I was looking for a coffee shop in Syracuse that had a comfortable, laid-back atmosphere and stayed open later than most cafes, so I decided to check out Recess. Overall, I enjoyed my visit. The vibe was relaxed and low-key, making it a good place to sit down and get some work done. I spent some time working while I was there and appreciated having a space where I could focus without feeling rushed. The staff was pleasant, and one of the employees was kind enough to take a picture for me when I asked, which I appreciated. The only thing that stood out to me was that there wasn't much of a greeting or acknowledgment when I walked in, but it wasn't a huge issue. The seating was okay. The chair I chose wasn't the most comfortable for an extended stay, but it got the job done. There was also some rock music playing during my visit, which helped create a casual atmosphere. I didn't order any coffee or food this time around, so I can't speak to the menu yet. This visit was more about finding a place to work and unwind for a bit. Would I come back? Yes. While I'm still searching for my go-to coffee lounge in Syracuse, Recess is definitely a spot I'd visit again. It has a chill, unpretentious vibe that makes it easy to settle in and spend some time there. I forgot to take more pictures will do when I go back. read more

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I really enjoy the coffee from recess coffee. I do think the matcha leaves a lot to be desired, it is rather bland and tasteless but their coffee is great. Service is great and it's always crowded whenever we go. I do recommend checking it out here! read more

Recess has been one of my go-to coffee shops ever since grad school. It started out as my spot to study & write and now has become the place I walk to on my days off when I'm craving a treat. As a minimal coffee drinker, not all drinks are a hit for me, but I stand by their smoothies! Smoothies at a coffee shop? Yes! And if you walk in not knowing what to order, you can never go wrong with a seasonal special or asking one of the friendly baristas! read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Happened to stop by on their Free Cold Brew Day! Paid a few cents to add cold foam on top & cinnamon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Recess Coffee is the best coffeehouse in the area. Great vibes and drinks are always high quality. My favorite beverage of all time is the "Bees in the Frap" honey chai seasonal frappe. They have an amazing selection of roasted coffee beans and baked goods as well. Be prepared to wait in a line on a Saturday or Sunday morning, but it's worth it!! read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Bees in the Frap - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Amazing hot chocolate during cold weather in Syracuse. We also had their vegan Chocolate cake slice which was yum too. Cute cafe vibes near the university. read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Hot Chocolate - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Friend of mine recommended Recess and he loved it so I had to try it. Recess did not disappoint!! I ordered Iced Americano with pump of chocolate and my son ordered hot chocolate, both were Delicious We loved it so much. We return the next step for a repeat! The service both days were good. The House is so cute, cozy and allows for great working environment. Plenty of seats indoors, free WiFi and you can watch them prepare your drink and meal. The prices are better than fair! On my repeat trip I ordered chocolate covered cashews. They were pricey but I'm looking forward to eating them on the ride back to NYC. I highly recommend the quaint, cozy coffee shop! A lot of students and locals too. read more

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I arrived shortly after they opened at 6:00 am, ordering a coffee to start my day. I called it a cortado but it was more like a latte. Still, a great cup. With that, I found a comfy seat in one of the back dining rooms. Laptop set up, wifi connected and I was ready to start cranking out Yelp reviews and working. Fantastic. Later, a bagel sandwich. Oh, my. I'm not sure what they call this monstrosity but it was egg and cheese and ham and ketchup on an everything bagel. Three napkins and delicious. I ended up spending all morning at Recess - six hours. And no one seemed to mind as it never did quite get to capacity. I had a great and productive day. I'll definitely keep this place in my list for future travel to SYR. [Review 1544 of 2024 - 460 in New York - 22567 overall] read more

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Coffee's good, but the Omegatine bagel sandwich is INCREDIBLE. Best bagel sandwich in Syracuse. You can choose the bread (I like the sesame seed bagel) and it's got egg, cheddar, spinach, tomato, and avocado. As for the place, it's got a great vibe. It's in what looks like is an old house in the heart of Wescott. Inside is eclectic and warm. There is a good bit of seating, ranging from tables to couches to counters, but be warned, if it's a busy time there might not be any available. There is also some outside tables and a little patio out front. Right by Syracuse campus so lots of college kids here, especially Saturday and Sunday mornings. On a similar note, the wait can get pretty long for food. You have to wait in the same area you order in, making it a little cramped and uncomfortable at times. However, all the staff is very friendly and makes some great food. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. It's pretty large and I've never had an issue finding a spot. Will be back soon. read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Outside View - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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My son goes to Syracuse and every time I go there from CA, to help him move, I get a coffee and bagel sandwich. Drool city. So unbelievably delicious. Nothing beats an east coast bagel sandwich. The iced lattes are superb. Not too sweet. Just perfectly made. The business is so cute and cozy looking. I love that it looks like someone's house. Highly recommend if you are upstate and looking for a great place to grab a coffee and a delicious, satisfying bite. read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Outside. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Great coffee, relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and a short wait. The small indoor seating area in winter might be full.

Had a breakfast sandwich.. excellent.. college atmosphere coffee excellent.. smoothies paninis, sweets.. of course different coffees people were nice read more

i love a good coffee shop to spend time with my friends but also to study in. that being said, the last time i was at this location it was very difficult to study. they were playing music pretty loudly and the workers were singing along, which is fine!! but, if you want to come here to study, just think about what i just said! again, it's a great environment and the people who work here are beyond lovely. the coffee is great and my friends typically get food and love it! it still gets 5 stars from me because it's a great coffee spot! just not my preferred spot for studying read more

Had a panini and it was gross, just regular store bought turkey and spicey mustard... Also they asked for a tip at register, also gross This place is the epitome of college kids coffee shop, complete with virtue signaling The best part was feeding the last half to the squirrels. I got a stomach ache after eating my half, I hope the squirrels fared better read more

Took an entire hour to make three sandwiches for a take out order. Stood there watching ample staff loll around listlessly. Wasn't busy at all. Was treated with indifference and offered 0 apologies. Oh yeah, they left the cheese off the panini and left a hair in. read more

Cool, hip, funky coffee shop. My Cappuccino was solid, perfect strength and temperature. The establishment was ideal for seating and enjoying a cup of Joe.. great for students, or while on business. The parking was a bit of a mystery. I parked out front because the back of the store only had a couple of spots and had a sign that read "for residents only". After reading some of the reviews from other Yelpers, I there's a lot across the street. Wasn't sure I could park across there at first, now I know better next time. Certainly would recommend and try again during a visit to Syracuse. Might hang out a little and get some work done, place felt cozy and welcoming. read more

The mothership of recess coffee on Harvard has always had a bit of funky housekeeping and cleaning not going on: the holes in the wood counter and tables are full of crumbs,hair and other wiggly things. Someone wrote "wash me" on the grime on the inside of the bathroom door that stayed there for a long months. The two dark color cloth chairs in the back are black and slick with dirt and grease from many years of use and never cleaned. I could go on and on..... I went in today for my fav coffee drink that they have recently changed the price from $3 and change to only a medium size for $5 and found out they will no longer serve %2 milk. Inslut... Yet the other locations still offer my drink in 3 sizes and have 2% and are sparkling clean. The Mothership suffers as you loose a regular coustmer! read more

Grabbed a caramel iced coffee and the classic breakfast sandwich on an everything bagel and I'm certain it is why I had an awesome rest of the day. The iced coffee was made to perfection and was rich and creamy with almond milk. It was really busy and most seating areas were packed which speaks to how good this place is. My bagel was so good--see the perfect combo that is bacon, egg, and melty cheese in the photo below :). I loved the outdoor seating area and the space is work friendly. 4 read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Caramel iced coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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This is a cute spot that has a coffee shop feel that seems to have mostly disappeared. I would love more seating, as there are few options for people who are there to chat rather than work or study. The counter isn't in the best spot or the most intuitive layout for something that might get busy but they are very clearly working with what they can do with a converted house. The folks behind the counter were helpful. My rating mostly rests on the fact that I really don't like the coffee they serve. It seems to rely on being in with a syrup of some kind and feels over-pulled even when it clearly isn't. After two failures on coffee, I finally ordered a chai, as this is one of the few coffee shops in the area open past 6pm. It was a relatively solid chai for a coffeehouse, so that's my recommendation if you need somewhere to meet with folks after 6pm. Otherwise, I'd visit another coffee shop in the city for coffee itself. Cute Westcott location, too! read more

Love my Latte, great service clean & super-quick employees. Love it here! Cookies are so good too!

Dark roast drip coffee was nice but 25 minute wait for an underwhelming bagel and cream cheese was not. Crowded but pleasant. read more

Very delightful vibe that feels very homey. Quality coffee though the desserts are slightly pricey.

Ok so I had to warm up to the taste of the cold coffee but after killing my blue berry muffin it hit the spot. At first I thought it was gonna be too bitter but it was pleasantly strong but not over powering. Wished there was a little bit more caramel in the cup but I'm gonna go nab a hot one tomorrow and see how that goes. Muffin was pretty legit and not o early sugary even though the top made me wonder. Cute little coffee shop w a ton of food options. read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - a cup of coffee and a muffin - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Fun place. The Barista was a blast. Coffee was excellent and they were gracious to give me a small sample cup. read more

I LOVE RECESS COFFEE! Came here after a HORRIBLE latte (at another establishment catty corner from recess that is somehow very popular and sounds like lies and grime) and they never disappoint. Delicious coffee and awesome employees this place never disappoints me. I love it here and I will be back read more

The best coffee in New York in my opinion. A really cool coffee house located in a unique neighborhood.

I'm happy to report that Recess Coffee remains open for takeout and their online store is operational if it's beans you're after (they also have beans available in house as well). They're still rocking grubhub orders, phone orders, and are there for your grab and go caffeine needs as well. Recess Coffee House is one of the first coffee shops I visited in Syracuse. It promptly became a daily stop on my last trip to the area. Why? Aside from amazing espresso, a fun and funky vibe, and friendly workers--three words: peanut butter mocha. The chocolate peanut butter combo ranks up there for me with some of the very best and most delicious things in life. The fact that a coffee shop figured a way to bring that flavor combination to coffee (another thing that ranks as one of the best and most delicious things in life)? All I can say is: Bravo. One other worthy note? They top their mochas with the loveliest sprinkling of fine, dark chocolate. This makes for an indulgent mocha that goes beyond a simple drink and into the realm of a beverage experience. Enjoy. read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

coffee tasted beautifully - beans not burnt, flavor profile was excellent. only receiving 4 stars because it's been a while since i've been so i can't give the most accurate description. service i believe was very kind. i remember buying a tee shirt. if not mistaken its located inside a house? read more

great coffee!! the service is quick when it's not very busy. super fun and tasty seasonal drink menus.

Cute place in Westcott area, great selection of drinks and flavor add ons. My favorites are the chocolate chai and the nitro cold brew (try it with nutella!). Their huge chocolate chip cookies are so soft and buttery and their breakfast sandwiches hit the spot. The inside is usually packed with not much seating, but a great place to sit and chat with a friend. I highly recommend doing a mobile order because the line is often long and moves slow, price point is also pretty high - almost $20 for one large cold brew and a breakfast sandwich. read more

This past month I started coming back here out of nostalgia for the year or so I lived right around the corner. In those days I couldn't really afford to come here, but that didn't always stop me. If you don't encounter a man bun, an acoustic guitar, or something with #ShopLocal on it, I'm pretty sure your drink is free. I wouldn't know, because I'm not sure this has ever happened for me here. I've only ever been to this location, so I couldn't tell you whether the pretentious is trickling in from the Westcott community, or cultivated from within. You'd recognize this as a Westcott house the second you walked in. It's built with the exact same plaster walls, hardwood floors, and cozy vibe as every other house in the neighborhood. It's set up to be a great relaxing place to study, convene, work on your screenplay, all the great things that turn a $3.00 cup of coffee into a 3 hour affair. But I've never not seen the place busy and completely full. If you're gonna set up at a table, get there early. I never know what to do with myself while I'm waiting for my order, I feel like I'm just standing in everyone's way in the middle of everything. They also don't activate online ordering until noon, and don't take orders over the phone, so whatever you get in the morning, you have to order and wait for inside. They switch out their brews daily. I've never had one that wasn't better than most places. My all time favorite drink here is the peanut butter mocha latte. I don't get them often, because I usually drink them in under a minute. Their coffee with peanut butter is the next best thing. I've never been to a place that just puts peanut butter directly into the coffee. No matter how much you stir it, the bottom is going to be thick. I think if it were anything else it would be sickening, but I look forward to dumping the peanut butter coffee sludge into my mouth in traffic at the end of my drink. I've only ordered food once, and went with The Omega. Their bagels come from Cazenovia Bagel Co, which I hear are the crème de la crème. I still paid extra for the croissant instead, and can't imagine not doing so next time. The soft and crisp texture played well with the avocado. Five stars, because I think it's cafes in general that annoy me, not so much anything this place did. Their coffee is delicious and Syracuse-famous and their staff are always friendly. read more

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Amazing customer service, amazing coffee. The barista and cashiers were extremely helpful. They directed us to the best coffee for our immediate desires. In particular the cortado really hit the spot. I highly recommend it to anyone in the area. read more

So cozy inside! Went hunting for a good local coffee and found Recess. The barista was so helpful in explaining their coffee selection and how everything is made. Ordered a turmeric honey latte and a lavender latte. Both were just perfect and yummy. read more

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Friendly folks. Hopping place -- really busy, but the line moved quickly. Lots of cozy nooks for sitting & sipping your coffee. Real ceramic cups if you'd like! They had an assortment of vegan muffins, too. Tried their light roast drip coffee & macchiato with oatmilk foam. 4 stars instead of 5 because the coffee (both) was bitter. I'd try again though; could've been an off-day. read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Oatmilk macchiato, light roast drip coffee, and a vegan chocolate chip muffin. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

This place is a must if you're in the area! Besides their amazing customer service and accepting/comfortable atmosphere, the prices are extremely affordable! I got a lemonade with lavender and it was so refreshing and pretty! read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

I love these converted old homes that become actual coffee houses. Due this ongoing C19 pandemic they have strict rules on ordering inside and limits on group ordering. We ordered a few coffee drinks and waited outside to be called. The coffee was very good and we enjoyed the atmosphere. read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Time to get high - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

I came here on my way out of Syracuse. Was in town visiting, and needed coffee before I hit the road for a 4.5 hour drive. Got an iced tumeric-honey later and a banana walnut muffin. The latte: a damn good latte. But considering the flavoring I asked for (tumeric honey), there was no tumeric flavoring. I've ordered a ton of golden lattes from other places, and I always love the earthiness of them. This latte didn't hold any of that earthiness and the drink wasn't even a hint of yellow before the espresso was mixed in. I'd get a latte, but maybe skip the tumeric-honey unless you'd getting a steamer (non-caffinated version) - I assume the steamer will allow for the flavor to come through more. The banana nut muffin: it was a good muffin. Nothing out of this world, or anything notably better than other places. Just a good, solid muffin. Texture had a few chunks of banana, which made for an interesting mushy texture every once in a while. Overall, good. Would be better warmed. I liked the experience overall, but would get different things. Maybe try a breakfast sandwich and just get a basic latte or coffee instead. read more

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Popularity of this coffee shop makes it a bit challenging to manage social distancing. The biggest challenge is that the chalkboard menu is deep inside the restaurant and the line will keep you from seeing it until you need to place your order. They have clearly removed tables and are doing their best. If you are worried, you can order online for pickup. Food? The Omega - avocado, egg and cheddar - breakfast sandwich was remarkably flavorful (way more than expected!). Only three bagel choices - plain, blueberry and everything. The latte? Hit the spot. A bit out of the way but for these flavors, I will likely be back (albeit likely to another location). Lost a star because the space has a serious COVID flow problem and the only seating available placed you in the morphing line. I'm sure die hard fans. Also asked if bagel was toasted (because I wanted that) and was barely warmed. read more

Recess Coffee House & Roastery - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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My husband and I were recently in Syracuse on a concert overnight road-trip getaway. Before heading home, we decided to look for a local coffee shop for beverages and to enjoy each other's company a bit longer. Recess House was nearby, so off we went! It's located in the Westcott neighborhood, a cute place for a stroll. There is a public parking lot just across the street, which is convenient any day, especially on this rainy day. This coffee house is in a literal house that has been lovingly refurbed into a cafe. There are a few different spaces on the first floor that includes the counter-service coffee bar ordering area itself, plus two dining rooms, one in front and one in back. Seating is a mix of bar seating, small tables, and some couches. There are also outdoor tables. It was a full house on the Sunday afternoon we visited, but we luckily got the last two indoor seats together. It seemed to be popular with the SU student and faculty crowd. The menu has all of the typical coffee house drinks you'd expect to see, both hot and cold, plus smoothies, bagels, baked goods, paninis and other sandwiches. We kept it simple on our visit; I had an unsweetened iced tea, my husband had a PB banana coffee smoothie, and we hung around long enough where I was later hungry for a bagel. The counter staff was friendly; they kept the line moving along well. The iced tea was okay, a bit too bitter for my taste. My husband enjoyed his smoothie, a nice consistency, not too thick not too thin. I had a plain bagel toasted with cream cheese and jam. The jam was very heavy-handed, making it ooey-gooey-messy, but tasty nonetheless. We had a nice time hanging out together at this Recess location. If you are looking for a comfortable coffee house vibe, stop by! read more

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One of the employees at the state fair was really rude and lame. She had these extremely detailed irezumi sleeve tattoos (which probably took like 30+ hours total to complete). I asked her who did them, and she said "I don't know." At least own up to the fact you don't want to tell and say something that doesn't make you sound like a rude and stuck up weirdo. I also don't think I ever waited so long for an americano in all my life. It was like they were constructing the beans from nanoparticles. It was pretty watery but kind of alright. Gross how they had cream in a box that said it must be refrigerated just sitting out in 80+ degree heat. I asked them for fresh cream and they just handed me a jug of cold milk, so I guess it's 1.5 stars. read more

Overall a decent cafe, but way too crowded. Every time I come to this cafe, I can never get a seat. The food and coffee are fine, but the wait is a bit long especially when ordering food. If you are in a rush, I wouldn't recommend stopping in for a quick coffee. If you are willing to wait for a bit to grab a bite/drink then I would totally recommend. read more