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This open-air café on the front plaza of Brooklyn Public Library’s central branch in Prospect Heights is a favorite of Pratt students and (natch) librarians. From restaurateur Spencer Rothschild and Nuevo Latino chef Alex Garcia, the set-up is Cosí meets stellar street cart. Salads and sandwiches are pre-made, including a meaty Italian hoagie with a heaping helping of ham and spicy pepperoni on dense ciabatta bread. From the grill, there are hot dogs and chicken or beef tacos, which are served over a bed of lettuce. The chicken swims in a spicy tomato sauce, which flavors the meat but makes its soft corn tortilla soggy. A tweaked lobster roll is a less mushy option, with lobster and Dungeness crabmeat served next to the sweet bun so you can pile it in at will. But it’s the baked goods that really stand out here. Made fresh daily, the selection includes croissants, muffins, and a perfectly moist brownie. The indoor-lobby café has hot breakfast every morning, but come afternoon you’ll find the bookworms swigging self-serve coffee from New Jersey–based Kobriks, or Mambo’s own sweet mango iced tea while reading under an umbrella at one of the two dozen or so patio tables. — Randi Eichenbaum

Italian mixto hoagie, $6.95; brownie, $1.50