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Cai's Cafe

3.7 (156 reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

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Cai's Cafe Photos

CAI'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Hipster
Trendy
Casual

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Recommended Reviews - Cai's Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Zo M.

Love this locally owned coffee shop in the heart of downtown Machuchen. On a cold Monday came by as a suggestion from another local business and was not disappointed. As entered, we could smell the aroma of good, strongly made coffee. The chill music and vibe of this Cafe would be perfect for studying or relaxing. The staff was superb as they made the coffee extra hot as requested with a design for our Yelping images. It was easy to get to with metered parking up front and was exactly what was wanted on a cold, windy day. Return: likely

Decor
Linda M.

Cai's Cafe is a popular spot in downtown Metuchen. Very nice aesthetic with fireplace and surrounding couches and tables. The coffee is spot on but that's the limit of their range. A few pastries which looked shipped in and snacks like bags of chips. I would like to see this spot add some hot food options and fresh baked goods.

Inside
Jill C.

The wait times were exceptionally long. It took more than 15 minutes for me to get a basic drip coffee. The coffee was good but not worth the wait time. People who ordered complicated drinks after me got them before mine was ready. The staff was ok, but they clearly couldn't handle the 5-6 people in line. The decor was dark leather sofas and plenty of tables to sit. Power strips and Wi-Fi are available.

Latte

it is a good place to stay and work! Really recommend!! I like to study here!! And The coffee tastes good! Really recommend London frog

Plastic found in drink

Found this random piece of plastic in my shaken espresso. Not the friendliest of employees. Also had flimsy straws, not the best for iced coffees

View
Amelia S.

TLDR; cute reasonable cafe. Adjust your expectations. Cute place in the heart of Metuchen. Parked on a side street. Not too packed on a Sunday even though there was a street fair going on. I'm slightly disappointed since this place was so hyped but not bad. First of all, this is not waiter service. You order at the counter and seat yourself. You pick up drinks when they shout them out. Food gets delivered to you. It wasnt initially clear on coming in so there was a tiny bit of confusion. Standard cafe mismatched furniture. One of the chairs at our table was almost falling apart which didn't seem safe. Food did not come out altogether which was really annoying. My meal and my husband's came out but my mother in law only got her side plate of scrambled eggs. By the time she got her French toast, she was done with the eggs. They also weren't cooked as well as she prefers. We had to keep asking the staff for stuff - napkins, syrup (it didn't come with the French toast???), I wanted to ask for more hot sauce but the girls delivering the food didn't ask how our meal was, didn't stay, etc. they would drop our food and run. The good: I had an oat milk chai latte that was excellent. So few places can do a chai with your milk choice because they're premade usually. Like a different review said, cafe drinks hit differently when served in a mug (for here). For some reason my mother in law's tea was served in a paper cup (maybe because of size?) and she had to wait for her milk. On the bright side, she said it was fantastic decaf tea. I had the Buffalo chicken avocado mash (avocado toast). It's pretty standard - like something you would make at home but not in a bad way. Just nothing stellar. Mashed avocado. Multigrain bread. Pieces of chicken in a very creamy Buffalo sauce. Had very little Buffalo flavor. Could have been stronger. Served with good ranch on the side. Husband ordered a breakfast platter but it came as a sandwich. He didn't mind and ate it anyway. He said it was good. Mother in law got the Texas toast French toast, my brain was expecting huge thick slices, this was pretty standard bread. You can tell that it wasn't crusty or dried out bread, just fresh bread dipped in batter. So it was good but not revolutionary. Her French toast came with a huge side of fresh fruit, mostly blueberries with some strawberries. That was a nice surprise and huge portion. Bathrooms are nice and clean (two gender neutral ones next to each other)

Eggy Avocado Toast and latte
Katarina L.

I clearly don't spend enough time in Metuchen because I was blown away by how packed the main street was with amazing little shops and eateries. And Cai's Cafe is definitely one of those gems. Firstly, the two lovely ladies working the day I stopped in were so friendly and helpful. They made suggestions, didn't rush my order, helped me get on the wifi. They were awesome. And on top of just great people working here, the coffee was fantastic and the food was just what I was looking for. I got an oat milk latte and the eggy avocado toast. I love that they put my latte in a real mug because I was staying and not taking everything to go. If there is one thing that makes a cup of coffee over the top when it is already great, it is a real mug. It came out piping hot and was a perfect pickmeup. The Eggy Avocado toast was also wonderful. I ended up needing to add a little salt to give it more flavor, but it was still a perfect and filling snack. I ended up getting a tea after I was done working and the ladies helped me pick a nice herbal/decaf one. They have plenty of tables, all spaced out really well so no one is on top of each other, as well as a few couches. I stayed for awhile, got some work done and even switched from a table to the couch half way through when I was ready to unwind a bit more. The streets are lined with parking spaces (metered) and there are plenty of shops nearby if you want a spot to grab coffee and then walk. Highly recommend a stop here!

Chastity R.

Cute place with great location but that's all I can really say. The coffee was priced reasonably but rightfully so since I thought it was flavorless and tasted watery. There wasn't much selection of baked goods. The service was meh. The cashier didn't even smile or ask, "May I help you?" The barista was pleasant though. Seaters could use reupholstering but I sat in the newer looking loveseat and it was the best seat in the house.

Raspberry mocha latte
Ivan B.

Came here for coffee on a Sunday morning. It was fairly busy there. The place has nice ambiance with couches for lounging and sit down tables for food. There is a vast selection of flavors you can add to your coffees/lattes. We ordered two latte flavors that we haven't seen anywhere else. I got the raspberry white chocolate latte and my wife got the lavender latte. The raspberry white chocolate latte had a nice raspberry flavor that didn't taste artificial and the white chocolate balanced the tartness of the raspberry without being too sweet. The lavender latte was also deliciously unique. My wife wanted it to be a little sweeter so I told her to ask for some honey to make it a honey lavender latte and that helped bring out the slightly florally lavender flavor more. Overall I think if your looking for something different than your run of the mill lattes this is the place.

Single espresso

Asked for a single espresso, received what looked like about four ounces of liquid in a full-size paper cup (you can't see very well in the photo). Barista clearly did not know what she was doing

Inside seating
Latrice S.

When I first started coming here, the service was so great, food was prepared nicely, and was just an overall great spot. Unfortunately, there has been a tremendous decline in service, maybe due to staff shortage. However, their coffees, teas and breakfast options are still delicious.

Stephanie C.

Really cute cafe in the downtown area. The space was big and had a nice atmosphere. There was a good amount of seating. I had the hot chocolate and it was very good! Will definitely stop by again next time I'm in the area.

Lindsey L.

Cai's is the coffee shop Metuchen has always needed. I love walking to Cai's with my family. The coffee, teas, and snacks are great. The staff is professional and prompt. Cai's a great meeting, catch up, hang out, or study spot. There is a good variety of seating for different groups. Like most coffee shops, it can get busy and a little loud during peak times. The only downfall is you may smell like Cai's for the rest of the day, so typically I plan my outfit around a visit to Cai's and change into something else afterward if I have plans. I usually love their music selection. One time I went and they played only Lana Del Rey, it was heaven. Bring quarters for street parking.

This was literally on their bathroom wall. Ironic.

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2 years ago

Waited long for my croissant only to found out she forgot. I walked out with my croissant not warmed.

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2 years ago

I love this coffee shop!!!! Izzy is the best and I literally had the best BLT and latte ever. Thanks so much

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Cai's Cafe - coffee - Updated May 2026

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