A 1950's style Kansas coffee shop kind of says it all. This place was a little much for me with its Nickeodeon style decor. Coffee, and muffins were okay. read more

I went here for coffee this morning. I found it somewhat appealing that they are open 24 hours a day but less so that my barista had to ask me how to make a cafe au lait after explaining that she'd been on a 12 hour overnight shift. She gave me a cup of regular coffee (not espresso) with over-steamed milk that simply tasted watery. The homemade blueberry scone was decent. I feel that much like a basic bartender, a barista should at minimum know how to assemble the beverage offerings on the menu. I was disappointed with the product and would likely not return here. read more

Best coffee in lawrence, ks! This is a great place if you're looking to have a drink or small snack, sit-back and relax, study, or have a laid-back conversation with someone. In this little underground coffeeshop you'll find people of all sizes, shapes, colors and walks of life. It's a well-rounded shop with great coffee! read more

I do have to update. Still love the place for the late night drink however their coffee has gone down hill. It has been tasting burnt and the almond milk is not what I remember. Do love the cereal bar though! Will probably grab coffee somewhere else read more

The hippest coffee shop out of the 60's, yet coffee shops weren't that hip then.. loved the atmosphere from the throw back dive kind of building to the house made chai, cereal bar with to go Chinese boxes, to the giant blueberry and raspberry scones. A top 3 in my fave across the US. read more

Best coffee shot ever! Also a great place for college kids (or anyone else for that matter) to hang out and get some work done! Wayyyy better than Starbucks! read more

Great selection of coffees. Service was prompt and food good. We've been twice and were pleased both times.

This is one of my favorite places in Lawrence to go when I'm working on homework or just meeting friends. I've had their hot chocolate, chai tea, and espresso and enjoyed all of it! They also have a cereal bar and good biscuits and gravy. My favorite thing to get is the blackberry matrimonials or the cupcakes you put your own frosting and sprinkles on. Whether you are hungry, needing caffeine, or just need a place to crash and get stuff stuff done, this is a great place to go 24 hours a day. read more

It's a pretty chill place to just have a drink and talk with friends. The baristas are pretty friendly and talkative and answer questions to the best of their abilities. I have heard the food takes FOREVER so that's why I have only gotten the cereal bar. But I love the cereal bar. It's like heaven in a Chinese takeout box that has nothing to do with Chinese food. Favorite Drink - Lieutenant Dan read more

I little emo, not a lot of corporate but a lot of cool. This is one of those places that is SO Lawrence. Free wi-fi with purchase. A great place to hang out or study. read more

I've been coming to Java Break since right after it opened 14 years ago and honestly have a hard time going to other local coffeeshops. They just aren't my beloved Java Break. I typically spend a couple of hours each morning working from their free wifi. In my opinion their slow brewed iced espresso just can't be beat. Now that they also have a cereal bar, why would you even WANT to go to another place? read more

If you're looking for good coffee, sandwiches, or treats, I recommend Java Break. I have been going there for years (they put my picture on their "regular" wall - a wall dedicated to us!). I've been to most of the other coffee shops in town, and although they are good, I think JB is the best. Like others have said, they have real whipped cream, good enough to break any diet for. Their "sex bomb" is my favorite coffee drink. Their italian sodas are delicious (try the peach melba)! Others have said that it isn't a good place to study, but I've never had a problem. Because they have two rooms, people normally segregate - loud ones in the graffiti room (you're allowed to graffiti everything from the furniture to the ceiling), quiet ones in the booth room. I absolutely love this place. read more

Not a huge menu of coffees but the cream sodas are to die for. Always friendly staff who are willing to converse. They aren't open 24/7 anymore but that's due to not enough staff. Monday and Tuesday they close at midnight. read more

Love this place, great food and decent coffee, but have had really bad customer service experiences. Really expect more from a locally-owned spot. Probably will not visit again. read more

I grew up around Lawrence and never considered the Java Break to be a "hidden gem" or anything of the sort. Usually it's the hipsters and younger crowd who claim that this is the "IT" spot for good coffee... And I'd have to disagree. I've yet to go into that place and have an employee seem genuinely interested in what I'm ordering, much less when I plan on ordering. I usually have to wait for a time that's convenient for them, IE: at the end of their conversation, after dishes have been rinsed, etc. My overpriced drink was less than impressive. Without getting downright rude, like the staff, I'll keep it at this: Avoid this shithole. read more

The drinks were good but the services was awful. I had just a regular coffee and it was good but nothing special. My friend had a frozen drinks and it tasted a little watered down. They wanted to kick us out when we were done with our drinks. We were sitting there doing our homework for like 30 minutes when they came over and told us that if we aren't going to buy anymore that we need to leave. read more

pretty good but the ordering situation is a little weird with the cereal bar, i ordered cereal first and by the time i got my drinks it was soggy. i would recommend asking for the milk on the side. also the chai wasn't super flavorful read more

this place is so fun and quirky! definitely a lawrence staple. lots of fun drinks, snacks, games, and vibes. a good place to study or just hang out. and mike the barista rocks read more

Was a fan. Until I went in the other night and heard the owner/manager demanding that a regular customer tip or they needed to find somewhere else to go. Really now? Tipping is required? I'm sorry it isn't really a tipping establishment and if I get outstanding serves yes tipping would be appropriate but I have yet to receive outstanding serves or see anyone receive it. Don't get me wrong most of the staff are very friendly and efficient but lack that wow factor. This scene was incredibly awkward for me to watch, can't imagine what was going through the poor girls head as she was ordered to tip or GTFO. read more

Really awesome chai and breakfast sandwiches, amazing aesthetic.

This is a super fun place to visit when you're looking for something different. The breakfast sandwiches are awesome. The chai teas are very tasty. The service is always a bit slow because it seems there are never enough people working. The atmosphere is so fun though, and you're comfortable sitting there for hours. read more

I ordered a chocolate milk on ice and they charged me $4.50 plus tax. That's a little steep for a little bit of chocolate milk.

It's an interesting spot: kind of a hole in the wall joint for a coffee shop with an attempt at being dressed up as kitschy and 70s. There are multiple rooms for lounging in this labyrinthine spot. The decor is kind of grimy and a bit dark and dungeon-like though (since it's downstairs with little natural light). Luckily, they have a patio area with some green space. The bathroom is like something out of a dirty punk club (find another bathroom to use). The coffee is over priced for what you get. They have a variety of flavors and options with a limited menu for food. I think the saving grace of this place is its hours. Good for late night meet ups or nursing a hangover. read more

One of the better places to get coffee in Lawrence and they definitely have better baked goods than any other shop. I seem to have developed an addiction to their chocolate chip/banana scones. The people that work their are very friendly and the space is unique. Check it out sometime. read more

I have been going to Java Break since I discovered Lawrence over 2 years ago, even before I physically moved here! Me and my partner started going in early in the mornings last year to take advantage of the 2 for 1 deal before work when we started realizing that the chia started tasting watered down! eventually after a few months we stopped going. We decided to give it another try last night since its right up the street from home, so we bundles up and walked down in the freezing cold totally looking forward to a once hot chia... both ended up having a weird very strong bitter after taste, my partner thought almost like soap but I did not think that. We threw them away not even half drank, first time in my life I've thrown away a chia! we noticed as we were walking out that the gal in front of us who also ordered a chia threw hers away almost full as well..... very disappointed, we love to support local businesses but not if were not getting at least what we pay for! We will be walking the extra block to Starbucks i guess..... read more

Excellent stop. Staff were very friendly, and even gave us travel tips. great atmosphere as well! LOVED the homemade chai. A MUST try! Also don't be afraid to get the chocolate whip cream! Very good! read more

This place has really improved customer service and also fixed up the place. A good place to study and get some pretty decent iced coffee.

I love this place. They have two rooms, one they let you draw all over the walls and stuff, then another room which is a little classier. It's really cool! The staff is super friendly and cool! The only reason i give this 4 out of 5 stars is because the coffee is a little expensive. read more

The place had a great atmosphere for studying or just hanging out with some friends and playing games. Their drinks are amazing and decently priced. read more

I used to love this place, and would've rated it five stars a few months ago. However, the past few times I've gone, the service has been really rude. I'd give it one star, but the second star comes from the fact that they're open late, and that the coffee is decent. However, the product is too expensive for such horrible and rude service. There are many other places to get coffee in Lawrence at a lower price with better service! read more

The baristas here are assholes. I understand that Java Break wants to have paying customers, but I was getting iffy last summer when they made you start paying for wireless by the amount of money you spend there. For instance, if I bought a regular size coffee, I would get a pass for about 2 hours of internet. That's it. To get more internet for say, studying purposes, at one of the only 24 hour places in town, you would have to keep buying either food or coffee every couple of hours. I don't know about you, but I don't need 3 coffees and 2 cookies between 8pm-2am. It's ridiculous. Second of all, beware that they have their own kitchen--and will kick you out if you bring in any outside food. Regardless if you bought something from Java Break already. I was incredibly insulted when I made a simple mistake bringing in a sandwich for dinner in preparation for hours of studying (and purchases) to be embarrassed by an employee loudly for bringing in outside food and asking to "eat outside the front door". Sorry Java Break, I've had it with you. For such a seemingly fun atmosphere, business standards are way too strict, especially for a college town. They've now lost hundreds of dollars in business from me and my friends who I tell never to visit Java Break again. read more

Java Break is the best coffee shop in Lawrence... until you try any other another downtown coffee shop. The one thing Java Break has going for it is that it is open 24/7 and sometimes that is all you need. The building is interesting and if you are in high school this is the coolest place you have ever been, and that has been true for at least the last 15 years when I first went there. The coffee is awful, but they can make you a sugary starbucks style latte if that is what you are in to. Supposedly they have the internet, but after years of avoiding the place I stopped in and bought a cup of what they are passing for coffee and they gave me a code to get on their wifi. I think the wifi pass was good for something like 3 hours. Once I managed to log on the wifi was too slow to actually do anything in only 3 hours, so I finished my drink and left. I will give Java Break a try again next decade. I am sure they will still be there. read more