There was a time when I didn't like Dear Mama. Too many changes all at once... like certain seats suddenly being table service. Sometimes I just want to sit in silence with my coffee and my laptop with no extra friction. And yet... I keep coming back. I've been here so many times. Their drinks are genuinely delicious, and the staff is consistently great and friendly, which goes a long way. Their caramel latte is so tasty, Starbucks couldn't compare. I also really like their loyalty/rewards system--it actually feels worth it. Add in the convenience of the location and how close it is to my apartment near Columbia, and it's hard not to default to this place. Neighborhood gem for sure. read more

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The demeanor of the man who takes orders at the front counter in the morning is rude and cold. When I placed my order he assumed I was sitting at the bar, and I informed him I wanted a table. Then he told me in an abrupt tone I'd need to go back and be seated. I didn't feel welcome, but I wanted a place to just get some work done and this is one of the few options of cafes in this immediate area for that. The croissant I had was good. My server was very slow and distracted. I had to get his attention as he seemed to forget about my food or bringing me a check. I wouldn't be too eager to return and would first explore other options nearby read more

Hello and Good Morning. About a month ago I found this fabulous place. I went in out of curiosity and ended up falling in love with this particular sandwich. So much so that even though the prices are meant for gentrified Harlem I still went almost twice a week. In all honesty the service and quality matched the price(that's always a good thing). Every time I ordered the sandwich they would give it to me on a plate, I would sit and in between smiles, moans of cuisine pleasure and a happy dance I would have my half hour of bliss. Well on this day May 1st after I made the order with extras this young man who I see all the time being I sit at the table and see them tells me if I want a table I have to reorder with Gavin. You can just imagine how puzzled I was. After eating 8 times there, same seat same table, looking at them work the bar and the food I was told this. Mind you i explained this not only to the young man doing cashier that day but to Gavin as well. The area I usually sit in is not a "wait to be served" area. Each and every time I eat there it was never a thing that I needed to sit in that area if I wanted to eat. This rattled me so much! I was literally confused and dumbfounded. I write this so angry and in tears. I don't usually eat breakfast. It's rare for me and for this to happen is a damn shame. I write this because to find a place with great food, a place one can eat actually what they like and that their body accepts it is huge. I will be making Yelp reviews. I will talk about this in detail on my socials. That incident was not only heartbreaking it was outright rude and disappointing. Hopefully this won't happen to others. Thought I'd bring it to your attention. It didn't cost much to just listen to me and let me just sit and enjoy. Especially when others had exceptions. Have a great day. P.S Another food spot made for community that isn't community SMH read more

Coffee was fine. Was too milky for my taste, which is disappointing because they were precise in measuring the syrups used. For 7.50-8.50 for an iced latte, it was not up to standard. read more

Great space to answer emails, grade papers and write. The music is great and I didn't have to use my headphones. I loved the jazz playing at one time. read more

Dear Mama - Margarita (I requested they add hibiscus) so good, I had 2! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

I always love the ambience here. This place is airy, spacious, and filled with plants. Very modern and sleek as well. The coffees are great and so is the food. I recently had their Everything Fries and they were the best fries I've had in a long time. Perfectly crisp and delicious! read more

Dear Mama - Flat White - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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Beautiful spot for coffee, lunch, a first date! I had the croissant & lox and it was one of the best lox sandwiches I've had. I don't know if they make their own cream cheese but it tasted so fresh! I loved the pickle onion on it as well and the everything croissant just perfect coffee was great and they have a ton of pastries options. Big space with sitting area to dine in and they have a killer playlist going on! read more

Dear Mama - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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A wonderful cafe with an abundance of plants and sunshine. This cafe is certainly unique with its calm but upbringing energy. There is a lot of seating available, whether that be for an individual or a couple or party. I ordered the iced matcha with oat and I'm impressed by how good it came out. Matcha is usually a hit or miss here in the city so this was very good. It'll be my go to matcha spot when im in the area. I however do want to try the caramel latte (as the person next to me had it and was raving about it). I also ordered the bacon egg and cheese without bacon. I thought ordering this would reduce the price of it however it was still the same price. I don't think it's fair because it is "thick sliced bacon" which would probably be the majority core of the sandwich and I didn't get it. That's the only reason for the one star. Otherwise, the sandwich was so fire, the sauce that you can choose was Fire. It was FIRE. Anywho there is a no laptop and computer rule on some of the tables, probably because these tables are meant for bigger groups. The service was friendly and top notch. I felt comfortable talking to them without feeling pressured to order right away. Cant wait to come back to try other things. read more

Dear Mama - Iced Matcha Latte Egg and cheese - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

The bald manager misgendered me, calls everyone "Man", and then right after told someone working in the kitchen that he loves it when they act more black. He handed someone a coffee and slammed his hand on the counter right next to me aggressively read more

The coffee and food is good though a bit pricey. I just overheard someone who appeared to be a manager or owner telling staff to basically bring their tables receipts immediately in order to turn the tables over and not let their customers linger. This is a coffee shop/cafe, I think the point is to have a relaxing environment to hang with friends or do work. They also recently took away a big section that was free seating and made it a part of the table service. I get if there needs to be some urgency if there are people waiting for tables, but in this case there were empty tables and no one waiting. It's disappointing that they would encourage their employees to essentially rush their paying customers out. read more

Creative menu of both food and drinks. Amazing breakfast choices, well executed and presented; their riff of a Caesar salad, the Julius, is great with smoked chicken and their house made dressing with a little kick (my fave). Also smoothies and cocktails are all well priced and served by a professional and happy staff. It's also a beautiful sun-drenched place to spend some time and meet some neighbors. read more

This was my second time here and I tried the iced matcha latte and the chicken club sandwich. I am writing this review immediately after finishing the sandwich because of how passionate I feel about it. This is definitely up there as one of my favorite sandwiches I have had. My first bite was absolutely sensational. The crunch of the well-toasted bread and the crunch of the bacon with the crisp of the lettuce alongside the wonderful burst of flavor from the sauce, bacon, and chicken. So damn delicious. I was kind of turned off initially that I was paying like $17 for a single sandwich, but upon opening it and seeing that it was a double decker, I kinda get it. I loved that it was properly packed of all the components so I got everything in every bite throughout the sandwich. The Louie sauce is VERY reminiscent of In-n-outs sauce in all aspects: taste, color, texture. The only noticeable difference I can think of is that I think the mini pickle pieces in the sauce are slightly bigger than In-n-outs, which I enjoyed because it pleasantly added texture. I have been craving an In-n-out burger so I will definitely be back to try their burger (which also is made with the Louie sauce), so I am confident it will hit the spot. Unlike the sandwich, I was incredibly disappointed by the matcha latte because it barely had any matcha taste and tasted mostly of just milk. I asked for more matcha to be put in and was appreciative that they did, but I think its unsweetened matcha or sumn cuz I did get less milk flavor, but I did not get much more matcha flavor either, just more bitter notes. My previous visit, I tried their el barrio BEC, iced Mexican mocha, and sir muffington, all of which I really enjoyed and would get again. The sir muffington in particular I thought was very unique and delicious. The orange center reminded me of Panera's orange scone I used to always get as a kid, so it was a nice lil nostalgic taste as well as just in general tasty. The muffin was moist as well and the mini chocolate chips were well distributed throughout. As for the physical space, I LOVE the windows for walls because I am such a natural light person and appreciate this space as somewhere I can do work and study while enjoying the sunlight. Also, I am very curious to try their happy hour cocktail drinks sometime. Happy hour is 1-6 pm I believe. Overall, highly recommend this place whether it's just to grab food/drink and/or study. read more

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Loved the aesthetics of this place. My party of 2 got El Barrio BEC and the lox sandwich. Food came out quickly and was pretty tasty and filling. However, I made the grave mistake of ordering the sweet red pepper maple sauce on the side and it turned out she was the star. Never again will I do such a thing. Next time I need my croissant fully smothered in it. I'm not a coffee girl so got an oat chai latte (they state the chai is homemade). There was something missing for me but I couldn't put my finger on it. At $6 it is nice they don't charge you extra for oat milk and that they take 50 cents off if you bring your own mug. Yay for sustainability! I would definitely visit here again if I'm around those parts and would 100% buy that sauce if they bottle it up. Very impressed the staff called my name correctly 4x. I got the warm and fuzzies . read more

Dear Mama - El Barrio B.E.C. with sauce on the side - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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Nice spot near Columbia to do some work. Very spacious and beautiful space! I ordered the iced hibiscus tea and a spinach and cheese pastry. I quite enjoyed the tea; it wasn't too sweet and was refreshing. The pastry was tasty but it would've been better if it was warmed. Service was very friendly and I definitely had a pleasant visit! read more

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Open, airy spot with great lighting and wifi plus lots of seats. It's right next to a university building so lots of students access this area too. I stayed here closer to closing on a weekday where they had live jazz performances! What a vibe. Definitely want to go back for the jazz and see what's new on their menu. Their menu today is different than when I originally went. read more

Hey guys I've yelped this place so many times because it's that good listen I had the grilled cheese from there many options I went with the Brie, Granny Smith apple, honey $12 and it comes on sourdough bread guys when I tell it was the most interesting tastiest bites I've had in a while I could not take a picture because my first bite was so delightful it's very flavorful I loved it 10/10 and of course the service here is an A and the most dopest ambiance I love this place pull up guys you won't regret it read more

I'm happy there's a coffee shop nearby that is in a safer location in a glass building that's beautiful and spacious. You get those coffee shop vibes with louder music when you walk in but also see those that are quietly working or talking with a friend. They have outside seating which was far enough apart to feel like you have your own space. Chairs are kind of low (weird critique) - gets awkward because you are close to the table, lol. I did think the music was too loud. I planned to take Zoom meetings I had to take them outside so it wouldn't be disruptive and it was pretty chilly. I did order a side of fries and matcha lattes (both hot and iced) to keep me going for hours. I thought the fries were pretty good for a coffee shop and weren't too soggy/crunchy enough and didn't flop over. Tasted slightly salty too. The lavender matcha latte hot was amazing - you could really taste the flavors better hot and the lavender came out well without being overpowering. What I would definitely not order again would be the iced matcha latte or any iced coffee drink even - most of the cup was literally just ice and my straw struggled through it, haha. I agree with another reviewer in that it would have been nice to see any other option other than breakfast options for a savory vegetarian snack as I didn't want fries to begin with. Overall, I can definitely see myself coming here again - just for independent work and for the hot drinks only! read more

Dear Mama - Fries - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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I got a latte to sit down. Drink was okay. Not too special. My friend's PSL was overly sweet. However, the atmosphere was great. They had live music for a little bit before using their speakers. Most people are there to do work. It's the perfect place to do so because there's free wifi, ample amount of outlets, and a bathroom available for use. read more

Dear Mama - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

I have only been here once. I got the campfire latte and oh man was it tasty and brought me warmth and cozy vibes in the NYC winter months! The staff was friendly and the place was clean. They also had a few tables and chairs set up for outdoor dinning. Don't walk but run to get a campfire latte! It will warm you right up and bring you back to sitting around a campfire for days. read more

Dear Mama - Camp fire Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Gave it another chance after a bad experience in June and the bread on the avocado toast was actively rancid :(

I've always wanted to try this place but ever since the new business school campus was built, but I never got a chance until today. I was very satisfied with the food that I got, even though it was a little bit sweet. I got the MCM latte and Carrot muffin which were both really good. The latte was spicy but sweet and I really enjoyed it. The muffin wasn't warm but I loved how it was decorated with sugar on top and had some jam on the top with chocolate chips on the inside. Will have to come back with my laptop to study and hopefully try some savory foods have some of their salad or sandwiches! read more

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The El Barrio B.E.C. remains a standout item, delivering an explosion of flavors that never disappoints. Two fried eggs, tomato, cheddar cheese, thick cut bacon on an Everything Croissant opt for the Maple Velvet sauce. Best breakfast sandwich 9.8 Rating And let's not forget the chocolate chip cookie--a true gem on the menu. Each bite is a perfect balance of crispy edges and chewy center, with generous chunks of rich chocolate throughout. It's the kind of cookie that transports you back to childhood, with every indulgent bite leaving you craving more. 9.7 rating Dear Mama truly understands the art of hospitality, whether you're craving savory or sweet, this spot has something for everyone. Don't miss out on the opportunity to indulge in both the El Barrio B.E.C. and the divine chocolate chip cookie--they're worth every bite! read more

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Love this shop and venue, the ONLY reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because I left something at Dear Mama and they do not have a phone number! I can't reach any staff to ask about my belongings and now I have to try to go in the hopes they might still have my item. Very much an inconvenience and not sure if it will pay off. Other than that, amazing spot read more

Everything here was exceptional; my only complaint is that I'm not often in the Columbia University vicinity...if I was, I'd probably live at this friendly, warm, open coffeehouse cum eatery with literally the best matcha latte I have ever had; theirs has lavender in it. The service was also fast and courteous like the people working behind the counter actually wanted to be there and serving. This is not common. I had a matcha latte at a different establishment just now and it feels different, like its twin (lavender) is missing. I hope Dear Mama hasn't spoiled matcha lattes forever for me; maybe it just means I need to find a reason to come back soon! read more

Would I go back? Yes. (There aren't a ton of similar options in the vicinity.) Was the food/drink good? Yes. Sandwich was tasty, drink was fine. However, I was a bit taken aback by the rigidity of the service. I asked for 2 shots of espresso in my Golden Milk latte and was told, "the Chef/Manager really prefers to maintain the integrity of their recipe". Oh, okay. Ordered a cappuccino. Asked for scrambled egg instead of loose yolk/fried egg in the El Barrio, and was told that the server would "get in trouble from their manager" for the change. I could have pressed both issues. But I try to avoid creating negative energy with those who are preparing my food, but, huh ....... read more

Dear Mama - El Barrio with egg *not* scrambled, and *not* a Golden Milk Latte with 2 shots of espresso. ;-) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Here is nice and cozy, laidback cafe, good for work and study Matcha latte was pretty good the girl whipped real matcha by bamboo brush. BGM was bit loud but not bothered.. lots of sunlight is plus :) I came around 5 pm, not much bakery stuff left , I wanna try pasty next time . read more

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Love WFH here! It is a little too loud to do Zoom meetings but the coffee is amazing. I love the Overnight Oats and the MCM Latte.

I went for a walk with my bestie and we came across this coffee shop. We decided to stop in and check them out. It's a very spacious cafe. Lots of tables and chairs to sit on. Also a coffee bar you can sit at as well. There are a lot of plants and an actual tree in the middle of the cafe. The tree is gorgeous. I love the plants all around. They have merch and I am considering purchasing a tote bag. I love tote bags! My friend and I ordered the MCM iced latte. I also ordered a lemon lavender poppy seed muffin. The muffin was sooo good. You could taste hints of lavender and the lemon was nice and strong. The MCM latte has chocolate and chile syrup in it. It's a play on Mexican hot chocolate I believe. It was delicious. Like I could legit drink it every day. The next day I went over on my own and tried the Louie brew. It was good but I'm not a fan of chicory. Overall a cute coffee shop in the neighborhood. The baristas were lovely and I love that they serve the to stay coffees in actual mugs. Very chic! read more

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Dear Mama is such a cute spot! The cafe has a lot of plants and spaces for seating. I've tried a few of their drinks, pastries, and sandwiches and have always had a pleasant experience. Great option in the area! read more

Dear Mama - ICED CARAMEL LATTE - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

I went to dear mama and I loved it! It's very spacious, lot of seat, lot of natural light and amazing coffee options and food! Highly recommend to go check it out. read more

Dear Mama - MCM - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Gorgeous spot, delicious food, great coffee. I'm happy they have a sign on Broadway deli due to the restaurant because I would've never found this place. Service: the staff was so nice. Everyone said hello and was kind and accommodating. When I asked to get my sandwich toasted again, it was absolutely no problem. Seems like a nice work environment. Food: I had the salmon and cream cheese on a croissant and it was so bomb! Make sure you get yours toasted and warm because it taste so much better that way. Rest of the menu looks great and I'll def be back to try more. Coffee: I got the Mexican Cocoa drink that has espresso in it and wow, the flavors were exciting! Great for a cold day when you have the sniffles because there is some spice to it. Vibe: so cool. There's a tree inside and glass walls allows a brilliant amount of light in for pictures or for reading. They have shows some nights (dj sets, blues) and great chill music playing all the time. This spot is great for some alone time, a meeting, anything. Love it. read more

Dear Mama - Cream cheese and lox on a croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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My favorite café in Upper Manhattan. It's like a hidden gem. I've loved coming here, getting my dose of unique & tasty sandwich like El Barrio BEC, especially on rainy days and when the Jazz bands are playing. I remember the first time I came here, the barista was friendly and accommodating. Helped me decide what to get instead of rushing me to order. These students are lucky to have this café nearby!! It's spacious and really cozy. read more

Dear Mama is a cafe affiliated with Columbia University that is open to the public. Great place to get some work done, with delicious drinks and pastries, plenty of tables, and free wifi. When I went, they also had some live music provided by student performers. read more

Excellent coffee and menu options. Worth going to check out and have breakfast at least.

This is one of my favorite places to visit in Harlem. Great spot to grab a coffee, snack or work from since we've been WFH for sometime now-always nice to switch up the routine. I would highly recommend the Mexico City Mocha or a Dirty Chai-those are my go to drinks! But the star and reason I keep going back is The Notorious BLT 2.0 sandwich. It's vegan, so bomb and everyone I've suggested it to loves it too! I've ordered it on a croissant once and it was FIRE! Note, that doing that is not vegan so don't go making mistakes and blaming it on me. Another suggestion to try (that a server once put me onto) is getting a side of their maple siracha sauce to dip the sandwich into and guaranteed your taste buds will thank you (and me). They also have some good treats for those with a sweet tooth. Can't say it was ever a bad idea to order one of their chocolate chip cookies so take one to go! read more

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This is such a cute cafe with a great tasting drink (I've only tried one so far but I have a feeling the others will be good too). It's actually inside a Columbia University building, and there seemed to be a lot of people working/studying in the cafe - so it's a good environment for that, and there's strong university Wifi. It's directly connected to the building, so the bathroom is in the building and therefore you have a clean bathroom for a long work/study day The inside of the cafe is so so cute. Walls are windows and plenty of sunlight comes in, lighting up the entire area and complementing the many plants that are inside. The MCM coffee was really unique. A quick scan of the menu will reveal the many ingredients that go into each item. It's very unique; each drink recipe must have been uniquely created. The MCM coffee was spicy (very interesting) and sweet; their choice of oat milk was definitely good in how it pairs with the other ingredients. Finally, what also makes this place special are the events. Nothing was going on when I was there, but there are regular shows (music), a coffee tasting on Tuesdays, and even a tarot reading on Saturday. Want to come back with friends to check it out - if the tarot reading is free that would be clutch ... trying to stop doing those tho the temptation is so real If I come back and the events are actually not free or something, at least I'll be able to get some brunch. The croissant sandwiches here look good The only thing is that the coffee definitely isn't cheap; mine was about $7. But that's New York in 2022 for you I suppose read more

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I've only come to Dear Mama twice but have enjoyed my experience both times. This cafe is located in the Manhattanville campus so it is generally pretty busy with personnel/students from surrounding labs/buildings and it is laptop friendly --except maybe not enough outlets so come prepared. They have a very large space that feels super open and has high rise windows, giving it a lot of nice natural light plus they also have some neutral decor and green plants which gives it a nice ambiance. The first time I came with friends to study a few years ago and we had a table in the back with pretty stable WiFi for the afternoon. I ordered a cold brew which was very good but incredibly potent and had me shaking with palpitations for a few hours (probably great if you really want a kick but I would avoid it if you are feeling well rest-wise.) During my latest time I came with a friend for a coffee at noon. There was a giant line which I imagine is due to a combination of classes starting again for the fall, the lunch rush hour, and how good this place is. The line moved quickly though and we had put in our orders/got our drinks in less than 15 min. My friend and I both ordered hot matcha lattes which were delicious. I got mine with almond milk and the froth was extremely fluffy even though this is generally not the case with almond milk. The matcha was rich and was the right amount of bitter to be balanced out by the milk. Presentation was on point. We decided to sit outside in the plaza since it felt a tiny bit cold inside and the weather outside was pleasant. There is plenty of seating here too. Will definitely be coming back for their drinks and to try one of their very tasty looking food menu items which I haven't had a chance to have! Would definitely recommend. read more

Dear Mama - Matcha latte side view to go (cute cup!) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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Thank you, Columbia University, for using the money for good and creating this very fancy cafe, and then making it open to the public. As I expected, smart business move from the smarties. I like this cafe's food menu, and I appreciate that it stays open longer than the other cafes in the area. The food and select drinks are made to order. They also have pre-mixed bottled cocktails. I tried their El Barrio sandwich which sounded better than it actually tasted. What drew me to try it was the fact that they have an everything croissant. Excuse me?!?! Yes, please! Yet, it didn't stick the landing on taste. I don't like my eggs to be runny in the middle just based off personal preference. It made the sandwich messy. The sauce they add didn't add or take away to the sandwich. However, the bacon was my favorite, thick cut and slightly sweet. It's just my personal preference and next time if I feel for the sandwich again I'll ask for it scrambled. Now, will I ask for it again, if my little college student budget can afford an 7-8, sure. But not immediately. The prices sure aren't college friendly but I hope that the Columbia students receive a discount! It's not my favorite place to study but it's a nice alternative when you need a few more hours to study and there are outlets near most seats, and the service that I experienced was warm and friendly. As always, thank you for the service and God bless you all! read more

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We were having dinner nearby but were extremely early, so I looked for a cafe. Google led me to Dear Mama, which is actually inside one of the Columbia buildings. I had an iced matcha latte and it was pretty good. There was live music during our visit - looks like locals performing - which was a nice touch. There were a lot of seats and tables and there were many different customers - friends catching up with a coffee, people working individually on their laptops, etc. A solid cafe in the neighborhood to get some work done or just kill some time. read more

Great food and service!!!! Will come again! Great atmosphere and ambience, delicious food. Highly recommended! read more