Java Jo’s

I decided to skip Dunks yesterday and hit Java Jo’s on my way to work. I’m trying to support local businesses — non chain ones — and I see this one every day. Eek. Huge mistake.
I wanted a quick iced coffee and breakfast pastry. Even though I was one of 3 people in there, it wasn’t quick. The iced coffee was awful (coffeeshops — people who drink iced drink alot of it, and it requires separate brewing daily. Do NOT do what I think java jo’s does, and toss your leftov

I really loved living about a 5 minute walk from Java Jo’s. They have delicious baked goods and are vegetarian friendly. They have awesome specials for breakfast and lunch and they have the most amazing iced coffee. The atmosphere is cute, cozy and hip, great place to grab a bite and read a book if you live in the JP area.

So I stopped in one cold Sunday morning for some hot goodness while waiting for a friend. It was so convenient, being right across the from the T. I walked in and the atmosphere was wicked cool, with their artsy board and plaid-​wearing staff. I ordered my soy latte, as it is my test for all new coffee shops I come across, to see how good their coffee grounds were. I was FLOORED. It was so smooth, rich, and was deliciously roasted without burning their beans, (*cough* dunkin donuts)
After I downed my latte, I went and ordered a cup of their house blend, and was so happy with the results.
I will DEFINITELY be returning to Java Jos!

I’m giving three stars. One is for the delicious sandwiches (chicken salad is YUM) and bagel spreads– BACON onion is to die for on a fresh toasted bagel! Also good vegan snacks! One is for the super cool and alternative staff that are always polite, remember my name and my drink preferences, and always have great music suggestions, and one is for the funky music that is always playing, the ample seating and the free wifi which is cruicial to a writer like myself. They lose one star for their high prices– a little too crazy for the area– Forest Hills is the low-​end of JP and this place is charging Pond-​Side prices and they lose another star for the service time which can be, at times, ridiculously slow. I love the food and the atmosphere– but at times I feel like they are trying to be a trendy up-​scale downtown coffee shop in a Dunkin Donuts kind of area.

Wait is ridiculous. I was one of two people there, and the other lady was already served. People working the counter are pretty indifferent. Too pricey for the quality of their sandwiches and coffee is substandard. Still, only coffee spot in our immediate area besides mikes.

Things have definitely gone downhill here. They constantly run out of very common stuff (like bacon… come on you serve breakfast you need bacon) and their overall quality of food has gone down.
They also are less friendly to people using their wifi. They have a time limit on seating now, which really annoys me. I used to go in there great breakfast and a coffee and then get lunch and another coffee while i worked. That’s probably a good $ 10-​$ 15 worth of purchases.
Sorry, but if you don’t want my $ 15, there’s plenty of other places to spend it!

3.5 stars.
I’d give the coffee 3 stars. It’s not as bad as some have described, IMO. They seem not to brew any dark roast in the afternoon, which is a bummer. The breakfast sandwiches are good, as are some of the lunch wraps, like the chicken-​walnut. A good place to work (the wifi is free).
Would be good if they stayed open later in the evening, but can’t really blame them, since early closing times are endemic to this provincial little town that likes to think of itself as a big city.

Java Jos is the only place withing 5 minutes walking that I can get a half decent cup. I don’t think their coffee is spectacular, but when I make my own at home, I like it strong enough to require a fork and knife to consume. Java Jo’s kinda tastes like water to me. I do have friends who say they think it lacks flavor as well.
My room mate has gotten their sandwiches (I think a lunch variety) and said they were cheap and good (he’s a chef, so that must mean something).
The service is friendly and helpful (soy milk readily available if you ask). The trivia questions for a free small coffee are fun too.
The only time I sat in there I sat against the back wall church pew thing (best place to people watch). It was about as comfortable as… a church pew.

Ewwwwie!
I have had multiple friends work here.
It is gross. They couldn’t even give me free stuff, it tastes so bad.
Their coffee tastes like burnt ass. :(
Their food is nastyyy. Once I got an egg sandwhich and my eggs were not yellow but grey, literally. No joke.
Because of their location they have a «colorful bunch of locals.»
For the comment about them being BATHROOM NAZIS it is only because many times they have found people doing drugs, sleeping, or intimate things.
I’ll walk down the road to Dunkin or I’ll starve. w

I like this place. I really do. The clientele is… colorful. Its makes for good people watching. A mix of students, T employees, professions and local color. In a sense, this is the best part of Java Jo’s: seeing who else is coming in.
The coffee is consistently decent, but the food is nothing impressive. Not horrible, but ok. As they get a lot of foot traffic the service can suffer when a sudden rush overwhelms the staff.
Best for a place to study or hang out.

always had consistent service, food, and drink.
The staff is young and helpful — often when I have a question the offer real answers (i.e. this coffee can be bitter but the xyz is smooth) They have comfortable tables, and an eclectic crowd. bathrooms are very clean — but often the tables need a wipe down — if u ask they will jump on it .
go grab a cuppa jo!

I’m sorry to say this, because this is one of the only 2 decent places near my house, but I’ve been less than impressed with Java Joes.
While they make a good sandwich, I find that their coffee is quite mediocre, their pastries unappealing, the service chaotic and extremely slow, and the place is often a little on the dirty side. The servers, while refreshingly alternative, are generally listless and incompetent…
To their defense, Forest Hills station hosts a lot of homeless and mentally ill folks going to/​from the Shattuck– some of their bathroom/​cleanliness issues might relate to having to deal with a LOT of people coming in looking for a warm seat or a bathroom.
But lets kick it up a notch, Java Joes… make your neighborhood proud!

The workers here are complete bathroom nazis. I understand bathrooms for customers only, but they actually require you to make your purchase before they will hand over the key, which is really rude and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
The coffee is below average, and the pastries look unappealing. They do have good breakfast sandwiches, such as the captain tasty with egg, sprouts, bacon, cheddar and tomato. Annoyingly, they don’t pack napkins in your takeout order, so remember to pick some up or you’ll be rubbing your greasy, bacon scented fingers on your paper bag.
Sad, but I’ll probably just keep getting my coffee at Dunkins.

This place might have the worst coffee in Boston.
I went in my first day after moving from a different part of Jamaica Plain, and Java Jo’s must be the worst coffee shop I’ve ever been to. The place is filthy and always seems to be full of loud, unemployed people. Their pastries look and taste like they were bought in bulk at BJ’s Wholesale.
The only saving grace is their sandwiches, which aren’t great, but alright for Forest Hills.
Save yourself the disappointment though and walk up Washington St. to Canto 6. The coffee, pastries, and sandwiches are all way better.

I have been going to Java Jo’s for about three years since Living in Jamaica Plain. I have had only good service from the multiple people here. IT seems like most of my friends get the messed up sandwich or the wrong coffee, but mine always seems to come out fine… Karma? Who knows. But I tip them, smile and usually go on my way.
Their sandwiches are awesome, especially the chicken pesto, any their bagel sandwiches are great as well. They do take awhile to be made, but if you are patient, go for it. If you are looking to chew and screw, then this isn’t the place for you. They got free wi fi, cd’s that play blasts from the 90s (which i enjoy) and their baked goods are ok. They are sometimes Hit or miss, being slightly dry or not that flavorful. I’m not sure who makes their baked goods.
I usually get tea and yesterdays baked goods ($ 1)… and go on my way. Juste nuke that muffin and ur fine!
Just watch out for the crazy drunk people from Forest Hills, and sometimes the art on the walls can be hit or miss…

Living in the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain, your options for inexpensive, prepared food in your immediate vicinity are somewhat limited. You have East Ocean City (shudder), and that’s about it. Java Jo’s serves its purpose, and serves it well. The food is good; nothing exceptional, but cheap-​to-​reasonably priced, depending on what you get, and the ingredients are consistently fresh. I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to come here, but if you’re in the area, it’s certainly a good bet.
A personal favorite is the coffee-​veggie sandwich combo. For $ 3.99, you get a large, hot coffee, and a sandwich on the bagel of your choice or 7-​grain bread. The sandwich consists of hummus, red onion, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, and is quite good and excellent value. It’s served with a little slice of cantaloupe, which is a nice touch.
Java Jo’s recently added a decent (albeit slightly sporadic) offering of vegan baked goods to their menu. The blueberry muffin is out of this world. And the staff is absolutely fabulous.

Java Jo’s. Living off Bourne Ave in Roslindale I’m a frequent patron. I go to Java Jo’s because it’s convenient, it’s unpretentious, and it’s bagel and egg sandwiches come with a side of melon. Oh am I happy on honey dew days.
The sandwiches, and other assorted goodies are creative and delicious. The atmosphere and artwork lend to a funky independent vibe.
I don’t consider myself a coffee connoisseur, hardly ever touching those specialty drinks that require multiple viewings of LA Story before mustering the courage to order (I’ll have a half double decaffeinated half caf, with a twist of lemon). But the jo I’ve sampled from said Java’s is average at worst.
Yes, an order with a modicum of complexity is a risky proposition. Yes the service is typically slow (but I’ve never experienced rude). And yes, on occasion the patrons are not the cleanest or sanest. But this is MY neighborhood coffee shop and I turn a blind eye to these slights in support of local business, free wi-​fi, and close combat people watching.

Eh.
Coffee’s ok.
Sandwiches are creative, but can be overloaded and kind of soggy due to inadequate toasting (I think that’s why, anyway).
Trivia for a free coffee rules.
For some reason it can take 15+ minutes to toast a bagel, so I can’t stop by for more than a coffee if I have to be somewhere.
Eh. It’s eh. People around here seem to think it’s the bee’s knees, but I have to think that’s because there’s no alternative. Eh. The plus of trivia balances the minus of wait-​time, so when you factor in the eh coffee, you get an average of eh.

Once, a long time ago, when my friend used to live right next to this place, we would go here to have some coffee and maybe some munchies to eat on.
I remember liking their coffee, but it wasn’t very memorable, given the fact that I can’t remember what it tastes like. However, I DO remember the sandwiches being very tasty.
Unfortunately, I also remember the homeless guy that sat next to us on the ratty couches. Not that I don’t want homeless people sitting next to me, but when he is sleeping and obviously NOT there for the coffee, it seems a little ridiculous.
I don’t live in the area, and really, my only excuse for coming here was to visit my friend. Now that she lives in California, I don’t see a reason for me to trek all the way to this coffee shop, when there are plenty more around that are a hell of a lot closer.

Hmm. I had a real mixed experience here. The actual place is nice. It’s right across from the Forest Hills T station. There was a nice menu with sandwiches that ended up being mighty tasty. The coffee was delish. Free WiFi. All good stuff. While we were ordering, a man came in, and the woman working said in a very sunny, upbeat way, «Go away. Don’t ask these people for money. Go on. Get out of here!»
I’m sort of new to Boston, so what struck me most about this place was maybe not news to other people that live here. Even though we were in a very diverse part of the city, and even though people of all ethnicities and ages were walking past, only white people came in the entire time we were there. Is that typical?
I’m from the South, and I thought things were a little less divided up here, but in actual fact, I’ve seen things MORE divided up by race and class. Even more here than in Memphis!
Anyway, back to the place. Will I come here again? The coffee was great, so were the employees, the music, even the food was nice. But there was this very annoying loud lawyer on the phone right next to us talking about what I would consider highly confidential information about clients and judges, and she was projecting — trying to talk over the music — right at us. After half an hour, we left.
I’d go for the coffee or to grab a snack, but despite the free WiFi, it didn’t have the vibe of a place I’d go again to get any work done.