Dames vs Semicolon: Which Jersey City Coffee Shop Should You Pick?
Comparison · 1 min read
Two Jersey City cafes we went to, and they could not be more different. Here is how to choose.
Dames Coffee Espresso Bar and Semicolon Cafe are two Jersey City cafes we went to. They solve completely different problems, so the real question is what you want from the next hour.
Pick Dames for the cup
Dames is a tiny espresso bar on Jersey Avenue with a few tables, and most people order and leave. The baristas talk coffee and know what they are pouring. Get the butterscotch espresso drink, which was pulled perfectly with a strong aroma. If the weather is good, walk through to the back garden, which has room and a communal table.
Dames is for the cup. Semicolon is for the table.
Pick Semicolon for brunch
Semicolon on Hudson Street is a minimalist, slightly quirky room with seating upstairs and a few tables outside. The coffee is good, but the sandwiches, pastries and home-baked goods are the real draw, and the local crowd is loyal. It gets loud and crowded, especially at weekends, so go on a weekday if you want quiet. It is not the place for solo reading.
- Dames Coffee Espresso Bar Steep PickDowntown Jersey City · Jersey City · Steep Index 8.7/10
A tiny Jersey Avenue espresso bar with coffee-minded baristas and a backyard patio garden out back.
- Semicolon Cafe Steep PickColgate Center · Jersey City · Steep Index 8.4/10
A funky Hudson Street cafe built around brunch, sandwiches and a genuinely loyal local crowd.
Can you do both?
Yes, but not on foot in a hurry. They are under twenty minutes apart on foot, which works for a long morning. Coffee at Dames first, then walk to Semicolon for a sandwich.
Where next?
Dames is a stop on Jersey Avenue, Thursday to Sunday. For somewhere you can actually work, see where to work in Jersey City, or browse the Downtown Jersey City guide.