Java Central

I want to love Java central but after today I don’t know. First you stand at the counter for several minutes before any acknowledgement then the order taker acts like he is doing you a favor by taking your order and like it’s your fault he keyed in the wrong thing. Then wait 5 minutes for your drink and eat your cold scone. It is cozy inside but the customer service needs some work.

Friendly, quick service. Love to hang with my girlfriend and our dogs and have coffee

This is my go to coffee house in Westerville to sit and relax, drink a hot beverage and cozy up with a good book. There is a lot of seating both inside and out and some days there is even live music. I particularly like all the artwork hanging around the store which you can buy as well. If you are looking for a place to relax or meet up for a cup of coffee with a friend, this is your place.

Love this place. I really enjoy the atmosphere and the live music events.
Their regular coffee and espresso are great, but I also love their white hot chocolate with caramel.
Cozy place, good coffee, reasonable prices. Sounds good!

Very friendly, accomodating, and tasty! Need I say more? Great location to hang out and read, study or hibernate with a friend! Pumpkin spice chai latte… I hope it doesn’t go away

Really nice coffee shop. There’s art and sometimes even jewelry for sale, done by local artists. Coffee is delicious too. The sitting rooms are very comfortable, lots of big fluffy chairs. There’s outdoor seating as well for when the weather is nice.

This was our new go to place after we moved on from Starbucks. Very homey, lots of nooks to have semi-​private conversations, decent prices, good menu selection.
However, what used to be charming is just now shabby. The carpet and parlor chairs are filthy and way past their prime. They just need to be be replaced with something that can withstand the abuse from people who think they’re at home. The last time I was there I sat by the window looking at garbage on the outdoor tables along with the pile of cigarette butts on the ground that had clearly been there a while.
Otherwise the atmosphere is great with the live music and locally-​made gifts, but I’ll be looking for somewhere else unless they give the place some attention.

It’s Java Central. It is what all coffee houses aspire to be. Their drinks are yummy, and there’s scones, and sandwiches, and comfy chairs, and an awesome interior, and an acoustic open mic night that’s actually usually pretty good, and it is literally impossible to not love Java Central unless you just hate coffee house, in which case you’re weird, so who cares? It’s the ultimate coffee house. It’s the best.

They had almond milk which was a plus in my book, but I was put off by the numerous «this isn’t a cafeteria don’t bring your food in here» signs. Seemed a little passive aggressive but I am sure they have had issues which lead to their frustration. The décor was eclectic/​antique. I loved the striped wall but not the stained carpet and seats but I do love they support local artist of different mediums and their chai tea latte was delicious.

I can sum this place up in one word: cozy.
Ok, Ok, I won’t stop there. Some highlights from my visit:
–Lots of little rooms and nooks with comfy furniture to sit in.
–Friendly barista
–Destination doughnuts! (I didn’t order one, but I love that they carry them)
–Great dark roast and espresso
–I noticed they have live music and open mic nights; not while I was there, but how cool!
–Local artists showcased all over the walls
I love everything about this place pretty much.

Many complain that some treat coffeehouses like they’re in their own living room – feet up on the table, back slouching on the sofas, sleeping, ect, you know, the things I do– but they can’t blame us coffeehouse bums for acting like we are in a living room at this downtown Westerville establishment, a place that is decorated with several Victorian pallor like rooms. Complete with vintage furniture, some striking art, and even bongo-​drums, the rooms here are impressive. Certainly this place attracts the bookwormish out from their Otterbein dorm-​pits.
The art adorned rooms are in the back. The front is standard mom-​and-​pop café, wooden tables and booths. They could use some of their pallor room theme upfront; especially in need of rethinking is the view into the kitchen, as it is more hole-​in-​the-​wall than it is plush. The old appliances and stain floors clash with the remainder of the place. The help could use a smile as well; my barista looked like a Dickens character – an orphan gone without gruel– her frowning disposition was not welcoming. Though if she’s one of the artist with an exhibit in the barista art room, all is forgiven.
Java Central strength lies in it environment, not in its coffee. I had a mocha and it was standard. It’s no secret that I love good interior design, original art work, and bongo drums – but the coffee has to match. The café mocha here was uninspired, and I really want to find a place were design meets function, and mocha meets art. It is not here, not yet.
Of course if I lived near by I’d be here more often; would love to have such a reading environment in the Northwest. Yet for the rating. It’s the eternal battle between 3 and 4 stars. I want to rank them higher than ‘meh’, but not degrade the 4-​star either; for if I did that I would star inflate the meaning of 5-​star, which in turns degrades 4-​stars, which then weaken 3 into some ‘sub-​meh’ category, while keeping ‘meh’, making 3-​stars some junk yard of several different subjective grades… man, first world problem.
In the end, Java a good place to get some standard coffee, read and think. It would be an excellent place to read the paragraph above and think about what the hell I was trying to say.
Oh and I also had a cookie… it was a little bit above ‘meh’.

My issue with this place is not the coffee, but the customer service. The staff has no skills in basic etiquette, such as greeting you with a smile or thanking you after paying. They seem genuinely annoyed to be helping you. I’m well aware that being friendly isn’t cool for hipsters, but if you’re going to employ them, you should at least give them some basic customer service training.

While looking for a place to read in Westerville, I found this place and thought I’d give it a try. I used to go to the same Starbucks all the time, but recently have been searching for a new place – more indie if you would.
After skimming through the menu, I was surprised at the variety of Chai drinks they had. If I remember correctly, they had original, cinnamon, vanilla, apple, pumpkin Chai lattes! Suggested by the barista, I tried the vanilla Chai and I must say WOW! It was creamy and rich of the Chai flavors. Starbuck’s chai can be a bit diluted, but not Java’s! I would definitely get it again, but maybe with fewer pumps of the sweetener – it was a tad bit too sweet for my taste.
If you walk farther into the store, you’ll find that this place has a few rooms full of tables and chairs AND artwork hung on the wall! So it’s like an art gallery slash coffee/​tea place. It makes an ideal coffee house for people who want to study or read!
Although, there seems to be live music at certain times of the day/​week, so if you’re trying to have some quiet time, you should definitely check their live band schedule before you head on over.
If you would rather enjoy the nice weather, they do have quite a few outdoor tables and chairs next to the store. I took advantage of it when people started to gather inside for the live music. :)

I’ve been getting coffee from Java Central for years since I was a undergrad student at Otterbein. Back then I wasn’t much of a coffee lover but things have changed in the 5 plus years since moving out of Westerville.
The charm of Java Central is the same as I remember it from when they opened years ago. It is a cosy place to sit back with your cup of coffee in the Westerville winter or sit out front in the summer sun.
The staff of Java Central were super friendly, something I had forgotten living in the big city of Chicago. I ordered my large iced Americano and added a bit of cream. Which was the same quality of *gasp* Starbucks and cheaper too. It was the perfect compliment to my doughnut from Schneider’s and a great accompaniment for my drive back to Cleveland.

Quickly became my favorite coffee shoppe in towns. Great ambiance, a plethora of comfy seating options both inside and out, very nice art throughout which is awailable for purchase. Live music Friday and Saturday evenings, reasonable pricing and some really great caffeinated beverages. I’ve sampled a really nice mango smoothie which was tasty, but the crown beverage which keeps me driving from Gahanna to Westerville to sit and sip whilst reading is the Apple Chai. Dear lord, is it tasty. I’ve been told it smells like dessert, and is divine.
If you wanna make a day of it, park, visit the wonderful Chocolaterie Stam, Java Central, Farmers Market and grab a bite at Pasquales. You can even finish with drinks at Jimmy Vs!

I’m a coffee junkie so someone recommended I try this place. So glad I did. The staff were super friendly. Looks like husband & wife team. I ordered the island dream which was soooo good and I’m addicted to Starbucks so I rarely try others coffee. But this coiffed was great the place is really charming. Perfect for meetings and small gatherings. I found my new favorite place!

This place is really adorable! Separate rooms with colorful paintings makes it a nice environment to come enjoy a quiet conversation or read/​study. There are game boards that people can play. The place is decorated with tables couches, chairs that all have their own character.
I’m not a big coffee drinker so I can’t say much about the coffee. Tea is just stash tea bags, but I’m happy with that.
Only two complaints– depending on the time and day, it can be loud if there are large groups here playing games or having a book club. Also as I’m sitting here, the internet is having trouble with my mac, so not good if you’re here to work on research projects (or watch hulu!).
I think I’ll come back soon to check out the live music they have on Saturdays. Overall, it’s a very nice enjoyable place with minimal noise level (compare to most coffee shops around Columbus).

Their drinks are awesome always on point and way better than Starbucks. The Customer Service is always very friendly and professional.

Because I do about 60% of my work online, I spend more time in coffee shops than any reasonable human ever should. Java Central has recently become my favorite work spot.
I appreciate that Java Central has several small rooms with comfortable seating, which makes working a more pleasant experience. There is also a fair amount of outdoor seating for those rare days when the Ohio weather cooperates.
The barista is always pleasant and efficient without being overbearing. I also enjoy that the shop has eclectic character rather than the dull, overdone ambiance of the big boys. The commitment to the community is nice too — it’s great to see Java Central hosting local musicians and artists.
The coffee? Excellent. Admittedly, I usually stick to the chai charger, but on those mornings when only a large cup of black coffee will do, it’s a great cuppa joe.

iced coffee was way too strong… I almost wonder if they gave me concentrate by accident? I should have said something so that is my fault.
The soda (peach ginger) and cookie was awesome. They have music in the back and wifi works on patio.
Many groups were there studying or playing games. Such a good vibe. Staff is incredibly nice. Its like a Grandma’s house inside.