Java Cabana

Memphis, United States

4.1

20 reviews

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 901-272-7210
Website:
javacabanacoffeehouse.com
Address:
2170 Young Ave, Memphis, TN, 38104
Cooper-Young
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
2.1 miCleveland Street
2.6 miPauline Street
2.8 miDunlap Street
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Today

Today –
Local time (Memphis) 23:39 Thursday, 28 November 2024

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Cooper-Young’s Coffeehouse offers fair trade, locally roasted coffee. We also offer the best Spiced Chai in the city, as well as frappes, milkshakes, desserts, sandwiches, and vegetarian quesadillas. We are the only coffeehouse in Memphis with a hardwood floor salvaged from a bowling alley.

History

Established in 1992.

The coffeehouse was started by Tommy Foster. Back then, it was home to the First Church of Elvis Impersonators’ Shrine, as well as, the Viva Wedding Chapel. Hundreds of people actually got married here, ate moon pies & drank RC Colas for their communion while an Elvis Impersonator sang to the newlyweds. The Viva Wedding Chapel drew in alot of tourist attention, but the most memorable for Foster was the day Kate Moss wandered in while visiting Memphis during a photo shoot. (Yes. He most definitely got a picture with her.) In 1998 Mary Burns bought the café after working behind the counter for five years. The Shrine now lives down the block at Goner Records, but the quirky vibe of the café has remained in tact. The café has shown its face on Craig Brewer’s $ 5 Cover, MTV series & Morgon Jon Fox’s films Blue Citrus Heart & Omg/​HaHaHa. Musicians such as Garrison Starr, Sheila Nicholls, Valerie June, & legendary Robert Belfour have played here.

Meet the Business Owner

Mary B.

Business Owner

Mary Burns is the owner of Java Cabana, the longest running independent coffeehouse in Memphis and an adjunct English instructor, a writer with an M.F.A. in Poetry and a recipient of the TN Arts Commission Individual Artists Fellowship. You can find her monthly column ‘A Cup of Coffee’ in The Lamplighter, Cooper-Young’s newspaper. She is also the founder of the longest running open mic nite in the city (21 years) at Java Cabana.

Java Cabana also recommends

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Mary B. says,

«The owners are farmers who are the most down-​to-​earth people you will ever meet. The food is just darn good.»

Nearby

Near this location:
70
ft
Loudean’s
2174 Young Ave
110
ft
Painted Planet Artspace
2160 Young Ave
110
ft
Halford Loudspeakers
2160 Young Ave
120
ft
Skunx Chef’s Pub
2158 Young Ave
130
ft
Canale Estate Sales & Appraisals / Canale’s
2158 Young Ave
150
ft
Greencork
2156 Young Ave

20 reviews of Java Cabana

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Place rating: 5
El Cerrito, CA
We’re in love with the #Cooper #Young district — the girls are sipping mochas and the rain just started! Wait til they see the next surprise I have in store for them before we head to@the airport!
There’s even a #vegan eatery down the block! We’re headed to surprise #3! Awesome customer service a gorgeous and artistic spot safe sound and yummy!!!
Place rating: 5
Memphis, TN
Their chai and coffee are amazing. Also I loved the ambience of this place. Moreover, they play great music too.
A perfect place to work on Sunday afternoons. They have reliable internet, a very homey and laid back sitting area for you to get assignments done!
Also, a perfect place for a first date, as it is located in the best place of Cooper Young, just across Mulan and Greencork.
Place rating: 4
La Mesa, CA
I love this little place. They have live music on Sundays, not normally music I listen to on the regular but it’s always nice to have the entertainment. Another great this is the WiFi!!! I can do my paperwork for work and stream my music with no issues. #Vintage all around and GREAT business hours!
Place rating: 5
Memphis, TN
Such a cute little place. The lady there made us an amazing grilled cheese sandwich and I got an out of this world chai tea latte. I loved that pretty much everything was vegetarian and the salad dressing was light and simple. We went when they had a local band playing and it was nice to see everyone relaxing and having a good time on a Saturday night. I’m glad we got there around 6 because once it picks up it can get crowded, but it’s worth it!
Place rating: 3
Memphis, TN
Cute place and welcoming. I had not been here in a while, so I wanted to refresh my thoughts on it today with a visit. The shop is very eclectic and welcoming with a usually interesting crowd. No doubt the place has tons of character, but depending on your expectations and your seriousness about coffee – there may be a conflict of interest. I would love to sit, chat and read in this place all day, but sorry to say I would bring my coffee from somewhere else. I tried an almond latte and it tasted like cough syrup rather than a coffee/​espresso drink with almond flavoring. No cold brew, just espresso based drinks. They do offer a ton of flavors and your normal coffee house drinks, but it just is not for me when it comes to COFFEE.
Place rating: 4
Buffalo, NY
Cozy little place in the Cooper-​Young district. The chai is to die for! The baristas are really nice and crafty! Walked in here to grab some early morning caffeine for my friends and myself; needless to say I was impressed. Woke me up with a jolt! This place has the works — quiet enough for you to bust your laptop out and work, or you can have chat while sipping on your drink or play chess if you’re feeling adventurous! Nifty place!
Place rating: 3
Memphis, TN
Was desperate for coffee so came here. Not sure how I feel about this place. The woman working at the counter was on the phone for a while and there was quite a few people that had come and gotten in line at that point.
The coffee was pretty strong, which isn’t necessarily bad but just wasn’t what I was expecting when I asked for the caramel latte. The only thing «caramel» about it was a little bit of caramel that had settled into the bottom of the cup. Other than that, very strong coffee.
Place rating: 5
Terre Haute, IN
This place was so unique and great to chill and get work done! Chai latte was great too!
Place rating: 5
Memphis, TN
This a vintage home like coffee shop. It’s locally owned… and they provide great service and offer a wide variety of drinks that you can never go wrong with! I recommend this place to anyone that wants to grab a quick cup of coffee or sit in for little bit, cause it makes a great study place!
Place rating: 3
Memphis, TN
It’s quite an interesting place. As some other reviewers said, it’s pretty «hipster» with an eclectic 60s vibe. I ordered an iced coffee which was served in a mason jar. I’d give the coffee 5 stars; however, it felt like you had to be a regular to really enjoy being there (it was my first time) which is why I gave it 3 stars. I also went on a Thursday which was open mic night. I went there to try out a new potential study spot, but it wasn’t the greatest place to study (with it being open mic night and all).
Overall, I would go back because the coffee was good and the rest of the menu looked good; however, I would go not to study, but rather as a place to meet a friend for a coffee.
Place rating: 5
Memphis, TN
I love absolutely everything here. The lady that owns this business is phenomenal, the atmosphere is really relaxed, and they have the best chai and vegetable paninis in the city. As a local, I come here often for a light lunch and some reading time. Love, love, love it here.
Place rating: 4
Memphis, TN
Love this place! My daughter demands hot chocolate from there every time we are in the area. Their soy cappuccino is wonderful too. Very cool vibe and fun band on the weekend.
Place rating: 5
Memphis, TN
The woman working was amazingly nice and accommodating and everything my friends and I had was amazing. Personally, I got the kiwi milkshake what was just the perfect size and it tasted great. The atmosphere was just too cute and they have live, local bands in there most weekends. Definitely a place to check out!
Place rating: 4
New Orleans, LA
Super-​cute coffee shop alert!
Admittedly, the word «cute» is just about as overused as «cool» and «nice,» but I can’t think of a better word to describe this homey (yikes, also overused. I need a thesaurus!) place. It’s chock full of slightly shabby 1950s tables and chairs, a few couches and stuff everywhere. Like in the front, they even sell second hand clothes (not too many so as to make this place seem like a musty attic, though).
I had several hours before I was flying out of town one frigid, rainy afternoon last week and finding this place on Unilocal was a godsend. I had been eating lunch at my favorite vegan café down the block, but needed working wifi and a warmer place to cozy up to.
Don’t expect frills, just a decent cup of coffee or espresso. They have almond milk, but charge extra for it (c’mon, it’s not that much more money than milk or half & half), so the cost of my latte was kinda steep. They also have food, but I can’t report on that.
At that odd hour of the afternoon, I was the only person in there, which I like. No begging to share outlets, get my drift? Oh and they are open late. I hear some good musicians have gotten their start here at their open mike nights. Old school coffee houses are a dying breed, so support your local places like this one, friends!
Place rating: 4
Pismo Beach, CA
Love this place soooooo much! Though I’ve only been twice, sadly, the coffee and atmosphere are very nice and cozy. Also, it’s easy to get to, in a great neighborhood, and the staff are very friendly! Favorite coffee place in Memphis right now.
Place rating: 1
Memphis, TN
The coffee used to be great. In recent years, they have gone downhill.
Not impressed anymore.
Place rating: 5
Memphis, TN
Comfortably ethereal describes my visit to the Java Cabana. I walked from my house on a warm spring day to find a few gentlemen outside the open door murmuring into the sound of another gentleman’s guitar playing. As if that didn’t set the laid back mood enough, the sea of posters, string lights, and paintings outside just put me in a good mood.
I entered and there was a group of 3 in front of me. While I waited, I took a gander at the hand-​written sign overhead which detailed the drinks and prices. Most drinks are available in two sizes.
I made my way to the counter and ordered an iced hazelnut latte, a drink only available in the larger size (if you’re a Starbucks whore like I was, it’s about like a grande). The barista asked if I wanted my drink for here or to-​go — I ordered to go.
My total I think was $ 4.02 and I left the change from $ 5.00 plus an extra dollar in the tip jar which read, «I love tips» …who doesn’t? :)
Then, I sat down. That’s when the atmosphere hit me. The eclectic yet strangely relaxing combination of 1950’s French music and old mis-​matched furniture was very soothing. It may have been the most laid-​back and relaxing place I’ve ever been. Out-​dated flyers and a plethora awesome junk adorned the walls.
Before I knew it, my coffee was brought out to me.
My hazelnut latte was very good. I do wish they had a bigger size, though (BAD Starbucks whore, BAD!)
It’s worth mentioning that although I did soak up the great atmosphere, around 7 minutes passed before my coffee was made. It seemed like only a minute or two to me, but that may have been very different if I were in a rush.
There barista also was flying solo, making drinks and taking orders.
I hear they have free wifi but I think you have to Ask for the password.
In short: great atmosphere, great service, great coffee. Non-​pretentious and laid back. Go here.
Place rating: 3
Green Hills, Nashville, TN
Very interesting, eclectic coffee shop. Other reviews noted how it seemed unclean, but I don’t catch that vibe at all. There are several funky tables with mismatched chairs scattered around the space. My only critique would be their staffing. The girl who took my order, while sweet, was the only one on the kitchen. I ordered 2 breakfast sandwiches but instead of working on them immediately she had to attend to the other customers in line. This is understandable, but they would really benefit from having more than one person on staff.
Our egg & cheese bagels were pretty horrible. Soggy, tasteless. I’m not sure how you mess up eggs, but it happened.
Place rating: 3
Philadelphia, PA
I wanted to like this place much more than I actually did.
The espresso is just not good. I’ve come back multiple times hoping I just had a bad day, but it’s always the same. It’s overly bitter and doesn’t have any real flavor in it. The foam is usually a bit of a mess and it leads to the flavor being unbalanced. The coffee was Ugly Mug, which is good, but they didn’t have any special options for it.
The lady who’s making the drinks and has been there every time I’ve been in is really nice, but the clientele has been a little aloof, which is unusual for coffeeshops in Memphis.
Place rating: 5
Memphis, TN
Oh my goodness, this is the cutest coffee shop ever! I love the eclectic, mismatched furniture and the food is out of the world. Then again, I expect nothing less from the entire Cooper-​Young district. You must have to pass some sort of cool test just to open a restaurant there.
I went to meet a business contact there and thought it was just a coffee shop, but as soon as I saw «grilled cheese» plastered on the wall, I had to order it. And it didn’t disappoint — at all. And I wasn’t even hungry!
After chatting with the owner for awhile, I discovered that they also play music and have poetry readings — officially on the to do list! Definitely a hole in the wall, but in the best way possible.