The Java Break

Just a quick jog from Liberty Hall, we stopped at The Java Break for a caffeine boost before a Sunday night concert. (Open until 9pm daily, current regular hours.) Stepping downstairs into this shop felt like I'd entered a delightfully quirky vintage parallel dimension with a unique menu to match. Staff were welcoming to us first-timers and seemed to have a good rapport with the regular ahead of us.

I had the drip Daily Origin Brew coffee, and the barista was able to describe flavor notes, with and without cream. Great for sipping! (Too bad we couldn't stay longer.) So many things on tap that I'd love to come back and try, like house-made chai and cold press Nitro A.M. (almond milk) flavored drinks. Variety of soda fountain flavors too (like lavender+lemon). JB also will fill bottles of many of these things if you want to bring home more for later.

The space is a series of small rooms, each with its own character. Almost missed the bathrooms, the doors camouflaged among the writing on the walls in the Free Speech Zone (which I first misread as "speech free" aka "quiet" area, but there was a group chatting away while playing a board game, cluing me in). We sat for a bit in the quiet rotunda with a spiral staircase, sadly closed to customers, but cool to peek up at the stained glass above it. After watching what was on the display of a rigged up old TV for a bit, we exited outside and up to the surface, complete with some nice outdoor seating, and ventured up the corner to Liberty Hall. Definitely could become a pre-concert tradition!

Whether its 5pm or 5am, need a quick snack or a drink? Or a meal? Or a chill? I've dined-in and did take-away a million times during my life here and between the delicious food and beverage options on their menu, to their old school (antique-relic) decor of old-timey cereal boxes and antenna era TVs playing cartoons from the old days, the cereal bar (YUM!!!) to the comfy booths that after a long night of DoorDashing its a bit too easy to order a yum yum and go snoozin' on hehe

The best part of this place is THE FREE SPEECH ZONE where you can paint the walls with your imagination!!! ALL OVER THE PLACE (EVEN THE RESTROOM)! Oh, there's some beautiful history painted all over the free speech zone :)

This place is honestly my favorite coffee shop diner in the world, and i've been to countless.. i'm a little biased because i love Lawrence for everything that it is- but this place just holds a very special place in my soul!

I love this place! They serve the best chai lattes and it’s a super welcoming and cozy environment:)

Went to the Java Break for the first time today and had a great experience! I was passing through Lawrence and stopped in quick for an iced coffee. From the looks of it, this cafe is one of the most unique cafes I have been to! It is quite artsy and designed for students and those who work online to pop up a laptop and focus. There is a whole graffiti room where anyone can sign and lots of sating inside and outside. Would recommend, and will definitely be back again!

Wonderful atmosphere, they're open later than other coffee shops, their noncoffee options are fantastic and the staff is super friendly. I'm 100% going to be coming back time and again

Best chai anywhere. It’s homemade with a little bit of a kick from the spices. Not overly sweet. I can’t order chai anywhere else because Java Break’s is so good.

Best coffee shop ever. You can write on the walls...and even have markers for you to borrow. The coffee here is so good. Iced or hot. Also have a cereal bar. Where you can choose what kind of cereal to eat...like a buffet. Tons of choices. Z's

a lot of homeless people sleep and hang out here and drinks are over priced. The staff complains if you order food and they have to make it. You are required to buy something to get Wi-Fi access, yet Tables are uneven and unsteady.

My first time here and the man behind the counter on 1/1/23 was absolutely awful. Some of the worst customer service.

When we ordered he grumpily told me to stop talking half way through the order. He was mad he couldn't hear me over their own bean grinding but he again was very impolite when asking me to basically yell over their coffee maker. Was surly the entire rest of our order and clearly didn't care he just wanted us to move on.

I asked for cream in my coffee. The coffee was served in a way for me to add my own cream but there was no cream out. I asked for some cream and he told me if I needed more I could ask (also said impolitely). This entire time my coffee was sitting there CLEARLY black without anything in it. He didn't bother to look at the drink to see if it was served appropriately.

I went back to find a table and then when I went back to the front to microwave my scone he was in the way. I asked if I could use the microwave and he responded as if I was getting in the way, with lots of frustration.

If service like this appears regularly I will not be returning.

The staff are always super friendly and provide the best service, if you have never been here I highly recommend you check out their cereal bar. I've only seen 2 others like it in the entire country one in north Hampton Massachusetts and another in Breckenridge Colorado.

My I tried a hot Lt. Dan and give it a 7.5 out of 10.