I read with rapt interest a Reddit thread devoted to coffee shops in New Jersey. Why? Because, I, like a lot of other New Jersey residents, love my coffee and get a thrill when I discover a place whose coffee (and ambiance) are either new or exciting or just different somehow.

I thought I’d post a list here if some of the Redditor’s suggestions and I did, in fact, make a list of a lot of different ideas of coffee places all over New Jersey that I gleaned from reading this thread.

But then I changed course. I wanted you to see comments and subtext, too

Lots of topics like this live on Reddit. Whether it’s advice on what to eat, where to live, or how to do stuff. But it amazed me that there were so many different options out there, including so many that I had never heard of, yet that were fairly close to where I live.

Some of the places show up by several commenters like Lucid, The Inkwell, and Small World Coffee.

So rather than handpick and list of all of these places, I thought it would be more valuable to you, the coffee enthusiast, to post this Reddit thread and the comments about each spot and allow you to decide. Check it out here.

Here are a few highlights.

Princeton's my hometown and as much as I love having [Small World Coffee] as my local coffee shop,
always wonder why they haven't expanded Both locations do so well and I could easily
see them in towns like Asbury, Montclair, Cape May etc

I have quite a few favorites lol. Van Gogh's in Union has good lattes and food, along with a very cozy
vibe. The Coffee Box in Rahway has good coffee, really good cookies, and live music regularly - you'll
want to go here earlier in the day. Cali Cold Co. in Manalapan is probably one of my favorite spots;
their lattes are AMAZING and so are their baked goods. Great vibe. Prep Coffee in Old Bridge/ Matawan isn't super cozy, but their coffee and lattes are incredible. Breakfast here is good too, so it's definitely worth a visit.

Brick Farm Market in Hopewell is really cute, they had a barista last time I was there, not sure if they still do. There's tables and chairs too

Kings Gambit in Belvedere. We buy our beans exclusively from them, amazing coffee and a cute
shop too.

Greene's Beans in Hackettstown. It's a great indie shop that's been there for more than 20 years. I
know you might not expect a great coffee shop in Northwest New Jersey, but it fills the bill. It's close
to the m&m factory. If you are in Hackettstown, the Czigmeister brewery is a must stop, too

Hug a Mug in Pompton Lakes (could it be anything but cozy with a name like that?). It shares space
with Artastic, so you can also buy ceramics (mugs, statues, etc) and paint them. They'll glaze and fire
it for you to pick up later.

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