Every single time I walk in, I am greeted by employees and the owner if she's there. It feels so warm and welcoming. There's always a calming, warm feeling at the music is always loud enough to hear but low enough for you to hear the people you're with. The patrons are also speaking at a respectful level. You could sit next to someone and not hear their conversation. Now to the good stuff. I'd say it is a *bit* expensive but considering the area, it makes sense. "Why not go to dunkin or Starbucks which is a rock's throw away? Because the coffee is amazingly fresh. The menu is extensive yet not overwhelming. Get there early so you don't miss the best pastries even thought they're all pretty good. Breakfast sandwiches take a minute to come out but it's all handmade in the back. We love it here. read more

Service was amazing all the staff was friendly and welcoming. The music in here was r&b and it was an entire vibe! Great ambiance big space relaxing great art work around . My cinnamon roll latte was delicious and omg I want to go back already! read more

Elitist Coffee - Cinnamon roll latte - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

We attended an album release party of a singer-songwriter friend of ours and they totally turned the coffeeshop into a vibey MTV Unplugged-type set. Their staff was super helpful as must of us needed a bit to balance between order warm beverages and giving our friend ample time to perform. Only major drawback was parking, which might be a downtown South Orange problem. read more

Cozy, calm cafe! My friends and I spent hours there - eating, sipping coffee, listening to the live music. Seating area is very space and the food & drink service came out fairly quickly. I love this place and look forward to coming back. read more

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You know you got something good when you walk in and the tunes are mellow. Staff very friendly and welcoming, the manager is just amazing. This is a mother-daughter business and they roast weekly in house. I got a Cuban, OMG very flavorful, I got a 16oz with oat-milk. The coffee itself was freaking good. Not that burnt stuff that you get at other establishments. The cinnamon in this was just on point, reminded me of how I had coffee in my yester years. I have not had a decent cup of coffee like this in a Sunday in a long time. The people here were working on their laptops and having interesting conversations and the RNB music in the background, provided a mellow vibe and ambiance to the place. All the thnes I grew up listening to that were some of my favs, back then. Reminded of some good times!! read more

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The coffee here was great! The pastries were fresh! I enjoyed the music they played and how it was a nice place to do some work. The mother and daughter that own the spot were very nice and welcoming. read more

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Elitist not so Elitist. Not exactly sure what I did to the world this week, but this is the second less than average experience in two days. Ordered an oat latte, almond cappuccino and a spinach danish. The oat latte came in a large mug and was good, however the almond cappuccino was meh just didn't taste what you'd expect and per my partner was in the sweet side it also came on a to go cup instead of a mug. Maybe they didn't have small mugs? The spinach danish was good I enjoy these anywhere and it's hard to get this one wrong. The environment is in the loud side with music playing. Plenty of space and cold as all the tables sit under an vent or another so bring something warm to wear if it's summer! read more

Elitist Coffee - Oat latte - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

Got the opportunity on this beautiful fall day to step inside and see what it's like. It is quite big inside. I love the ambiance of big open space to sit and get work done while sipping a cup of coffee. There was a couple of groups there and music was playing but still the noise level was bearable. Not loud at all. The cashier was friendly and knowledgeable in telling me what were the ingredients in the dishes I was considering. I settled on the turkey croissant with a house salad and a coffee. When the person brought me my food, I noticed that the coffee had been spilling in the carry tray. A bit surprising as it must have been filled to the brim. In any case, the coffee was good, hot but wished it could be hotter. The sandwich and salad was tasty yet could use a bit more of the house sauce to give it some oomff. I would visit here again. read more

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I love this cafe, or at least I thought I did. My great experiences were turned upside down when I went here on a Thursday afternoon to work. I got my usual coffee and a pastry. My partner got the cuban coffee, which is always delicious, and their turkey jalapeño sandwich. The sandwich comes out and it looks like it may be good. Covered in jalapenos and cajun seasonings, it was too d*mn spicy to enjoy. Like unbearably spicy! I told my partner to see if she could get something else, since it was unbearable to enjoy. She likes spice, but not to this degree. The manager/owner went on to tell her that there was nothing she could do, and if she was to give her a pastry or accommodate her, it would come out of her paycheck. I'm guessing she didn't realize the $30 we just spent actually came out of our paychecks as well. As a business owner, you should accommodate your patrons and try to make it right. They wanted us to spend more money on top of the money we had already spent, in order to be accommodated. My partner wasn't asking for her money back or another sandwich, just management decorum, and class, in which Shauna so terribly lacked. I now know where they got the name Elitist from, not because the service is Elite-but because they portray an elitist attitude towards their hard-working patrons. Needless to say, I won't be coming here any longer as I'll be taking my talents to Jackie and Son. read more

Elitist Coffee - Caramel macchiato crème danish - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

Beautiful cafe I was told about that I am very impressed by. The quality of the lattes, teas, and food are beautiful. They have lots of light, comfy seating, and beautiful black art on the walls. This is now my go-to cafe! I'm only giving 4 starts because my salad that went with my sandwich never came and I didn't realize it until after I left. read more

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Great coffee and really nice atmosphere! Their baked goods are also delicious! I got their almond croissant and a mocha! Great portions and wonderful service!!! read more

A great place to grab a drink or get some work done. I haven't ordered any meals but their pastries are great and their drinks are very fun and tasty. The coffee is strong and they have enough roast options to make things interesting without being overwhelming. read more

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Wanted to like this place but the baked goods tasted like cheap frozen supermarket, even my kids spit them out. Disappointing.

Clean and comfortable with decent coffee. The server was nice. I used Zelle to pay . I'd go back. read more

I was quite excited for their reopening and after waiting a couple of weeks for their soft opening to get things sorted, I arrived today, in their grand opening. The space is wide and spacious, and quite clean. We ordered an almond milk cappuccino, an oat milk latte and a spinach danish to eat in. We weren't given an option to heat up the danish so it was a bit cold, but okay. The coffees were pretty bad. The almond milk cappuccino was so foamy and sweet, and somehow arrived in a to go cup. The oat milk latte was super hot, and I burnt my tongue on it. There are so many outlets available, for those looking to do some, but it's quite cold with air blowing directly on the tables and very loud. read more

Elitist Coffee - Almond milk cappuccino, spinach danish and oat milk latte - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

This has to be one of the worse fronts I've been to. This whole cafe literally attempts to generate money in anyway. They make you pay for hot water, a quiet "corner".... Rude denies service dogs. He said and I QUOTE " The state of New Jersey doesn't allow dogs" really curt and with attitude. I'm not interested in the overnight danishes or the over priced savory goods. Or even the invasive waiter looking into my cup every 10 minutes to see if I'm done. read more

Food, service, and ambiance were great. Great location in South Orange - parking lot fills up quickly but there is lot and street parking fairly close by. read more

Beware of this business, the owners Sharon and Shauna Arnette are truly ELITIST. So the name Elitist coffee is quite befitting. My partner and I went to grab coffee and lunch at their cafe as we've been doing every Friday for the past three months after discovering them. Unfortunately, because of the poor service that we received today we will NOT BE RETURNING. I ordered two coffees, one pastry and a jalapeño Cajun turkey sandwich. All of which costs me around 30 dollars including the tip. After taking one bite of the sandwich, immediately my mouth started burning. I opened the sandwich and noticed they cut small pieces of what had to be an entire jalapeño and put it inside the sandwich. The spice was immensely overpowering and too spicy to enjoy. I apologized and kindly asked the barista if I can exchange for something else. She went to ask the owner Shauna and she came over and said I can give you a discount but not a refund. I explained that I did not want a refund but it would be unfair to pay for something I barely ate. In an attempt not to be combative, I kindly asked the barista perhaps if their was someone else I could speak to. While I waited at the table, Shauna aggressively came over and said " if I give you a pastry, it will come out of my paycheck but sure go for it". So I asked her, did you say it will come out of your paycheck?" She repeated herself, shrugged her shoulders all while rolling her eyes. Not only was this comment uncalled for, but it was rude and embarrassing. We left without eating anything after spending 30 dollars. I should also mention that I told her I'm leaving a review and she said she didn't care. This coffee shop supposedly prides itself on being for the community but these women do not know how to run a business. They are rude, unkind and do not value their patrons. Unfortunately they've now lost two consistent customers. We will not support rude business owners. Shauna Arnette said it would come out of her paycheck to give me something in exchange for what I couldn't eat. Not realizing that I spent my hard earned money to support their business. Don't waste your money here. read more

Elitist Coffee - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

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Super cute coffee shop! Very cozy feel and amazing chairs. The coffee is delicious! Wish they opened earlier for the morning commute! Also the music was on point this morning! I will add to my cafe rotation! read more

Elitist Coffee - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

This cafe is what the doctor ordered ! The teas, coffee, pastries and other healthy fresh prepared plates are to have you coming back for more - Dr Linda S Cameron read more

Quite a nice spot. The coffee is medium roasted, not burnt. Spacious inside. Friendly staff. Parking can be dodgy, though.

Food and drinks are great. Workers are friendly. Space is nice. But the owners need to get a better grip on how things are run. A few years ago I was in and there was this young girl I think that went by the name of Chloe, and she was great. I believe she went to Jespy house. The next day she wasn't there. I think they fired her because of her disability of what she could and couldn't do. The owner yells at the employees behind the bar and I don't think that's right for them to do. The food and drinks are very overpriced. Will never come back after how they treated that young lady. read more

Had a great visit here. Sharon and her daughter were very welcoming and engaging which is exactly what I like when it comes to customer interaction. They spoke about all their offerings and brews without being pushy about it. I went with the dark roast which was nice and bold, not piping hot and all the subtlties I could taste. I am by no means a coffee snob but this was good. Normally I like a little sugar and cream in my coffee but this barely needed anything because the slight flavors were present without being weak. They have various pastries on hand which they'll happily heat up. I had a ham and cheese crossaint and it was great, the ham had a nice smokey flavor, the crossaint had a buttery flavor and it just hit the spot. Elitist like many coffee shops has a nice setting with easy coffee shop music going and table space to work sip and relax. I'll be back and would recommend for any coffee lovers or those who want something more cushy and fancy than Starbucks or Dunkin' which are in town. read more

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$11.50 for a large iced latte with a flavor and WHOLE milk? I've never even seen that price for coffee in NYC. Spend your money elsewhere!

Avery nice place in nice area , elegant warm for coffee and pastries, And food too ! We have been here twice, and definitely will come back read more

Elitist Coffee - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

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I went for a private event and found the establishment to be pleasant and comfortable. I am not a coffee nor tea drinker. However, it seemed to be ample options to choose from for coffee and tea drinkers. I did like the sweet and savory food options and the service was friendly. read more

Asked for an Espresso and the girl behind the counter said "what is that" !!! If you don't know what an espresso is in a coffee shop to then you should close your business immediately. In addition the prices are insanely expensive. I walked out. Do not recommend in any way. read more

Great family owned local coffee shop in town. I am in love with their spinach pastry. It tasted delicious and fresh. Every time I go I try to switch up my drinks as they have great offerings. Great atmosphere an service. If your ik town I recommend stopping by read more

Walked in on a Saturday afternoon to grab a quick drink to go. There were least 6 employees that were just standing around chatting and had a "can't be bothered" attitude to greet/help us for a few minutes while wrapping up their conversations. Overall, not a great first impression. Ordered a small vanilla latte and small matcha latte, which came out to $14 (which is very high, even for South Orange). It took awhile for the drinks to come out and we were quietly optimistic that the quality would make up for the iffy start to our visit. When they finally did come out, the drinks were unfortunately quite bad. The vanilla latte tasted like sweet milk, lacking any trace of espresso, and the matcha latte was bitter and just bad. I always try to support small, local businesses as much as possible. Great potential, but missed the mark this time. Giving 3 stars since the space was nice and the art was dope. read more

We're recent transplants from BK and have been looking for a coffee spot w a cool vibe. This meets the mark, and also have a great line of coffee options. read more

Thanks to the fabulous Yelp reviews, I found Elitist Coffee while visiting the South Orange area. I made a quick pit stop to pick up breakfast and coffees for my family. I had an iced latte that was great. To be fair, I don't know if I've ever had a bad latte from any legitimate independent coffee shop. It tasted exactly like what I expected. No cold brew unfortunately so I grabbed a couple of iced coffees too that everyone was happy with. For food, M and I split a bagel breakfast sandwich with taylor ham. The flavor was great but they definitely needed to toast the bagel for longer. It wasn't crispy at all. We also shared a raspberry lemon scone that was fantastic. Perfect balance of sweetness to tartness and not at all dry the was scones can get. It was definitely the standout to me. If I'm in the area again around lunchtime, I would definitely come back to try some of the amazing spread of cold salads, dips, and Mediterranean vegetables they had in the prepared food case. They looked amazing! read more

Coffee was solid , ordered a Oat milk latte. I admit I am a sucker for good latte art and I was disappointed that the latte lacked it . However the taste was spot on . I also order a cranberry scone. The scone was delicious. It has the texture and flakiness of a biscuit more then a typical scone but I loved it . Wasn't dry at all and it bursted with flavor . A subtly sweetness from the cranberry and sugar crystals on top complimented the latte perfectly. I made sure to match every bite of the scone with a sip of the latte. The pairing together was great. Prices seems a little high which is why it gets a overran 4, but truly great taste which the food items that I got . read more

Elitist Coffee - cranberry scone. It may look unassuming, but it was the star of the meal - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

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Great coffee and good pastries served in a really pleasant space. But this is consistently the slowest cup of coffee in town. If you're not in a rush it's a great spot, but if you are, consider one of the other coffee shops in town. read more

I am so happy this place opened up. South Orange is a college town, and it's been sorely lacking on the coffee front. Enter Elitist and there's now a place to get a fine cup of black coffee or a great cappuccino. I tried both of those, and they were both well over the bar. Black coffee. Smooth, low acid, bright flavors, with some citrus and dark chocolate flavors, a pleasant bitterness. Cappuccino. Smooth shots pulled with properly foamed milk. Easy and refreshing. Add to that that it's a comfortable place to hang out, with big round standing/stool tables and plenty of room for several people to work. As this place becomes popular, they might have a space problem, but for now, it's a solid 5/5 keeper. read more

Elitist Coffee - Cappuccino. - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

The coffee is great. It's run by Sharon and her daughter is the cook. They have pastries and all kinds of coffees. The general manager is Brian . **** 4 star cafe . We are here every day . Our hangout . The staff is frie Jill and Paul Jacobs South Orange NJ read more

I really wanted to give this place more stars, but I was given the wrong order initially and to adjust and change it when there weren't many people there took a little too long to adjust. Also, to overcharge for food/coffee (which is really delicious btw, but was turned off by the mix up in service) and then charge $10 per hour to use the "office center" is a little ridiculous. read more

Very friendly staff. They have free wifi and outlet at each table. I had iced coffee and it was good. I will definitely come back and try out other things on the menu. read more

Elitist Coffee - Inside - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey

Coffee and pastries were exquisite, and were priced accordingly. Music way too loud to hold a conversation or sit here and work - I could barely even hear my podcast through my earbuds, and the loud music led to the man at the next table shouting a conversation on his phone. Items like napkins, salt, etc. should be easily available by the sugar packets and should not require a trip to the back. It seemed like most tables did not have outlets. Again, the food and coffee were SO GOOD - as someone who works from home, I'd love to come here regularly to work, but the prices, noise level, and uncomfortable/raised chairs (I like my feet to touch the floor), and small inconveniences will force me to remain an infrequent visitor. read more

Visiting from LA for my little one attending seton hall university this coming fall, for an orientation. I came across the Elitist Coffee walking around familiarizing myself with community. Elitist Coffee is my coffee house I will frequent when I come visit my little one at seton hall university. Glad to have found this location. A gem of a place! read more

Visited for the first time today. It's a beautiful space and the menu seems great. I really wanted to love it because I live nearby, but I need to give an honest review. I do believe that they are short-staffed, so I will return again in a couple of weeks to support this great addition to the area. First, the ordering takes too long. The person taking orders must have pressed 50 buttons on the screen for a large latte and overnight oats. There was only 1 dedicated barista with 6 tickets waiting. There were 2 groups in front of me. My latte took 25 minutes. That's a long time, especially if you pop in for coffee and need to get back to work. Latte was good, but the chai overnight oats basically just had cinnamon and nothing else. See picture. For $7, some fruit and seeds and granola should be included. Staff was friendly, music was nice. I think if they get more staff and offer more coffee options, it will be an awesome coffee shop. I am looking forward to trying again soon. read more

Elitist Coffee - Chai overnight oats ‍ - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - South Orange, New Jersey