Profile

This venue is closed.

Vegans and bike enthusiasts gather for organic tea and soy burgers at this spirited Brooklyn coffeehouse, the first eatery for Brad Baker, owner of the Lower East Side cult bicycle shop Trackstar. The earth-toned room has fifteen-foot ceilings, warm brown walls, and small, square stained-pine café tables; exposed wiring, a booming indie soundtrack, and custom wall-mounted fixed-gear and racing bicycles perfectly fit the East Williamsburg location. The menu offers vegan plates with a few vegetarian exceptions—all named for famous riders and cycling trivia. These include oversize faux egg-and-cheese sandwiches, tempeh-bacon burgers, and simple salads. The quirky community atmosphere is arguably better than the food, which relies heavily on soy meat substitutes rather than inventive vegetable-and-grain combinations. All sandwiches are made with freshly baked bread from Manhattan’s Balthazar, though the thick organic pesto and spicy aioli that dresses the Peleton (provolone, sprouts, lettuce and tomato) and the Magnus (soy patty and sprouts on toasted rosemary focaccia) are more bland than bold. Even so, Boneshakers is a cheerful place to sit and talk shop over mugs of socially conscious Gimme! coffee and homemade tea-infused cupcakes. — Hillary Kaylor

Provolone, lettuce, tomato and sprout sandwich, $6.50; Earl Grey Tea cupcake, $2.50