cafe when i started talking to my computer (video chatting my twin sister) (which means the have free wifi!) the employees didn't care that i was camping for 4 hours, and they serve the largest iced coffee i've ever seen. the food is good too, but this place was all about the atmosphere for me. don't get me wrong, there is a ton of stuff on the menu that looks good but i still am amazed at how much studying i was able to get done...
One of my favorite places to get a no-frills, simple breakfast/lunch.
Likes?
1) Cheap breakfast platters
2) Good coffee
3) Free Wifi
4) House salad (Has cranberry chutney in it... yumm)
5) Turkey Burger (They make it with an english muffin and I get it with grilled onions and mushrooms. yum...)
6) The biscuits that come with their soup
I saw the bugs. You don't see them during the day, which is when I usually go, but last week, I went for dinner. I saw a baby cockroach.
So why does this still get 4 stars and why will I be back? It has the best breakfast. A taste of everything for about $6. Eggs, sausages and blueberry crepes. great ones at that. Everything is terrific and the fresh squeezed juice is really something else. The best lemonade I've had.
I give one less star because the dinner here is rubbish. Tasteless nonsense (I had the pasta with tomato cream sauce and grilled chicken which literally had nothing more than salt and pepper on it). To top it all, it came with stale bread. When I told the people at the counter, they just stared at me and told me that's all they had. No "sorry about that" - no nothing. Since then, I tried breakfast at a couple of other places and nothing compares.
The french toast was good but not amazingly WOW.
One less star because my smoked salmon on bagel was too bland..nothing special. It did come with a small soup though.
The prices are extremely reasonable and although it was busy, the service was great.
I would come back here
There is no excuse for how slow the service is at this place. Otherwise, it would be a decent enough place to grab a coffee and use the internet, as I'm doing at this moment.
Still, I'm pissed this is the only wi-fi/iced coffee option close to where I'm staying, and I miss the sh*t outta Peet's right now.
This is indeed a tiny location with awkward seating. HOWEVER, we arrived on a Sunday mofternoon (1ish -- prime brunching hour), and were seated immediately. That's 3 starts right there.
I got a full breakfast on the cheap. Toast, 2 eggs, potatoes, bacon, and a banana pancake to the tune of just under 8, maybe? I was told that they sometimes screw up orders, but everything was perfect this time. All the food hit the exact perfect spot.
I also go the triple berry smoothie, which was HUGE and awesome, and not very sweet at all, which is exactly what I look for in a breakfast drink.
Basically, 4 stars because the stars aligned, everything was perfect, and there were no smelly people seated near us.
At first I thought the Sunburst Espresso Bar was a real stroke of luck in my life. The good kind at that! Where else in this city can you get a decent cup of coffee for $1.25? No where that's where.
But today I was sorely reminded that only the terminally slow and incompetent can screw up with literary flourish. I waited online for fifteen minutes before realizing that I had to be at work. I left empty-handed. Why did I wait so long you ask? Incompetence.
Three people were brewing one pot of coffee, while one girl ambled between the iced coffee containers and the cash register. I looked around and counted the number of customers sitting at the tables on one hand. There were four people online and yet it took the cashier five minutes to get one person a cup of coffee and a danish.
Maybe it was because she was short. I don't know. I do know that even the woman with the lovely figure in front of me couldn't make it more bearable.
Also, Sunburst, if you're reading this: Buy a fucking air conditioner! By the time I walked out I was dripping, thirsty and non-too-happy with you.
I guess the lesson here is: don't go to the Sunburst on Wednesdays--or if you have anywhere to be whatsoever.
I came here for the free wifi access, it's a great neighborhood coffee shop with breakfast choices.
I remember eating here once with my roommate, but it wasn't impressive or else I would have remembered.
But the atmosphere is nice, the staff is friendly, and the wifi is free! woohoo!
I see the failed inspection notice on elizabeth's review. For me, I do'nt care about bugs, rats, whatever. I've eaten Taco Bell's delicious grade z beef (I actually will suggest taking a look at nutritional breakdowns of Taco Bell versus other fast food chains, many of their items are infinitely healthier and lower cal than something at McDonald's. I'm serious).
Don't worry kids I shower and stuff.
Anywho, the first time I had the french onion soup, it was awesome for casual takeout. The second time it was cold. Its a hit or miss everytime.
I ordered a burger once, after it took forever, it turned out it was like a 3 oz. frozen patty on an english muffin. Totally uncool.
Its nice to have internet there, I didn't really stop in much because I lived around the corner. I enjoyed the smoothies, but they were expensive.
The place operates as basically there's table service, but if you're inside its best to just order and they'll bring it out to you. They'll bus too so you don't have to worry about where to put anything.
Good variety + good prices + breakfast all day + free WiFi + friendly.
The TV feels so out of place, but it's not a big distraction.
Yes, there is very awkward seating. Any sudden arm/chair movements and there goes your neighbor's soy latte.
I love this place. It's worth the extra couple of blocks for less of a assembly line service and a cheaper cup of coffee.
Oh, And there's no more cous cous salad and pea soup... I'm keeping it all for myself.
When the cold outside makes your nuts wish they'd stayed in bed, this place makes me feel like I've just finished a day of beaching in Cancun . . . at least I imagine that's what it feels like since I've never been to Cancun. Well anyway, this is what it should feel like. It's 3:30 on a Thursday and very few seats find themselves empty here. The patrons vary from Macbook toting yuppies to senior citizens that know how to live their retirement. I doubt they care about the free wi-fi, but I do!
The sandwich is excellent - I had the #1 panini - but I wish they'd toast it up a bit. Coffee's better than starbuks, and when you ask for a large bottle of water, they give you a LARGE bottle of water. They even brought the food to my table . . . not what I'd expect from a slightly-more-than-a-coffee shop.
Highly recommended.
1 star each for:
Decor, coffee, wifi
Half-star each for:
Service, food
This is my last sandwich review, hopefully in a long time to come... I woke up to the horror of a slight "discrepancy" in my waistline; and I know that the delicious Almond S'Cones, and the Big Baguetted Chicken Sandwich with Pesto I got from Sunburst Espresso on Tuesday was the last nail in this abusive carb streak...
Sunburst Espresso Bar has this very familiar air; it reeks of friendly neighborhoodness, amicable, quiet, not crowded when I went (7:30pm Tues) and powered by free wi-fi; the interior was too confining though; there was no sense of "I sit in my 'lil corner here", and I didnt like the row arrangement of tables.... I prefered the outside part; specially the tables on the left side of the Cafe... great bivouac to read or write in total peace. Oh, one last thing, I liked their black coffee.
4 the wi-fi, 4 the familiarness; 4
this place is always packed, but if you come alone or with just one other person, you probably won't have to wait too long on a weekday.
I've been here for brunch, for tea, and recently I ran from place to place on 3rd avenue desperately searching for wireless - and found to my great relief, that sunburst offers free wifi. They're eggs are good, I'm a fan of their oatmeal, and they have a pretty vast variety of teas.
This is a good local spot to sit and get some work done while sipping some tea and eating some oatmeal.
great good for great prices
there is some breakfast special for $5.95 where you get....
are you ready?.....
for $5.95 you get....(btw this may not be on the menu they hand you, so mention it, like list out the price and what i type below)
2 eggs cooked any style
bacon or sausage
breakfast potatos
toast
cherry apple crepe or blueberry ricotta crepe
....and free coffee if you go before 1130!!!!
plus free wifi and i like all the different flavored coffees they offer!
Yay! I'm a fan.
The food is just OK as is the service, and the crowd came to be too weird when the person at the table butted up against ours was not at all shy about staring and eavesdropping.
My office and I have been addicted to ordering from this place the past few months. Their breakfasts are to die for! Amazing omlettes, french toast (my personal favorite), smooties, and pancakes... and very affordable. I've never been terribly impressed with their lunches. We've had very few problems with them and they are very quick with their delivery. I've only been there once, and it's too cramped and noisy for my taste - I prefer to have them deliver.
Here's the deal about Sunburst. It's not set up to cater specifically to tourists or the prissy. It's set up as a neighborhood coffee shop that does a few tasty dishes and a nice brunch on the side.
The service is slow, the staff can be cranky at times, and those of us who live in the neighborhood and go there every day wouldn't have it any other way. The bakery from which they get their croissants is very nearly top notch; you probably won't find a better one east of sixth avenue. The food is not artistic, but it is definitely yummy. Their chicken soup is quite good.
So again, if you're a tourist than you don't belong this far east in the Gramercy area anyway. There's nothing very glitzy or interesting or old east of Irving Place. And if you're very prissy, you'd probably rather have sushi anyhow. Choshi is two blocks away.
I used to love Sunburst. I would trek all the way here to wait on line for the delicious frittatas and other delectable breakfast/brunch items. But, no more. After The Post has a list of those that failed inspection and I saw that my beloved Sunburst had a myriad of problems (and gross ones at that!) I just cannot bring myself to go here anymore. I know other NYC restaurants may be gross and dirty, but I really don't want to be thinking about their cockroach/rat/flying insect problems while I'm eating breakfast.
WiFi and 10% Student Discount!
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