Just love everything about it. It's very cozy and best coffee I ever tried. Delicious food.

Cute little cafe next to the park. Outdoor seating area is also stroller friendly

Great family run cafe with friendly owners, Stumptown coffee, Colson pastries and an awesome backyard!

The ultimate neighborhood third wave joint...great coffee, funky chic, and the regular at the corner table with his flowing white locks.

I wanted coffee and a snack. Used a mask to order. Ate in backyard garden. Good croissants.

Very Professional Service and love how calm this cafe is aswell with amazing drinks

This café has a very pleasant, open style, and there's plenty of outdoor seating.

Fantastic place in the summertime. Close to the park and good coffee. Nice place for kids

Friendly, neighborhood feel, great scones! Coffee is terrific!

Amazing coffee shop and perfect for toddlers to play on the back yard. The toys they have back there really keep the little one busy and the back yard scene is just serene especially in the summer time!

Love Elk! We come here all the time on weekends with kids for smoothies and coffee and snacks. They have gluten free treats too, pastas from Brancaccio's, homemade pop tarts! If you're further south of the Park it's sister cafe, Lark, is also great!

Bernadette is not only beautiful but warm and welcoming. She makes great coffee. Lovely views anywhere you sit.

Lovely place for coffee or lunch. My Daughter LOVES the back yard play area. And if you can get a fireplace seat in the winter it is a real treat.

We did a Chibi Kodama show here in the wonderful backyard kids' space. The coffee was good and the barista (I forget her name) was friendly and awesome with all the kids. I hope we get to play here again someday when we're up in NY again. This was a great experience and a lovely coffeehouse.

Good coffee, plenty of outdoor seating.

Delightful cafe opposite Prospect Park. Coffee and banana bread was lovely. Great music and a super rear sunny garden. I would go back in a heartbeat :)

A great place for kids and has great homemade baked goods (great homemade poptarts!) If I were to make a complaint though I would say when I last visited my sandwich was undercooked in the middle. This may just be one exception though.

Lovely café with cute backyard patio.

I love this spot; I usually come here for the outdoor space in the back while having one of their teas. They make a lovely French toast and have cool staff. I'll be back!

I loved ELK cafe. First of all, it was the little things, like going out of his way to hold the door for my wife and newborn. Second, they have a great selection of food and coffee - they make delicious lattes. The vibe was perfect - nice and quiet. Don't go there if you're having a spirited debate. I enjoyed their little backyard area. It made for a fulfilling trip.

I go there every time I visit Prospect Park with my kids (and we go there a lot). We enjoy their lovely backyard and delicious coffee. However, I couldn't really experience their food much as there are never any vegetarian options available in the PM. Pastry is delicious. Zucchini bread is my fav. Another bummer is their hours. They close as early as 4 pm. Otherwise, this place is wonderful!

Super delicious coffee and overall a nice cozy place! I’d come here to hang out again and again! Extremely courteous baristas

First time visit and Loved it!! Very organized & cozy spot to chill. I ordered out, had an 'oh so very delicious grilled cheese' which I will go back again! They have other goodies for sale, like candles & cocoa bombs. I didn't have time to sit in their outdoor seating, but from what I saw, looked very pretty, definitely recommend 🤗

Really really great place for sunshine in the yard or food or a great coffee. Service is wonderful too. A real surprise :))

Great outdoor patio with tables, benches, chairs, and outlets. The resident cat Lotto can usually be found lounging on the turf. The waffle was more delicious than I expected because I’m not always a waffle person. Depending on availability, they typically have yummy sweet pastries like cookies and croissants, which I will have with an espresso. I agree with Christine that they can work on their sandwiches but overall the food is good. I’m just glad I have somewhere to sit with my laptop and a coffee in the shade!

Such a beautiful place with a great atmosphere and coffee!

This place is paradise for parents of small kids. It's even better than having our own yard because of all the other kids to play with. Keeps the little ones distracted while the grown ups enjoy our coffee in peace. The coffee is great, and they have just enough of a menu for a snack or a light meal.

A neighborhood community gem. Beautiful space, quaint garden, nice people, toys for the many neighborhood kids, sweet background music and a welcoming vibe overall.

I hosted my birthday party here at Elk Cafe with the help of fabulous owner Bernadette - every last thing was perfect and the space was wonderful. Beautiful inside and garden space was perfect for my event, and everyone had a blast!

Coffee was good, very cozy and clean place

Charming little coffee shop next to prospect park

Richard Pires

Deserves 5 stars just for the fact that it's the only quality cafe in the area that's not completely crowded on the weekend

Yana Fit

amazing Turkey sandwich 🥰 and mocha!!! thank you🙌🏻

Fred D.

Cozy vibe, friendly staff and delicious coffee. Also there is backyard space where you can seat and enjoy your coffee in fresh air.

+5

Julia Andresakis

Elk Cafe is a real gem on this side of the park - the cozy atmosphere lures you in and the drinks/pastries are always incredible. From the locals who have a rapport with the staff & owners, to the bulletin at the front of the cafe that showcases neighborhood events & opportunities, Elk fosters a sense of community that can be hard to find in this day and age. There's also ample seating in their backyard, which is vibrant and lovely on a warm day. Wonderful place to work, write, think, and dream.

Bayard Russell (Social Robot)

Pleasant avocado toast after a bird walk, lovely jazz playing in a warm cafe on a cold day.

Victoria Bayevskiy

Really nice spot by Prospect Park for a quick bite. The patio is really cute and the coffee was really good too. Staff super helpful!

Sofia Pronicheva

if you are lucky and the cafe is empty of people, it will be a very peaceful time to have coffee and a sandwich, a very nice place, delicious coffee and sandwich) you can take a coffee and go to the park across the street

Robert Bajor

Elk Cafe is a family-run, local Brooklyn coffee shop right next to beautiful Prospect Park. They have a spacious backyard, is very family-friendly, and offer a full menu of caffeinated, non-caffeinated, and food options. I’ve been going to Elk Cafe for about two years and I’m excited to see what direction the new owners take it. ☕️🥐

Ily

Perfect coffee shop with children they are very sweet and they have a play room outside for children! Very happy to went there see you soon!

the food is okay but the backyard is great, love hanging out here

Nice place, but wish they had more bakery items available. We were there at noon today and they were basically out of everything. Seems like they should have more availability, especially on a weekend

Very nice neighborhood cafe. Real wood-burning fireplace in the winter is worth a star in itself.

Winter review: Local mainstay, does the needful with care and charm. Don't get over excited, but this place checks all the boxes you need for a casual brunch or morning coffee spot. In need of a roaring fire in your life? You can do that here. Been sledding in the park? This place will get you saying 6 out of 5 :)

Great place to relax with a cup of coffee while your kids play in the backyard. You can work in the front. Always busy, but never too busy. Great coffee, friendly staff and good snacks.

It's a nice place , looks small but the backyard area gives it a nice touch, good almond iced tea(it's pretty good, needs a lil sugar, preference**) And looks like everything is made in house. I enjoyed it

Can't comment on the coffee but their iced teas are good and they have some basic food options that are fresh and tasty. The play area for kids out back needs some serious attention though, it's kind of gross.

Line was long and 🐌. No chip reader at cash out. Latte was excellent and back garden is pleasant albeit next door neighbors were having yard work done(very noisy) my bad timing. ⏰ 😂😂😂👍😎💯

Cozy coffee shop across the prospect park. Nice place to visit!

Lovely staff and a great place to relax...for some reason, almost every espresso drink I've ever had for years has been poorly made. Good beans, but the milk just gets dumped in there and never takes on the cappuccino/cortado/macchiato form. Otherwise, nice cafe

Lovely space if you are going to sit down and enjoy your coffee. There is a backyard with some kid friendly activities and large picnic tables. Inside their is plenty of seating as well with a bright and cheerful design. The coffee is good, but it is a bit on the expensive side, especially for iced coffee. They've also got some nice sandwiches and lots of other snack options.

A friendly spot across the street from Prospect Park. A simple menu of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, plus pastries and a few other things. Decent coffee, as well as smoothie, wine and beer. The decor is minimalist, mostly white with quirky and sweet artwork on the walls. Best thing, the fantastic fireplace to cozy up to in the winter. In warmer weather, expect lots of families and kids, their magical backwards has a tented area and they offer frequent great local entertainment for kids (free). A family friendly place!

Very nice and cozy setting. Coffee is great. There’s soy milk :) Plastic forks and stock music ruin it for me.

Stephanie Corne

I really like the place because of the people behind the counter. It has a good light and I can work there for a few hours and get things done on my laptop. One thing that is not easy though is the lack of heat. I have to keep my coat on like 90% of people who sit down. So for a $5 tea, I think it would be nice to not have cold legs and fingers.

Emily

Cozy, sunny, welcoming. Seating in the front room + a large, long backyard with lots of cozy seating and space for kids to romp. This is a great little spot to stop at after playing at the nearby playgrounds or walking in the park. Sandwiches, yogurt, simple food offerings. Nothing fancy or too tasty but good if you’re just grabbing a quick bite. Coffee is decent! Bathroom + WiFi avail. People do work on their laptops here. Great little neighborhood spot.

Michael Cheng

immaculate vibes and has a turmeric and chai along with the chocolate croissant and decent, but backyard vibes are awesome

Good coffee. Nice backyard. Coffee reasonable, but food is very overpriced. Very small amount for prices. Should cost about half for what you’re getting.

Very disappointed with the service I received. The Sunday barista was slow and passive aggressive. No one was ahead of me in line and I was still there for almost 10 minutes.

Understaffed. 1 person taking orders, making sandwiches, making espresso drinks at 2.30 in the afternoon

Cute little spot with a selection of cakes and pastries. All the chairs and tables are a little messy but overall good vibe.

The lay-out is not customer, stroller or kid friendly. I hope they move the glass shelving with merchandise some place else otherwise it'll be impossible to hang out there

Love their kids play area on the back. This place is perfect for a cup of coffee.

They have a nice patio with a playhouse for kids. Not many options for people with dietary restrictions though. We showed up at 11:30am and didn't have any of the sandwiches on their menu available. I decided to order an orange smoothie and they were out of orange juice too. It was pretty frustrating since we went there for lunch to feed our hungry kids and the only food options they had were breakfast. We ended up ordering a breakfast sandwich for the kids that was huge and fed both kids and one adult.

Fine coffee, food is a bit weak. Like it's trying to be fancy millennial snack food but there's not enough salt and portions are small, bread is a bit stale. Staff is nice.

The patio in back is unique, and the hot coffee is fine, but the sandwiches are really sad.

Rating solely on the wine/beer selection (good), outdoor space (huge backyard with lots of seating) and the food (chocolate pop tart wins in my book, this place rocks. If you add in the crowd, it rocks much less. On a Saturday afternoon, it was pretty packed and there were kids everywhere — both indoors and out — just running absolutely wild while their parents enjoyed their time out. I love kids and don't mind them, but when they're affecting my experience, not cool. I guess it's just that kind of place: a haven for parents.

Salmon sandwich is nice. Coffee was way strong for my liking.

Hibiscus iced tea is nice (I’d love to have it served in glass, not plastic). But the salmon sandwich disappoints me. Fish is fine. Bread could be toasted, to give it a nice crust and better taste. Tomatoes chopped as thick as my thumb, why? And red onion chopped in large pieces, so that sometimes it’s just bread and a huge chunk of onion in my bite. The good side is, it is freshly made. Wish it would be more … professional? Nice garden, cat sunbathing there :) So it’s 3 stars for the tea and the garden.

Elk's best attributes are its location, outdoor backyard space, and pleasant staff. Unfortunately the espresso drinks are lacking, often tasting burnt or incorrectly prepared. Additionally, the food is extremely basic and doesn't merit the price. If you're looking for a place to work with wifi near the park and don't mind so-so food and drink, this place is a good option.

It's one of very few coffee joints in the neighborhood, so I'm automatically a fan. Coffee is okay; food is pricey, mediocre. Staff and clientele are friendly, accommodating. But... The place is filthy AF . Like they haven't bothered to really clean the space since the last tenant remodeled, years ago. Needs to be scoured and repainted, like soon.

Cute little coffee shop. Great spot just across from the park and close to a playground. They just need to organize their website a bit better. Multiple times I’ve come for the baby song along class listed in the websites calendar, when I arrive I’m told the calendar must be wrong and it’s not on. I’ve even called the shop to verify it’s happening before coming. When I arrived I told the barista I tried to call she said “oh yeah I guess our phone doesn’t work”.

Anna

Drip coffee was fine. Cold brew was watery. Good blueberry scone and avoided the sandwiches due to the reviews. Nice backyard.

Owen Gannon

Nice looking place with a nice garden in the back. $10, $12 and $14 for sandwiches that I'd consider fine if I made them at home.

Elsa Ienna

I so wish this place offered good food. The sandwiches are overpriced and ‘cafeteria-like’ in quality and taste. The staff is wonderful and coffe is good but they really need to step up their game soon!

Jaxson Stone

Overall great vibes here! Plenty of seating, nice garden, nice people, coffee is totally acceptable (not sure about those complaints on here) but it is indeed true that the sandwiches are sad. That said, don’t come here for the food but for the good vibes, location, and space.

Andrés Villeta Astacio

The best part of the cafe shop is the location. Very relaxing and cozy, especially the back garden. However, a bit pricey for what you are getting.

+1

No toilet paper in the bathroom! I had to use a paper towel that was in the cabinet. There was a sign on the door 🚪 that said $3.00 for non customers. That is very unacceptable!

Really cute place but the lattes were the worst lattes I've ever had. Literally had to throw them out. Was just like tepid flavored water.

Six dollars for an iced coffee that is literally just old coffee that has been put into the refrigerator

This is a tough love review, this has been a favorite neighborhood spot for many years, but they need a handyman to do some maintenance on the kid area in the backyard. This morning, my husband and I cleaned up glass from a broken window, attempted to fix a loose floor board, and cleaned up all the toys covered in spiderwebs. The doors to the cellar storage were wide open, and the door to the back has been getting harder to open as a bad install from years ago gets worse. This would be one star because of the above, but they have great pastries.

This place is playing fast and loose with the word “artisan” to describe their sandwiches. My lunch date and I ordered the ham and cheese sandwich and the turkey and havarti, and both were single slices of meat on cheap grocery store bread—my sandwich was even made on the sad heel bread piece. Elementary-school cafeteria quality. Hibiscus iced tea was good, and the only thing preventing me from leaving a one-star review. Based on other reviews, all the food here is a joke and overpriced; I guess management cares more about making a quick buck on $9 Fyre festival sandwiches than customer satisfaction & retention. Won’t be coming back.

Pleasant enough of a place, but who puts only a single shot of espresso in a $5 16oz latte? And then has the audacity to charge a dollar to add the extra shot, that was about to be discarded... And to end, the coffee is mediocre at best. Maybe Elk's proprietor should visit other cafes to see what industry standards are in terms of espresso to milk ratios, etc.... Unfortunate, with such a cute location, space, and name!

Used to love coming here for the sheer convenience but the coffee always tasted burnt. Even under new management the coffee and service is still the worst in the neighborhood. Just went to order a small coffee with almond milk. The barista was on her phone the entire time, texting. She said they didn’t have any more drip coffee but could make an Americano. Ok fine, I wait for her to finish texting. She pours the espresso shot and water and then tops it off with... whole milk. I tell her I asked for almond milk and she gives ME an attitude! I said not to bother making a new one but seriously, it shouldn’t be that hard to make a good coffee with decent service.

Yikes. Really watery coffee and a truly insane experience—I walk in, the barista is on her phone for a good 45 seconds or so until I cleared my throat. I ordered an oat latte and I watched the barista pour maybe .25 shot of espresso. She was trying to hide what she was doing with her body too which was a bit odd. The latte was essentially a $7 steamed milk. I politely said “hey it’s a bit light, would you mind throwing another shot in here?” To which the barista jumps up and starts raising her voice. She was visibly angry. She took out the bag of Stumptown coffee and started explaining to me that it’s very expensive coffee. She then comes around to the customer side and points at the board saying “you could have ordered a large” (meanwhile, she didn’t ask me what size I wanted and since when does the size determine the coffee to milk ratio?). I stayed calm and listened. She was very upset and argumentative, telling me I don’t understand coffee. The most hilarious part is that she said she could put another shot of espresso in for a dollar. I remained calm and said to her that I’m new to the neighborhood and would really appreciate a shot of espresso and she ended up doing it. Still, didn’t expect to get lit into on a chill Friday morning. I don’t know what’s up with this place but it seems like weak coffee is a common complaint which would explain her quick trigger. That said, I really hope this finds new management because it’s a nice location, just wish they had more respect for their customers and of course, didn’t serve steamed milk.

Ashley Monaghan

Sadly this might be the worst cup of coffee I’ve ever had :( It was so watery I thought maybe the barista reused the beans from the previous coffee. Nice atmosphere and back garden though - could be a good spot for a juice.

over person took a sip of my latte and put it back! The barista didn't tell me anything, but my wife saw it and told me. I asked to have my drink redone. there were no apologies! it's a shame!

The avocado toast was the saddest thing I ever tried today , very simple and expensive. I don’t recommend the food there but coffee. :(

Ordered a drink, was told the machine was off but the server politely turned it back on for my coffee. Come to find out I came in on a closed party BUT there was no sign saying guests only, ended up being rudly told that I couldn't be served, even though I would have PAID for my drink like a normal customer.

Dale Obbie

$12 for an “artisanal” ham and cheese sandwich that was just sliced bread and prepackaged ham and cheese from the grocery store (plus some tomato and baby spinach.) It also took them nearly 15 minutes to make that extremely basic sandwich, which tasted fine, but was not worth $12. The coffee wasn’t great, either.

Christine Yang

The space is nice and the staff is very friendly, The food, however, is extremely sad and bland. I got the smoked salmon sandwich and it was basically wonder bread (not toasted), a few slices of salmon, 3 cherry tomatoes and some onion 😂It'd have been a little less depressing if it didn't cost 12 bucks