51st Bakery & Cafe — Restaurant in New York

Seems to be the recurrent theme: really bad service in the oddest way so far

I've been meaning to go to this cafe for a long time since it looked very cozy and nice from outside, but I never had the chance until recently. I think the interior design and the available space is nice, and even though I did not try their coffee or any of the pastries, they looked good. However, I do not think I will be going back unless they get people who know how to do their jobs properly: I ordered an iced tea, and the cashier asked me to hand the lemonade to them. I could not believe the question at first and said "What?" thinking I must have misheard it or something, but the cashier and the server next to her asked ME, the customer, the second customer inside the whole cafe ordering their drinks, to hand them, the employees, the lemonade from the fridge next to me so that they could prepare MY drink. I said "you want ME to hand you the lemonade?!" they said "yeah". Appalled by this very odd request, I just picked it up and handed it to them because I was literally dumbfounded. I think this is not even entitlement; I do not know how to describe this. For the record, there seemed to be two more servers who were not really doing anything (there was only one other customer sitting and minding their business anyway). When I was getting the lids for the drinks I ordered, I needed to ask the servers something, so I turned around to see all of them sitting at the backside of the cafe eating, dancing, and talking. I was walking towards them trying to have an eye contact with at least one of them so that I could ask my question, but they were not even really looking at my direction until I was almost next to them; they were just mainly dancing to the blasting music.

And I still left a $2 tip for $9 drinks because they were at least kind of friendly, but I have never had such bad service before where I had to give the servers the main ingredient to prepare my order...

The best place for coffee, pastries, and fresh meals in Long Island City! Holy Trinity achieved!

First and foremost, the coffee at Café 51st is excellent, and their espresso drinks, even those with special requests, are made perfectly.

Additionally, their baked goods are my favorite in the neighborhood. From the traditional croissants and breads to the rotating selection of other unique treats like their strawberry bread, cheesecakes, and crumbles—all are wonderfully balanced and delicious.

Their café is also an absolute standout. They have wonderful salads, sandwiches, daily grain bowls, and soups—always with fresh ingredients. It is the type of place where a tomato actually tastes like a tomato and not some tasteless version of the vegetable that is a functional garnish. You know a place makes tasty food when you look forward to a salad every day!

Finally, their support to the LIC community during this pandemic has been above and beyond expectations. They are feeding half the neighborhood, and their staff is still always friendly. I am now going there every other day for a coffee and some fresh, healthy takeaway meals. Lily, a barista, is still so nice and positive! Despite having to come into work during a pandemic and deal with overly chatty, people-deprived individuals like me all day, she is still upbeat and helpful. Positive interactions like this, however brief, make a big difference during these...

Today I had a work emergency that involved purchasing a (specifically) 64oz jar of grape jelly, a very bizarre request to say the least. I had called every wholesale grocer, donut shop, and bakery within 3 miles of me to find this jelly and each phone call was about 10 seconds long with a quick "No". But Lily at 51st Bakery & Cafe not only took my request seriously, but took down my contact info to call me back with more information on said jelly. Though it was unfortunate that they didn't have any available for me, the customer service was insanely good and Lily was awesome. Even after there was no jelly to be found, she still went out of her way to wish me a "lovely rest of my day"! being new to New York, I'm not familiar with the typical crass customer service I receive everywhere else, so to receive just this little piece of genuine human decency and kindness made my whole...