Dames Coffee Espresso Bar

Such a cute and adorable place. I don’t visit grove street that often but when I do, I always come here. I love their almond latte and the banana bread is to die for!

I haven’t actually tried the coffee here yet but they make a great chai latte! It’s a cute little place but with some seating and free wifi to do work if you need to. They also have a secret garden in the back that is so cute and perfect for warm days.
I also tried the blueberry muffin they have here and it was so good! I wonder where they get their pastries from or if they make them…
The baristas were friendly and quick to take orders. I was here on a Sunday morning and it wasn’t too busy. Curious to know if they get busier on weekdays. The location is a few blocks away from Newark Ave so it’s a little off the Main Street which might keep it quieter.
Overall I would recommend coming here for a pastry or coffee. They don’t have any savory snacks or sandwiches though. I would give them 5 stars but they only take cash!

They only take Cash here. BUT it’s the only coffee spot in the immediate area so I had to walk across the street to the supermarket to the ATM. Also, the latte and espresso were just flat out not good.

«Cant stop wont stop» — young gunz
Cant stop and wont stop going here. Mom and pop stores where consistency and pride of ownership shows are so much better than corporate coffee. This place uses as much organic stuff as possible and takes pride in their work. When the last time you got latte art at starbucks? Only minor issue is cash only and hard to find parking. Awesome place overall

Best ice earl grey latte in town. Cozy and comfortable vibe around. Kind and warm staffs. Try the backyard in spring and summer.

It’s a neighborhood place, and is probably great for a residential neighborhood.
I was in the mood for hot chocolate and asked the woman behind the counter, what is in the hot chocolate. Alright, maybe I could have passed it better, but i didn’t expect a laugh and a slightly condescending answer of ‘chocolate and milk’. I expect a café to tell me what kind of cocoa powder. When I elaborated, she looked confused and tried to check, but couldn’t figure that out either. So… you don’t know what kind of hot chocolate you serve???
I then decided to go down the safe route of tea… which also failed to impress me. their green tea tastes like toasted rice tea from a Korean restaurant, and less like green tea. I also had ‘the diplomat’ which is a bread pudding with filling in the middle. This was also ok, but didn’t strike me as a memorable bread pudding or pastry.
The space is cute and no one rushes you, but it’s small. The total number of seats can’t be more than 14, and that’s with everyone elbow to elbow.
Overall, the woman annoyed me and their offerings couldn’t make up for me. So I can’t say if recommend coming back.

Not a big coffee drinker so can’t speak to that. But don’t buy the gold colored rings they sell by the cashier. The color will wear off within 3 times of wearing it even if you avoid getting it wet. I mentioned it to them and they don’t care.

Poor customer service. To begin with no greet or smile, when I placed the order for cappuccino and mocha, she without asking assumed it’s to-​go and started filling the disposable cups, when I told her it will be for here, she made annoyed face expression.
I forgot to tell her to make my cappuccino hot, so when she gave it to me it wasn’t even warm. I asked it will be ok to just microwave it but she insisted on making a new one. The new one wasn’t hot either. And on top she made a comment, «next time let know before hand if u want it hot». well no next time for me. I’m not coming back to this attitude. I bought a banana cake and chocolate croissant and she was super annoyed to warm up my croissant as well. And it’s cash only. Cappuccino and mocha were average taste nothing special.

My go-​to café in Jersey City. I get the latte and banana bread. Coffee is strong and they use locally sourced milk. The banana bread is just the right texture and not overly sweet.
If you get a punch card, you get a free drink after 10 purchased drinks.

Really don’t see why people are rating this place so high. I ordered a café au lait and it tasted extremely watered down. I also got a shot of espresso, which was okay at best. They also only take cash, which I know seems to be all the rage these days for «hip, non corporate, mom and pop shops,» but it’s definitely an inconvenience and a little behind the times considering that it’s 2016 and there are a ton of options for small businesses to use low cost solutions to process credit card transactions.
The Wi-​Fi wasn’t working as well and when I brought it up to the barista she seemed pretty clueless and didn’t really offer a solution or explanation other than «it doesn’t work sometimes.»

I’d like to preface the following by saying 3^rd wave coffee is my thing. Any time I travel, the first place I’ll visit is a highly regarded espresso bar. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ve been to at least 100 shops just like Dames from San Diego to Seattle to Bar Harbor, ME. I pull shots at home myself most of the time, but love going out when I can.
That being said, my go to drink is half espresso, half milk. Nothing fancy. Some people call this a cappuccino (technically correct), others a flat white… Everyone seems to call it some thing different… So I just say «half espresso, half whole milk».
I want to split this review into equipment and barista ratings.
Equipment: my god, their La Marzocco is beautiful, I get turned on every time I see it. Their grinders are equally capable. They use counter couture beans, which I assume are of appropriate age. Equipment wise, they’re set up to make some great espresso.
Baristas: here’s the issue. Notice the word «Baristas» is plural. First, there’s almost always a language barrier. I’m fine with people speaking other languages… but if some one can’t speak the prevalent language in an area well enough to understand an order, it’s a problem.
Second is their methods. I believe they consistently improperly tamp. With the machine they use, the tamp and grind are just about the only variables, yet I get over and under extracted shots about a third of the time. There’s several other gripes, but this review is long enough already.
When making iced drinks, please combine espresso with a medium (like milk) before putting on ice. Ice melt depends (exponentially, actually) upon the difference in temperature of its surroundings. Therefore, allowing the milk to cool the espresso a bit makes for less melted (immediately, at least) ice than if you combined the espresso directly with the ice. Picky? Totally, but why not do it in the correct order.
In all, I have to give these guys a two star. With proper barista training, this place could easily be a five star.

Not the greatest cuppa cawfee. Certainly not 2.50 for a small cup. Nothing special about the taste or the aroma that I can try and help out this shop. I am not trying to be mean at all! I just have a hard time letting go of 2.50 for about 10ounces of coffee. I can go to Dunkin and get over 20ounces for the same price. Sorry I really wanted to like this place because we are working right down the road for a few months

Dames always servers their lattes and the perfect drinking temperature. Why is it that they can get it so right. I loved this place when they were in Hoboken, and now, in JC, I will choose my path of daily tasks if it allows me to stop in here for a cup. They have Wifi too…

So I tried this place, went around 6pm. Extremely friendly staff, it’s small but really cozy. I got the butterscotch latte that other Unilocal reviewers had recommended, I wasn’t too wow’D by it. Also tried a chocolate croissant it was good. Maybe I need to try this place more earlier during the day. We sat in the back they have a backyard, patio area which was nice and quite. Overall good experience, I would try it again maybe a different coffee this time. should always try things twice in life.

I’ve been on a mission to find the best coffee in jc and Dames is leading the pack ! Just has their iced vanilla latte and watched them grind the fresh beans into iced espresso goodness. Strong but not bitter, sweet but not overpowering, it was perfect! Oh and the almond croissant did not disappoint either ! Will def be back! Only minor hassle is they only take cash.

Awesome coffee shop in JC. I ordered the butterscotch latte and WOW it was amazing. Loved the simplicity of the menu as well as the simplicity of the interior. Front of the coffee shop has seating for maybe a handful of people, however the garden in the back is the real treat. At least 3 large tables in the back. In addition to the standard coffee/​latte menu, they also had an iced tea menu which looked intriguing. I’ll definitely be back to #1 — get the butterscotch latte again and #2 — to try their iced tea.

Wonderful, peaceful coffee shop with excellent coffee drinks, a nice patio, and great staff.

Great little spot. The coffee and pastries are very good, and the atmosphere is wonderfully quaint.

I was very impressed with the quality of the coffee. We tried a regular latte and a butterscotch latte, both of which exceeded our expectations. I’ve had my best lattes in NYC, but Dames Coffee is one of the few that stands out on this side of the river. The only drawbacks are that they’re a cash-​only establishment and the space is quite small, so finding a seat can be a challenge. I’m curious to visit again during springtime to witness the garden that everyone seems to rave about.

Small coffee shop in downtown Jersey City. I really love the vibe of this neighborhood joint and their coffee.
But the coffees are quite pricey and they have limited seating. During the day this is a great spot to come in and get work done. But I have seen it get quite busy on weekends!
The snack and pastry selection is unreliable. They are freshly made which is great, but because of that they usually have very few options since it is a small place
The disappointing part about this place is the service. Last few times I have been there people haven’t been friendly at all and it has been very slow service. Just smile a little and be a little more welcoming, please!
And as other reviews mention — cash only!