I personally did not like it. I didn't think we were served fresh coffee, I took a sip and that was it, didn't even finish half of my so called capuccino. The place is not going to be what you expect, where you can have coffee and enjoy it. Not big enough to accomodate all patrons since most just stay there longer than normal so don't expect too much on their coffee and the place itself. Great for those that loved their coffee and the place but this is an honest review from a coffee lover.

This is a cute, hometown type coffee shop. They have awesome lattes! I love their fall specials, pictured here is the apple maple latte. Online ordering is convenient if you're on the go. If you can stay and dine in, then they have a delightful playlist and a nice vibe. I also love looking at the latte art. On the weekends they have cruffins (croissant dough made into a muffin) and other delicious pastries.

Penstock Coffee Roasters is, without a doubt, the best coffee shop in the area. Every time I visit New Jersey, I make it a point to stop by and get my morning coffee fix here. The quality of their coffee is unparalleled, and their pourover is simply outstanding. The baristas at Penstock are highly skilled and consistently deliver exceptional beverages.

Five Stars! Why? Read on... I take my time choosing the roaster to indulge in a good espresso. I was in the area and went to Penstock. Vincent was my barista, humble and down to earth. He enticed me enough to try the natural process Ethiopian for the espresso. What I liked about them is that they have dialled in espressos for multiple coffees which is a great thing. It gives you an option of trying out something other than the house blend for your espresso. They charged me $6.00 for my single origin choice for espresso. But keep reading. I liked Vincent's puck preparation. He even improvised a WDT to break even and distribute the grind in the portafilter. Rarely do I see coffeeshops use a bottomless portafilter. But Penstock does. Speaks volumes about their confidence. There was a little bit of channelling while he pulled the shot. But the espresso turned out delicious. Sweetness and acidity well balanced. Quite fruity and a lingering mild aftertaste of milk chocolate (just me?). The roasters are doing a great job and so is the barista. Highly recommend Penstock. Next time I'm here, I will ask them for a Pour Over. Currently they are using a Kalita to brew their Pour Over coffees. And I want to definitely try their Pour Over skills!

Delicious coffee and kind staff! Love the vibe of this cafe!

Got the iced latte with oat milk. Easy to customize/substitute with coffee. There are lots of house coffee varieties available for purchase. The overall ambience is very bright and ventilated. Perfect to read a book or work The servers are kind! Definitely coming back here. Free Parking space available right beside the shop.

Girls gave me an attitude because I left a tip less than 1$ it took forever for them to make my cappuccino lead was broken and cup was not full coffee itself tasted very sour I had to throw it away. Very unpleasant experience.

Gets busy at peak times, and usually busy. Get there early for the the best selection of baked goods. Best cafe hangout in town. I haven't had a single complaint and I've been here many times. May be pricey to some, but it's great quality that I'm glad to pay for as a treat. Food is delicious and light, coffee is excellent. Gluten free options etc. *2023 update: Pictured food items are discontinued from the menu and no longer available.

This is the type of local coffee shop that seals the deal for someone to decide to move to the neighborhood. They are serious about their coffee, I’m not much of a coffee expert but I know this much, Had the batch brew, medium roast? Light body, easy to drink, floral, tad slightly fruity. Way above any chain coffee. Pair with their house baked goods? 🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌 I had their croissant, you can see the pic posted with this review. Layers and layers, air pockets and air pockets!! Light and savory, perfectly satiating. A bite of that and a sip of the coffee? 🤌🤌🤌🤌 Beside the tangible consumables, what a business like penstock provides is beyond the usual metrics. You can tell by the way the staff interact with each other. A real sense of a community, authenticity.

Love the coffee here, and it’s a great place to get work done. The baristas are really nice! like Brittany who always remembers my order and has good energy. The music here is great too. Just wish they had more space, it does get crowded!

Great drinks and super friendly staff. The perfect place to get work done, except for that one Monday the staff started playing NSYNC and Backstreet boys and the entire place turned into a karaoke joint. Also, the cute barista named Brittany will compliment you on your outfits and make you feel good about yourself, which I'm not going to lie, is like 90% of the reason I keep coming back here.

Love the vibe. They roast some killer beans. My only gripe is the espresso shots are overextracted, for that high a price on a latte it should be something i can do better than the flair neo. Get the beans, the staff are super friendly but not $7 a latte quality.

Pastries here are truly delicious. Some of the best I’ve ever had within and outside the US. Wonderful atmosphere and coffee to go with the pastries.

Went here this morning and had the peppermint mocha with oatmilk, which was delicious. It also had nice latte art. However, what I did not like was the customer service, or lack thereof. There was a child sitting next to me that spilled his hot drink on himself and was crying and got the milk all over the floor, and the baristas did nothing. My friend and I helped the parents clean up the mess, and my friend asked the barista for a rag or something to clean up the floor, and the barista said they had no rags. The baristas offered zero help, they just willingly ignored the situation unfolding right in front of them. Another customer also sitting by was also trying to help and was also wondering... how do they not have a single rag or mop in a coffee shop?? I did not like this low level of customer service and I felt bad for the parents and the little kid that had to clean up everything with lots and lots of napkins.

I went there for the first time today with some friends and the barista was kind and very helpful in explaining their drink options. I got a chai latte for the first time and it was amazing! I usually don't do drinks with caffeine but I'm glad I gave it a try. My friends order a flat white and a matcha latte which they both enjoyed. I also tried their lemon poppy seed muffin (which is gluten free) and their blueberry scone. Both were delicious and a must try! They do have limited bakery items but it seems that they do the little they have very well. The environment is pretty chill and they have a good amount of seating. 🙂 ⭐

I'm visiting NJ for a few weeks and am always looking for a good coffee shop - I judge this by whether they offer pourovers. I came across this Cafe and roastery by chance and boy am I glad I did! The owner, Brendan is extremely knowledgeable, kind and made me a fantastic pour over I can't wait to go again for my daily fix! If you're looking for a cute place to hang out and enjoy an amazing cup of coffee then look no further!! 5 stars!

Always enjoy each visit here. The baristas are so talented and kind! Truly one of the best spots around if you are seeking quality beans and coffee experience. I ordered a cortado. Not only did I have a wonderful cup, but I also received excellent service. Sincerely made my day. Thank you 😊

Super chill place with great coffee and pastries. Everyone is fun and helpful, see the latte art, and Haley was absolutely the most incredibly awesome when I visited today. To the whole gang, keep up the good work. I can’t wait to come back again soon!!

Surprisingly not too crowded and pretty quiet, the price for a cold brew is a lil high, but the environment worth the price.

Love this place! It's cute and eclectic. I always love getting seasonal drinks and I'm obsessed with their egg and cheddar biscuit. It's made fresh in house and today I got the apple maple latte with oat milk. Yum!

I’ve been going to penstock for a while now. The beans are nice and I like their latte. Their coffee is not sweet (at least the ones I ordered) which I like, because I want to drink coffee not sugar. If you prefer sweet, I think they have specialty coffee that’s sweeter. They have 2 beans they usually make latte, one is darker roast one is medium, you can ask the barista for a specific bean out of those 2. I usually order to go so I have no comment on the environment.

It’s great place for coffee. I can say that my coffee journey started with Penstock. The barista are wonderful and polite. Whenever you’re here look for Brittany, she’ll brew you a nice cup of coffee and great to have a conversation with.

Great place to hang out with a cup of coffee, friendly staff that really care about making your experience the best that they can.

It's our beloved coffee hub and neighbor-meeting place for years now. It's a cozy place, great coffee and high quality nibbles, including gluten free cookies and in-house made filled croissants. There are outside tables too. Baristas are always friendly.. shout out to Brittany for the best smile and funkiest t-shirts! Makes my day every time.

Everyone here is extremely welcoming and warm. Brittany in particular has helped me out on numerous occasions and she was especially helpful when I brought my mom with me. You can tell that she seriously cares for the folks that walk through the door and wants them to enjoy their visit, enjoy the food, AND feel good about themselves while they're there! She took her time explaining/recommending things whenever we had questions and the food/coffee was JUST as good as the service!! My usual order is the vegan biscuit with blueberry sauce (I switch up my coffee order frequently) but everything is spot on and I always look forward to coming back when I'm in town!

The best coffee in the area. If you are a coffee lover, you never regret to have a coffee in this store. They do very serious business for coffee taste and are completely different from other cafes in New Brunswick and Highland Park.