I was looking forward to trying Cafe Cartel, a coffee shop serving Colombian specialties that opened in the Summer 2024. I admit that, like the infamous drug lords, they have hidden their location as the address at 1100 Adams is a bit misleading, the entrance being on Jefferson street. Small, with two huge drip coffee makers for their cold brew, a logo representing a bandit with its face covered and a “Made in Medellin” neon sign that fan of the TV series Narcos will appreciate, it serves classic breakfast items like croissant, chocolate croissant or cinnamon rolls. We tried the latter as well as a pecan and caramel walnut dish that sounded promising, but, unfortunately, it was not good, tasting a bit stale and factory made. However, their Pan de Bono that is a Colombian cheese bread was delicious, gooey, perfect with or without Nutella. The only problem is that they heat them up in a microwave, and it was so hot that the video I made with the one with the Nutella is a great video for bloopers…Beverages were better: Jodi had an earl grey tea and I had a good espresso.

Overall, we were disappointed. If I were to go back for breakfast, I would just get the Pan de Bono, with Nutella of course, and an espresso (I might try their cold brew as this slow drip looks always relaxing and fascinating). Their lunch might be much better, with a selection of empanadas and small sandwiches that looked pretty good.

Enjoy (…)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Cafe Cartel - Retail #3 Entrance on the corner of 11th &, 1100 Adams St, Jefferson St, Hoboken, NJ 07030

Cafe Cartel in Hoboken, NJ

I Just Want To Eat!