Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

The Best Places to Get Coffee in Queens

By Katie Honan | May 12, 2014 6:55am
 A shot of espresso from COFFEED on Northern Boulevard. 
A shot of espresso from COFFEED on Northern Boulevard. 
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Katie Honan

QUEENS — From Italian espresso to Colombian brew, there are plenty of places to get your caffeine fix in the most diverse place on the planet.

We asked for some often-overlooked favorites and found that the baristas at shops big and small in Queens take pride in their coffee.

Readers suggested a variety of spots, like Sweetleaf, which brews espresso at two Long Island City locations, and La Uruguaya in Jackson Heights.

Other Queens locals showed love for bakeries and bodegas, like the Coffee Pot on 23rd Avenue in Astoria and Lulu's on Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows.

At Odradek's in Kew Gardens, they exclusively brew 49th Parallel coffee from Vancouver.

Barista Joel Horowitz, 29, said that he may be biased, but he's "never tasted a coffee like this."

"The coffee is filled with subtleties," like notes of cherry and chocolate, he said.

The espresso is weighed and isn't a "mass-produced, machine-made thing."

"We serve good shots with good coffee," he said.

Cafe De Cupping on Northern Boulevard in Flushing brews Intelligentsia Black Cat coffee — single origin and seasonal espressos with "remarkably distinct flavor profiles," according to the brewers. 

The team behind De Cupping said it's the only "Third Wave" coffee shop in Flushing and are all about creating the perfect espresso shot. 

At La Torre Pasticceria in Howard Beach, owner Giovanni Malinconico, 38, said his 10-year-old espresso machine is the only spot on the boulevard that makes authentic Italian coffee and espresso.

"It's for the guy who knows how he wants his espresso," he said. "It's all about how you treat the machine."

The pastry shop has used the same coffee brand since Malinconico's father, Biagio, opened it 28 years ago.

When asked what kind, he clammed up.

"That's the golden question," he said. "It's a secret!"

We've compiled a list of places to get good coffee around Queens. Zoom in around the borough to find all of the locations — some of the icons are obscured. 

And if we've missed your favorite, let us know in the comments section.