Cousin John's Café & Bakery
Open for breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch, Cousin John's Cafe and Bakery serves "Cupcakes [that are] massively underrated against Magnolia monoliths, as is their brunch. Sit upstairs by the bakery and let the smells of freshly baked buns and brioche float your way," says BlackBook.
"Fruit tarts edged in ground pistachios and bedded in sweet custard are sublime, and even quotidian sweets of oatmeal cookies and apple-crumb pie reflect a skilled touch. The fancy cakes resemble edible sculptures, but these confections can err on the side of too much cream, sugar or decoration," says New York magazine. And Yelper Tom Yumm Y. says, "The breakfast was tasty and cheap. 3 eggs, a croissant, potatoes and bacon for $5.75!" How would you rate Cousin John's?
Reviews (12)
denton wrote a review on November 13, 2009 12:04 PM
Love it as a bakery...
lostintranslation wrote a review on November 13, 2009 12:28 PM
Same as Denton. Like that place as a bakery.
Not great for sitting there. It's better to take out. Very friendly staff though. Very flexible as far as the orders are concerned.
BSD wrote a review on November 13, 2009 12:35 PM
Beat to it. Good as a bakery, but among the worst coffee in the area. With Ozzies and Cafe Regular flanking them, they need to reconsider their brew.
northsloperenter wrote a review on November 13, 2009 12:37 PM
I've only gotten baked goods here, but they've all be great. Got an excellent chocolate cake for my son's birthday.
infinitejester wrote a review on November 13, 2009 12:47 PM
I buy cookies here by the pound for special events - never fail to get gobbled up. They are soft, chewy, perfectly formed, and well-mixed. The staff is unfailingly professional and polite. Even if there is a line, you can ask them questions about the services and options available and they take time to answer you.
I will have to try the breakfast here as it sounds perfect - eggs, potatoes, bacon, then get a coffee and take that and the croissant on the road with you. How cool is that?
Finally, they offer wireless here for god knows what reason. There are three I think small decorative-looking tables at which to sit.
BrooklynGreene wrote a review on November 13, 2009 1:00 PM
We get our cheesecakes and some of the other cakes from Cousin John's. I prefer their cheesecake to Junior's! The staff is very nice.
mevans74 wrote a review on November 13, 2009 1:04 PM
I can't agree with all of the reviews here. I've been going here for a few years now. The service is not always friendly, it's a family run business, and sometimes it's downright snippy. The coffee is not great, and the bake goods, some of them are good (cakes), some of them not (croissants).
The neighborhood is also missing a fundamental feature - a baker that makes bread! They'd make a killing if they did that. Instead you have to swing over to Blue Apron for any decent bread in the 'hood.
Brenda from Flatbush wrote a review on November 13, 2009 2:32 PM
As of at least a few years ago (when we gave up on them), they are not that great a bakery--there is no sublime personal vision behind their stuff, it's more generic high-end pricey. Our favorite moment with the sloppy/snippy staff was when a friend requested a mocha layer cake for my birthday and the nymph behind the counter, a dead ringer soundalike for Ursula (Phoebe's twin) from "Friends," said cooly, "Uh...I, like, don't know what you mean by 'mocha.'"
Brooklyn Red wrote a review on November 13, 2009 5:20 PM
I went there faithfully, way back when it first opened - but rarely go there anymore, given what has seemed to me to be a decline in quality (or it could be that there are better options for baked goods now). The pies are good, but pricey - and I'm not a fan of their baked goods. Coffee is awful and the staffing is erratic, more typically with poor to indifferent service. Every so often I give it a try again, but generally regret the impulse. It is way too small for me to have ever considered having a sit down meal there.
FloatingWorld wrote a review on November 14, 2009 7:05 PM
They have THE best chocolate chip cookies in Park Slope.
anonymous552 wrote a review on November 16, 2009 10:01 AM
There's something to be said about Cousin John's being the original bakery in Park Slope. Even the reviews on the wall date from another century. Having shopped there for more than twenty years, I'm pleased to say the quality has not slipped one bit. And, Cousin John's always hires young people from the area, teaching them retail skills and customer service. They are almost always cheerful and helpful.
Lesloaf wrote a review on November 16, 2009 11:25 AM
I like this place. Where else can you get a fresh chocolate croissant in Park Slope for $1.30? (half-price after 7 pm!) And the brunch is delicious and cheap. I agree with everyone else about the coffee, though. They need to step it up a notch.
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