Plowshares Coffee Bloomingdale

My favorite UWS java stop. Great straight espresso and delicious pastries (try the guava! they only have 1 daily!).

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

A wonderful neighborhood spot with staff that is friendly and interesting and the coffee is great. Completely opposite of the “chain” coffee shop experience

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Great quality lattes. Friendly baristas. However, the baristas are also really friendly with each other and tend to slow down with the orders. Some, not all of them, do that.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

I adore Plowshares! Best staff ever. They are so nice and really know their regulars. YAY!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I recently ordered two 12 oz. bags of coffee from Plowshares online—$20 each—and received them within 2–3 days. The coffee was excellent: fresh, flavorful, and worth the price. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to visit their storefront on 105th and Broadway to purchase more in person.

When I arrived, I began to enter the store with my scooter (which I always walk in with, respectfully, and never ride indoors). The door was halfway open when the man behind the counter abruptly shouted, “You can’t come in here!” Confused, I asked, “Really?” and he replied in a sharp tone, “You can’t bring a scooter in here. The store is very small.”

What bothered me wasn’t the policy—I understand small spaces have limits—but rather the rude and dismissive way it was delivered. There was no polite request or explanation, just hostility and what felt like a condescending attitude. I hadn’t even noticed a sign about scooters on the door, and I would have gladly complied had I been asked kindly.

I left without saying more, feeling disappointed. I had planned to buy another $40 worth of coffee and was even considering a monthly subscription. Instead, I called Plowshares and left a voicemail explaining the experience and asking for a call back. As of now, I haven’t heard anything.

It’s unfortunate. A great product should be matched by respectful customer service. I sincerely hope Plowshares addresses this and ensures that customers—especially loyal ones—are treated with basic courtesy.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Excellent coffee, delicious pastries (I have not found anything comparable in the area) and attentive baristas. Highly recommend.

The place is small but it has some comfortable seats.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Extremely rude worker! Do not visit, I'd go if the guy was fired!

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Best coffee and nicest service in the neighborhood! Thanks for noticing my dropped wallet!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great coffee and nice baristas. Pastries are amazing, but you have to get there early to get more options, which is great! I love the atmosphere and how cozy it is.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This is truly a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ coffee shop. Perfect 3rd roasts. Masterful baristas. Pastries to die for. The fact this doesn't have a solid 5 stars, is purely because it exists in the snobbiest part of Manhattan lol

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very kind people working there!

Service: 5

Great Service. Marcus very knowledgable. Very Friendly.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 5

Bizarrely rude staff, it’s like they’re trained to act that way. I stopped going after being treated poorly by their staff a couple of times. Just yesterday as I was walking past their store, I saw a woman storm out of the store looking clearly exasperated and saying something back to the staff in her defense. She was going out to see her dog that was tied up outside and it seems the staff started accusing her of not paying for her order. This place should close down.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

The coffee was good, and the cookie was excellent. I also appreciate that they offer gluten-free alternatives, which is a great option for many customers. However, the biggest issue was the staff.

The service lacked both professionalism and courtesy. When placing an order, I felt like I was being stared at rather than welcomed. At one point, the cashier even shouted at some customers who were about to leave without clearing their table, saying, “Excuse me! We have designated areas for you to drop off your dishes,” before laughing with her colleague. This made both the customers and myself feel uncomfortable.

Additionally, the staff spoke so loudly among themselves that they were even louder than the customers. This kind of behavior does not create a welcoming or professional atmosphere. It’s a shame because the food and drinks were enjoyable, but the overall experience was negatively impacted by the service.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 4

Service: 1

I like this coffee shop. There are good coffee, croissants here. But the staff is really rude. My first couple visits I thought maybe they have a bad mood because we are all humans. But every time I came and every time I had the worst experience ever.

Service: 1