Coffee Shops in the Metrotech Complex, Brooklyn

If you live, work, or go to school near the MetroTech complex in Brooklyn, here are some of the coffee shops near you.

Au Bon Pain, 1 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201

The coffee here is good, but coffee purists (of which I am not), may not agree. You might prefer the selection at a Starbucks, but Au Bon Pain has a decent selection of baked goods and hot food to complement its java. There are great tasting soups in the winter and a sandwich line that offers a variety of tasty turkey and chicken sandwiches. They also have great soups, and some very tasty baked goods (which are half price after 4:00 pm). And the staff here is quite polite and courteous. There is some limited outside seating as well.

Unfortunately, the place is excessively overpriced. There is not a great selection of salad or fruit. There are lots of wraps, which while tasty, are relatively unsubstantial. And there aren't too many solid selections for proud carnivores. It's also always very crowded inside because the seating and lines are all in the same area.

If you're coming in just to grab something light on the run, this is the place for you.

Starbucks, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11225

Of course, there's a Starbucks at MetroTech. The grandaddy of coffee shops, featuring coffee, coffee and more coffee, there's also a surprising selection of decent food here as well. There are pastries and some wraps that are tasty. But the moment you walk in the door you smell coffee. I tried the Arabian Mocha Java and Komodo Dragon Coffee because of their names and was pleasantly surprised by the difference. This is the place to come if you want good coffee and light fare. The food is also slightly less expensive than Café Metro (below), making it the least expensive of the three.

There's some inside seating, but no outside seating. It's relatively small but it's not particularly crowded outside of rush hour.

Café Metro, 15 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201

This place offers a wide variety of breakfast foods and lunch. It's a bit more moderately priced than Au Bon Pain. Offering a wide assortment of deli foods, they have a good number of sandwiches, wraps , soups, and burgers. They also have fries, which neither Au Bon pain nor Starbucks offers, which is a plus. The staff is attentive and helpful. Seating is mostly outside, and there are usually lines, though it is generally less crowded than Au Bon Pain because there are usually very clearly defined lines.

Oh, and the coffee is strong and rich. But in terms of variety, both Au Bon Pain and Starbucks have it beat.

Drawbacks include the expense. It's almost as expensive as Au Bon Pain, but the food is better. Also, the lack of indoor seating is of course problematic when there's inclement weather.