This is an amazing little hideaway from the corporate LOUD feel of Starbucks. Not to mention the coffee is way better! Mochas are delicious and rich without being too sweet.... perfect! Also I was amazed with the large selection of homemade baked goods and breakfast items. I look forwarded to this every week as my Saturday treat before I go hiking. go go go... you will be glad you did! Almost forgot, the owner is super nice... really makes you want to support her locally owned business. read more

This is our local coffee shop, and we are very loyal to Norma Jean's. I'm addicted to their breakfast croissant sandwich, and they make a stellar mocha chai, my absolute favorite drink. We had friends visit from LA recently, and we almost turned them away when they showed up with Starbucks cups from the shop just across the street from Norma Jean's. It infuriates us that there are people buying "coffee" from Starbucks across the street, when there is such a quality, local coffee shop right here in the heart of Aptos Village. The staff is super friendly, the baked goods are house made and delicious, and they sure know how to make a swell cup of coffee. Norma Jean's always makes me think of the R&R from Twin Peaks, where Agent Dale Cooper licks his lips in admiration of such a great cup of coffee. read more

Coffee was ok...ordered a small and the cup was filled halfway. The customer service wasn't as bad as some of the reviews...but maybe next time fill my cup all the way. The decor was nice and it was totally empty and the girl working was very nice about the wifi...and then disappeared. It was kind of eerie. I'll give them another shot and maybe they'll top off my cup. read more

This is a wonderful, well run, local coffee shop. Their baked goods are absolutely fantastic. They have my most favorite scones in the county, baked onsite fresh each day. I'm a fan of their cappuccinos and their brew bar. Their breakfast burritos are also most excellent. :-) read more

Went in today to get a cup of coffee. The girl with long brown hair said hello almost rudely. She then proceeded to refill items behind the counter and ignore me. I waited and waited and she kept going in the back to get more items such as spoons to fill things up. I like to support the small business owner, but when rudeness such as this occurs, I decided to head to Starbucks and get my coffee. I will not come back. From what I have read from others on Yelp, these employees seem to be very unhappy in their job. There is pressure and upset with any job, not a bed of roses. If you don't like it there, QUIT or get over your bad attitude to the public! That goes for the owner also! read more

The oatmeal "with everything" has been my favorite breakfast for years. It comes filled with a healthy variety of fruits and nuts and it's ready to serve at 5:30am when they open. A great start to the day before heading to the gym for a morning workout. read more

Awesome coffee and they always have a bowl of dog cookies for our pup!

One of my favorite haunts. Great coffee and baristas. I love going in after a workout in the morning and getting coffee, a sausage breakfast burrito (they are OFF THE HOOK) with their homemade salsa. read more

Love this place! Recently moved back to the area after a 10-year hiatus and couldn't believe I had never come here before. I had been going to Starbucks across the street [primarily] for the Wifi and somewhat for the ambiance as I usually go to work. That said, I have been primarily a tea drinker and really can't stand the brands they offer. Discovered NJ's after getting a haircut at the Aptos Barber Shop (Gina is also great!) and it is my new favorite cafe. Not only is their coffee AND tea selection amazing, but I was really surprised by how great their food is. To date I've had a few sandwiches and this morning tried the Acai Bowl which was fantastic. Currently here enjoying a Chai Latte which is also great. That said, there is a LOT of food they offer that I haven't had the opportunity to try yet like breakfast burritos (I see a lot of folks ordering these) and a nice variety of baked goods which I learned are mostly all made here (also currently trying a cranberry/coconut/white choco bar which is not disappointing). All in all, super psyched to have this in my backyard. - Soon to be regular read more

I used to come here in the mornings for my coffee because they had coffee cards like any normal shop, but they just taped mine to the wall so I didn't have to carry it around in my wallet all the time. More importantly, all of the yuppies in town were across the street waiting in a giant line at Starbucks. Norma Jean's has better coffee without the line. The breakfast burritos are a slam dunk. read more

I love this place! I love that it did not go under after Starbucks moved in across the street a few years ago. I can only assume the personal and friendly service goes a long way to keeping the local customers satisfied. Kathy, and her staff, are personable and interested in their customers and know most of us by name. The food is delicious and the fact that there is gluten and dairy-free choices just makes this place that much more wonderful! read more

Don't read the negative reviews they are bs. This is a lovely place to get coffee and a treat. I live close and plan on going more often :) read more

This is a very good local coffee shop. Their coffee is really good and their pastries and breakfast items are homemade and really tasty. gets crowded some days, but patience pays off. read more

Love! It's so laid-back here. I love to come here on days when I'm going hiking in Nisene Marks. I like the Marilyn Monroe/Elvis theme. Nice pastries and bagels. I especially like it when they have classic rock on the radio. read more

I my routine finds me stopping in on different coffee shops in the County. Norma Jeans still has the best Vanilla Latte and the smoothest coffee selections in the area. Not to mention the baked goods. While know one is perfect. They come as close as they can. If you are still going to the Starbucks across the way, you should stop going there and purchase your coffee and other delights here. read more

I have been a customer for awhile. I like the fact that organic coffee is served here. I would have to agree with a majority of reviewers that the help is not overly friendly and really do not understand what good customer service is. What really peeves me is when I order a coffee & the people who order after me get their coffees first!! Once I had to wait 20 mins for the 4 coffees I ordered and the three people who ordered after me got their coffees before I did. I did not even get an apology! read more

Been here a number of times now. The coffee is consistently good, which is all I really care about. The service has been ok at times to awful at other times. All I ever get is coffee, which is self serve, so all I need is a cup and to be charged. Should be quick and easy, but they rarely greet you and will just leave you standing there while they do whatever. No "I'll be right with you" or "sorry for the wait". Then you order and they give you your cup and just turn there back and walk off. Just no customer service skills at all. And it's not just one employee, been treated this way by at least 4-5 different people there. read more

The blonde barista and Latina cashier are rude this Sunday am. Wipe my smile off and everyone else's in the place. These girls need to get some positive music on and wipe off the bitch face. read more

Great sandwiches!!!! The gal that works in the afternoon is super sweet and all of the food is homemade and fresh. Best within the town.

I am hooked on Norma Jean's coffee!!! Being a coffee snob, who usually only bought from high end coffee chains.......I was AMAZED at the difference!!! I love a RICH SMOOTH cup of coffee. Norma Jean's only uses fresh organic coffee beans. I buy a pound at a time and grind at home. When I first opened the bag, the first thing I noticed was how super rich and moist the beans were. And the taste............oh I am hooked on Italian and the Peruvian!! Cathy, the owner is a local gal who is passionate about her shop. You walk in and feel at home! Support your LOCAL coffee house. Buy ORGANIC and save money. You can not beat the quality and her prices are less than the big chains.......Stop by Norma Jean's coffee, right in the heart of historic downtown Aptos. ENJOY! read more

I've become a regular here and I've ALWAYS had the best experience with the ladies that work here. Caramel macchiato is amazing, and I'm obsessed with their acai berry bowls and tuna sandwiches. It's such a cute environment to come and read or do some studying read more

I like their coffees and I love the home-made scones with fruit in them. And I like the deviled eggs. Yum. Quiet, low-key coffee shop. Kind of like going back in time to simpler days. A truly beautiful photograph of Marilyn hangs on the wall as you enter the hallway to the back of the cafe. The sun streams in through the windows in the late afternoons. The Little Old Lady from Pasadena's granddaughter is the owner, I believe. read more

I really like this place. It's small and cute and originally decorated. It has a great ambiance, and their bagels are delicious. I'm a pretty boring person when it comes to ordering food at coffee places (always getting the bagels), but I can be picky about them. Also, their tea selection is excellent. read more

I have been a local to Santa Cruz County (Santa Cruz and mostly the Aptos area) for 30 years. I have dabbled in nearly every coffee shop around the county (minus Starbucks) and can put Norma Jean's near the top, if not at the top of my list for best all around. The baked goods are always satisfying and are all made by the owner and staff (friendly, social, and amusing). They treat you like family and are very accommodating. They have wi-fi, the best oatmeal you can buy and a huge assortment of great food and drinks. When I need a place to go that I will put a smile on my face and make my tummy happy, this is where I go hands down. read more

Very bad house coffee...wanted to support a local business, probably won't return. :(

The older lady (owner?) is simply no fun. I wonder where she got the idea that serving people coffee and food was a good match for her personality. read more

locally owned struggling to survive but always tasting and inviting the owner loves to bake walnut torte apple turnovers chocolate mousse pie carrot cake pumpkin pie great atmosphere always free wireless and amazing fresh crushed and roasted coffee one cup at a time jose is the family secret enjoy these wonderful folks as often as you can read more

so i work next door and found out i had to work a 12 hour shift last minute. i called 10 min. after they closed and asked for a favor. i asked the nice lady if i could buy a cup of coffee and meet them at the back door cuz i couldn't leave work. she said no problem and made me a "mexican mocha" and when i asked how much she said it was free and she would bring it to me!!! i was shocked!!! i am a coffee freak i go to starbucks mon-thur same time every morning. but now norma jean's just got another loyal customer!!! screw starbucks they wouldn't have done that for me!!! read more

I try to support local business but this is a case in which I will walk down the street to SC coffee roasting company or even starbucks across the street. Customer service is terrible. These people are about as friendly as a cold beach rock. They are slow and void of emotion. The prices do not match quality. Do not get the deviled eggs they are horrible. The oatmeal is the best deal. Two stars for convenience. read more

They can't make coffee, and they can't make pastry either. My order was: One Hazelnut Mocha, one Mocha Chai, a breakfast burrito and a muffin. Let's start with the Hazelnut Mocha; it was full of undissolved powder and way too sweet. The undissolved powder made it look disgusting, and very grainy to drink. The Mocha Chai was never made, instead we got a tasteless latte. We ended up mixing the two drinks together and got a somewhat drinkable coffee. The breakfast burrito was good, I have nothing bad to say about that. The muffin, however, was not baked long enough, and was all gooey inside. All in all this turned out to be a very disappointing visit to a coffee shop who has so much more potential. They have free internet, but who doesn't... read more

I'm not a huge coffee person, but I LOVE tea! It's a relief to find something local with awesome tea options, because before I was always going to Peet's. Norma Jean's has an awesome assortment to choose from. They're all displayed on the shelf against the wall, and you're allowed to open the jars and small them. Such HEAVEN. I'm gonna have to go back enough times to try them all. . The customer service is great, too. read more

Super cute location and easy parking. The coffee is very good and lots of snack to choose from. Also lots of tables to sit and visit with friends. Nice and very very clean read more

Really good coffee. Im a supporter of local coffee shops. Good food and snacks too. I think the place needs to stand out a little more and get busy!!!! Speed it up, people are always in a hurry for coffee and get some flow thru the place! its a super cute shop, and coffee is a hundred times better that burnt old starbucks beans! With how busy Soquel drive is in the A.M., go serve coffee roadside for christ sake! ... read more

love their Orange/Apricot Tea & Cinnamon cakes

Very good coffee, and cheaper than Starbucks! There are tons of options as far as baked goods. I had the gluten free banana bread (the only gluten free option) and it was delicious and moist. My husband got a yodel, which he said was amazing. It was huge and only $4! We will definitely come back. read more

Great coffee, desserts, and filling food before/after surf, paddling, archery, Lifeguarding, Firefighting, Postal Service, Law Enforcement, any/all work-related stuff, per all my friends I've brought here. Always something great to look forward to, plus the friendly staff! Turning on more and more of my neighbors and friends to this place. Go for it!!! read more

I love the service and the quality of food and the best coffee, EVER!

Super good yummy homemade treats & great coffee. What more can you ask for! It's a great local coffee shop!

I have been hearing adds on KRXA for a while so we decided to stop by and check it out. Coffee and sandwiches were excellent and fresh, the atmosphere was cozy. Overall very good experience and great prices. read more

I used to really like Norma Jeans! Something seems to have happened in the last year, and today was my last visit. In the past my husband hasn't been able to eat the eggs in his sandwich, because they were rubbery from being microwaved, My daughters and I have sat there, virtually forgotten, in an empty shop, for 20 minutes, before someone remembered that we had ordered and paid for $25 worth of products (and we had to ask about it!), and last week, my daughter went in to apply for a job (after reading their YELP reviews and saying that they obviously need some good help!). The manage was SO rude to her. Didn't say anything, thank her for applying, or even look at her resume, just looked her up and down, took the application, and walked away. THIS after she came in at 7AM, before school, to meet the manager. This morning it took 15 minutes to get a coffee and breakfast croissant. The coffee was barely hot.. The eggs were micro rubbery, the cheese not melted, and the croissant was straight out of the fridge. For $5!!! I'd have been better off with a 99 cent Breakfast Jack! There were 3 people working. One in the back, one slowly making coffees (in low slung yoga pants with her belly hanging out), and the other flirting with a customer who she obviously knew. I don't know what's happened that they've gone to crap like this. This was my last visit. I'm all about local, so I'll move on down the road to Surf City, where I can get hot food and coffee in a reasonable amount of time. I've been a business owner for 20 years. If Starbucks moved in across the street from my coffee shop, I'd be working my ass off to be sure I kept loyal customers, and I'd be receptive to good and motivated potential employees. read more