Any given weekday morning the signs of a good coffeehouse will come to surface in the form of groggy humans seeking their daily fix before heading to the office. I don’t expect the same kind of crowd on, say, a Saturday morning at ten. Sure, it’s Saturday and most people have the time to mosey around, catch up with friends, and actually enjoy the atmosphere of their beloved coffeehouse, but ordinarily I find the environment to be far less busy than during the week.
Not so with Rojo’s.
One particular Saturday morning where we had absolutely nothing planned, we decided to take a drive to Lambertville and knock Rojo’s off The List.* While Rojo’s has an ‘Espresso Bar’ in Princeton, I knew the Lambertville location was the one to try first because this is where the magic happens. This is where the beans become the gold that will transform my morning from grey skies to sunshine.
*We figured that if we didn’t like Rojo’s, our favorite coffeehouse so far, Lambertville Trading Company, was right around the corner.
Most coffeehouses we have visited on Saturday mornings are dead. Thankfully I never let that affect my judgement of the coffee, because plenty of places that have been completely empty have offered a pretty incredible cup of Joe. The line in Rojo’s, however, was to the door and the place was filled with parents of toddler ballerinas, couples, groups of friends, and lone guests guzzling before the light of their laptop screens.
Even after getting our typical order* customers continued to stroll in an out, forming a pretty much endless line. While I very much enjoyed my coffee, and even bought a pound later on, it was their attention to detail, specified menu, and treats** that stood out.
*Iced latte for Lance (no flavorings here) and a medium house blend for me
**I’m sensing that one day Coffeehouse Adventures will transform into Bakery Adventures.
Rojo’s is where I first learned of Turkish coffee. However, unlike Infini-T, it is ‘by appointment’.* Among the different selections on their menu is my favorite way of brewing coffee: the Chemex. They also offer a wide variety of organic teas.
*Fancy.
But let’s talk about these adorable treats for a moment.
I know the world of bite size often requires a lot more work*, but as a consumer, I love it so much more! While Lance ordered a blueberry muffin that had been taunting me, I went with brownie bites and a piece of rugelach that was absolutely, positively divine.
*Think about frosting a cake versus frosting 24 individual cupcakes, or making mini trifles instead of one large one, and tell me which is harder.
This was the best of five different pictures I took of Lance. Also, completely off topic, I think the man behind him looks like an older, thinner Zach Galifianakis. Please tell me you see it too.
Perhaps my favorite thing about Rojo’s was that after only a short time spent there it was obvious that their business is coffee. I love that nothing is hidden or covered. It is all out in the open for the visitor to see and experience. It is clearly a badge of pride that they are working to produce the very best that coffee can offer.
For a roastery doubling as a coffeehouse, Rojo’s makes it work beautifully. The space is open and inviting, an obvious reason why this coffeehouse is so embraced by its community.
Rojo’s Roastery
243 North Union Street
Lambertville, NJ 08530
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