Java Jive

Excellent coffee, but they need better pastries

Great coffee, kick ass drive thru! Wifi is free but a little slow. Not much room (4 small tables) and only 1 outlet for charging. Great customer service and a really cool scene for a Cary coffeeshop!

I personally like Starbucks better, this place is just a different atmosphere than I’m used too.

They have a drive-​through and serve organic coffee from a company in Raleigh. You get to help two local companies at once! Plus, they have a much better variety/​selection of non-​coffee smoothie type drinks than any other place I know of.

One of the few places in this area [Cary] to get a proper cold-​brew iced coffee. Customer service is always great, and the prices are reasonable. Can’t go wrong!

Coffee drive-​thru? How can you go wrong.
If you’re sticking around, expect a homey atmosphere, friendly baristas, free wifi, and giant crumbly muffins. Not a lot of space; but if there’s room for you to hang out, you should.

I have been going to this place for years, even when while the previous owner was there. Great coffee, but mediocre pastries since the new owner came on board. I think if the owner hooked up with a local baker to have fresh pastries delivered daily, that would increase their business tremendously. More advertisement so they can have extended hours as well. Their coffee is the best and way better than Starbucks, Caribou or It’s A Grind, seriously!

This is my local neighborhood coffee joint. How local? I can walk to it from my house.
I would go there though even if it were out of my way.
Why?
Because the coffee is good. You don’t realize how low the bar has been set when all you drink is Starbucks. When you take that first taste of your skinny cappuccino from Java Jive, little lights go off in your head that say — why was I drinking that crap before!
Well, a couple of reasons. Corp America brings
— convenience
— lots of choices
— many locations
Java Jive has limited hours of operation on the weekends. They only have the one location. And they run out of breaky goodies fairly early in the day.
But on an early morning, if you’re sick and tired of sitting in the SB line on Maynard and 54, stop by Java Jive!
It’s got very limited seating. If you want a local neighborhood ‘remote office’, then I would recommend going back to corporate America.

Whenever I think back on the year I lived in Cary, I always have some fond memories of Java Jive. In a town filled primarily with strip malls and local representations of large chains, this small local coffee shop with tons of character definitely stands out.
It is indeed a small, quaint shop tucked away in a little shopping complex off of Harrison Avenue in Cary. There are only a few tables inside along with a few out front as well. However, the small size only adds to the charm, as does the fact that many of the tables are those sweet looking ones with the in-​laid chess boards (or checker boards if you’re at my level). The baristas are always super laid-​back and friendly, and the menu is full of delicious coffee drinks, smoothies, teas, and pastries. They also have quite the variety of frozen and cold drinks for those hot NC afternoons. Inside, the décor is seemingly from the mind of a tribal hippie (as mentioned in some other reviews), and that fact is clearly amazing. There is always some music playing in the background that somehow jives with the décor, and they also provide an assortment of tea/​coffee related gift items. Plus they have a drive-​through! What small, local coffee shop can offer that type of convenience?
The only downside to Java Jive is the fact that they close rather early and they have very limited weekend hours. Numerous times I would pull up to the coffee shop looking forward to a hot cup of coffee and some reggae music to go along with it only to find the lights off and the closed sign in the window. But perhaps the elusiveness of the shop only made me desire it more…
In short, if you’re heading through Cary (during normal business hours), be sure to treat yourself to some Java Jive!

I love going to different Coffee Shops. They all have their personality all to themselves with a Hippie Flavor. Peace and Love. This place had that flavor. It always brings a smile to my face when you walk in and you hear Jefferson Airplane playing through the house system.
They had the usual exotic coffees with different names than the others but you knew what they would taste like. Myself, I drink it BLACK, nothing in it, just plain Black coffee. I do like my coffee served between 182 and 193 degrees. That way it is hot but you can taste the flavor. If it is too hot your body jumps in and the pain sensors take over and block the flavor. This coffee was way too hot. Coffee looses something when you let it cool down. I would recommend they serve it under 200 degrees.
They had all the extras, pastries, different cold drinks. They lady was very kind and smiled. Believe me that means allot. Everyone likes to see a smile when they walk into a Coffee House or anywhere else.
I will give them another try and revise my review. I do like the atmosphere, and it looks like a good place to sit down and have a conversation. I gave it an extra star for the music they were playing.

Looking for a coffee shop in Cary to meet a client, I came across Java Jive on Unilocal.The central location and free WIFI were great features, but the great reviews really tipped the scale in their favor.
Walking in, you almost feel transported to another place; between the décor, the softly playing Reggae-​style music, the kitschy tribal-​looking items for sale strategically peppered around, and the unusual gums and candies (and Larry’s Coffee of course) from other-​worldly countries — and this is not to mention the lovely-​looking pastries that almost tempted me.. but I went for a fruit smoothie instead. The freshness of the ingredients was evident and it was totally delish — and was just the refreshment my mouth and body needed to be ready for my meeting (which went very well).

i’ve been around the block with my coffees, and today i decided to stop by java jive for a cup of joe since i woke up at 6:30AM for no reason and watched music videos for 2 hrs.
i’m currently enjoying a soy americano and DAMN it’s good.
There’s no sourness, the soy milk is not leaving any weird flaky residue, and it just tastes so darn fresh.
The décor of the place is very bohemian hippish which i love. I will def. be back for some of their pastries at another time. That chocolate chip scone was seriously undressing in front of me today.
GOOD LOCAL AWESOME COFFEE. LOVE.

Java jive is a local owned coffee shop that really beats all it’s cororation competitors. I continue to visit this place for coffee and it never fails to impress. The mounds frappichino is amazing along with the quality products used.

I love Java Jive. I love how quaint it is. I love the drive-​through.
I reward myself every Friday for making it another week without quitting by getting one of their espresso milkshakes. The frappes are excellent, too.