The Big Apple Coffee and Donut Shop at Broadway and Thornton — Photo by Tamara Wise
Maybe it’s the watered-down coffee at a buck-fifty or the immense omelets, but I’ve lived in East Williamsburg for over a year now, and the Big Apple Coffee and Donut Shop has become my staple place for weekend brunch. It’s a small, dimly lit place that seems to come right out of Middle America; with six tables, a counter, and a big grill it could be confused with any other diner. But that’s really its charm, just a simple place you can go have some breakfast and be one more person from the neighborhood.
The menu is full of standard diner items — breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices are all there — and the service is fairly quick. On most occasions I get the Florentine omelet; your run-of-the-mill eggs, feta cheese, and spinach deal with home fries and toast for $7.25 with coffee. This comes down to approximately $10.00 (including tip), which is not bad in comparison to other places nearby. I haven’t yet tried a donut or muffin, but it has a variety for those who just want to grab breakfast to go.
The Big Apple has a relaxed atmosphere where you can sit for hours talking with friends or by yourself without being bullied by an unkind server or a pushy owner pressuring you out. The place tends to be crowded on the weekend, but even then one can often get a table without much of a wait. More charm: with a usual staff, you become a regular fairly quickly.
It’s not the best meal you’ll ever have, but for a moderately priced, chill, mom-and-pop diner atmosphere, this one is worth the visit.
Big Apple Coffee and Donut Shop
712 Broadway | 718-384-3371
Prices: $2.50-$15
Hours: 3:00am-4:30pm daily
Delivery: None
Hans March 16th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
been wondering about this spot… thanks!
Rob March 22nd, 2009 at 3:27 pm
After passing by this place for the past few months, my roommate and I finally stopped in for a hung-over breakfast on a sunday afternoon. Let me be the first to say, this place rocks, service is so-so but the food is worth it.