Biggie Smalls, chai tea lattes, and locally-sourced goods — three things that don’t necessarily get grouped together often, unless you’re by the 9th Street Light Rail in Hoboken. If you’re still not sure what we’re referring to, you’re about to get blessed with some off-the-beaten coffee shop knowledge. Enter Black Rail Coffee, located at 800 Jackson Street, an HG Fave and go-to coffee shop in Hoboken. Here’s a bit more about this Hoboken coffee shop that is a bit out of the way {unless you live in West Hoboken, that is} + what we love about it {oh, and it’s open for pick-up orders}:
Delish coffee + so many milk assortments, please and thank yaaa
The Backstory
Opened by a brother-sister duo, James + Daisy who both share a love for Biggie Smalls and coffee, Black Rail has been around for several years. The wifi password is — you guessed it — biggiesmalls, and paraphernalia is available to purchase including Biggie mugs and more.
When times are not under #socialdistancing orders, coffee lovers can roll up to the counter and find an array of coffees, teas, and other bev offerings. The chai tea latte is something to write home about, and the milk offerings are extensive: whole, skim, soy, coconut, almond, macadamia, and oat milk {OAT = THE BEST}. In fact, once you try oat milk, you’ll never go back to regular milk; it literally tastes like half-and-half and is super creamy.
The chai tea latte with coconut milk
Most coffee shops offer coffee and pastries and don’t go much beyond a toast or croissant. But not at Black Rail. Its menu boasts a variety of sandwiches and salads. HG favorites include the “Healthier Sandwich” — a combo of turkey, spinach, onions, shredded carrots, and balsamic dressing on a choice of 7-grain or sourdough. It’s a pretty guilt-free sandwich, and SO good. There’s a vegetarian sandwich with portobellos + roasted peppers, and another favorite is, of course, the avocado toast, which includes add-ons of feta + smoked salmon. The only drawback is there’s no gluten-free bread for our GF guys and gals.
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The Healthier Sandwich wit 7-Grain Bread
While Black Rail makes amazing drinks and food in-house, it houses an array of local products and favorites, including Om Sweet Home’s gluten-free and vegan squares {PB+J and chocolate PB FTW}. Baking Mama’s jar of chocolate chip cookies also sits atop the counter, ready for consumption post-sammy.
Om Sweet Home Vegan GF Bars
In the summertime, BR makes freshly-squeezed lemonade {tip: mix it with green tea or hibiscus tea for a yum half/half combo}. There’s kombucha available from time to time, evidenced below:
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Inside {when physical visits are OK to do again}, the contemporary/industrial space has about 6 tables indoors and 4-5 tables for outdoor seating and is perfect for a work meeting or mini get-together with friends over some lattes. The one drawback to BR we have found to-date {besides no GF toast}: Black Rail is closed on Sundays.
But fear not, as Black Rail is open for pick-up orders, which means you can enjoy these delicious sandwiches and coffee orders, right in the comfort of your home — just call the store at 201-222-7400. The bottom line is that Black Rail is an awesome local coffee shop, great vibes, good people, and totally worth the trip {when we can visit again}!
PS: It’s wheelchair and stroller-friendly, with a ramp + lots of space inside.
Have you been to Black Rail? What did you think?
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