The Coffee Cave

Coming off the train from NYC this place privies an excellent cup of Joe. I really like the vibe and décor of this coffee joint aswell as the specials. I like the soy milk latte with whip cream… excellent and always delectable goodness and sensational!!!

This place looks great!

This place is a hidden gem in Newark that you must hit up if you are in the area. I had a chance to speak with the owner during my visit and he’s super cool.
We ordered lattes and paninis and they were on point. This place has a great atmosphere and we will definitely be back to check out some of the events that go on during the week.

This place reminds me of the local shop where the Friends cast would meet up. I went there for the first time last night to watch an open mic. It was an intimate setting with a nice size crowd and a house band. In the upper level is where you can order food ie soups, smoothies, Panini, and espresso. I didn’t get a chance to try the food but I did sample some cake and it was tasty.
It a great place to do work, read a book, or just kick back. The surrounding area is pretty safe and there are a handful of other spots (within walking distance) to visit if you’re looking for something less intimate.

Excellent place to study, and work on poetry!
Free WiFi, and an amazing Mango Strawberry smoothie to go with my Jerk BBQ burger! #1ofmyfavoritespots

I don’t know what I would have done last winter with out the Coffee Cave’s spectacular soups! I def enjoy the freshly made panini’s here also (not pre made) but the soup is as delicious as homemade and unexpected in a place that seems like a coffee shop. Once you get inside you get the full vibe. What a treasure here in Newark!
Art, music and a great place to have a meeting or hold an event.
As for the signature service… the coffee… it is the best cappuccino I have had outside of Roma!

I’m all for local spots that can keep their good name because we need more local businesses, they add to the communities, offer something unique, and allow business starters a chance at success on their own.
As for this spot, I have been here for an event-​an art show a friend of mine put together-​and it went very well, great crowd, service was great etc.
Just stopped here today for lunch for first time, as I was trying to think of a place nearby that had good coffee and wasn’t a starbucks or dunkin donuts, and this place quickly popped into mind. I had espresso with cream and can say the espresso is lovely, definitely recommend! Also the owner and the employees are all very friendly and helpful, gotta love that! I also had a container of soup to go-​white bean– and it was very tasty without being too salty, so I am glad I took the recommendation ;-) I am about to dig into the veggie burger (i ordered no bread and she kindly delivered) which is actually made of veggies not just a soy patty! pretty excited right now, so overall i definitely recommend this place for lunch, coffee/​tea (they have looseleaf teas), relaxation, dinner and events, well done Coffee Cave!

Awesome grilled chicken panini and iced vanilla chai. Definitely going back.

I have only been here once so far, but I absolutely LOVED the espresso I got! My friend got a veggie «burger», which wasn’t a burger but was better! It was made with a flatbread and was very inexpensive. It was well worth it and tasted very good!
About the espresso, it was one of the only ones I have had that has not been sour. All those hipster espressos here in New York don’t hold a candle to it! You know how they explain coffee flavors like they do wine (i.e. cocoa, with a hint of sage, with the flavors of fresh tobacco etc etc.)? Well this actually had a flavor profile beyond just sour! It, to me, had hints of berries and a deep roasted flavor that reminded me of cocoa beans. Go ahead and try it! Definitely recommended and I will be back!
By the way, the owner is very nice! Smiley and very welcoming, definitely no complaints! Very fun place with a dance floor in the back, yet somehow quiet at the same time with seating upstairs at the street level. Comfortable!

The espresso is great and the prices are great. I had the Sundried Tomato panini and will certainly return to try other things on the menu. This does seem like it has more of an evening scene with music/​poetry/​open mic but was a nice stop for an afternoon coffee. This is a proper neighborhood coffee joint.

I wouldn’t hang out in this neighborhood just for fun, but I found myself at Rutgers-​Newark in search of a better caffeine vehicle than the free, sour conference coffee offered. if you’re looking for good coffee in the area, look no further. This is five-​star coffee. I can’t speak to their food, but they make their cups of «coffee» as individual Americanos, and the result is terrific. For $ 2 each, it’s a good deal to boot.
The setting is a little odd. You have to actually go down stairs from the street to enter (weird only because I’m a west coaster, I guess), and the inside looks a bit grimy at first. But there are cool couches on the first floor, plus an upstairs with two comfy sitting areas, one of which has a view of the abandoned-​looking building across the street, and the other of which has a big television. They also get props for having an absolutely spotless restroom that smelled nice and bleached and fresh and clean.

Wish I could’ve liked the place more. Really liked their cappuccino but the grilled salmon wrap was kinda meh. The wrap kept it from getting 4 stars. But based on caffeine I’d have given it 4.
I’d have loved the place back in my college days. It looks really cool and seems like a nice spot to relax with friends and coffee.
Btw. Check out the stairs! Forgot to take a picture but its definitely interesting. It’s supported by an intricate framework of pipes

My biggest fear with taking a job in Newark was finding a nice place to grab a cup of caffeine and relax on a sunny afternoon. This place is a literal hidden gem. I fear the day everyone else realizes what they’re walking past, and suddenly there will be lines out the door and hipsters underfoot. Until then, I’m going to enjoy this amazing local shop.
The espresso is excellent, I’d put it on par with Stumptown or Birch any day. The food is simple (no overcomplicated ingredient lists to deal with) and filling. Best of all they have plenty of Vegan/​Vegetarian options, and will modify any sammich or salad to fit your needs.
My absolute favorite thing about this place: $ 2 Iced Americano. A delicious, refreshing, affordable cup of fancy coffee.
Don’t go in expecting a fast-​food type of service. Make sure you have time to wait, cause it can take about 15 minutes for your food to be made. There’s only two guys there, and one of them is barista, chef and register. Be patient, chit chat with the other patrons, and leave knowing you supported a wonderful small business in a sea of hipster chains.

Came to watch MOA perform. As far as places go in Newark, I can definitely appreciate this spot. Seems very cool, gritty and young. There were several performers/​groups there that night and the place was filled with pretty interesting/​creative people of all ages.
There is some kind of bar there and I think people were ordering food (I’m bummed I didn’t get to try any)
The upstairs area us where the stage is. It’s on the smallish side and standing room only.

It is a nice hidden gem for your coffee. I also know they have house music parties on Friday night I believe. I strongly recommend you to give this place a try. It is not a popular place because the sign is not obvious which is why this place is called a cave, get it, hehe.

When seeing this café one would think its a small little place to get a cup of coffee or tea. When you walk in you see its much bigger than it appears with an upstairs dining area, a TV area, and a big room for the music events (Open mics, DJs, local artists). I enjoy the fact they show love to their local artists. Gives people a chance to see the talent that’s in their own city.
I’ve only been for the music events which all turned out wonderfully. Everyone was vibing out, enjoying each others energies. The music was good and the overall atmosphere was friendly and electric. The artwork on the walls are a plus.

I came across the place the first time I was heading over for some sushi… and passed it right by. Three or four more trips for sushi and I still passed by this place each time…
What was I thinking? The smells emanating from this little cellar location should have been enough to bring me in… Epic Fail on my part (it really is a hidden gem). I finally stopped in one day after picking up my sushi because I wanted some soup to go with it. They seem to have new soup specials each day-​which is nice-​so I asked for a recommendation on the soup, told them I just wanted something without peas and I took a big cup back to the office with me (it was a chicken soup, I think he told me Senegalese). Soup was fantastic. I mean excellent-​with just the right amount of seasoning without being overly salted, it went very well with my sushi. I’ve only been back one other time and had a tortilla soup which was also excellent. Yes, I love soup, so finding a place like this was great for me.
Not the place I would normally go to check out one of their events, but I will keep going back as long as their soups are still this good. I will say that parking around here sucks, but parking in the area for ANY place to eat sucks.

One of the things I love about Newark are those unexpected hidden gems that you find. The Coffee Cave was one of these for me.
This place is on Halsey St near to some other cool spots (27 Mix, Elbow Room, ArtKitchen, etc.). I have always been able to find metered parking, even during the day. Park on New St if you have coins and Halsey St if you want to use a credit card (you can use coins too).
This is kind of an interesting spot. You have to go down some stairs to enter so it is kind of hidden. There is seating both upstairs and downstairs.
The vibe was quiet and low key, but calming. The owner (I think) was helpful and offered me a sampling of the Sengalese chicken peanut stew/​soup. Boy was it delicious. Seriously, that itself is reason to come back. He offered me some bread which turned out to be a whole wheat flatbread of sorts, grilled and topped with pesto Yum!
The chicken peanut stew was awesome. I got the smallest size which was perfect and actually really filling (chicken and peanut butter I guess). If you like peanuts/​peanut butter in your food (think thai food for example), try this. At least ask for a sample!
I sat upstairs for several hours and did some work. They have a few outlets as well as wifi. Soft music played and it was just a good environment– calm and very chill. I had a latte which was good– it was sweetened so I couldn’t really judge the quality of the coffee but it seemed okay.
I will definitely be back. A hearty $ 4 cup of soup, nice atmosphere to work, and supporting a local business? Win on all counts in my book. I think they have music or shows or open mics at night. Not sure which; maybe all of the above. There is also a big screen TV.

A gem of downtown Newark. I discovered this great underground café by accident as I was riding down Halsey. There are a few places being renovated and the north end of Halsey is starting to look like the beginnings of a West Village.
As you walk down the stairs into the basement the tiny storefront opens up into a two-​story space with an inside balcony on the 2^nd floor and tables along a large window overlooking the street below. The interior is pretty cool and hints of 70’s urban punk replete with metal fences and homey couches. The space is large but the number of places to sit are limited, which kinda adds to its charm. The best seat in the house for sunworshipers or outdoorsies is the lone French bistro table with chairs on the sidewalk right in front. This is what lured me in in the first place.
Coffee Cave Also hosts resident house/​edm dj’s on certain days. The owner is young and friendly. Plus you can tell how seriously they take the music: the Pioneer mixer and dj setup when you first come in, the professional flyers for their events, and the fact that the owner himself sometimes spins.
It’s not like Newark has tons of cool places like this. Coffee Cave is def worth checking out.

This has become one of my favorite spots for lunch. They let you try their soup without hesitation. My favorites are: curry chicken chowder, shrimp corn chowder, Mexican tortilla, and New England clam chowder. Their mushroom panini is also very good and the person behind the counter is always friendly.