Cork & Bean Oshawa chose to call the police on a peaceful, paying customer for wearing pro-Israel symbols and having a calm conversation. Let that sink in. My friend -- a Christian, not even Jewish -- was meeting with a pastor for coffee. He was wearing an IDF jacket and a Star of David necklace while discussing a recent trip to Israel. No shouting. No confrontation. No disruption. Just coffee and conversation. An employee called Durham Regional Police. Officers showed up and told him his conversation was "offensive." When asked what was said that violated policy, no one could answer. No rule cited. No clear complaint identified. Just vague discomfort -- and removal. So what exactly triggered this escalation? Not behavior. Not threats. Not harassment. Symbols. And Israel. Calling the police on someone because others don't like what he's wearing or the country he's discussing is cowardly and discriminatory. Businesses don't get to selectively silence viewpoints they don't agree with. And weaponizing law enforcement to remove someone over perceived "offense" is an outrageous abuse of discretion. If Cork & Bean believes visible support for Israel warrants police involvement, they should say that publicly. If they don't, then they owe an immediate explanation and apology. Until management addresses this directly and transparently, this establishment does not deserve community support. Do better. read more

In late July, my best friend and I met up for some shopping and dinner in Oshawa. We also wanted to exchange birthday gifts. The place where we had dinner had tiny tables. We decided to find a cafe and casually open our presents there. We both yanked out Google Maps on our phones. She had mentioned that she had been to a Cork & Bean in Peterborough and and liked it. I trusted her judgment and said yes. I indicated that we needed to go up and hang a left. She felt that it was the other way around -- down and hang a right. When it comes to directions, she has the better track record since we've known each other. However, she realized that she had read the map wrong and I was correct. It felt like a small triumph, but I'm not the type to rub it in. I'm not horrible at directions. She is better at it. We walked over to this cafe. It may have taken three minutes. We had to wait for the light to change, so we could have done it in two minutes. This cafe had all the windows and doors wide open. We walked in and found a table to plop our stuff down. We then headed over to the counter to check out what we'd like to drink. My friend ordered an iced coffee with oat beverage. We both liked that there were dairy alternatives. She's vegan. I'd prefer to go lactose-free. I saw a sign that said that there were seasonal flavours. I asked the helpful man at the counter if it applied to iced coffee. Yes, it did. He could make any drink seasonal. Nice! I got a large iced peppermint latte with oat beverage. I paid with a credit card. I tapped and tipped. All was great. My friend got her drink first. Moments later, mine was ready. I thanked the man and headed back to our table to join my friend. There was live music at this cafe. We were here on a Saturday evening. Jordins ID (no apostrophe to indicate possession, which seemed odd) was playing. She was great. It was nice to have her in the background as we chatted. My drink was awesome. It was cold. I liked the peppermint with the coffee. It worked out nicely. A customer had brought his dog in. This cafe is obviously pet-friendly. It was nice seeing other customers ask if they could pet the dog. The owner was nice and said yes. The dog seemed to enjoy the affection and attention. We had a nice time chatting a bunch more and opening our presents. It was the perfect place for what we wanted to do. The menu also has beer, cocktails, and more. I saw a bunch of desserts in the display case. Since we had already had dessert with our dinner, we skipped getting any food. This cafe is in downtown Oshawa. It's free street parking on weekends. I enjoyed hanging out at this cafe. It's a nice place to grab a drink and chat, while taking in some local, live music. It was perfect. (341) read more

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Been to the place a few time, great atmosphere, great vibes. Lovely service. Recent complaints about asking someone to leave apparently had to do with the patron crowing about war crimes in Gaza. Maybe just have a coffee when you go, and don't loudly delight in the wholesale killing of kids and forced starvation of a population. Some people just want to have an espresso. read more

Cork & Bean gave me the feels in a good way, like goosebumps of excitement when you're anticipating something great. Seriously, when I walked inside this beauty of a place it felt as warm and good as throwing on comfy sweater. If you're wondering: 'how could a cafe/bar deserve this kind of praise?' I will explain why. Aside from the obvious chill vibe that the music and the super friendly nice staff were emitting, it felt like you could relax and unwind here, either alone with a book, or socializing with friends, any day of the week, since they're open 7 days a week. Now that's what I call reliable. After sipping on an Americano made from good quality beans from Phil and Sebastian's Coffee Roasters, I could tell that the owners were passionate about coffee, plus they have an awesome craft beer menu and wine. Tried their croissant, Nanaimo bar and an apple scone which was a good accompaniment to my drink. I took a mini break to eat, drink and read in peace before making my way out the door. What impressed me and captured the vibe was their enthusiasm for progressive thinking, which I noticed displayed on their front doors with posters and flags prominently draped throughout their establishment. It's nice to see the valiant efforts of businesses that take a stand against intolerance or prejudice of all forms. With a great menu, good hours and central location, this rustic cafe was like a shining beacon of light. You can buy Cork & Bean gift cards online to spread the love. They have a Peterborough location in addition to their Oshawa locale. read more

Cork & Bean - Hours - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oshawa, Ontario

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Great staff great food! I had a matcha latte with lavender syrup stirred to my liking and tried the pastrami on rye, which is delicious!

Lovely little coffee shop in Oshawa. We sat at the couch on the second floor. I am short and find the many tall tables aren't comfortable for me to sit at. We sat, drank our lattes, which were very good, and caught up on emails. The banana carrot bread was amazing! We never felt like we shouldn't be there so long. Cozy atmosphere. Great art on the walls for sale. We will be back. read more

We picked up an Americano while we were in the area. The cafe is nicely designed and the barista was very courteous. The coffee tasted amazing, I would definitely recommend to visit... read more

Precursor for my review: i do not drink alcohol so this review is strictly for the coffee aspects of the shop. This is easily the best coffee spot in Oshawa. Not for people who like "fake" coffee. But, if you're into espresso drinks or 3rd wave coffee this is the place for you in Oshawa. They also have an amazing root beer called "babbling brooks root beer" if you're into that kind of thing. read more

Really enjoyed my rainy afternoon here... the ambiance is 5/5!! Tried manchester fog for the first time.. I believe the difference was that instead of vanilla syrup, it's with spices like cinnamon instead.. i still prefer my usual london fog w soy milk better! Would def be back if it weren't so far... what's not to love for a cafe that has mixed seating, coffee, booze, and food all in one? Highly recommend it as a place to get some work done, or catch up with friends... love love love all the different seating and furniture- 3 floors to choose from and you CAN reserve tables. Try it today! read more

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My favourite cafe in Oshawa. So many places to sit and the coffee is great. I love studying here!

Stopped in for lunch. Friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Not sure about the previous review, because the cappuccino and sandwich I had were both great. I can see during the warmer months that it would be much busier with UOIT's satellite campus across the street. Would definitely like to come back and try again with friends. read more

1 Star for the atmosphere. I really WANTED to love this place.. but oh boy their drinks are horrendous. The people working there are lovely, but..... oh god, they are not going to last long if they don't fix something. I had a nitro brew.. small cup $6-&7 bucks- not worth it but cool concept. My friend got a london fog which tasted like water... she went back to have them remake it and all they did was add a tea bag and it still sucked. The next day I came back and got a Carmel Latte...which tasted like SEWAGE. I haven't tried their drinks, but I do not think I will be back. read more

drip coffee was so bitter i could drink it. chucked it into the first garbage can I came across.

Super cute little space. Love the decor and layout; ample seating options of all kinds on 3 levels, plus the drip coffee, cappuccinos, and scones are good. I've been twice and will be back again for more! read more

I popped into Cork & Bean for the first time on March 3rd with a friend. We had been looking for a local coffee shop with a great vibe and even better coffee. Cork & Bean met both of our expectations wonderfully. The ambiance is both sophisticated as well as casual with it's mix of exposed brick, tin tile on the face of the bar, metal, wood and the piece de resistance being the large reclaimed wood table in the lower level. The wood's natural fissures and cracks artistically filled with none other than wine corks and coffee beans. A truly unique touch to an already unique space. We stayed for caramel macchiatos and one of the most delicious butter tarts I have ever had the pleasure to taste; but we were just getting started. We, of course, had to move onto the wine list and their delightful homemade cheesecakes served in mini mason jars. We were impressed with their carefully curated wine list and chose one that we did not often see on other lists. Both the wine and the cheesecake were sublime. I was so impressed with the vibe and the staff that I went home that evening and sent an email to the lovely owners, Diana and Lorn, and requested to host my birthday party in their space at the end of April. In the interim I stopped by a number of times, alone and with friends, for coffee, tarts and pleasant conversation with their charming staff. The party was a smashing success! Their staff were friendly and wonderful. The charcuterie boards, salads and butter tarts they prepared were marvelous and the evening was topped with sabering of sparkling wine! It was everything I had hoped it would be. And I know that they made some new fans that night. I would encourage you to stop by and check them out. You will be happy you did! read more

This is the best coffee house in Durham Region. Great coffee, excellent charcuterie and huge selection of beer. Atmosphere is relaxed and service is so friendly. Check it out! read more

Really chill vibes and good coffee. I don't drink but they got a lot of alcohol choices. Staff was amazing and friendly. Honestly, just a good experience read more

Best find ever. Espresso delicious and scones were perfection. In 17 years of travelling between London On and East coast, currently St Andrews NB this is may favourite. I love pure unadulterated espresso with savoury baked goods and the Cork and Bean nailed it. I will always time my trip to be able to stop in both directions. read more

Excellent coffeehouse! I popped in to kill some time on a Thursday night. Happily they were open until 11. There was a two man band playing! YAY I love this. Staff was amazingly friendly, and the atmosphere was incredible. Beautiful decor. I will be back. read more