If you are looking for great coffee in Astoria, look no further than The Queens Kickshaw. Opened in Spring 2011 by husband and wife team Ben Sandler and Jennifer Lim, the Kickshaw is dedicated to providing a great experience for its customers. It shows in the quality of the food, skilled staff, and the beautiful space.
Along with the excellent coffee, the Kickshaw also prepares inventive grilled cheese sandwiches, salads, tomato soup, and a few sides. There's an intriguing menu of craft beer from around the world, that will make you drink up and notice.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Some of the best coffee in Astoria.
- Inventive food using top notch ingredients.
- Dedicated owners who are active at the shop.
Cons
- Parking, as usual in Astoria, is tricky.
- No vegan sandwich options.
Description
- Queens Kickshaw Address - 40-17 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11103. Across the street from the Queens Library on Broadway
- Phone - 718-777-0913
- Website - http://www.thequeenskickshaw.com
- Hours - Mon-Fri, 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.; Sat-Sun, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
- Cash only
- Subway - R to Steinway. Additionally, take the N/Q to Broadway and walk 10 blocks or take the Q104 along Broadway.
- Parking - It's very difficult to find parking nearby. Best to take public transportation if you can.
Review
The Queens Kickshaw is an Astoria gem, offering some of the tastiest food and drink in the neighborhood. The Kickshaw gets coffee beans from Coffee Roasters in Tarrytown, NY. The baristas are just as likely to be doing pourovers using Hario v60 setup or making espresso with a beautiful La Marzocco Strada machine. You can have your coffee or espresso with milk from Hudson Valley Fresh, a local dairy just upstate.
You'll also find cold brewed coffee on tap, some green tea options (hot or cold), and sodas made from P&H syrups (try the grapefruit). The Kickshaw also offers the unusual Shrub - a vinegar cordial - in blueberry and golden raisin flavors.
The Queens Kickshaw also has an extensive craft beer list, on both draught and in bottles, as well as bottled hard ciders. You'll find beer from the US, Belgium, France, the UK, and beyond. Finally, there's a nice selection of wines - red, white, rose, and dessert.
The food menu is interesting as well. Primarily populated by grilled cheese sandwiches - inspired by the neighborhood - the menu also includes a selection of cheeses to sample, a delicious tomato soup, and lemon coriander olives. The Gouda sandwich is particularly good, served with a green salad dressed with a plucky jalapeño vinaigrette. Also notable is the Great Hill Blue sandwich, served with green salad and pickled blueberries.
At breakfast, you'll find Balthazar pastries available, which go great with coffee.
The Queens Kickshaw is a wonderful food asset for Astorians, and worth repeat visits.