Joe the Art of Coffee

10/03/08

Joe the art of @#$%!! service

by Solo500 at Citysearch

Who knows if their coffee is any good? I stood and waited to be acknowledged while the hipster barristas refused to make eye contact with me. Oh, sorry, your friends (who already have their coffee in hand) take precedence. Fabulous.

After 5 min of this inane activity I went around the corner to Starbucks. Where, yes, the corporate employees acted completely normal--and simply exchanged a brief pleasantry while taking my espresso order. Which is better, supporting the indie or throwing my cash to the faceless corporation? Ah, in this case, forget the indie. Big fat bummer.

I had read about Joe & really was curious to try their coffee. The attitude of the staff has already been written up by others. Alas.

• Pros: Good for masochists--hot, steaming, freshly brewed abuse. Great Starbucks advocacy.
• Cons: Can't get them to actually notice customers or serve coffee.

05/10/07

Almost great - worth it if you're in the neighborhood

by marzoccomadness at Citysearch

Joe and Ninth Street were the leaders of the NY coffeehouse renaissance and set the bar high for other more recent comers (Grumpy, Collage, et. al.). While those newcomers might have an edge on technology and raw materials, Joe is still up there for quality. People wait in line at Starbucks yet complain about a line in an indie shop as if that's never supposed to happen (ever been to Ritual in SF?).

There is a reason for the lines. The espresso drinks are good. The only thing worth complaining about is that none of these guys can afford to move uptown - where there's really a lack of decent espresso and coffee.

• Pros: espresso drinks
• Cons: none

12/27/06

Actually, it IS good!

by guillame at Citysearch

Warm "coffee-flavoured" milk wasn't the best start to our relationship, but Joe and I have really h it it off and now we're going strong. I've had several coffees from several different barristas there, and all of them have been great - strong, hot (but not boiling) and served quickly - just the way coffee should be. A little on the pricey side though.

• Pros: Handy village location
• Cons: Busy on weekends - go early