Harlem Java House — Restaurant in Harlem

I had been wanting to check out the locally owned and operated Harlem Java House since it opened, but my daily life rarely takes me over that way so I hadn't gotten around to it until recently. I severely regret taking so long but I've been making up for it with numerous visits since!

This small town jewel is located in the charming historic downtown area of Harlem. With streetside parking available directly in front of the shop, a patron can pull right up to the outside seating area, which boasts a few metal tables and chairs and a red umbrella for shade.

Entering Harlem Java House, I immediately felt at ease in the calm atmosphere. The ambiance is cozy and casual; the natural light coming from the street facing windows highlights the open ceilings and exposed brick accents along with the eclectic decor.

The seating is varied; there are wooden tables of different sizes (including a long communal style one) with metal stools, a bench seat, or chairs as seating options. My personal favorite spot is the area with a plush couch and armchairs, they help create the vibe that you're just relaxing and hanging out at a friend's house. Combined with their free wifi, I could sit here and relax for hours.

The baristas were friendly and welcoming and were happy to suggest some blends and ways to customize my order. The items I ordered came out quickly and were made to perfection. insert chef's kiss here (The first time I visited I finished my drink before I even arrived home and seriously thought about going back and ordering another! I solved that problem going forward by ordering 2 each visit! )

The menu was filled with options from coffee to teas to Italian sodas and smoothies (they even have protein coffee), each with multiple flavors or specialties to choose from. It was hot out so I opted for one of my usual go-to drinks, an iced chai, and after the first sip I knew I'd be coming back for more. I haven't had an iced chai that good in YEARS! The menu includes an array of snacks such as pastries (I highly recommend the snickerdoodle muffin), sandwiches and quiche. Harlem Java House also offers seasonal "croffles." What are croffles? (I didn't know either!) A quick google search told me that: popularized in South Korea, croffles are a blend of croissant & waffle. One look at the photos on HJH's instagram will have you ordering at least two! HJH was the first to bring "croffels" to the CSRA, (the next closest one to us is 2.5 hrs away on the outskirts of Atlanta.) Another fun thing they offer is coffee "flights". If you're like me and you're picky or can't choose what new thing to try, flights give you the perfect opportunity to sample a range of flavors at once.

The prices are reasonable for a coffee house, obviously not as cheap as making your own at home, but comparable to most coffee shops. They offer a loyalty perks card that you can have stamped with each cup you buy, making every 10th cup free of charge!

Overall, I was highly impressed with Harlem Java House with their only downside being that it's a 30 minute drive from my house in a direction I don't usually go. I now find myself making reasons to drive out their way just to have an...

3.5/5! I recently found out about this place through a friend. And I have been 4 times within the last two weeks!

Atmosphere: My 3 initial visits varied in terms of how crowded it was. Knowing what I know now, I would only go to work there in person if it were during the weekdays. The weekend is entirely to crowded for the amount of occupancy there when I went on a Saturday. The seating was an issue. However, the previous days were during the weekdays - that is better if you're looking to work on some things and enjoy the cozy atmosphere. There also isn't any parking if you go during peak hours. Expect to park in the back if anything is available.

Service: All the times I've gone in, the service has been great. I don't have any complaints about the attitudes or vibes. I also met the owner out in the back whilst looking for parking, and she was friendly as well.

Food and Drinks: I took a star off because of the parking and occupancy demands, but I also had to take off half a star for my latest visit. I'll start off by pointing out that the 3 initial visits I made consisted of the same 2 workers making my drinks and food (an asian guy and girl, from what I could tell). I her name was Sang Min, but she was very friendly, and the drinks were delicious, and the food was fresh! Today, however (Oct 14th, around 12 p.m.), 3 different young ladies were running the shop, and not one of the drinks we ordered to go was any good. The croissants also did not taste that fresh, nor was any aioli on the sandwiches so they were dry. While the prices are reasonable, they can add up quickly for us because we typically do group coffee runs - we are not Harlem natives. Today was no exception, but for the amount of money we spent, it is frustrating that none of us finished our drinks or food because it was nasty. I typically get the peach matcha with syrup instead of concentrate, which was very good quality the last few times I ordered it. Today I got the same thing, and the matcha was chunky and unblended as you can see in the photos attached. It was hardly any peach anything in it, and it was a bitter, chunky mess compared to how it typically is given to me. Same thing for other people's drinks - the chai was not great today, and it typically is. We will chalk it up to some employees clearly having had training to make the recipes consistent during a shift, and some employees have not. I will go back, but if I don't see the same people who made our drinks and food the first few times, we will probably be more "safer" and limit what we order. Again, things can add up nowadays but if you're going to treat yourself or others, you want it to be worth the money!

*Note the photos with the bag and my hand were the first few times we went. And look at the matcha blend compared to what I received today. Everyone enjoyed those past drinks, but nobody enjoyed theirs today :(

Overall, give it a try and check your drink/food before you leave! I'm sure they...

Came today for the 1st time ever with my husband and my 20 month old son. We are veterans and like to support veteran owned businesses in the area. There was no one else there. We weren't greeted until after the 2 woman were done with whatever they were doing on their phones. Their demeanor and vibe were off, they didn't seem friendly, let alone come across like they wanted us to have a pleasant experience here. I'm shocked after reading such great reviews. We 1st ordered a strawberry banana shake for my son. My husband asked the girl with glasses if it was made with ice cream because we misunderstood what she initially said. And both of these woman looked at us like we were stupid. At that point I told my husband I think they are being rude and I don't want to place another order. We were going to order food and 2 other drinks. As this was our first time here and wanted to try it up! So it's very unfortunate we weren't able to experience this place like we should have. And the strawberry banana smoothie taste like thick milk. I don't taste any sweetness, or strawberry or banana. I've seen on images other drinks with whipped cream, so if that was an option for the smoothie, it wasnt provided for us. So thanks guys. We certainly won't come back. Our short experience did not match what was portrayed on the reviews I've read,...