newarking

I sometimes forget that I have a coffee maker in my own home, when I start thinking about all of the places on Main Street in Newark to grab a cup of java. Even the local drug store makes it easy to get my daily minimum requirement of caffeine:

The Coffee counter at Happy Harrys

A friend suggested that I write a post about all of the places to stop at for coffee in the morning, since Newark seems to be filled with such places. I decided to take pictures of some of the shops that featured coffee, and not include some of the other restaurants where you could also find the beverage on their menus…

Adria Cafe

I started my journey at the top of Main Street, though the rest of the pictures in this post don’t follow my path down the road. I figured my first stop should be at the Adria Cafe, which seems to be a drawing point in town for foreign students, and also features some great pastries. In a previous incarnation, this place was named Jammin’ Java, and seemed to be one of the better places for High Schoolers to hang out.

Panera Bread

A little further down the street is one of the more recent additions to Main Street, Panera Bread. Panera is a fairly large chain, with at least 939 locations across the United States. They are one of the larger restaurants in Newark, and a great place to grab breakfast. And their bread is pretty good, too.

Dunkin Donuts

I jumped down the street a little to Dunkin Donuts, since they are a fairly large chain also. While the service is fine here, and the food is about what you would expect at any Dunkin Donuts, for some reason, I don’t think that the quality of their coffee measures up to what I’ve found in other Dunkin Donuts’ franchises. Don’t know why.

Newark Deli and Bagels

This place can get pretty crowded during the day, and seems to be a college student favorite. The food is decent for a deli, and they have a wide variety of bagels. The coffee is just OK. Nice place to go to early on a weekend day for a quick breakfast.

Brew HaHa! at the Galleria

Brew Ha Ha is now a 13 store chain, which got its start in Greenville, Delaware. The Newark location may have been the second or third to have opened, and it’s a relaxing place to get something light to eat. The coffee tends towards the slightly bitter side, but is still recommended. It has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and you can pick up magazines and newspapers there also.

Central Perk

One of my favorites amongst the coffee places in Newark, they have some excellent food choices and breakfast items, and I may like their coffee best amongst the places I’ve listed. There’s a quirky atmosphere to the place, but in a fun way.

Brewed Awakenings

Intimate probably is the best word to describe Brewed Awakenings. Good coffee, and one of the friendliest atmospheres on Main Street. They are one of the places in town that make it difficult when deciding where to get some breakfast.

Korner Diner

I’ve visited may stainless steel diners in New Jersey. This is one of the few in Delaware, though it’s open 24 hours and day, and the food and coffee is up to the standards of Jersey dinners, the atmosphere is friendlier.

Starbucks Coffee

I visited a few Starbucks on recent travels in San Francisco and other places, and I have to say that I’m a little disappointed with the local shop. It offers less variety of pastries and foodstuffs, and I don’t think that it is my imagination that the sizes of those pastries are smaller. The coffee tends to be on the bitter side, so I often ask for a chai instead. The staff is friendly, though sometimes they look upset when I ask for a “large” instead of using the word “venti.” Yep, I know it stands for 20 ounces, and I know it’s an Italian word. I also know that they don’t use ounces in Italy. Humor me, please, when I ask for a large.

Post House

A Delaware institution, the Post House has been on Main Street for years, and the same customers keep on returning. I can tell - the crowd in there at any time tends to be on the older side. Nice place to get an inexpensive meal, and coffee. If you enjoy old town charm, and all that brings, this is the place to go in the morning. They close each day in the early afternoon, but they also open around 6:30 am.

Sinclair’s Cafe

More of a restaurant than a coffee house, but I include them here because they also close in the early afternoon, and the cafe is a great place to get breakfast. They focus upon healthy meals and have some vegetarian offerings. Good coffee, friendly service.

Seven Eleven

There are a couple of Seven Eleven’s in Newark. Neither of them is on Main Street, but one is at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Chapel Street, and is only a block away. A variety of coffee, available 24 hours a day, makes this a place to stop when most other places in town are closed.

This was the first set of reviews of shops in Newark that I’ve done, and I’m finding that I enjoyed it. I may do the same with some of the other eateries around town. With all of these places in town to get some coffee, I understand now why I don’t brew much of it at home.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 25th, 2006 at 3:04 pm and is filed under food and drink. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.