Hey! Café

Walk in off magazine from a spin class to smell the delicious aromas of coffee! The Barista was knowledgeable with his love of coffee and made a delicious café au lait. Best part though was the cinnamon simple syrup to flavor!

It’s alright. I don’t go out of my way to come here. The coffee wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. The venue is pretty grungy. Definitely in the pool of Z’otz and Rue. The good part about these places is that you can sit and write (or what have you) as you please. Nobody bothers you.

I love this place and work out of it fairly often. It’s legit, original hipster… no chalk board motivational quotes, repurposed milk churns or Mustang headlights turned in to light fixtures. Instead, the furniture is vintage 80’s (although the screws holding the tables together might be older, they’re somewhat rickety) and the décor, in the backroom at least, is questionable. The yellow paint on the walls is luminous to make up for the lack of windows. Trim is orange (also luminous) and grey (not luminous) and in no way matches the laminate floor or the 80’s furniture.
Anyway, don’t go to a coffee shop for the furniture or the décor*, go for the chat with the staff and the coffee. Here, both are good. Since moving to New Orleans, I’ve started drinking café au lait and I like theirs a lot. There’s not an awful lot to say about it… it’s good beans, well roasted with milk, and expertly put together in a cup. Their range of pastries is a little limited but tasty all the same and they do carry some gluten free items too.
Out the back, there’s a lovely little suntrap courtyard, great to enjoy an ice coffee in the morning sun. It’s not totally clear if this is open to the public or just for the people who live upstairs. Try it and beg forgiveness if they say anything!
*My tip for a coffee shop where you go for the furniture, décor AND coffee is Ometesando coffee in Tokyo. That’s a coffee experience on a whole other level.

The counterstaff are friendly and the draft coffee on nitro is really good.
They have a good selection of pastries (including some super tasty vegan ones) and it’s a generally inviting and relaxed atmosphere.

Cute shop for coffee! This is a pretty tiny shop so I couldn’t see myself hanging or studying in here for very long. They offered several kinds of coffee including those from South America and Africa. I think I prefer my coffee on the darker roasted side so South American would be type. So here is another coffee place to try if you’re in the area!

Decent little coffee spot. Really cool that they roast their beans in-​house!
And the tea is full-​leaf, always a plus. I got a peanut butter, banana & honey sandwich. It was toasted on really high quality locally baked bread. Really good! Could have used a bit more honey, it got kind of dry.
There is no soft seating, which is kind of a bummer if you’re wanting to spend some decent time there. The front room is really average and looks kind of dirty, and feels small. There’s a back room that’s quiet and good for spending time reading or studying, except for the lack of soft chairs.
There’s also an outside patio that’s beautiful!
The service was really average if not bad. The guy didn’t even attempt to smile, and acted as though I was disrupting his whole day by being there.
So to re-​cap: average décor and the lack of soft seating, combined with the bad service, would give it 2 stars. The quality of the food and the tea brings it up a star.

We went there out of necessity (bathroom for Mardi Gras) after NY pizza wouldn’t let my 5 year old son use theirs. I met the nicest lady there who asked no questions and I just had to return the very next day to support them. What I got in return was great service and a great iced mocha!!! Very smooth and would return as often as I can!!! I purchased 4 bottles of water, a Powerade and an iced coffee for about 12.00

Great coffee, not too acidic. Very kind, chill and knowledge barista. Cool area. Went back here 2 or 3 times during a 5 day visit.

Hey Café is a great coffee shop. They roast their own coffee beans which is really cool. They have a back room which is extremely quiet and quaint and great to get some reading done. It’s very warm and homey with a grunge vibe. I only gave it four stars because the first time I went the back room was closed, so there wasn’t anywhere to sit. The second time I went the back seating was open which was great! Love this spot!

On my neverending quest for the perfect cortado this was low on my list.
I walked in today and gave my usual pain in the ass order– double cortado with an extra ounce of milk– which NO BARISTA IN THIS CITY until today could wrap their head around.
Hold on I haven’t even tried it yet…
OH MY GOD IT’S PERFECT.
Oh my god have I found mecca? French truck gets an honorable mention, but I would come here just to be treated exactly how I was just treated– when even though I’m a pain in the ass (I’m looking at you mojo mcdoucheland) he just made me feel like the easiest customer he’s ever had.
The coffee is good. Berry notes and a strong finish without being too acidic.
I’m sitting at a pretty little table in back writing what will certainly be my magnum opus and listening to opera.
What the hell is wrong with other coffee shops in this city?
Thank the lord

Continuing my search for my go-​to coffee shop. Stumbled in here on a cold night. Coffee (double cap) was good –much better than most I’ve had in Nola coffee shops, but just not hot enough. Dont get me wrong, I appreciate it when the coffee is not overheated, but this was seriously barely tepid. Nice space though, super friendly staff and WWOZ on (but not so loud as to be annoying). No outlets tho and only open to 9pm. Free wifi and also have soy and almond milk, if you’re into that kind of thing.
I’ll go back.

Awesome iced coffee. Nice neighborhood joint.

First visit in, and I wasn’t disappointed. I ordered a coffee– black and a double shot macchiato to go. Quality and efficient customer service, friendly and local atmosphere, and great coffee. I’ve ordered a lot of espresso over the years and this one was a delight to drink, I treasured every sip. I’ll be going back.

Good low key coffeeshop. Good coffee and great lemonade! Muffins look and taste a little off though…

They have a really good veggie friendly BLT. Alot more seating than you think. They have a front seating, middle section, and back patio area. Very quaint, small menu but a good selection. a small reading selection provided by the self serve cream and sugar station. alongside the Loose leaf tea provided in large mason jars with great embossed labels.

Felt like I was walking into my grandparents house… a great, inviting, nostalgic feel. Add to that a good cup of joe and some vegan + gluten free treats and I’m happy to hand over 5 stars! The perfect spot to refuel or hang out for a bit. Thanks!

Although I can’t speak to the coffee (having been on a coffee sabbatical most of the times I came here) their chai lattes are delicious, and almond and soy milks are always on stock. The Hey, along with the Rue on Oak and Satsuma Café in the bywater, is one of my go-​to cafes when I’m in NOLA. I’ve been coming here since I was 16 or 17, and the atmosphere never changes. There are big wooden booth tables in the back room, which is wonderfully dingy and perfect for suctioning yourself to your laptop for a few hours, and the courtyard is really lovely and peaceful for chatting with friends/​study smoke breaks. Once in a while, in the evenings, there are killer events/​shows, although it can get a little crowded. Plus, even when I’ve only managed to come to the Hey every few months, the barista always remembers me! What a cute guy, what a cute place.

They make the best caramel latte I’ve ever had… I crave it!!! I don’t exactly know how or why it’s better than others but they use very fresh milk (from a Baton Rouge farm) and they brew great coffee.
Also, they make a yummy grilled cheese sandwich.

Hey Café’! Rocks! They have a heavenly chai. I get the iced tea when it’s hot outside and the hot tea when it’s cold. I believe they add milk, but it’s even good without! They host TONS of awesome shows, many through the Community Records label, which is locally owned by one of the owners. My boyfriend gets the iced breakfast tea often, and it’s also a great spot to chat or do work on your laptop. They used to have delicious yogurts… handmade with a family members honey in Mississippi… fresh fruit on top… yum! Sadly they are not there anymore, but hopefully they will return!

Low key coffee shop but with fancy coffee… except I don’t drink coffee.
So they have a nice selection of pellogrino here as well as other non-​fancy canned drinks. They also have quality iced tea that does not taste like coffee.
Although the space is long and narrow, it’s usually not packed and so you can find a space to stop and chat with friends. The one table out front affords excellent people watching. And the courtyard out back is very restful.
The staff has been uniformly polite and sometimes really friendly.

Best espresso i’ve had in new orleans. The panama/​ethiopia blend was amazing!
Also, great service!

I’m in love with this place. Perfect vibe. Delicious smooth coffee. It is becoming my neighborhood bar. I can see myself coming back with my laptop chilling here At Least once a week. The reason I’m giving them 4 stars is because of their music bass. It was beating my ears with a hammer. I think your speakers need to be adjusted, guys! Other than that, I’m in love! ;)

ONE OF OUR FIRST MICRO-​ROAST COFFEE SHOPS*
«Hey!» has recently invested in a hefty piece of equipment that custom roasts in-​house recipes mapped via laptop (see pics). Beans are sourced through local broker Zephyr and are rotated every month or so. Thus far they’ve offered varieties from Brazil, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and currently Panama.
AFFORDABLE
Even given this hands-​on approach, brews average just $ 3-​$ 4. They also sell these fresh beans by the bag. I really like the no-​frills atmosphere here (a mea culpa to the «grungy» adjective I used 18 months ago). And it’s refreshingly non-​fussy with jugs of milk and creamers kept in a humble fridge next to the condiments.
SURE IT’S HIPSTER
But it’s uptown hipsters who are significantly more engaging and energetic than their glum counterparts further down river, mired in their dour Nordic prayer-​meetIng demeanor.
*see the excellent supplement in the January 12^th, 2015 «Gambit» spotlighting the changing New Orleans coffee scene.
BUT I HAVEN’T BEEN BACK
The place is pretty grungy and the baristas are hipster grim. So although I pass by «Hey» after St Henry’s AM mass I always head to «NOCoffee & Beignets», «Toast», «Surrey’s» or «Boulangerie».

Great locally owned coffee house. I have enjoyed their latte and iced coffee. I love that they make their own flavored simple syrup that they offer at the bar. I like to put the cinnamon simple syrup in my iced coffee.
This is a good stop to grab a coffee and explore Magazine Street or to sit for a while and get some work done/​chat. The shop doesn’t look large from the front, but there is a much larger area in the back.
The staff is always nice. I also love that they have a punch card to get free drinks.

Small hipster coffeeshop right next to Ms. Mae’s. Friendly baristas, not crowded on a Saturday morning. Free wifi, few outlets, not a lot of tables. Weather was nice so AC wasn’t on (or maybe they don’t have AC– two big fans were mounted above the doorways, so methinks not) and back door was open to outdoor patio. However, the temp was really pleasant and such a nice change from sitting in freezing coffeeshops for hours!
The bathroom has a noisy hand dryer which seems to serve the purpose of letting everyone know who washed their hands and who didn’t! Maybe they get distracted by the interesting graffiti on the walls and forget to wash?
Apparently, they roast their own coffee (according to their website) and the iced coffee did the trick. Last time I was here I ordered a dirty chai and it was really unimpressive. Though there was a new girl training and there is a high likelihood she forgot I ordered chai or mixed up my order, but no biggie. They brew their own chai too, so I’ll try it next time.
I also love the feel of the neighborhood community here. Just ran into my next door neighbor as I was looking up from typing this review!

Heyyyy Heyyyyyy.
Ok, so first of all: I am starting to think that all of these New Orleans coffee shops get their coffee from the same place and the joke is on all of us for paying different prices.
I stopped in to grab an iced coffee. Yeah, I know that I’m boring and predictable. Whatever, I like what I like. The coffee was good and pretty cheap blah blah blah.
I really like the atmosphere of this place. It’s right next door to Ms. Mae’s which gives the places a bit of a «gritty» feel. It’s small, but cozy with people doing work at the tables within. The door was open and I liked the welcome feel.
They have a lot of sandwiches and baked goods here, so it’s a great place to stop in for a snack. It actually feels a lot like Mojo with the food and setup. I like it. I’ll be back.

Went here for as a meeting place. Ordered their hummus and sat in the back. There were a couple of people there, each immersed in their laptops. So I drank my tea and connected on their free wifi and waited for my hummus. 10 mins. later, the barista delivered it to the table.
I liked the friendliness of the staff but minus one star for cleanliness. The floor was sticky and never looked like it had ever been swept. (We saw an outdoor roach in there. If it was a small one, I would have immediately complained to the manager.) Another star off for their menu. It only consist of hummus and a couple of veggie sandwiches.
Now about that hummus. It was… inedible. Very bland with a weird texture. Not getting that ever again. And feel sorry for my taste buds that they had to endure those moments of tasting this crap. Not cool.
Wifi was fast and they didn’t have a problem with us being there for a few hours, talking loudly for our meeting. Will probably be back since we have yet to find our late night meeting place.