Good coffee and atmosphere. A good location for walking around as well. They have milk alternatives for vegans and lactose intolerant people. read more

A pretentious café that, admittedly, serves good coffee. They refuse to serve decaf as a matter of principle, despite there being perfectly legitimate reasons for coffee aficionados to want a flat white or cortado without caffeine. I am not a Starbucks-lover looking to order a half-caf skinny extra-hot vente latté with nutmeg and caramel - I am simply looking for a cup of artisan coffee that is decaffeinated. That they refuse to deliver on that front strikes me as unnecessarily snobbish. read more

Love their lattes here. It is a pretty small venue and the place is mostly packed with people when I come here. Baristas are always friendly and there are a lot of regulars that come here. read more

Someone suggested this place to me one day in the winter saying their coffee was one of the best. When I had my first cup, I had to agree. It's strong and makes you want to savor every sip. Their pastries are good as well. The only downside is the size of the interior, might not always get a seat but if you're taking a cup to go, you're good as gold! read more

Third Rail Coffee - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Yuck. This was my second time here, and both times the coffee tasted burnt and bad. Once was ice coffee, once was hot drip. The redeeming qualities are that the staff is super nice and the plane is small and cute with a nice cozy atmosphere, but they need to step into with their drip coffee. I haven't tried anything else though, so many the espresso is better. read more

COFFEE TOUR AGAIN!!! Heard that their cortado is something to die for.. I stopped by to try it.. This is my first time trying cortado.. Well.. Espresso with just a small amount of milk.. It's a little too strong for me.. The caffeine is really strong.. They have really great pastries but I just had my breakfast so I did not order any of it.. Maybe next time.. I will try their cappuccino/latte in the future.. I am sure I will like it because I can smell their coffee a mile away... You can't really sit here tho.. It's a small place.. great for grab and go.. :) read more

Iced, drip and espresso are all pretty well executed here. Prices are what you expect for stumptown in the area and they are cash only. Baristas remember the regulars here and keep it friendly... and a bit weird. The croissants/scones are delivered daily and consistently good. Overall, a solid option in the neighborhood that seems to magically avoid getting overwhelmed with students. read more

Delicious! I love that it's close to NYU and they have gooood coffee! The place is really small, but that's okay. Also, since the weather's been so nice, it's nice to go in, grab coffee, and then head to the park. I usually get iced coffee and it's excellently brewed. Cash only! read more

Great cup of coffee when you're on the go. Small space so I wouldn't plan on posting up. Loved walking around the area and taking in the NYU scene (I'm a tourist what can I say). read more

All hail the coffee GODS. One sip of Third Rail's coffee made me wish I was a barista so I knew exactly what they do to make it THIS good. It's tiny inside with a very minimalist, old house vibe, but that didn't bother me. The super caffeine rush that left me flying though the East Village a mere ten minutes later made up for it. My new go-to coffee spot in that neighborhood. read more

Cash only. Small and quant little place. I wouldn't want to do a meeting here in fear of not finding enough space to sit down. Luckily I came on an off-time so I had a place to sit down and enjoy my coffee. Which was delicious by the way. I got the ice-coffee. Simply delicious. Nothing fancy. I also got the carrot cake donut. Holy yum!! I kind of wish I would have saved half of the donut for later, but who could blame me? It was sweet and the frosting glaze on top was perfect. read more

Ingeniously named place. Especially because out-of-towners have no idea what it means, giving me endless amounts of joy. Kind of like when a family from Arkansas (or Nutley, NJ) inevitably mispronounces "Houston Street." I feel like this is what coffee shops in Brooklyn must be like...although I have no basis for saying such. Its quaint, barely enough room for 10 seats, and has an "all about the coffee and no pretentiousness" feel. The anti-Starbucks perhaps? The people behind the counter seem to have a personal relationship with their customers...and whenever I pop in for a quick double-espresso the place is always at 90%+ capacity. I'm happy to see the spot doing well; there's a good vibe going on in here. Again, all I've had is the espresso so that's all I can speak to regarding the taste. But when in the last two decades has the coffee been about taste? read more

Stopped in for coffee and cookies after hanging out in the park and it was such a great end to the night. Definitely recommend.

This great little coffee shop just off Washington Square Park is a real gem. The baristas are not only well versed in their craft, they're friendly and blissfully unpretentious, something sadly lacking in many of New York's trendy coffee haunts. Beyond that, the coffee is great, the pound cake is irresistible and best of all, you can bring in your four legged friend without some job's worth pointing you to the door. Throughly recommended. read more

Favorite coffee spot near NYU. Great coffee, good for one on one meet ups. Small, but I like the staff, and the seating if I'm lucky enough to get a good corner spot. Usual drinks: Iced coffee, Soy latte *Cash only! read more

Great drip, great latte. In my own food crawl tradition, it was a double fist experience. Great addition to our spin through Washington Square Park. tip: If you're getting s PBJ next door, grab it first, then grab your espresso beverage. Or drip. Or both. read more

I had my first ever cortado here and it was one of the best espresso drinks I've ever had....and I've been trying a lot of those over the past few months in an endeavor to expand my coffee/espresso drinking palette. It was robust and incredibly smooth in flavor. I was in coffee heaven at first sip. The space itself is very warm, with a mostly wooden interior, and friendly service, which is a huge plus for a somewhat "fancy" coffee shop like Third Rail. Definitely recommend this place! read more

The one thing I can't stand about certain coffee shops is the pretentious nature amongst the workers. And unfortunately for standing in line for about two seconds I somehow encountered this air of snobbiness. I ordered a small iced latte which was 1. expensive and 2. not even fill 3/4 to the top. So I basically paid for a rude experience and a half filled latte in a sweaty small and tightly packed room. The drink was okay. But I can find a better price and experience elsewhere. read more

Sing with me now (to Amy Winehouse's "Rehab"): They tried to make me an Americano I said, "no, no, no!" They'd run out of their regular coffee and offered me an Americano at the same price. Despite the barista's claim that "it's like coffee." It's not the same. A shot of espresso added to hot water doesn't equate to the same chocolately undertone I usually frequent this place for. The reason why I'll continue to patronize this place: their use of Counterculture coffee. The same brand OK Cafe in Astoria uses, so this place is usually my go-to if I fail to pick up my iced coffee before I hop on the train in the morning. read more

This is still my favorite place to get a latte. I find myself exploring NYC in search of the perfect latte and I can't help but compare it to the latte I had here. Whenever I tell anyone of the sensation my taste buds experienced here... Well let's just say I describe the latte as Thanksgiving in your mouth. Maybe my tastes are out of whack. But Third Rail is famous for a reason. I'm so glad my friend took me here. read more

Third Rail Coffee - Latte heaven - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Great little nook next to NYU campus. I love to stop by for a reliable cup of coffee before hitting the books. The space is small with limited (very limited) seating. Not necessarily the best spot to study or have an intimate conversation with a friend. But nonetheless, Third Rail is clean and serves good coffee. Not sure why other folks have called Third Rail pretentious. I found the staff pretty straight forward. Not overly friendly but not rude and stand offish either. The baked goods here are also limited but delicious. read more

A nice and cozy place to enjoy a great and honest coffee. Nice to sit if you find the place or to grab a cup of Joe on the run. The service was personal and friendly, above and beyond a solid knowledge of the secrets of the coffee beans, the roasting, the grinding and pouring. We were there with a family of five; and we all felt being taken care off. Worth a detour on your travels in NY city. read more

Got a skim latte to go. Very good coffee - on the stronger side of life. You pay for it in price, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. read more

Third Rail is the sanctuary from the madness of coffee around Washington Square Park. Their coffee is good and you can enjoy a cup without having to deal with lines longer than Pinocchio's nose. It is a little small on the inside, but it has never been so crowded that there wasn't a place for me to sit. Maybe it's because I drink coffee at odd hours? Who knows. Points for being way chill compared to most of the other bustling coffee shops in the area. For example ... The spin zone that is La Colombe. Where even the front doors fuck with you before you get sucked into the coffee turbine that most confuse for the line. Or the Starbucks, that seemingly puts so much crack in their coffee, that NYU students are willing to wait in a 50 person line to order a grande ... which is confusing since it's Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French for large ... but wait ... there is the Venti size too ... which is even larger, but actually means "tall" in Italian ... WTF. Just give me a cup of coffee. Without the bullshit. I will pay you to remove the bullshit. Cash only. read more

Checked this place out a few days ago while waiting for a dinner seating. Super tiny place, probably only 4 tables, so I feel it's mostly meant for take out. Very welcoming though. I had one of the pour over coffees from Sumptown and have to say it was excellently prepared! Exact right temp and the flavors were great! I tried the Third Rail coffee blend as well and it was good as well. A bit acidic for my liking, but the other people in the party seemed to enjoy it a lot. Would definitely come back - I would imagine the espressos are delicious and would always stick with the pour overs if ever in doubt. read more

THIS PLACE SUCKS!!! - If I could give Negative 3 stars, I would!!! I'm an NYU Alumni so I spent 4 long years on NYU Campus, and this place exudes NONE of the charm or friendliness that it should! The coffee here is MEDIOCRE at best, and they BARELY filled my cup with coffee!!! P.S. - the service here SUCKS - the guy at the counter barely made eye-contact w/ me. Rude! NEGATIVE 3 STARS!!! IF YOU WANT A REALLY GOOD CUP OF COFFEE, GO TO OREN'S ROAST!!! read more

CASH ONLY Got a large (12oz) latte for $4.25....the latte was very good. Paid with a $5 bill and obviously got 3 quarters back...What am I going to do with quarters...? Might as well be a $5 latte...not thrilled about that. May go back to try the coffee but likely won't turn into my new to go spot due to price/no CC policy. Place is very small, seats maybe 10? It'd be a tight 10... read more

Great coffee and a unique variety of pastries. I had a drip coffee, which was nice and smooth, and a carrot cake doughnut, which was delicious. Small space with a few tables and seats, but there is very high turnover. No bathrooms or WiFi, so it's not an ideal cafe campout spot. Cash only. read more

I just finished my cup of best Americano in NYC. Perfectly made dark bitterness with just the right amount of water. LOVED IT :) read more

Third Rail Coffee - Americano - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

SO. HIPSTER. It's TINY. Be a coffee aficionado if you visit. No bells and whistles - it's purely concentrated coffee and it's good!. Lost 2 stars for the limited UNCOMFORTABLE seating and that the tables are super tiny work spaces. read more

Wow, this place is teeeeeny tiny. Like 5 people standing in line and you're in violation of fire code or something. The latte was so-so, but I was ogling the old B&W photos of Kyle Maclachlan (who looked a lot like Charlie Sheen in the pic BT-Dub), Liv Tyler, Blondie, and Willem Dafoe that were on their wall -- so that was fine. read more

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I swear this is the best cup of coffee I've had in town. Service is good, can't rate ambiance as I always get my coffee to go - but seems pleasant enough.. 2 thumbs up! read more

This is hands down my FAV coffee place!!! I live in Boston and every time I come to NYC my main criteria for where I am staying is "can I walk to Third Rail?"...that's pretty much my only requirement actually...I go there everyday :) LOVE read more

Third Rail Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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Drip coffee is watery, plus only one choice of roast. Much better coffee available in the City. I will give them credit for fresh beans. Also service is prompt and friendly. read more

Best Lattes by far! I am a huge caffeine addict and every coffee place I try out, I always use their latte as a baseline... no one comes close to Third Rail in my opinion. Lattes in Italy don't come close to Third Rail. I've been trying to figure out their secret (do they lace it with crack?) There's always a perfect balance of espresso and milk and it's never too hot. Just be warned, their 'large' is pretty 'small' but that's the way lattes are meant to be. read more

Do you want to know why I'm reviewing this place I would never normally reveal? The people at Prodigy over on Carmine in the west village (awful espresso, awful staff) insisted my review be taken down because I said I prefer to come here. Since I couldn't combine my reviews, I was forced to write another one, and here we are. The staff is so awesome. The espresso is too small - it is so good, so right. I don't like the fact that dogs can come in and it doesn't feel very clean, I have no reason to think its not, but its small cramped and kind of just has the feeling, but I'm the only one that seems to care. Everyone is busy yapping and enjoying the rich high quality crack that's espresso 3rd rail. read more

Quality coffee. Small space. Cash only. Convenient for me to walk to. My standard drink: cappuccino! read more

This is a great coffee spot, and best of all they do New Zealand style flat whites if you ask! Their selection of pastries is decent too, the croissants are from Balthazar (not as good as Mille feuille on LaGuardia place, but still good). Two small gripes are that they are cash only and don't do decaf espresso drinks - otherwise they'd get 5 stars from me. read more

This place was highly recommended by a barista friend, but I left very disappointed. This seems to be one of those coffee shops with snob employees who believe that knowing a thing or two about coffee, makes them better than anyone else, so don't even expect anyone to say "hello", or explain anything. I ordered black coffee and a cappuccino at first. Both were decent, but not interesting enough, so I went for one of their New Guinea roasts drip, which looked very promising. Unfortunately for me, the barista girl was too busy flirting with a guy at the counter, while working on my coffee, and I got a weak, watery $4 coffee cup. I wanted to buy some coffee to bring home, but left completely disappointed. read more

Third Rail has stumptown espresso. It's small and right across from NYU and washington square park. The espresso is great, the location is neat, the people are nice, and they play dope beats. So go here and have a good time with a friend, but be aware that seating does not come easy to those who drink third rail. read more

Third Rail Coffee - PAC man sign out front of third rail - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York