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Recently tried the drinks at Lakou and loved what I tried! I always note I don't like my drinks to be too sweet and they're great at customizing whatever you'd like and for a great price. I've been coming to Lakou for years so this has been a nice addition.
Food was very good!! Lots of flavor and good options. I would highly recommend. Smoothies were also great.
Offering delicious and flavorful Haitian comfort food tucked away in the heart of Brooklyn, Lakou gave me my first delicious taste of Haitian cuisine. I ordered the vegan platter whose black beans were smooth and piping hot, alongside the crispy fried tostones and meaty vegan meatballs. In fact the meatballs were so meat-like that neither my sister nor my husband could belief that they were made of jackfruit. The white rice was also extremely fluffy and moist and judging by the diligent rice-washing that was taking place behind the counter as we ate, I could tell that the staff really works hard to make it not just an afterthought, but a quality addition to the meal. My sister also really enjoyed her shrimp plate while my husband devoured his half-chicken platter. The sauces on our platters were also extremely flavorful, complementing the proteins in a beautiful way. All of us left Lakou Cafe feeling happy and satisfied with the portion sizes and level of quality. 10/10 I will definitely be heading back to this place the next time I'm in Brooklyn!
I stopped into this restaurant for dinner! When I arrived I parked right in front of the restaurant. I walked into a cute cafe. I was greeted and sat and we ordered: Barancourt Flight Fatiman's Reve Haitian Fried Chicken Kreyol Shrimp Chocolate Chip Cake The food and drinks were delicious! The chicken was my favorite! Everything was so flavorful! All in all I had a great experience!
I've ordered from Lakou Café twice now, and each time has been a wonderful experience. As a vegetarian, I'm always on the lookout for places with solid meat-free options, and this spot definitely delivers their menu has a great variety of vegetarian dishes. One of my absolute favorites is the baked pastry, which comes with cheese, spinach, or meat for those who eat it. It's unbelievably fluffy, flavorful, and just melts in your mouth -- truly something special. I also tried the Seared Herb Salmon Filet with rice, and it was excellent. The salmon was fresh and perfectly cooked, the rice light and flavorful, and the vegetables nicely seasoned. I've heard they have live music on weekends, and there's also a bar I haven't tried yet I stopped by earlier in the day during my last visit. Definitely planning to return to enjoy the drinks and music next time. The ambiance is warm, the staff genuinely friendly, and there's a real sense of community here. Lakou Café feels like one of those neighborhood gems that makes you want to come back again and again.
There is so much to love about Lakou Cafe! I've been wanting to try this place for the longest and finally got the chance to this weekend. The ambiance here is so chill and has elements of Haitian culture throughout! I was so happy to see Haitian peanut butter and coffee for sale -- will need to come back for these. Service was great, but the food was even better. I got the vegan griot with rice and plantains. So delicious and flavorful, and the green sauce was the icing on the cake! My hubby got the legim which he enjoyed. We also tried the ginger and hibiscus lemonade -- heavy on the ginger fyi! I hope this black owned business continues to thrive!
So I went here with a friend we were met with a gracious host but I would say the service is sub par. Me and my home girl had to get up and get our own drinks, minus one which was the ginger pineapple I received after having to ask because a swarm of people decided to arrive around like 8:30P. There were some other YT city dwellers there, they received a plate and we arrived the same time. Waited about thirty min for three plates of food that were thankfully made to go already! So excitingly we packed up 15 min soon after the food came and got up outta there! Drinks were nice we got a sangria because the first two things we wanted---they ain't have! Small space very nice for a likkle drinky drank. Oh yeah and my bread was burnt as F-CK; so all that playfulness with the black folks but then when some yt folks come around they get that exemplary service which is insanity. Lol, merci my ass!
Lakou Café was such a delight while I was in New York. The restaurant has so many great options but what I love about it was the fusion aspect of it. They had different options outside of the Haitian culture, which I liked while still remaining authentic to the roots and heritage. They also had really amazing drinks that were pretty strong but with the abundance amount of food that they offer there's no issue there. I had the white rice with a bean sauce, fried plantains, a side of kale salad and it was phenomenal. Very Well cooked. You could tell a lot of love was put into the food. I love the fact that there was such all walks of life coming into that restaurant.l as they gravitate towards a lot of people in Brooklyn. It was just such a great vibe from the music to the super friendly staff. Definitely highly recommend if you're craving some Haitian food in New York.
Top-notch service. I absolutely loved that you could get not only vegan food but healthy food as well as more authentic made Haitian food. It was a restaurant café of the neighborhood very Brooklyn very bright inviting again. I absolutely love the staff here. Power Punch with delicious very much like a peanut butter shake like the most peanut butter thick shake you could imagine I love it. It's like a whole meal. Rose Kayenn Is a cocktail it's almost like a sour cherry. I really enjoyed it. Definitely more of a healthier vibe be Matcha lemonade is a very healthy grassy earthy springtime refreshing drink. Rice & Sos Pwa 20 out of 10. The black beans are almost like a soup. The rice is perfect. The plant skins here are as good as you get them in the carribean. I got the Cajun shrimp , outstanding Pat was out standing this is a great meal my friend got the salmon like that as well. The codfish and chickpea pate were Devine. Flaky crust.
Lakou Cafe unfortunately wasn't good albeit I initially had high hopes for it. I ordered the kreyol caesar salad- it was kale in epis dressing, roasted curry chickpeas, onion confit, and croutons. So, the salad itself was delicious. However in addition to the shrimp as my protein I also decided to get the jerk marinated jackfruit as well. I took one bite of the jackfruit and had to toss it out- I've had jackfruit before and I don't know what this was but it didn't taste good at all. The shrimp was fine but that jackfruit...just left a really bad taste in my mouth. The fish patty also barely had any fish in it. I was left disappointed after trying this place.
I ordered food delivery from Lakou Cafe as I have on many occasions. However on this particular day after eating a tostones from my order... I was shocked to notice a live bug moving in my kale salad. I was so disgusted and disturbed by this. I could only conclude that the kale/lettuce are not being washed thoroughly... if at all. It makes me wonder how many times my previous orders have been contaminated or compromised without my knowledge. Needless to say... I won't be buying food from this restaurant or ordering food delivery ever again.
Every time I've ordered A ++++ I found this spot on UberEats. My first order had fish cakes, salad and a crepe. Thereafter I came in person and ordered a Fried Mushroom sandwich. The sandwich was made fresh so be prepared to wait. The young lady who took my order was cool. It's cute inside, and VERY WELCOMING. I'd like to sit inside and eat soon.... As a matter of fact I shall! Love it here and thanks for coming to the neighborhood Lakou. We needed this !
Stopped in this busy little place with my daughter & husband when we were on our way to the Weeksville Heritage Center for the Tulane information session. The coffee was good, the smoothies were excellent. My husband loved the Lakou delight, to which he had them add Kale, and my daughter loved the Crown Heights Classic. My husband and I shared a nutella crepe and enjoyed it. This was on October 13th. Forgive me for not writing the review sooner but our world fell apart on the 26th when my husband unexpectedly passed away. He really liked this place and was happy to find smoothies he enjoyed. read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you so much for the kind words! We're so glad you enjoyed your…
4 years ago
I'm not sure if the chef has changed from previous reviews but my meal was tasteless. I'm not a harsh critic of food but I was disappointed. I had the vegan platter, salmon, plantains, and sos pwa. The salmon was great and so was the sweet plantain and that's where it ended. The vegan platter was spicy and should be indicated on the menu. All I could taste was black pepper. The white rice was very bland. The sois pwa was watery and tasteless as well. Aside from the salmon and sweet plantain I could not complete my meal I wonder if the chef/cook is actually Haitian. read more
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Cassandre D.
Aw! So sorry you didn’t get what you expected. We def want you to…
4 years ago
Unbelievable! So good, best music, best atmosphere. Got a Haitian chickpea puff pastry and it's the best puff pastry in NY. Hail Mary mouth full of joy!! I would love to be here eating and enjoying every week. Tell your friends tell the neighborhood, support black business and love it here!! read more
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Cassandre D.
Mesi anpil! Reviews like this mean the world to our team. Come back…
5 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the kind words and for supporting Lakou! We hope you…
Once again ordered from here and it was delicious! I tried the "curry chickpea puff pastry" which is an unusual filling for Haitian patties but wow was it good! It was the perfect amt of filling and super tasty. I also tried the fried jackfruit platter which had a unique taste that I enjoyed. The rice was also cooked to perfection & so were the plantains. If you want a little spice add the pikliz to your dish. They have a new loyal customer! read more
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Cassandre D.
Hi Erika! So glad you enjoyed everything! We can't wait to have you…
3 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for this review. So sorry about your experience. I really…
Lakou is a cool spot. No doubt, that is easily evidenced by staring in and seeing all the active faces working on their laptops and drinking coffee or having treats, of which there are many. Would I even be able to get a seat? Thankfully, that's a yes. And one with a view of the entire cafe and entrance. I ordered the Lakou house smoothie, which has my two fave things as the base: pineapple and ginger. The woman serving me (pretty sure she's the owner) made it with extra mint, which I love. So refreshing while I did some work. I also got a veggie patty, but only chick pea was left, which was just okay. Lakou won't make my Brooklyn patty stop list as there were only about five chick peas in it. But, the crust was flaky and on-point. About an hour later, I was still hungry, and as my neighbor's sandwich looked good, I decided upon the Jerk Jackfruit Sandwich. Yooo, this sandwich was maaad goood! It wasn't too spicy, and the bread was perfectly crisp and buttery. The lettuce and pickled onions also provided the right kind of textures to make this ever so tasty. My only other negative is something that's kinda hard to control better - the open kitchen. But the vibe in here is so welcome that's the least of anything. I look forward to coming back, maybe trying some Haitian coffee and checking out some events. I'm glad I finally got an opportunity to support this business. read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the kind words and for supporting Lakou! We hope you…
3 years ago
This cafe is so subtle and lowkey but the decor is beautiful and it stands out on its block. there's not a lot of Haitian food around but this spot has some great staples and helped me dip my foot in the culture! Their Kreole sandwiches make the best lunch and that ginger lemonade never misses a beat read more
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Cassandre D.
We really appreciate you taking the time to share this. Thank you for…
2 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you so much for the kind words! We're so glad you enjoyed your…
1 year ago
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Cassandre D.
Aw thank you so much Malcolm. Our staff works very hard to make sure…
WOW WOW WOW. This place is AMAZING. Their meatballs are so meaty but vegan and their mushroom sandwich was amazing too! read more
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Cassandre D.
We really appreciate you taking the time to share this. Thank you for…
Ordered the jerk jackfruit sandwich, chai latte, and a chickpea pastry. First time trying jackfruit-- it's a little hard to describe (some people describe it as having a chicken-like consistency but personally I didn't think it tasted anything like meat; maybe closer to really tender artichoke hearts?). Sandwich flavors meshed really well together. Chai latte is really good, would recommend. As for the chickpea pastry, I liked the filling but thought the pastry itself was kinda meh. read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the kind words and for supporting Lakou! We hope you…
2 years ago
Business owner information
Cassandre D.
Aw I'm sorry about the customer service. I'll let the staff know.…
One of my go to spots for coffee break. When here, I always order an iced coffee, or vegan cookie. The baristas are friendly and they always know my order! The decor is very sultry and welcoming. Additionally, they have breakfast and lunch specials. This Cafe serves many purposes: you can have a cup of coffee at the bar, get some work done on your laptop, or have a quick catch up session with a friend. On occasions they play movies. Im really a fan of this chill spot. I highly recommend! read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the love! So happy you enjoyed your time at Lakou.
I was very disappointed with this place. My friend and I traveled from Queens to celebrate her birthday here due to the good reviews and interminable menu. Upon entry you are not greeted with a friendly cashier, she is quite the opposite. My friend and I have never tried Haitian food and had a few questions about the menu. The girl was nasty and rude, responding with one word answers. Not very helpful... There is no waitress service, even though they only have 3 tables in total.. So we had to get up and order everything ourselves. I told my friend I hope the food isn't as bad as the attitude, especially since we spent $70... What killed me was that all the dishes were served in tupperware containers and plastic utensils. I told the girl we were eating at the restaurant if that made a difference, which she replied with, it does not. The food was okay I was just expecting it to not resemble American food.. I was looking forward to trying Diri djondjon since I believed that was a staple dish. So I was sad when we received white rice. I wanted to love this place but it fucking sucked. I apologized so many times to my friend for celebrating her birthday at such a shitty place.. I do NOT recommend this place at all. My Haitian friends even laughed at me when I showed them our food, saying I did not go to a Haitian place... if you see a light-skin girl with brown twists, just leave!!! read more
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Cassandre D.
Hello, thank you for take the time to write this review and for…
2 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the kind words and for supporting Lakou! We hope you…
2 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the love! So happy you enjoyed your time at Lakou.
3 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the review! So glad you were able to locate us and you…
3 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the review. So glad you had a positive experience.
4 years ago
Best fried chicken sandwich of my life. Perfectly crunchy, toasty bread and the most delicious sauce (don't know what sauce it was). I would come here again the next time I'm in the area. Friendly staff and good music selection too. read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the love! So happy you enjoyed your time at Lakou.
6 years ago
PLEASE learn how to make matcha. If you're going to charge $6 for a beverage at least make it right. I'm giving 5 stars bc this is the first time I've ever had an issue at this place but that drink WASN'T it. Also, it was sweet & I didn't ask for any sugar or simple syrup. If sugar is already in the matcha then please let customers know. read more
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Cassandre D.
We really appreciate you taking the time to share this. Thank you for…
3 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for this positive review. Can't wait to have you back again!
4 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Hi Cherry, thank you for the feedback and review. We will aim on…
5 years ago
Love this place, the crepes are really filling and taste so good (def recommend the chickpea curry one) and the coffee was also really good. Lots of vegan and non-vegetarian options. Indoor and outdoor seating are both nice read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you Grace for the positive review. We really appreciate it!
4 years ago
Business owner information
Cassandre D.
Thank you for the love! So happy you enjoyed your time at Lakou.
5 years ago
Food is ON POINT. I ordered the seared herb salmon filet with rice, sos Pwa and sautéed kale. Yummy, yummy yummy! I also ordered the green goddess smoothie! Whatever that green spicy sauce is that they give you on the side is delicious too! read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you so much for the positive review! We really appreciate it…
3 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for your positive review! Ha one day we will try to expand.…
2 years ago
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the kind words and for supporting Lakou! We hope you…
7 years ago
I came for New Years just to get soup joumou. Which is a pumpkin soup Haitians have for Independence Day(January 1st). This cafe was pretty packed for Wednesday. They have coffees, crepes and more. The soup joumou was pretty decent and it had the right amount of pepper. My cousin had the bagel Fromage which had three cheeses, salmon, eggs and onions. It was delicious and hearty. They also sell Haitian peanut butter and other Haitian treats. I actually came here about a month ago and got a delicious potato soup which without a doubt will but it again. Therefore, I must come back to try their other foods and also their events. I love supporting local small businesses. read more
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Cassandre D.
We really appreciate you taking the time to share this. Thank you for…
7 years ago
A beautiful, almost mythical afro futuristic vibe cafe in crown heights! I can't sing enough praises about this cafe, I am in love! I'm not sure if the owner or the staff or Haitian, but that's clearly the inspiration here. They sell a mix of American food with accents of Haitian culture. For example you can have a PB&J sandwich, but it's Haitian peanut butter (which I'm told is a little spicy) and ginger instam of grape jelly. The also had soup joumou (or Haitian freedom soup) for the soup of the week in early January. I've had their bagel with lox and their egg and fromage bagel and crepe and both are delicious. I get the cold brew sometimes and it's good. What I love is the decor. The art is fantastic and I've seen some pieces for sale. Truly worth coming to just check that out. They also have a long couch like bench and various tables for working, or just having a chat, or waiting for your food. I see people working here all the time. My one gripe is the waiting time. Whether I order one cup of cold brew or I order three drinks and two sandwiches I'll be waiting for a WHILE. The staff are friendly, so I never rush anyone (I'm also never in a rush when I go here) so I don't mind the waiting. But if you're thinking of stopping in here for something quick, I'd think again about that decision. read more
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Cassandre D.
Mesi anpil! Reviews like this mean the world to our team. Come back…
4 years ago
So bomb, food is really fresh and the customer service is great! I had an iced matcha and it was really good. Also, their dressing for the salad is to die for! I will definitely be coming back! Black owned, delicious fresh food, good music and great customer service. read more
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Cassandre D.
We really appreciate you taking the time to share this. Thank you for…
7 years ago
New neighorhood staple. I have been here over 30 times for coffee and other items. They never dissapoint. Today I had the pb and g crepe, which includes hatian peanut butter. It was sweet, spicy, and delicious! The space is a pleasant place for relaxing, calm conversation or work. The baristas are very friendly and ready to help. I highly recommend making this part of your daily or weekly routine. read more
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Cassandre D.
We really appreciate you taking the time to share this. Thank you for…
Omgggg! When I say amazing just tried the food for dinner, been eying this spot on Uber eats trying out vegan restaurants and marking down my faves. Lakou Cafe thank you ! Everything was amazing I have no complaints at all, in fact if I could give an extra star I would. Food: The food came nice and still hot, this was a plus because it's hard to do that especially with Uber eats. Every single thing we ate was seasoned to perfection, from the legim, to the vegan boulette that YOU MUST DIP IN THE GREEN SAUCE-- SB: it will change your life ! Wish I knew the name of the green sauce, I would honestly order a jar or two ( it had a cilantro creamy lime vibe to it) The pikliz was on point as well went great with everything, the green and sweet plantains were super good as well as the sos pwa. I would highly suggest this restaurant, have never been in person but would love to go in person and try out the cafe experience. Only thing we were sad about was the forgotten vegan chocolate chip cookie, we all know dessert is everyone's fave. For the amazing food and full bellies we were still satisfied. Thank you for the wonderful vegan food, keep it coming ! read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the love! So happy you enjoyed your time at Lakou.
4 years ago
Beautiful Haitian food never disappoints. Thank God they're open on the 4th of July. Stuck at home, sick, and pregnant I needed something to give me back some life and strength. I got the veggie legim plate with side of beet potato salad and vegan soup joumou. Everything is delicious and perfectly seasoned and cooked. You can also have beef, chicken, or shrimp in certain dishes so they are flexible. I love to support black owned business and this one is worthy of every cent. Thank you Lakou Cafe ! read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you Tayta for the wonderful review. We really appreciate your…
5 years ago
I took a walk through my hood and found this place. Umm, it's going to be my new go-to spot. The food was great, the juices were great, and I like the outdoor space. It's also good to see some yummy vegan options like the PB&G crepes! read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you so much for the kind words! We're so glad you enjoyed your…
8 years ago
Such a joy of a place! Came on a rainy Sunday for brunch and had a wonderful experience from beginning to end. The space is bright and inviting, there is plenty of seating and the menu is straightforward. I got a seasoned chicken sandwich which was delicious and my friend got the jerk jackfruit crepe. I had never tried jackfruit before and I tasted a bite-wow! So flavorful and has the texture of meat. Will definitely get that next time! We also had the pepper sauce which is *hot* but a perfect condiment. The ginger tea here is strong and I swear it cured my cold! It's some sort of magic elixir for sure! Prices are reasonable and I loved the community feel-they host events and game nights. Service was kind and prompt! The owner of Lakou is a Haitian-American woman who is fly and fierce! She often is behind the counter working so say hi the next time you go. So wonderful to support a black woman owned business in Crown Heights-would highly recommend! *full disclosure* The owner is a friend of mine from law school but I paid for my meal and my opinions are my own! read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the love! So happy you enjoyed your time at Lakou.
6 years ago
Made to order fried chicken, fresh plantain chips, spinach puff pastry, and squash soup. Such incredible food and so yummy when you get to sit and eat it all up at once. Thick soup that is seasoned so well that I had to share with my friend just to confirm. The fried chicken is so crunchy and consistently flavorful throughout the meal that you know you've made critical decisions. read more
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Cassandre D.
Mesi anpil! Reviews like this mean the world to our team. Come back…
Came in for a delicious cup of coffee after seeing this was a Creole/Haitian spot, and fell in love with the super friendly staff and excellent music. I came back and ordered their jackfruit crepe with spinach and red onions. The crepe itself was perfectly made, but the filling was oddly watery, which didn't have the most pleasant texture. Overall it was still a solid meal, but I will be coming back to try more of their menu. They offer a wide range of foods to appeal to everyone, lots of vegan options right alongside the fried chicken, for example. Their Kreyol shimp entree and coconut curry crepe also sound good. They have one or two patio tables set up outside last I went. read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the kind words about our team and music! We're sorry…
7 years ago
Love the atmosphere there, had the opportunity to meet the owner. She was a wonderful host, telling me about the activities that they organize on some Friday nights after closing the shop. I love the fact that there is a coffee shop serving products straight from the motherland Haiti like Bonbon Lakay and many more. Showcasing some paintings of some local artist is so supportive. Definitely should give it a try for brunch one of those days, that's my suggestion to anyone. read more
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Cassandre D.
Thank you for the love! So happy you enjoyed your time at Lakou.
More info about Lakou Cafe
195 Utica Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11213
Crown Heights
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(347) 295-0566
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https://www.lakoucafe.com
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