Smith & Chang General Goods

We were a party of 4 and had ordered hazelnut latte, chocolate bar and lemonade.
A tiny chocolate bar — $ 9 (not worth it)
Hazelnut latte — bland. No latte art
Lemonade — mediocre.
Prices are not competitive and expensive for an average looking stuff.
Will not return.

This was my go-​to place for the past 13 months. I loved the vibe (good headphones drown out the occasional spoiled brats) and particularly the lack of hipster vibe. The prices are a bit on the high side but the free refills on coffee made up for it. I also loved supporting a local business.
Unfortunately new management has taken over and seems intent on destroying all of this. The prices have gone up astronomically. This past weekend I paid $ 17 for a small scone, sausage and egg breakfast sandwich, small coffee and americano. That’s insane. They’ve also added in the $ 10 chocolate bars an extensive gluten/​vegan menu. Bring on the hipster $$. Finally they’ve instituted a one-​free refill policy which is always a big F-​U to teleworkers.
The manager could also not be more radically different from the previous owner. She greeted everyone by name, said hi to the kids and was great to regulars. She also seemed to have a great relationship with her staff which as a former retail worker is really important to me.
It’s really a shame.

Don’t really get the bad reviews. Sure the crowd can get a little annoying especially on the weekends, the staff isn’t the nicest (at least to me…) but the drip coffee is the best in Jersey City by a lot. The lates are awesome, and even the chemex was done well.

I thought this place was just ok. It was not exceptional service, a little on the pricey side and had very few outlets if you need to plug a laptop our phone in. The food was decent, as was the coffee but I can’t imagine I’d go out of my way to go back.

Good choice in the Hamilton Park area to grab some coffee and/​or do some studying/​work. Plenty of big windows and natural light, and they have some cool «general goods» in the corner for sale, though many are on the expensive side. Also a good spot in a pinch for prepared breakfast foods (banana/​zucchini bread, quiches, breakfast sandwiches, etc.) on the go.

This place is so overpriced but I go because it is convenient and they accept credit cards (I would rather go to Basic but they are cash only). Never tried their sandwiches but their baked goods are just OK.

I’ve only tried the apple pie from this place so this is my first run of trying breakfast pastries. I ordered a slice of the mushroom quiche and broccoli and cheddar, followed by croissants. The croissants were fresh and super light and flaky. They have wifi for guests eating there. The employees are pleasant and helpful when trying to figure out what is placed in the display. The location is ideal since its located within a neighborhood, near Hamilton Park, 2 blocks form Newport Mall, and just a few mins from the city. Downside and reason for rating — I paid $ 19 for 2 average slices of quiche and 2 croissants.

Decent coffee shop. Nothing special.
Seeks coffee, tea and sandwiches. There are also salads …
During the week, it’s the mom maffia hangout. The weekends include the fathers too…

I loved the place the first time I went in, but things got dramatically worse once I actually bought something.
This place must have the smallest and blandest pastries I’ve ever encountered — sold at the highest prices I’ve ever heard of — and with the unfriendliest staff, to boot.
On the plus side, here you can enjoy your overpriced food in the company of some of the world’s most special children and their buttinsky parents.
(P.S. if you’re reading this, in case you haven’t figured it out already, the tweed driver’s hat isn’t going to help little junior get along any better with his classmates.)

Was surprised to see they’ve built a wall up where they used to display most of their home goods. Seems like they’re focusing less on the retail aspect??? Which is a shame, I loved looking through all the unique items they sold. The wall also really closes up the space and makes it seem much smaller than before. I still love the «coffeeshop» part of Smith & Chang, but it’s lost a bit of its charm. :/

Loved this eclectic& hip coffee shop. Staff were super friendly, polite & helpful. We were there about half hour before closing (they close at 7pm not 8 as it says on Unilocal) so we were the only customers sitting down, but still several people coming in for take out. They have coffee/​latte/​tea — both iced & hot — & various pastries, muffins, prepackaged salads & sandwiches. Décor is industrial but still cozy. They also have outdoor seating when the weather is a bit warmer. Overall really liked this place!

Love it here. It is an amazing ambiance to do work in while having a coffee or one of their pastries. I LOVE their pumpkin spice mocha (although some of the baristas look at me like I have five heads when I order it)…it tastes like a toasted marshmallow! They have good quality coffee options and their tea selection is great too.

Space-​wise, this has the potential to be one of the best coffee shops in Jersey City, though they’ve yet to completely exorcise their retail past given the remaining shelves of glassware and cuff links. The coffee and iced tea are fine, and the baked goods have improved since becoming a coffee shop. The waitstaff are also great, and they accept credit cards (take a hint, certain other JC coffee purveyors).
There are some serious issues, though, namely with their closing practices. The cleaning lady starts sweeping and spraying industrial — strength glass cleaner at least 1.5 hours before the doors are locked, and her broom has clanked against my shoe more than once. They also put up chairs, etc with 30 minutes to go, and it’s all very inhospitable and sometimes difficult to breathe with all of the ammonia floating around. I hope this problem can be addressed: either close earlier or clean up actually after hours!

Alright, alright — the quality if the latte and cappuccino has gone up substantially, time to update my review and bestow a deserved five stars. Great location to sit down, maybe get some work done, without worrying about finding parking outside or. going hungry. Need to try their banana bread next, but the goodies come in generous portions and never disappoint.

This is quickly becoming my favorite coffee house in JC. Ice Coffee, free wifi, accepts cards for any purchase, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. To me that doesn’t seem like a lot to ask, but it’s actually tough to check all of those boxes in one place in this town.
There are also some pretty good looking pastries, though I’ve not partaken. And you can peruse some housewares in the back (given that this used to be a housewares shop when it opened). A perfect place to get caffeinated and start your day, or bring your laptop and get some work done.

Finally got a chance to come by! The coffee/​pastries are slightly more expensive than the average in the neighborhood, and I still like Prato’s coffee better. The space to work is worth it, however. The huge windows that fill up 2 of the walls really let light stream in and make it not as depressing when you’re trying to get things done. The seats are reasonably spread out, so it’s not uncomfortably tight with others. Oh, and they don’t blast the AC, which is honestly a big plus. There are also a couple of tables outside.
Worth checking out. Avoid the home goods/​décor section though, unless you want to pay $ 50 for a spoon set.

Almost a perfect spot for studying!
Usually order a cup of coffee or tea with sandwich, they all taste fairly good. Quiet, clean and AC is not too strong… Always my first choice to do some reading and studying!

Smith & Chang sells an eclectic variety of home goods — some self branded — as well as coffees and pastries. I tried their regular coffee and it was well-​made and tasty (especially after the addition of cream). I didn’t try the pastries, but they looked fresh and like they’d be delicious.
They have a couple of large-​ish tables and a couple of smaller ones. There are large windows on two sides, so if you’re looking for distractions outside, you’ll find them.
The home goods are higher-​end — at least in price.
Staff seemed friendly. Prices for café items were about what you’d expect at this kind of shoppe.

I had been here before when it was just a general store. I was pleasantly surprised to see they’ve converted into more a coffee shop — but still selling some goods.
I walked in to meet some girlfriends and took a look at the coffee menu… and may have eyed the pastries, they did look fresh and delicious. One of my friends was waiting for her quiche… and mentioned to me before I went to get my coffee she felt like she had been waiting a while for it. I first ordered their café leche, but the barista was nice enough to tell me it was just coffee with milk and not anything fancy… after I ordered my latte the other barista remembered my friend’s quiche, which unfortunately was now burnt. However, they did replace it.
My latte came in a bowl. I’m pretty sure the last time I had a bowl of coffee was sometime in college when I ran out of mugs. BUT, it was pretty, and they managed a good pull on it. When paying though, the barista got a little confused about my change.
Later on, I noticed one of the baristas sitting at one of the tables eating a sandwich. I didn’t realize they sold sandwiches — I hadn’t seen them in the display, and there was no menu, except the coffee menu. I wish there had been some sort of menu, chalkboard, something to let me know, because I probably would have gotten one!
The baristas mentioned they had only recently changed over to the coffee bar. I have really high hopes for them, and will definitely be going back. Baristas were super friendly and nice, always a good thing and makes me more willing to go back.

Just came back from Smith & Chang for an internship interview and this place was soooooo cute! Like unbelievably cute. I feel as if you can find a place like this through a Tumblr or Pinterest account.
You first set foot into the store and has that cozy, quaint, «Little House on the Prairie» meets Parisian café vibe. That’s a good thing, trust me. I had a Cappuccino here and after years of working as a barista, I can judge a place if its good or not by having their Cappuccino. Guys. Make sure to get it here because it is AMAZING. The perfect blend of foam and espresso with a little bit of art on the top (I think mine was a seagull? I don’t know. Art is subjective).
I wasn’t able to glance at the prices of the bath salts and tea floating around the shop, but they seem decent I suppose? The café prices were reasonable too. But the overall atmosphere was so intimate and romantic. Like I total see myself going on a date here (take note, potential suitors).
Anyways, I highly suggest this place. Just make sure to save some time for parking because that was an adventure in itself.