Thea — Restaurant in New York

Had heard they make great breakfast/brunch sandwiches and was not disappointed - had their swordfish BLT (should be called SLT :) as the Bacon is replaced by a juicy fillet of swordfish) and Sabbich which is a Jewish breakfast sandwich - I am not describing so you ask the person at the counter to describe it to you !

Both were excellent and it goes to show that simple, few high quality ingredients make an excellent sandwich !! Went in again to try their pastrami sandwich which was also way better than I expected - the pastrami was thick cut, flavorful and just the right amount - I generally don’t like very loaded meat sandwiches as it’s generally quantity over quality - not the case with this one. Their coffee and pastries are good as well, but definitely sandwiches set them apart.

Besides the food they care about customer service a lot. The first time I went, they were very busy and we had to wait for a long time. After about 30 minutes we asked and they said our order was already picked up (?) - not sure if by accident or stolen. Anyhow, they apologized profusely saying it should not take more than 10 minutes of wait no matter how busy they are, re-ordered the sandwiches and offered us anything we wanted (for free) while we waited. I got myself a cortado and a croissant and here is the kicker- they also refunded the money for our sandwich order as we had to wait.

This is truly a gem in Brooklyn so if you are in a mood for a sandwich definitely check this place out ! And if you see a long line - wait - the line moves fast and if they do mess up occasionally they make up for it...

Thea is possibly my new favorite bakery/cafe in Brooklyn. Led by the team of Theodora Brooklyn and Miss Ada, Thea is an artisan bakery serving Mexican and Mediterranean inspired pastries and bread in Fort Greene. I can’t praise enough their falafel pita and jerusalem bagel.

＊Mexican Falafel Sandwich $16 * I had a sudden craving for falafel pita sandwich and WOW, this one 100% matched my high expectation!! It was generously stuffed with three chickpea falafels, avocado, tomato corn pico, cotija cheese and more. The flavors were rich and harmonious. The pita was very fresh and made it less messy to eat.

＊Twice-Baked Kataifi Croissant $6.5 * I secured their last kataifi croissant on their pastry shelf. It was exquisitely crafted and twice baked to a golden hue. The shredded filo and cinnamon on top were addictive. The center was filled with a thick layer of vanilla bean custard. It was quite heavy so I’d recommend to share.

＊Jerusalem Bagel $3.5 * SO UNDERRATED. This jerusalem bagel was the BEST one I’ve had! The crust was perfectly crunchy and well-seasoned. You can add Miss Ada’s labneh on the side, which I definitely should do so next time to elevate the experience!!

＊Egg Salad Bun $11 It was a delicious egg salad bun. Served in a milk bread, it was filled with caramelized onion, honey habanero vinaigrette, and dill.

＊Chai Latte $5.5, Matcha Latte $5.5 I really wanted a cup of warm chai latte in the cold and this one hit the spot. The foamy latte and spices warmed me up.

FYI there were still plenty of pastries when I visited on a weekday and Saturday noon. Seatings are...

Came here at about 11:30 on a Friday morning and it was still fairly busy! Waited in line for about 5 minutes and got a white peach iced tea, a slice of their cinnamon walnut babka, and a bacon egg and cheese. They had so many good looking treats so it was difficult to choose!

The service was great! Super friendly staff, and observed who seemed like a manager or owner restocking and running food as necessary.

Iced tea: 10/10. Perfectly refreshing!

Cinnamon walnut babka: 8/10: has powdered sugar on top and kinda wish it was icing! Could be me, but was hoping for something a bit sweeter and stronger flavor profile. Still delicious and very fresh bread. Was deciding between this and the blueberry pistachio pound cake and kinda wish I got that!

Bacon, egg, and cheese: 10/10. This was the absolute star. It’s hard to take the simplicity of a classic New York BEC and transform it in a way that maintains the originality, but properly balances their take. They knock it out of the park, with the highlight being the bacon. It’s thick, fatty, and super flavorful. The bread is also more of a roll, but really soft and fresh. It was $11 and they certainly don’t leave you hanging.

I knocked one star off of atmosphere just because it’s a bit small, making it hard to wait for food. But would never prevent me from returning. I can’t wait...