Brooklyn Point Cafe

If there is a place in the hood where I have my food pulse tuned into, it’s the stretch of Manhattan Ave. between Greenpoint Ave. and Java St. Quite the small focus, I think of it as the La Taverna/McDonald’s line. Dead center of that line was the restaurant Happy End:  an old school Polish spot that drew me in with a 70’s looking brown and orange sign and made me a customer with the curvy counter and the simple menu.

More than that, the owner Martin kept me coming back. Over the years we developed a friendship and discussed the restaurant in it’s old incarnation, at length. A few weeks ago he popped his head from the newly painted roll gates and said with a big smile, “doing some work, but it’s a secret.”

Last week that secret was let out of the bag with the re-opening of Martin’s place under the banner Brooklyn Point Cafe. Of course I was one of the first people to pop in to get the low down (It’s only 23 ft from my front door.)

It has been gutted and turned into a fresh new restaurant with a menu that is anything but Polish. Of course they kept the grilled Polish sausage on the menu to stay tied to their roots.

The plan is to be open at 7am every morning to serve coffee. Weekends there is Saturday and Sunday brunch as well as musical guests. A back room seating area augments the bar stool and there are a few outdoor seats along the side for those evenings when you want to neighbor watch.

Some of the favorites on the menu are the Italian Sausage Sandwich, Greek Salad and Steak Sandwich. The menu is abridged for now but Martin and his wife told me that more is planned as things get settled.

Stay tuned for a complete food review and take a stroll over to the center of my food line and give Martin’s place a try. Sit at the counter and you’ll most likely get some personal attention from Martin himself.

Brooklyn Point Cafe
924 Manhattan Ave
(between Java St & Kent St)
New York, NY 11222