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    Coal Yard Cafe

    4.2 (146 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Coal Yard Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    COAL YARD CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for working
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Coal Yard Cafe

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    El Cubano with side of fruit
    Katie-Ann F.

    Cute brunch spot with friendly staff but not the greatest quality of food in my honest opinion. Their El Cubano is decent but overly salty, dripping in oil, and had cold ham. It lacked the freshness and acidity of pickles to balance out the heaviness of the poke. I've also tried their Pulled pork sandwich, but it was cold and somewhat dry. The BBQ Chicken sandwich was also dry, and the bread was so soggy that it was falling apart. The sandwich had bbq sauce but did not complement the acidity of the coleslaw. I had asked for fruit but was given chips and they were either burnt or not crispy. Overall, I have given this place a couple of tries but was left disappointed, so unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend.

    Menu
    Jan P.

    Amazing food. Quick service. Great coffee. Inside and outside seats. What more could you want? Shakshuka was flavorful and the added artichoke hearts were great. The BLAST sandwich was awesome. Bacon, lettuce, avocado, smoked salmon and tomato on marble rye!!! Could eat that everyday. Cuban sandwich also scrummy and the jailhouse wrap was surprisingly filling with Korean seasoned pork. Iced ginger peach tea is super refreshing and the decaf latte was perfect. Super menu. So many choices. Come Back often.

    Falafel & Egg
    Jim R.

    Most unusual (breakfast) menu in awhile. There were 6 of us and we all enjoyed our picks which ran from a Falafel and egg dish to a Duck confit with duck egg to Grits & Bacon You have to check out the menu - I'm sure you'll find something you've never tried before. Well worth a visit

    a woman serving food to a customer
    Emily Q.

    A good local cafe nearby to Cornell. The place was popping on a Sunday morning around 11 when I went but the turn over was pretty fast so that was good. The location itself is pretty small so seating is limited and I wouldn't suggest big groups. There is a small covered area in the back that offers more seating for nice weather days. The menu options were pretty standard and I would say that this location has a better breakfast menu than lunch. The coffee/latte list was vast and everyone that came out with a coffee drink looked fabulous. I personally got a sandwich and it was a little lacking in my book, just your standard sandwich with fruit, which was a nice change from fries.

    Croissant sandwich
    Kyle E.

    It's a small building set right off the street with parking in the rear, today parking was at a premium. As we approached you could smell the mouth watering food inside. Menus are set on an old stove for perusing as you wait to order at the counter. Inside there are seven small tables with most two seaters, there is a table out front and several in the back. Friendly and fast service! We ordered the croissant breakfast sandwich with cheese and the ranch eggs (beans, salsa, fried egg and potatoes). $23 with tip. We only waited about seven minutes before our name was called and we retrieved our food from the counter. Everything was piping hot!! The sandwich was stuffed with a large egg and was seasoned perfectly. My daughter gobbled it up! The ranch eggs hit the spot, the beans were seasoned well and all the flavors melded well together. Would highly recommend for a fast delicious meal!

    Yuna C.

    I regret finding this place so late in my Cornell experience! With some outdoor seating right near a walking path, Coal Yard is ideal for a small brunch with friends on the weekends.

    Ranch eggs
    Ken P.

    Coal yard cafe is great! The food portions left us satisfied. And it's also delicious! The interior is cozy and the noise level is low when I went. The staff are friendly. We ordered right at the cashier and sat ourselves down until the food was ready. I would come back and recommend everyone to enjoy Coal Yard Cafe!

    Falafel egg
    Sylwia S.

    Food was very fresh and delicious. Oat latte was delicious. Hubby has the bbq chicken sandwich, with coleslaw.. very good. My daughter has crapes, also delicious. Nice atmosphere, super fast service.

    Johnny cakes and duck special
    Monica D.

    Cute little spot for breakfast with great reviews I found through Yelp while I was in town. There is no table service except when they bring you your food, you have to go to the counter to order and get your own coffee and pay before your meal. The special of Johnny Cakes with Duck and Egg sounded fantastic although the $14 price was steep but I figured I'd go for it. When it arrived, I thought they had forgotten the duck but the minuscule portion was buried under the egg. There was maybe enough for 2 forkfuls. It was good but not great. While there's nothing better than fresh, local products they need to make the price comparable to portions and taste on top of the fact that this is not a full-service joint.

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    8 months ago

    The food was fresh and delicious on both days that we ate breakfast here. We had egg and cheese croissant sandwiches! The hash browns- Yum!

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    1 year ago

    Great atmosphere, service was super fast despite being slammed and I had some great crepes and coffee.

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    4.2(181 reviews)
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    Unique mac and cheese and good gnocchi!…read more I am debating giving the rook 3 or 4 stars... I was not a fan of the salmon mousse... far too salty and I wish it was paired with crisped bread or at least something other than Ritz crackers. I did, however, enjoy the presentation and taste of the macaroni au gratin. The square shape is very unique and I liked the cheese sauce. The lamb w gnocchi was also quite good. Pillowy and soft. The lamb was cooked well. Overall, I would maybe return. I enjoyed the macaroni au gratin as well as the lamb w gnocchi!

    Loved the Rook's design choices, filled with anthropomorphic art and light yet refined ambiance…read more It wasn't too crowded when we arrived and we were seated immediately. Staff was pleasant and quick. The menu is dominated by drink options (cocktails and wines), and happy hour is 4-5pm, which is perfect for an aperitif. The fried chicken is by far their speciality, with the macaroni coming in as a distant second. But while both were delicious, I'd say the best value and taste goes surprisingly to the simple summer salad, which was crisp, sweet, tangy, and refreshing. It's only $10 for a hefty portion of food and I'd order that again anytime (and that's coming from a guy who'd never normally order a salad). My only criticisms are that the Rook doesn't have many entree choices (which may be a good thing for indecisive diners), and that it's very slightly pricey. Otherwise, it's an easy recommend for me.

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    Simeon's On The Commons - Ribeye with oyster mushrooms and sweet potato gratin

    Simeon's On The Commons

    3.8(326 reviews)
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    The ambiance became, while intimate at first, a bit noisy toward the end of dinner--probably due…read moreto the close proximity of tables and the overall restaurant set up. However, did love the elevated feel of a typical American bistro. We thought the service could've been more attentive, but improved as the evening progressed. Our waitress was super nice and was helpful in explaining the menu specials and answering any questions we had. Most notably on the menu, the NY strip was a perfect medium rare. We opted to get the 4 jumbo shrimp on the side, which we thought retained a nice snap when we bit into it. It was also well seasoned, while still displaying its freshness. The fries complemented the steak, but was too well done for our liking. Our other entree, the lobster mac and cheese, had a nice cheese pull. We liked the added roasted tomatoes in the baked mac and cheese, which gave it a necessary acidity that countered the creamy, cheesy roux. For our appetizer, we chose the meat and cheese board, which was really solid. Appreciated the waitress explaining the selection, as well as the addition of a sour cherry jam and pickles on the side. This gave us a lot of mix and match options (64 to be exact), and we also liked how it came with charred/toasted bread. Finally, we wrapped up with a chocolate peanut butter parfait and key lime pie. Both were really good (get both if possible, but we liked the latter more).

    Food, service and ambiance ON POINT!!! With every visit to Ithaca I try my best to not leave…read morewithout having my favorite at Simeon's which is their magical Mussels with the tasty grilled bread to perfection. The thing that was different this time was I had to leave early so we visited for brunch and I quickly, was saddened that they do not serve mussels during brunch time but to my delightful surprise the chef made an exception an I was smiling so hard that the waiters were please and extremely happy for me. For that I am grateful and needed to recommend my favorite restaurant on the Ithaca commons.

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    Moosewood Restaurant - Summer curry entree

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    Was hesitant with such mixed reviews. But overall glad we went. Service and ambiance were very…read morenice. We started with the local bread with olive oil. Not the best bread I've ever had but pretty good. Also got the patatas bravas which for me was my favorite dish. Super flavorful. We got two dishes the Spring cavatelli and the moosewood burger. The burger was really good but the pasta is where I could see why some people threw around the word bland. I don't want to say it was bad, it just was very light and didn't have a rich flavor like most pasta dishes. We got the matcha panna cotta to go which was also pretty good. Overall I think it just depends on the dish you get but I was fully expecting straight up bland food based on other reviews but that wasn't the case. The cavatelli could use a little work though. Overall it was nice.

    Food is okay. We…read moretried the lasagna and strozzapretti- I wish the pastas were homemade, but at least they were prepared well. Al dente and good flavors. I would eat these again. We also tried the thai curry, burrata, peach salad. The peaches were not ripe, but the crunch was a nice textural component. Burrata and curry were fine. I wish the curry was spicier. I liked the thin ribbons of cucumber in the burrata dish though. Maybe I am being too harsh... I had rather high expectations coming into Moosewood, and the food wasn't bad per se, but nothing really wowed me. I would eat here again, but I wouldn't seek it out.

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    Brewer’s Cafe and Taproom - Chicken Spiedie Sub Special: marinated chicken with garlic aoili lettuce & THE WORLD'S BEST tater tots

    Brewer’s Cafe and Taproom

    4.4(69 reviews)
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    This is one of my favorite places to come for good food, good vibes, and good beers. I'm a little…read moreindecisive so I always get a flight to try a few because they have a large list to choose from and you can try 4 with their flights. We went a little after they opened and it was a great time because it wasn't too busy. Any time I drive by the parking lot is full. They have parking in the front and around the right side of the building. I tried the Meier's Creek Choccy Milk, Other Half BA 10X Bananaversary, TALEA Beer Hibiscus Splash, and Allagash Allagash White and I enjoyed all of them. The bathrooms were clean and easy to find and I can't wait to go back in the spring/summer to check out their outside seating because they have about 15 tables. They also host a game night and have live music. Definitely a hotspot in the Ithaca area.

    I stopped by Brewer's the other day, a place I hadn't been in years, and it was a pleasure to see…read morehow they've evolved since their debut. The food menu is now several pages long, including tried-and-true favorites (many gourmet burger varieties, chicken sandwiches (with a Nashville Hot style option), nachos, wings, and salads . . . plus more intriguing fare like kimchi tater tots, a tuna poke bowl, and pork belly burnt ends. The inside has a gorgeous polished wooden bar in the middle for socializing; and while the inside can get crowded at peak times, keep in mind there's an enormous beer garden out back with about 15 picnic tables. And with a well-curated selection of two dozen beers on draft, you're sure to find something you like. But here's the amazing part about my visit: despite it being a weekend evening at the height of the dinner rush, our food came out in less than 10 minutes. And it was SO YUMMY. So keep in mind that, even if the parking lot looks full, there's almost always plenty of room out back. The two folks on the wait staff we interacted with were super nice, down to earth, and did a great job. The ordering process is a little confusing at first if you haven't been there, but the staff members was really helpful at walking us through it. Bottom line: Brewer's is the kind of neighborhood joint that's all too rare in these parts. Highly recommend!

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    Coal Yard Cafe - coffee - Updated May 2026

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