“Caffe con leche por favor..”- Review of Bijaru Coffee Shop
“Caffe con leche por favor..”- Review of Bijaru Coffee Shop
Bijaru Coffee Shop
4032 10th Avenue
Inwood / 212-567-9520
BY CLAIRE McCURDY
Bijaru Coffee Shop, probably named for Bijaru Cuba, is an Inwood treasure. It is a tiny little down-home Dominican place located right under the #1 elevated subway stop. Business hours are daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The owner, Maria Conlon, and her relatives run the place.
The place is a home away from home for many of the customers—conversation is top decibel punctuated with frequent rowdy laughter, even drowning out the Spanish language game shows on the TV overhead. Cuisine falls under the heading of Dominican fast food, like pollo guisado, (chicken stew) or plaintains, beans and rice, favorites— and indeed it is fast, orders and service, including take-out, can be under 5 minutes. So when you hear the #1 train roaring down the tracks you can grab your bag and be up the two flights of stairs in time to catch it.
Why do I love Bijaru? The caffe con leche—equivalent of a cappuccino—is delicious and costs $1.25, as opposed to the exalted prices elsewhere in this city. And you can buy a giant slice of homemade bread pudding studded with raisins to get your carbohydrate rush for the day—it easily lasts till early afternoon. And the folks are lovely. The owner is slowly but surely, and with great patience and humor, teaching me restaurant Spanish and critiquing my dress sense. (A big hit the other day—black wool coat with turquoise off-the-street scarf). She exclaimed, “Me parece linda!” and translated—“You look VERY nice!”). What a wonderful warm way to start the day—coffee, food, and compliments.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment