Stopped in with my pup so excited to check this out. Exceeded my expectations. Elegant space, cool vibe, welcoming adorable owners and baristas. And btw I’d go for the perfect cappuccino and their almond croissant even if I didn’t have a dog. But I do. So basically now we may never go anywhere else.

I mean really, what more can a girl ask for than a coffee shop that also has an endless supply of dogs walking through the door? I love the outdoor space here at Black Lab Cafe, it's the perfect spot to both people *and* dog watch on the Upper West Side!

The food here is amazing! I highly recommend the Lemon Square. It’s not too sour, but you still taste the lemon.

My favorite coffee shop in NY. Definitely a go to place either to have a coffee or a matcha (puppy lavender matcha is very good) while you work, or have a nice lunch (their fish tacos are super good). Staff is SO nice and helpful. Great customer experience. Also there are always so many dogs to pet!!

We were running late for the coffee plans and ended up having dinner- so glad we did! Everything was delicious! We ordered several dishes and all exceeded expectations. I highly recommend both salmon options - the salad was perfect. Service was above and beyond with friendly welcoming staff and timely service. Canine companion rates this place 100 stars.

Jon Doe

I've been going to this location since 2002 when it was a cramped spot with no seating and just a shelf on the wall to eat at and I still go here often. I used to still recognize some of the women working there from back then! The prices may have shifted a bit but it's still very affordable and the hot and sour soup, pork and chive dumplings and scallion pancake sandwiches have been consistantly delicious since then! Bless this place that has been feeding hard working new yorkers and students since 1999.

Chelsea Flynn

Incredible! Ordering is so easy, just right off of a tablet in the front of the store with photos of everything. All made fresh in front of you and so quickly too. Prices are very affordable especially for the exceptional quality. God the crispy pork buns, spicy chili oil dumplings, and peking duck sandwich. All were so flavorful. The buns were so soft and fluffy with the perfect crispy bottoms and succulent meat inside. The dumplings will melt in your mouth. The bread on the peking duck sandwich was so delicious and like nothing i’ve ever had, along with the yummy sauce and crispy veggies inside. 10/10 meal. SO GOOD

Anastassiya Petrova

Been coming here since 2018. Always the same great quality. My favorite is definitely pan-friend chicken&basil dumplings. I usually get a variety of boiled and pan fried. Tonight tried their wonton soup - also great. Some people complain about the crust of pan fried dumpling, but that’s exactly the point of pan friend, that it’s not soaked in oil like French fries, it is slightly fried while preserving the boiled texture yet with a crispy crust on the outside. Very affordable and reliable place to have a bite.

F D

Delicious dumplings at a really great price. Can’t beat it! Ordered as take out and it arrived really quickly. 10% off of paying with cash.

Michael Padilla

WE WANT DUMPLINGS ! OMG this place is incredible and the coconut smoothie was out of this world ! I can’t wait to come back here with some more friends , OR maybe I’ll just keep this place a secret . PS came here looking for Vanessa lol inside joke , THE FOOD IS GOOD I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Lee Stat

Food was delicious. They catered the food and the dumplings were great. We had shrimp, pork, vegetables, etc.

+2

Heather Kouveras

If you are looking for atmosphere the lack of atmosphere is the atmosphere. Come for the food. Dumplings. Sesame Pancake with Peking Duck. That's all you need. Never not making time for the best affordable neighborhood dumpling place.

FreshCoolClean

🔥 Perfect Dumplings! Boiled to perfection — tender and juicy on the inside — then pan-fried until golden and crispy. Add a touch of garlic, and you’ve got a flavor explosion. The contrast of soft and crunchy, savory and aromatic, is simply unbeatable. These dumplings are not just food — they’re a masterpiece. Highly recommended! 🥟🧄🔥

+3

Chael MacKinnon

Loveeddd it here. The prices are actually unreal, like there isn’t anywhere in the LES where you can get this much good food for these prices. We got shrimp dumplings, pork and chive dumplings, and a veggie pancake sandwich and one duck pancake sandwich. And a taro bubble tea, for good measure. Loved it all and will obviiii be back.

Nikola Janjić

Amazing and iconic place for homemade dumplings in Big Apple. They serve homemade dumplings since 1999. Be prepared for self-service. They are super busy in the evening and during lunchbreaks. My favourite meal is a Peking duck sandwich with scallion & cucumber relish. We asked and paid for steamed dumplings, they gave us fried. But the flavor was there, no regrets. The venue (toilet, tables and chairs) could be more clean, it's a kind of shabby, but it is what it is. Even Vanessa approached to us and introduced herself, that was very kind from her. If you are in this area, Vanessa's Duplings is a must! Very afordable prices, their famous Peking duck pancake sandwich is only $7. This location is in Eldridge St, in Lower East Manhattan, close to MTA lines F, B and D. Tenement Museum is a few steps from there, my strong recommendation.

+6

Kayla Poore

Quick affordable work lunch. I was impressed with how good the pork buns and dumplings were. We will definitely be back and they have milk teas too. I’ll have to check those out on my next visit. This place was super busy but worth the wait.

Amelia Anggraini B

Must try in Chinatown! Their specialty includes dumpling and soup noodle. I had pan fried beef dumpling for $10. The filling was generous and the wrapper was soft, crunchy at top. Topped with their savory homemade chili oil + scallions. The place is well-known, not really huge so be ready when it’s peak hours. They also sell ready-to-cook packages. One disappointment was that a beggar came in and asked people around for money. Hope there’d be a no sign for that.

This corner coffee shop has a cool vibe inside. After ordering an iced latte I was accosted by two happy dogs, not something I was upset about. There is a nice outdoor patio to sit at. The cafe just opened, so their kitchen isn't open yet. Once they have some food to buy I will be sure to return.

Came here because I used to have a Black Lab and miss her terribly, so hoped for some Black Lab related theme. I'm surprised that they don't even have a pic of black labs on their walls while having some other smaller sized breeds. No tennis balls, nothing Black Lab related, really... The food was ok, but not to come back for. Cappuccino was alright.

Alexis Ramos

Yes, just go and get the dumplings 🥟 Delicious 😋 good price and fast service.

kimberly pagan

You know , the dumplings are always going to be good. But they've just gotten a little bit too influenced by the influencers for my liking. Actually, I wasn't thrilled at all with their Dan Dan noodles last time, so 4 *

Mia Huynh

This dumpling house is a quick and casual spot for some cozy Chinese food. You can order at a kiosk here or at the counter and the food comes out fairly fast. They have a variety of dumplings here as well as some noodle dishes and scallion pancakes. I got their duck scallion pancake and their pork and chive pan-fried dumplings. I thought that their duck scallion pancake was great, but could use just a bit for sauce. Meanwhile, their pan-fried dumplings were delicious, full of meat, and juicy. I also added spicy sauce, which I felt like was a bit too salty for me. Next time, I would go without the sauce. Nonetheless, it's a great no-frills spot for a quick bite.

Mariel Camargo

Delish place! Perfect for a casual eat in restaurant or for takeout. They have a self serving ordering machine as well, which makes it way easier in terms of ordering. We got the seaweed salad (always a fave), the panfried wontons w/ spicy sauce, pork fried buns, and vegetable pan fried dumpling. THe panfried wontons w spicy sauce definitely stole the show. When we got there it was pretty packed as it was dinner time, so it took a while to get our order (about 30 minutes), so if you are in a rush, definitely order ahead or come during off peak hours.

Ujesh Vora

Dumplings where amazing! I got the vegan beef and by far the best thing I ate. Could skip the sandwiches and the noodles - just get dumplings!

Simona

The place was extremely cold, the tables were not clean and the prices have gone up significantly. I can't imagine how bad it was for the workers, who have to be there all day in the cold. The dumplings were ok but I won't be coming back, there are plenty of other places offering similar or better quality much cheaper.

Deanna Lee

Nothing fancy, ordered by kiosk. found a table and in 15 min food was ready. Dumplings are good. The noodles with peanut sauce is a little to thick for us, maybe fine for others taste though.All in all I would come back again.

+1

My recent experience at Black Lab Cafe in New York City was far from what I expected. Despite its name hinting at a pet-friendly vibe, I was surprised to find out that pets weren't allowed inside. This decision took away from the cozy atmosphere I was hoping for. Walking in, I immediately noticed the lack of warmth. Instead of the lively presence of pets, the space felt cold and unwelcoming. This absence definitely dampened the mood. On top of that, the service was mediocre. The staff didn't seem very engaged or interested in making the experience enjoyable. It felt like they were just going through the motions. The food and drinks also left a lot to be desired. The coffee was stale, and the pastries were dry. It seemed like attention to detail was lacking across the board. Overall, my visit to Black Lab Cafe was disappointing. It's unfortunate that such potential is being held back by their no-pet policy and lackluster execution. Unless they reconsider their stance and improve their overall experience, I'll be looking for other cafes that prioritize hospitality and inclusivity.

!!No longer dog friendly!! Should have been open and communicated this or tried for partial hours that were dog friendly. Instead just showed up one day (with the pup) and can no longer go in. There were many many other problems with the business that should have been addressed first before banning dogs…strange move. I know the team tries hard but have to be honest here, food is nowhere near good enough to survive as cafe alone. Coffee is fine but not worth going out of your way when there are other great options in the neighborhood

All these one star reviews are completely correct. This place was such a great addition to the Upper West Side. But now that they don’t allow dogs anymore, why bother? There are plenty of places to get coffee and such. Why couldn’t the owners just leave well enough alone? They will certainly my not make more money as a no dogs allowed cafe! That was the whole point in going there!

Sean

This place is going downhill fast. The service is getting worse and slower. The more people working in the kitchen, somehow the slower you get your food. Maybe it’s the fact that it is now an almost all female staff? I waited 15 minutes for one order of overpriced Msg soft dumpling and 1 beef sesame sandwich. This is insane wait time for fast food and what I order. Especially considering that there are almost 10 workers in that small kitchen and there was only 1 customer ahead of me. If I didn’t speak out after 12 minutes, I probably wouldn’t even get my food in 15 minutes. The people working there won’t acknowledge you too because they know they are slow and service is horrible. I won’t be returning back to this place anymore. I rather go get empanadas.