Posted on January 4, 2023 by Hunter Hulbert - Community

New Jersey is a densely packed state, but we’re also a hyped-on-caffeine one with our abundance of coffee shops. Spending time in a cozy cafe is one of the best ways to laze away a cold, winter afternoon. Plus, ceramic mugs make excellent handwarmers! Below is a small list of interesting places to go. We recommend finding a coffee purveyor near your exit because we all like to be in a place where everybody knows your name.  

Celebrities spotted at Sugar Tree Cafe include ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ star Teresa Giudice. Photo courtesy of Sugar Tree Café

Sugar Tree Cafe in Nutley is a place to be seen. This Instagrammable cafe, opened in May 2021, attracts bloggers and local celebrities. Owner Jack Bermeo said he wanted a place to bring people together after experiencing the isolation of the pandemic. The aesthetics of the cafe — a bold library, a leafy green space and a “babe cave” with purple couches — are the perfect backdrop for social media posts. Those who snub coffee will love the cafe’s decadent milkshakes!   

Many of the beans at Boonton Coffee Co. are African in origin, with some Central and South American staples. Photo courtesy of Boonton Coffee Co.

If you’re trekking up Main Street in Boonton on a Tuesday morning, you might smell beans roasting at Boonton Coffee Co. The roaster is a fixture in the 3,000-square-foot space opened in early 2022, having moved from a smaller location down the block. The focus is on “making a very basic coffee very correctly,” said manager Andrew Fairleigh. Many of the beans are African in origin, with some Central and South American staples. Pour over style is recommended — the fun is choosing your beans — and don’t be surprised if the barista serves it with a description of its flavor notes.  

Other quality places to buy a cup or purchase beans include Penstock Coffee Roasters in Highland Park, Boxwood Coffee in Westfield and Summit, Black Swan Espresso in Newark and Turnstile Coffee Roasters in Belmar.   

Bwè kafe in Hoboken and Jersey City supports Love for Haiti, an organization offering higher education scholarships to Haitian youth. Photo courtesy of bwè kafe

For those who balk at the cost of a cup of coffee, spend money guilt-free by patronizing cafes with a philanthropic mission. For instance, Ethan and the Bean in Little Falls is not only a working cafe but also a nonprofit organization that trains and employs people with intellectual and development disabilities. Or head north to bwè kafe in Hoboken and Jersey City, which supports Love for Haiti, an organization offering higher education scholarships to Haitian youth.  

Adopt a new house plant and perk up with a cappuccino at PlantShed, the Englewood outpost of a Manhattan florist. Photo courtesy of PlantShed

Look for good coffee in unexpected places. Freedom Coffee Shop is located inside the RTSP shooting range in Union. The cafe, open weekends, serves Black Rifle Coffee, which is a veteran-owned company based in Utah with a loyal brand following. Adopt a new house plant and perk up with a cappuccino at PlantShed , the Englewood outpost of a Manhattan florist.   

The Sunday Motor Co. Cafe in Madison hosts classic car shows on Sundays and takes its coffee just as seriously as the vintage wheels. Photo courtesy of Sunday Motor Co. Cafe

In Madison, a shuttered autobody repair shop was transformed in the fall of 2019 into a light and airy cafe. The Sunday Motor Co. Cafe hosts classic car shows on Sundays and takes its coffee just as seriously as the vintage wheels. There, you’ll find Parlor Coffee, a Brooklyn roaster, and housemade flavored syrups, which change seasonally. During the winter months, flavors include peppermint, maple and five spice. It’s worth leaving home for the warm maple oat latte.   

And if a sweet, hot drink isn’t compelling, then enjoy another benefit of visiting a local cafe. As Hannah Goldback, manager of Sunday Motor Co. Cafe, said: “The real reason you’re coming here is for community and connection.”  

Shira Vickar-Fox is former managing editor of New Jersey Jewish News. She’s a content developer and regular contributor to NJ Advance Media publications.

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of Jersey’s Best. Subscribe here for in-depth access to everything that makes the Garden State great.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Delivered to your inbox every other week on Thursdays, Jersey’s Best is pleased to offer a FREE subscription to Garden Statement, highlighting the most popular Jersey’s Best content.

Barista in Linwood,NJ, is fantastic coffee shop

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

JUST IN JERSEY EVENTS MAGAZINE NEWSLETTERS JB MERCH