Dame's Coffee Espresso Bar - Big Taste, Big Cost

As it’s mid-June and pouring rain, perhaps you aren’t looking for a delicious iced beverage at this exact moment, but if you were, I’d point you in the direction of Dame’s Coffee Espresso Bar. Dame’s opened in Jersey City about two years ago and quickly established itself by having some of the best coffee around with Counter Culture beans and baristas who take their time to make sure you’re getting a quality beverage. Dame’s offers all the standards you find at an independent coffee house – lattes, americanos, etc. and on this particular day, I went for an iced mocha.

They pretty much only come in one size (stick of butter as obviously the best reference) which I estimate to be the equivalent of a medium at most places which is a decent size, but goes quickly, at least for me.  There’s a strong espresso flavor working with the chocolate, not hiding it behind it. The chocolate is dark, rich and semi-sweet at best which I love. One thing I didn’t love was the ring of chocolate that settled on the bottom that no amount of stirring would help.

Even taking that into account, this drink is much more complex and heavier in flavor than a mocha you’d get at Starbucks or another major chain...but it’s also more expensive than even those pricey options – my drink was over $5 and that seems to be pretty standard for most of their specialty beverages with drip coffee starting at $2.50.

All in All:

As high quality as this coffee is and as much as I love it, the price tag makes it something I would consider once in a while versus making it my weekend coffee spot. Dame’s also sells some pastries from various bakeries as well as a couple other specialty seasonal beverages (currently fresh squeezed lemonade!) which helps keeps things interesting, but I’m the first to say the cost doesn't justify frequent visits to check everything out, no matter how much I might want to.

Dame’s Coffee Espresso Bar, located at 581 Jersey Ave between 3^rd and 4^th streets.