Wonderful food in a casual place. The people who work there all seem very happy - that has to be a good sign!!

My new favorite place to meet friends for lunch. Everything is really yummy and they have an extensive coffee drink menu.

Omelette a bit dry and not seasoned ..Seems like newer staff ..but where isnt this a issue these days ..Always better times ahead!

Excellent customer service, super friendly with superb recommendations. Cozy, cute atmosphere. Good prices for the quality. The food was fresh, most of the ingredients are made in house. I ate the BLAST...wow! Everything we ordered salads, soup, sandwiches and lattes, were delicious. We are visiting from LA, but if I lived here this would be my regular spot. read more

Coal Yard Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Just grabbed some take out today and a total. Nice friendly staff; however, the food was over priced for the size and the cook made both my burritos vegetarian, when I had only asked for one! Little effort put in on the quality of food I received! Just look how small a burrito was haha read more

Coal Yard Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I ordered a breakfast sandwich on a croissant. It was like dry bread with a well cooked egg and crumbled sausage pieces with cheese. I did not eat the egg with sausage it was too fragrant--over powering sage or some sort of spice. My partner ordered grits, it was a big scoop that was gritty with raw spinach and an egg. We both only enjoyed the bacon. We were extremely turned off by the name of a dish--jail house something. Listening to privileged folks whose parents likely own a prison ordering the dish made us extremely uncomfortable. read more

Found this on Yelp and stopped by for a quick bite. Expectations were low. College town quick takeout. Wow. We were blown away. Great food. Good portions and great price. Wish we lived closer. read more

We accidentally came in for lunch, such a thrilling discovery. The food was so delicious! And the menu is interesting and unique, not what I expected but totally worth trying. I ordered warm quinoa salad w/ pesto creamy dressing I chose. Well balanced flavor but I think vinegar dressing works better for this salad. I forgot to order the soup, they required 5 dollar minimum credit card payment so I can't buy it anymore, they gave me for free!!!!! Matzo ball soup has tons of umami flavor, but the ball has a little bit raw flour taste. My friend ordered chicken sandwich, so good. The daily special England chowder is a must try. People here are super nice and friendly. Definitely recommend, I love this place. read more

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Omelets made to order & perfectly cooked. Not dry , like most chains. Staff is very nice; helped us get a table as it was packed. Definitely eating here again! read more

Coal Yard is a quaint spot with inside or sidewalk sitting. Very friendly staff with personality. An interesting breakfast menu, too. My wife and I stopped over in Ithaca on our way back south on vacation. She had the sweet potato hash and I had the cheddar grits, both recommended. read more

Not from the area but stopped for breakfast because of the great Yelp reviews and we were not disappointed. Delicious crepes, breakfast falafel and breakfast burrito! Big portions, quick service, great drinks. A little disappointed as ice ran out for cold drinks but the staff seemed to be on top of sending someone out for more. Would definitely recommend and visit again! read more

Such a great hidden place! They accept credit card. There was no wait for Sunday brunch. Their prices are cheap. Only downside, really, is that it's tiny and there's not a ton of seating area, especially outside. Also no alcohol = no boozy brunch here. Order food at counter and coffee is self-serve (they serve Gimme Coffee, which is heavenly). Breakfast was SO cheap and quite delicious! Service was so helpful and quick. The decor is adorable and cozy. I am in love with this place for brunch in Ithaca. read more

Nice little "hole in the wall" cafe! The pulled pork sandwich was huge! Quiet and clean inside. Not a ton of tables so we were lucky to find two tables to push together for the 4 of us. read more

Fantastic local breakfast spot! Really can't go wrong with any of the breakfast items, always fresh and made it order. My house has tried the Jailhouse Wrap, the Falafel and Egg, the Danwich, and the Cheddar Grits Bowl and all were outstanding! The grits rivaled some of the best we've had in the south. read more

I love the food and atmosphere here all made possible by warm, welcoming owners & staff who understand good food makes great friendships even better. The sweet potato nest is a lovely presentation for breakfast and is always top of my list read more

My new favorite coffee shop in Ithaca. I work at Cornell so Coal Yard's location makes it very convenient for me to swing by for a morning treat. I was introduced to this place via a colleague when we were on the way back from a meeting and seeking some post-lunch caffeine. The space is very cozy with a unique decor. I just moved from Buffalo so the Buffalo scale they have on display by the fireplace really caught my attention. On to the food. The pastries are a delight - their blueberry muffin is amazing. I have had their Ethiopian coffee and Sumatra blends which are both very nice. My understanding is their get their coffee beans locally but check me on that fact. Otherwise, I have noticed they have great lunch specials and overall a fairly substantial menu given their kitchen space. I have yet to try their lunch means but when I stop by during lunch hours, it always smells wonderful here. I would definitely recommend this little spot tucked away. read more

Clean and careful with COVID but servings are small and food is nothing special. Go here if you just feel like eating a typical brunch.

This place is a joke. I don't think I've been to a more poorly mismanaged "establishment" in a very long time... A friend and I went in on a Tuesday at 10:30am - on the same ticket, we ordered two breakfast meals, one coffee drink and one beverage from the cooler. It was busy with maybe half the tables occupied. After ringing us up, the woman behind the counter said she'd grab my beverage from the cooler and the coffee drink would be right up. My friend grabbed us a table. I stood by the cash register and waited for my canned drink and the woman proceeded to ignore me and help other customers in line. Slightly frustrated and unable to catch her attention, I walked and joined my friend thinking she would bring the drinks out together. A few minutes later she walks to the table with the coffee. I had to follow her up the counter and make eye contact to finally get my drink. Shortly after, my friends food arrived but not mine. No problem, maybe mine took longer to cook. My friend finishes her food -- mine has yet to arrive. I go up to inquire about my order and was told "it'll be right up" by a girl I didn't recognize. I stand and wait for 5 minutes then walk back to my seat and see the tables that have gotten there after me are almost finished eating. By this time, I'm highly frustrated. After watching another table get their brunch, I walk back to the counter and realize they have forgotten to make my meal for the second time. Wow. It took about 5 minutes after they realized their screw up on top of their screw up and rushed the order over as most tables were full and leaving. Needless to say, I'll never go back. read more

Awesome food, great service. Limited seating. We stopped in while passing through the town.

This place has great food and reasonable portions. We ordered the specials, Crabby Omelette and Manhattan Clam Chowder. They were both excellent. The omelette was loaded with lump crab that was flavorfully seasoned. The chowder was robust- filled with clam and I could taste crab too. It was one of the best Manhattan Clam chowders I've had. The food arrived almost immediately! I ordered decaf coffee and they made it for me fresh. It was delicious. We arrived at 10am on Saturday just early enough to grab the last table. People arrived in droves immediately behind us and were looking for tables to sit at. Luckily, the rain stopped and some sat at the few tables outside, which would be nice with pleasant weather. The restaurant is in a small unassuming house across from an electric plant and construction site - not a place you would stop at while passing by but it was clear from the amount of customers stopping in that people make this a destination. This would be a fun place to go for breakfast or lunch with a friend or small group. read more

I ordered the Jail House wrap and I was NOT disappointed, this wrap is huge and was very tasty. I will definitely be coming back sooner than later! This afternoon, Coal Yard Cafe was packed and the hostess/server/cashier woman was doing 3 different jobs with efficiently and with a smile while the cook and the prep cook were busting butt behind her. My kudos goes out to those three efficient and lovely people. Keep it up! read more

I didn't like it. To order food you need to get in line and wait while the hostess painstakingly and slowly keys the order for each customer into an electronica device. Then another lengthy process of the customer inserting a credit card and waiting for approval. They need a waitress to write down the order and handle the credit card. I'm not going back. read more

Open for takeout during coronavirus! Have eaten here many times pre-quarantine and the food is always delicious. The ranch eggs are my favorite. Recently ordered takeout and the food was great! Would definitely recommend for a takeout lunch. read more

This is a great little spot that has high quality food for reasonable prices. Can get a made-to-order omelette made in minutes with French Bistro quality. Specials change every day. Everything I have had here has been high quality and they know how to make French fries to proper way. The only thing I would change to is a better ventilation system to carry away cooked oil in the air. read more

If I could give them a zero, I would. I watched the chef and staff of this place do the following at lunchtime: 1. No food service gloves being worn 2. Cut raw chicken breast on a cutting board, then make sandwiches on the same cutting board 3. After handling raw chicken breast, wipe hands on a rag, then, again without gloves, take the seed out of an avocado and drop it into a salad 4. The rag mentioned above was then used to wipe off the counters, then thrown down on the cutting board where it was touching the sandwiches being made. I have never, ever seen such a flagrant violation of multiple food safety codes. I will never order anything from this place again. read more

Excellent cozy neighborhood spot. Very well kept with great service and great quality drinks. We especially liked the London Fog and Ithaca Haze. Exceeded expectations. Nice outdoor patio as well. read more

Creative and diverse menu. The breakfast sandwiches are excellent. Try the felafel with egg. It's delicious. read more

Coal Yard Cafe - Falafel with egg. Amazingly delicious. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Love everything about this place. A hidden gem in Ithaca. Staff is incredible, menu has a bunch of delicious options. I love coming here for a late breakfast or a coffee date with a friend. read more

Came here based on previous reviews, in the hope that it would be full of grad students (like me) and locals. The long line seemed almost exclusively undergrads. This made it pretty crowded and loud, but the food was really worth the wait! Delicious! I'll be back. read more

Consistently fantastic food -- great Matzo ball soup, falafel and Turkey Rachel. I will miss this place when I leave Ithaca.

This is a great cozy little spot to have a lunch with friends or just a nice breakfast for yourself. This place's Décor is ever so cute and cozy. The people here are obviously great workers and you can tell as you watch them make your food, they put effort into it. As if they didn't have good enough food, they always greet you with a smile. So overall, I highly recommend this place to eat! read more

We dropped in for a quick bite. I have the hash and my son had the croissant sandwich. Food was excellent and the service was pleasant, precise and efficient. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. I'll be a repeat customer for sure. read more

The Coal Yard Café has gone through multiple owners, each having their own degree of success with the restaurant. Today, our office ordered four of the Quinoa Bowls - two with the additional chicken, two with the additional salmon. This brings the cost per salad to $13 or $14 dollars a piece. First, the freshness and taste of the salads are excellent. Up to par with other wonderful salads from other establishments in and around Ithaca. Plus it's owned locally and not a chain; it's close to the Cornell campus. All great things. What are the down sides you ask? Well, we asked for the salads to be made without onions.....salads came with onions. The salad itself includes Kalamata olives -- one salad had one olive. The biggest issue we had is the size of the salads -- it went from a reasonable size for the cost to a few bites of salad and you better plan to eat again in an hour or two. When I called to let them know of the issue, they were more than happy to remake them if we returned them. Friendly staff. That said, they focused their apology on the fact they were really busy. Not a customers problem. I walked the salads back. Oddly enough on my way to return them I met up with two other individuals who remarked I was walking the wrong way with food (to the Coal Yard vs. to our office to enjoy it). When I explained we had an issue with our order one individual remarked "not a salad, I won't order from them because they are so inconsistent and they are at least $10". So, moral of the story is the employees are friendly. It's clean and pleasant. Food is tasty, but incredibly inconsistent. The re-makes of the salads interestingly enough had the same issue -- not as bad, but one was huge, one was much smaller. That said, they didn't have onion. read more

Coal Yard Cafe - Beware--these are the same salads--protein choice is only difference. The Coal Yard Café does not have consistent portion sizes. $14 salad. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

My new favorite place for a nice quiet Saturday breakfast and coffee. Big fan of the sweet potato hash and the falafel and egg.

YUM. This cafe was open before, then it closed for a while, then it re-opened a couple months ago (I think). Anyway, I just finally went here with my husband for the first time and was surprised it's not on Yelp yet. It's an adorable community cafe, perfect for those of us in Belle Sherman or Upper Collegetown area. I had an omelette with the most amazing cheddar cheese and French toast, and also a good iced coffee. The husband had a breakfast burrito that he liked (we all know how hard these are to find in Ithaca -- outside of the farmer's market of course). There's a cute indoor seating area which is good for studying, and an outdoor seating area as well. I think there's internet too although I didn't check. Definitely worth checking this place out if you haven't yet! read more

This was one of the few places I really liked in Ithaca. It's away from all the annoying bustle in the Commons and campus areas. It's small and cozy, the staff is nice, and the food is great! I really loved coming here for lunch and chilling with a book for a couple hours when they weren't busy. Definitely recommend! read more

Was back in Ithaca this summer, on the way to the Orchard to stock up on some cider and ran by this place. Cool little building, looks like something out of the gold mining era. More importantly their waffles with fresh berries on top are top notch, and i know my way around a waffle. read more

Excellent food and service. On a Saturday morning we had a rice bowl (avocado, bbq pork, like a bi bim bap), matzo ball soup (seasonal), and waffle with strawberries. We couldn't decide which one tasted the best cuz they all were. Including their mocha flavored coffee. :) make sure you come visit!! read more

Coal Yard Cafe - Waffle with strawberries and cream, coffee, matzo balls, rice bowl - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ithaca, New York

My wife and I had a very nice breakfast here this morning, as we were in the area celebrating our 45th anniversary. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They have a fairly simple but very adequate menu with very fair prices. We both had custom made omelets and delicious multi-grain toast. I really appreciate their effort to minimize trash to the landfill by collecting food waste for compost. I definitely recommend this neat little place. read more

Stopped in for lunch. Small indoor and outdoor eating areas available. Super fast service! Everything we ordered was excellent: Farmers frittata, grilled ham and cheese, cheeseburger, warm quinoa salad. Hand cut fries were crispy and delicious. Highly recommended! read more