Before Coffee

Before Coffee — whose full name is "Nothing Comes Before Coffee" — is a compact specialty cafe at the intersection of Meserole Street and Union Avenue, opened at the end of August 2023. The shop took over the space previously occupied by Mountain Province, a Filipino-focused coffee shop, and quickly established its own identity through a menu that blends Asian-inspired flavors with meticulous in-house baking. The small storefront has a clean, cozy interior that belies the ambition of its drink and pastry programs. The beverage menu goes well beyond standard espresso offerings, featuring creative specialty lattes that have become the shop's calling card — including a strawberry matcha latte, a black sesame latte, and a richly prepared matcha latte that draws customers from across the neighborhood. All pastries are made in-house, and the egg tarts have emerged as the clear standout — consistently cited in reviews as some of the best in the area. Almond croissants, scones, and other fresh-baked items round out the pastry case, with Asian-inspired flavor influences woven throughout both the drinks and the baked goods. Before Coffee has been covered by the North Brooklyn Dispatch and has built a passionate local following in a remarkably short time, earning near-perfect ratings from hundreds of reviewers who praise the quality of its house-baked pastries and inventive drink menu.