Three Star Coffee Shop

How many times does this dump need to be closed by the Department of Health before it is permanently shut?

After the second closing by DOH in 3 months time… I don’t know what to say. I’m a little sad to see that this place managed to rack up over 100 violations.
You lost my initial stars for you and also my trust in you.

This coffee shop just recently got the Health Inspection Grade changed from a B to A, so my wife and I thought we should try it out.
The place is cozy and has a nice feel to it. The waiters are very attentive, albeit not very nice and a little loud.
We had the Eggs Benedict and the Lumberjack from their Weekend Brunch menu and were very disappointed. The english muffins were burned and the french toasts, as well as the hollandaise, were average at best. Both the orange juice and bacon were good, but, you know, there’s not much you can do to screw up orange juice and bacon.
Bottom line, the food is eatable but not enjoyable and we will not come back here. I would not recommend this place.

I dropped in here for coffee on Thursday, October 10, 2013. Three Star Coffee Shop appears to be a neighborhood institution. The interior exudes its place in history, but not in an offensive way. Decrepit building. I loved the old school feel and ambiance.
I sat right at the front bar area to sip on my cup of Joe. The older gentleman manning the front was a little grumpy, but I sensed that he’s been there forever (perhaps a proprietor?), and chalked his demeanor up to having a long day. I didn’t take his attitude personally.
My gaze couldn’t be diverted from the nonstop plates of food that were coming out of the kitchen. Huge portions of classic comfort foods. The gentleman sitting next to me ordered a pork chop, and it was a large piece of meat, served with a generous amount of rice and veggies. Locals seem to flock here. If I lived in the area, I’d likely be at Three Star regularly. It’s that kind of place.

Good Burger in one of the remaining old-​school dinners in UWS. The other one being Broadway Restaurant around 101 and Broadway. I dug it here, as it reminded me of the years spending late nights with friends drinking diner coffee in South Jersey or Philly.
I haven’t been able to try other things on the menu yet, but some regulars came in and one guy had a GIANT Lasagna, and the other young lady had a Strip Steak. Both looked banging~~Prices are super cheap for a real home cooked meal. Expect $ 7-​$ 8 for a burger.

I didn’t go in expecting much considering that this place doesn’t even rank itself higher than 3 stars, but it even that seems to high after eating there. The people were nice and even the slightly older atmosphere seemed fun at first, but I was not pleased with the greasy sub-​par food even for a 3 start place. Maybe I ordered the wrong meal, but I don’t plan on chancing any of their other options.

One word: unpretentious.
Three more words: Ernie Anastos shrine.
I could stop there, but I won’t, New York. I can’t and I won’t.
Judging by a cursory Unilocal search for the word «Anastos», it is apparent that not too many Unilocalers grew up in the electric glow of WNBC-​New York and the halo of dark locks of its leading news anchor – GREEK anchor – Ernie Anastos. Ernie was an anchorman when it was neither glamorous nor ironic to one. He dished how dangerous New York, yes, even the Upper West Side and Central Park were– earnestly. So, that’s one star.
Next, let’s just get something out of the way: Three Stars is and probably always was, a shithole. It shares the garish 1970’s light fixtures-​meets-​faux-​wood-​grain-​paneling atmosphere of other local haunts such as Barney Greengrass that must have been designed with all the panache and style of either grateful Holocaust survivors or Soviet ex pats, yet no longer has the charming veneer of «gritty» New York wrought by smoke fingers that once caressed the ceiling in pre-​Bloombergian days. So what’s left?
As the scaffolding on surrounding buildings is removed to unveil glamorous new establishments, Three Stars remains a neighborhood stalwart, a shining dump prized by only a few select perceptive observers in the same way that a paleontologist holds holy ancient goat midden. So, that’s two stars.
Speaking of Greek mammals, the lamb gyro resembles meat that wasn’t committed enough to become jerky. The lettuce-​based salads are chopped so finely that you are suspicious that Three Stars cut out the limp parts of the leaves and gave you the rest. Even when my standards were lowest– drunken in the middle of the night– Three Stars cuisine disappointed: the mozzarella sticks were still cold in the middle.
But I really want to like it. Every time I passed by this diner, I would ask «Three stars? Out of how many? Three? Five? Ten???» Then one day my Greek friend– George– told me that the three stars stand for none other than the TRINITY– yes, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Holy Cow, New York, this is a DIVINE diner!
However, Three Stars did not live up to its sanctified name as it failed to answer my basic diner question: «Can I get a happy waitress?». A «happy waitress» is the ideal post-​booze sandwich: a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato. It’s big in Jersey diners. But when I ordered, the waiter looked at me like I was speaking Chinese (or he sensed that I was from Jersey). To paraphrase Linda Richman, he was neither happy nor a waitress. From the corner of my eye I saw Ernie’s portrait shedding a tear.
So, with out further ado, this place gets… Three Stars.

I like that this place isn’t a hip modern diner with overpriced eggs.
Agree with other comments how it feels like the 70s. Good breakfast and decent coffee, all for a good price too. Will return for a quick bite to eat. It did fill me up and left me satisfied. Eggs, ask for home fries well done for that crisp finish, and corn beef hash. Standard diner food.

Surprisingly alright! My bf and I came in here expecting the worst, and I was pleasantly surprised. This place hits the diner food mark just as well as any other cheap diner — and our server was very kind! I’ll be back.
NOTE: Cash only!

This place is a real greasy spoon, key word greasy. Not cleaned in a long time. Many closings by Board of Health…

I went here for the fries, and that’s all I ordered. I see this place every day across the street and I’ve never been inside ’til today because the outside sign reads «coffee, donuts, burgers» none of which I consume. But I was having a huge craving for fries that I could no longer resist. If I’d known about the previous health code violations, I would have stayed away, but I’m glad I did not! Fries were fresh, piping hot, soft interior, deliciously crispy outside. (Served with Hunts ketchup, have not seen that in a while, but then again, I rarely eat ketchup, so I can’t tell the difference! Thought I would point it out for the Heinz purists out there.) Best of all, not salty!
Attentive workers, if not overly friendly. Were not mad at me for paying for a $ 4 item with a $ 50 bill. Despite the equally priced (if not cheaper) options around, at lunch-​time went I went this place was pretty full. Almost all tables were taken (and nand the food looked pretty good. It surprised me to see people sitting down to real meals at lunch.
I would have loved to order some Greek food, but this place is not vegetarian-​friendly, so I passed. I’m not a native New-​Yorker, but I’m interested in the history of the city and apparently the Greek diner is a dying breed.
I hope this place stays open forever. I gave it 4 stars for the ambiance alone. So delightfully 1970s. Original fixtures, obligatory laminated wood «paneling» on the walls, random housplants, brass lanterns, a mirror wall (you know the kind I’m talking about), and a mural of the Acropolis, which is really a must in Greek restaurants, in my opinion. And my great grandfather came from Greece (and opened a diner) so I know what I’m talking about. *wink* This is really one of those times I wish I had a smartphone so I could get some photographs of this specatular interior. I’ll come back with a friend one of these days!

Closed by the board of health 2÷6÷2013. :-(

THE place to drink coffee while waiting for the next thing…
…In this case, an hour to wait until my next appointment a few blocks away on Columbus. I just wanted a place to sit for a while, have a cup of coffee, and perhaps something special to the establishment. The Starbucks across the street was a safer choice, but I did not want to deal with the harsh coffee, and extra cost associated with the pleasure of its company.
Three Star gave me a booth to myself where I could spread out a little, fresh hot coffee, and a nice thick slice of lemon pound cake, all for $ 4.95. Star$$$s would have come in at twice that, and would have lacked the local charm of a New York Greek coffee shop.
Definitely, the right choice.

Pros:
— Fast Service
— True old fashion vintage diner
— Open Late
— Inexpensive
— Right across the street from the place I get my massages (see my review of the place here:
)
Cons:
— CASH ONLY! (but there’s a Chase bank across the street and a TD down the street)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There’s something about old fashion diners with the original booths and vintage interior that always makes me so happy!
You walk into this place and it feels like your walking into your great-grandmother’s coffee shop. They kept the original interior down to the silverware, hanging light fixtures and cash register… all that’s missing is your grandmother’s doilies.
This place is very busy and can get full pretty fast. However, due to their fast service, I’ve come to this place many times and have yet to have any trouble finding seating. The morning is pretty busy with your retired grandparents coming for their early breakfast which is rather cute to see the older couples walking out hand-​in-​hand.
As for the food… it’s as good as any diner.
Since this place is CASH only, not to fret! There’s a Chase bank directly across the street and a TD bank down the street.
I love coming to this place right after I get a massage at Yin Beauty & Arts Spa which you can read my 5 star rating of that place here:

Had a post workout breakfast there. Corner of 86^th and Columbus. Old time NYC corner coffee shop and it looks its age inside. However solid breakfast was served. Eggs made perfectly along with crispy bacon.
Coffee service a bit of a minus but being that they offered breakfast specials on weekends unlike most diners, I have to say it was delicious and I recommend it.

This place is great. You once had little luncheonettes like this all over the city, but now they’re few and far between as fancy café’s and corporate coffee places prevail.
As soon as you walk in you feel like nothing’s changed here in decades. The booths and counter are very old school and they have the oldies playing on CBS-​FM to complete the vibe.
The food isn’t bad either. I got an onion and pepper omelette, hash browns, toast and coffee and everything was quite good — except the coffee which was fresh but definitely tasted like a cheap brand. It was also crazy cheap, I think my bill came to $ 8 or something pretty close to it.
It may not be the best spot in town, but it’s definitely a good retro kind of joint that should be appreciated for what it is; a place to eat good hot food, and not pay an arm and a leg.

Harvey Dent pancakes. Yes they are Two Faced. The pretty side and the burned side. Upside down of course. Coffee was corner grocery store strong. But the pileup of sausage and eggs were incredible. Yea, one hand washes the other.
The workers are older there. The cook is a twenty-​something Mexican male. The regulars have either blended in, are affixed, or taxidermied to certain booths and stools in the joint. The joint is a keeper.
Break out the pen and pad…

I grew up hanging in and around diners (gotta love long island). NYC has 3 types — 1. the kind that’s really not a diner but puts up kitschy stuff uses slang from the 50’s while robbing you blind 2. the kind that doesn’t pretend but just slings good plates of food to a local and faithful clientele and 3. the kind that tries to be #2 but has too many roaches and rats to warrant eating at. This is a type ‘2’ establishment.
It’s totally JUST a diner. It’s not gourmet. It’s not the set of Seinfeld. It’s not rat infested. It’s a clean, busy, mildly greasy, but all around great diner!
Solid food makes up the familiar menu (you’ve seen it so many times before). It comes quick, it’s fresh, and it’s usually served with a smile. unless they’re super busy then it’s just served.
They also cook really good food at 1 in the morning and somehow the Greek salad is even fresh –(I like weird foods when I’m drinking.)

I came here in search of my own Seinfeld diner… and I left still in search.
Having recently moved to the Upper West Side (and by recent I mean 6 months ago), I decided that it was finally time to find «my place»…you know the diner you take visitors to, the place you meet up with your neighborhood friends, the restaurant where you sit alone on a Sunday morning with your paper and your coffee and tell the waitress (whom you know by name) about your week.
That unfortunately was a fantasy I was not able to recreate as I was shoved into a tiny booth and scowled at by the lady serving the cold coffee. It was 11 AM on a Sunday, the morning after my birthday, and maybe I erred in ordering a cheeseburger, but you know sometimes you can’t help your hangover hankerings… and I don’t feel that I should have been judged for my request! Its a diner for god’s sakes…
Anyway, the food was terrible and left me feeling ill and wondering what back freezer they found my hamburger patty in. My friend got the french toast (a more normal order) and seemed to find it ok.
But in the end as we left this tiny little inhospitable place, we both knew that this would never be a place we could call our diner away from home… alas the search continues…
They weren’t aiming too high with Three Star Coffee Shop, but Two Star might be a better approximation.

Tired, worn out from a long walk through Central Park and hankering for a quick snack, I dropped by the Three Star Coffee Shop mainly because of its ambiance and cheap menu. The inside looks like it hasn’t been renovated for a few decades. Dark wood paneling covers the walls, on one side is a faded painting that resembles something from Greece. Lining it are several Christmas themed stickers that have faded a bit as well. Running along the window are a few small chandeliers that look like they’ve seen better days. The counter has a short bar to sit at, something I adore in eateries. There is a definite «once upon a time» feel to this place.
Service was extremely quick and gruff. Being used to this kind of service in diners, I didn’t mind much at all. Our orders were taken promptly, drinks arrived quickly and when I asked for Tobasco sauce it arrived at lightning speed.
I ordered their turkey sandwich, served on whole wheat bread. At best it was alright. The meat was a bit dry, but the tasty cole slaw sorta made up for it. The vegetables were fresh however, and the whole wheat toast was still warm when I got the sandwich, something I was grateful for.
I almost gave this spot two stars, but considering the insanely good prices (my whole meal was less than $ 10) and quick service, I’m willing to go one extra star. I also get a feeling they probably turn out some good breakfast, and maybe if I’m in the area again soon I’ll find out first hand!