Hidden Grounds Coffee

New Brunswick, United States

4

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 732-317-4117
Website:
www.thehiddengrounds.com
Address:
106 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.3 miNew Brunswick
0.4 miSomerset Street at George Street
0.4 miNew Brunswick - Somerset Street at George Street
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Today

Today –
Local time (New Brunswick) 7:04 AM Wednesday, June 25, 2025

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Description

Specialties

Know that friend of yours that has the crazy idea? The one that complains about their day job and spends their time Googling artsy pictures of new businesses. The one that tweets about this amazing party they’re at but they still feel sad and alone.

We’re not those friends. We had an idea, signed a lease, pulled the trigger. In comes a building with «hidden» retail space just begging for greatness, and a landlord willing to give a break to two bright-​eyed kids who were freshly unemployed. Thus Hidden Grounds was born.

What you see today is a testament to countless hours of research, hard work, and hope. The best part of Hidden Grounds is that it’s a team success. A mother in India sends us the spices for our Masala Chai, a close friend named the business, and another gave us the recipe for our body cleanse juice.

And the coffee? Purchased from the finest sources we could find and freshly ground every morning. Espresso is religiously brewed for 26 seconds to capture deep flavor and full body. There’s a good reason we were voted as one of the Best Coffee Shops in Central New Jersey.

Cream cheese mixes are handmade, produce is hand selected, and all of our signature sandwiches are made to order by hand only after you order it. Our Bagel Sandwiches and Masala Chai are uniquely designed to perfection. Our gluten free items are a must try!

At Hidden Grounds we put ourselves into the shop. We learn your drink, know your story, and are happy to see you every time you visit.

History

Established in 2013.

For one of us, coffee was a way of life with hours being spent at St@*b*&%s doing work and drinking subpar coffee at a premium, all the while dreaming of a better way. For the other, a lifetime of watching their father pursue one business idea after the other created a thirst for risk and reward, boom and bust, blinding success or destitute failure that a lucrative 9-​to-​5 could not satiate.

Since opening our doors in New Jersey in 2013, Hidden Grounds Coffee Shop has served over one hundred thousand customers. The restaurant is located in the basement level of one of the newly-​renovated buildings on famous Easton Ave. Long lines of anticipation, an energetic, friendly atmosphere, fantastic food, huge portions and many, many, coffee selections.

Meet the Business Owner

Spoorthi K.

Business Owner

Anand and Spoorthi don’t come from a long line of coffee connoisseurs. Instead, they created all of the recipes from scratch. Providing unique experience, satisfying cravings, and genuinely building community has always been Anand and Spoorthi’s number one goal.

At Hidden Grounds, we’re about more than great coffee. We’re a team. We have hired our amazing team from the local University. We can’t make everyone satisfied, but that doesn’t mean we will stop. With the advice and the feedback from you, we will keep improving the quality of our products and services. We will always go above and beyond to serve the community.

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20 reviews of Hidden Grounds Coffee

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Place rating: 4
Bloomfield, NJ
OMG. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEIR SPICY GRILLED CHEESE. I’ve had it about 5 times, and I constantly think about. Usually I don’t like grilled cheese sandwhiches… but the spicy factor changes everything. Never take this off your menu plz… because it’s my life. I’m taking off one star, because of watery coffee. Besides that everything is excellent.
Place rating: 4
Roselle, NJ
Kimberly C. first introduced me to this place as a stop for my bachelorette weekend for my love of coffee and have frequented the place ever since. The coffee is great. I haven’t tried their drips but I do like the pour overs and found out today they can even make them iced. The food is also yummy and has a nice kick to it. I haven’t gotten around to trying the pastries but plan on going back so eventually will give them a try. I recommend this place for coffee fans looking for a quality cup. It gets crowded and filled with (surprise!) college kids but what do you expect when you’re on their turf and there are no other quality coffee shops around? That’s what headphones are for. :)
Place rating: 4
Philadelphia, PA
Spacious coffee shop with free wifi and lots of tea/​baked good options!
My friend and I ordered a peach (green?) tea and a salted caramel brownie. The brownie was a bit too sweet in my opinion, but she liked it a lot. The tea was great. Prices are reasonable and the shop has plenty of space, so I’ll definitely come back if I’m in the area and need a place to do work.
Place rating: 5
Marlboro Township, NJ
The guy was really cool and friendly at the counter. It smells nice in here and it’s a great escape from the heat.
Place rating: 3
New Brunswick, NJ
Went there again today and since school is out of session, there were plenty of seats open at around 1pm today. I got a Iced Jasmine Sunset Green Tea and it literally had no taste. It was water that didn’t have the appearance of water. I was a little disappointed. I know that their specialty is coffee and not tea, but anything on the menu is fair game. Took off a star from my previous review unfortunately because not only was it not the best, I felt like it was overpriced for what I got.
Everything else still stands from my previous review regarding the ambiance and how cute of a place it is! I noticed the sound track today since I forgot my headphones when I went in to get some work done and loved it.
Place rating: 4
Morristown, NJ
This place is a gem. It’s hands down, my favorite coffee joint in the New Brunswick area! Perhaps it’s because they have pour over coffee and they aren’t a chain. I wish this place was around when I was still in school because I would have studied here all the time. I’m not that old yet, I’m still in my 20s! However I do feel old when I’m here because the crowd here is mainly students. The little coffee shop has such cute décor inside. It’s also very welcoming and cozy and makes you want to stay.
I can’t say much about the food since I never had it here, but I LOVE the fact that they have pour over coffee. That’s all I’ve ever gotten here. The staff is wonderful too, they are super friendly. Oh and FYI, you get a 10% off discount on your purchase when you check in via Unilocal :)
Great place do some work, catch up with a friend or to stare at Aiden. The cutest/​nicest barista ever! #TheAidenEffect
Place rating: 4
Woodbridge Township, NJ
Delicious delicious delicious coffee! Made fresh, with quality ingredients. Tip– listen VERY closely for your name when it gets a little busy. Sometimes your drink may sit in the window for 5 minutes because you didn’t hear your drink being called! (Oops!)
Place rating: 4
Rahway, NJ
Stopped in seeking refuge and wifi for a conference call one day. Great place to camp out doing work, studying, or chatting with friends. Many people use Hidden Grounds for those very things, so during a given afternoon it is buzzing with voices and a great soundtrack. Outlets stashed along the length of both counters give lots of opportunity to charge up.
The coffee is great and there are a few light food options. Muffins, bagels, muesli (with almond milk, mandarin oranges and craisins), and some sandwiches.
Neat spot with a great vibe, good edibles, and friendly service. Definitely a hot spot with the college crowd, so be prepared to feel old (but still welcome) if you’re over 25.
Place rating: 3
Princeton, NJ
Stay away from the gluten free chocolate brownies! Even when warmed up, it was cold and hard and flavorless. Wasted about 4 – 5 dollars. There is barely any space here, very cramped/​crowded. There are outlets on the walls if you are lucky enough to be nearby. One or two large communal tables. Could use more space and lower prices.
Place rating: 3
Mobile, AL
It was very crowded and hopefully what I believe is their new location by the station will work out better. The coffee was very pricey for what it was. It was good but not anything special. It wouldn’t have bothered me as much if more things were available iced. The Americano my brother had was a «regular» but it was so small, the size of a teacup. Average small is like 9 – 12 oz. I believe that was like 4 – 6 oz. The taste didn’t justify the price all that well. It was very cute and I like the environment and the staff was decent. However, I don’t believe I will be particularly interested in returning to this location again.
Place rating: 3
Carlstadt, NJ
I really, really wanted to love this place. Oh how I hoped I would. I’m always a sucker for neighborhood coffee shops but hidden grounds really has unfortunately let me down.
I have tried, wholeheartedly, many times to give this place a shot: I have ordered iced coffee multiple times, pumpkin latte, regular hot coffee, and an iced tea before.
My main issue is that the price of the products are through the roof and the taste of it does not justify the price. If I am paying over $ 4 for a tiny iced coffee it better be the best I’ve ever tasted… surprise, it’s not. That being said, I do appreciate they make things in house, care about where their products come from and all that but as a broke college student I just do not see this place being a viable option to go get coffee!
I would definitely give them one more try if they thought about lowering prices and adding a few more seats to their place (there’s never room to do any work)!
Place rating: 4
Manhattan, NY
There aren’t that many cafes like Hidden Grounds in New Brunswick, so I definitely appreciate its existence. It’s a nice place to do some work (if you can find a seat) while sipping on a good drink.
+ Food: I’ve had their Bagel Sandwich and Bombay Sandwich so far. I enjoyed both, but didn’t really think it was anything too special or crazy. Good, but not addicting. Maybe just not my style? Will definitely try the other dishes on their menu until I find my favorite item.
+ Drink: Their tea is good… not much else to say there. I will say though that I’m not a huge fan of their Matcha Latte. To be completely honest, I prefer Caffe Bene’s version and I’m the type of person that normally strays from franchises, so that’s saying a lot!
+ Service: Phenom. Super kind people who are quick, attentive and most importantly, know what they’re doing.
+ Ambience: Relaxing, quiet, good place to do work or read. Lots of outlets. Can be hard to find a seat sometimes, but other than that, great!
Place rating: 5
Edison, NJ
Good coffee, tasty treats in a shop with a fancy and sort of swanky type of atmosphere.
It’s an inviting shop that will make you want to stay a while. I got the Moka Java pour over coffee with a slice of apple cinnamon cake. I enjoyed both and look forward to trying a lot more of their selections. I also got some of their bottled cold brew coffee to go. That was good too and next time I may have to get a few bottles because it didn’t last long.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
the best coffee in new brunswick easily, probably central jersey as a whole.
its all about the vibes. hella people are there working on their lappys, having an impromptu coffee date or indulging in one of their wonderfully hipster snacks. yellow lights in mason jars, a large shared table. wood everywhere. seats are competitive, esp cuz ppl camp.
i was even thinking of WFC (working from coffeeshop) on a friday afternoon. maybe get others from the team to come over. cool right?
ordered a pour over large coffee, barista recommended the kenyan — yum full bodied dark but very drinkable, medium.
also bought an apple vinegar ginger switchel, which is supposed to clear up your snuses yesss.
i was hella hungover today and didnt sleep well so i didnt this. just a few sips and im just exhaling fully from my nose. ohhh yah love that new jersey air lol.
my brother bought a ginger tea which was very light and refreshing as well.
all in all 5 stars. as i was writing earlier, key factors for 5 stars are: service, nommyness, bathroom cleanliness/​grungeyness, vibe and repeat visits.
Place rating: 4
New Brunswick, NJ
Cute décor, friendly staff, strong cold brew and gluten free breakfast pastry items! New Brunswick needed a modern coffee shop like this one. I’m a fan.
Place rating: 4
Weston, MA
This is a coffee shop geared to serving college students and provides a layout conducive for completing work or conversing. They had music playing in the background.
The coffee was tasty! They have several beverage and treat options. Stop by for a sip!
Place rating: 3
Bergen County, NJ
You can imagine how high my expectations were after seeing all its killer reviews — it’s all the hype around the Rutgers Area! I’m sad to say, it actually didn’t even come close to what I expected… My opinion has come from multiple experiences at Hidden Grounds not just one visit.
The Hidden Ground’s ambiance is gorgeous, and definitely it’s best feature. It’s a place that you don’t even have to think twice about wanting to order «for here». However, GOOD LUCK even finding a place to sit… Hidden Grounds is always bombarded by students and on top of that, there’s not nearly enough stools or chairs to accommodate their customers. Recently, my boyfriend & I ordered drinks and they didn’t even ask us if we wanted them to go even though there was no seating left. So we were stuck with 2 hot coffees and no where to even drink them.
As for the quality of their coffee… WOMP. I ordered a classic coffee, nothing fancy. It tasted watery — wouldn’t expect that from a place that specializes in coffee. My boyfriend ordered a pumpkin spice cappuccino and that was pretty good. It was also presented well with a cute little design on top.
Another time I went to see a friend’s band play at Hidden Grounds (I like that they occasionally have shows!). Their dessert looked delicious and I couldn’t wait to try something. I tried one of their breads, I believe it was pumpkin, and it was so disappointing. The best word to describe it would be «flavorless». That’s not usually a word I’d use to describe a dessert, but in this case it’s true.
My biggest complaint about Hidden Grounds is that there has been several times that I went to try it out and it was randomly CLOSED early. I’m not talking about 20 minutes… It’s been 2 – 3 hours early every time. I’m sure they’ve lost lots of customers from this. Why would I even bother going there if I have no idea if I’m gonna have to turn around and back home?!?
I doubt I’ll be returning to Hidden Grounds in the future. I do hope they consider making some changes because they have a lot of competition opening up on the same street, and they really do have potential!
Place rating: 5
North Brunswick Township, NJ
My first Unilocal review, and I decided to give it to our favorite coffee spot.
If you don’t know the story behind this coffee shop, you need to get on that.
The amount of drive, perseverance and vision the owners of HG have makes me so incredibly loyal to them.
The coffee and food are top notch. I personally am not a big straight coffee drinker, but here are my favorites that I always purchase when I visit: Any flavored iced latte, the masala chai (the best I’ve ever had — very authentic), and their chocolate cookie (I forget the name). I’ve also tried a pumpkin loaf, I believe it was, as well as other really awesome pastries. I just tried to cold brew tonight and as a person that doesn’t love strong coffee — it was delicious. I expressed my aversion to strong coffee to the barista and she was awesome and put more milk in it without me having to ask. Topped it off with some simple syrup and it was great! I would definitely purchase it again :) I know the prices are a little high but you are paying for good quality products and I will gladly pay a couple of extra dollars to keep a unique place like this around.
I will be honest and say I have had a few issues with baristas in the past that were much less than friendly, but that hasn’t stopped me from coming back. If it happens again though, I will be sure to get their name and tell the manager, because I truly believe this would be something that he would care about and remedy.
A great perk is that my husband and I also love coming to the comedy night here. We wish more people would come out for these. Great time to get some good coffee, tea, or chai, great food & laugh your butt off. Thanks HG for giving us great memories and a fun place to hang out!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Came in today for my first time to meet an old friend for tea! Parking is a little tricky to find, here, but I managed to snag a spot on the opposite side of the street.
Hidden Grounds is located on 106 Easton Ave, and is literally hidden underground (accessible via stairs). Ducking inside the basement level, there is an open space where patrons may sit around the wooden tables and chat, work, or read the various newspapers. There is also bar stool seating around the perimeter.
The ordering process is handled at the counter in the back, with an efficiently modern iPad should you choose to pay with card. Afterwards, one of the barista’s will bring your drink out for you.
I liked the ambiance and the décor – there were mason-​jar lamps that gave the place a rustic quality, even though it’s in New Brunswick.
A fine place to spend an afternoon!
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
I stopped by Hidden Grounds today and I couldn’t be more satisfied with my experience.
I was considering ordering the vanilla latte after hearing good things about it on Unilocal,but I decided to go with a plain latte to balance out the banana bread. The latte was phenomenal. It was strong, rich, and creamy. The banana bread on the other hand was just okay. It tasted homemade but I think it could have been sweeter (just my personal preference. Don’t let my opinion prevent you from trying it!) The employee kindly asked if I wanted it warm.
Another employee brought the coffee and banana bread over to me, which was nice. I’m used to waiting in line at Starbucks or DD for my drink/​food.
The atmosphere is just amazing. It’s really relaxing and the music isn’t too loud. I think it’s a great place to go if you want to study, catch up with a friend, or discuss a paper with a professor/T.A. There are outlets near the counter tables and plenty of seats.
I really appreciate the friendly service, atmosphere, and quality coffee. I’m definitely going back to try their other food options, vanilla latte, café mocha, and hot chocolate.
Hidden Grounds is a hidden gem in New Brunswick.