Verb Cafe
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
218 Bedford Ave(between 4th St & 5th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 599-7588
- Nearest Transit:
Bedford Ave (L)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Paid
40 Reviews for Verb Cafe
best bagels on bedford! they have great espresso too and apparently a kick ass happy hour that I need to try out. The workers are really friendly and helpful. Although the lines can be long, they go fast and everything is pretty cheap here too.
love it!
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I love Verb. Although it's not my normal go-to coffee spot, it's a great location for when I am on my way to or from or desperately-in-need-of-caffeine during work.
The coffee is solid and I am serious about my coffee. They always have delicious looking desserts in their display case but I haven't tried any yet.
Plus, the boys that work here are extremely handsome.
O.K.
I said it.
Extremely handsome.
Do yourself a favor and go get some extremely handsome with that cup of joe.
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Ice Coffee was HORRENDOUS!
For 2.75 = McDonald's Medium Ice Coffee....
For crying out loud, even McDonald's is better
Head over to New York Muffin for excellent ice coffee!!!
Verb Cafe does offer $1 refills....for the day....but I don't know how they track it cause there's no receipt........so bring your old cup back, make sure you have some ice in it (to make it look realistic) and ask for a $1refill
Setting:dark, cramped, A/C sucked.........
Staff was not enjoying their job...i don't blame them
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Best coffee, great atmosphere. Needs to be cleaner though...Worst and overrated coffee title belongs to =Gimme coffee. Very rude customer service too.
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It's not actually possible to walk 2 blocks around Williamsburg without seeing someone holding a coffee from Verb.
It's a hair ubiquitous but the cold-brewed iced-coffee (taken with soy and a splash of simple syrup) is really quite refreshing. I admit fully I go there all the time.
The thing is their "baked goods" look really disgusting. I wish the place, and the ice-cold baristas, would look a little less dirty. Sure hipsters like that kind of stuff, but I appreciate hygiene.
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Nice people. Nice ambience. Decent music. Good prices on things except coffee. Bad coffee.
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This place reminds me a lot of starbucks and I've never understood why it's such a "neighborhood hotspot".
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I remember seeing some of the dudes from Grizzly Bear around here.
I just come for the sencha tea because it's off the chain. I once had a bagel with cream cheese which was okay but no Bagelsmith. The outdoor seating is nice, if you can snag a seat/table. You're welcome to join me.
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why when you have Gimme Coffee, Oslo, and that new place on Bedford and North 9th that used to be Read Cafe, would anyone come here? The coffee is majorly sub-par and the music sucks and the workers have enough 'tude to throw you into a pit of self despair for living in Williamsburg in the first place.
avoid.
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Ok. Here comes my first negative yelp: the staff here is straight up bitchy. They're mean. Why bother? Yet I keep coming back. I think it's their freshly refinished wood floor and their bagels. Yeah the bagels are solid and they've got the best espresso between my apartment and the train.
But the staff goes out of their way to frown at me. It must take a lot of energy to be so mad at the myriad different people that come through Verb. Maybe its just me they don't like.
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my favorite cafe in williamsburg! im always trying to decide between blackbird and verb... they both have their pros and cons. verb has outdoor seating, nice wood interior, cheap-ish coffee and cool music. blackbird has awesome windows, better light, table service, and higher prices, also good music can be heard there.
i go with verb, just bc its cheaper and the crowds younger/a little cooler. the staff always seemed super friendly to me... ?? and they play odb occasionally... sick!
i dont get the food, only the coffee. they have a nice refill policy, which u can totally take advantage of by keeping their cups and asking for a refill when its really just a firstfill... havent done it meself, but ive heard from my even cheaper friends that its an option, ha
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Hey, this is the barista with the pink glasses coming in to defend my workplace from the mediocre and negative reviews.
First off, if you're an espresso drinker and you haven't been into the cafe recently, come by and try us again. We just got a fancy new machine and we're doing smaller, stronger, more Italian-style espresso drinks. Also, the iced coffee's always solid. Or try an Arnold Palmer.
As far as customer service goes, sometimes we've got shit going on, or the day's been terrible, or maybe the customer in question is doing something that is not so awesome. Customer service varies wildly from server to server. Some of us really go the extra mile. This is a difficult issue to tackle and we're trying our best. On my part, I can say that I try to be nice to everyone until they cross the line by perhaps pouring liquid in the trash can, asking us to change the music, or harping at us about how we should run the cafe. We're only human. I am actively working to be nicer. I realize that people come into the cafe and drop several bucks on a drink. I want them to enjoy it.
I don't understand why everyone complains about us being hipsters. Why does anyone care what we dress like or whether we listen to certain types of music? We're all whole people with lives and personalities and private concerns just like anyone else. Some of my coworkers are among my favorite people in the city. Verb has provided me with a ton of connections in the music world, which has helped me out tremendously. We're proud of fostering creative lives outside the cafe. Our former workers have gone on to successful careers in photography, music, etc. Why do people have a problem with our personal lifestyle choices?
I got a job here days after moving here. Working at Verb has definitely affected my life in an extremely positive way. So if you want to support a place that incites this kind of fierce loyalty, come to Verb. I realize that this review is intensely personal and biased, but every review is simply based on personal experience. I've never really loved a workplace this way before. I hope that you have a very positive experience. Thank you to those who gave us good reviews!
I like this place regardless of the hipster factor. The staff most definitely is your classic Williamsburg type... tight black jeans, check. White sneakers, check. Mod like hair, check check check ...
Yes they are much cooler than you or I but you know what? They are nice and efficient, the coffee is good, the bagels are from H&H (can't go wrong there) they play good music and the tables outdoors are great for people watching or just reading the paper. Plus they serve booze which is great if you need a shot in your coffee. Just saying...
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Stopped in here today to satisfy my craving for a good cup of tea, and I was not disappointed. The cafe is warm and cozy and the service friendly; just a very laid back atmosphere. There is a very nice selection of loose teas (think apricot, rose, peppermint, etc). Very cute place to hang, but tables are few and coveted, so it's a toss up, especially since people tend to linger given the inviting atmosphere.
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I will never forget my first experience with a flash mob. I was at the Verb Cafe taking a break when all of a sudden the streets were filled with a ton of people screaming. Was it a riot? No, just your random "let's have a 5 min water fight" flash mob in Williamsburg. Water balloons were going left and right, people were getting doused from buckets of water, and I almost felt like I had to duck, even though I was safe and sound in the Verb Cafe. The crowd was having a wild time while every one else stared in confusion, curiousity, and apprehension. Would an innocent bystander be safe or if you were in plain sight, were you free game?
Within minutes, the crowd was gone. I don't know how they dissipated so fast, but all that was left was a bucket of water and a smoke bomb sitting in the middle of the street and soggy sidewalks.
Two paragraphs later and barely a mention of what the food, service or decor is like at the Verb Cafe, I will say that the Verb is so-so and nothing great. It's dark inside, kinda woodsy, the music is very loud, and the choices are all right. There are better places to go on Bedford but for snacks, a pit stop, and safety from a public water fight, the Verb Cafe will do just fine.
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Yes there are hipsters at verb cafe, but please we're in williamsburg, what do you expect? The place is cozy and warm with coffee, bagels, treats. And they serve beer and wine, which raises my appreciation of any cafe. I think they also have a $1 PBR happy hour monday through wednesday. The music is (*gasp*) indie rock, but hey it's williamsburg and dammit I like indie rock. I wasn't able to get on the wifi network here for some reason and when the lunch crowd came in, it did start to feel quite cramped. Otherwise, good option for reading/doing work, people watching, nice staff.
So if you're secure enough in your non-hipsterdom (or hipsteriness, as the case may be) to drink coffee (or beer or wine) in the company of hipsters, this is a solid option.
If Williamsburg was a fictional milieu from a shitty fresh out of creative writing degree writer (and in many ways that's exactly what one would suspect), this cafe would be the author surrogate, the proverbial Mary Sue of that experimental bildungsroman. This cafe is so essentially W'burgian that if you add something to it, it would be East Village, if you take something out of it, it would be Bushwick.
But let me dwell a bit in to specifics, the staff look and act so stereotypically hipster-ish that as an audience you feel insulted. However the service have not failed me, if they fucked something up, they corrected when asked for. Their beverages and drinks are good, the soup of the day is always great, bagels are very decent. The music feels like as if you're living in the head of that same giant metaphoric hipster, a guilty rush of 50 cents followed by an hour of indie penance.
All in all, Verb Cafe is the place to be, that is to see and be seen, even if that means having to pay for wi-fi service. But if you're truly w'burgian you would know Atlas Cafe is the place for the wi-fi people.
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if you want to see everything wrong with Williamsburg, go here. it makes me embarrassed to be a 20something year old white kid living in Brooklyn. its everything i hate about a coffee shop. bad coffee, bad music, "intellectuals" reading and writing in a loud, crowded, kitschy atmosphere. if you want good coffee, go to a gas station. if you want peace and quiet, go to a library. This place looked like Interpol shot a load all over She Wants Revenges back.
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I dig the iced coffee and H&H bagels. The bonus is the large bagel toppings menu and daily soup. Staff has never been rude to me, and you can sit outside but it's air conditioned inside. Plus you're bound to run into someone you know and Catbird is across the street, so you can take your newfound friend and go shopping.
I used to love love love Mudd on E. 9th St...this is a good local compromise since I moved.
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Great cold brewed ice coffee at a great price.
The place is okay. A little ghetto, but I would sit here for a while.
The staff is very friendly as everyone has noted.
Come grab a coffee here if you are around, just maybe take it with you instead of hanging out....
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The x was y
coffee : good
staff : friendly
space : kind of dirty
flies : prolific
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Strong stuff man.
Coffee is good and strong - at least the fully leaded ones I prefer.
Seating outside along Bedford Ave is great to sit and chill, and gets snatched up quickly.
Haven't tried anything here but the strong coffee. Love it
Even AOL CityGuide included this in their 2007 City's Best nominees list. And it's up against mostly Manhattan mud spots. Give 'em he!!, Verb Cafe! (You can vote 'em up the list, by the way.)
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I just went to Verb for the first time last weekend. The weather was beautiful, so unfortunately (and understandably) all of the outside seating was taken.
I had a good experience. The iced coffee and bagel (+ tofu cream cheese) were really good, the staff was nice, the patrons were beautiful and the music selection was excellent. Wish I didn't have to pay for WiFi, though. Maybe that was a good thing, because it forced me to get some work done.
All in all - good food and drink, good people, good music, sad five-dollar WiFi, I will be coming back.
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My favorite green tea of all time (and my roommate's, too!) comes from Verb Cafe. Verb has three varieties of green tea, but make sure you ask for Genmaicha! It is so delicious! Also, the staff have been friendly enough as to allow me and my friends to buy just the tea bags, so we can drink Genmaicha green tea at home!
There are fun foods -- yummy cakes, and a variety of "fun" sandwiches (my favorite being the Elvis-style Peanut Butter and Banana)!
I've sat here and played a game of Scrabble before... it is really a laid back place. In the warmer months, you can sit out front!
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Pretty much the perfect cafe. Great loose leaf teas, amazing sippy lids and always a musical roulette. The staff is ideal. They speak their mind and serve a hell of a cup. The cafe is not to big and not so small you worry you won't find a seat when u need it. The bathroom has a suction flush ensuring that nothing is coming back at you. Always new local poetry and local band stickers covering the bathroom walls for good entertainment . The outside seating in the spring and summer is by far the best people watching views in all of New York. Not having Wifi internet is great for actually being able to find a table to talk to friends while enjoying cakes and teas. If you want piece and quite with your internet. Go to the Library.I'm from Berkeley,Ca home of the indie cafe. I've traveled to just about every popular college town in North America. I've scene my fair share of Cafes. Verb is Top notch.
I love this place only because it reminds me of the overpriced hipster coffee shops of the Pacific Northwest.
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Amazing and very strong coffee, great music, cute and friendly staff does a great job with the often hectic weekend lines. I love verb and miss it when i am away.
I like this place...the layout is cool and cozy. I wish it had some free wifi though...Would probably make it tougher to find a seat though. And the internet cafe next door would probably go out of business (which they should, charging those rediculous rates). Lots of people complain that there's a pretentious hipster vibe (whatever a hipster is supposed to be...someone who dresses current and is into alternative music?) but those are the same people that make the cafe seem unfriendly at times.
The music is good most of the time, and a reasonable volume. Nice place to people watch if you sit by the door...Just watch getting bumped by the tricky entrance.
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Verb has great strong coffee, although it is slightly over priced $3.50 for a large iced coffee?
Service is quick, over-caffeineted hipsters just like the clientele. Doesn't bother me.
I like to sit outside (they have sidewalk seating) and pretend I am jobless trustfund kid and watch the NYU kids and other assorted citizens of Williamsburg drift by.
They use very ripe tomatos that are great so I often order a bagel wth cream cheese and tomato- very tasty!
They also serve desserts, soup (make sure you get bread with it), salads and bottled beer/wine. Everything is pretty good. The baked goods are better at the Read.
Trust me you will get addicted to this place because the coffee is so strong and the service is normally quick. You can get your Caffeine jolt FAST and STRONG!
Cramped inside but you can almost always find a seat.
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best coffee in the hood, mainly because it always tastes the same. consistency is a must because i hate when you go to your regular place and when you take that oh so desired sip it tastes like ground dirt & cigarettes; not much worse than that at 8 in the morning. plus they have good breakfast grub...johnny boy is amazing...p.b.,bananas, honey, cinnamon...can i get a YUM!
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My espresso here was pretty darn good, and I was impressed that they make cold pressed ice coffee. Way to go! Perhaps this is an insult to the establishment, but my clearest memory of my morning at Cafe Verb was the miniature greyhound at the table next to mine. This whispy little thing backed up and up as I went over to my chair, and then kept sniffing my shoelaces.
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Must say, the coffee is on par with Muddy Waters at times, but this place is a New York Alcoholic's dream: Open late, relaxed vibe, caters to those who aren't coffee buffs.
For those three reasons alone, even if I had the most pain-in-the-ass hipster "barrista", an order that was forgotten and a line that was extending out the door, I'd still go back.
The Verb is one of those entities in life that I find annoying, but without which I sometimes cannot get by. Conveniently located right around the corner from one of the studios where I rehearse, I can almost never resist stopping in for cup of excellent coffee. Sometimes I don't want to take my coffee out, which is when I start getting annoyed. There's always an underlying quality of poseurism amongst the clientele, so if I sit down and have my coffee there, I feel like I'm blending into that scenario. Most of the time, they're blasting loud indie rock music, which, of course is their perogative and probably a very popular move in that neighborhood, but I personally happen not to like it. And while sometimes the service is fine to unnoticable, sometimes it's really bad. But I AM a coffee addict, and location is everything.
i'm down with the Verb Cafe. yea, it's sickenlingly hipster-ridden (and the music at times is a bit too loud for comfort), but hey, what bar/cafe/restaurant isn't in Williamsburg these days? The coffee beats starbucks (their lattes are double-caffeinated), and the list of caffeinated teas includes and apricot-flavored one. yum. not to mention it's a cute spot for dog-watching.
If you can stomach the pretentious hipster vibe, The Verb is a fabulous place to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. Shack up in the back corner with your laptop or book for hours - no one will care (or notice, really). Warm, cozy, decent music...the hipster thing is to be expected. It IS Bedford Ave. we're talking about here.
It's a quick fix for a cold day in Wiliamsburg. Go for the apricot tea, and sit by the window to watch all the people shivering by - it'll make you feel even warmer. ;)
A Williamsburg institution. Good coffee. Staff of sweeties. Crowded for good reason.
screw oslo, come to verb! i need to spend more lazy mornings/noons/nights here...
Not ONCE have they gotten my order right. So full of attitude and takes forever to get food/drinks. Everything's much better across the street at Fabian's.
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i luvv going here just to hang out especially in the winter when its just too cold outside to do anything....its really cozy and i luvv the coffee...need i say more?
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