Vernon Nordic House

Strange place in that it looks like a regular house and nothing like a bakery. The owner is very friendly though and you won’t regret getting the almond kringle. Pop your head in and try their authentic Scandinavian baked goods.

I stopped by here this past Saturday afternoon by myself when looking for some good coffee in the area. We had driven by Vernon Nordic House the day before and a sign for a Nordic Bakery caught my eye. I can’t really say that I have ever been to a Nordic Bakery and so I took to Unilocal to find out what I could get. With all of the positive reviews and in search of some good coffee I headed right over then. I arrived at the place right around noon to find an empty parking lot. The shop itself is in a former house and I had to get out of my car to confirm that it was actually open. After confirming that it was, I entered the door to find quite an eclectic looking place. There was a bunch of Nordic stuff off to my left that was for sale, a coffee bar in front of me and some couches with an old device (I am not even sure what it was) off to my right. Since there was no one behind the counter I stood there for a minute until a gentleman appeared from a side room to serve me. I ended up ordering a small Americano to take back for my wife, a large Americano for myself and a piece of the almond kringle for us to split. While the gentlemen was making my coffee I shared some polite conversation with him and found out that they get their coffee beans once a week. I was lucky enough to have him open a fresh bag for me. There was a sign in the shop that Nordic Coffee is brewed strong but not bitter and I think I would have to agree with that assessment. The coffee was really good and not bitter at all and you could tell by the taste that the beans were really fresh. I only wish that it had a been a little stronger but I can’t complain too much about that. The almond kringle also ended up really good. It was a thick like cake that was topped with some powdered sugar and almost had the consistency of corn bread. Of course instead of a corn flavor it had a wonderfully sweet almond flavor which my wife and I both enjoyed.
The bottom line for me is that I would stop by here again in the future. My wife and I both really enjoyed the coffee and dessert and I would love to try some of the other pastries in the display cabinet assuming that I knew what they were!

I’ve been going up to Vernon, NJ every winter for the past few years to go snowboarding, and the Nordic House is such a landmark to me! I can’t think of Vernon without also picturing this place.
1) The baked goods and coffee are as authentic, fresh, and delicious as it gets. And def get the kringle. It’s a MUST!
2) Gary is such a sweetheart. Very friendly and welcoming, happy to discuss Nordic culture, and makes everything with such love and pride.
3) Parking lot very well cleared making it easy to run in or chill for a bit.
I’ve never stayed for more than a few minutes, but seems like a cool place to hang out. Everywhere you look there is a good conversation starter. If you’re not hungry or thirsty, you can do a little shopping around the store, surf the Internet, or just pass the time admiring the beauty of the place both inside and out. It’s definitely a one of a kind spot in all of NJ, and worth checking out.

Great local landmark type spot two minutes from the ski resort. The anti Dunkin Donuts. Gary is a great guy and puts out excellent quality products. Hot chocolate, cappuccinos and stuff are excellent. Try the imported cheeses and pastry. Support your local family business and not a chain while in the mountain creek area. You won’t be sorry.

I stopped here today for the first time and bought almond kringle and almond bars, brought them back to the car – and when my sister and I sort of cautiously tasted them, we ran back and in bought more of everything.
Like Ryan from an earlier post, I, too, am a city-​dweller, and I thought, ‘I don’t know what this place is about, exactly,’ The man behind the counter was so friendly and funny — and the baked goods are really delicious.

I was scared going in here. Not just apprehensive, but scared.
It’s clearly someone’s house (an odd place for a coffeehouse for a city-​dweller like me).
The place was empty. There was a flickering fluorescent light. There were cabinets of fish balls in Norwegian. There was a weird computer in a handmade wood case. It was all just creepy. It felt like Saw.
But I persevered! I said «…Hello?» and Gary came out.
Gary offered us delicious handmade traditional Nordic pastries.
The cardamom bread is tasty. The almond kringle is amazing!
The coffee seemed nothing special but it’d been sitting for a while. As a black coffee drinker, coffee gets stale quick for me. But I imagine it’s decent enough when fresh.
So after the creepy opening, why the four-​star review? Simple. This place had character. In a Starbucks and Peet’s dominated world, it’s increasingly difficult to find a place with character. This is a very unique coffeehouse and you should go there.
I could easily see bringing a book here, getting a bunch of coffee and just enjoying a rainy day.
They’ll probably fix the fluorescent light and it won’t be so creepy. Besides, the almond kringle was goddamned amazing!
My only real regret is that we didn’t get a chance to go back.

«I’m not sure if you serve Swedish or Norwegian coffee, ” I asked on a recent visit. «Its Bi-​polar» answered Gary, the fellow behind the counter. I deducted a star because of limited selection, but everything they do serve is great.

Excellent espresso and cappucino. Bakery a must try the almond kringle, stop going to D&D getvto a real coffee place.

Discovered Nordic house a few years back when visiting Wawayanda and tooling around the area. Owner is an interesting character, nice guy, unusual food items, good coffee, it is an eclectic place with neat stuff happening. Surpasses the Starbucks sort of coffeehouse experience in every way

Disappointed that they did not offer more ethnic foods.

My friend: What kind of coffee do you use?
Proprietor: Good coffee.
I had to laugh. And it was good coffee, smooth and not bitter at all.
Finding this place was serendipitous. My friend and I were on our way to go apple picking (via the long and scenic route) when this place caught our eye. We were curious so we drove back the next day to check it out.
Entering Nordic House is like entering someone’s home. The people are friendly and it’s definitely a great place for conversation. There’s also a small room off to the side with books and games… very cozy and perfect for a rainy day. Another reason to go is for the scrumptious almond kringle ($ 3 for a piece), which had just the right amount of sweetness. I’ve never had kringle before but I would definitely go back for it.

Great place to stop for coffee, fresh baked sweets, Nordic imports, or just some great conversation.
They have outside tables alongside the Kubb fields. (if you never played it ask Gary, he’ll explain it: warning, it’s addictive)
If you want great stuff and want to support local shop owners not the evil corporate empires, stop by. You won’t regret it!
Be sure to ask about cheese night.