Cai's Cafe image

Cai's Cafe

Cafe

🫤 I used to be a near-daily regular for 2 years; however, for certain reasons and events, I stopped going because I felt unwelcome on the basis of my identity and not my character. Prior to that, I genuinely felt a sense of community from the baristas and the other regulars, especially coming out of... People often mention coffee, good, tables, baristas, nice, time, tasted, drink, seating, work,


Address

420 Main St, Metuchen, NJ 08840, United States

Website

www.caiscafe.com

Contact

+1 732-243-9925

Price rating

$ $$$

Rating on Google Maps

4.40 (441 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: 8 am to 7 pm
  • Monday: 7 am to 6 pm
  • Tuesday: 7 am to 6 pm
  • Wednesday: 7 am to 6 pm
  • Thursday: 7 am to 6 pm
  • Friday: 7 am to 7 pm
  • Saturday: 7 am to 7 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: coffee (30) good (14) tables (9) baristas (8) nice (8) time (8) tasted (8) drink (7) seating (7) work (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 2/5 Kevin M. 8 months ago on Google • 6 reviews
    I used to be a near-daily regular for 2 years; however, for certain reasons and events, I stopped going because I felt unwelcome on the basis of my identity and not my character. Prior to that, I genuinely felt a sense of community from the baristas and the other regulars, especially coming out of the pandemic. I made a lot of friends through this space and have fond memories. 1 star for the friendly baristas who work hard to keep this place afloat. They– the people behind the register day in, day out– really do a lot to create a welcoming atmosphere and community. The work that they put in deserves to be commended, and I stand by that. They work hard with what they are given in order to create a good customer experience. 1 star for the ambience that actually made the place feel cozy and the okay coffee (see other recent reviews). The food is okay too but overpriced for what it is in quantity and quality, especially when compared to other options nearby. I don't think this is a reflection of the baristas but more of business practices. 1 star for the good memories. I really wanted to continue liking and giving this place my business but alas. Minus 1 star for what was said and done. Use your judgement when patronizing this cafe. Tip your baristas. And take advice from their bathroom walls: Be a nice human.
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Leanne M. 1 year ago on Google • 1251 reviews
    Very busy coffee shop and super cute! There's usually a wait and not always a place to sit so be prepared for that if you go. They don't serve super heavy type food but quick bites like avo toast or a bagel, but the coffee is pretty good
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Prince 1 year ago on Google • 70 reviews
    Very nice spot … service is excellent … I feel very special every time I go there. Siena is such a great worker, always greet me with a nice smile and remembers my favorite drink :) pretty clean and they have very comfy chairs with variety of setups. Note: don’t miss to check the outdoor chairs :) especially when it is sunny out.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Dulce H. 1 year ago on Google
    First time visiting and def the last one. The iced Chai tea latte I ordered tasted so bad, I couldn't even drink a third of it, I ended up throwing it away, I asked for almond milk on it, but it tasted just like watered down old coffee or something, def not a latte...while waiting for my order I wanted to use their restroom, they have 2, both of them looked like they haven't been cleaned in a solid year, no toilet paper, just napkins to dry your hands after washing them. I tried to use their hand soap to wash my hands and it was watered down, pretty much just water on that bottle. The hygiene of this place def turned me off to ever eat/drink anything else from here. Staff member was nice.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Natalie Anne W. 4 years ago on Google • 58 reviews
    Very nice little place. Artsy, hipster-y, and has a small bookshelf so you can read while drinking your coffee of choice. Two comfortable-looking couches, and plenty of tables and chairs. I'll definitely be re-visiting here at some point.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Nikita P. 4 months ago on Google • 35 reviews
    I'm just giving 2 stars for the vibe and the ambiance. The coffee was really, really bad. I got a french lavender white mocha, and all I could taste was very mild lavender vanilla milk. No coffee No mocha and not even enough lavender.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Quinn L. 6 months ago on Google • 30 reviews
    Even though I got my coffee to go, I gotta say I’m not going to sit in the shop to study or work because it’s quite dark inside, more light would be much better. Chairs and tables are placed quite unreasonably in my opinion, which make everything looks so tight and inconvenient. I got a mocha and a pumkin spice latte. To be honest, a mocha is a mid, very milky and watery, didn’t taste any hint of coffee in it. However, the pumkin spice is pretty good. I’d give this cafe shop 6.5/10 for this visit. Hopefully next time I comeback to Metuchen, they can do better.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Patricia C. 9 months ago on Google
    I went for the first time with a friend only to experience having coffee that tasted and looked like dirty dishwater or watered down. overnight coffee! Don’t waste your money by going there
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Mysore Creative W. 1 year ago on Google
    Coffee was good but the food was a bit disappointing…. Outdoor seating is great with nice street view.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 T C. 9 months ago on Google
    The place looks nice and the bathrooms are clean, but that's where it ends. The coffee tasted awful, I don't understand why a latte would taste so bitter and bad. Also, the staff didn't call out the order when it was ready to be picked up at the counter.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 1 “‪Y.I.‬” 2. 9 months ago on Google
    The staff was seemingly pleasant. The decor and layout of the place had a quaint vibe. However, the iced coffee tasted watery and light, and the cinnamon sugar mini donut was horrible. It was DRY to the point it should have been discarded and other than the cinnamon on top, that’s all I tasted. I took two small bites and decided to discard it. It could have been due to it being late in the day, but I’ve had a day-old donut, and it was edible. These were tasteless, dry, and not good.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Annie Dong (Annie D. 1 year ago on Google
    The avocado toast was pretty and tasted good but slightly underwhelming for the price.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Craig J P. 1 year ago on Google
    I've been stopping into Cai's on and off for more than a year. Plenty of seating and people. People meet, study, zoom, and socialize here. Plenty of menu choices and the girls that work there are pleasant to everyone. Strong recommend.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Grace T. 10 months ago on Google • 80 reviews
    love the space, many tables and other seating arrangements along with outdoor seating. good wifi and outlets for working from home. got a matcha latte with guava and it was good. liked the unique flavor options but still expensive

  • 1/5 Aniket P. 4 months ago on Google • 51 reviews
    Been here couple times and both occasions the coffee was not good. Very mild, seems like it didnt had any espresso. I tried Cafe mocha and Lavender latte. Atmosphere is good, but not good coffee ruins it all. They can do better to improve their coffee!

  • 5/5 Kelly L. 2 months ago on Google • 21 reviews New
    I love their warm and cozy vibes and their selection of hot tea. Definitely going to come back more often to hang out and read or crochet. Update 1/11/24: I tried their hot chocolate and was pleasantly surprised by how it was not too sweet! Not a super strong chocolate flavor but it was rich enough to be warm and comforting

  • 2/5 Rob 4 months ago on Google • 15 reviews
    Came in for a cappuccino and the place was very busy just after 4pm so a lot of people must like it. Plenty of seats and tables, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their time inside. Also has outside seating. But it just wasn't my cup of coffee. Their milk drinks come in different sizes, which I find to be a negative. So I ordered a small which is a 12oz cup. And it was basically warm milk with a taste of espresso.

  • 4/5 Vallika N. 7 months ago on Google
    This place is really cute! Kind of expensive for the drinks they serve but it's Metuchen, so it being slightly more expensive is not unheard of. Good ambience, some tic tac toe set up all around. Very small space, not too many chairs/tables. Lots of variety on menu. P. S. Don't do what I did and take the banana out of any kind of banana milkshake. It just tastes like milk haha. Don't do it.

  • 4/5 Swathi M. 8 months ago on Google
    Its a beautiful cozy place. They do have various options of shakes and other drinks. Limited coffee options. But they have diff flavours. Coffee tastes good. Place is always with ppl. Take out is a better option!

  • 1/5 Nanditha N. 3 months ago on Google New
    Hot coffee - which was not hot and an option of heating it in microwave was given! Hot chocolate - which was not hot and the kid tasted, refused to drink saying it's bad. Earl Grey tea - of course earl grey was not served and with the amount of tea in the bag a whole pot could have been brewed!

  • 5/5 Bill S. 1 year ago on Google
    First time back in Metuchen in years and Cai's is legit. Best S'mores Latte, ever.

  • 5/5 Sylvester K. 10 months ago on Google
    What a great atmosphere, quaint area, and the two girls serving the clients were very sweet and make a good iced mocha.

  • 4/5 Briana Q. 1 year ago on Google
    I come here several times a week for the location and atmosphere. Great cozy place to relax or work and reasonable prices on coffee compared to other coffeeshops around here. The service and quality of the coffee has declined lately though. Many of the baristas aren't very friendly and recently my coffee has been served, more often than not, only slightly warm like they only partially steamed the milk for lattes or forgot to steam it at all for a cafe au lait. I must say though, Sienna is wonderful and always offers a warm welcome and makes GREAT coffee, I'm always very happy to see her behind the counter!

  • 5/5 John P. 1 year ago on Google
    The baristas are very kind. I spilled my drink which was 100% my fault. They cleaned it for me and gave me a new drink. There is free wifi and several different places to sit. High tops by the window, a couch with a coffee table, small 2 person tables, larger 4 person tables and a bar.

  • 1/5 Aya A. 1 year ago on Google
    I go to this cafe at least 3 days a week, and I feel like the quality has declined rapidly over the last few months. Stephanie & sienna are the only two baristas who make me feel welcome and who seem to know what they’re doing. A lot of the old staff is gone and the newer baristas seem inexperienced and give off an attitude. They make me feel unwelcome I got a matcha the other day and it was really bad. Mine looked almost brown when it should be a bright green. I love cais, I just felt the need to leave this review because I’ve been quite disappointed with the quality and service lately.

  • 1/5 Giselle A. 1 year ago on Google
    This is usually my go to spot, but today we ordered the avocado toast. They brought it to us 25 min late, the avocado was brown, toast was barely toasted it was cold. Sausage was cold as well. But another couple got their food before us and they had just walked in. And for 16 dollars never again. Smh hopefully next time they have a better crew back there. It was a lot going on. Sorry usually love this place.

  • 5/5 Julia W. 11 months ago on Google
    Ordered a hot French Lavender White Mocha and a Cold Latte. Both drinks had a pleasant taste and smell. The outdoor seating offers a nice place to drink and relax.

  • 5/5 Mel 3 years ago on Google
    Absolutely delicious. I believe this was the coffee smoothie option? Not sure. Anyway, it was gone within 2 minutes after snapping this picture. Also, the place is very clean and offers comfortable outdoor seating. Perfect for socially-distanced hangouts!

  • 5/5 Niloufer T. 4 years ago on Google
    Coleen and her team has created Cai’s Cafe as Metuchen’s community coffee shop. The combination of coffee and curated selection of artisan wines is unique. Cai’s cafe is a great place for a Sunday brunch or coffee with friends where you won’t be rushed.

  • 5/5 Ted D. 1 year ago on Google
    Excellent coffee and super friendly staffs. Very cozy. This is my favorite place to spend 1 hour during weekends!

  • 3/5 Esther D. 1 year ago on Google
    First time going today. Not the best first impression. Scrambled eggs and toast were not bad, but the coffee was not that great. The place did not look very clean. Crumbs on the tables from the previous customers and on the floor. I was kind of turned off by that. Too bad because the place looks like it has a lot of potential. Cute set up with the sofas and tables. I may give it another chance in the summer perhaps.


Call +1 732-243-9925 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Comfort food
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Prepared foods
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Breakfast
    • ✓️ Solo dining
    • ✓️ Good for working on laptop
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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