Java Downtown Boise

great food, great coffee, great service, great people. I have been going to Java for 5 years since moving back to Idaho.

The bowl of soul is heaven. It’s so good («how good is it?!») that I try to avoid coming here too much so that I can enjoy the magic that is Java’s Bowl of Soul. The atmosphere is so cozy and inviting, the baristas are friendly, and the drinks are top notch. I’ve been meaning to try a brunch meal as well, because their menu looks delicious. What a great downtown coffee spot!

Good drinks but the cinnamon roll was awful. It tasted sour and had too much flour on the bottom. Maybe replace it with powdered sugar or nothing at all.

Java is my favorite spot downtown because the service is on point! Whether I’m walking in and taking my drink to go or sitting down for a meeting or study session, Java is where I go first! It’s a very popular location and you’re sure to run into someone you know there, as many local professionals go there for one-​on-​one meetings.
Food: They have a robust breakfast and lunch menu. Haven’t ever tried anything so can’t comment on that.
Drinks: The Hammerhead (espresso + coffee) is where it’s at. I’ve heard the Bowl of Soul is the
.
Atmosphere: It’s a very lively spot, often totally full and with a short wait to get your coffee/​food. It has high ceilings and a good view of the street, offering indoor and outdoor seating as well as high and low tables and couches. They’ve got it all.
Service: THE SERVICE IS WHAT KEEPS ME COMING BACK! We love JUDE (or Judy – depending on the day). He is always so kind, uplifting, positive and sweet. Everyone there is always on their A-​game when it comes to fast and friendly customer service.
Happy Hour Offerings: n/​a
Healthy Hack: n/​a
Tips: Give them your phone number and get added to the deal list. They’ll send you coupons for BOGO drinks if you haven’t been in for a while and also give rewards for frequent customers.

When you are used to having Starbucks and you are in Boise (boy-​cee) visit JAVA. Great place to people watch and enjoy the cool crisp mornings of Boise. Far surpassed the bland coffee of the hotel!

I tried 4 kinds of coffee and the hot chocolate… All taste so bad. I took a look around to see if people are drinking coffee. They were only drinking water and tea. The interior design is great!

Good coffee, not great. Food is great though. Biggest Croissant breakfast sandwich I’ve had, tons of bacon.
I would come here for a good mix of coffee and food. If I just wanted coffee, I’d keep looking.

This place is wonderful. It was one of the first cafes I tried when I first arrived to Boise. Their prices are fair, their coffee is delicious, and I definitely enjoy the interior and décor in the downtown location. All of the interior is very warming and welcoming. Cafes should take a note of this because it makes you want to stay here for hours, or makes you want to bring your laptop or book and spend hours and hours inside being productive in a comfortable environment. Their coffee is quite tasty. I have had some really great lattes and mochas here. Also there have been several iced teas that my girlfriend and I have tried on hot summer days and were always fresh, and delicious and did not have the over steeped tea flavor, nor the flavor of it sitting in plastic too long! The only thing that brings this down from perfect is that your latte, like all cafes depends on the barista that makes it, and there can be some really great drinks, and some that are more average. I suggest anyone that goes here on a regular basis, find their favorite barista, and stick with them. I will definitely be returning and will use this as a study spot all throughout the year.
Cheers

Java is an all-​time favorite. Their drip coffee is mediocre but their espresso is pretty good. My favorite is their Americano. My favorite things about java are the really friendly and cool baristas and the tall windows that let the sunshine inside. Great place to grab a book and relax.
P. S. Make sure to take a jacket with you in the summer time because it gets freezing inside.

Java is a great spot… never had a bad experience. I was between 3 and 4 stars, but realized that I cannot give them three for doing nothing wrong. I guess my reason for the slightly lower review is I expected this place to be more like Foglifter in McCall. While their food at Java is good, their menu doesn’t have some breakfast essentials like hashbrowns (or any form of potato). Their huevos are slightly sub par for the price you pay. I think overall, not being a coffee snob, I think the place is a little over priced to be competitive with other breakfast joints around. Now I know they are a unique animal when it comes to breakfast.
All in all, great atmosphere… one of the best corners in downtown Boise… you really get to appreciate being in the most historic part of downtown. I’ll definitely be back again, but likely will stick to simpler menu items.

They seemed to have adjusted their wi-​fi and I no longer have issues. Upgrading my review in accordance from four to five stars.

I’ve been to this spot a couple of times now and they have always been able to deliver! The coffee is off the chain. No surprise there, with a name like Java one would expect a great coffee. It is. Those pastries, doe. I think they were out of scones or something, otherwise I would have gotten one. I ended up getting the giant muffin and it was awesome. It was sweet without making feel like I was eating an entire cake. The big purple curtains are classy and the locations is good. It’s easy to get to with lot of parking in the neighborhoods. It’s worth the stop any day of the week!

Strong coffee. Good pastries. Inside décor creates a cool vibe. Friendly service. I go frequently for work.

Very good coffee and baked goods. It’s a good place to study or grab a cup of joe with your friends.

This branch of the Java coffee shops, is not as good as the Coeur d’ Alene shop. I ordered the Mexican Mocha, and I received a regular mocha, with no whip. Oh well, maybe it is better on other days.

This place is great for business or pleasure! I love the big floor-​to-​ceiling windows that look out into downtown. The espresso is tasty along with their trademark Bowl of Soul. Their drip coffee has an odd taste to it, but they make their own whipping cream which is thick and delicious!
Java Downtown has plenty of seating as well as friendly staff to help. Definitely one of the better coffee shops in downtown Boise!

My only hesitation to review Java Downtown is that others may flock to my quiet haven in the evenings where I enjoy enormous, square muffins at a discounted price and coffee crafted by Jude. The many, large windows offer great views of downtown’s urban energy, while I stay nestled inside my own world — Java Downtown is where I go to «get stuff done» and relax. Truly, the 5 star review goes to Jude, the most friendly Batista in town.

I live pretty close to this Java location, so I recently stopped in to do some studying and grab a cup of chai. It was somewhat late, and there was only one server. She was extremely friendly, and chatted with me about what I was studying.
I ordered an soy vanilla iced chai, which was delicious. Perfectly sweet. They were out of pastries for the day, so that was a bit of a bummer.
The atmosphere is great here, nice and cozy. There was only two or three other people there at the time, so it was nice and quiet as well. If I was a full-​time student, you’d find me here a lot!

Been coming here for years, and also the Hyde Park location and the Ketchum and Hailey locations. Great chain. The drip coffee is good and, obviously, the bowl of soul (and frozen bowl) are awesome.
At this particular location, I am pretty much unable to get on the Internet. They have free wifi but they are located inside The Eagles building which has several dozen small businesses each with their own wifi network jamming up every single channel on the wifi spectrum. So I can connect to their network but it’s not usable. And, something about the building’s location or construction drops my (AT&T) phone to 3G while I’m inside, so really no use trying to tether either. The last two times I’ve gone here to «work before work» on my laptop, I’ve given up and just enjoyed my food and coffee. Maybe that’s how it should be anyway :)

Not quite as charming as their Hyde Park location but lovely none-​the-​less (I mean, Java in Hyde is a bit hard to beat in the charm department).
What you must try:
The Bowl of Soul. Seriously. Don’t question it. Just do it.
It will leave you wondering how you ever existed prior to the consumption of this celestial deliciousness. You’re very life will forever be divided into two distinct sections that you will come to know as:
BS (Before Soul – which, coincidentally, will seem like just a bunch of BS)
and
AS (After Soul)
It is a swirling mix of coffee, steamed milk, and Mexican chocolate. When they ask if you’d like whipped cream on top. The answer to such a question is always yes. Yes, you’re trying to count calories. Of course, you’re trying to be healthy. But, this is not whipping cream from a can, my people. This is the real damn deal. So, whip it, people.
Whip.
It.
(good)
It’ll be worth the extra 20 minutes on the treadmill. I promise.
Get to it!