My little guy loved the new Oreo pancake. Always a solid stop for coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner. read more

Griot Cafe - Oreo pancakes - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

We stopped in the Griot Cafe the other day to get out of the cold and enjoy some warm beverages. The spacious place was nicely decorated with bright colors and modern, comfortable furniture. There were Afro-Caribbean paintings on the wall that matched the cuisine and heritage of the cafe. The food menu included unique and interesting items like Samosas and Creole dishes that I would love to try on a day when I was more hungry. On the afternoon that I visited, I just stuck with a Matcha Almond Milk Latte, which was probably one of the strongest I had ever had! It was definitely more matcha-heavy than it was milk-focused, but I needed some caffeine to wake me up for an evening event that I was attending, so it all worked out for the best! We sat and enjoyed our drinks in the incredibly relaxing atmosphere. Despite being during the hectic holiday season, we felt no need to rush and could simply sit an enjoy the calm. There was an excellent soundtrack playing great tunes that reinforced that sentiment. It all made for a nice lull in the day before our busy evening, and I would love to go back and try their culinary items next time. read more

I am very happy to have finally had a chance to try Griot! The café is spacious and very welcoming and comfortable, with good music playing and friendly service. My husband and I each ordered a Griot sandwich which is served with plantain (think a large tostone) in place of bread. I ordered mine with pork and an added egg on top, my husband ordered his with chicken and added bacon. Both were delicious, the kind of meal that leaves you entirely satisfied afterward, but I think we would both give the edge to the pork! Despite being fully satisfied with the sandwich, I finished the meal off with the beignets covered in chocolate sauce. It was a perfect dessert and well worth the calories. My husband also really enjoyed the fresh juice that he got, I don't remember exactly what it was, but it had beets in it. I'd highly recommend a visit if you're in the area! read more

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I absolutely loved this place so much that I went each morning on my Jersey vacation. John was super personable and remembered our names since the first time we ordered. The Griot was probably the best coffee I've had. Perfect ambiance and the food was all phenomenal!! Thanks for the hospitality and great food/drinks! read more

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I stopped in while visiting the area and ordered a cold brew, but they didn't have enough left to make a full 16 oz. They offered me a smaller pour, and I appreciated that they still served what they had rather than turning me away. What I did get was smooth, flavorful, and hit the spot. The interior is stylish with a laid-back vibe, but I took my coffee to go since I was just passing through. read more

A cozy but very spacious cafe right on Central Ave. It's perfect for bringing your laptop and getting some work done, dropping in with a friend or even your kids. I stopped in looking for a new space to hunker down and work for a bit and have seen Griot Cafe pop up on Yelp a few times. I stayed for awhile so I was able to try a few different things, all wonderful! The oat milk latte was strong, hot and just the kick I needed in the morning. I paired it with the chocolate croissant for something sweet. They had a few other sweeter and tastier looking pastries like beignets but I didn't need that level of sugar just yet. Next up around lunch time I tried the kale caesar wrap and it was so tasty. Crunchy greens, delicious dressing (and I am not usually a crazed caesar gal, and all on a good wrap. It was such a hearty wrap I could barely make it through half before deciding it will be my lunch the next day. Lastly, I tried the flu guardian which was hot ginger, honey and lemon tea. It was delicious and loved that bite of strong ginger. The space was lovely with music just loud enough playing throughout, art for auction up on the walls and lots of tables throughout. Like I mentioned above, they have a whole area set up just for kids with big comfy chairs and lots of books. Looks like a perfect place to let them play while easily keeping an eye on them. Will definitely return to try more of the menu (teas and food)! read more

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My favorite cafe in my neighborhood I love their iced caramel macchiato and egg and cheese sandwich is DELICIOUS. Great spot to work from home. read more

Came in on a weekday morning, wasn't too packed. When I stepped up to the register I did not get acknowledged. One of the guys just looked back at me and kept making coffee. I thought that was rude and just hoped it didn't go downhill from there. A minute later another guy stepped in behind the register and took my order, not sure which of them felt the most rude. Like not really rude but you can just tell this guy does NOT want to be there. Made my order. Got my food. It's only 2 ppl working so expect to wait a bit for your food, it was fine but more ppl started coming in therefore you def need more than two ppl. It is definitely a come to chill and work vibe. Many ppl sitting seemed to be in meetings (some virtual) other moms and their babies/toddlers lounging. Some even reading. Very chill vibe. When leaving, the guys were very friendly. Especially the first one that was very standoffish in the beginning. I got the waffles and berries - 10/10 The waffles had cinnamon in them and were delicious. My boyfriend got the chicken and waffles and that was also a 10/10, and he's very picky with his food. I got the beet juice and that was a 6/10, there wasn't much ginger in it. I didn't really drink it. My boyfriend got a strawberry banana smoothie and that one was a 10/10 Def a very good breakfast spot!! read more

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I walked in- no one behind the counter, waited at least 2 mins to be greeted by someone. The gentleman came out from the back on his phone, ear bud in one ear and greeted me okay but after, instead of making my beverage right away he left to the back and I can hear him in conversation, another minute til he walks back up front, scrolls on his phone, puts it down, then makes my dri read more

Chose this spot to trial a chai latte fix while in the area, on busy Main Street so it's a good idea to park when you see a spot! Walking in, I was surprised at how large & deep the space is! It is also an art gallery with great modern cultural artwork that is up for purchase... they even have a kids corner with uplifting books & worldly insights which is truly ahhhmazing to see :) The menu is African-Caribbean which is super unique & very appealing! I didn't have the time to spend for food, but I actually got side tracked with my craving & went with their Zen smoothie which interestingly uses avocado, vegan GF protein, choice of mylk, milk or water & honey! The barista also offered extra sweeteness but I trusted in the process lol Great Zen smoothie, filling up my system with wholesomeness... perfectly naturally sweet. I am happy with this treat! Would definitely laaave to stop by again here, even to read a book or cut with friends! read more

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Food and drinks were worth the wait! And great customer service. Atmosphere was comfortable just not much seating for the larger group we had so come early! read more

Griot Cafe - French Toast With Fruit Creole Chicken & Waffles - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

The owner greeted us with warm professionalism. He received our large order (family of 5) and got it right the first time. The food was fresh and tasty. Everything that we received was made with care, from the coffee, to the smoothies, to the pancakes and breakfast sandwiches. We do not know when we will be back, but we will tell continue to tell everyone about this gem. We hope the owner can duplicate this restaurant in various places across the country. read more

The service was awful which made the food awful. I got food that I did not order with an "oh well, here you go" attitude. I wouldn't recommend. read more

Food, coffee, and atmosphere were perfect. The barista was welcoming and warm, and the egg sandwich was the best

4 solid stars for their caramel macchiato, americano and their green smoothie. Morning glory's flavors were balanced well With pear and apple, just some slight tartness and sweetness. Americano was bold. Iced caramel macchiato, decaf, oatmilk was just the right amount of sweetness and coffee to milk ratio was excellent. Ambience was relaxed - we came in at 630pm, it was somewhat empty because of the time. I did see some platters like shrimp and grits on their menu which is interesting. Minus 1 star- There was some confusion with our order as well as some frustration from our barista/ server that made us feel uncomfortable while we ordering which left a bad taste in our mouths, actually making me not ordering the beignets I was eyeing on because I didn't want to give them more business. I asked for 2 decaf drinks but he said he only had enough for 1 drink and gave a sigh while saying it. We changed our order ( get a green smoothie instead of a latte because there was only 1 drink for decaf) and our barista got frustrated - audible sigh and all- when he had to repeat our order and also when he had to bring out and plug the juicing machine. Again, this might be because it was 1.5 hours before closing.. but they were still Open and the order had to be taken right, right? He did say goodnight but overall even if our drinks were all great, customer service was not this night. read more

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Great cafe with a variety of drink and food options! Also a lot of seating options within the cafe. The staff were friendly and my tea was great. They extracted pure ginger and lemon to make the tea as opposed to just using a tea bag. They also have free wifi which was a bonus for anyone interested in coming here and getting some work done! read more

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An adorable cafe with great food, friendly staff and a super welcome kids area. The owner displays local artists' work on the walls, and the coffee, food and juices are all super fresh. He also opens it up as a community space to organizations working on good causes. It's a lovely place and a gem in this neighborhood. read more

Upon entering and standing at the register where the cashier was, I was never greeted. I stood there for a good 20 seconds looking at the menu before I decided what I wanted and the cashier still never said anything to me until I finally ordered. I ordered a cold brew and all the guy said was that they didn't have it. Then I asked if they had iced coffee and he didn't have that either. So the next closest thing was an iced americano, so I got that. The iced americano was regular, not anything special and the size was really small for a size small. While the barista was making my drink, she asked me if the amount of milk in the coffee was ok before just handing it to me though, so that was nice. All the tables that were available were dirty/had trash so I didn't stay. Also, they had a raffle artwork on the wall but the QR code to scan for entering it wasn't even working. So I couldn't enter it :/ Very cool concept though. You can enter the raffle for $5 a ticket and if you win, you choose any artwork that's on the wall w/ frame included. Too bad the code wasn't working though. read more

We stopped in Griot during a food tour in the area. I love the space, it's so open and inviting. There are very few coffee shops that are this big in the area of Jersey City where we live. We had a Griot sandwich, which is a deep fried plantain topped with mashed avocado, fried pork belly, and pickled peppers. This was a nice last savory spot on our food tour - just a small taste without being too much. I stopped by after our food tour to grab a coffee and it was very good, one of the best cold brews that I've ever had. I love that the barista checked with me about the amount of half/half she had put in my coffee before putting more. I'm super picky about my creamer amounts, so I really appreciated this. read more

Friendly service every time I've visited. Griot sandwich is unique and tasty, if you like plantains. I recommend getting the pikliz (spicy slaw) with it. The coffee leaves much to be desired and the prices are pretty steep for the neighborhood. There is ample seating so it's a great place to do some work in! read more

Been hearing a lot of good things about Griot. Nice spot, good ambiance, not a lot of seating area. Most of the spots are taken by remote workers. Ordered the veggie omelette, Griot sandwich and a mango shake. The omelette was well made. They had a greenish sauce that mixed well with the egg and vegetables. Other items are just okay. Wish they had bit more seats and proper tables. Service was good overall. Support local. read more

Located on Central avenue, this cafe has a great ambiance while the setting is perfect for anyone who wants to do their office work here! The service was quick. I had ordered their signature Gri-oat latte, which seems like coffee with oat milk and it was really amazing! Probably the best coffee I've had in a while whereas I also tried out their Kenyan Vegan samosas. I honestly didn't expect them to be so good as they contained moist mashed potatoes, corn, green peas and carrot while providing a must required green chutney (sauce) on the side! The chutney seemed to be freshly made and overall it was a great feeling to start the fall morning with something great! Overall, it was a great experience and I would definitely love to be back! read more

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Love this place. Been back here so many times. breakfast, lunch, sit down dining, quick grabs, even delivery. The space is gorgeous. WiFi, outlets, nice kids section, comfy seats. Great for a nice local meal or WFH session. Coffee is great. I love the Griot honey latte thing. Also they have soy milk!!! Which is a rare find. I haven't found soy milk at other local places like busy bee or modcup. (Soy milk is has the highest protein of the non-dairy milk and it's so delicious so this is a big selling point for me) The beignets, fire. The samosas, fire. Breakfast plates, fire. The griot sandwich?!?!?! INSANE. It's their signature dish for a good reason. Platano is always fresh, the slaw is *chefs kiss*. I get the egg and avocado on it, and I make it spicy. It's not too spicy so don't be scared. 10/10. My fave local spot. read more

Great food, exceptional service and nice atmosphere. Had a croissant sandwich and match - both were delicious!

Awesome spot. Got the Kenyan beignets 3 days in a row. Also got the flu guardian 2 days in a row Super child friendly place. Our 1-year-old niece was wailing and we took her out to not disturb other customers and the guy at the cashier came over and told us we didn't need to do that and we could stay Chill vibe. Able to sit here and work If I lived in JC, I would make this a regular spot read more

This review is based on their cappuccino and the Kenyan beignets. The beignets were very good. They make them fresh per order so they come out nice and hot with powered sugar on top. One order consists of two beignets, we got two orders so a total of 4. It was the perfect amount of sweet. The outer portion was slightly crunchy ( as it should be) and it was amazing! I took a star off because the cappuccino was just okay. It was more like a latte than a cappuccino. I could have been an off day maybe, but the beignets definitely made up for it. The service was friendly and the place is set nicely. read more

Griot Cafe - Kenyan Beignets - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

I stumbled upon this place after coming to the nail salon across the street. It was a pleasant surprise! The cappuccino was good! The Kenyan beignets were excellent! I love that the guys running the counter are the owners. The reason why I only gave this 4 stars is because I wish they had longer hours (or maybe it was just that day because it was Juneteenth...? I did see a few customers disappointed that they couldn't get food for lunch. It was close to 2pm but hey, people eat lunch that late, too! Also, the other owner who ran the counter could smile some. Otherwise the place is great. Cozy. read more

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It's very clean and the staff is very friendly. The food prices were great. We had a mango strawberry smoothie, chicken waffle, and the pork griot. Everything was tasty. Though I didn't like the texture of the waffles. It's more thick and gooey than light/fluffy. My daughter enjoyed it. It's also very spacious. It looks like many people come here to order appetizers and enjoy a coffee with their laptops to work. The food was not mouth watering - "Omg! We need to come back here tomorrow" type of food. But no complaints, so I give it 5 stars read more

Griot Cafe - Chicken Creole Chicken and Waffles and pork griot - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Seriously my favorite place to go. Their Griot sandwich is amazing. I love their mango tango smoothie as well. In fact, the gri-oat iced latte is also very good.... Also their Mac and cheese. This place has a menu where you can pick anything out and it will just turn out good. Want to try new things on the menu, however, I'm still too obsessed with the things I get regularly. I definitely recommend this place. The vibe inside is so cute! Love the little book section with all the black books (they even have Hair Love, y'all). They have really cute food in their menu for kids also, like the marshmallow waffle! They definitely earned the 5 stars I am giving them!! Go check them out. read more

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What a hidden gem! Must try for sure! The GRIOT sandwich was just WOW! So amazing! Two fried plantain tostones topped with in house slaw, avocado and choice of pork, chicken, egg or vegan. We had the chicken and pork. Purely amazing!!!!!!!! We ordered the chicken and waffle The waffle wasn't too thick or thin. It came with 2 chicken wings, I don't even like wings but the crispness and seasoning was great. The smoothies and beverages were tasty. They had beautiful paintings on the walls and was a chill ambiance. read more

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Warm atmosphere, kind service, Great food, very comfortable. Favorite cafe in New Jersey :) Grateful. read more

Griot Cafe - Chicken and waffle w/fruit Baked Mac n Cheese Gratine Lunch - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Staff is friendly, but not well trained. :( My friend and I both ordered iced caramel macchiatos, but I got it with almond milk ($1) and she got kenyan beignets (2.50) but our bills came out to be about the same! We were confused, so I asked why my coffee was more expensive. Apparently I got charged an extra dollar for iced, but my friend didn't, go figure. They also don't tell you if things cost extra. During the explanation, the guy employee told me they were in the middle of making a new board for iced drinks showing the increased cost. I'm from Cali so I'm used to being charged the lowest shown price, you're not allowed to charge a price that's not posted. Alternative milk prices are also not posted and they charged me extra for it. (50 cents is OK but a whole $1 for milk and iced EACH??) I feel like I got juked ngl. The beignets also came out burnt in the middle and raw on the inside, when I showed them they had to redo it. The second time they weren't asked burnt and fully cooked inside (I guess the fryer was on too hot?) The coffee tasted good, but be careful if you're caffeine-sensitive. For reference, I can have a whole grande Starbucks frap, or a whole can of Dr Pepper and be fine. I took maybe 5 sips from my drink and my hands were shaking, even after I ate the remade beignets. :( If you wanna support local, I'd suggest Cocoa Bakery instead (I think it's a local shop). Coffee tastes better (caffeine hits slower and more evenly, sweet but not sugary), alternative milk is free, cupcakes are good, and the barista is super informative and patient. I would only go to Griot if I want high-caffeine, super sweet drinks. read more

Griot Cafe - First Kenyan Beignets, overcooked outside, raw dough inside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

This place deserves more than 5 stars. I seriously wish it was closer to where I live because I would be there literally everyday. I came during lunch on a Friday and it was such a nice place to unwind after a long week. The Americano was great and extremely smooth. We ordered the Breakfast Pie to start - it was so flaky and perfectly baked. The Mac and Cheese is not heavy at all and seasoned so well. Don't even get me started on the omelet. It was delicious and the eggs were fluffy. Don't forget to top the meal off with some beignets (the chocolate sauce isn't overly sweet so it compliments it so well). Definitely recommend and can't wait to come back to try the other stuff on the menu. read more

Griot Cafe - Breakfast Pie, Omelette, Mac & Cheese - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Great space with friendly service. Griots are tasty and smoothies delicious. Blueberry pancakes fluffy. Just wish their blenders were further back to reduce noise but if it's take out no worries. read more

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Loved this spot! It was my first time trying Griot's and everything was so delicious! I ordered an egg sandwich with Swiss, avocado and bacon along with their kale chicken Cesar wrap which totally blew me away. The cafe is super spacious as well and great for working from home days when you need a spot to work at. read more

Griot Cafe - Egg Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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I ordered delivery from this place and it was amazing. I have been wanting to try this place for a while and it did not disappoint. I ordered the griot sandwich with pork and it was very delicious. The tostones was big enough to hold everything and I liked the texture. The food arrived hot and the texture of the pork was well done. The pork was crunchy without being dry and the cabbage slaw was a great addition because it gave the sandwich some citrus. There was also a sauce which gave it a nice level of spice. I also called the restaurant and they were very friendly. I would definitely want to go next time in person to see the place. I also ordered the chocolate chip cookie and it was a big cookie. It was a big chunky and chewy cookie. I was a bit nervous when I first saw the cookie because I thought it was going to be hard but it had a chewy consistency which was very delicious. I also had the monkey bread and it was ok, tasty but not as soft as I expected. Overall a delicious meal and I will definitely order again. read more

Griot Cafe - Griot sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Went a few days ago and got the iced Matcha Latte and The Griot Sandwich with Chicken. Loved the sandwich, the chicken was good. The matcha was okay. There are not many places or cafes like this in Jersey City, with such a diverse menu! They have an extensive juice and smoothie menu which I'd like to try next time I'm in the Heights. It's a large space with a different array of table sizes and free WiFi for customers. They also have cute area with children's books, rugs, and chairs! I was doing work there and when I left I got a dirty Iced Chai Latte and Kenyan Beignets (not pictured) they were so good. I never had Kenyan beignets and it was a great first try. I really loved the chai, not many places' chai give you the spice taste but they do! Loved it. My sister also got the vegan samosas, big size and she loved them :) read more

Griot Cafe - Griot Sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Stopped in starving, got chicken and waffles as well as an egg sandwich. The person taking our order didn't inform me that the sandwich was just egg and bread but I fixed that with another waitress. Coffee was delicious and samosas were fantastic! Know what you want before you go and everything will be great. read more

Griot Cafe - Creole Chicken and Waffles - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Are daytime-only restaurants objectively better? Or is it just a case of we want what we can't have? Atypical schedules are one of my proprietary metrics in selecting food, but the most reliable one is to always order the item that has the name of the restaurant. The Griot Sandwich is a knockout, making a great case for plaintains replacing bread. I got the pork version but the vinegar slaw and guacamole are a killer combination, meaning the main ingredient doesn't need to do the heavy lifting. A brief note on slaw-ordering methodology: their own website indicates there's a choice between spicy and not, and in Uber Eats the text mentions the choice but there's not a specific field. My uneducated guess is that the standard Uber slaw, which I'd call tangy, was the non-spicy one. read more

Everyone 10s!!! I love this place byob. I have my champagne and Og. The chicken and waffles are delish! Coffee, smoothies are a nice touch. I love the culture vibes in there. Makes you feel at home. Service is 10/10. read more