Address: | 5 Edward M Morgan Pl, New York, NY 10032, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-694-8770 |
Site: | taszo.com |
Rating: | 4.3 |
Working: | 6:30AM–10PM 6:30AM–10PM 6:30AM–10PM 6:30AM–10PM 6:30AM–10PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–10PM |
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K Tempest Bradford
Now that Ive been here more, I must lower my rating. There are some great things about Taszo, but theyre overwhelmed by the negatives. There arent a lot of good cafe-style coffee places in Inwood/Washington Heights, especially of the indie variety. I wanted Taszo to succeed, I really did. I love the ambiance. Taszo is a well-sized place with plenty of room and plenty of seating. I love the big, all-glass front since it lets in plenty of light and makes the place seem bigger. The design is certainly open and friendly. None of the chairs in the place are super comfortable. Fine for an hour or two, not great for all day. Except the leather ones. But theres no table by them. The décor itself is very eclectic and fun and funky. This place definitely doesnt feel like a Starbucks clone. Their coffee is really good -- and I dont drink much coffee. If youre like me, there are other options, including some yummy teas. They now have a wider selection of food--not just pastries but sandwiches and quiches and such. These are overpriced for the portions, sadly. Thats not usual, even for this nabe. So far that all seems great, right? Now for the disappointments. Unfortunately, Taszo does that thing where part of the cafe is no laptops, relegating working people to the back part. The communal table there at least fits a good number of people, and there are leather chairs off to the side as well. I just think the whole idea of banning laptops from the front tables at all times is dumb and doesnt actually create the community vibe its supposed to. It would be better if laptops were allowed everywhere during slow times and they encouraged patrons to share tables like the do at Birch down on Columbus. (Birch even has little signs, its so cute!) The laptop section I can live with since its not uncomfortable, But then Taszo adds insult on top of that. I found out that at 7pm the employees ask the laptop users to leave (literally) or at least "put your laptops away" since at this time the beer and wine come out. What? Do people who use laptops not drink beer or wine? Its one thing to want to create a community vibe in a place--Im all for that--its another to poop on the exact clientele that love cafes like this. There are dozens of ways to ensure that laptop luggers dont take up space without paying some rent (i.e. buying things) and build loyalty at the same time. The owner isnt interested, I guess? Speaking of the owner, I read some reviews on Yelp that called him out on being somewhat weird. I was a little worried after reading reviews on Yelp. My first time there I took a picture of the storefront to add to any review I did. When I came in the first thing he asked me was: what was the picture for? Okay... Then when I said I was taking pictures to put on Yelp he got a little weird on me. I had to explain that I dont work for Yelp, I just use the site, and I have a thing about making sure places have good pictures. At one point, the woman behind the counter had to say to him, "Shes a CUSTOMER. We should be nice." Okay... Other than that he was pleasant to me and left me alone once I settled in. I dont think he even remembered me when I came back. The folks behind the counter can be nice. Some of them are abrasive, using overly fake cheerful voices as they act jerky. Its a mix. One other thing that bothers me about this place: its smack dab in Washington Heights, which is a majority Dominican neighborhood, and yet the majority of people I see in there are white. It just makes me wonder who this cafe is for. The hours also rule it out for me most times. An 8pm closing it a bit early for me. Shave another hour off since I cant use my laptop after 7. Bottom Line: I wouldnt recommend this place except for the actual coffee. I hear a cafe bene is moving in right next door. GOOD. Ill come down to try that out for sure.
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Tami Brehse
Im so disappointed with my experience here. Apparently they only allow laptops at one table in the back of the shop. I wasnt aware of this, so I set my laptop up and started working at one of the many empty tables up front. The barista came up and told me Id need to move to the back, which I thought was silly, but fine, if thats their policy. Except there were no empty seats in the back. Seriously, there were about ten people so crammed onto this one small table it was almost comical. I told her there was no more space back there, and she looked at me and said "sorry, thats our policy." Really? When the entire rest of the place is empty, a paying customer cant sit at an open table? I had to dump my coffee that Id had two sips of and leave. Not only did it make me feel really dumb, but it was handled very poorly. Have a little discretion when there are plenty of empty seats, or get rid of this weird "no laptops" policy in a coffee shop--a place people come to USE THEIR LAPTOPS.
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Christina Kay
This place strikes me as pretty uppity. My first time there, I brought my laptop and was promptly asked to move to the "laptop zone," even though there were open tables and the laptop zone was overstuffed. When I ordered a hot chocolate, they asked me to go get one of their organic chocolate milks from the fridge so they could steam it for me, as that would be "better than anything we would make." And on my second visit, I ordered an iced chai, which was listed at only one price per size. When I noticed I was being charged 60 cents higher than what was listed, I asked why and they said they charge more for ice because of machine use. If theyre going to up-charge you for ice, they should list "hot chai" and "iced chai" as two separate categories, like almost all other coffee shops I have ever frequented. I doubt Ill come back here, as there are lots of less pretentious coffee shops in the city that also serve good drinks and atmosphere.
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Fahad Khan
I dont live in the neighborhood, and even when I lived close by, it was still two subway stops away. Was I traveling for coffee? To be sure, there were several coffee haunts closer- although Taszo offers a superior cup o joe in all its variations. Was it ambiance? Perhaps- the owner has a keen eye for design, community engagement. Probably all of the above and more. Its tradition now, that when I re-engage with a good, old friend, or plan a vacation with the girl, its at Taszo. Its everything you want in a local cafe- its the type of place which begs loyalty of its patrons, only because were so well taken care of. You may read this and think- "Oh, this guy has something to do with joint/owns the place!" or whatever. No. Just eager to share my enthusiasm with you kind folks. After all, isnt what what these reviews are all about?
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Madison Mercer
Im happy that we have Taszo in the neighborhood - Washington Heights definitely needs more cool places to hang out! They have great coffee, delicious breads (brought in from Balthazar) and very nice decor. I havent eaten a meal here because last year they didnt have much of a selection - but based on the signs outside, they have expanded their food offerings. Versus Cafe Bene next door, the vibe isnt quite as welcoming to spend a whole afternoon working here. But I appreciate the live music at this place & will have to go back to try the food!