Partners Coffee was formerly known as Toby’s Estate coffee. When I first moved to NYC many years ago to Williamsburg, I’ve always felt they had my preferred coffee beans and coffee. The general atmosphere probably falls a little under “hipster” coffee, but it’s quite delicious. I have always tried to visit other coffee shops in NYC for their coffee and beans, but I’ve always fallen back to this. In some locations, they have brewing classes and a roaster, but because this one in Long Island City is much smaller, it’s just a straight up coffee cafe.
Ambiance
The interior is quite nice. As you enter the coffee shop, there’s a ramp that leads up to your coffee beans and prepackaged snacks and drinks. Around that corner is a bunch fo small tables that you can sit and enjoy. It has a very rustic feel with lots of wood accents but not overly done.
What is cool about this location is that there is a garden in the back. From the cashier, make a left, and you will see the door that leads to the garden. The garden itself is quite pleasant as there are several small tables to the right and large communal tables to the left. The garden is flourished with lots of greeneries and a big fat tree with lots of leaves in the middle.
The kitchen prices, in my opinion, are a tad on the expensive side. It’s good, but one would definitely wonder if that price was justified. I’m willing to bet that most, if not all, ingredients are certified organic which might be one of the reasons for the higher price.
This store also sells whole coffee beans, both single origin and blends. It’s arguably more pricey than chains say Starbucks or Peet’s, but the flavor profiles seem much more accentuated when cold brewing or putting it thru an Aeropress/Chemex. Compared to other whole beans around the city (I’ve probably tried half a dozen roasters), I’ve still preferred to go back to their Brooklyn Blend.
Food
The iced mocha and hot mocha are some of our favorites here. The iced mocha was flavorful and bold with the right amount of sweetness and thickness after you let the ice settle for a bit. The hot mocha has always been good here. I normally get the cold brew, but the tap was broken today.
The bacon egg sandwich came with scrambled eggs, bacon, pepperjack cheese, jalapeño mayo, and avocado on a ciabatta roll. All the ingredients in this sandwich were fresh and tasted great. The thick cut bacon was delicious as well as the soft chewiness of the bread.
The breakfast burrito came with scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar, bacon, pico de gallo, green chilies and salsa verde in a white flour tortilla. If I were to get breakfast kitchen food here, this is usually my goto. It’s nothing like a California breakfast burrito, but the ingredients here are quite flavorful and blend well with each other. The burrito is packed pretty dense, and there is plentiful of bacon in it surprisingly.
Final Verdict
Partners Coffee is arguably my favorite coffee chain in NYC. The coffee is good, and so is the kitchen food. It’s a nice place to gather and have casual breakfast, but just be prepared for slightly higher prices.
Yelp Jabs
Its a good place to stop in from time to time, or meet w friend for coffee, but I dont see myself being a regular. There are so many small businesses just a few blocks away that make sandwiches to order and brew up great blends that I would rather give my patronage.
That’s fair. There are so many choices in NYC which is the beauty of the food scene here. One thing that always sits on my mind when it comes to flavor is that small businesses do not mean they are a guarantee for having good coffee. It’s definitely a survival of the fittest due to the high rents.
This is not meant as an insult, but, I’d have Dunkin’ Donuts over their cold brew any day. The coffee just wasn’t good. I told the gentleman behind the counter I wanted a strong, bold cup of coffee without ordering espresso; he suggested their cold brew.
You would think an elitist would know themselves what is a “strong bold cup of coffee without ordering espresso”. If you drink coffee regularly, this seems like something you could answer yourself. Strong is pretty subjective, but it’s clear that this elitist really just wanted an espresso.