I loved ELK cafe. First of all, it was the little things, like going out of his way to hold the door for my wife and newborn. Second, they have a great selection of food and coffee - they make delicious lattes. The vibe was perfect - nice and quiet. Don't go there if you're having a spirited debate. I enjoyed their little backyard area. It made for a fulfilling trip. read more

Cool place great coffee and overall good vibes I'd come back for sure give them a shot! read more

ELK Cafe - Iced latte - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

paid seven dollars for an iced latte that tasted like water. i didnt watch the barista make it, but based in the taste i'd say either the espresso beans were re-used, or there was no espresso and they just splashed in a bit of cold brew. either way, foul. read more

I came here dressed in a weird outfit and full face paint because I work at a camp in Prospect Park and the staff was so sweet and took away any awkward embarrassment I would've had! The Greek Yogurt with fruit and granola and was so filling and well-balanced! The girl at the front made me feel like a friend made me some food! read more

This beautiful coffee shop has a cute front section and a lovely garden in the back. The coffee was great, and the staff was so friendly. Plus, I loved the cute decor for sale. read more

Updating for 2022: seating indoors is back! They still have the gorgeous back patio and a couple seats out front. Restroom is open to customers. Espresso drinks are still delicious, and they have a broad range of Colson pastries (sweet and savory), and ready made sandwiches. Friendly service and you can bring your own cup to decrease waste. read more

I really want to like this coffee shop. The atmosphere is nice and the location is great. I ordered a latte and it was weak as water. I couldn't drink it. Considering they charge 5+ dollars, I expect a decent cup of coffee. read more

Elk Cafe is wonderful ! Best coffee, great French pastry, kind and loving service and beautiful garden outside seating area !

This cafe is all about the location (by Prospect Park), sweet backyard (for summer) and okay drinks. Dont order the sandwich, its plain, simple and nothing special. Do yourself a favor by order food at the pizza shop or deli near by. read more

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Untrained baristas: ...The last time I stopped by I thought the milk wand had a plastic coating over it...but then slowly realized it just had never been wiped the entire shift. The drink I ordered was made incorrectly - a tea latte was made with 95 percent water. I was told all the syrups were sugar-free after it was made. Resulting in a water-logged aspartame drink as the tea bag was also very weak. The same barista working did not know how to steam milk correctly. All bubbles. This is consistent with past baristas at ELK. ELK is asking high prices for drinks that are made poorly.... please, please train your staff on how to actually work there. And give them cheat sheets on how to make drinks you are asking $5, $6 + for. I want to give you my business! And I have given ELK multiple chances every couple months to see if it's improved or changed....unfortunately it hasn't. read more

We had Hot chocolate and the mocca. It's a great cozy and lovely place. But. Way Way Way to week and way to sweet. What's with app that sugar ??? Hot chocolate is jus a sweet sweet power. Does no one know how to make a real hot cop of chocolate any more ??? Hugs. read more

Let's all stop bitching about Elk's "bad service" and start celebrating the fact that we have a place that serves great coffee and sandwiches amid the culinary desert that is our neighborhood. I have no doubt that things will get dicey once the Prospect Ave/Vanderbilt/Reeve area becomes a clone of the North Slope, but for now, Windsor Terrace should sit back, enjoy a cold brew and some of the tastiest sandwiches this side of Prospect Park. The idea to team up with Brancaccio's was a masterstroke, and while Stumptown's a bit overrated, it delivers the requisite kick you need. As a parent, I'm thankful for Elk's backyard space. The place never made sense to me as the Juice Pedlar -- and frankly I'm glad that place has left the building, as the whole bike rental/juice bar thing was a blinkered concept from the start. But Elk takes its cues from its sister joint, Lark on Church Ave., and as such it's better equipped to handle the family influx from the neighborhood. The backyard shed, once home to a bunch of bikes and bike supplies, is now a little house filled with toys. There's enough room for kids to run around, letting the grownups eat (mostly) in peace -- though I apologize to the couple that was distracted by my son and his friend chasing each other around their table this afternoon. Finally, Kari, two quick notes about the service and the prices. #1. $4 is steep for a cold brew. Please consider allowing customers that have shelled out the $4 to get a refill for somewhat less, instead of charging the full amount each time. #2. This afternoon, my barista was kind enough to comp me a second cup of hot coffee after we got into a conversation about music. He didn't have to do it, but he did, and to me, any barista who programs Pandora's "Big Star" station is worth his weight in coffee beans. Hang on to that kid. read more

ELK Cafe - Kids, soccer, and the shed in the backyard. - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Great coffee and pastries, good vibe, friendly folks and staff, and a good location by the park. Love this spot

A very cozy, efficiently run cafe right on the edge of Prospect Park. Great food, especially the smoked salmon sandwich is a winner. I'm so glad we have Elk cafe. read more

I'm updating as I'm frequently here and the service, coffee (latte with oatmilk) and the space rate this as just a favorite of mine. I don't understand where the negative comments come from. I find all aspects of Elk delightful read more

I don't know how the baristas are trained here, but there is no love for specialty coffee at this coffee shop. I've been a barista for a long time and currently work at an upscale coffee shop, and I was sorely dissatisfied with the oat milk latte I received. Besides the espresso being extremely watered down, not mixing with the milk well at all, I watched the barista prepare the drink without craft. They left the milk to steam without paying attention to how the milk was steaming, and then just poured the milk straight into the espresso. I know not everyone cares about this, but a $5.00 latte is pricey for no foam at all, no texture, and a basically watered down beverage. If you don't mind, it's not undrinkable, but I'd advise to steer clear of this one as it's not very good. read more

We've been coming to this spot under its different iterations for many years and have some fond family memories. We even considered having our son's birthday here this March but changed plans when Covid hit. However, this morning's experience left me upset and confused why a simple mistake was escalated by the owner. I pointed out I'd asked for ice coffees, not hot and the barista was about to fix the issue but the owner said it was my mistake, despite me saying my order twice for clarity at the register and she repeated it back to me. I briefly left to drop my 4 year old off with his Dad, and returned to pay the difference in price. The owner just barked, "What do you want me to do with those" when I returned the coffee and asked to pay the difference. I had to repeatedly say, look I'm trying to nicely ask for my order before she acquiesced. Appreciate everyone is under stress and strain right now, and the rest of the staff here are angels but trying to recall another customer experience that left me feeling quite this bad. read more

Small businesses are struggling so I say this with a heavy heart ... but latte is expensive and not palatably distinct from lower price latte in the same area ... however a very nice backyard that is large and comfortable and given Covid19 a unique and positive asset that has to be taken into consideration when weighing ambiance as part of price ... so for many the prices are offset by this added feature.... read more

ELK Cafe - Yard - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I've visited Elk about three times now. The iced coffee is okay. They're toasted almond herbal iced tea is pretty good (too sweet for me) but the garden is really nice! There's enough space for social distancing and it seems like a good spot to work from (I did see a few people on their laptop read more

ELK Cafe - Iced tea - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I wouldn't come to this cafe again. I know it's hard during Covid, but honestly you spend a lot of money and you get very little. I'm all about supporting small businesses, but it would be nice if I didn't have to add additional flavors to my avocado toast. It was pretty lack luster. I might just get coffee from there, but why would I do that when there are other wonderful coffee shops in the area. They do have a cute garden area in the back and the service was okay, so that's why I give it 3 stars. I would have given in a 2 1/2, but you can't on Yelp. I feel bad - I don't mean to bash, but it's bette to be honest. read more

What a peaceful lovely gem of a coffee shop! The backyard is so serene. The cold brew is strong and smooth. Good pastries and snacks for all. Definitely my new spot! read more

ELK Cafe - Backyard of Elk - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Elk Cafe is a family-run, local Brooklyn coffee shop right next to beautiful Prospect Park. They have a spacious backyard, is very family-friendly, and offer a full menu of caffeinated, non-caffeinated, and food options. I've been going to Elk Cafe for about two years and I'm excited to see what direction the new owners take it. read more

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Love going to Elk Cafe. They have beautiful garden, close to playground and very good house lemonade

Love the place very cute!!! The garden space in the back is big and they have outdoor indoor areas-- I saw a lot of parents with kids so it's great for kids too I guess. The service was horrible!!!!!! I ordered a Iced Chai Latte with an extra shot but Instead of Iced I got hot and when I corrected the barista I got a nasty look-- I know what I ordered. Plus at the same time the customer is always right. The other drink that I ordered was a sot-- it was totally burnt and over done. Not likely to come back based on the nasty attitude. read more

ELK Cafe - Yummy!! - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Bernadette is not only beautiful but warm and welcoming. She makes great coffee. Lovely views anywhere you sit.

We stopped here twice within the same day. Early in the morning, we wanted to have breakfast but since they only have bagel, croissant type of things, we went elsewhere but since we liked the atmosphere, came back later. It is located on the south side of the Prospect Park. The building itself is so cute. There is about 6-7 table, a fire place, yes a fire place! So keep in mind for winter. Andddd a garden at the back with a kid tent full of toys ! :) So families with children, perfect for you. We got a table in the garden and ordered milkshakes. They were okay. We felt home sitting there for a long time, watching kids play around. Bathroom is clean. Across the bathroom, there is a shelf with different kind of jam jars for sale. Have a look. read more

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Fantastic coffee, amazing outdoor space in back. Very friendly owner and lovely plates of food. read more

ELK Cafe - Avocado toast - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

We stopped here this morning after our early morning walk in the park. The cafe is tastefully decorated and the backyard is very pretty (see my photos). Likewise the servers were friendly. Our Stumptown coffee was rich, bold and full of taste and the chocolate and almond filled croissant that we split was almost too rich! Had the price for two small coffees and a croissant been a little less ($9+), I'd have 5-starred this cafe! read more

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Ordered a 2% latte. Milk to coffee ratio is a bit off. Taste more like coffee flavored milk than latte. Would try other coffee shops next time read more

To the hipsters behind the counter. Learn to do your job. The eye rolls and crappy service hurts the business you work for and I know the owners. I never write these but the crappy latte you prepared plus all the f'ups on others people orders before me, the wait and the attitude made me feel I had to say something. People are paying you to do a job and if you didn't know the restaurant business works on small margins and repeat customers. Show some respect for yourself and you employers. read more

Comfortable chairs, great coffee, great pastries, and great customer service! Also, the backyard is lovely! I love coming here to do work. read more

ELK Cafe - Menu! - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I stopped in for a coffee on Saturday morning and had the most pleasant cup in a comfortable place. The service was excellent and the coffee great too. There was a nice local community vibe that seemed to be pleasing to both young families and older folks as well. read more

Delicious food and coffee. Pleasant garden ambiance. The kind of customer service you want to come back for. We felt right at home and will be coming again. read more

The owners clearly do not care about their business. I just ordered 2 sandwiches from this place, a grilled cheese and avocado toast, at $7.50 and $9.00 respectively. And they were paltry. Elk Cafe should be embarrassed to serve the kind of food that came out. Grilled cheese was supposed to come with tomato and a side salad. Came with neither. Thinnest grilled cheese that I've ever seen. Avocado toast had maybe two slices of avocado total. Was also supposed to come with a side salad and it didn't. If you're going to charge hipster prices, you gotta deliver hipster quality. I should've just gone to the deli next door for a $2.50 grilled cheese. It would've been a lot better. Elk Cafe offers a whole lunch menu but it seems as though they don't equip (or train) the staff (one lady) to be able to actually execute the food. Never again. read more

There was a period when the staff wasn't very friendly, but the new staff is very good, especially for a place that gets very busy on the weekends. They still have great coffee and a great selection of pastries. Big fan. read more

Gem of a spot. Cozy atmosphere with an actual working fireplace. So looking forward to the warmer months for access to the backyard! An array of coffees to chose from as well as pastries and desserts. My vegan chocolate chip cookie with sea salt was being dunked in my robust coffee. OOOOOhhhhhh yay! Simple selection of sandwiches. I had the roasted eggplant and mozzarella. It certainly satisfied.... fresh and tasty. read more

Wonderful, cozy place with great coffee and lattes. The outdoor area is so great with the weather is nice. I will definitely be going back! read more

ELK Cafe - Vanilla latte and outdoor seating. - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I generally really like Elk, especially the nice garden space in the back, but like other reviews have mentioned, some of the people that work there are not very pleasant. Recently, seeing that they closed at 6:00 PM, we headed over there about an hour before that. When we tried to order a latte, the person behind the counter took great delight in smugly informing us that the espresso machine was closed. It was way before their closing time... if you're a coffee shop, maybe keep the espresso machine open until you close? It's not like a restaurant closing their espresso machine after brunch; the entire point of Elk is to serve coffees! And she was SO rude when she turned us away. The women had also cleaned up all of the baked goods already, and it seemed like she was getting ready to put them away. She clearly just wanted to go home early, but it was extremely inappropriate behavior. If her manager had been there, I'm sure she would have been instructed to stay open until 6:00PM. We were about to spend over $20, so it's even more shocking to me that the employee thought it was okay to just close up shop an hour early. This was just one terrible experience with the employees at Elk, but in general, it has a lot less of neighborhood feel than other spots in Windsor Terrace. However, there are some really great employees here as well, and like I mentioned, I love the garden space, and I think the coffee is great! read more

Cute cafe located on the edge of Prospect Park. I got an iced americano that was excellent. They have great pastries, such as the blueberry pop-tarts--yum! The owner was extremely nice and easy to talk to! I loved the outdoor seating and found it to be a great place to bring kids, if you have them, since some of the outdoor spaced looked to be very kid-oriented/friendly. Great spot! read more

The space is nice and the staff is very friendly, The food, however, is extremely sad and bland. I got the smoked salmon sandwich and it was basically wonder bread (not toasted), a few slices of salmon, 3 cherry tomatoes and some onion It'd have been a little less depressing if it didn't cost 12 bucks. Honestly, I've made less depressing sandwich in my college dorm. read more

ELK Cafe - i've made less depressing sandwich in my college dorm - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York