Cai's Cafe
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Cai's is a nice cafe to study at in Metuchen! I recently caught up with a friend here and we also decided to do a co-working session! There is free wifi and the drinks here are good. They do serve food so if you get hungry you can order a salad or sandwich. They serve both breakfast and lunch! Most cafes also aren't able to accommodate or modify matcha into an Americano style (where it's just water with no milk) but Cai's is able to!
Love coming here just to have me time. Service was great, the cookies were too sweet for me, the latte was perfect, I prefer it hot(is it possible to request that?) over all the place is cozy and warm.
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
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.
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.
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)
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!
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.
environment 10/10: i love the windows in this cafe. its on the corner so they have a lot of windows/natural sunlight so it was nice and i love the festive decor that they had inside. this place is definitely suitable for large parties and offers a variety of seating choices. parking 5/10: street parking.. (parallel parking is hard for me) menu 9/10: i wish they offered more of a variety of brunch items but the drink options were spectacular i got a hot chocolate bcs i was craving something warm but it was delicious price: $$ read more
2 months ago
My husband and I were in the area and wanted to grab a coffee. Cute cafe with a nice sitting/working area. However we weren't the biggest fan of the drinks, The latte was good but had a lot of foam. The matcha was fine but didn't have a strong matcha taste and tasted very milky. I did ask for less ice so this contributed to the extra milkiness. A large hot latte with white mocha and peanut butter and oat milk and a special ice matcha came to $17 and change. We were both a little shocked by the price. It's $0.50 a syrup, not sure if oat milk was another extra charge. For the price I'd expect both drinks to taste amazing. Cute cafe but think I'd try someplace else next time. read more
8 days ago
Cai's is a nice cafe to study at in Metuchen! I recently caught up with a friend here and we also decided to do a co-working session! There is free wifi and the drinks here are good. They do serve food so if you get hungry you can order a salad or sandwich. They serve both breakfast and lunch! Most cafes also aren't able to accommodate or modify matcha into an Americano style (where it's just water with no milk) but Cai's is able to! read more
11 months ago
Love coming here just to have me time. Service was great, the cookies were too sweet for me, the latte was perfect, I prefer it hot(is it possible to request that?) over all the place is cozy and warm. read more
6 months ago
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 read more
5 months ago
6 months ago
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. read more
2 years ago
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. read more
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) read more
5 years ago
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! read more
2 years ago
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 read more
3 years ago
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. read more
2 years ago
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 read more
1 year ago
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. read more
4 years ago
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. read more
5 years ago
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. read more
7 years ago
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. read more
2 years ago
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 read more
3 years ago
I used to be a near-daily regular for 2 years; however, for certain reasons and events, I stopped going because I felt unwelcome on the basis of my identity and not my character. Prior to that, I genuinely felt a sense of community from the baristas and the other regulars, especially coming out of the pandemic. I made a lot of friends through this space and have fond memories. 1 star for the friendly baristas who work hard to keep this place afloat. They- the people behind the register day in, day out- really do a lot to create a welcoming atmosphere and community. The work that they put in deserves to be commended, and I stand by that. They work hard with what they are given in order to create a good customer experience. 1 star for the ambience that actually made the place feel cozy and the okay coffee (see other recent reviews). The food is okay too but overpriced for what it is in quantity and quality, especially when compared to other options nearby. I don't think this is a reflection of the baristas but more of business practices. 1 star for the good memories. I really wanted to continue liking and giving this place my business but alas. Minus 1 star for what was said and done. Use your judgement when patronizing this cafe. Tip your baristas. And take advice from their bathroom walls: Be a nice human. read more
If you're looking for a hip place to hang with a good coffee and great, live music --Check our Cai's Cafe. The ambience is hip, there's plenty of seating, and a good variety of menu items. The caprese toast was tasty. The live musician was very talented. The only downside was street parking and the staff could have been a little more attentive. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
So let me start by saying this is not a breakfast place this is a coffee shop. They try to make themselves look like something that they are not my wife and I want to try a new place on a Sunday morning for breakfast so we decided to give cai's cafe a try my wife started with an ice lavender coffee and I went with a plan americano ice coffee her coffee was ok because it had lavender syrup in it and not so much coffee but mine was extremely disgustingly strong to where it give me a headache for food they don't have much to choose from as they only have a 2 x 2 griddle in the back and no kitchen my wife order a BLT with avocado and I ordered a grilled cheese with avocado and mine literally looked like a two-year-old put it together and it's really hard to mess up a grilled cheese it did not taste good at all. My wife's Sandwich was depressing She sent back the first one because there was barely anything on the slices of bread and the bread was not toasted The second one that they gave her barely had a quarter of a piece of bacon on it and that is the picture that I posted That bread was also not toasted if you looking for a breakfast place do not waste your time or money and don't come here there's so many other better places around that have better food and better coffee oh and the best part 2 coffees and 2 sandwiches $38 I mean really ? No thanks never again read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
Recently visited this place again and we tried different coffees the coffees are freshly brewed and tasted great. The coffee flavours are really good and the croissants are also great. The place is cozy and the people are welcoming as well. read more
6 years ago
My mom, sister and I popped into Cai's Cafe on a Sunday for lunch. None of us are in this area all to often so the cute outside appearance and fairly full house is what got us in the door. After reading the menu they have posted up on the wall, we all decided to get a sandwich of some sort. My mom and I both got the chicken pesto sandwich while my sister had the three cheese grilled cheese. The sandwiches all came with chips. My sandwich was fresh and filling, but lacked in flavor and wasn't very memorable. It definitely could have used more pesto. The multigrain bread was good, but I wish it had been better toasted like we had been told it was going to be. I was honestly wondering if it had been toasted at all. My sister said her grilled cheese was just alright. I tried a bite of it and thought it was very cheesy but that's really all I can say about it. Service was pretty slow. Our three sandwiches took quite a bit of time to prepare and we had to remind staff of the beverages we ordered a couple different times. The cafe was crowded at the time we were there, but at a place where customers seat themselves they really had me scratching my head. All in all, I definitely wouldn't go out my way to return to Cai's Cafe but they did provide us with fresh food that filled our bellies so three stars it is for me. read more
2 years ago
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More info about Cai's Cafe
420 Main St
Metuchen, NJ 08840
Directions
(732) 243-9926
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https://caiscafe.com
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