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Back before Franklin St. became the main channel for Williamsburg's gentrification drift, the Greenpoint Coffee House was a godsend: retro without being self-consciously nostalgic, casual but not affectedly detached, it reflected its scrappy, sleepy surroundings. Now, with an assured clientele, it has lost much of its charm. The setting remains a draw: with four cushy and cavernous booths, black wainscoting, tin ceilings, and a white-tiled floor (to say nothing of the stately wooden coffee bar), the GPCH has the feeling of a locals' hash-house circa 1943. But this decade’s hash—including entrees on the recently added dinner menu—are hit and miss. Lunchtime offerings, like the silky grilled smoked salmon, cream cheese, and scallion sandwich on fresh, not-too-crisp sourdough bread, are satisfying and thrifty; each sandwich comes with a mesclun salad, though the sides are uninspired. The GPCH remains the best place to get a decent cup of coffee in Greenpoint, but it falls short of being a dining destination. — Mark Holcomb

Grilled smoked salmon, cream cheese, and scallion sandwich, $7