Lite Bites Cafe — Restaurant in New York

UPDATE: May 4, 2025 It's been weighing on me that this review started out negative. I'm not going to change the edit. But I would like to add something....

I have honestly never dealt with a friendlier group of people than the people I've interacted with at Lite Bites. I feel warm and safe and welcome whenever I step through the door. Facts. Not only do the people behind the counter make this place a real gem in the 'hood, they're a good example of how we should all treat each other: With kindness and patience. Thank you Lite Bites!! Sorry I started out negative before.

I will admit that my usual reason for visiting Lite Bites is to grab a coffee for a couple bucks when all the other coffee shops have lines and I’m running to catch the train, late for a job. I make coffee at home mostly and when I purchase a cup at full retail price I consider it an expensive treat. And boy howdy do I love to treat myself. And I wish I could say coffee was my only indulgence. Neither here nor there. I’m talking about a super great sandwich I finished only moments ago that cost me less than $10 in Greenpoint. To each their own and thank goodness we don’t all have the exact same tastes. Modern white middle class life can be torturously boring sometimes as it is. You know what’s not tortuously boring? A Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich on perfectly toasted rye bread, with just enough mayo from Lite Bites. I took it to go. Ran up the block and up the stairs to my apartment. I didn’t want the wrapped up hot toast to get steamed and soggy. To my great pleasure and delight - voila! The perfect ratio of not-too-salty bacon hot from the sizzling griddle, snappy crisp romaine lettuce, and a cold tomato that didn’t totally suck. All sandwiched delightfully between two slices of warm crunchy rye. If you like BLTs, you’ll probably like this one. I give it a 9 out of 10 for Diner/Deli BLTs. Back in 2010 I had a motorcycle. It had an unearthly smooth acceleration that made me think of a witch’s broom. I rode my witch's broom home from Knoxville to New York City avoiding the interstate and stopped for lunch each day and ordered a BLT. I’m not a chef by any stretch, but I’m not a complete amateur when it comes to eating diner BLTs. I found this one particularly delicious. Not too salty. Not too much mayo. One half of the sandwich did have a slightly better ratio of bacon to the LT. I didn’t care. I ate some bacon and rectified the problem. The price point can’t be beat. Short wait. Super friendly staff.

BLT...

What Lite Bites lacks in atmosphere and presence, it makes up for in taste and efficiency. I got a croissant Hashwich, a sandwich consisting of eggs, pepper jack cheese, hashbrowns, and ham. The Eggs were well cooked, folded nicely and fit perfectly inside the vessel of the croissant. The ham was less the star of the show and more of a supporting role, and the saltiness paired nicely with the spiciness of the cheese. Ultimately, my favorite part was the unsung hero of the sandwich, the hashbrown. It was the perfect thing to soak up any grease, and was delightfully fluffy on the inside, despite having a nice crunch with every bite. I also liberally applied the hot sauce that they provided, which seemed to be a habanero based sauce. It went perfectly with the sandwich, and I used all of it that they provided.

I also ordered a vegetarian egg wrap from off the menu, consisting of scrambled eggs, avocado, tomato, spinach and feta cheese. The staff were easily able to accommodate a custom order. The eggs were nice and fluffy, the vegetables were fresh, but the tortilla could've been crisper, as it started to fall apart as time went on. The habenero hot sauce was an amazing addition to the wrap as well.

The only department that Lite Bites is lacking in is coffee. There was no menu for coffee, and no customization options. I asked if they had a coffee menu I was missing, but they informed me if I wanted a coffee I could get it hot, or iced, and that was it. On the plus side though, they did have a large refrigerator with a plethora of options for canned and bottled beverages, some of which I had never even seen before. They also had the rater rare Inca kola, which was delicious as always.

Overall, I thought Lite Bites was a very pleasant for a quick breakfast, and their indoor dining tables and fast service made for an excellent fast breakfast for the busy day...

Lite Bites is an overlooked Greenpoint gem! It's located on the epicenter of GP breakfast spots on Manhattan Ave & Norman Ave - and I'm telling you, this place is a slam dunk! The food is exceptional and the owners couldn't be nicer.

I've tried a few of their lunch sandwiches - so far all of them are served on quality rolls/bread, all ingredients are fresh, and all the sandwiches are unique and creative (not your run of the mill menu).

My breakfast go to is the Bacon Hashwich Sandwich - eggs, avocado, bacon and A HASHBROWN served on a brioche roll! Genius!!! My BF loves pancakes, which they also have many varieties of (including coconut ones) - these pictured here are the Fruitty Stack with the blueberries and strawberries folded in!

This is also the spot for delicious Caribbean food (served M-F) with different daily options. I was able to sample the chicken roti...there are no words! Roti was buttery delicious, the chicken melted in my mouth - incredible! Show this place some love and support a longstanding local...