Are you the kind of person who needs a piping hot cup of coffee to kick-start your day?
Maybe you look forward to sipping an iced latte in the afternoon.
No matter how you take your java, there's a place at the Shore to find it– and we're not talking about the chains. These small, locally owned shops can be found up and down the Shore, and thecoffee is top notch.
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Booskerdoo Coffee & Baking Co., Asbury Park
Great coffee and good food await at , which roasts its beans and bakes its treats in Asbury Park.
There's cold brew on tap, a light roast called Jersey Diner-Style, a light and dark blend called Black &Tan, steamed Earl Grey tea with milk and vanilla syrup, hot and iced chai lattes, and cold brew with malt syrup and milk.
To eat, try a breakfast sandwich on an everything roll, a tomato and pesto tart, or a flaky fruit-filled hand pie.
Go:1321A Memorial Drive; 732-361-5261, booskerdoo.com.There also are locations in Fair Haven, Monmouth Beach, Red Bank and Holmdel.
Busy BeeRoasters & Coffee Shop, West Long Branch
Harnoldo Bezerra grew up in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a part of country where the soil is rich and perfect for growing coffee.
"We have coffee plantations everywhere," said Bezerra, who at one time owned a coffee farm of his own in the country, which is the world's largest coffee bean producer.
in West Long Branch, he displays bags of raw Brazilian, Costa Rican, Mexican and Guatemalan beansand roasts them in house, a process that turns turning the pale green beans a rich, dark brown.
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The beans become fresh-brewed coffee and espresso-based drinks, which customers enjoy with Brazilian specialties likepão de queijo, a fluffy cheese bread;broa, a sweet or savory cornbread; and custard-filled doughnuts called sonho.
Go:71 Route 36, West Long Branch; 732-483-6370.
Cafe Volan, Asbury Park
If a perfectly pulled espresso or decadent chocolaty mocha is your coffee of choice, don't miss this hip shop on busy Bangs Avenue.
The cafe is lined with small tables, perfect for sipping solo or with a friend, and the counter is manned by baristas who really know what they're doing. Quality coffee comes from the cafe's sister company, Maiden Roasters, in Neptune.
Try a regular drip coffee, an Americano, a latte, cold brew, cappuccino or mocha, which is one of the best around, thanks to the way the chocolate syrup is incorporated. The barista drizzles it into the cup and slowly turns it, coating the inside with chocolate before adding espresso and milk. The techniquedelivers chocolate flavor withevery sip.
Go:510 Bangs Ave.;732-455-3399, cafevolan.com.
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Coffee Talk, Stone Harbor
If you’re a Swifty, a visit to thisStone Harbor coffee shop should be on your to-do list.. Coffee Talk is where Taylor Swift got her start, performing acoustic shows when she spent summers with family as a child in the quaint beach town.
The shop has eclectic décor and a cozy atmosphere. Old newspapers cover the walls and mismatched chairs and comfy couches are spread throughout.
The menu includes flavored coffees like bananas Foster, Hawaiian hazelnut, oatmeal cookie crumble and old-fashioned doughnut. They also have cold brews on tap, golden milk, matcha, teas and espresso drinks.
Go: 299 97th St., Stone Harbor;609-368-5282, facebook.com/coffeetalk.nj/.
Divi Tree Coffee, Point Pleasant Beach
The best coffee shops should have a good vibe, and Joe and Maylon Torrisi's Divi Tree definitely checks that box.
The laid-back shop has something for everyone, from light to dark roasts and every kind of hot and iced drink you could want– including a frozen mocha coconut drink and frozen hot chocolate, which are perfect for summer.
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If you're hungry, try a slice of housemade coffee cake or a breakfast sandwich. The Torrisis make one of the best around, thanks to freshly baked sweet rolls that get toasted on the grill.
Go:2615 Bridge Ave.; 732-206-6275,divitreecoffee.com.
Hayday Coffee, Atlantic City
If you’re at the Central Pier Arcade, take a five-minute walk and grab an iced coffee – or hot, if that’s your preference – from Hayday Coffee.
Atlantic City’s first independent coffee shop was created by local friends Evan Sanchez, Loryn Simonsenand Zenith Shah in 2017. The shop’s name was inspired by the original Boardwalk rolling chair, which was introduced in the 1880sby William Hayday.
The trio crafted a menu that features drinks for coffee, tea and hot cocoa lovers, including drip coffees, nitro cold brews, red-eyes, flavored lattes, matcha lattes, chai, herbal teas and seasonal hot cocoas.
Breakfast items like oatmeal, oat bowls and yogurt, and baked goods – Italian almond ricotta cake and lemon bars – are also available.
Go: 155 S New York Ave, Atlantic City;609-300-5142,haydaycoffee.com.
How You Brewin, Surf City
Located just steps from the beach in one of Long Beach Island's busiest summer towns, How You Brewin is a great place to grab an iced latte before you hit the sand, and it's close enough to return for lunch.
In addition to the regular roster of hot and cold drinks, the coffee shop also has frozen horchata, a Mexican rice and cinnamon drink mixed here with cold brew; nitro cold brew; and whipped cream-topped toffee frozen drinks. To go along with your drink, try an oatmeal bowl, asmoked ham and cheddar sandwich with apple butter, or a tuna sandwich made with fresh fish brought in by the commercial boats off Barnegat Light.
Go:8 N. Long Beach Blvd. in Surf City,609-494-2003,howyoubrewin.com.There is another location at14 W. 19th in Barnegat Light,609-494-9391.
Ocean City Coffee Company
If you’re on the boardwalk in Ocean City, stop by the Coffee Company for beans roasted in small batches bythe beach.
The shop offers 110 different types of freshly roasted gourmet coffees and more than 18 varieties of specialty teas. You can find eight pots of freshly brewed coffee daily and more than 20 latte flavors at the shop. There are also blended coffees,smoothies and refreshers –perfect forsummer.
Go: 916 Boardwalk, Ocean City, 609-399-5533,oceancitycoffee.com. Other locations include1066 Boardwalk, Ocean City, 609-399-5533, and 917 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, 609-399-5533.
Offshore Coffee Roasters, Long Branch
Feel like grabbing an iced coffee on your way to the beach? Pop into Offshore Coffee Roasters, a small-batch roaster pouring hot coffee, cold brew, espresso-based drinks, iced mochas and matcha. The cafe also servesseasonal breakfast toasts, smoothie bowls and salads, and cookies, plus bread and baked goods from New York City's famedBalthazar Bakery.
The shop was born of owners Jack Campbell, Jason Fernandez and Ross Mackay's love of coffee: They started their business with a tabletop coffee roaster in Campbell's basem*nt.
"This is kind of passion project that grew legs," Campbellsaid.
Go:57 Brighton Ave.; 732-908-3105,offshorecoffeeroasters.com.Also find their coffee at E. Holland Sundries, 126 Main St. inBradley Beach, and in co*cktails at Colts Neck Stillhouse, 304 Route 34 in Colts Neck.
Rook Coffee Roasters, multiple locations
Eleven years ago,Holly Migliaccio and Shawn Kinglsey decided to quit their corporate jobs in favor of a much different pursuit: coffee.
And pursue they did. The childhood friends traveled the globe in search of great coffee, which they now serve at 11 Rook coffee shops in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Customers love the New Orleans style, a dark roast with chicory that comes in hot and cold brew; the mocha style cold brew; and seasonal flavors like toffee, mint and pumpkin.
Go: Rook Coffee Roasters is in Manalapan, Freehold, Colts Neck, Holmdel, Red Bank, Little Silver, Oakhurst section of Ocean Township (two locations), Long Branch, Wall and Point Pleasant;rookcoffee.com.
Ventnor Coffee,Ventnor City
Grab a cup of joe and a brownie bite from Cookie Tilland Kim Richmond’s coffee shop and walk two blocks to the beach.
Since 2015, thefriends have offered innovative baked items paired with fair-trade coffee and organic teas.
The shop’s look was inspired by shops the two had visited in their travels. Till and Richmond experiment daily with natural ingredients and showcase their interpretation of small-batch baking.
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Everything is baked on-site, including paleo, gluten-free and vegan options, which change daily and highlight local seasonal ingredients.
Go:108 N. Dorset Ave, Ventnor City;609-992-3046,facebook.com/ventnorcoffee.
