The place is cute and cozy. The food is delicious. A hidden gem in the neighborhood. Try the egg sliders and chai.
Leslie S.
Lovely lunch. Really good veggie omelet -nice options. One of the owners took our orders + told us about their live music Fridays. A nice neighborhood place including a warm vibe.
Michelle V.
I wanted to love this place because it's so close but the food is just fine, the decor is a cliche, and it's overpriced. The service is good though! Nice lady.
Sara G.
We came in close to closing on a Saturday for tea and a cake pop. Both were delightful, as was the service! We sat on the sofas and enjoyed the retro decor while plotting our next move. There are a few larger tables in the back that seem great for work/study. A group was enjoying brunch while we were there and sounded pleased with their food as well.
Jermaine L.
The brunch was terrible. My wife ordered chicken and waffles. The chicken was decent the waffles were directly from the freezer and thrown in a toaster over. The service could be worlds better. The person who was the cashier/server was nice but seemed aloof to the fact we were not happy with our meals The ambiance seems like it's very outdated even the sugar bowl that was used to for my wife's tea was old and they used a tea cup saucer as a cover.
Jt P.
Although it says "Pets Welcome" , I was asked to sit outside in the rain with my dog because the cook had an issue with dogs inside. He then took 30 mins to make scrambled eggs... You work at a cafe in JC Heights, not a Michelin Star restaurant sir. The one star is for the lovely restaurant manager / owner who tried to make up for this with great kindness.
Vladislav B.
Menu has deteriorated in choices offered. Extra charges appear on the bill for food not explicitly ordered. Trick is to add salads to the ordered dish and then charge for the salad but not name it as "salad" on the receipt, but label it as an extra fee.
M B
Came here in the evening to see live music and ordered the French onion soup. The French onion soup is out of this world. Probably the best I have ever had and I order this every where I go (including France). The broth and the bread could not have been better. The service was great despite it being busy. Linda was so hospitable and friendly. Also was so pleasantly surprised to find out I could order an affogato here. Lastly, the chocolate cake was delicious. So glad to discover this place.. Definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terra Elmore
Best coffee and people around<3
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jefffrey DeLuca
The olive platter is excellent! Linda is an excellent host. The musicians that play at Box are very high quality.
Last week we were in search of a very last-minute caterer for a private event in Hudson County. Linda from the café responded to an online inquiry immediately and same day we had the menu set and ready to go. The food, delivery, and set up was fantastic. I truly can’t say enough good things about working with her and their chef. We are so appreciative of how they threw this together last minute for us and our clients were very happy. Looking forward to working with them again in the future for another private event! We also had some dietary restrictions and they were able to put together amazing vegan and vegetarian options!Dietary restrictions: Great vegetarian, GF and vegan options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joe
We found this place on google and had to check it out. The food was amazing, the staff were extremely friendly, and the ambience tied everything together. We ordered the croque monsieur, avocado toast, and dark chocolate cafe. Everything tasted homemade. We can’t wait to go back next weekend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeff B.
(Dined 07/13/2023 TH @ 2:00pm): This French-style cafe in a box was a nice touch to the neighborhood! A local realtor recommended Box Cafe as a convenient place for our initial in-person meet-and-greet. This place was less than a ten-minute walk for me from my friend's place which was great and allowed me to further familiarize myself with the neighborhood. Generally speaking, I wasn't much of a cafe person, but I was usually open to eatery exploration. Would I enjoy this box meal!? PURCHASE S. Pellegrino Essenza Tangerine & Wild Strawberry Flavored Mineral Water ($3.50): A very effervescent refreshing drink with hints of tangerine and strawberry aromas and flavor. This is truly one of my favorite brands of sparkling water whenever I was in the mood. Grilled Cheese ($12.00): Made with melted cheddar, smoked paprika, tomato, and shallot all between buttery toasted sourdough bread, this wonderful lunch sandwich was massive as amounts of cheese slowly squeezed out as I took a bite each time. The crunchy crusty crust was amazing and had so much targeted butter and burnt cheese. As simple a meal this was, it was impressive and pleasurable. SERVICE As I opened the front door, co-owner/wife Linda was preparing a corner window round table for our party of three as she warmly greeted me. We were provided with individual menus and eventually glasses of water and a filled bottle as we decided what we wanted. She returned minutes later, took our respective orders, quickly returned with our canned drinks with glasses filled with ice, and about ten minutes later all of our food arrived. After that, we were left alone as we conducted our meeting and consumed our drinks/food. By the time we finished past their 3:00pm closing time, she had stepped out and never returned, while co-owner/husband Sean closed our bill with some quick chit-chat, and wished us a nice rest of our day - thank you! PARKING (Street Only; N/A this instance) I walked from my friend's nearby place. Otherwise, as was the case for much of "The Heights" in Jersey City, there were plenty of spots along the main drag of Palisade Ave. and all surrounding streets if you were lucky enough to find an empty spot, or you took public transportation which stopped nearby - nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A quaint boxy café (it's name!) with charming French accents, several cozy tables, a handful of paintings and floral arrangements hung about, and a counter that displayed various baked goods. Good natural lighting came through the front windows and door while soft electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. There were no TVs while soft music played in the background. ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Box Cafe was a blissful find, and I definitely would like to return! My food was lovely while the salads the realtors ordered looked healthy and yummy. The drinks and food menus were limited but varied enough. No alcohol was served, but they allowed BYOB without any corkage fees. Their hours are breakfast through lunch with dinner only a couple days a week. The prices felt reasonable, the portions very good, and the service casual yet attentive enough. I found total value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $17.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS
Aisha S.
Absolutely loved the interior and menu options. Kind of gives me speakeasy vibes! The lady who took my order was very sweet and told me about they host fun events. Will be bringing a few friends to join me here!
Gaz H.
Nice guy. Perfectly nice little place. Welcoming. Does the business. What's the problem? A good neighborhood option; a good place to hide out for an hour, certainly.
The place is cute and cozy. The food is delicious. A hidden gem in the neighborhood. Try the egg sliders and chai.
Lovely lunch. Really good veggie omelet -nice options. One of the owners took our orders + told us about their live music Fridays. A nice neighborhood place including a warm vibe.
I wanted to love this place because it's so close but the food is just fine, the decor is a cliche, and it's overpriced. The service is good though! Nice lady.
We came in close to closing on a Saturday for tea and a cake pop. Both were delightful, as was the service! We sat on the sofas and enjoyed the retro decor while plotting our next move. There are a few larger tables in the back that seem great for work/study. A group was enjoying brunch while we were there and sounded pleased with their food as well.
The brunch was terrible. My wife ordered chicken and waffles. The chicken was decent the waffles were directly from the freezer and thrown in a toaster over. The service could be worlds better. The person who was the cashier/server was nice but seemed aloof to the fact we were not happy with our meals The ambiance seems like it's very outdated even the sugar bowl that was used to for my wife's tea was old and they used a tea cup saucer as a cover.
Although it says "Pets Welcome" , I was asked to sit outside in the rain with my dog because the cook had an issue with dogs inside. He then took 30 mins to make scrambled eggs... You work at a cafe in JC Heights, not a Michelin Star restaurant sir. The one star is for the lovely restaurant manager / owner who tried to make up for this with great kindness.
Menu has deteriorated in choices offered. Extra charges appear on the bill for food not explicitly ordered. Trick is to add salads to the ordered dish and then charge for the salad but not name it as "salad" on the receipt, but label it as an extra fee.
Came here in the evening to see live music and ordered the French onion soup. The French onion soup is out of this world. Probably the best I have ever had and I order this every where I go (including France). The broth and the bread could not have been better. The service was great despite it being busy. Linda was so hospitable and friendly. Also was so pleasantly surprised to find out I could order an affogato here. Lastly, the chocolate cake was delicious. So glad to discover this place.. Definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best coffee and people around<3
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The olive platter is excellent! Linda is an excellent host. The musicians that play at Box are very high quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Last week we were in search of a very last-minute caterer for a private event in Hudson County. Linda from the café responded to an online inquiry immediately and same day we had the menu set and ready to go. The food, delivery, and set up was fantastic. I truly can’t say enough good things about working with her and their chef. We are so appreciative of how they threw this together last minute for us and our clients were very happy. Looking forward to working with them again in the future for another private event! We also had some dietary restrictions and they were able to put together amazing vegan and vegetarian options!Dietary restrictions: Great vegetarian, GF and vegan options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We found this place on google and had to check it out. The food was amazing, the staff were extremely friendly, and the ambience tied everything together. We ordered the croque monsieur, avocado toast, and dark chocolate cafe. Everything tasted homemade. We can’t wait to go back next weekend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
(Dined 07/13/2023 TH @ 2:00pm): This French-style cafe in a box was a nice touch to the neighborhood! A local realtor recommended Box Cafe as a convenient place for our initial in-person meet-and-greet. This place was less than a ten-minute walk for me from my friend's place which was great and allowed me to further familiarize myself with the neighborhood. Generally speaking, I wasn't much of a cafe person, but I was usually open to eatery exploration. Would I enjoy this box meal!? PURCHASE S. Pellegrino Essenza Tangerine & Wild Strawberry Flavored Mineral Water ($3.50): A very effervescent refreshing drink with hints of tangerine and strawberry aromas and flavor. This is truly one of my favorite brands of sparkling water whenever I was in the mood. Grilled Cheese ($12.00): Made with melted cheddar, smoked paprika, tomato, and shallot all between buttery toasted sourdough bread, this wonderful lunch sandwich was massive as amounts of cheese slowly squeezed out as I took a bite each time. The crunchy crusty crust was amazing and had so much targeted butter and burnt cheese. As simple a meal this was, it was impressive and pleasurable. SERVICE As I opened the front door, co-owner/wife Linda was preparing a corner window round table for our party of three as she warmly greeted me. We were provided with individual menus and eventually glasses of water and a filled bottle as we decided what we wanted. She returned minutes later, took our respective orders, quickly returned with our canned drinks with glasses filled with ice, and about ten minutes later all of our food arrived. After that, we were left alone as we conducted our meeting and consumed our drinks/food. By the time we finished past their 3:00pm closing time, she had stepped out and never returned, while co-owner/husband Sean closed our bill with some quick chit-chat, and wished us a nice rest of our day - thank you! PARKING (Street Only; N/A this instance) I walked from my friend's nearby place. Otherwise, as was the case for much of "The Heights" in Jersey City, there were plenty of spots along the main drag of Palisade Ave. and all surrounding streets if you were lucky enough to find an empty spot, or you took public transportation which stopped nearby - nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A quaint boxy café (it's name!) with charming French accents, several cozy tables, a handful of paintings and floral arrangements hung about, and a counter that displayed various baked goods. Good natural lighting came through the front windows and door while soft electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. There were no TVs while soft music played in the background. ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Box Cafe was a blissful find, and I definitely would like to return! My food was lovely while the salads the realtors ordered looked healthy and yummy. The drinks and food menus were limited but varied enough. No alcohol was served, but they allowed BYOB without any corkage fees. Their hours are breakfast through lunch with dinner only a couple days a week. The prices felt reasonable, the portions very good, and the service casual yet attentive enough. I found total value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $17.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS
Absolutely loved the interior and menu options. Kind of gives me speakeasy vibes! The lady who took my order was very sweet and told me about they host fun events. Will be bringing a few friends to join me here!
Nice guy. Perfectly nice little place. Welcoming. Does the business. What's the problem? A good neighborhood option; a good place to hide out for an hour, certainly.