Cup of Joe

This is such a great coffee shop. You are warmly greeted right away, the drinks are warm and prompt. I love the atmosphere. It’s cozy and friendly.
It’s a central hub for friends to meet whether it’s for a school project, to catch up, or just to enjoy some cup of joe.
My personal favorite is the chai latte!

Nice people, good coffee, warm inviting ambience. The owner greets you personally and makes you feel appreciated. Thumbs up to The Cup!

Cedar Falls tried-​and-​true coffeehouse, hipster central decades before the term existed. A pleasant décor and good drinks make this one of the town’s most enjoyable meeting places. Service is reliably good and friendly. Main Street’s best spot to stay clean and sober as one chats with a friend or colleague.

I don’t get it. It’s like when someone is watching their favorite show Friends and I’m thinking «Really!!! are we watching the same show because this is garbage». So maybe it was a terrible night. Or something. But we ordered a large hot chocolate. It was served cold. A cold hot chocolate. Seriously. It wasn’t even luke warm. I know that makes no sense, but I took it back to be heated, and it still wasn’t very hot. It was a little-​more-​than luke warm chocolate… but definitely not a hot chocolate. I’ve been scorched before by hot chocolates made elsewhere, but this is something new… Moving on. We also got a brownie from the case. It was stale and so hard around the edges that I warned my husband not to break a tooth on it. Just sad. I was hoping for a little more with the rave reviews… two words… Quality Control.

Real quick stop at this place and it was very busy (college town). Service was fast and friendly and I tried a new flavor, a peanut butter latte. It was delicious. I liked it! Outdoor seating in a beautiful setting too.

Located in a store front on the «historic» Cedar Falls downtown Main St., it embraces a retro look and is the quintessential hotspot for those trying to prove they are hipster/​ecletic/​non-​mainstream. Cup of Joe has decent coffee and really good muffins, slices of cake. Unfortunately, their help today lacked in common sense and courtesy.
I ordered a large dark coffee with room for cream in a to-​go cup and presented my debit card. Female employee states there is a $ 4 minimum for using a debit card. Fine, i understand the reason, and I’m ok with that. So I ask her if they do refills, and if so, just charge me for a refill so we get over the mimimum. I was thinking I probably wouldn’t even use the refill but was ok with paying extra for the «cup of joe.» I get my coffee and find a cozy seat on a couch next to a small counter which is where cream, sugar, stirrers, and a microwave are placed. The place is busy and this is my only option for seating.
A few sips into my morning, the same female employee comes over to the table to put something into the microwave and leaves. When she comes back, she has a spray bottle and rag to clean the counter. I am not staring at her, just looking at my phone. She sprays the bleach solution right on my face! Since I wasn’t expecting that, I react and flinch to the side and out of my seat. She doesnt respond to this at all and walks away like nothing happened. Bleach water stings a bit when you get sprayed in the eyes!
A few minutes later, the male employee working at the time comes over to use the microwave. I tell him, «Your coworker just sprayed bleach water in my face when she was cleaning off the counter. She should be more careful.» He said sorry and left with his item. 15 minutes later, the female employee comes over with some money and says, «Here is a refund for your refill. Sorry I sprayed you with water.» Thanks for the apology. It’s aggravating that you «refund» me for something I never used and your «water» comment is annoying because water doesn’t sting or smell like bleach.
I understand the stress of retail. Especially on busy days. Just use common sense and have the courtesy of admitting and correcting your mistakes.

Important Things to Know:
–They use direct trade, fair trade, and organic coffee.
–You need a bill of at least $ 4 to use a credit card. They do accept credit cards, though.
–They serve a plethora of different drinks — both hot, iced, sweet, and unsweetened.
–They also serve treats. Looks like they had little cakes, little breads, and more. They sell them for eating at the shop or package them up as a to-​go treat.
–Decent amounts of seating. Lots of four-​person and two-​person tables. A couple of three-​person couches. A couple of single-​person chairs. Also some sets of two-​person outdoor tables and chairs.
Pros:
–You have the choice to get your coffee for inside or to-​go. They use reusable drinkware for indoor coffee choices, so yay for less environmental waste!
–Baristas were super friendly. Like, very friendly. They were happy to make a recommendation for me and didn’t seem annoyed at all. The barista even engaged me in a bit of small chat when she delivered my drink.
–I came in with 4 people ahead of me. I was served within a minute or two, and they offered to bring my drink to my table when I said I was drinking indoors. This is faster than most coffee chains by a lot.
–They have cold, sweet coffees. Those «frou frou» drinks are what I love. I had a Snickers Iced Coffee. It wasn’t quite as sweet as I was expecting, but it was still really good at a lot better than the «candy bar flavored» coffees that I’ve had at Dunkin Donuts. The coffee here tasted fresh and not bitter, and it had a nice mixture between sweet and coffee.
–They are open later than most coffee places in town. They’re open until 10PM or 11PM most nights.
Cons:
–I’m not-​so-​fond of the interior décor. I know it’s a slight nit-​pick, but I’m not a huge fan of the retro, mismatched interior décor. I’m more of a «super modern» type of décor girl. Everything seemed like it was decent-​enough shape. It looked retro — not destroyed.
–Seems like it can get pretty busy. There was a single open table when I came here on a Friday morning during the summer. I imagine this gets worse when college students are actually in session.
–Parking is a bit of a pain. Lots of bicycles outside, so a lot of people probably bike here. However, it’s located on Main Street, so it means fussing a bit about parking. You may end up walking a block or two.
–Coffee is still surprisingly expensive. A «small» version of my drink was $ 4.60. Not horrible, but you’re still in large-​coffee-​chain-​prices territory.
Would definitely recommend this place, though. I’m glad that if Cedar Falls only gets a few independent coffee shops, this gets to be one of them.

Great ambiance and staff. Always cheerful, and willing to help. Great selection of coffees and teas. Music from local live artists Thursday and Saturday evenings,
Free secure internet.
Don’t miss it as a place to meet and greet when in Cedar Falls.

This is a wonderful place to meet up with friends and the employees are always friendly. I don’t drink coffee but they have fabulous chai tea lattes. Makes me angry that they have a $ 4 minimum for credit card charges as my latte is always under than and I never carry cash. (Does anyone?!) Would have given 4 stars if it weren’t for that. (I thought it was against a credit card company’s policy to impose a minimum order requirement?)

Cup of Joe is one of the most hip places in the CF area. Great drinks and desserts. Cute décor in the shop. They also have board games to play if you’re their with younger children. Great, friendly place for all ages!

The environment is very welcoming and the employees were friendly and greeted me immediately. It was my first time in there and I was asked if I had any questions which I think is a plus because not all coffee establishments are the same. I will definitely be coming back.

This is the best coffee shop in town. It is local yet inviting and has wonderful baked goods and drinks! I go here regularly and am never let down by a new drink or food. Welcoming staff, delicious baked goods, and the best drinks in town! Best location in town right on Main Street which has indoor and outdoor seating. Great place to hang out with friends, write a paper or play a board game! I highly recommend Cup of Joe over any other in Cedar Falls.

Homey feeling place. great cup of chia tea. They gladly ground my coffee beans to take home. They have comfy couches or tables to relax on. Play a game while you sip. The dessert bars all looked luscious although I didn’t try one as tempting as they were. I will return and request coffee from here for home brewing

Nonfat latte was too hot to drink for probably 10 minutes. Service was very nice and I wish I could have stayed to drink my coffee in the colorful sitting area right on the corner. I also bought beans here to take home and they were pretty good; roasted fresh!

A cute coffee shop with a great menu and fresh desserts & pastries. The ambiance is almost always lively, and the music is perfect. They don’t have the customer service standard of Starbucks, but their drinks and food are of a higher quality.

Love this place! Good vibes, great coffee, and delicious snacks! The Ginger-​Peach Iced Tea is my favorite!

I love this place– it’s worth coming back to Cedar Falls for! The retro vibe is fun and the people are so nice. I sampled several of their homemade baked goods and each was amazing. My fave is the toffee pecan bar with cream cheese frosting– perfection! It’s right on Main Street next to a lovely path that follows the river for miles, so take your coffee to go and enjoy the beautiful setting!

One of my favorite places in Cedar Falls… Maybe the world.
When I walk in they know my name and my drink of choice. Incredibly friendly I’ve been frequenting cup, as we call it for years. The staff treats everyone as if they were regulars.
Not to be missed when visiting downtown CF!

Best café au lait I have had I a while said my boyfriend (who is a coffee snob). I enjoyed a mocha. Neat. environment and open late which if I was a local would be a great thing.

Friends living in Cedar Falls suggested Cup of Joe for a Saturday morning breakfast spot, and I couldn’t have been more pleased.
This is a cool little independent coffee shop downtown that features fair-​trade coffee and offers everything you can get at the big chains with a bit more TLC and an obvious attention to quality and presentation. The muffins and cinnamon rolls were gigantic & delicious. I loved the fact they had several vegan offerings as well — though I am not vegan, Cedar Falls didn’t exactly scream «vegan/​veggie friendly» until this visit!
I know I’ll be back to visit Cup of Joe as I return to the Cedar Valley area to visit friends — keep up the great work!