Cuisine: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Decor: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Overall: 9 out of 10
I have always had an affinity for diners and coffee shops. Mary's is a very welcomed reminder of how that affinity came to be. For no less than three days during a 10-day stay in Brooklyn, I ordered from Mary's Coffee Shop, once for delivery, and twice in store.
Here is the order I placed, in store, on 09/28/19:
All Day Breakfast:
Two eggs, scrambled with cheese, corned beef hash and grits
(Comes with Toast and Coffee/Tea)
Alt/Special Request: Rye toast, Coffee with cream and sugar
Quoted Total: ~$8.00
**Restaurant only accepts cash.
I had ordered from them for pickup in the days prior, and my friend had gone to get it. For some reason there was a delay (after picking up the food) so when it reached me it was room temp. This isn't their fault and I purposely didn't write a review then. I did appreciate the large portion size so it was easy to decide on revisiting Mary's a few mornings later.
Unfamiliar with Brooklyn and haaaaaating the struggle for parking I reluctantly ventured out to find Marys. To my surprise, even with a smidge of construction out front, I was able to pull right into a space across the street in front of the laundromat. I hustled inside and sat right down at a stool at the counter. A young lady asked for my order (see above) and I waited, taking in the quaint atmosphere.
Every table was occupied with a couple eating breakfast from large oval platters. People came in and out shouting various greetings loudly showing how familiar they were the ladies staffing the shop. At some point a older gentleman came in and flirted, pretty persistently, and a woman working caught the signal and helped me out: "Your husband said he's pulling up. We are packing up his food." I smiled and said thank you. The gentleman must have taken the hint and eventually moved on. I thought it was sweet that she had cared enough to notice his lingering.
I had been drinking my coffee at the counter while waiting but another full cup was included with to-go bag. I hadnt thought to look-for or ask about payment before then and found that they dont take cash. Their ATM was out of order or empty and I was advised to go across the street to the laundromat to get cash.
When I returned I paid and grabbed my food, walked briskly to my car only to find that I had been boxed in. I can almost understand the need to parallel park in the city now. The car I inevitably had to wait for was another Marys Coffee Shop patron. I drank my coffee on the ride home and enjoyed the meal even more than I had the prior time. Large helping of grits, cheesy eggs, buttered rye toast, and corned beef hash (a country favorite) fried hard so its crispy and savory all at the same time.
A good first meal can sometimes have an effect on the way you feel about the rest of the days events. Breakfast at Mary's really helped put some positivity on the hustle and bustle of the city. I will absolutely be eating here again and recommending it to anyone looking for breakfast in the area. read more